FINAL WORD
Pankaj Sharma , Executive Vice President – Secure Power Division ,
Schneider Electric
sustainability commitments , so it ’ s a key requirement for end-users . In Europe , we also have the Climate Pledge 2030 and the EU Green Deal , which further demonstrate the need for sustainability within the industry .
Can you tell us how sustainability is central to Schneider Electric ' s own strategy and how that ' s embedded across the business ?
Sustainability has been a part of Schneider Electric ’ s DNA for the last 15 years and we ' ve had the Sustainability Index in place to help us report in a transparent way .
Our mission is to be the world ' s digital partner for sustainability and efficiency . We were ranked as the world ’ s most sustainable corporation by Corporate Knights in 2021 and we are continuing to work with our customers and partners to help them understand the need to become more sustainable , and to support them on that journey .
Which tools and technologies should organizations consider investing in to enable more sustainability across their functions ?
In general , when you think of data center operators , I think there is a need for a new mindset . There ' s often this misconception between resiliency and sustainability . It ’ s generally felt that if you must build a more resilient data center , it cannot be sustainable because you ' re building more infrastructure . But that ' s not true – both can be achieved in data center operations without a huge compromise .
This does mean that the data center needs to be designed more effectively and today we have tools and technologies by which we can design data centers both efficiently and sustainably .
For example , through Schneider ' s Green Premium products , we provide detailed information on regulatory compliance , material content , environmental impacts , circularity attributes , etc .
So , if you choose technologies and solutions with that level of Green Premium , you can build infrastructure which is highly sustainable .
The other tools which we use , for example , include Schneider Electric ' s Data Center & Edge Global Energy Forecast . This offers a very simple view for our users to model out their potential global energy consumption based on their estimated data center and Edge Computing deployments . We also have Data Center Infrastructure Management ( DCIM ) software which can aid in providing greater visibility to help maintain sustainable operations .
What advice would you offer organizations that wish to take their first steps towards more sustainable operations ?
We like to look at it as a five-step process . The first step is to create an in-house sustainability team with clear roles and KPIs across different functions of the organization . Then , consider using the expertise of a data center consultant to outline the strategy and identify some potential solutions .
We should try and partner with the anchor tenants to develop those strategies because that ' s important in the data center space . Driving standards is also important , and finally considering making sure that the partners you are working with are also focused on the same sustainability ambitions .
How can organizations prepare a longterm sustainability strategy ?
It ' s a combination of a holistic environmental sustainability strategy and at Schneider Electric , we believe there are five tenets to get to this position .
It starts with setting up a bold and actionable strategy , followed by implementing the most efficient data center designs . Then , when operating the data center , there must be a focus on efficiency . Buying renewable energy is also absolutely crucial .
The fact remains that globally , the grid still consists of almost 75 % fossil fuel , which means that even if you ' re building the best design from an infrastructure perspective , if you ' re still sourcing fossil fuel-based energy , there ’ s another area you can address , so moving towards renewable energy is another important focus .
Then it ' s important to decarbonize the supply chain , which means addressing Scope 1 , 2 and 3 emissions . It ’ s always important to look at where you are in terms of where you ' re sourcing and how you ' re supplying , so looking at the entire supply chain and trying to decarbonize it as much as possible is essential .
In light of COP26 , many companies and countries are looking to achieve net zero emissions . However , the ambitions differ from region to region . We have 10 years to take significant action and begin to drive change . The next generation is going to play a crucial role and it is the responsibility of us all , both in the industry and outside of it , to take sustainable action now . p
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