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Activity report2018

Thinking togetherto illuminate the future

3Veolia Institute I 2018

Editorials

p. 04

p. 08

CONTENTS

A partnership-based and collaborative approachGovernance open to the worldA recognized legitimacy

p. 12The Veolia Institute Review - Facts Reports "Resilient cities"Conference-debate on the theme "Resilient cities"

Resilient cities

The Veolia Institute in 2018

p. 14Meeting of the Foresight Committee on the theme "Oceans and plastics".The Veolia Institute Review - Facts Reports "Reinventing plastics"

Plastics

p. 18Exploring the notion of common goods

Common goods

Outlook for 2019

Talk by Philippe Chalmin on raw materialsTalk by Nicolas Miaihle on artificial intelligence

The Veolia Institute Talks

p. 20

p. 19

The Veolia Institute

Conferences on plasticsPublications on urban agriculture and indoor air quality

Dinah Louda, Executive Director, and Jean-Pierre Tardieu, Chairman of the Veolia InstitutePierre-Marc Johnson, Chair of the Foresight Committee

Promotion of the Veolia Institute’s workp. 22Work freely accessible for all

4Veolia Institute I 2018

• Organize numerous events, often, butnot only, based on these publications:conferences open to external guests andVeoliamanagers, talks specially forVeoliaexecutives,etc.

• Give a new impetus to the meetings ofits ForesightCommittee,whichbenefitedfromthearrivalofLordNicholasStern,asdescribed here by its Chair Pierre-MarcJohnson:theyarenowgenuineworkshops,bringing togetherhigh-level internationalexperts and some of the group's topexecutives, and producing results whicharethendisseminated.

• Increase its visibility both externally andinternally.

All this could only be achieved thanks to theuntiring efforts of the team, mostly newlyappointed inearly2018,andwewould like toexpressourgratitudetothem.Andnoneof itwould have been possible without the trustVeolia's senior management places in us, asevidenced by the financial assistance andmaterial support agreements concluded forthetwofiscalyears2018and2019.

It isthisrelationshipoftrustthatweproposetobuildonoverthecomingyears,underpinnedbythesamefoundations. 

In December 2017, theVeolia Institute's Board ofDirectors adopted a program covering the twoyears 2018 and 2019.The chosen strategywas todevelop a leaner Institute, with working themesfocusing on subjects related toVeolia's activitiesand boosting its internal and external visibility,while remaining faithful to its commitment toobjectivity and spirit of openness. The Institute'steamdesignedthetwo-yearworkprogramwithinthisframeworkandundertooktocarryitoutwithasignificantlyreducedfinancialcontributionfromVeolia.

This decision was rooted in the conviction thattheplanwasviableandrelevanttotheInstitute'sessentially unchanged mission. As this activityreport illustrates, the achievements since thebeginning of 2018 show that the challenge hasbeenmetandthatthemodelchosenhasalong-termfuture.

Thus,despitethestrictlimitationofitshumanandfinancialresources,theInstitutehasbeenableto:

• Continue publishing Facts Reports in arevised format with two annual issues,each focusing on a theme related toVeolia'sactivities,featuringpresentationsoffactsandachievements in the field recounted by thepeople who work there, supplemented by anumberofsummarizedinsights.

Dinah Louda& Jean-Pierre TardieuExecutive Director of the Veolia InstituteChairman of the Veolia Institute

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The model chosen for a leaner Institute, faithful toits commitment to objectivity and its spirit of openness, has a long‑term future.

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Right from the start, the Veolia Instituteestablisheditselfasaninnovativeinstrumentofforesightthinkingattheinterfaceofsocialand environmental issues. Thanks to itspositioning,intunewiththeacademicworld’sreflections and research, attentive to civilsocietyactors’approachesandactions,andatthesametimeclosetoalargeandcommittedcompany working in sectors such as water,energy,wasteandrecovery,keytothesuccessofthemajorchangesoursocietiesneed,ithasbeenabletoprovideallconcernedpartieswithhighlyinterestinginsightsfor18years.

