Corinne Lepage presents the first three Trophées Omnes ESG awards to Eklo, Dispam and Teach on Mars

Omnes announces the creation of the Trophées Omnes ESG, an annual award ceremony honouring the environmental, social and governance performance of the portfolio companies of the Omnes VC, LBO and Infrastructure funds. This year, Corinne Lepage, Chair of the Omnes ESG Committee, presented the first three awards to Eklo, Dispam and Teach on Mars.

With more than €4 billion under management, 20 years of experience, investments in 150 French and European companies and a strategy focused on sustainable development, Omnes has chosen to reward the portfolio companies that excel in ESG performance each year.

These awards are allocated based on an annual internal scoring method applied to each portfolio company based on an ESG progress plan. For each new investment made by an Omnes fund, the objectives are assessed with a view to identifying the key success factors and an action plan is drawn up with the managers of the company concerned. A score is calculated as from acquisition of the holding and reviewed annually, to assess the progress made in terms of ESG and ensure that the initial targets will be met.

This process is overseen by a team headed by Serge Savasta, Managing Partner, and validated by Omnes’s ESG Strategic Committee, chaired by Corinne Lepage.

This year’s winning enterprises stood out, respectively, for:

• A demanding approach to controlling energy consumption in the construction and operation of hotels, in the case of Eklo;
• Early adjustment of the carbon impact of the logistics chain in the case of Dispam;
• Working to integrate ESG aspects at every level of the business and developing products dedicated to promoting sustainable development in the case of Teach on Mars.

Omnes Partner Serge Savasta comments: “At Omnes, we have always been convinced that ESG has a role to play in our investment approach and that, other things being equal, companies that outdo their competitors on environmental, social and governance issues secure a differential advantage. Being ahead of the curve on ESG is a clear source of resilience and value creation. With the Omnes ESG Awards, we wanted to honour the portfolio companies that show the most promise in this area.”

Corinne Lepage, Chair of the Omnes ESG Committee, comments: “I am pleased to be part of this project, which is about developing ESG in the different aspects of Omnes’ private equity business. Our companies lag behind on a number of key issues, such as the impact of our activities on the environment, the position of women in management and the development of employee share ownership. Unlisted growth companies are precisely the ones we should be focusing on. The 2020 winners of the Trophées Omnes ESG have already set a fine example in these areas. They deserve to be honoured for that.”

Eklo: eco-responsible budget hotels

The environment is a core consideration at Eklo hotels, from the materials used to construct the buildings to fittings and equipment that save water and electricity. Everything is put in place to create environmentally friendly hotels.

For example, the Eklo Marne La Vallée hotel notably features:

• High energy efficiency at level E1 of the E+C- label;
• 140 m² of roof-mounted solar panels, producing more than 10 kWh of solar electricity per m² to help power the hotel;
• Energy and water use control using Betterfly Tourism’s software solutions, which allow consumption to be tracked and ensure a sustainable approach;
• Specially adapted materials certified A+ for emissions into indoor air, along with efficient air renewal, ensuing summer comfort and air quality;
• Recycling or recovery of waste from construction and day-to-day operations;
• Significant use of biosourced construction materials, including nearly 70 kg of wood per m² of floor area, making this a low-carbon project;
• Prefabricated rooms, significantly reducing construction time and the associated nuisance while also enhancing build quality.

Dispam: the French leader in temperature-controlled transport

Dispam operates in the temperature-controlled transport and logistics sectors. The company has two major areas of expertise: refrigerated transport for fresh produce and general merchandise, and integrated logistics solutions (storage, warehousing, order preparation).

Dispam is committed to the environment. Given the nature of its operations, the group is taking action to reduce its CO₂ emissions. The company recently modified the cooling systems in its warehouses to use glycolated water in place of greenhouse gases, in anticipation of the regulatory obligations that will be imposed on the industry. Dispam has also committed made a three-year commitment with ADEME, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency, and has set a target of reducing all its emissions by 4.1%.

Teach on Mars

Founded in 2013, Teach On Mars is developing a training platform for large corporations that is optimised for mobile devices. Its technology enables companies to create interactive, engaging and fun training programmes to help employees acquire new skills.

Despite its youth, the company proactively implements programmes aimed at improving its working environment and reducing its environmental impact. In addition, the Teach on Earth association has developed a mobile app to raise awareness of societal and environmental challenges. The app, which is free and open to all, offers fun and engaging teaching content based on the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals in a mobile-friendly format. Teach on Earth is a member of the Global Compact France.