THE SUSTAINABILITY INTERVIEW and increase efficiency – a mission rooted in the company’ s vision of making energy safe, reliable and sustainable for all.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns closed offices globally, he used the time to connect with more than 300 experts spanning climate science, corporate strategy and sustainability leadership.
“ What I noticed,” he explains,“ is a real disconnection between the science that tells us we’ re hitting planetary boundaries and the business community that is striving for shortand long-term profitability”.
In those interviews, he saw how sustainability was often perceived as an obligation rather than an opportunity – a tension between moral imperative and commercial logic. Yet he also found evidence that sustainable transformation could drive growth.
“ That’ s when I started looking into how we can reconcile both worlds,” he says.“ The solutions already exist. What’ s missing is a narrative that shows companies how sustainability strengthens competitiveness.”
The Partnering for Sustainability programme From this insight came one of Schneider Electric’ s most ambitious initiatives: the Partnering for Sustainability programme. Developed under Sorouch’ s leadership, it was recently recognised with the SB COP30 Award – a global accolade celebrating corporate initiatives that combine environmental impact with scalable business value.
“WE ALREADY HAVE THE KNOW- HOW TO CUT GLOBAL EMISSIONS BY UP TO 40 % WITH TODAY’ S TECHNOLOGIES”
Sorouch Kheradmand, Global Head of Sustainability, Schneider Electric
The Partnering for Sustainability initiative began with a question: how can businesses, including small and mediumsized enterprises( SMEs), decarbonise profitably and at scale? The aim was not to reinvent technology but to help companies act immediately, using existing tools, data and proven methods.“ We already have the know-how to cut global emissions by up to 40 % with today’ s technologies,” Sorouch explains.“ The next step is to identify the 20 % of actions that deliver 80 % of the results.”
Through education, digital tools and practical business cases, Partnering for Sustainability offers accessible solutions tailored to industry needs. Its foundation is the Schneider Sustainability School – a free learning platform that demystifies sustainability concepts and connects environmental ambition with business strategy.
The message throughout is clear: sustainability must be actionable and measurable. sustainabilitymag. com 27