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CEO Sustainability Series | Karine Alquier-Caro, Area Vice President, South East Asia, Legrand

As part of the Sustainable Business initiative, the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore presents a leadership interview series where we invite CEOs and key executives to discuss crucial management qualities that drive successful sustainable transformation

What does sustainability mean to your organization?

Sustainability is a long-term engagement for Legrand and a key component of its strategy. As early as 2004, we created a Direction of Sustainability, growing into the Direction of CSR now represented within the Group Executive Committee. Sustainability is materialized by our CSR roadmaps (the 5th is ongoing) setting ambitious objectives to improve lives at different levels: promote diversity and inclusion, reduce our carbon footprint, develop a circular economy and be a responsible business.

Since 2017, The Group has been aligning its strategy with the most ambitious target of the Paris Agreement. Legrand aims to eliminate its net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 across all its activities, for a global warming level limited to 1.5°C. Legrand is actively contributing to the global effort to reduce energy consumption by accelerating its commitments to reduce its carbon footprint (from 8% reduction to 15% between 2021 and 2023) and by offering its customers the possibility, via a wide range of products and solutions, to better control their energy consumption.

Could you tell us more about your initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion? What is the impact on your organization?

Each Legrand entity is committed to the fight against all forms of discrimination, throughout the world. This commitment includes respect for workplace equality, ethnic representation, integration of people with disabilities, intergenerational collaboration, social and cultural diversity, and inclusion of LGBT+ people.

In early 2013, Legrand employees set up a company network called elle@legrand, open to both men and women, to take the lead in new ways of promoting equal opportunities for women and men. Today elle@legrand is present in over 25 countries. More than 300 Legrand employees have joined the Legrand Rainbow network, launched in 2020, for greater inclusion of LGBT+ people.

Various initiatives are led locally by the subsidiaries to open discussion, raise awareness and create a workplace where people feel free to be themselves. We are proud to share that Legrand Southeast Asia has been awarded GEEIS Certification (Gender Equality & Diversity for European & International Standard) in 2022.

How is technology helping your company to incorporate circular economy principles in the development of new products?

Our company incorporate circular economy principles through an integrated process called Legrand Way for Eco-design. This initiative has been rolled out some years ago across all our Research and Development Centers worldwide.

Among examples, we can focus on:

•  In Brazil, the eco-designed PIAL Plus switch has reduced energy dissipation by 15% while also reducing the volume of conducting materials required by 47%, thus avoiding the depletion of natural resources and integrating recycled plastics,
•  Technology also helps to integrate the notion of durability. Thus, Legrand believes in the Internet of Things to act. For example, Netatmo brand products, by enabling remote upgradability, allow the life of products to be extended remotely.

 

This interview was conducted with Karine Alquier-Caro, Area Vice President South East Asia, Legrand

October 2023 | French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore