Legrand's Net Zero push offers both responsibility & opportunity
Palash Nandy, Managing Director and CEO of Legrand Australia and New Zealand, recently participated in The French-Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry's Energy & Resources Series event in Sydney. The focus of the event was exploring the transition to Net Zero for businesses. Nandy shared insights on sustainable business practices, emphasising that the transition to Net Zero is both a responsibility and an opportunity for businesses like Legrand.
Nandy highlighted the substantial impact that commercial and industrial buildings have on the environment, noting, "Given that Commercial & Industrial buildings are some of the biggest consumers of electricity globally, it's our responsibility to act on this." He stressed that achieving Net Zero targets requires businesses to consider their operations' environmental footprint seriously.
Nandy added, "The Legrand Group's core purpose is improving lives by transforming the spaces where people live, work and meet, with solutions that are simple, innovative and sustainable. How can we possibly do this if we are not actively creating a more sustainable world and enabling our partners and customers to do the same?"
Legrand has been active in the fight against climate change for the past two decades, investing in reducing its carbon footprint and innovating energy-efficient solutions. The company is now implementing its fifth Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Roadmap. The roadmap details the operational plan designed to further these sustainability efforts. Recently, Legrand announced that the Science-Based Target initiative (SBTi) had validated its commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050. The company aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 90% between 2022 and 2050. Legrand has also joined the RE100 initiative with the objective of using 100% renewable energy by 2030.
Nandy discussed the various measures Legrand is taking to minimise its carbon footprint. "We are constantly looking at where we can innovate and reduce our carbon footprint, particularly across our factory and manufacturing operations—modifying machine usage or finding efficiencies in our processes, using more recycled plastics in our devices and committing to 100% recycled packaging for all our new products, are a few more recent examples," he said.
He emphasised that the sustainability journey should be a collective effort across all levels of the organisation. "At Legrand, we have made a concerted effort to democratise our sustainability journey; it's a shared responsibility across the company. All our people play a role to support our Net Zero goals, and everyone should live and breathe it. The best ideas don't always necessarily come from the leadership team, and everyone should have a voice on this issue," Nandy stated.
In addition to viewing Net Zero as a responsibility, Nandy also considers it an opportunity. He noted, "Legrand offers simple and effective solutions for our customers to become more sustainable and more energy efficient. Electrification and digitalisation are already dramatically transforming our lives, our homes and our buildings. These changes will only accelerate further in coming years, presenting a huge opportunity for Legrand as a market leader in key growth segments—commercial, industrial and data centres."
Nandy stressed that Legrand's commitment to Net Zero is not just about business growth but also about fostering strong relationships with customers, partners, and suppliers. "All of our customers, partners, and suppliers are on the same journey as we are. Whatever experience and learnings we have, it's important that we share them to help guide their journeys. The path we are navigating towards Net Zero is not linear and already complex enough, and that's where Legrand is able to add value, offering solutions that are simple, sustainable, and uncomplicated," he concluded.
