Energy & Environment
Innovation, performance and impact in the Energy and Environment sectors
G.A.C. Group supports and assists Energy and Environment companies in their innovation strategies and their ambitions for performance and positive impact on society and the environment.
A sector with major challenges
A leading role in the economy
400,000 jobs
200 bn sales
In 2019, according to INSEE, there were approximately 15,000 companies in France in the production, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning. The environment encompasses a wide range of activities: waste collection and treatment, water and air pollution control, biodiversity protection, natural resource management, sanitation, etc. That same year, INSEE counted around 46,600 companies in France in the Environment sector.
Innovation, in what areas?
The Energy & Environment sector is obviously facing major challenges, notably the the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote the transition to renewable energy sources. To achieve this, the sector needs to pursue technological innovation and promote sustainable, responsible energy use practices.
The Energy and Environment sector also faces a number of challenges, including waste management and environmental protection issues, by developing technologies and practices that minimize environmental impact. In addition, energy security is a major concern for the energy and environment sector, which must ensure a reliable and sustainable energy supply to meet society's needs.
To meet these challenges, the Energy and Environment sector must pursue technological innovation, improve energy efficiency and promote sustainable, responsible practices. We can cite numerous innovative fields around renewable energies (solar, wind, hydraulic, geothermal and marine), energy storage: energy storage technologies, smart grids, the application of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things for better management of energy networks, waste recycling and recovery, depollution technologies, the development of eco-materials, etc.
What support systems are available in France and Europe?
In France, there are several support schemes for companies in the energy and environment sector, such as the energy transition tax credit (CITE), the environmental bonus, the participatory financing for environmental projectsor the investment grants for renewable energies. The French government has also set up a recovery plan 30 billion euros, part of which is earmarked for the support ecological transition and green growth.
At European level, the European Commission has set up several initiatives to support the energy transition and sustainable developmentsuch as the LIFE program for the environment and climate action, or the European Fund for Just Transition. The European Commission has also launched a recovery plan of 750 billion euros, part of which is earmarked for finance projects linked to the energy transition and environmental protection.
In addition, companies in the energy and environment sectors can benefit from private financing such as venture capital investments, bank loans or green bondswhich are financial instruments specifically designed to finance projects linked to the energy transition and environmental protection.
How innovation can drive performance in other industries
The main lever for many companies in other sectors to remain competitive is innovation, and in particular digitization of their businesses. Strong R&D capabilities (industry, public research organizations, competitive clusters, technical centers, "grandes écoles") France is home to a highly dynamic innovation ecosystem.
For example, information and communication technologies (TIC) can play an important role in the energy and environment sector helping to optimize the use of resources, improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact, for example :
- collect data on energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy production, enabling us to identify areas of waste and opportunities for improvement.
- be used to develop smart grids to better manage energy production and distribution in real time. These grids can integrate intermittent renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, synchronizing them with demand and maximizing resource utilization.
- help monitor the environment in real time through sensors installed on infrastructure and industrial facilities, and drones that can be used to map pollution zones and detect gas leaks.
- simulate industrial processes and environmental scenarios to better understand their impact and test solutions before they are implemented.
- etc.
Our support
How can innovation help you perform in the Energy and Environment sectors?
How to finance innovation?
The French government and Europe are particularly supportive of innovation. In France, through R&D and innovation funding schemes such as tax credits (CIR and CII) or even public aids and subsidies that follow the government's major acceleration strategies, such as the France 2030 themes: Cybersecurity, Cloud, 5G and networks of the future, Quantum technologies.
European fundingthrough the Horizon Europe ProgramThese include the Digital Europe Programme, as well as sectoral and thematic programmes such as the EU4Health Programme (EU4H) and the Innovation Fund (INNOVFUND).
Financing innovation in the Energy and Environment sector also involves leveraging intellectual property assets through the IP Box tax regime.
How to innovate better and faster?
Beyond financial aid, Energy and Environment companies can also accelerate their innovation projects by using theopen innovation and co-innovation to set up public-private partnerships and to bring out new ideas or market opportunities (new business models, new services, etc.).
