Heading to France
Discover the ninth and final stop on our 360-year world tour!
Our anniversary world tour ends in France, where the history of Saint-Gobain began!
A crucial issue in the fight against climate change, building renovation is a priority in France, where the housing stock is aging and highly energy-intensive. One figure illustrates this reality: nearly 24 million homes were built before 1990.
In this context, how can we accelerate energy renovation to make buildings in France more sustainable and comfortable?
Our ambassador François Gemenne met with our teams and customers to understand how Saint-Gobain works every day to make energy renovation a reality throughout the country.
HOW TO ACCELERATE ENERGY RENOVATION IN FRANCE IN 360 SECONDS
Whether it's improving comfort, reducing CO₂ emissions, or lowering energy bills, renovation is a crucial issue for both industry professionals and individuals.
Watch this video to find out how Saint-Gobain is supporting this acceleration in the field by offering innovative solutions and services.
TO DIG DEEPER
3 questions for Thierry Bernard, CEO of the Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
Discover how Saint-Gobain is contributing to the Grand Paris Express project with its construction chemical solutions.
THROUGH THE LENS OF FRANÇOIS GEMENNE
For this final stop in France, François Gemenne looks back on Saint-Gobain's exceptional 360-year history.
Accelerating Renovation
The building sector accounts for nearly one-sixth of greenhouse gas emissions in France, and its emissions continue to rise, unlike many other sectors. The housing stock is aging, with several million homes classified as energy sieves, while the pace of renovation remains far too slow.
This transformation is essential, both for the climate and for society. Low-income households often live in poorly insulated homes, suffering from extreme heat in summer and exorbitant energy bills in winter. These already vulnerable families frequently feel excluded from climate transition policies, illustrating the well-known dilemma between “the end of the world” and “the end of the month.” Accelerating renovation is therefore not just an environmental imperative: it is also a genuine social policy that helps reduce housing inequalities, lower energy costs for the most precarious households, and improve thermal comfort year-round.
From a climate perspective, renovation addresses a dual challenge: mitigation and adaptation. Adaptation to the effects of climate change is still sometimes seen as a form of surrender, as if it signaled our failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Yet it is unavoidable: the impacts of climate change we will face depend not only on our current emissions but also on those of others, including past emissions. It is therefore crucial to view adaptation as complementary—not competing—with mitigation strategies aimed at reducing emissions. The goal is to avoid what would be unmanageable while managing what is already inevitable. Renovating homes embodies this dual approach: it drives ecological transition while improving quality of life. That is why accelerating this effort is urgent.
PARIS AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE!
A symbol of boldness and progress, the Eiffel Tower has dominated the French capital since 1889. A global icon, it attracts 7 million visitors each year, fascinated by its slender silhouette and panoramic view of Paris.
Saint-Gobain has helped to preserve and bring this historic monument to life with innovative and high-performance solutions.
- Saint-Gobain Glass installed a 128 m² glass floor on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, suspended between heaven and earth. This unique installation offers a 360-degree view of the city while ensuring visitor safety.
- In line with this space, Weber renovated the floor of the Madame Brasserie restaurant with an innovative cement designed to improve sound and thermal insulation. Applied overnight, it allowed the restaurant to reopen the very next day.
Through these achievements, Saint-Gobain is putting its expertise at the service of French heritage, combining innovation and elegance at the heart of a monument that continues to fascinate the whole world.
SAINT-GOBAIN IN FRANCE IN 3 FACTS
1665
The year the Group was founded in France.
36 000
The number of employees in France.
Integrated solutions
Saint-Gobain Glass (glass), Placo (plasterboard and plaster), Isover (insulation materials), Chryso (construction chemicals), and Weber (mortars for facades and floors), Point P and Plateforme du Bâtiment (distribution of building materials), CEDEO (heating, plumbing, sanitary ware, and bathrooms)…