TheForesightCommitteehasbeensupportingtheInstitutesinceitscreation.In2017,whenthequestion of reviewing the Institute's humanandfinancialresourcesarose,theCommitteeclearly expressed its support for the projectpresented by the Institute's leaders, thusdemonstratingnotonly itsattachment toanorganization ithashelpedtoshape,butalso,andaboveall, its trust ina teamwhosepastachievementshavedemonstratedtheirabilitytoreinventprojectsandfindnewways

Pierre-Marc JohnsonChair of the Foresight Committee

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In tune with the academic world’s reflections and research, attentive to civil society actors’ approaches and actions, and at the same time close to a large and committed company.

EDITORIAL

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ofoperatingwithoutbetrayingtheInstitute’smissionorethics.

The Institute's track record since thebeginning of 2018 confirms that ourtrustwaswell-founded.ThisisreflectedfirstandforemostinthequalityofitsFacts Reports review:2017publicationsontheimpactofdigitalizationonthecity ("Smart cities at the crossroads","Artificial intelligence and roboticsin the city"), 2018 publications onthe major challenges arising fromclimate change and damage toour environment ("Resilient cities","Reinventing plastics") and 2019publications in the pipeline ("Urbanagriculture","Indoorairquality").

Thehighstandardof its conferences,often organized around thesepublications, is also a strong sign oftheInstitute’seffectiveness.Our Committee feels very positively

about recent and highly constructiveForesight Committee meetings, onthemes such as plastics and oceans,and the fact that their content wasdisseminated quickly and effectively,toourmembersaswellastoawideraudience. The fruitful discussionsbetween its members and thePresident of Veolia during recentmeetingsalsorevealedaconvergenceof concerns and approaches thatthe Committee found particularlyvaluable.

ThatiswhyIcanonlystronglysupporttheproposaloftheInstitute'sleadersto extend its mission in the longterm and in its current format: thechosenmodelhasprovedtobewhollyrelevant. 

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As aplatform forhorizontal thinking, theVeolia Institutehasbuiltupanetworkoflocal,nationalandinternationalpartners:• A network of scientists tasked with

exploringmajor themes linked to theInstitute’smission;

• A network of practitioners whosespecific expertise is called on topromote knowledge transfer andsharingofbestpractices.

The Veolia Institute has an innovativerole: to act as a bridge between thesenetworksandVeolia,makingconstructivecontributions to the company whilepreserving its own independence andscientific rigor. This partnership-basedmodeofoperationhasfosteredaresolutelycollaborativeapproach.

Designedasaplatformfordiscussionandcollectivethinking,theVeoliaInstitutehasbeenexploringthefutureatthecrossroadsbetweensocietyandtheenvironmentsinceitwassetupin2001.Itsmissionistothinktogethertoilluminatethefuture.

Workingwiththeinternationalacademicworld,theVeolia Institute provides multidisciplinary insightsintoachangingworld.Itanalyzestheenvironmentaland societal challenges of the coming decades,particularly those related to the evolution ofurban lifestyles and sustainable production andconsumption patterns (cities, urban services,environment,energy,health,agriculture,etc.).

A partnership-based and collaborative approach

The Veolia InstituteA platform for environmental& societal foresight

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The Veolia Institute is based on three pillars:• The operational team, which runs the Institute’s day-to-day operations;• The Board of Directors, which sets out overall policy, and leads and oversees management of the

Institute;• The Foresight Committee, which advises the Institute and guides its development.

Governance open to the world

The Institute fosters public debatewhile identifying andsharing tools for analyzing and understanding emergingissueswith:

• TheVeolia Institute Review - Facts Reports, designedto share the expertise and experiences of differentactorssuchasNGOs,entrepreneurs,publicauthorities,experts, researchers and businesses; the reviewsexamine a given subject from a wide variety ofviewpoints;

• Conference-debates that provide multidisciplinaryinsightsintothethemesexploredinthereviews;

• Working groups forexploringemergingtrends,suchasthediscussionsoncommongoods(seepage18).

The Veolia Institute’s network of partners, as well asits publications and conferences, give it credibility andlegitimacyasitpursuesitsmissiontotackleglobalissuesattheinternationallevel(seepage11).

