Connect - Schneider Electric

2 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC, A RESPONSIBLE CORPORATE CITIZEN
86
Governance
The Schneider Electric Foundation Board of Directors meets two
times per year. It defi nes and encourages signifi cant strategic
directions for the Foundation. It is composed of Schneider Electric
managers, employee representatives, and important people from
outside of the company.
Requests received, responding to the foundation’s criteria, are
systematically sent to the delegate of the country concerned for
the proposed project. If the project is selected and supported
locally, it can then be studied on the corporate level by the selection
committee if a supplementary budget is necessary.
This committee is composed of three members: the Foundation
Managing Director, the Foundation Program Director, and the Access
to Energy Program Training Director. They meet every month.
Action plans
Training and opportunities for young adults
To facilitate the integration and professional training of the most
under-privileged young adults, the Schneider Electric Foundation
continually encourages and supports national and international
integration associations or electrical profession educational
organisations.
To fulfi l this mission the Foundation also participates in the Group’s
commitment to sustainable development. In particular, it also
contributes to the BipBop energy access program (for Business,
Innovation and People at the Base of the Pyramid) started in 2008.
The Foundation supports the People aspect of the program,
dedicated to training with priority given to the target developing
countries.
All of these actions are monitored and measured on a quarterly
basis within the scope of the Planet & Society Barometer through a
key performance indicator: 10,000 young adults at the base of the
pyramid trained in the energy management professions.
The target was achieved and exceeded at the end of 2011 with
12,318 young adults trained .
The new Connect Business Program includes this training target
once again with an increase: to train 30,000 people at the base
of the pyramid in energy management occupations by the end of
2014.
Emergency relief and reconstruction aid
Acting as intermediary in rallying its employees, the Schneider
Electric Foundation regularly brings its support during natural
disasters. The Foundation above all wishes to maintain long term
REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2011 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC
involvement. The aid takes place at two times: during the emergency
the teams mobilise immediately to support the specialised NGOs
and to meet the initial needs of the populations. The second stage
is then implemented, which can take time. This stage aims to
contribute to the reconstruction in the medium term. The actions
supported and developed by local partners focus on construction
projects, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the technical training
centres for energy management professions. This is the part of the
program which mobilises the essential available resources. The
Schneider Electric Foundation considers it fundamental to share its
skills in electrical professions in order to actively contribute to aid in
catastrophe-hit zones so that reconstruction can be sustainable.
Two campaigns were launched in 2011 following the earthquakes in
Japan and the fl oods in Thailand.
Raising Awareness about Sustainable Development
Energy and climate change are the heart of the issues facing
our planet. It is now possible to do more with less resources. By
supporting innovative projects, the Schneider Electric Foundation
voluntarily helps raise awareness to different parties participating
in the challenges of climate change. The company invests in
emblematic and international programs by making its knowledge,
notably in energy systems management, available through
donations in resources and/or knowledge. Through its projects
and the commitment of its employees, the Schneider Electric
Foundation wants to emphasise:
• the desire to contribute and to provide solutions;
Safe, reliable, effi cient, productive and green energy management
solutions are now available and operational, even in the most
extreme conditions. Through its Foundation and alongside the
International Polar Foundation and other partners, Schneider
Electric contributes to implementing innovative and exemplary
smart networks within the environmental domain;
• the ability to build together, to break down barriers;
By forging links with NGO partners, Schneider Electric aims
to develop solutions that will serve the project by extending its
scope, adapting to needs and to different ways of collaborating
that are new and sometimes unexpected.
• setting an example for employees but also for the wider
community;
Faced with the issues of our planet and particularly the challenges
posed by energy resources, Schneider Electric always wants to
aim higher through its ambitious initiatives that may sometimes
seem idealistic, these adventurous solutions show that it is
possible to meet the challenges.