First of all, Renault identifies risk areas and makes a diagnostic of pollution sources. This process includes:

• studying the appropriate literature and making field investigations for each industrial site,
•  monitoring and updating compiled information as part of a national “risk approach” policy.

After the diagnostic, Renault rehabilitates sites and considerably reduces pollution by:

•  taking measures to prevent soil pollution and rehabilitating industrial sites,
• making transparent disclosures with appropriate government bodies, 
• reducing water consumption per vehicle produced.

Renault has adopted the so-called “risk approach” method for protecting natural habitats. This involves deciding on measures on a case-by-case basis, according to the site's environmental fragility, surrounding area and pollution level.

Sites use specific guidelines to measure their current level of soil pollution prevention and rank measures to be taken. This method is applied at all Renault industrial sites worldwide.

Flagship rehabilitation: the Pitesti site obtains ISO 14001 certification

Renault took innumerable measures to improve the Romanian site’s environmental performance, cleaning up the soil, modernizing used water treatment facilities, installing waste processing and an ultra-filtration station for recovering oil emulsions generated from engine machining.

1. Reduce water taking on natural ressources 15% between 2007 and 2012. As part of its reduction policy, in 2008 Renault implemented the 4R approach (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover energy).

The work accomplished at production sites has enabled Renault to:

• compare water consumption station by station at all its sites,
• identify and compile good practices to optimize water consumption,
• establish avenues for improvement at each site and good practices to roll out.

The best ways to reduce water consumption are prompted by the first three "Rs" in the 4R approach: 

• Reduce (R1): monitoring water consumption and taking quick decisions and actions if any anomaly comes out.
• Reuse (R2): Reusing effluents in the same process, E.g. closed-circuit management of end-of-line sealing booths.
• Recycle (R3): Recycling effluents to use them in a different process. Example: recycling storm water at Maubeuge and the Technocentre.

2. Reduce pollutant liquid waste at industrial sites. Renault is pursuing its policy of reducing the environmental impact of its liquid effluents.

At powertrain sites: All the Group’s powertrain sites are aiming for zero industrial discharge for 2015. As of today (May 2008), 5 plants are already zero discharge, 5 others are partly zero discharge and being equipped and all new projects are conceived on a zero discharge commitment.

Levers include:

• Reducing discharges to water at the source (dripping from swarf, changes of machining and cleaning fluids, parts carry, leaking pumps and valves, station cleaning operations).
• Extending the life of baths for cutting and cleaning fluids: implementing treatment at the source, chemical monitoring of baths, automatic systems, etc.
• Controlling discharge volumes: reducing the diversity of chemical products, reducing swarf with return to station, reducing carry from parts and swarf, optimizing the number of cleaning facilities, and using “waterfall” cleaning.  
• Centralizing machines.
• Using water of adequate quality.
• Treating residual effluents using a vacuum evaporation system with recycling of the treated waste.

At body and assembly sites: As part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, Renault is studying the possibility of applying the zero industrial discharge objective to its body-assembly plants, as is the case at the powertrain plants.