BNP Paribas Real Estate relies on Arval to design and implement its new sustainable mobility policy

•    BNP Paribas Real Estate is reinforcing  its sustainable mobility policy in line with its CSR commitments and the challenges of tomorrow’s city living.
•    Arval, a leader in corporate vehicle leasing and a specialist in sustainable mobility solutions in France, supported the company’s project from the requirements analysis stage all the way to determining an action plan that includes a mobility hub installed at Métal 57 - BNP Paribas Real Estate’s new headquarters - delivering shared travel solutions to all employees.
•    As a showcase for the solutions Arval provides, this mobility hub could be extended on a broader basis to BNP Paribas Real Estate clients.

BNP Paribas Real Estate and Arval step up synergies to promote sustainable mobility

BNP Paribas Real Estate reinforces its mobility policy with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of its employees’ travel needs, while meeting their new mobility expectations. This process goes beyond simply managing the company’s car fleet or business travel. It also takes into account employee travel requirements, including commuting.

Drawing on the Group's integrated model, BNP Paribas Real Estate enlisted the advice of Arval, an expert in the full-service leasing market, whose ambition is to become the leader in sustainable mobility through its Arval Beyond strategic plan. Arval supports companies looking for alternative mobility solutions (car-sharing, bike-sharing, leased bikes, scooters, etc.) for all employees.

“BNP Paribas Real Estate wanted to define a mobility policy based on innovative and sustainable solutions. This reflects its determination to provide sustainable real estate that’s low-carbon, resilient, inclusive and a source of well-being," explains Catherine Papillon, Director of Sustainable Development and CSR at BNP Paribas Real Estate. "Making mobility part of building design and management is one of the challenges of tomorrow’s city life and it’s our responsibility as a leading real estate company to walk our clients through this process aimed at reducing their environmental footprint. The mobility hub set up at Métal 57 also demonstrates the solutions BNP Paribas Real Estate and Arval provide to our clients seeking sustainable mobility services.” .

A mobility policy built hand in hand with the employees of BNP Paribas Real Estate

To design and deploy its new sustainable mobility policy, Arval proposed that BNP Paribas Real Estate use its Arval Mobility Consulting methodology aimed at businesses and their transition to new travel ethics. As a true decision-making accelerator, this methodology delivers an approach divided into three very operational steps:
•    Determining strategic objectives and prioritizing levers that involve the client company’s business lines and functions (General Management, CSR, HR, etc.);
•    Conducting diagnostics in 3 areas: company car policies, business travel and commuting;
•    Determining different scenarios via workshops involving BNP Paribas Real Estate and Arval consulting teams for approval by General Management.

This joint construction phase was also enhanced by the results of a survey conducted on BNP Paribas Real Estate employees involving their mobility habits and the levers that would enable them to switch to more sustainable practices. The high participation rate (nearly one employee out of two) demonstrated that employees are interested in more environmentally friendly mobility solutions. In addition, the company held an event dedicated to sustainable mobility during which employees were made aware of the subject and were able to test several solutions: electric bikes, cargo bikes, folding bikes and electric scooters.

Arval’s installation of a mobility hub at Metal 57 is the first implementation of this policy. Accessible to all employees, it delivers various shared mobility solutions:
•    4 cars with a car-sharing solution;
•    3 bike-sharing stations with 18 electric bikes;
•    1 station with 8 electric scooters with a scooter-sharing solution.

An app for ease of use: the Arval Mobility App

To facilitate BNP Paribas Real Estate employee travel, Arval provides the Arval Mobility App to help users find for the best route, book the right means of transport (car, bike or scooter) and unlock it from the mobility hub. Employees can also opt for public transport, car-pooling, a taxi or a chauffeur-driven vehicle. The app also features the possibility of using credit or the sustainable mobility package when it is made available to the company's employees.

"Our consulting team provides hands-on support to companies to determine their priority objectives in terms of mobility policy, and to choose the means to implement this policy on the ground and trigger new travel practices. We make life easier for companies and their employees by also delivering a variety of solutions to suit all needs: company cars or bikes, car-sharing, bike-sharing, mobility hubs, a multi-modal mobile app, etc. Our collaboration with BNP Paribas Real Estate shows how we help management teams with their project from start to finish: setting balanced goals meeting budgetary, regulatory, ecological and employer brand requirements, getting their teams on board with the process, and customising an approach to the company's situation," says Karen Brunot, Marketing and Digital Director of Arval France.

Arval's consulting assignment was completed in 6 months and the implementation phase at BNP Paribas Real Estate's headquarters lasted about 4 months.

Specific solutions for other BNP Paribas Real Estate sites in France are currently on the drawing board. This policy will then be rolled out to all its locations in Europe.