Environment economic 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 A most obvious element is the products we provide or supply to customers . As climate change awareness has risen , so have customers ’ demands for innovative technologies that help them run operations more efficiently , make savings on energy and raw materials usage , or running vehicle fleets , production sites or office buildings in ways that emit less CO₂ .
Some climate change solutions , such as electric vehicles , or solar panels , are well understood . Others , such as eliminating the need to use harmful greenhouse gasses and chemicals commonly contained in various equipment used in industrial installations – are less well known outside the world of engineering .
Finding , using , and implementing alternatives in these areas , rather than the same old harmful components – as well as digital innovation can disrupt the status quo , in favour of decarbonisation being fast-tracked .
PARTNERING WITH OTHER BUSINESSES There is our ability through collaboration to influence and help customers and suppliers alike to go green . Many companies , like Schneider are 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 .
“ Nowadays , hardly a day goes by without news of yet another climate-linked disaster .”
For example , our climate change advisory services help businesses to reach their climate and sustainability goals , and we have further recently launched an initiative to help our top 1000 suppliers to halve their CO₂ emissions by 2025 , using digital tools that enable data-driven decisions .
ADVOCACY AND KNOWLEDGE-SHARING Large corporations sit on 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 an NGOs ’ climate initiatives .
Markus Spiske | Unsplash
Another 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 .
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 are another example .
This initiative aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of cities around the world . Given that cities account for nearly two-thirds of global CO₂ emissions , identifying and sharing knowledge on how to do this can have an important and significant impact .
OWN TARGETS AND STAFF At the end of the day , 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 considerations into their day-to-day operations .
This takes perseverance , strategic and consistent goal setting , measurement , recalibration , and a constant diallingup of ambitions . It also requires taking day-to-day action , from in-house training and awareness-raising to local projects and challenges and recycling and energy savings drives ( those little differences that amount to so much in the bigger picture ) – together these help every employee to be part of the solution .
Nowadays , hardly a day goes by without news of yet another climate-linked disaster or a new report on biodiversity loss . With the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference ( COP26 ) happening in November , the flood of commentary in this regard will no doubt pick up and hopefully , so will concrete action – by governments , companies , and ordinary individuals like you and me .
We all need to go beyond what ’ s easy and obvious . And we need to deploy the entire toolkit we have at our disposal , today , and every day . We have so many solutions – why wait ? RACA
As this photo depicts , the seriousness of actions is required now as there is not another earth we can relocate to !
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I March 2022 45