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The consulting firm Azao also assisted the Veolia Institute in 2018 with various projects, including helping to prepare the "Resilient cities" issue of its

review and the associated conference and to write the summary document on common goods to be presented in 2019.

The board embodies the Veolia Institute’s positioning and the bridges it builds between the private sector, scientific circles and civil society. The members who make up the board – including Veolia representatives, members of the Foresight Committee and established outside experts –deliver balanced governance of the Institute

Members of the Board of Directors: Laurent Auguste, Senior Executive Vice President, Development, Innovation and Markets, Veolia; Jean-Pierre Boisivon, Emeritus Professor at Paris  II Panthéon-Assas University, Vice Chair of the Institute; Estelle Brachlianoff, Chief Operating Officer, Veolia(1);

Antoine Frérot, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Veolia; Paul-Louis Girardot, Vice Chair of the Institute; Olivier Grunberg, Executive VP and General Secretary of Veolia Water; Philippe Guitard, Senior Executive Vice President, Central  &  Eastern Europe, Veolia; Pierre-Marc Johnson, international lawyer, former First Minister of Quebec, Chair of the Foresight Committee; Claude Laruelle, Chief Financial Officer, Veolia, Treasurer of the Institute(1); Helman Le Pas de Sécheval, General Counsel, Veolia; Claude Mandil, former Director General of the International Energy Agency; Jean-Pierre Tardieu, Chairman of the Veolia Institute; Laurence Tubiana, President of the European Climate Foundation.

The Board of Directors

The team

Team members (from left to right): Fanny Arnaud, Program Director, Nicolas Renard, Director of Foresight, Dinah Louda, Executive Director, Sophie Soubrier, Executive Assistant.

---(1) Starting in the 2019 fiscal year.

The team suggests areas for study, establishes the broad themes and identifies priority topics and expert partners. It implements action programs, coordinates the network of contributors and

circulates the results of the Institute’s work. The collaborative work they do is regularly discussed with the Foresight Committee and approved by the Board of Directors

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The Foresight Committee’s meetings give the Institute the opportunity to validate ongoing projects,identifynew foresight topics, anddevelop itsworkingareas thanks to the insightsof theparticipatingexpertsandtheirin-depthknowledgeoftheirfields.

The Foresight Committee

TheForesightCommitteeembodiesthesolidscientificfoundationsoftheInstitute’sprogramsthankstotheexpertiseandinternationalreputationofitsmembers.

The Foresight Committee guides and steers the work of the Veolia Institute. At the Committee’sregularmeetings,whichbegan in2001, itworksonexpanding the Institute’snetworksandguiding itsforward-lookingmission.

Harvey FinebergPresident of the Gordon and BettyMoore Foundation,Former President of the UnitedStates Institute of Medicine

Philippe KourilskyHonorary Director General of theInstitut Pasteur,Biologist,Emeritus Professor at the Collègede France

Mamphela RampheleFormer Managing Director of theWorld Bank,Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town

Amartya SenEconomist, Nobel Prize 1998, Thomas W. Lamont UniversityProfessor and Professor of Economics and Philosophy atHarvard University

Nicholas SternPresident of the British Academy,IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government at the LondonSchool of Economics,Fellow of the Royal Society

Members

Pierre‑Marc JohnsonInternational lawyer,former Prime Minister of Quebec,Chair of the Foresight Committee

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InDecember2015,theCOP21ParisClimateConferenceratifiedtheVeoliaInstitute’sstatusasanobserverNGOunderthetermsoftheUnitednationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChange.This decision recognizes theInstitute’s legitimacy as a contributor to understanding climate-relatedissues. The Institute’s status enables it to participate actively at COPsummits alongside other parties (governments, negotiators, etc.), play aroleasasourceofproposalswithincivilsocietynetworks,andcontributetodiscussionsintherun-uptonegotiations.

Thisnewstatussupplementsotheraccreditationsitobtainedinpreviousyears:• MemberoftheCivilSocietynetworkoftheUnitedNationsDepartment

ofEconomicandSocialAffairs;• AccreditationasaresearchorganizationbytheEuropeanCommission

underits7thFrameworkProgramforResearch.

