Electricity and Control June 2021

ENGINEERING THE FUTURE

Being part of the climate change solution

Olivier Blum, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer, Schneider Electric

B eing part of the climate change solution means going beyond the obvious – now. Climate change is the biggest challenge facing human- ity today. It’s global, all-pervasive, and accelerating. The climate change solution, therefore, has to be equally com- prehensive: it requires us all – governments, companies, investors, and individuals – to deploy not just single-track solutions and long-term pledges, but a comprehensive ar- senal of approaches and concrete actions, across multiple fronts – now. At the government level, awareness and action have picked up substantially. Over just the past year, we’ve seen China, Japan and others make ambitious commitments to a greener future. The European Green Deal aims to make the EU economy climate neutral by 2050, by investing in environmentally-friendly technologies, decarbonising the energy sector, and ensuring that buildings are more ener- gy-efficient, among other things. And in the US, President Joe Biden’s virtual climate summit on Earth Day, 22 April, sought to instil greater momentum into the drive to decar- bonise the global economy. Companies must be part of the solution All this is of course welcome. But governments cannot, and should not, go it alone. Companies, too, need to be part of the climate change solution. Corporations like Schneider Electric are major econom- ic players: our global footprints, business ecosystems and R&D budgets mean we can and should work towards a greener future. There’s a whole range of ways we can do this. Products and solutions Most obvious are the products we provide to customers. As climate change awareness has grown, so have customers’ demands for innovative technologies that help them run op- erations more efficiently, make savings on energy and raw materials usage, or run vehicle fleets, production sites or office buildings in ways that emit less CO 2 . Some climate change solutions, such as electric vehicles, or solar panels, are well understood. Others, such as eliminating the need to use SF6 – a potent greenhouse gas commonly contained in electrical equipment used to

power the grid and industrial electrical installations – are less well known outside the world of electrical engineering. But they are beneficial to the planet’s environment. Schneider Electric’s, new SM AirSeT medium voltage switchgear, which uses pure air instead of the industry-standard SF6, is a great example of how digital innovation can disrupt the status quo in favour of decarbonisation. Partnering with other businesses We also have the ability to influence customers and suppli- ers – and help them to go green. Schneider is increasingly acting as a consultant for customers, rather than simply a provider of goods and services. This means helping them identify opportunities and define strategic approaches, as well as assisting with their actual implementation. For example, our Climate Change Advisory Services help businesses to reach their climate and sustainability goals. Advocacy and knowledge-sharing Large corporations hold a treasure trove of expertise and knowledge. This can be just as important as financing when it comes to supporting academic institutions, think- tanks or NGOs in their climate change initiatives. For example, the Solar Impulse Foundation, led by the well-known explorer Bertrand Piccard, has identified 1 000 clean and profitable climate change solutions, showcasing that clean technologies can also be financially viable. Schneider Electric has been supporting the project since 2019, by helping to analyse potential candidates for the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label. The World Economic Forum’s Net Zero Carbon Cities – Systemic Efficiency Initiative, co-chaired by Schneider CEO Jean-Pascal Tricoire and Francesco Starace, the CEO and General Manager of Enel Group, presents another example. It aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of cit- ies around the world. Given that cities account for nearly two-thirds of global CO 2 emissions, identifying and sharing knowledge on how to do this can have an important impact. Our own targets and staff Companies also need to exemplify how to act themselves. They need to set long-term targets for their own operations and staff, and embed environmental and social considera- tions into their day-to-day operations. Go beyond the obvious Hardly a day goes by without news of yet another climate- linked disaster or a new report on biodiversity loss. We are hopeful that concrete action to counteract climate change will pick up. We all need to go beyond what’s easy and obvious. We need to deploy the entire toolkit we have at our disposal, today, and every day.

Governments, companies, investors, and individuals all can play a part in working towards a more sustainable future.

For more information visit: www.se.com

30 Electricity + Control JUNE 2021