Arval France has been awarded its ISO 14001 certification by AFNOR. Launched at the initiative of top management, the project took nearly 18 months and involved all staff members at all company levels.

The ISO 9001 certification obtained in 1998 already vouched for the quality of Arval France’s services. Obtaining the ISO 14001 certification underscores and proves the environmental dimension of its services: “Ever since it was founded, Arval France has been committed to provide the best service quality to customers, and we wanted to take it a step further. Today, by developing quality services that are safer for the environment, we are encouraging our customers to join us in an environmental approach,” explains François-Xavier Castille, general manager of Arval France.

By motivating Arval employees to consider their business from a sustainable-development angle, this strategy has prompted them to come up with new ideas such as the Environment and Safety Programme, which includes 5 offers that are in line with the principles of sustainable development.

The project which ran over 18 months kicked off with a full audit of all Arval’s activities in France. The aim of this environmental analysis was to assess gas emissions, waste production, resource consumption (energy, wood, water), and sound and visual pollution. An Environmental Policy was then drawn up, with 6 main lines on which Arval intends to act in the interest of the environment.

Each of these lines was the focus of an action plan supported by Arval employees. The progress on each line was assessed by means of an indicator matrix based on existing elements. In this respect, employee awareness played a decisive role: “The success of the project depended greatly on the commitment of our staff. It was a real success not only because the staff members were involved, but also because environmental criteria now form an integral part of our management system,” said Castille.