After months of work and exploration with experts, on 15 June 2026, nine representatives of Veolia’s Future Generations Council met with Estelle Brachlianoff and, for the first time, with the Group’s Executive Committee. During a one-hour session, they pitched three proposals. One of them, called “PRISM”, standing for “Pricing Risk and Inaction Simulation Model”, was selected for deployment across Veolia.
Eighteen months after its creation, the Future Generations Council revealed the outcome of its first cycle of work to Veolia’s top management. Three teams, each comprising both internal Veolia employees and external young professionals from China, Brazil, the United States and the United Arab Emirates among others, were in Paris on June 15 2026 to present three concrete solutions to foster a culture of risk within the Group. The goal: to contribute to inventing the industry of the future.
Each proposal was pitched by the young members, followed by a lively discussion with the Executive Committee on its impact and operational aspects. The Committee then voted on the three solutions and selected PRISM (Pricing Risk and Inaction Simulation Model) for deployment across the Veolia Group. This AI-powered solution will be developed to help quantify the environmental, social and economic costs of inaction, enabling teams to better anticipate risks and demonstrate the value of acting today.
Businesses can face direct costs such as the societal costs of service interruptions or health damage from pollution, or indirect costs such as inefficient alternatives for service continuity and reconstruction costs, all of which are not clearly visible today.
Natalie Chung, Science, Technology and Environmental Policy PhD student at Princeton University and member of the Future Generations Council.
More than an innovation project, PRISM’s aim is to reflect a new way of thinking about risk and decision-making: making visible what often remains hidden and ensuring that the long-term impacts of today's choices are fully considered. In doing so, the Council really embodies its mission: representing the voice of the Planet and of generations to come at the highest level of Veolia’s governance.
We are building a new risk culture accounting not just for what we do, but for the cost of what we leave undone. For our planet, for communities, and for the industry of tomorrow.
Federico Brambilla, Energy Efficiency Specialist at Veolia in Italy and member of the Future Generations Council.
Next steps: PRISM will now be deployed within the Veolia Group, with the Council members overseeing its implementation. As they enter the second cycle of their three-year mandate, the young leaders will focus on a new strategic theme, which they will present to Estelle Brachlianoff in October for validation.
