In the Business and Climate Summit

During Climate Week, 18-4 May 2015, Rexel participated in the 2-day Business and Climate Summit, organized at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, 200 days before the launch of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 21).

The purpose of the two days of discussions between company leaders and political decision makers, was firstly, to highlight the solutions and the progress already made in driving sustainable growth, and secondly, to put forward recommendations for the adoption of these solutions on a global scale. The summit represents a key milestone in the preparation for COP21 taking place in December 2015.

According to a 2014 report from the International Energy Agency, energy efficiency is not only one of the primary means of reducing CO2 emissions, but the leading “hidden fuel” and an energy source in its own right. The digital revolution and innovations in technology are important facilitators to “empower” and “enable” the end user to take control of their energy management. Energy management presents a vast opportunity that we need to seize collectively by renovating buildings with more energy efficient systems (today the world’s building stock accounts for 40% of energy consumption).

The expectations Rexel has for governments: (1) to implement an infrastructure that opens the door wider to digital technologies (via smart grids), (2) to develop industry standards that improve the interoperability of systems, (3) to drive adoption of energy efficiency through greater incentive programs and (4) to encourage platforms for innovation.