Marlène Peret appointed "CSR Pilot" of Chaux Saint-Astier®

Chaux Saint-Astier®, a family business founded in 1912 and the French leader in natural hydraulic lime for the restoration of built heritage, is taking a key step in its sustainable transformation. After completing its first carbon footprint assessment in 2023, the company has appointed Marlène Peret, Marketing and Communications Director, as "CSR Leader" to structure, lead, and manage the new climate strategy developed internally.

A structured and supported CSR approach

In June 2025, the lime producer announced the construction of its new low-carbon lime production unit by 2028. This investment is just one step in its vision for the future, aiming to create a new role for lime in the buildings of tomorrow. Since then, Chaux Saint-Astier® has embarked on a comprehensive program integrating CSR into its corporate strategy. Supported by the specialized firm Róng Yì Solutions, the company is now structuring its approach around the ADEME's ACT Pas à Pas framework and the CSRD/VSME framework, to cover all environmental, social, and governance dimensions.

An in-depth diagnosis – dual materiality analysis, value chain mapping, stakeholder identification, sector benchmarking – made it possible to define seven priority CSR issues for the company: climate change mitigation and adaptation, energy, health and safety, training and skills development, customer-user relations and corporate culture.

The carbon footprint will be assessed again in 2026.

An ambitious climate roadmap

With a carbon footprint for scopes 1, 2 and 3 of 80.000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, Chaux Saint-Astier® has defined an ambitious decarbonization trajectory: a 20% reduction in its emissions by 2030 and 45% by 2040, with a target of -90% to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Its strategy is based on the construction of a new decarbonized production unit, the energy transition from coal to gas and then to a fuel mix, the integration of bio-based and circular materials into its solutions, and the deployment of carbon capture solutions.

Beyond simply reducing its carbon footprint, the company is going further by integrating climate change adaptation, an aspect still largely unexplored in the sector. Through climate risk assessment (HazClim® methodology), Chaux Saint-Astier® anticipates the impact of extreme events on its operations, supply chain, and products, and develops solutions tailored to future construction conditions.

Marlène Peret, a strategic profile to lead the transformation

Marlène Peret, a graduate with a Master's degree in branding and corporate communication (ISEG), joined Chaux Saint-Astier® in 2014 as an officer and then as Head of Marketing and Communication for France and internationally. She led the brand redesign, the clarification of the product offering, customer segmentation, and the deployment of the company's digital strategy.
Having joined the innovation committee in 2021, she contributed to the development of new products, particularly in the field of eco-materials.

Having become Marketing and Communication Director in 2022, she now takes charge of steering the CSR approach, supported by an internal CSR committee composed of 5 members (Antoine Bastier – President, Matthieu Tanguy – General Manager, Anne Baranger – Human Resources Director, Daniel Daviller – Eco-materials Technical Director and Laurent Tedeschi – Technical Director).

For Marlène Peret – Marketing and Communications Director / CSR Project Manager:“CSR is a major issue for the long-term viability of our SME. It compels companies, regardless of size, to ask themselves a crucial question: who and where will we be in 20 years in the face of climate change? Looking to the long term from a climate perspective is no longer optional; it's a prerequisite for continued growth. Participating in this profound strategic reflection and taking on the role of CSR Lead is an exciting challenge. This is especially true because this approach resonates deeply with me, both personally and professionally. Overseeing the implementation of our CSR commitments and engaging all employees daily around a strong project are just some of the missions I will be carrying out with the CSR Committee. This appointment is a great show of confidence from Matthieu Tanguy, our CEO, whose vision for the company is so inspiring to all the teams.” »

The entire organization mobilized

Starting in December 2025, "climate" training was provided to all staff at the industrial sites (nearly 80 operational people), combining the Climate Fresk, the 2-tonne workshop and the concrete implications for Saint-Astier®. In 2026, this training was rolled out to all departments (sales force/laboratory/administrative teams in France and internationally).

The company has also defined a CSR vision for each of its priority issues, based on its values ​​– Transmission, Agility, Authenticity, Audacity, Commitment – ​​and its purpose: “Preserve History, Inspire the Future”.

A long-term vision studied for the building sector

To achieve its ambitions, Chaux Saint-Astier® is investing the equivalent of its annual turnover to decarbonize its process and go further in its future offering: to offer low carbon solutions, to anticipate the preservation of resources such as sand, to gain energy sovereignty, to innovate in its lime products to meet the expectations of stakeholders and environmental and societal challenges.
With nearly 150 employees, a turnover of around 40 million euros and a presence in 20 countries, Chaux Saint-Astier® demonstrates that an industrial SME can commit to a structured, credible and differentiating climate and CSR transition.