Forover15years,theVeoliaInstitutehasdevelopedaninnovativeapproachthatbenefitsbothfromVeolia’shands-onexperienceandtheobjectiveinputofitsForesightCommittee.Thistwofoldapproachhasenabledittobecomearelevantandlegitimateinternationallyrecognizedplatformforexploringglobalissues.

A recognized legitimacy

The Foresight Committee and the Veolia Institute team in late 2018.From left to right: Mamphela Ramphele, Philippe Kourilsky, Jean‑Pierre Tardieu, Harvey Fineberg, Pierre‑Marc Johnson, Fanny Arnaud, Nicholas Stern, Dinah Louda. Absent: Amartya Sen and Nicolas Renard.

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• Understand the major challenges and risks, particularlyenvironmental ones, facing urban areas and theconsequencesthatthiscanhaveontheirdevelopment;

• Analyzethemainleversforactionenablingacitytoincreaseits resilience to shocksand risks, througha seriesof casestudies,bothindevelopedanddevelopingcities,makingitpossibletoidentifygoodpracticesandinnovativestrategiesintermsofresilientcities;

• Identifytheconditionsforthesuccessanddeploymentofurbanresilienceonaglobalscale.

Resilient citiesRisks, challenges, solutions

While 70% of the world's population will live incities in 2050, cities today face unprecedentedchallenges: climate change, natural disasters,health crises, loss of attractiveness, industrialdecline,poverty,etc.Howcanwefacetheserisksandenablecitiestomeetthesechallenges?

Attheinterfaceofsocialandenvironmentalissues,the resilienceof cities is agrowing challenge forurbanpolicy.TheVeoliaInstitutehasbeenstudyingthis issue ingreaterdepth for several yearswiththeaimofunderstandingemergingconceptsandidentifyingactorsthatarefindinginnovativewaystoimplementtheconceptofresilienceinthefield.

In September 2017, the Institute co-organized aconferenceonresilientcitiesattheCerisy-la-SalleInternational Cultural Centre with La Fabriquede la Cité, a think tank dedicated to urban

foresightcreatedbytheVinciGroup.Researchers,academics, students, artists, companies andcivil society actors gathered formultidisciplinarydiscussionson the themeof "Resilient cities andterritories". The debate explored how cities andterritories strengthen their capacity to adaptto risks such as climate change, technologicalbreakthroughs, demographic change andmigration, resourcemanagement, terrorism, andsoon.Theproceedingsof the conferencewill bepublishedin2019.

The Veolia Institute followed on from theconference by organizing a meeting betweenvarious stakeholders (researchers, publicauthorities, NGOs, companies, etc.) to exchangethoughts and ideas and continue to explorethe issue of urban resilience and the innovativesolutions cities are adopting to meet thesechallenges.

TheVeoliaInstituteReview-FactsReports"Resilient cities"

In2018,theVeoliaInstitutepublishedanissueofitsreviewon"Resilientcities",whichfocusesonthreeareas:

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InDecember 2018, theVeolia Institute organizeda conference-debate on "Resilient cities" inAubervillierstomarkthepublicationofitsreviewdedicatedtothesametheme.

Nicolas Renard,DirectorofForesightattheVeoliaInstitute, introducedthe conference byrecalling that greaterpopulation densitycoupled with our evermore inter-related livesmakecities increasinglyvulnerable. Urbanareas thus concentrate

unpredictable events, natural or technologicaldisasters and chronic stresses that underminesocialandeconomicties.

Jean-Christophe Levassor,DirectorofLaconditionpublique, Guillaume Josse, urban planner atGroupe Huit andWexity, Eric Lesueur, Presidentof2EIVeoliaandDavid Ménascé,DirectorofAzaoandProfessoratHEC,thenexploredthemainrisksfacingcitiestodayandhowtheyarepreparingtofacethem.

AsDavidMénascépointedout,urbanresilienceisbasedonfourcomponents:astrategicframeworkfor action, a clearlydefined reparationprocess, aviable economicmodel to finance solutions, andpeople'swillingnesstosupportinitiatives.

