Sustainable management, a solution to global climate change, is considered a tool for companies to maintain competitiveness in the business environment.

Schneider Electric claimed that a sustainable future can be realized by increasing efficiency through digitalization and electrification.

Schneider Electric held a media conference on the 15th at the 'Innovation Summit Korea 2023' under the theme of 'Digital Innovation for a Sustainable World'. Schneider CEO Kim Kyung-rok and Juliana Oinger, Vice President of the Sustainability Business Unit for Hong Kong and East Asia, delivered the keynote speech and presentation, respectively.

CEO Kim Kyung-rok argued, “Digitalization and electrification serve as sustainability solutions that enable the visualization of energy consumption, increased efficiency, and preparation for the climate crisis.”

Digitalization enables the collection, monitoring, and analysis of data to secure visibility for rapid decision-making, thereby allowing for the development of optimized solutions. Electrification fundamentally changes energy in terms of supply and demand, starting from the stages of energy conservation and replacement.

In his presentation, CEO Kim introduced how Schneider's software and technology are making the digital and electric worlds a reality across buildings, data centers, industries, and infrastructure.

According to the International Energy Agency, approximately 70% carbon reduction is possible with existing technologies. This is achieved through, first, the increase in energy and process efficiency through the advancement of digital-based technologies. Second, by converting energy into electric energy, such as through electric vehicles. Finally, it involves the realization of decarbonization.

■ Why Korea is the Most Influential in ESG Management

Vice President Juliana Oinger asserted, “Korea will become the most competitive country from an ESG perspective, not only because it has established concrete plans and is continuing efforts at the national level, but also due to the positive influence generated in economic and cultural aspects.”

Korea is investing in various Green New Deal projects and fostering businesses that improve energy efficiency to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. National efforts are continuing, including enabling ESG practices at the corporate level as well as promoting the implementation of a Korean-style RE100.

Schneider emphasizes an integrated approach in the Korean market, where national-level practices are prominent. "Schneider not only practices sustainability in its own operations but also contributes to the ecosystem by supporting supply chain companies with solutions," the company stated. It has set a goal to achieve carbon neutrality in terms of operations by 2025 and has declared specific action plans across the entire value chain by 2050.
In the subsequent Q&A session, Chris Quinn, Vice President of Marketing at Schneider, identified OEM-related companies as key clients in the Korean market, stating, "In Korea, an exporter of high-value-added ultra-precision machinery, the sustainability of the OEM market is becoming increasingly important." He also mentioned that the company is expanding into various industrial sectors, including the semiconductor industry.

Finally, regarding the practical difficulties currently faced by Korean SMEs in practicing ESG management, Vice President Juliana expressed a positive stance, stating, "Among the various attempts toward decarbonization, they can achieve increased energy efficiency by first considering the impactful aspects and implementing small efforts."

Meanwhile, the Schneider Innovation Summit Korea 2023 was held as an integrated online and offline hybrid event and concluded successfully with the participation of approximately 1,500 customers and partners.

On the first floor, a hub was set up where Schneider’s latest technology demos could be viewed at a glance, and hardware and software solutions and application cases were exhibited. The main exhibits featured SM AIRSET, a high-voltage switchgear based on digitally established pure air insulation and vacuum technology; uninterruptible power solutions; Busway for high voltage, power lines, and data halls; uninterruptible power supply UPS; EcoStruxure Automation Expert; EcoStruxure Resource Advisor; a smart fire monitoring and prevention platform; and an integrated control monitoring system FMS.