Video Quick Take: Schneider Electric’s Rohan Kelkar on the Rewards of Awards

Todd Pruzan, HBR

Welcome to the HBR Movie Rapid Get. I’m Todd Pruzan, senior editor for investigation and exclusive assignments at Harvard Business enterprise Evaluate. Major organizations worldwide use awards plans to drive model recognition and nurture interactions with shoppers and key partners.

In June 2022, Schneider Electric released its Sustainability Affect Awards—a initial-of-its-sort international awards system celebrating business leaders who prioritize sustainability and decarbonization. Rohan Kelkar, government vice president of the International Electricity Merchandise division at Schneider Electric, is a person of the architects of the company’s world awards initiative. Rohan, thank you so substantially for becoming a member of us today.

Rohan Kelkar, Schneider Electric powered

Hello, Todd. Many thanks for possessing me listed here.

Todd Pruzan, HBR

Rohan, I see that the inaugural Sustainability Impact Awards target on Schneider Electric’s partners, this sort of as procedure integrators and design corporations. Why is lover recognition and assistance so critical to world brand names like yours?

Rohan Kelkar, Schneider Electrical

If I get a step back again, we’re seeking to resolve two large problems. The first 1 we all know, which is the race to web zero—a quite difficult challenge that necessitates all of us to operate together. The 2nd problem distinct to our business is close to the reality that we have an in depth ecosystem that we direct in the electrical distribution and sector house. That will involve in excess of a million partners.

The excellent information is we are all on the very same journey. And we are all leveraging each other to genuinely study and push the suitable solutions that assistance with decarbonization. The other fantastic information is above 60% of our associates are previously on this journey, so what we want to do is acknowledge their efforts and understand the wins that we have in our field so collectively we can understand and rejoice and push towards the 1st big challenge, which is to internet zero.

Todd Pruzan, HBR

Rohan, there are two awards categories. A single of them focuses on a partner’s sustainability attempts for their own company, and the other facilities on perform a lover has done to advance sustainability and performance for their customers’ operations. Why these two categories?

Rohan Kelkar, Schneider Electric

It is quite basic. We like to feel of these awards as recognizing partners that are undertaking function in their very own 4 partitions, their possess facilities, driving decarbonization, whether or not it’s by way of supply of electricity era, through use of additional good and sustainable building equipment. And it’s also the companions that are encouraging us push and serving to our mutual prospects and conclusion users generate their attempts towards decarbonization.

The very best instance is IHG—well-recognised InterContinental Motels Group, around 6,000 accommodations. We labored with a associate, Arup, a properly-recognized style and design business. Their knowledge [was] on the passive elements. Our abilities was on the active factors.

We worked jointly. We had an exterior expense marketing consultant identified as Gleeds that came in and manufactured certain the economics produced feeling. And then we deployed the software. As a consequence, IHG is one particular of the prime leaders in decarbonization in their industry, which is a large get for them and also a big acquire for the planet.

Todd Pruzan, HBR

Why must a husband or wife enter to win an award, and can you place the awards system in the context of Schneider Electric’s much larger mission and your strategic system?

Rohan Kelkar, Schneider Electric powered

Guaranteed. I would just say, rather simply just, there’s a few motives. And all those are 3 major explanations. The to start with a single is your workforce.

Millennials, and above 70% of the employees now, are wanting to seek out work at a location that cares about sustainability, so you can draw in the finest expertise. 2nd is your shareholders. [In] above 50% of the corporations, their shareholders, their buyers, are anticipating them to make a dedication and produce that determination in excess of the following coming five to 10 a long time.

And the third 1 is the clients. They’re also expecting to lover, just like we described previously in the ecosystem, with gamers, with companions that themselves are on a sustainability journey, so collectively we can push toward internet zero.

Todd Pruzan, HBR

Well, Rohan, this has been a excellent dialogue. Thank you so considerably for signing up for us these days.

Rohan Kelkar, Schneider Electrical

My enjoyment. Thanks, Todd.

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To master more about the Schneider Electric powered Sustainability Impact Awards, be sure to simply click right here.