ForJean-ChristopheLevassor: "InRoubaix,whichhas been hit hard by the economic crisis, LaCondition publique, a public institution in theEuropean metropolis of Lille, hosts a creativeand socially innovative community bringingtogether citizens in all their diversity. It providesacreativespacethat ispartmuseum,partsocialcenterandpartre-socializationcenter,rebuildingties between local stakeholders. This innovativepolicy supportsurban renewaland increases theresilienceoftheterritory.“

Guillaume Josse, an urban planner at GroupeHuit and Wexity, talked about how cities inemerging countries are implementing moreresilient and socially responsible solutions. Inthesecities,markedbytheirlackofinfrastructure,maintenance and resources, including access tofinance, resiliencedependsfirstandforemostoncitizenscopingwithvariousshocksandstresses.

Eric Lesueur presented Veolia's solutions in thedomain of resilience. The Group is a partner inthe 100 Resilient Cities initiative (RockefellerFoundation),which provides support to over 100citiesaroundtheworld,helpingthemdeviseandroll out resilience strategies. Resilience is alsostrengthened by greater cohesion among all thecity's stakeholders:Veolia has created around 20incubatorstosupportentrepreneursinthesocialandsolidarityeconomy. 

A conference-debate on the theme of resilient cities

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Foresight Committee meeting ‑ October 2018Harvey Fineberg, Andrew Morlet, Patrick Labat, Julien Boucher, Maria Luiza Pedrotti, Romain Troublé, Fanny Arnaud, Nicholas Stern, Philippe Kourilsky, Mamphela Ramphele, Lucy Woodall, Jean‑Pierre Tardieu, Pierre‑Marc Johnson, Dinah Louda.

Plastics: The necessary reinvention

Theoceansareanessentialcommongoodattheheartofourplanetarysystem:theyproduce50%ofouroxygenandabsorbonethirdoftheCO2producedonearth.However,theyare ingreatdanger:about8milliontonnesofplasticaredumpedintotheoceanseachyearanditwilltakehundredsofyearsforthiswastetodecompose.

At its annualmeeting, theVeolia Institute Foresight Committee, composed of high-level internationalpersonalities, discussed the subject of the problems posed by plastics in the oceans with a group ofmultidisciplinaryinternationalexperts:• Julien Boucher,DirectorofEA,aninnovationandeco-designcenter,andadvisortotheInternational

UnionforConservationofNature(IUCN);• Patrick Labat,SeniorExecutiveVicePresident,NorthernEuropeZone,Veolia;• Andrew Morlet,ChiefExecutive,EllenMacArthurFoundation;• Maria Luiza Pedrotti,Researcher, National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Scientific

CoordinatoroftheTaraMediterraneeExpedition;• Romain Troublé,ExecutiveDirector,TaraOceanFoundation;• Lucy Woodall,SeniorResearchFellow,DepartmentofZoology,UniversityofOxford.

Foresight Committee meeting on the theme of "Plastic pollution of the oceans", October 2018

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• Coordinate ocean research initiatives to inform public policy

Itisclearthatmoredataisneededtosharpenourunderstandingoftheimpactsofplasticsintheocean,inordertoinformandmotivatepolicydecisions.Researchshouldbeprioritizedtowardsthemost“worrying”questions,suchastheextenttowhichplasticsaretoxic,andthepotentialforplasticstospreadpathogens.

Tofacilitatethisresearch,weneedtorethinkthe way the scientific system is organized,for example, by developing standardizedmethodologies for measuring plasticpollutionanditseffects,ensuringrapiddata-sharing,andencouragingcitizenparticipationin this scientificwork.With theseobjectivesin mind, the Foresight Committee followed

upthemeetingbylaunchingacalltoactionfor research institutions, includingtheCNRSin France, to urge them to focus furtherresearcheffortsontheimpactsofplasticsintheoceans.

• Establish an international body for regulating ocean pollution

In the same vein, an intergovernmentalpanel on oceans should be established toassess scientific data on ocean pollution. Itwould be similar to the IntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange(IPCC)andprovidepolicymakers with regular assessments ofoceanpollution,itsimpactsandfuturerisks,aswellasstrategiesforreducingtheamountofplasticleakage.

