Our sustainable commitment

At the Aven d'Orgnac, Grand Site de France, we are proud of and responsible for this amazing natural site.
The site was discovered and revealed to the eyes of the world more than 80 years ago. We have our heart set on protecting it.

We sincerely and humbly think that we all have a role to play and that tourism can be rationalised and kind to the environment it uses.
That is why since 2021, sustainable tourism and environmental responsibility are our main objectives. Our aim is to be one of the most environmentally responsible sites in southern Ardeche.

Grand Site de France label

The Grand Site de France label guarantees that the site is conserved and managed following sustainable development principles.

The Grands Sites de France are selected and listed landscapes, that are among the most beautiful, the most famous, the most emblematic of our country. There are currently 21 Grands Sites de France, such as the Pont du Gard bridge, the Puy Mary Cantal volcano, the Cirque de Navacelles.

All these sites are breath-taking places but most importantly, they are precious and fragile. They are protected and ranked as listed sites by the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development.

The Grand Site de France label is a select and demanding label, granted for 6 years. The Aven d'Orgnac is the only cave that has been awarded a 'Grand Site de France' sustainability label.

• The Aven d'Orgnac received the label in 2004 for the first time. The site among the pioneers of the Grand Site de France label, along with three other exceptional sites: the Pont du Gard, the Pointe du Raz and Concors-Sainte-Victoire.
• Renewal was granted in 2010
• And then again in 2016

More information about the Grand Site de France label

Some of our actions

Our strategy for 2021-2025 is to act according to these values ;  ranging from the choice of products we sell at the shop to our energy consumption, the way we sort waste to encouraging cyclists to come to our site. These small gestures are important in helping us to encouraging a more respectful type of tourism.

And every year, we set new goals to reduce our environmental impact.

• 2021 : Soft mobilities are encouraged : we do a mobility challenge with the staff and we calculate monthly the kilometres done by bike, electric bike, by foot, by electric car, etc.
  
• 2021 : 'Cyclists Welcome' label got in 2021
  
• 2021 : Compost bin installed on site for the team
  
• 2021 : we recycled 120 000 flyers left over from 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis
  
• In progress : we rank products sold in the shop according to ecological responsibility criteria (raw material, origin, packaging)
  
• In progress : internal audit concerning energy performance and efficiency
  
• In progress : the site was identified as a key figure in the field of energy transition in Southern Ardèche  by the Positive Energy Territory project (TePOS)
  
• 2022 : application for the renewal of the Grand Site de France label