European Business Briefs: water contracts, wind shares and corporate reporting

French group Vivendi Environnement’s water division has secured two new contracts with China worth €700 million. The first contract signed with the town of Baoji covers the refurbishment of two drinking water treatment plants and their operation for 23 years. Vivendi Water’s second contract, signed with the municipality of Zhuhai, covers two wastewater treatment plants and their operation for 30 years. Vivendi Water has also been awarded two municipal services outsourcing contracts in Germany, together worth €630 million.

The company will manage Thuringia’s water system and Weisswasser’s entire municipal services.

Danish wind energy firm Vestas Wind Systems have now closed their subscription offer for employee shares, with 15% of employees having bought shares for 223,105 Danish krona (223,105 shares) corresponding to a total subscription amount of 13,386,300 Danish krona. The subscription price is 60 krona per share of 1 krona each.

Swiss global cement producer Holcim Ltd has published its first report on

the company’s performance against the triple bottom line of economic

growth, environmental performance and social responsibility. Providing Foundations for Society’s Future outlines Holcim’s objectives for the areas of risk management, climate change, alternative fuels and raw materials, atmospheric emissions, occupational health & safety, and social responsibility. By 2010, the Group aims to reduce specific net carbon dioxide emissions by 20% globally against the reference year 1990.

Consultancy firm ENVIRON is opening a new office in Aix-en-Provence, adding to the company’s other European offices in Germany, Finland and Italy.

The Aix-en-Provence practice will offer consulting and technical advice in the fields of contaminated land assessment and remediation; environmental and industrial risk management; environmental management and health & safety and environmental due diligence auditing.