A new flower blooms in Geneva

Implenia is piloting its new sustainability concept, “Chantier Marguerite” at the construction site for a new United Nations office building. Refugees have been hired to work on site for the first time.

The United Nations want to bring all of its employees together on the Palais des Nations site. Since 2017, Implenia has been building a new office building that will take the UN a big step closer to its goal. The building will provide workspace for 1,400 people. Construction is scheduled for completion at the end of 2019.

For Implenia, the site is another milestone on its journey towards greater sustainability. “Chantier Marguerite” (which means “daisy site”) is the name of the forward-looking concept Implenia is testing in Geneva. The aim is to meet previously unmatched sustainability standards.

Implenia is, for example, using refugee workers on a construction site for the first time. Working with Canton Geneva’s Office for the Integration of Foreigners, the company wants to offer meaningful employment, and if possible a permanent job. Two refugees have been working successfully on the site for some weeks now.

In addition to Implenia’s social engagement, the company has taken significant steps on the UN construction site to reduce the consumption of energy and materials, and to make the site as environmentally friendly as possible. The plan is also for the building to meet the international LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental) label for ecologically sound construction.

Another new feature of the “Chantier Marguerite” concept is Implenia’s cooperation with the renowned Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), which is documenting the entire construction process and the environmental measures taken. This documentation will help with knowledge transfer and demonstrate how a single company can contribute to the realisation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.