Maintakeawaysofthismeetingtosaveouroceansfromplasticpollution:

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• Accelerate deployment of a circular economy

In addition, immediate action is neededto “stop the bleeding”, andwe have enoughdata tomake a start. It is already clear thatsome countries have inadequate wastemanagementsystemsandthatthepackagingsector is a major cause of plastic leakage.This can be addressed through eco-designofproductsandpackaging,whichwouldnotonly increase the efficiency of recycling, butalsohasthepotentialtoinfluencebehavioralleakage,suchaslittering.

Incentives are needed to encourage betterconsumer behavior and industry practices.Although it is unlikely that a majority ofconsumers will agree to pay more for anenvironmentally-friendly product, publicawareness of plastics in the ocean can leadto changes in industry practices. Companiesconcerned about their reputation alreadyhaveastronginterestinimprovingthedesignoftheirproductsandinshowingthattheyaredisposing of theirwaste and excess stock inenvironmentallyappropriateways,evenwhentheseactionscostmoremoney.Thisincentiveto preserve reputation could, and should, besupported by legislation and taxes on bad

design.Moreimportantly,aculturalchangeisneededtochangeconsumptionpatternsandtransformthe“throwawaysociety”.

Thefullconclusionsofthismeetingarefreelyavailable

ontheVeoliaInstitutewebsite.

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TheVeoliaInstitutehasdedicatedanissueofitsreviewFacts Reportstothetheme"Reinventingplastics":

• PartIprovidesthebackgroundtoplastics:yesterday’sheroand today’s villain. After exploring the history and varietyofplastics, illustrating the centralplace it occupies inourconsumer society, this section then delves into currentdebatesaboutplasticpollution.

• Part IIdiscusses theusefulnessand limitationsofplasticsincludingexploringthe importanceofplastics indifferentsectors and presenting the impacts of plastics on theenvironment,particularlyintheoceans.

• Part III features contributions on the future of plastics,addressingdifferentthemessuchasinitiativesindevelopingand developed countries to build a circular plasticseconomy. 

TheVeoliaInstituteReview-FactsReports"Reinventing plastics"

Acenturyafterplasticwasinvented,itsproperties–lightweight,strongandcheap–havesweptitintoeverycornerofourthrowawaysociety,fromfoodtohealth,automotivetofashion.Onceseenasasymbolofmodernity,plasticshavebeen the subjectof fast-growinganddeep-reachingcriticismworldwide inrecentyears,particularlybecauseofoceanpollution.Canweimagineaplastic-freesociety?Howcanwetransformourwaste-generatingsocietyintoaresource-basedsociety?

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Common goodsEmerging concept explored by Veolia

Theconceptofcommongoods,whilenotnewtoeconomists,philosophersandpoliticalscientists,hasseenarevivalofmorewidespreadinterestinrecentyears.TheVeoliaInstitutehasconductedastudythatbringstogetherresearchersfromthesedisciplinesandcompanymanagers.

The first step was to understand the meaning given to the notion of the common good:

• Foreconomists,thedefinitionisclear.Thesearegoodswhoseconsumptionoruseis"non-exclusive"(inotherwords,everymemberofacommunityhasaccesstothem),butwherethereisexistsarivalrybetweenconsumersorusers(inotherwords,consumptionbyonealtersorreducesconsumptionbytheothers).Thisnotionisillustratedbythe"tragedyofthecommons",definedbyeconomistGarrettHardinastheruinofacommunitybytheoverexploitationofa limitedresource. Itunderscorestheneedforappropriategovernanceandpublicregulationofhowcommongoodsareexploited,acentralthemeofalllocalandglobalenvironmentalgovernance.

• Beyondtheeconomictheory,araftoffurthertheorieshaveemergedbasedonthecommongood(inthesingular)andthecommonsasacollectiveapproachtomanagingscarceresources.Amajorcontributiontothinkinginthisfieldwasmadebythewinnerofthe2009NobelPrizeforeconomics,ElinorOstrom,whowasforseveralyearsamemberoftheeditorialcommitteeofS.A.P.I.E.N.S,areviewthenpublishedbytheInstitute.Someoftheseapproachesrejectthelegitimacyofanyinterventionbyprivatebusinessesinthemanagementofcommongoods,whileothersadvocateregulatoryprinciplesbeingimposedoneachoftheactors,whetherpublicorprivate.

