Launched in Paris in 2007 by JCDecaux, Vélib was expected to constitute the largest bicycle park of its kind in the world. But although wildly popular, its operations came under pressure because of the unexpectedly high incidence of vandalism. Many bikes were damaged or stolen.

Solairedirect was founded in 2006 when France introduced feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaic installations. Three years later, the company had a strong presence in the large-scale solar power plant market and offered a unique service package to residents. In 2010, however, the French government initiated a reduction in its feed-in tariffs.

In 2008, DHL Express Asia Pacific started to assess its carbon footprint from energy consumption in real estate and ground transport in order to measure and improve carbon efficiency through carbon abatement programmes.