ARGAN & the cities
ARGAN places particular focus on its relationship with municipalities, intermunicipal bodies, and more broadly, the territories in which it operates. These entities are naturally concerned with urban planning and, through their Local Urban Plans (PLU or PLUi in French), determine the allocation of areas dedicated to housing, retail, business, and logistics.
There are three types of communities :
- Urban communities (over 250,000 inhabitants);
- Communities and urban agglomerations (over 50,000 inhabitants);
- Communities of municipalities (over 15,000 inhabitants).
As part of its activities, ARGAN pays close attention to ensuring that the logistics network it promotes is fully integrated into existing urban planning, complies with current regulations, and contributes to its improvement while creating jobs.
Conversely, our Group is careful not to generate disturbance factors, particularly those that could be caused by truck traffic.
It is precisely the work of explanation and persuasion carried out by our sales team that makes it possible to identify suitable land and successfully complete projects, highlighting ARGAN’s French identity, family-owned nature, and long-term, quality-driven vision.
ARGAN is aware of the local impact of its activities and understands that it has a duty to engage in dialogue with the municipalities and inter-municipal bodies where it operates.
To this end, we make sure to co-develop our projects with local authorities, in order to adapt them as best as possible to the needs of residents living near our sites.
We also work closely with the residents living near our sites, listening to and taking their opinions and needs into account.
ARGAN fulfills this commitment through various means — ranging from formal consultations during the planning and development phases to more informal exchanges such as community events — all of which help to ensure the long-term integration and sustainability of our sites.
A message from…
Aymar de Germay
General Secretary, Member of the Executive Board
Our warehouses, together with the surrounding green spaces, serve as drivers of sustainable territorial development — both by supporting local employment and by contributing to a green network that benefits people and local biodiversity.
Local actions
Ambitious goals for local communities as part of our 2023–2030 ESG roadmap
ARGAN aims to use its activities as a powerful driver of local development. In this context, numerous objectives have been set within the 2023–2030 ESG roadmap to accelerate the economic and social development of local communities while promoting the transition to a low-carbon economy. For example, by 2030, the company aims to:
- carry out 20% of its developments (in sq.m) through the redevelopment of existing industrial brownfield sites, thereby reducing the impact of land artificialization
- carry out 100% of its development projects with enhanced water management measures (infiltration, on-site water management, reduced water consumption, rainwater collection, etc.)
- deliver 100% of its projects following a co-construction process carried out in collaboration with local authorities and communities
- sign 25% of its construction, maintenance, and service contracts including a social inclusion clause
An initiative contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
ARGAN has chosen to align its actions with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which are particularly focused on equitable development for local territories and communities. Given its business activities, its size, and its relatively small number of employees (around thirty), ARGAN has decided to concentrate its efforts on the following five Sustainable Development Goals :
ARGAN will contribute to France’s renewable energy objectives by installing significant photovoltaic capacity on the roofs of its warehouses and on their parking areas, primarily for self-consumption purposes. At the same time, the company will reduce the final energy consumption of its sites in collaboration with its tenant clients.
ARGAN will contribute to the overall resilience of supply chain infrastructures as well as to the reindustrialization of France, bringing operations closer to end users and customers. The company will continue to drive innovation both in the development of its projects and in the services provided to warehouse users.
ARGAN will ensure compliance with environmental regulations within its scope of activity, in collaboration with all its stakeholders. The company will develop new concepts aimed at limiting land artificialization and will pay particular attention to optimizing the co-benefits of its activities for the regions in which they are established.
ARGAN is firmly committed to limiting its greenhouse gas emissions by aligning its low-carbon strategy with the SBTi. At the same time, the company will work on adapting its warehouses to the consequences of climate change, focusing both on their resilience and on the well-being of their users.
ARGAN will strengthen its focus on biodiversity protection and work to restore it wherever possible. The company will develop a plan to limit land artificialization and to reduce impacts during the construction and rehabilitation of its warehouses.
Protection of living environments
Commitments in favor of biodiversity
ARGAN is committed to biodiversity and places the preservation of living ecosystems at the heart of its development strategy.
This commitment is reflected in concrete actions such as the creation of green networks on sites that support local wildlife and vegetation, as well as the installation of water retention basins that can serve as wetland areas.
ARGAN is committed to limiting land artificialization by prioritizing the rehabilitation of existing brownfield sites and preserving undeveloped areas within its properties. By working with ecologists and conducting impact studies, the company adapts its projects to protect existing species and strengthen ecosystem resilience. This commitment is part of a comprehensive development approach that aims to pair the profitability of its business model with a strong focus on sustainability and social, societal, and environmental responsibility.
Our company gives concrete form to these commitments through a biodiversity charter that sets out eight objectives to be achieved by 2030, aimed at preserving non-artificialized areas, creating green and wetland networks, and promoting biodiversity.
PrincipLe
IndicatOr
2024 ACTUALS
2026 MILESTONE
2028 MILESTONE
2030 TARGET
FIGHT AGAINST SOIL artificialisation
% of projects carried out on industrial brownfields (3-year average)
18%
18%
19%
20%
ReFORESTATION
Number of planted trees and shrubs, for all projects delivered, per 1,000 sq.m of non-impermeable surface (built area and roadways)
40
45
50
60
Création de zones humides
% of new developments integrating water infiltration basins that can host local wildlife (subject to soil characteristics and regulatory constraints)
74%
80%
90%
100%
“biodivercity” LABEL
% of new projects certified “BiodiverCity” (3-year average)
19%
30%
50%
75%
faunA PRESERVATION
% of new projects delivered including shelters for insects or animals (birdhouses, insect hotels, etc.)
80%
85%
90%
100%
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
% of waste recovered or recycled on construction sites during the year (both completed and ongoing projects)
75%
80%
85%
90%
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF sites
% of clients who participated in a visit dedicated to sustainability issues
0%
75%
90%
100%
RESPONSIBLE WATER
USE
% of new developments incorporating a rainwater collection and reuse system for other purposes
50%
70%
90%
100%
The Carrefour warehouse in Mondeville: an exemplary rehabilitation project in terms of environmental performance and urban integration
The Mondeville site, located on the outskirts of Caen and delivered in 2024, is an exemplary project that revitalizes a former industrial brownfield through an environmentally responsible approach
The 82,000 m² multi-temperature platform built for CARREFOUR SUPPLY CHAIN in Mondeville is part of an environmentally responsible approach, rehabilitating a former STELLANTIS site and thereby limiting land artificialization. Equipped with a photovoltaic roof capable of producing up to 1,850 MWh per year, it meets the site’s energy needs while significantly reducing its carbon footprint. With only one-third of the 30-hectare site developed, this warehouse — the largest in France — combines logistical performance with environmental respect
This project notably makes it possible to / This project notably allows for:
- A detailed mapping of relevant stakeholders;
- Personalized questionnaires addressing the actions, challenges, expectations, and ambitions of each stakeholder across the three ESG components;
- A broad consultation involving 21 external stakeholders (clients, suppliers, local authorities, financial partners, and professional organizations) as well as ARGAN’s extended management team. A total of 25 interviews were conducted with representatives of the targeted organizations and ARGAN employees;
- A complementary document analysis of these stakeholders’ policies and commitments on key topics — particularly carbon strategy — as well as a review of best practices within the industry.
