Schneider Electric has announced that it has launched its sustainability engagement initiative in India, Green Yodha to encourage and support businesses, industries, and individuals to come together and take concrete climate action. This urgent call to action intends to back the increased commitment of the Indian government made at COP26.
India has a robust industrial infrastructure with a huge energy requirement. According to IPCC's 6th Assessment Report, the country is the fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases and is still largely dependent on coal and oil. During COP26 Prime Minister of India, Mr. Modi announced that India will reduce projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes (Gt) between 2021 and 2030. With these developments, Schneider Electric urges energy-intensive sectors - cement, iron and steel, commercial & industrial buildings, non-metallic minerals, and chemicals to join forces to achieve the common goal.
Schneider Electric, ranked World's most sustainable corporation in 2021 by Corporate Knights, builds on its unique position as ESG practitioner and enabler as the digital partner of its customers in sustainability and efficiency to launch this initiative which will put in the spotlight people, organizations, and practices that pave the way for effective decarbonization and an inclusive energy transition.
Congratulating Schneider Electric for the Green Yodha initiative, Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog said, "I am glad that Schneider Electric has built a program like Green Yodha that aims to provide designed energy solutions to enable industries to use innovative technologies to become energy efficient and reduce their carbon footprint. We as a country need to unite to make a greener future reality and meet the SDG targets by 2030. I congratulate Schneider Electric for the Green Yodha initiative that is aimed at empowering all to make the most of our energy and resources, thereby bridging progress and sustainability for all."
Taking the pledge to be a Green Yodha, Mr. Madhav Singhania, Deputy Managing Director & CEO, JK Cement Limited said, "To protect our planet we have set strong targets of 75 percent green power and controlling CO2 emissions in cement product to 465kg /ton by 2030. To enable this vision we are partnering with Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure Solution to optimize Energy & Fuel Consumption, seamless integration of all energy measurement tools, adoption of digitization solutions, and an integrated one-stop solution for Electrical Distribution, Control & Automation. We are proud to be a Green Yodha for the planet."
"I believe that the climate crisis demands committed leadership and universal action. It is our collective responsibility to lead by example and enact change. We congratulate Schneider Electric on the launch of the Green Yodha program. At UST, we are committed to transforming lives and communities through technology. I am proud to say that UST is also a Green Yodha," said Mr. Alexander Varghese, Chief Operating Officer, and Country Head-India, UST.
Schneider Electric itself has taken strong global and local commitments to sustainability, including that of saving and avoiding 800M metric tons of CO2 for customers by 2025 and helping 1000 of its suppliers halve their carbon emissions by 2025. It is also targeting to extend access to energy to 50M people and train 1M people in energy management in line with its purpose to bridge progress and sustainability for all.
Talking about Schneider Electric's commitment towards a sustainable and inclusive future, Mr. Anil Chaudhry, M.D & CEO- Schneider Electric India Pvt Ltd. & Zone President, Greater India, said, "We welcome the commitments already made by Prime Minister Modi in COP26 towards making India Net-Zero. At Schneider Electric we believe that the private sector is key in this race to a greener and fairer economy. That's why we continue to lead the change, as a practitioner and an enabler. With the Green Yodha program, We invite all like-minded conscious organizations to join the good fight and wish to facilitate collaboration in accelerating a positive energy transition and successfully preserving our planet. We congratulate JK Cements and UST on becoming Green Yodhas with us. We invite you all to be a Green Yodha with us!"