Afilog, Union TLF, France Supply Chain and Club Demeter, representatives of owners and operators of logistics real estate, signed a charter of common principles at the International Transport and Logistics Real Estate Exhibition (SITL) from March 19 to 21, 2024, with the aim of organizing and sharing responsibility for the energy performance of buildings, as provided for in the tertiary sector decree. 

Set by the law for the evolution of housing, development and digital (ELAN), the "tertiary decree", promulgated in July 2019, requires owners and tenants of tertiary buildings to improve the energy performance of the building in order to reduce energy consumption by 60% by 2050 compared with 2010. 

However, the decree does not specify the division of responsibilities between the lessor and the operator for this energy performance work. This lack of precision adds to the complexity of lease negotiations between an owner seeking to increase the value of his property, and a tenant wishing to control costs. 

At first glance, the tertiary sector decree seems to stipulate that the parties share the costs of energy performance, but an analysis of the text reveals more of a sharing of benefits, since the obligation to renovate only applies to work where the savings exceed the costs. What's more, there are no directives specifying how the gains are to be shared between the parties. 

Common principles to ensure fair implementation 

To help build peaceful relations between landlords and tenants, a group led by Afilog, and joined by the trade federation Union TLF and the associations France Supply Chain and Club Demeter, has defined a body of common principles to define a balanced and equitable distribution of responsibilities and benefits between the parties. 

These principles, based on cooperation between the lessor and the operator, cover four key points: 

We must act: Faced with the urgency of climate change, owners and tenants of logistics real estate, like all players in the economy, must take action to reduce the energy consumption of buildings and cut greenhouse gas emissions. 

The owner drives the action : the owner is naturally the overall driver of continuous improvement in building performance. 

The action is financed by energy savings : the tenant pays the landlord the amount equivalent to the savings generated by the renovation work. 

An appropriate management system is needed to oversee all phases of the energy renovation project (preliminary audits, contracts, renovation work, measurement of energy savings). 

The Charter of Common Principles was presented and signed by Claude Samson, President of Afilog, Yannick Buisson, President of the Supply Chain Council of Union TLF, Yann de Feraudy, President of France Suppy Chain. 

and Julien Darthout, Club Demeter's general delegate, at the Salon international du transport et de l'immobilier logistique. 

A progress report is scheduled in two years' time to analyze the relevance of these common principles in the implementation of the "tertiary decree" in the logistics sector. 

The signing of this charter for a fair and balanced application of the tertiary decree in logistics real estate is the culmination of a discussion lasting over 18 months between our four organizations. It's not often that players representing divergent interests spontaneously get round the table to find balanced solutions. This is the case today, and we are very proud of this body of shared principles, which reveals the maturity of our sector, which knows how to invent missing provisions and make relations between landlords and tenants more fluid.

enthuses Claude Samson, President of Afilog. 

Union TLF wanted to take part in the project led by Afilog with France Supply Chain and Club Demeter to show our collective determination to face up to the challenges of improving the energy performance of buildings. The implementation of the tertiary sector decree has raised many questions. The clarification provided today by our charter of common principles is a constructive and balanced response that ensures the reduction of our carbon footprint and the economic sustainability of our sector. 

explains Yannick Buisson, Chairman of Union TLF's Supply Chain Council .

We wanted to support Afilog's initiative to ensure that the position of building users was heard: the legislator must take their point of view into account, as they are the major players in the market and in decarbonization. Real estate investors, who are often the building owners, need to open a dialogue with occupants to ensure that technical adaptations to buildings are distributed fairly. Finally, this charter is part of a long-term vision for logistics real estate. 

Yann de Feraudy, President of France Supply Chain. 

Since 2019, France Supply Chain (formerly ASLOG), Club Déméter, and Institut du Commerce have been leading the E.VO.L.U.E (Engagement VOlontaire pour une Logistique Urbaine Efficiente) project. After several years' work, the three associations are now presenting the first concrete results of this collaborative initiative, aimed at optimizing urban goods flows.

The genesis of the project  

The mission of the E.VO.L.U.E project is to structure the initiatives of supply chain professionals, by modeling a new, more responsible urban logistics system. The aim is to establish a robust method for analyzing data to identify ways of making operations more efficient while reducing the environmental footprint, in collaboration with economic players and public authorities.

A large-scale project supported by numerous partners

This innovative, large-scale project, supported by the 3 associations mentioned above, would not have been possible without the essential commitment of the Grand Paris Seine Ouest (GPSO) test area, sponsors (the main one being the Île-de-France Region), technical partners, and contributors who have agreed to share their data. 

Three key steps to more efficient urban logistics 

The three-stage E.VO.L.U.E project has mobilized anonymous contributors since 2019, including carriers, shippers and retailers in the GPSO area.

Analysis of existing situation

Optimization and areas for improvement

Prospective studies (infrastructures, regulations, etc.)

Initial results have enabled us to study data from over 25,000 tours over the months of October 2020, 2021 and 2022. 

Initial analysis results 

• Impact of congestion on deliveries
  More than half of all routes suffer a significant impact from congestion on their travel times, confirming the importance of finding ways to shift freight traffic to off-peak hours whenever possible.
• Proximity to delivery areas
  Only 20% of deliveries are made within 50m of a delivery area, and 39% of deliveries are made more than 150m from a delivery area. 
• Supply and demand for delivery areas
  While there are currently 260 delivery areas in the study area, an additional 140 would cover 50% of demand.
• The Urban Micro-Hub solution
  The creation of 3 delivery hubs with a catchment radius of 2 km would cover up to 95% of delivery points in the study area.

The findings of this initial analysis offer very positive prospects for optimizing urban logistics in the study area, and suggest numerous alternatives for phase 2 of the project. 

Call for Papers 

It's not too late to join the E.VO.L.U.E project!
Companies wishing to participate in modeling more efficient and responsible urban logistics by sharing their data anonymously and having access to the full results can still join the current contributors... 

Thank you to our sponsors and technical partners:  

France Supply Chain presents an updated and comprehensive version of its 2020 manifesto.

The aim of this founding document is to shed light on the future of the industry, and make it a desirable one. It is divided into 4 chapters and 19 fact sheets, supported by examples that are the fruit of the collective intelligence of its 4,900 members. With this plea, the association hopes to inspire Supply industry players and help them take action.

Beyond a vision, the community's concrete actions

A new feature of this 2023 edition was that the network's member companies took part, sharing examples from their decarbonization or strategic plans. All subjects were covered thanks to the involvement and diversity of the association's members, i.e. 420 companies and 30 leading schools and training organizations.

Sobriety and circularity applied to the supply chain

The scope of the actions identified does not stop at goods transport and product design. Sobriety and circularity require a rethinking of organizational chains, and therefore also impact logistics buildings, data management and even the very notion of ownership.

Visuals included.

Links :

• https://www.francesupplychain.org/
• Read the Manifesto HERE