Companies must be climate fighters

The corporate sector plays a critical part in addressing climate change, and there’s a lot more that companies can do to move faster towards net-zero emissions. As COP28 wraps up, CEO Peter Herweck 's recent article outlines why.

Way back in 1982, I started my career when I became a trainee electrician at the age of 16. The talk at the time was all about acid rain and the ozone layer. The terms “global warming” and “climate change” were only just starting to appear on the public radar. The first-ever COP climate change conference (Berlin, 1995) was still several years away.

Fast-forward to 2023. In the time it’s taken me to go from trainee to CEO of a global leader in energy management and automation, those early hints of global warming have swelled into outright climate crisis. Successive COPs (number 28 is happening soon) have resulted in ambitious decarbonization targets and policy initiatives around the world.

But governments can’t do it all alone. The corporate sector needs to be part of the action, and there’s a lot more companies can do to get us towards net-zero emissions faster.

The good news is that in spite of – or perhaps because of – the geopolitical, economic and energy-market turmoil of recent years, the business world is increasingly making commitments to sustainability and decarbonization.

As of now, some 3,900 companies worldwide have set emissions-reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). And according to the Net Zero Tracker, 929 of the 2,000 largest publicly-traded companies in the world had net-zero commitments in place as of mid-2023. That’s more than double the number of two years earlier.

But many businesses have yet to set decarbonization goals or deliver as much action as they could.

Why is that? I believe the hold-up is partly due to still-insufficient awareness of the solutions at our collective disposal and of the benefits of action.

Read more.

Transforming Ambition into Action: The Power of IMPACT Makers

Chris Leong, Chief Marketing Officer

Transparency, partnership, and technology are critical to address the global climate crisis and limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C, as well as our other sustainability goals.

Schneider Electric celebrates the IMPACT Makers, those who choose to make positive contributions to society and the environment through innovative solutions and technology.

Find out more here.

How our bold software vision helps customers fly higher

Peter Weckesser , Chief Digital Officer

Data is a valuable resource for businesses, but many struggle to derive tangible value from it due to its overwhelming volume and lack of integration.

Schneider Electric and AVEVA aim to address this challenge by offering an integrated approach to capitalize on business data.

This integration and openness empower businesses to achieve sustainable outcomes and gain a competitive advantage in their industry.

Find out more about our approach.

Toward net-zero value chains: How to minimize your Scope 3 emissions

Olivier Blum , EVP, Energy Management

While many companies focus on reducing their own emissions (Scope 1 and 2), over 70% of a company's carbon emissions actually come from their value chain (Scope 3). To address this, businesses need to encourage their suppliers, customers, and partners to strive for greater energy efficiency and cleaner energy procurement.

By strategizing, digitizing, and decarbonizing, companies can navigate the challenges of Scope 3 emissions and collaborate with their ecosystem to achieve meaningful progress in decarbonization.

Read more here.

Fueling success: Empowering women in the energy transition through education and entrepreneurship

Our latest whitepaper on gender strategy within the energy transition launched at COP28, shedding light on Schneider Electric's Youth Education & Entrepreneurship program. This program is dedicated to empowering women in the energy sector and promoting gender equality.

With three core missions as our guide, we tackle the gender-based barriers that hold women back, provide tailored training programs for sustainable employment, equip women with the skills needed in a rapidly changing world, and highlight the importance of innovation in driving a sustainable energy transition.

Read more here.

A career with purpose and limitless potential

How does a double major in mechanical and manufacturing engineering drive Donald Scheatzle 's career as an Energy Management Software Sales Executive?

Through discovery, hard work, and drive! Donald says, “I was not interested in engineering in the traditional sense. I really enjoyed taking a complicated problem and using the framework of my knowledge to try to solve it.”

Read Donald’s blog and learn more about his exciting career journey at Schneider Electric.

Schneider Home named in "Next 5 Big Things for Consumer Technology" in Fast Company .

Schneider Electric is always looking for great people to join us.  Find out more information about careers at Schneider.