Circular economy and low‑carbon cables: how Nexans helps French stakeholders reduce their Scope 3

Global demand for copper could reach around 40 Mt by 2030, compared with an estimated production capacity of 33 Mt. In France, companies are facing new regulatory frameworks (CSRD, RE2020, ADEME methodologies) that require them to measure and report their Scope 3 emissions.

Circular economy and low‑carbon programs are becoming central pillars of energy sovereignty.

In this context, Nexans low-carbon program and Position Paper “Recycling, Circular Economy & Low‑Carbon Products” sets out an operational, France‑anchored strategy based on industrial investments and partner ecosystems. Its goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of cables and improve the resilience and performance of supply chains.

To support French stakeholders, Nexans is:

• making major investments in recycling and cable recovery/value creation for its customers
• strengthening its capacity to produce low‑carbon cables
• deploying a company‑wide low‑carbon program that provides advanced transparency on environmental data

These commitments enable French actors to take concrete action on their Scope 3 emissions associated with cables.

Scope 3 and cradle‑to‑gate: definitions and relevance

To conduct a carbon footprint assessment, companies must analyze and estimate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from their operations:

• Scope 1 covers direct emissions from a company’s own operations
• Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from purchased energy
• Scope 3 includes all other indirect emissions outside the company’s direct control, across the upstream and downstream value chain: purchased goods and services, transport, waste, etc.

For power networks, buildings and industrial projects, Scope 3 is closely tied to procurement choices — including cables.

Cradle‑to‑gate refers to the lifecycle from resource extraction through manufacturing up to the factory gate.

For cables, metallic conductors account for around 70–90% of cradle‑to‑gate carbon emissions. Material choice is therefore the main lever, which immediately highlights the importance of recycling and dual sourcing strategies.

French context: materials, regulation, and network modernization

France faces a major network renewal challenge. According to RTE’s SDDR, around 23,500 km of lines and 85,000 pylons need to be renewed, with nearly 20% of overhead lines more than 70 years old.

This large‑scale modernization of infrastructure represents a unique opportunity to embed recycled materials (for example, recycled aluminium) into cables from the outset.

The various electrification scenarios (SNBC, RTE 2050, etc.) increase the need both to secure access to materials and to reduce the carbon footprint of cables, in order to control Scope 3 emissions from construction and renewal projects.

Within this context, cable circular economy becomes a strategic lever for:

• sovereignty: better control over critical materials
• competitiveness: more resilient, cost‑effective supply chains
• decarbonization: measurable reductions in Scope 3 emissions

all directly linked to the new reporting obligations.

Dual sourcing: Nexans’ recommended approach

Nexans promotes a dual sourcing strategy for materials:

• maintain ethically sourced primary materials (responsible copper and other metals)
• greatly increase the share of secondary, recycled materials, with clear targets such as:
  • 25% recycled copper content in cables by 2028
  • 13,000 tonnes per year of recycled polymers reintegrated into sheathing and insulation

For French stakeholders, this approach:

• reduces upstream Scope 3 emissions
• lowers dependence on imported primary resources
• supports France’s net‑zero trajectory for 2050

Pillar 1 – Developing new recycling loops: CableLoop

Nexans has created CableLoop, a system of tailored recycling loops to transform cable waste into a traceable resource that fits reporting and compliance needs.

• CableLoop Pro – for distributors and installers

• Deployed with partners such as Sonepar and Rexel
• Organizes the collection of scrap and end‑of‑reel waste from branches and construction sites
• Ensures traceable material flows
• Reinserts recovered materials into production under strict quality and environmental standards

• CableLoop Enterprises – for large projects and infrastructure operators

• Designed with partners such as Equans
• Manages collection on complex sites and provides detailed environmental reporting
• Can document Scope 3 benefits using consolidated, auditable data

Overall, CableLoop enables French actors to structure cable recycling loops that are directly aligned with their reporting and decarbonization strategies.

Pillar 2 – Integrating more recycled materials into cables

Nexans is investing in France to significantly increase the share of recycled materials in cables, with two key industrial sites:

• Lens plant – copper production and recycling
• Strategic investment to boost both copper production and recycling capacity in France
• Future target capacity: 240,000 tonnes per year in total, including 80,000 tonnes of recycled secondary copper
• Advanced technologies to raise recycled content in conductors while maintaining performance and reliability
• Lens has been designated a Grand Projet Stratégique, accelerating its implementation
• Direct contribution to French material sovereignty
• Bourg‑en‑Bresse plant – low‑carbon medium‑voltage cables
• Investment to expand production of low‑carbon medium‑voltage cables, including EDRMAX® direct‑burial cables
• Supports network modernization and large French energy projects
• Aligned with Enedis priorities: economic performance, supply security, and CSR

These investments anchor low‑carbon, circular cable solutions in France, providing national actors with nearby industrial capacity.

Pillar 3 – Engaging partners in low‑carbon ecosystems

Nexans works with its partners to build low‑carbon ecosystems around cables:

• Mobilizing distributors, installers and integrators through CableLoop and low‑carbon product offers
• Collaborating with network operators who are investing in infrastructure renewal
• Providing customers with transparent environmental data so they can:
  • Make informed purchasing decisions
  • Monitor progress against their Scope 3 targets
  • Rely on industrial partners that document and verify the impacts of their solutions

Nexans supports buyers with recognized environmental information formats and program indicators, such as:

• PEP Ecopassport
• FDES
• EPD
• Specific indicators from its low‑carbon program

These tools allow stakeholders to:

• Compare products using reliable environmental data
• Integrate cable‑related impacts into their Scope 3 reporting and procurement strategies
• Work with industrial partners that quantify and document the environmental performance of their solutions

Operational roadmap for French stakeholders

For French actors seeking to reduce their Scope 3 emissions associated with cables, Nexans recommends an operational roadmap:

1. Consider Scope 3 as an action lever, not merely a compliance constraint
2. Integrate dual sourcing strategies (primary + recycled materials) into purchasing policies
3. Set up recycling loops adapted to each profession and type of project, using solutions such as CableLoop
4. Rely on industrial partners anchored in France, with robust low‑carbon, circular capabilities and documented environmental data