Group Legrand India recently made headlines by sponsoring "Team Sea Sakthi," the only Indian team to participate in the 11th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2024. The team of innovative students from Kumaraguru College of Technology won multiple awards for their sustainable, energy-efficient boat, highlighting Legrand’s commitment to a carbon-free future and sustainable innovation.
In an interview with TheCSRUniverse, Ms. Abida Aneez, Vice President - CSR & Sustainability at Group Legrand India, shares how this initiative aligns with the company’s broader vision of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. She discusses Legrand’s comprehensive strategies for reducing carbon emissions—such as increasing renewable energy use, embracing circular economy principles, and innovating eco-friendly products. Ms. Aneez also provides insights into Legrand’s impactful social responsibility programs in education, healthcare, and skill development.
This conversation offers a deeper understanding of how Legrand India is advancing sustainability by combining strong environmental goals with meaningful social impact to build a better future.
Please continue reading below for detailed insights
Q&A
Q. Legrand India has demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability through its support for Team Sea Sakthi. How does this initiative align with Legrand's broader sustainability goals and vision for a carbon-neutral future? Can you quantify the impact of this initiative on Legrand's overall sustainability performance?
A. Legrand’s commitment to sustainability is exemplified by the remarkable success of Team Sea Sakthi at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge. As part of our ambitious 2050 target to achieve Net Zero across our entire value chain, we prioritize innovation and environmental stewardship in every facet of our operations.
The Sea Sakthi initiative aligns seamlessly with Legrand's broader sustainability objectives, particularly through its focus on pioneering solutions to pressing environmental challenges. The energy-efficient boat designed by Sea Sakthi is projected to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% in battery usage compared to traditional methods over 3,000 hours, demonstrating significant impact.
This initiative is just one component of Legrand’s comprehensive strategy to reduce CO2 emissions. Our internal and community-driven actions—such as Green Energy projects, mangrove restoration, and urban forestation—collectively aim to reduce our carbon footprint by 500+ tons of CO2 annually. Together, these efforts underscore Legrand's holistic approach to achieving a carbon-neutral future.
Q. How does Legrand India measure its environmental impact, and what targets and initiatives are in place to reduce its carbon footprint? Can you provide examples of circular economy practices within your operations?
A. Legrand is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, and we have established specific KPIs and metrics to track our progress across all aspects of our operations. Our targets, validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), encompass Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions, ensuring a comprehensive approach to sustainability. For example, we aim to reduce energy consumption by 4% annually and increase our reliance on renewable energy sources to 70% of our total energy consumption. Additionally, we are focused on reducing CO2 emissions from downstream transportation by 3.5%.
Circular economy principles are a key focus area for Legrand. We are dedicated to eliminating 100% of single-use plastics in our packaging by 2025 and are actively increasing the use of recycled plastics and metals in our products. By 2025, we aim to ensure that 72% of our products have a Product Sustainability Profile, reflecting our commitment to eco-design and resource efficiency. Furthermore, Legrand is working to minimize waste production from our manufacturing activities and promote waste recovery channels, thereby reducing the negative environmental impact of waste.
Q. Legrand has a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. What are the key strategies and investments being made to reach this ambitious target? How does Legrand involve its customers and suppliers in its carbon reduction efforts?
A. Legrand is adopting a multi-faceted approach to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, integrating sustainability into every aspect of our operations. Our key strategies include reducing energy consumption, increasing the use of renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency, and minimizing waste across our manufacturing processes.
We are also making significant investments in innovation, particularly in developing eco-friendly products and solutions that contribute to a sustainable future.
Beyond internal actions, Legrand is actively engaging with our entire value chain including customers, suppliers, and partners to extend the impact of our carbon reduction efforts. We have committed to reducing CO2 emissions across our value chain by 15% by 2030. To achieve this, we are closely collaborating with suppliers to implement sustainable practices, ensuring that every link in the chain contributes to our shared goal of a carbon-neutral future. This collaborative approach not only strengthens our sustainability mission but also empowers our customers and suppliers to be active participants in the global effort to combat climate change.
Q. How does Legrand integrate sustainability into product development? Please provide examples of sustainable products and your approach to product lifecycle management.
A. Legrand integrates sustainability into product development by focusing on energy efficiency and circular economy principles.
By 2023, our energy-efficient solutions have helped avoid 9.1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. We adopt a circular approach, considering a product's entire lifecycle from design to end-of-life, with an emphasis on using recycled materials and minimizing waste. Our Product Environmental Profile (PEP) eco-passport® informs designers and installers about the environmental impact of our products, supporting better decision-making. Additionally, Legrand offers sustainable solutions like smart power distribution units, lighting management systems, UPS, transformers, and electric vehicle charging equipment.
Q. Beyond environmental sustainability, how does Legrand India address social responsibility and contribute to the communities where it operates? How does the company measure its social impact and engage with local stakeholders?
A. Group Legrand India addresses social responsibility towards the community in the realms of Education, Skill Development, Healthcare, and Disaster Relief. These initiatives not only address community needs but also complement our sustainability goals.
Over 500 students have benefitted from the Legrand Empowering Scholarship Program, which empowers girl students from marginalized backgrounds to pursue higher education. In the realm of skill development, Legrand's Recognition of Prior Learning program upskills electricians, while advanced technical courses empower Persons with Disabilities. Additionally, 2 Legrand Centers of Excellence have been set up in Dehradun and Bengaluru, with state-of-the-art training facilities that will enable the skilling of electricians and enhance their expertise in the field.
As part of its commitment towards healthcare, Legrand has set up 3 telemedicine centers in Jalgaon, Haridwar and Rohad. These centers cater to more than 10,000 patients annually, who benefit significantly from the comprehensive medical service that offers free consultations, diagnosis, lab tests and medication. Legrand organizes medical camps regularly and has additionally conducted special medical camps for trans and non-binary individuals. With 307 beneficiaries, Legrand offers people from the LGBTQ+ community with affirmative medical care wherein dedicated physicians from Apollo Hospitals offered physical and mental health check-ups, while on-site clinical psychologists provided valuable mental health support.
In its efforts towards disaster relief, Legrand rebuilt the Kharballi L.P. school in Assam, which was completely destroyed by devastating floods in 2022. Additionally, following Cyclone Michaung in 2023, Legrand provided essential items to an old age home in Chennai.
Legrand measures its social impact by tracking the number of beneficiaries and the improvements made in their lives. The company engages with local stakeholders through partnerships with organizations, which provide valuable insights into on-the-ground realities and help drive positive change. We also interact directly with beneficiaries and conduct third-party impact assessments to identify gaps and implement corrective measures, striving for continuous improvement.
To date, we are proud to have positively impacted the lives of over 1.7 lakh individuals through our community upliftment initiatives, and our journey continues.
