How Nadège Petit will Boost Growth for Veolia North America
Veolia positions itself as a global “champion of ecological transformation”, using its scale in water, waste and energy services to help cities and industries decarbonise while adapting to climate and resource pressures.
With operations in more than 40 countries and a growing North American footprint, the Group is aligning commercial growth with a robust climate strategy, including validated science-based targets and a long-term net zero ambition for 2050.
“Veolia's mission – ecological transformation – has never been more critical,” says Nadège Petit, newly appointed CEO of Veolia North America.
"From addressing water scarcity and pollution to leading the way in energy solutions, the work we do directly impacts communities, the environment and the future we're building together.
“The scale of the opportunity and responsibility before us is great. There's significant work ahead to drive innovation, operational excellence and profitable growth across our water, waste and energy services through our GreenUp strategy, and I'm eager to roll up my sleeves and get to work.”
Veolia’s sustainability vision
At Group level, Veolia has set out a 2050 net zero pathway backed by a climate plan that has been assessed as “Advanced” by an external rating agency and submitted to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The plan includes targets to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% and reduce significant portions of Scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2032 against a 2021 baseline.
To deliver this, Veolia focuses on solutions that simultaneously reduce emissions and support ecological resilience, such as improving energy efficiency, shifting to low-carbon energy and expanding circular economy models. These solutions range from renewable energy generation from waste and biomass to advanced water reuse and resource recovery, helping customers move away from fossil fuels and linear consumption patterns.
Veolia’s environmental strategy is grounded in three pillars:
- Cutting greenhouse gas emissions
- Optimising resource use
- Combating pollution.
In practice, this means upgrading infrastructure to use low-carbon fuels, designing systems that reuse water and materials and deploying technologies to remove contaminants from air, soil and water.
About Veolia North America
Veolia North America (VNA) is a strategic growth platform for the Group, providing water, waste, hazardous materials and energy solutions across the United States and Canada.
The region has begun reporting its own emissions profile, with VNA contributing to Veolia’s global targets while supporting clients to avoid hundreds of thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions through its services.
VNA’s sustainability performance spans five dimensions – Planet, Clients, Society, Employees and Shareholders – with initiatives such as biodiversity action plans at a majority of its sites and projects that deliver measurable resource and emissions savings for customers.
On the ground, this includes advanced water reuse for industry, PFAS and microplastics treatment, upgrades to hazardous waste facilities with energy recovery and local renewable energy deployment, including a multi-megawatt solar installation at a key US site.
Focus on innovation and impact
Innovation is central to VNA’s model, with digital tools and smart monitoring used to optimise energy and water systems for clients.
For example, analytics-driven efficiency projects have demonstrated double-digit reductions in energy use at large industrial facilities and significant diversion of waste away from landfill toward recovery and reuse.
VNA’s work on emerging pollutants, such as PFAS, reflect a wider commitment to public health and regulatory alignment, as it deploys treatment technologies at dozens of sites and plans further roll-out across multiple states. This blend of compliance, innovation and measurable performance helps position VNA as a benchmark for ecological transformation in the North American market.
A new CEO for North America
Nadège Petit started as CEO of Veolia’s North America Zone on 1 December 2025, joining Veolia’s executive committee.
Nadège brings more than two decades of experience at Schneider Electric in energy, new technologies, innovation and business development, alongside governance roles in major European utilities, including on an innovation and sustainability committee.
Her mandate is to accelerate profitable and innovative growth across Veolia’s US and Canadian operations – particularly in high-demand areas such as water scarcity solutions, pollution treatment and resilience services – aligning commercial expansion with the ecological transformation agenda and the expectations of citizens, regulators and investors in North America.
“I look forward to working closely with the incredible team across Veolia globally,” she says.
“Our collective expertise, dedication and commitment to our customers and communities are what make this company exceptional. I am excited about accelerating our growth in this dynamic market.
“Together, we'll deliver meaningful impact for the environment, our clients and our shareholders. Here's to the road ahead.”
Sustainability LIVE: The Net Zero Summit
Sustainability LIVE: The Net Zero Summit 2026 will bring together leading voices from business, government and technology to shape the next phase of global climate action.
The Water Sustainability Summit will explore the future of water resilience and responsible resource management, highlighting how circular systems, smart monitoring and nature-based solutions will transform industrial and urban water use. Experts on the panel will discuss strategies to safeguard water security and align stewardship efforts with global net zero goals.
The Energy Transition Forum will focus on scaling renewable energy, expanding grid flexibility and integrating emerging clean technologies such as hydrogen and energy storage. Thought leaders on the panel will share how innovation, policy and investment will converge to accelerate the clean-energy transition.
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Nadège Petit
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