For almost two centuries, Schneider Electric has been committed to innovation and development in energy management, to position itself among the most sustainable companies worldwide, both in the Corporate Knights ranking and in the Top 25 of Gartner Supply Chain.
However, beyond the pride derived from this recognition, Carlos León de Garay, vice president of the company’s Clients and Strategic Segments Unit for Mexico and Central America, assured that the commitment persists so that the sustainability objectives are aligned with the ESG criteria. (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) are translated into concrete actions.
In his participation in the virtual panel entitled “The performance of green innovation in a sustainable finance model”, León de Garay explained that the responsibility in the environmental issue extends to its entire value chain, in terms of reducing the carbon footprint. carbon, reduction of water consumption and, of course, the maximum use of energy.
“The strengthening of the infrastructure of our strategic partners allows them not only to act ethically and generate profits, but also to act in a socially and economically responsible manner. We ask each one to align with our principles and thus, together, we are all more sustainable”, assured the Schneider Electric manager.
During the meeting, in which representatives of Greenberg Traurig, Fibra Uno and The Nature Conservancy Mexico participated, León de Garay pointed out that, when addressing a problem such as climate change, the area of action is tremendously broad, so there is room for that all organizations undertake a strategy that incorporates care for the environment as its center of action.
In this process, the executive committees and senior management play a fundamental role, as well as the shareholders.
Thus, based on results, credibility is maintained, so that the objectives do not remain “as good intentions of social responsibility”, but instead become a measurable and auditable priority that is reported periodically, that make the company operate in a sustainable and socially responsible.
Speaking of innovation, the panelist from Schneider Electric explained that what is interesting is to see how organizations are finding approaches to be more sustainable, using digitization as a basic tool.
In this sense, the expert considered that a more electric and digital world is the key to a more sustainable world.
Likewise, green investments are seen as an opportunity for profitability, perfectly compatible with a strategic vision of a stable and resilient business in the long term.
León de Garay even recalled that investing in green technologies is associated with profitability in companies and the field of digitization is where he observes that more opportunities for social innovation present themselves.
“We have the advantage of being the generation that has realized the importance of taking action against the climate crisis and we have the technology, developed for more than a century, for energy management, which is now converging with digital technology. , the Internet of Things, data monitoring and analysis, and Artificial Intelligence, to generate greater efficiency in administration and consumption processes,” he asserted.
Through technology and concepts such as Electricity 4.0, he added, it is possible to influence the way in which energy is generated, in the electrification process and in the reduction of losses, to optimize the use of resources regardless of whether come from clean and renewable sources or not.
For this reason, the company annually invests close to 5% of its total sales in the areas of Research and Development. Proof of this are its centers of excellence around the world, highlighting that one of them operates in the city of Monterrey, in Mexico.
Facing the growth of cities and population, the firm is working on more solutions, considering that the projection for 2050 is that there are 2.5 billion people on the entire planet. For the same year, Schneider Electric has set itself the goal of being carbon neutral.
“Our projection is that, due to this growth, energy consumption by 2050 will be 50% higher than today, also due to the change in lifestyle of the most populous countries that aspire to development. If we are not serious about making energy generation more sustainable, climate destruction will advance,” said León de Garay.
As a result, the company is focusing its efforts on achieving greater efficiency so that the energy produced is used appropriately, considering that between 17% and 40% of this resource is lost during transmission and distribution.
“Schneider Electric not only has in its principles to operate in a sustainable way and achieve a positive impact on the planet, it is an act of consistency, because it is precisely what we offer our customers: energy management solutions, advice to promote the agenda and advice on purchasing energy in an intelligent and responsible way”, he concluded.