In order to set up a effective, constructive innovation strategythe major national and international energy and environmental companies have a duty toalign their growth strategy with their capacity for innovation. A innovation diagnosis may be a solution to highlight the key success factors of a sustainable innovation strategy.
G.A.C. also offers a ideXlab Open Innovation platform which allows to achieve rapid state of the art, d'identify innovative ecosystemsof contact potential partners in the Energy and Environment sectorBut also in all related sectors (materials, ICT, green chemistry, etc.) to accelerate collaborative innovation.
Our multi-disciplinary team of PhD students and engineers has been advising and supporting industry players for over 20 years in their innovation projects, from R&D to obtaining financing.
G.A.C. draws on its sector-specific experience to help you implement your projects through a comprehensive offer to innovate, perform and adopt a responsible approach.
How does controlling your HR policy help you grow?
How to develop know-how?
Recruitment needs in the energy and environment sector are highly varied, depending on the activities and specialities involved. According to a study by the French General Commissariat for Sustainable Development (CGDD), the main profiles sought in the energy and environment sector in France are specialist energy engineers, maintenance technicians, project managers, renewable energy specialists, energy efficiency experts, environmental engineers, waste management experts, hydrology specialists and geology engineers.
We can help you toidentifying partners or expertise in these fields.
Control and anticipate your occupational injury rates
Your employees are your company's greatest asset. Your company's success depends on them. They embody the company's values and drive its development.
This indispensable resource is also one of your company's main expense items. We can help you optimize your human resources costs.
A risk prevention policy coupled with a optimized management of your accidents and occupational diseases will improve your employees' quality of life at work, while reducing your costs.
Energy and Environment companies, like all others, are exposed to work-related accidents and illnesses, which is why it's important to be aware of them. Examples include illnesses linked to exposure to chemicals such as pesticides or heavy metals, as well as injuries linked to waste collection, sorting and processing operations.
Control your payroll taxes
For nearly 20 years, we have been helping companies in the retail sector to overall control of their social charges generated by this indispensable resource, the human being.
In order to secure your financial and social situationwe produce payroll audits, DSN compliance audits and social security audits (verification of compliance with regulations, optimization of loads, security and reliability of data) in order to make sure you contribute the right amount. Our payroll and DSN experts assist you during URSSAF audits.
Manage your HR indicators
Because we are convinced that HR indicators monitoring through high-performance digital tools is a driving force for increasing the efficiency of your teams, we offer a a complete HR decision-support solution.
The D2BI business intelligence solution allows our customers to manage their human resources on all their sites: absenteeism, entry-exit, gender equality etc. Using highly granular indicators, your HR teams can make decisions adapted to the realities of the company.
G.A.C. has earned a solid reputation in HR performance thanks to the technical expertise of our legal consultants in payroll, social security charges, DSN and Social Security law. Our experts offer dedicated support to help you make the right decisions, supported by cutting-edge analysis tools.
Controlling taxes: a strategic challenge for Energy and Environment companies
The innovation taxation represents a first lever to preserve the cash flow of Energy and Environment companies. Faced with the complexity of tax systems, changes in case law and changes linked to your company's cycle, it's not always easy to understand the mechanisms for rationalizing your tax expenditure.
You need solid, reliable cash management to enable your business to grow. The economic weight of your tax expenses can be colossal within your company.
G.A.C. offers concrete and pragmatic solutions to reduce your tax burden through various means: local taxation (property tax, business property tax, business value added tax), energy taxation (TICFE, TICGN, TURPE, CEE), the taxation of urban planning (development tax, archaeology tax, office creation tax), ancillary taxes (taxes on offices and commercial surfaces, TASCOM), and contributions (C3S, etc.).)
Anticipate your local tax expenses
Our tax consultants offer support throughout your real estate investments and restructuring (declarative assistance, budgeting etc.) for secure local taxes.
You have received a TF/CFE audit notification from the tax authorities?
Our team will accompanies during tax audits to secure your rental values and reduce your additional contributions etc.)
Our tax consultants have been working with our industrial clients for over 20 years to diagnose, secure, optimize and rationalize expenses related to your local and energy taxes.
Our specialists are equally at home working with major groups, ETIs, real estate companies and SMEs in all business sectors. From monitoring to litigation, in partnership with law firms, they can help you manage your tax expenses.
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