Project Zero Carbon, a contribution to our partner Schneider Electric's customer challenges

ADDEV Materials is one of the 1,000 suppliers taking part in Schneider Electric's Zero Carbon project. Claire Charondière, Procurement Project Leader, Schneider Electric, explains the aims of this project.

What does the Zero Carbon project involve?

Schneider Electric has made long-term commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030. Thanks to its dashboard Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI) 2021-2025, the Group tracks and reports quarterly on its progress towards concrete targets related to climate, resources, trust, equal opportunities, generations and local communities. The Zero Carbon project targets one of our climate commitments: to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 % from the operations (scope 1 and 2) of 1,000 of our main suppliers by 2025. The stakes are high: these suppliers account for 70 % of our inbound supply chain emissions. Above all, it is a first step in engaging and supporting our suppliers in the profound transformation of our activities, with the aim of having a Net-Zero Carbon supply chain by 2050.

What does your support involve?

Thanks to our commitment to decarbonising our operations over the last 15 years, we have acquired a good deal of expertise in supporting our suppliers, by sharing our experience and know-how, using our own products, solutions and services in the field of energy management. To start with, we have assessed the maturity of suppliers in terms of decarbonisation via a questionnaire. Then, in summer 2021, we provided technical training with Zero Carbon project managers and experts in the field of energy efficiency and sustainable development. Since October 2021, monthly forums have provided a forum for exchanging and sharing experiences between peers within the community of 1,000 suppliers involved in the project. We have also provided numerous training sessions on calculating carbon footprints. In 2022, the implementation phase has begun and is based on 3 pillars: Analysis (quantifying and measuring GHG emissions), Ambition (defining a strategy and reduction targets), Action (defining an action plan and implementing it).

What levers can a supplier like ADDEV Materials use?

ADDEV Materials is a very proactive supplier on the Zero Carbon issue. A first lever for decarbonisation for a manufacturer like ADDEV Materials is the electrification of its operations (industrial processes, buildings, vehicle fleet), such as replacing a gas boiler with a heat pump. A second lever is the reduction of its energy consumption, using energy efficiency solutions and digital tools to manage and optimise the energy performance of its industrial processes and buildings. A third lever is the replacement of energy sources with renewable energy sources (purchase of 'green' electricity, for example), or local energy production (installation of photovoltaic panels, for example), or carbon offsetting.