International

Operations throughout the world

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT international activities are divided into 4 business units, including 3 geographic BUs:

• SENA (SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT North America),
• CEMME (Central Europe, Mediterranean, Middle East),
• ASIA (SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT Asia),
• Degrémont, a global water treatment specialist operating in more than 70 countries

On a global scale, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT is committed to meeting increasing needs for infrastructure, expertise and solutions for managing waste and water. To achieve this, the Group has drawn up an ambitious international strategy.

Targeting high-potential regions

Profitability and rigour are the guiding principles behind the international development of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT. The Group intends to expand its operations in countries with a clear, stable legal and regulatory framework. Its priorities are North America, the Middle East, China, Australia, Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. In 2009, its subsidiary United Water secured the renewal of several agreements in the United States that were about to expire, winning a contract for €73 million to improve collection and wastewater treatment facilities for the city of East Providence (Rhode Island).

Developing partnerships and synergies

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT businesses are local by nature. The Group is a local operator relying on its teams’ ability to adapt to various contexts encountered around the world. It is committed to deepening its roots in the regions where it operates by promoting internal and external knowledge-sharing.

There are genuine synergies between water and waste management operations. For example, in Morocco, a partnership has been forged between Lydec (water and electricity distribution in Casablanca) and SITA el Beïda (waste management).

Some synergies have formed naturally between SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT subsidiaries through business development, or between water and waste projects due to common ground in terms of technical expertise or management skills.

Numerous synergies also exist with GDF SUEZ, in terms of what we offer (e.g., to energy operators), our commercial network or operational excellence (R&D, procurement, etc.).

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT and its subsidiaries also work externally with local partners chosen for their stringent standards. For example, the Group manages a laboratory in collaboration with the Tsinghua University in Beijing in which students are taught science and perform environmental engineering experiments.

Furthermore, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT transfers knowledge to local teams in order to optimize its own performance and that of its partners. For example, the WIKTI (Water International Knowledge Transfer Initiative) method has enabled Algerian partners to acquire Group expertise on water management. This methodology, based on a map of 38 business-specific processes, enables an initial analysis of proficiency in these business activities as well as subsequent assessment of progress made. SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT also works with private partners (New World in Hong Kong) and local authorities on its facilities in China. These partners provide both funding capacity and specialized knowledge of local issues.