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The Veolia Institute TalksRaw materials, artificial intelligence

In 2018, the Institute introduced a new format of talks for Veolia’s executives andmanagers, giving them the chance to explore ongoing environmental and societalchangeswithhigh-levelexperts.

TwoVeoliaInstituteTalkswereheldin2018:

• Philippe Chalmin,ProfessoratParis-DauphineUniversity,PresidentandFounderofCyclope(Europe'sleadingresearchinstituteonrawmaterialsmarkets),presentedthemaintrendsontheglobalrawmaterialsandcommoditiesmarkets,

• Nicolas Miaihle,Co-founderandPresidentofTheFutureSociety,spokeabouttheissuesarisingfromartificialintelligenceintermsofresourceandcitymanagement.HealsodiscussedtheimpactsofthistechnologicalevolutionforacompanysuchasVeolia. 

The Institute’s work focuses on moving the debate away from purely doctrinal theories to concentrate on a few fields of particular importance for modern societies and which also impact Veolia’s activities. Workshops were held with researchers and practitioners exploring the following aspects:

• Conceptualthemesfordefiningdimensionsofcommonalityandlistingthewaysitisusedtoday>Workshop1–Currentthinkingoncommongoods

• Operationalthemesusingmultidisciplinarysituationstoidentifythewaycommongoodsaredefined,andtheimpactofthesedefinitionsinvariousareas>Workshop2–Commongoodsandwater>Workshops3and4–Commongoodsandenergy>Workshop5–Commongoodsandbusiness>Workshop6–Commongoodsandnuclear>Workshop7-Commongoodsandbigdata>Workshop8-Commongoodsandwaste

Ineachoftheseareas,theresearchworksoughttoidentifyrelevantconceptsanddata,suggestaframeworkfortheroleofbusinessandcorporatesocialresponsibility,andidentifyahandfulofconcreteareasforfurtherreflectionbasedonexperienceinthefield.

Asummaryreportofthestudyandmaintakeawayswasproducedin2018.In2019,theInstitutewillcontinuetoexplorethethemeofcommongoods,inparticularbyfurtherdevelopingitsoperationalapplicationwithinVeolia'sbusinesslines.

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Outlook for 2019Plastics, urban agriculture, indoor air qualityTheVeoliaInstituteiscontinuingitsvariousprojectsin2019inlinewiththeworkithasalreadyundertaken.

1. Conferences on plastics

Followingthepublicationofthereviewdedicatedtothetheme"Reinventingplastics",twoconferencesarebeingorganizedonthisissue:

• A conference in March 2019 at Veolia’s headquarters in Aubervilliers with: Laurent Auguste,DirectorofInnovationandMarketDevelopment,MemberoftheExecutiveCommittee,Veolia;Eric Brac de la Perrière,FounderofYoyo;Jean-Marie Julien,MaterialsExpertiseManager,L’Oréal;Maria Luiza Pedrotti,ResearcherattheCNRSandtheOceanographicLaboratoryinVillefranche-sur-Mer.

• AconferenceinApril2019inpartnershipwithUpConférences,inParis,with:Woldemar d’Ambrières,DirectorofStrategicProjects,Veolia;Alexandra Bordes,CoordinatorofProjectsofGeneralInterest,DanoneFundfortheEcosystem;Carlos de Los Llanos,ScientificDirector,Citeo;Romy Hentinger,Advocacy and International Cooperation Project Manager, Tara Ocean Foundation; Elisabeth Laville,FounderoftheUtopiesagency.

