Blog [Interview]

International
Women's

Portraits of the actors of the project:
Gwennael Jezequel, Environment Manager

Every year, March 8 celebrates International Women's Day.
Ailes Marines , in this context, wanted to highlight the women who work
every day to advance the project.
Focus on their journeys, their missions and their daily motivations.

Gwennael Jezequel

What is your background ?

I began my studies with a DUT in Chemistry , completed in Rennes, then a degree in chemistry in an Erasmus year , at Cardiff University in Wales.

Subsequently, I decided to do my master's degree in Cardiff in Renewable Energy and Natural Resources Management . I lived there for 5 years. That's when I started my professional career working on renewable energy projects and energy efficiency programs .

Back in France, I completed my career with a second master's degree in Corporate Social Responsibility at IAE Gustave Eiffel in Paris.

How long have you been working on the project?

I have been working on the project since September 2018.

What is your part ?

I hold the position of Environmental Manager . Concretely, I am responsible for setting up the project's Environmental Management System. This system allows control of the possible environmental impacts of the project. This involves respecting environmental regulations , preventing pollution , controlling risks and reducing consumption and emissions : waste, raw materials and energy. It also allows us to implement our environmental policy and the environmental objectives that we set for ourselves.

I thus manage the continuous improvement of the environmental performance of the project.

On a daily basis, I raise teams' awareness of environmental issues and ensure liaison with the many internal and external stakeholders in the project. It is a transversal subject present at all levels.

Environmental issues have been present from the very beginning, from the development phase and in particular:

  • When selecting subcontractors (carried out through audits carried out upstream and in the field)
  • During the construction phase and during the operation and maintenance phase

I am also more broadly responsible for the sustainability aspects of the project in line with the Group's objectives.

What do you like most about your mission?

I particularly enjoy meeting our subcontractors and explaining to them our challenges , our commitments and our environmental standards . It is also very rewarding to support them in creating procedures related to their specific activity. The issues are very varied . For example, depending on the elements of the park, the environmental aspects of our subcontractors' construction sites will not be at all the same as during construction at sea .

I meet a lot of people , within the teams, who have a real awareness of the issues . At the end of my day, I have the feeling, on my level, of having made things happen .

I also like the idea that “everything has to be created”, offshore wind power in France being something new. This is a very current subject that is evolving rapidly. management at sea is what makes the profession unique. My work has meaning and it means a lot to me.

If you had to describe your mission in 3 words?

There is a preparation part but also a very operational part, with a lot of fieldwork and meeting our suppliers.

In 3 words: Agile, Impactful, Responsible .

Why did you enter the
Marine Renewable Energy sector?

It’s a choice that presented itself from the start of my studies .

I grew up in Brittany , on the pink granite coast, where the environment and nature are part of our daily lives. I have always had this awareness of preservation . I very quickly understood that we could use the natural and inexhaustible resources – such as those of the sea wind – to respond to local energy challenges.

As soon as I had the opportunity , I launched into this sector of activity, which I saw as necessary, obvious and promising. Today, I am happy to be able to combine my professional life with my personal convictions .

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Women's rights: the fight against inequalities

A real social issue, the fight against inequalities continually continues its fight.

For more than 40 years, the United Nations has placed this cause at the heart of its sustainable development goals , stating that " Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, it is also a foundation necessary for the establishment of a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

In order to become aware of the key figures revolving around this theme, an assessment is drawn up each year in order to monitor the progress linked to this fight, as well as the challenges that remain, on a global scale.

As a reminder

Among the notable advances of recent decades, we report:

  • More girls in school
  • Fewer girls forced into early marriage
  • More women in leadership positions or a place in parliament
  • Laws and reforms intended to advance gender equality

Despite this progress, many challenges still remain:

  • Persistent discriminatory laws and social norms
  • The underrepresentation of women at all levels of political power
  • The rate of women having suffered physical or sexual violence

Together, let's continue to fight against inequalities.