JCDecaux is a French family-owned company founded in 1964 by Jean-Claude Decaux, the inventor of a new concept of service-based street furniture and a pioneering model that allows them to be financed by brand advertising.
Useful
This model has many advantages, particularly in terms of services:
• Enhancing quality of life: It contributes to improving of urban living and mobility by developing an increasing range of services for citizens and users (bus shelters, self-service bicycles, self-cleaning public toilets, newsstands, cultural advertisting columns, etc.).
• Functional economy: JCDecaux provides high-quality street furniture designed to last, which remains most of the time its property, is maintained by JCDecaux teams and can be refurbished and reused.
• Information media for local authorities: It allows local authorities to have their own information and communication media in the public space and thus to inform citizens and promote their regions.
• Urban beautification: Our engineers and design studio create aesthetically pleasing, functional and durable street furniture, regularly collaborating with renowned architects or designers to ensure seamless integration into the urban environment.
• Financing through brand advertising: It offers citizens and users high-quality products and services at no cost to local authorities or taxpayers.
Virtuous
Founded in 1964, JCDecaux is a family-owned French company that has become the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide. Its business model is based on three virtuous principles: social, economic and environmental.
True to its mission to sustainably improve the quality of life for all citizens through proximity and mobility, JCDecaux sought to accurately measure its contribution to the economic and social development of its operating environments by conducting an independent study using concrete and audited data.
In 2024, JCDecaux published the results of a study conducted by Utopies which assessed the socio-economic footprint of its activities globally and in France.
Socially, the study illustrates JCDecaux's significant contribution to supporting job creation and protection, both worldwide and in France. Conducted on an unprecedented global scale, the Utopies study demonstrates JCDecaux's positive socioeconomic footprint in all its operating locations: in 2022, the Group's business activities supported almost 120,000 jobs around the world (41% of this figure in Europe). For each direct job created by JCDecaux, 9.7 additional jobs are supported in the global economy.
Economically, JCDecaux shares nearly 50% of the resources it develops to the financing of living spaces and transport facilities (value redistributed to cities, transport companies, airports, shopping centers, and private landlords, as well as to states and local authorities). Through its investments, innovations, street furniture and communication systems that provide useful information to citizens, consumers and users, JCDecaux contributes towards developing and boosting local areas without burdening public finances.
Environmentally, JCDecaux's three key activities namely bus shelters, land transport and self-service bicycles meet the challenge of climate change mitigation, by promoting sustainable mobility accross the globe. For this reason, nearly 50% of the Group's revenue is now aligned with the European Green Taxonomy.
Responsible
Sustainable Development is much more than an environmental necessity, it is a powerful driver of economic and social progress, expanding opportunities for innovative services.
Since its creation, JCDecaux has placed sustainability at the heart of its commitments.
It first translated concretely into proactive and continuous actions in terms of quality and environment management, then in 2014, the company adopted a comprehensive approach to environmental, social and societal responsibility.
Sustaining our practices and current commitments, and driving momentum to continue to meet the vital challenges for human development and the planet: these are the objectives of our new strategic roadmap for 2030.
The JCDecaux model is based on three responsible principles :
- functionality (use over ownership),
- circular economy (eco-design, furniture refurbishment and material recyclings),
- moderation (using rain water for furniture cleaning to reduce pressure on public water systems, continuously lowering energy consumption, particularly electricity, etc.)
JCDecaux's extended and amplified commitment to the environment and the collective interest takes on its full resonance at a time when, all over the world, public procurement and its criteria redesigned to be sustainable are an accelerator of the ecological transition as well as of the economic rebound.
Our commitments
Innovative
Since introducing the first bus shelter in 1964, JCDecaux has continuously expanded its portfolio of street furniture and services. Innovation remains the company's driving force.
MAIN AREAS OF INNOVATION
Innovative and sustainable advertising solutions
INCLUSIVE & PEOPLE-ORIENTED CITIESContribute to local life and the local economy
FURNITURE CONNECTIVITYTo make our furniture instruments of measurement at the service of the city and its users
REDUCE OUR FURNITURE’S FOOTPRINTReduce our footprint with energy efficient or even autonomous systems
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCEContinually improve our processes and work to meet every single challenge
Some examples of recent innovations:
Upcycled bus shelter
At VivaTech 2024, JCDecaux unveiled its upcycled bus shelter, a major innovation in terms of reducing carbon emissions. Initially introduced as a scale model in 2023, this prototype puts eco-design at the forefront. Upcycling, which involves repurposing used materials with minimal processing, cuts CO2 emissions linked to new raw materials and manufacturing by 60%. By recovering waste from its own operations and other sectors, JCDecaux reduces waste generation and reinforces its commitment to a sustainable circular economy.
Self-cleaning public toilets
In 1981, JCDecaux revolutionised the Parisian public space by deploying the first self-cleaning toilets, marking a major step forward for urban hygiene. Since then, the company has continued to innovate to offer ever more comfort, accessibility and simplicity, while integrating eco-designed and patented technologies for optimal use. In forty years, JCDecaux has not only diversified the functionalities of its toilets but has also adapted its services to meet the needs of everyone, including people with reduced mobility.
Self-service bikes
JCDecaux offers a complete and efficient self-service bike system. This scheme offers bicycles adapted to various needs: mechanical, hybrid with portable battery or on-board electric assistance. Solutions include permanent or temporary docking stations, with options such as interactive displays and a wide range of capabilities. Stations, bikes, and web and mobile apps are integrated to provide a smooth and reliable service. The system is designed to integrate with other ticketing systems and multimodal applications. Equipped with advanced sensors and software, the bikes communicate with our information system for real-time management and intelligent supervision, allowing for fast and accurate intervention. The intervention teams are guided by algorithms that prioritise and organise the routes according to the data collected. User interfaces, including a website, mobile app, and interactive totems, are developed for a smooth and personalised experience.
