Protecting biodiversity By reducing the environmental impact of products, services and sites Because Michelin is aware of the need to preserve biodiversity and ecosystems to conduct its business sustainably,we take into account the environmental impacts of products - right from the design phase, as well as operations and its sites. 2020-2030: Ongoing commitments to biodiversity Michelin is factoring in the environmental impacts of its products by conducting research and development that shapes its choice of materials, architecture and manufacturing process. The Group is also striving to improve its production sites' environmental performance and is pushing for the development of responsible natural-rubber farming and sustainable raw materials segment. Evaluating the impact of products and services on biodiversity Life cycle assessments (LCAs) can measure a product or service's impact on the environment over its full life cycle, from cradle to grave, using a variety of indicators to address for example climate change, resource depletion, changes in land use, water, and human health. Developing a sustainable natural rubber industry Natural rubber is a renewable resource that is essential for the tire industry, with properties that synthetic elastomers simply cannot reproduce. To protect this resource and control impacts from the industry, the Michelin Group has established a comprehensive sustainable natural rubber approach. While rubber growing provides certain environmental benefits (CO2 sequestration, soil compaction), it requires implementation of protections for reducing environmental impact and protecting human rights. The Group is well aware that the spike in global demand for rubber may lead to practices that are damaging for forests and biodiversity. Accordingly, it is taking action to promote responsible and sustainable management of the natural rubber industry. Find out more about Michelin's approach on the dedicated website to natural rubber Sustainable Natural Rubber, Michelin's approach Protecting biodiversity around industrial sites and research facilities Since 2013, the Group's production sites and research facilities have been conducting inventories of the protected species and areas that surround them. The latest update in 2018 reported 196 protected areas within a five-kilometer radius of the sites. The results of these inventories were included in each site's environmental risk analysis: the risk control plans were reworked or initiated on eight sites that had identified pollution risks that could impact biodiversity. France Country-wide pilot France is pilot testing a ban on the use of pest-control products for grounds maintenance. Since November 2020, following a study on the subject, pest-control products are no longer used for grounds maintenance at the Group's production and research facilities in France. The Group is examining the possibility of applying the ban at all facilities. France Ladoux Michelin and the Conservatoire d'espaces naturels d'Auvergne signed an agreement to protect a 3.5 ha comprising continental salt meadows, a rare ecosystem in Europe and a priority for conservation. It was extended by 1.7 ha in 2021. In 2020, the plots of land used as a testing ground for agricultural tires were maintained using mechanical tools rat France Carmes The Carmes site, which houses the Group's headquarters, carried out a global inventory of its biodiversity to list all of the species. In 2019, the Fédération de Pêche et de Protection du Milieu Aquatique du Puy-de-Dôme made an inventory of the fish species in the Tiretaine river, which crosses the site. Over 350 trouts were counted. China Shanghai ans Shenyang The Shanghai and Shenyang industrial sites organized initiatives to promote biodiversity, such as planting trees at the sites and in the surrounding areas. In 2020, these sites organized their 6th annual tree-planting day, planting 130 trees at Shenyang and 50 at Shanghai. Russia Davydovo For the sixth year running, this site supported the environmental conservation initiatives conducted by the government of the Moscow region. The area had been severely damaged by fires and by an insect invasion, which together had destroyed much of the forest. Michelin's employees took part in the tree-planting program. Mexico Querétaro In September 2021, Michelin and the Querétaro Trust for the Conservation of Environment (FIQMA) reaffirmed their engagement to preserve the naturel ecosystems of the commune, with a convention favouring projects and specific actions for the conservation of flora, fauna, oils, water, and atmosphere around the industrial sites.