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2. The publication of two issues of TheVeoliaInstituteReview-FactsReports on the following topics:

• Urban agricultureUrbanagricultureisemergingasoneofthesolutionstofoodself-sufficiencyinanincreasinglyurbanizedcontextandinthefaceofgrowingfoodshortages.Thisformofagricultureisprovinghighlysuccessfulandmomentum is accelerating in bothemerging and developed countries. Agrowing number of actors are gettinginvolved:localauthorities,supermarketsand the agri-food industry, architectsandengineers,butalsoorganizedgroupsof citizens working on developing thistypeoffarming,usuallywiththegoalofrevitalizingsocialtiesandchangingconsumptionpatterns.

This issue of The Veolia Institute Review ‑ Facts Reports aims to analyze the growth of urbanagriculture, not only at the city level but also at the territorial level (urban and peri-urbanagriculture), understand the dynamics atwork and the diversity of the actors involved, showwhattypesofchallengescanbemetbythedifferentformsofurbanagriculture,andidentifytheconditionsforastepchange.

• Indoor air qualityUnlikeambientairpollution,which is frequently coveredby themedia, the issueof indoorairquality is lesswell known. Yet, on averagewe spendmore than 80% of our time in enclosed

environments (home, workplace, transportation, etc.) wherewe can be exposed to numerous pollutantswith potentiallydamaging effects on our health and well-being. Indoor airquality has been a concern for several years and has nowemergedasamajorpublichealthissue.

The Veolia Institute Review ‑ Facts Reports will focus on thefollowingthemes:theissuesandrepresentationstiedtoindoorairquality,digitalandscientificdevelopmentsbenefitingindoorairquality,andthemajorchallengesoftomorrowintermsofindoorairquality.

3. There will be publications followed by conference-debates thatwill highlight the issues related tothesetopics.

4. The annual meeting of the Foresight Committee inOctober2019.

5. Further Veolia Institute Talks forVeolia’smanagersandexecutiveswithhigh-levelexperts whowillshedlightonenvironmentalandsocietalchanges.

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Veolia [email protected]

Editorial director: Fanny ArnaudCreation:Narréa.PrintedbyPixar.it, Via 1° Maggio, 8 - 30020 Quarto d’Altino VE - Italie.

Photoscredits:GettyImages(cover,p.15),ChristopheMajanid’Inguimbert/Veoliaphotolibrary(p.11,13),GettyImages/iStockphoto(p.15,17),Veoliaphotolibrary/OlivierGuerrin(p.18)Espaces/DidierGauducheau(p.21).

PrintedonFSC-certifiedpaper.

TheVeolia Institute’s publications and conferences are freely accessible so they can contribute to thedisseminationofknowledgethatfeedsintodebatesonongoingenvironmentalandsocietalchanges.

Toincreasethevisibilityofitsworkanditsimpact,theInstituterampedupitscommunicationactivitiesin2018:

Promotion ofthe Institute’s workWork freely accessible for all

WWW

• Launch of a partnership with The Conversation, an independent media outlet that disseminatescontentfromtheacademiccommunity,totakethearticlespublishedinThe Veolia Institute Review ‑ Facts Reportsandwrittenbycontributorsfromtheacademicworldtoawideraudience;

• Establishment of a partnership with "Place to be", a non-profit workingto share information on environmental issues, in order to help theVeoliaInstitute strengthen its presenceand visibility on social networks (TwitterandLinkedIn);

• Increased interaction with its network (including by sending out thenewsletter)anddialoguewithnewstakeholders(includingthoseconnectedtoVeolia’sactivities);

• Modernization of communication tools: newversionsof its internetand intranet sites, creationofcommunicationtoolsforpresentingtheInstitute.

INFO

RM

Thinking togetherto illuminate the future

Veolia [email protected]

Editorial director: Fanny ArnaudCreation:Narréa.PrintedbyPixar.it, Via 1° Maggio, 8 - 30020 Quarto d’Altino VE - Italie.

Photoscredits:GettyImages(cover,p.15),ChristopheMajanid’Inguimbert/Veoliaphotolibrary(p.11,13),GettyImages/iStockphoto(p.15,17),Veoliaphotolibrary/OlivierGuerrin(p.18)Espaces/DidierGauducheau(p.21).

PrintedonFSC-certifiedpaper.

Thinking together to illuminate the future

Veolia Institute30 rue Madeleine Vionnet - 93300 Aubervilliers - France

www.institut.veolia.org