BlueOn X Nexans: environmental data is a new differentiation criterion

BlueOn is an initiative set up by Eiffage, one of Europe's leading construction and concession companies, to make product environmental data transparently available via a single marketplace dedicated to professionals

1. How does this partnership help redefine sustainability and procurement standards in your respective sectors?

2. In your view, what marketing innovations or initiatives will further strengthen stakeholder engagement in sustainable projects?

David Myotte – It’s essential that stakeholders become aware of how their decisions impact the environment just as much as they affect their company’s bottom line. The starting point is having access to available, transparent, and reliable environmental data — an area where Nexans leads the industry and which BlueOn highlights. It’s about being proactive and improving: in 2023, Nexans launched the first low- and medium-voltage low-carbon aluminum cable offering in France, enabling up to a 35% reduction in cable CO2 footprint. We’re about to amplify those gains by introducing recycled aluminum into part of our product range. Moreover, beyond the product itself, we must think in terms of systems. That’s why Nexans is working on engineering and monitoring solutions for electrical systems, which deliver environmental benefits across the entire lifecycle of a project.

Nicolas Rigot – Data transparency is essential to overcome any greenwashing that may surround so-called “decarbonized” products. We don’t judge the products – instead, the products, through their comparability, will be judged against one another. Environmental data is becoming a differentiation criterion on par with price. Products naturally stand out based on their measurable environmental performance. This marks a fundamental shift: moving from declarative green marketing to factual comparison based on verifiable data.

3. How do you anticipate customer purchasing behavior evolving in response to the growing demand for reliable and accessible environmental data?

David Myotte – We believe that positive-impact environmental initiatives – when made visible, measurable, and scalable at the level of a purchase order, project, or company – will become increasingly sought after and valued. BlueOn contributes significantly to this. Some tenders already include “most advantageous” criteria based on environmental aspects, and this trend will continue, driven notably by major project developers and key players in the energy generation, transmission, and distribution ecosystem.

Nicolas Rigot – That’s the very essence of BlueOn: to make environmental data on products accessible and usable as early as possible in our projects, for maximum impact. In the near future, carbon data will be just as important as price. All stakeholders (project owners, cost estimation teams, procurement...) will need to access environmental data in the simplest and most precise way possible. Systematic integration of environmental criteria from the design phase, the carbon footprint becomes a decision-making factor as important as price. Hence the need for easy access to environmental data for all stakeholders.