Johannesburg, 01 Aug 2018
* Schneider Electric partnered with Global Footprint Network to demonstrate how existing technologies can help to move the date of Earth Overshoot Day.
* Retrofitting existing buildings, industries and data centres and upgrading electricity production with renewables alone would move the date by 21 days.
Earth Overshoot Day marks the date in the year when humanity will have consumed more from the planet, including food, fibres, timber, and absorption capacity for carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning than the planet's ecosystems can renew in the entire year.
Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, believes adoption of energy efficient and renewable technologies such as its IOT-enabled EcoStruxure platform, could move the date back by 21 days through retrofitting of existing building, industry and data centre infrastructure and upgrading electricity production alone.
To demonstrate how this can be done and to promote new approaches to sustainable business thinking, the company has partnered with Global Footprint Network, the international research organisation that is changing how the world manages its natural resources and responds to climate change. Global Footprint Network's Ecological Footprint accounts enable the calculation of Earth Overshoot Day.
CO2 savings through energy efficiency and renewable electricity
Schneider Electric believes this situation is reversible. The company has calculated that if 100% of existing building, industry and data centre infrastructure was equipped with active energy efficiency technologies that are readily available, and the electric grid was upgraded with renewable capacities, the world could move the date back by at least 21 days.
"Operating on a planet with finite resources requires creativity and innovation, said Xavier Houot, Schneider Electric's SVP Global Environment. We team-up with our customers and partners to unlock the potential to retrofit existing infrastructure, adopting circular business models, and we measure how much this helps save resources and CO2. We work to see our growth path through the lens of the growing need of living within the means of our one planet."
Schneider's EcoStruxure is enabler to move the date
This challenge is central to Schneider Electric's strategy, which is focused on EcoStruxure, the company's ecoDesigned, IOT-enabled, plug-and-play, open and interoperable architecture and platforms, aimed at all power-consuming sectors, including Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries.
EcoStruxure building is just one example of the platform in action.
The technology can deliver up to 50% energy efficiency while reducing energy costs by 30%.
EcoStruxure works on three key levels:
* Connected products: In buildings, connected sensors and meters improve the efficiency of networked lighting, heating and air conditioning, enabling increased security and optimised use of space in the building.
* Edge control: The layer gives users the capability to manage the data from IOT connected products on-site, with day-to-day optimisation of energy consumption through remote access and advanced automation;
* Apps, analytics and services: Visualised reporting on energy consumption through interactive dashboards, detection and diagnosis of faults, performance analysis, and asset monitoring enable to detect additional energy efficiency opportunities and to transition from curative to predictive maintenance.
"Schneider Electric's business case is aligned with moving humanity out of ecological overshoot," said Global Footprint Network CEO Mathis Wackernagel. "Leading companies like Schneider Electric are rising to the challenge of managing natural resources differently, measuring them more accurately, and developing products and processes that use them not only more efficiently, but also reduce their overall use."
Schneider Electric partners with Global Footprint Network to #MoveTheDate
To drive awareness of Earth Overshoot Day, Schneider Electric has partnered with Global Footprint Network to support its ambition to #MoveTheDate from 1 August to 31 December and beyond.
To promote Earth Overshoot Day, Schneider Electric invited attendees to a digital Webinar on 24 July, at 5pm CET/ 8am PST, led by Houot and Wackernagel, to discuss new approaches to sustainable business thinking. The session showcased inspiring examples and concrete strategies.
The Webinar marked the launch of Schneider Electric's white paper: "Living with finite resources: strategies for sustainable resource utilisation." It presents new direction for business to ensure sustained growth by driving productivity and profitability that also benefits the planet and its people.
Related resources:
* You can watch the Schneider Electric digital Webinar here.
* Download here the Schneider Electric white paper on: Living with Finite Resources: Strategies for sustainable resource utilisation.
* More on Earth Overshoot Day at www.overshootday.org/
* More on the 21-day reduction opportunities at www.overshootday.org/energy-retrofit.
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