Jean-Pascal Tricoire, President & CEO of Schneider Electric stressed the importance of promoting energy efficiency at the G20 Business Summit on November 10th. He had an open interview about smart grid and energy efficiency.
The following indicates a Q&A from the open interview.
Q: You mentioned the Korean government has laid out green policies for Korean companies to abide by, can you specify what they are As a representative in the working group on energy efficiency, are there any recommendations you would like to bring forward to the G20
A: There are a lot of governmental policies in Korea which promote energy efficiency such as promoting energy efficiencies in buildings, factories, internet data centers and many others. One thing is the smart grid which the Korean government is very much against. This relates to renewable energy and intelligent network as well as carbon emissions. Concerning the G20, we led the discussion in energy efficiency and we will debate various aspects concerning energy efficiencies as a measure towards finding a resolution for issues revolving around carbon emission.
We should have cleaner and more renewable energy. We should reduce energy consumption by fossil fuels, particularly coal. In other words, it is a question of our rate of acceleration in energy efficiency. At Schneider, we will establish universities to train people on methods for energy efficiency. Today, around 20,000 have entered into Schneider University for training.
We need the government to work on solutions for financing, although energy efficiency is not a big investment. Regulations, education, training and finance inside the energy efficiency sector is very important. International coordination is another debate. Carbon emissions is a global issue. We share the same planet, therefore energy efficiency should be among the shared workload.
Q: How fast is the adoption of energy efficiency technology in China growing
A: Korea is pretty advanced. China is very much working on it. China is the second largest market for Schneider after North America in terms of business and number of employees.
Q: Do you have any plans to increase your presence in Korea and/or China Is the rising Euro an issue for you Any expectations from the G20
A: In Asia, we focus on organic investments. We invest in technologies and R&D as well as human resources in Asia. We developed a lot in Asia, and we produce very close to our customers, so the Euro is not a major issue for us. I think the G20 is a brilliant event for global business leaders and politicians to group together to tackle main issues of today.
Q: Can you give us the details about the projects that you are currently working on with Korean companies
A: We have been in Korea for 35 years as well as in the Korean market, collaborating in many sectors of the economy. One of the largest and most successful sectors is the marine industry. Other large sectors are oil and gas. We also work closely with the IT industry in Korea supporting green IT and data centers on energy efficiency.
Q: How big is the energy efficiency market How much saving is expected in this area
A: There is no easy answer for this. The market just started. We expect that in reality we can save 30% to 70% of energy in all buildings and data centers throughout the world, so the potential is high. We should learn to be more energy efficient, measure how much energy gets wasted, use energy efficient products, etc.
Q: What is your perspective on carbon taxes to support renewable energies What is the position of the G20 Working Group and Schneider
A: The Working Group will discuss this issue tomorrow so I can only let you know tomorrow. From Schneider, our position is to reduce carbon products on a long term basis, be more efficient than today. Different industry sectors have different carbon trading policies. Our position is to have financing solutions for each industry sector and for private companies to invest in renewable energies, you need a robust system to support it.
Efficiency is a question of effectiveness. For many companies, they do it for the planet, do it for the P&L and don't be dependent on the availability of energy. It is also good for their image. In many cases, it offers the company a real competitive advantage and at the end of the day it will be all about energy efficiency.
Schneider is a global company with a turnover of 16 billion Euro in 2009, they have 25% of their business in North America, 25% in Asia, 30% in Western Europe, and the rest from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America.
