Schneider Electric calls for action on decarbonisation and inclusion

By OEM Update Editorial November 24, 2023 10:54 am IST

Schneider Electric urges collective action for global decarbonisation at COP28. CEO Peter Herweck emphasizes the benefits of electrification and digital technologies for sustainability.

Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today called for greater collective action to  decarbonize the global economy and ensure a fair and inclusive transition to net zero, and detailed the actions it is taking at the upcoming COP28 United Nations Climate Change Conference to support these efforts.

Thousands of government and private-sector leaders, climate experts, NGOs, youth groups and other stakeholders will gather for the event, which takes place in Dubai on November 30- December 12, to foster collaboration, ideas and initiatives to tackle climate change and deliver on common sustainability ambitions. A key focus will be the publication of the first Global Stocktake, a comprehensive assessment of progress achieved since the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.

With energy at the heart of over 70% of carbon emissions, Schneider Electric delegates will highlight the untapped potential of electrification, automation and digital technologies and showcase the social and economic benefits of deploying such solutions in industries, buildings, homes, data centers, infrastructure, and transportation.

“We have plenty of technologies at our disposal today. It’s time to recognize that deploying these at much greater speed and scale brings social, environmental, economic and job-creation benefits, that they can lower emissions and costs faster than many realize – and that inaction is simply not an option,” said Peter Herweck, CEO of Schneider Electric.

The company will host discussions and showcase solutions in the COP28 Technology & Innovation Hub. Schneider Electric delegates will participate in a number of panel discussions to share news and insights on corporate decarbonization, youth empowerment and supply chain engagement. In addition, Schneider will:

• Release fresh geographically relevant insights on ways to accelerate decarbonization, building on its Back to 2050 research
• Extend several Schneider Electric Foundation partnerships, in line with its longstanding mission to support the empowerment of younger generations and women through education and training in the energy sector
• Announce new strategic partnerships and initiatives to extend the decarbonization of its supply chain and launch a report on supply chain decarbonization developed in partnership with Women Action Sustainability (WAS).

“As the world’s population and economies continue to grow, we must develop energy efficiency as well as clean, affordable energy. New technologies of digitization of everything leveraging IoT, big data and AI, as well as low-carbon electrification are the two major disruptors of our relationship to energy. Accelerated adoption of these technologies and new ways of designing are essential pillars of innovative, collective, fair and inclusive climate action,” said Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman of Schneider Electric. “The corporate world, including impact companies like ours, needs to be a player and enabler of sustainability action worldwide, inspiring and supporting governments, societies, the academic and business world, and others, to accelerate action.”