Sustainability Objective: +0.44 Point over Three Months
Indicators for 2012-2014 Planned as Part of New Connect Program
EcoXpert Program Drives Strong Growth in Solutions
Marks 13% Decrease in Medical Incident Rate
Dubai - UAE: 20 June 2012 - Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management, today announced its sustainability results for Q1 2012 reached an overall score of 3.87/10, +0.44 point surpassing its objective of 3.43/10.
Schneider Electric drives and measures its sustainable development objectives for the next three years through 14 quarterly reported indicators as outlined by the Planet and Society Barometer.
The extra-financial results by indicator were as follows:
Philippe Delorme, Executive Vice-President, Strategy and Innovation, Schneider Electric, said: "Our extra-financial performance during Q1 2012 was driven by the growth in sales of our energy efficiency solutions through our EcoXpert contractors dedicated program and our team's efforts in the safety area.
"For the period 2012-2014, the Planet and Society Barometer scorecard is being revised to align with the goals of our 'Connect' program, which aims at improving efficiency. New reporting tools are being introduced to aid in recording extra-financial performance as accurately as possible, thus helping Schneider Electric reach its sustainability objectives."
Results by indicators category[1]
Planet aims at measuring Schneider Electric's environmental performance. Currently, the Products & Solutions indicator drives the Planet performance as the only indicator reported, the two other indicator tools are being rolled out. For the first quarter 2012, 63.6 per cent product sales were achieved with Green Premium offers, a slight drop compared to the end of 2011. However, it can be explained by the change of the reference sales, which are not 2008 anymore but 2010. The beginning of 2012 also started with the launch of a portal for gathering information on the Green Premium eco-mark and a new version of the 'Check a Product' tool that allows users to find Green Premium information by product reference in one click.
Profit measures the ability of Schneider Electric to ensure continuous and responsible economic growth while offering products and services that have minimal impact on the environment. It displays a good overall performance, particularly benefiting from the growth of the energy efficiency solutions sales. The EcoXpert[2] program achieved an 8.7 points score above the Group's in the first quarter, exceeding its target by 1.7 point. The achievement is largely due to the roll-out of energy management services in new geographies. The Access to Energy indicator, aiming at connecting one million households at the base of the pyramid to electricity displays 53,304 connected households. Under the Governance indicator, Schneider Electric is still listed on three major ethical stock market indices. Two new indicators, 'Suppliers' and 'Best Practices', will be reported later in 2012.
The People indicator assesses Schneider Electric's commitment to employee well-being and supporting communities in countries where the Group operates. The category performance is mainly due to the positive results of the Safety indicator. The Medical Incident Rate decreased by 13 per cent due to an increased number of OHSAS 18001 registered sites and new tools such as the global safety booklet and fire safety training. The three-year objective is 30 per cent. The three new indicators Engagement, Diversity and Communities are in-line with the first quarter objectives reaching 55 per cent for the employee engagement index, 22 per cent women in the talent pool and 1,342 people at the base of the pyramid who have been trained in energy management, respectively. The new employee training indicator is not reported yet; it will be tracked from 2013.
Key facts
On April 4, 2012, Schneider Electric and its Foundation announced the creation of Schneider Electric Teachers. The non-governmental organization's ambition is to facilitate voluntary commitment from current and retired Schneider Electric employees to the Foundation partners, specifically in teaching and professional training structures within the energy access area. NGO performance is measured by the communities indicator within the Planet & Society Barometer.
On May 3, 2012, Schneider Electric announced the publication of Creating Shared Value - 2011-2012 Strategy & Sustainability Highlights, a corporate brochure detailing the Group's vision, mission, and commitments towards its stakeholders. For the first time, Schneider Electric also offered an iPad™ application for an interactive reading experience (sdreport.schneider-electric.com).
On May 16, 2012, Schneider Electric announced the creation of a dedicated web page for sustainability analysts and investors (www.schneider-electric.com/sri).
Schneider Electric was the winner of the Zayed Future Energy Prize (ZFEP) in the large corporations category at the January 2012 World Future Energy Summit (WFES) where the company was recognized for its BipBop initiative and other CSR programs. Schneider Electric was also awarded the 2012 CSR Mexican Philanthropic Centre prize in Mexico on March 13, 2012, and the 2012 CSR Golden Peacock Award in India on April 25, 2012. These awards recognized innovative and efficient CSR practices of the Group.
The 2012 first quarter extra-financial results presentation is available on our website: www.schneider-electric.com/barometer
The Planet & Society Barometer extra-financial results for the second quarter 2012 will be published on July 26, 2012.
About Schneider Electric
As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in Utilities & Infrastructures, Industries & Machine Manufacturers, Non-residential Buildings, Data Centres & Networks and in Residential. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green, the Group's 130,000 plus employees achieved sales of 22.4 billion euros in 2011, through an active commitment to help individuals and organizations make the most of their energy. www.schneider‑electric.com
For further information, please contact:
Schneider Electric
Tushar Choudhury
Tel: +971 4 3433404
Fax: +971 4 3435330
Email: Tushar.Choudhury@schneider-electric.com
Stephanie Alviso
Phone: +971 4 709 91 00 ext. 1413
Fax: +971 4 709 91 01
Email: stephanie.alviso@schneider-electric.com
APCO Worldwide
Mathilda Saad
M: +971 55 6999 890
Tel: +971 4 361 3879
Email: msaad@apcoworldwide.com
Razi Hassan
(T) +971 4 3613598
(M) +971 553786543
(F) +971 4 3688001
Email: rhassan@apcoworldwide.com
[1] Five new indicators are not reported this quarter (carbon in transportation, energy savings, suppliers ISO 26 000, Great Place to Work sites, employees training) as the relevant reporting tools are being rolled out.
[2] Schneider Electric EcoXpert programme aims at creating sustainable partnerships with some local installers and providing them with its energy efficiency and renewable energy expertise.
© Press Release 2012
