Green Light Award Winners for Sustainability
Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has announced the winners of the Green Light sustainability award. The ceremony event took place on November 26 at the site of the intellectual partner of the Award – Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, as well as in the online format on the Award website.
The award ceremony was dedicated to the achievements of Russian and international companies and had five nominations. The winners were determined through an independent vote by the Expert Jury.
EN+ Group won the “ESG Breakthrough: Most Significant ESG Improvement in 3 Years” nomination. Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works became the “Rising Star” – the best company among the ones that entered one of the independent ESG ratings for the first time. SIBUR Holding and IKEA were recognized as the winners in the “Green Corporation: the Best Corporate ESG Program for Personnel Development” nomination. IKEA has become the “energy transition leader” thanks to the implemented program of transition to low-carbon energy sources or energy carriers. The jury awarded Polymetal as the winner in the “Clean Footprint” category for the best implementation of its carbon footprint reduction strategy.
“For the average firm, indirect emissions are ten times higher than carbon produced by the business itself. The corporate push to net-zero will be little more than a veneer unless we take responsibility for the impacts of our supply chains.
Companies must bring their whole network of partners along with them on the transition to a low-carbon economy. The Green Light awards show that by thinking differently about the relationship between businesses, the actions of one company can quickly become a movement,” commented Lord Barker, Executive Chairman of EN+ Group.
A special award was given to Fidesys for its innovative approach to solving climate problems. Zarubezhneft received an award for a comprehensive program on Green Thinking development, and AltEnergia was awarded for a complex solution of a low-carbon low-rise building. National Research University “MPEI” received special attention from the jury for the creation of an energy efficient campus.
During the event, leaders from Schneider Electric gave speeches, including Johan Vanderplaetse, President of Schneider Electric for Russia and CIS, Armen Badalov, Vice President for Business Development and Strategy of Schneider Electric for Russia and CIS, Sergey Semenov, Vice President Sustainability Services (ESG) of Schneider Electric for Eastern Europe, Olivier Blum, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer of Schneider Electric, and Vakhtang Partsvania, Head of Sustainability and Government Relations at Scania Rus.
“Schneider Electric had been concerned for some time with ESG issues. We are pleased to note that more and more companies are recognizing the need to move towards a green, carbon-free economy. We strive to ensure that the ESG agenda is perceived by the business community as an opportunity for growth, and not as a barrier. We are glad that within the framework of the Green Light Award, Russian and international companies can share their success stories and inspire other market participants to develop in the sustainable development area,” commented Johan Vanderplaetse, President of Schneider Electric for Russia and CIS.
“Everyone needs to understand that we are the last generation that can make a significant contribution to the fight against climate change. Schneider Electric encourages companies to be proactive in developing their ESG agendas. I would like to emphasize that sustainable development projects have become self-sustaining for a very long time. And the Schneider Electric team has helped many market players to achieve their goals in just a few years. I am pleased to see different companies participating with outstanding projects in each category. We made a good start, but we should not slow down, we need to implement our ESG projects as quickly as possible,” noted Sergey Semenov, Vice President Sustainability Services (ESG) of Schneider Electric for Eastern Europe.
The Green Light Award is a logical step towards supporting companies in achieving their sustainable development goals. The project is aimed at promoting the ESG agenda, drawing business attention to the green economy, developing decarbonization and carbon reduction programs, as well as transforming the consciousness of people for the transition to a responsible, “green” lifestyle.
The intellectual partner of the award is the Energy Center in Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO. The partners of the award are CDU TEK, HORIZONT Magazine, PRO-INTERACTIVE.