Production phase

Renault is implementing a three-pronged strategy for cutting GHG emissions from its industrial sites:

• increase the energy efficiency of installations;
• reduce energy consumption by training employees and introducing energy-efficient processes;
• replacing fuel-oil by natural gas.

The company is studying and implementing breakthrough technological solutions for the production process at the most favourable sites, e.g.: cogeneration facilities at the Flins site or alternative energies such as thermal solar energy at the Palencia and Valladolid Motores sites in Spain and Cacia in Portugal.

Decisions are under way on bigger projects for biomass boiler systems and the generation of wind electricity.

Vehicle-use phase

Designers are focusing on weight reduction, electric-power requirements of vehicles, engine design and combustion management, and friction reduction. New technologies are gradually being installed in vehicles in order to curb fuel consumption.

Within the Alliance with Nissan, research and development programs dedicated to emerging technologies are under way.

Renault's approach to protecting the ecological balance

Renault is committed to making strategic and commercial choices that protect the ecological balance. In consequence, it makes complex trade-offs between a full range of variables (materials, vehicle size, aerodynamics, engines, energy type, etc) right from the vehicle design stage. Replacing a steel fender by a plastic fender, for example, will make the vehicle lighter and less fuel-hungry. However, it will also create more waste and make the car noisier, because steel has better insulating qualities than plastic.

To make these trade-offs between different environmental impacts while also respecting other fundamental requirements (selling price, safety, etc), Renault has adopted a life cycle approach. This approach considers all the environmental impacts of a vehicle right from the design phase and throughout its service life. 

Renault and the greenhouse effect

The greenhouse gas effect caused by human activity can be attributed primarily to carbon dioxide (CO2). This gas is produced primarily by the use of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) for energy and transport.
Renault is committed to reducing CO2 emissions :

• by reducing energy consumption at production sites;

• by upgrading existing technology: through the development of more efficient gasoline and diesel engines, improved vehicle aerodynamics, management of in-car electrical requirements, reduced weight and friction, etc. All these factors reduce the amount of CO2 emitted by vehicles, one gram at a time; 

• by developing the use of new, alternative energies. Vehicles running on natural gas, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) or biodiesel are already available on some markets. Looking towards the future, studies are under way on hybrids and fuel cell technologies. The Alliance is channelling considerable resources into these joint studies;

• by informing customers on the risks of excess consumption linked to their vehicle driving, use and servicing habits;

• by informing them of the fuel consumption and average CO2 emissions of vehicles in the showrooms;

• by launching Renault eco². Based on three criteria, Renault eco² is awarded to vehicles in the range that have CO2 emissions of less than 140g/km, or that run on E85 ethanol, or B30 biodiesel.