The Veolia Observatory is a tool developed in order to understand changes and think of the future use of cities by their inhabitants.

Mainly based on focused publications and surveys, the observatory offers a good overview of life in the city and on how citizens see their life in it.

According to Veolia, the results of Veolia Observatory 2008 survey make it possible to sketch the portrait of the average city dweller.Apart from the differences revealed by this approach,the analysis of lifestyles brings into sharp contrast the differences in how people actually live.

Veolia Observatory of Urban Lifestyles

US electricity company GE advances the concept of ecoimagination: 'Ecomagination is a business strategy designed to drive innovation and the growth of profitable environmental solutions while engaging stakeholders. We invest in innovation through both our own R&D efforts and outside venture capital investments. The resulting products enable GE and our customers to reduce emissions while generating revenue from their sale. Combining profits and energy savings, we continue to invest in environmental solutions, perpetuating the cycle. Specific targets have been established for each of three target years: 2008, 2010, and 2012. We have already exceeded our 2008 commitment, reducing GHG intensity by 30%.'

Concerning energy, GE acknowledges that 'the need to make smarter and more efficient use of the world’s energy resources has never been greater'. In this light, GE is particularly aware of using energy more efficiently to deliver benefits to its customers and the environment.

More informations on specific projects concerning energy and climate are to be found on GE's website.

Industrial chemical plants need lots of energy to run. Therefore these economics actors pay a particularly attention to energy future. Interesting for the IMAGINE concept is the approach of SOLVAY. This chemical company runs a large plant near Besancon, at Tavaux. Because of its size, the industry activities of this site are very much linked and integrated to the territory and within the local governance.

© Photography by Henri Bertand

As following of its commitment to sustainable development and as part of its long-term strategy, Solvay has been actively contributing to develop alternatives to fossil fuel in its own plants. In Tavaux, a co-generation project is being run, while a biomass fuelled power station is already active. In Germany, non-recyclable residues are used as fuel for a power station in the Bernburg plant.

Besides this, Solvay is also one of the main contributors to the SolarImpulse project, which is a long-range solar plane project currently under study. This project is being presented in an exhibition at the Saline Royal in Arc-et-Senans, where the IMAGINE annual seminars take place.

For more information on Solvay's approach to sustainability, click here.

German industry conglomerate, Siemens AG, approaches the urban sustainability dimension with a simple question. How can cities protect the environment and save money at the same time?

Siemens' activities brings mainly technological know-how to cities sustainability challenges. Technological solutions provided by Siemens' tools are mostly about energy savings and therefore about reducing costs. Siemens, for example, as infrastructure provider is contributing to London's sustainable mobility, but also works on buildings energy efficiency with the city of Berlin through energy saving contracting, or is developing cogeneration in New York.

On the company website, two studies are highlighted and go deep towards both London's future as well as Imagine partner's, Munich, paths toward a Carbon-Free Future. More on Munich sustainable future study on the next post.

Business in the energy sector is clearly concerned by the changing energy situation and its impacts on the environment.

Shell (Royal Dutch Shell) interestingly explore different scenarios, looking ahead the energy future until 2050. While opposing a scramble to a blueprint scenario, Shell shows that sustainability need important decisions to be taken as soon as possible and that in order to secure a working energy future, actors needs to act positively, and not only react to events.