Having been aware of climate issues since childhood, Alexis Normand first worked in the connected health sector, where he discovered how technology can help transform public policies.
With Greenly, founded seven years ago with Arnaud Delubac and Mathieu Vegreville, he applies this thinking to climate issues. Initially conceived as an app for individuals, the startup has specialized in supporting businesses, aiming to help them measure their emissions to better reduce them.
Greenly conducts carbon assessments that identify the main sources of a company's emissions. These include direct emissions, such as gas heating or vehicles, those related to electricity consumption, as well as all indirect emissions: purchases of raw materials, transportation, employee travel, or the use of sold products. Through its software, the company automates part of this analysis work and helps its clients identify priority action levers.
Alexis Normand advocates the idea that the ecological transition can also enhance economic performance. Reducing fossil fuel consumption can notably decrease certain expenses. Electrifying vehicles or improving the energy efficiency of buildings can thus align climate objectives with savings, even if the necessary investments and their profitability vary by situation. "Our approach is to list everything a company can do. And not just to say here’s what you need to do to reduce your emissions, but here’s how it can be compatible with a strategy where your company becomes more resilient, more profitable", he explains.
In seven years, Greenly has supported nearly 4,000 clients, whose cumulative emissions represent about 500 million tons of CO₂. The company encourages them to follow a decarbonization trajectory compatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement, aiming for a reduction of their emissions by about 5% per year.
For Greenly, the challenge now is to scale up. "Our goal is to save one billion tons of CO₂", asserts Alexis Normand. By making carbon measurement a management tool, the startup aims to show that reducing environmental impact is not just a constraint, but can also become a lever for sustainable transformation.
