Every year, companies spend more than $450 billion on energy and sustainability initiatives while 63% of Fortune 100 companies have set clean energy targets. That’s a clear indication that companies recognize the positive benefits these efforts bring. There is ample proof to validate the same. Organizations that actively manage for climate change see an average of 67% higher return on equity than companies that don’t. In addition, the nearly 80,000 emission-reducing projects reported by 190 Fortune 500 companies in 2016 returned almost $3.7 billion in savings. A groundswell of new technology means that its increasingly easier for companies to meet their energy and environmental goals.
For corporate leaders, this creates an opportunity and a challenge: more technology enables greater resource efficiency with new financial upside. But it also takes greater due diligence in an increasingly complex marketplace.
As part of the French Business Council of Dubai’s gala dinner under the theme of ‘la lumière et aux lumières’ which translates into ‘Light and Enlightenment’, Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation in homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries, accelerates its ambition and celebrates its longstanding commitment for climate notably by helping its customers to save 100 million tons of carbon emissions thanks to cleantech solutions. Schneider has also aligned with the French Pavilion to participate in the Expo 2020 Dubai to showcase ‘Energy’ as the basis of economic development and open new doors that facilitate access to healthcare, agriculture and better overall living conditions. Ultimately, Schneider’s aim is to exchange best practices with members of the French Business Council Dubai, and with organizations across the Arabian Gulf, and worldwide.
According to a recent study led by Schneider Electric in partnership with GreenBiz media, companies with public energy and/or sustainability goals see greater benefit in terms of productivity and efficiency. According to it, more than 50% of companies that have set public goals are more likely to adopt innovative solutions, are more successful in securing project funds, and are more likely to have greater results.
Powering Jobs
Providing electricity using renewables to make electricity available to more than 1 billion people worldwide without energy access has the potential to create millions of good jobs, however despite increasing demand, a shortage of the skilled workforce needed to deliver electricity access is large and growing. In fact, it is projected that by 2030 there will still be 674 million people without access to energy. It is for this reason that the United Nations have established Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) as a key initiative for ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. Schneider Electric advocates that the goal can be attained if the right combination of technologies, modernized regulatory and financial business models, and local training is implemented.
Hanan Darwish, Cluster President – Gulf and Pakistan, Schneider Electric said: “Schneider Electric has committed to train 1 million solar technicians by the year 2025 and is also supporting ground-breaking research on the job creation potential from energy access through the Powering Jobs initiative. This global campaign, made possible in collaboration with the Rockefeller Foundation, ensures the needed skills and jobs in clean, distributed energy are created to achieve universal electricity access and to employ the energy workforce of the future, especially women and youth. The campaign will create powerful evidence and stories to elevate and legitimize skills and training and ensure building the new energy workforce is at the center of international and national development policy. If we solve the access to energy challenge using renewable solutions, as many as 4.5 million jobs can be created globally by 2030.”
Launching Green Runners
The company recently launched a participation call for “Green Runners” at Marathon de Paris where Schneider Electric employees and customers will pledge to adopt sustainable actions by offsetting any unavoidable carbon emissions to achieve 100% carbon neutrality in preparation of the race. This would be the next step in the company’s offset commitment initiated in 2016 and is integral to the company’s engagement for “Livable Cities” where better energy management has a direct positive impact on quality of life, and a better environment for running.
For every 65kg of Carbon saved by its Green Runners in those challenges, Schneider Electric commits to donate one Mobiya solar lantern, one improved cookstove and 10 mangrove seeds to our NGO partners in Africa and in East Asia.
“As sponsors of the Marathon de Paris we want to engage our employees, customers and partners who are training to join our commitment to more sustainable cities. We are making the cities more livable with our solutions for buildings, industry and homes and we want to do more to enable marathon runners and their families to get involved. Some 7,000 Schneider Electric customers, partners and employees will take part in this year’s Marathon de Paris. Coming from 60 countries, these runners will be important ambassadors and first players for cleaner and more pleasant cities. It’s a race Schneider Electric runs every day, alongside their partners.” said Darwish.
At Schneider Electric, our mission is to ensure that Life Is On for everyone, everywhere, at every moment. We understand that we must work together today to co-create a more sustainable world. We believe in making a low-carbon economy a reality now, both for businesses, and the world’s most vulnerable populations alike.