Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week – ABB’s Sustainability

November 07, 2024

undefined mins

Anke Hampel, Group Head of Sustainability, outlines ABB’s approach to energy transition and carbon reduction at Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC

In her keynote at Sustainability LIVE: Climate Wek NYC, Anke Hampel, Group Head of Sustainability at ABB, provided a comprehensive overview of the company's approach to supporting a sustainable, resource-efficient future through electrification, energy efficiency and industrial innovation.

With ABB positioned at the centre of the global energy transition, Anke outlined the actions needed to make net zero a reality, sharing insights from ABB’s initiatives and collaborations that contribute to this ambitious goal.

Anke Hampel, Group Head of Sustainability at ABB

ABB’s focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy

Anke highlights the challenges and opportunities ABB faces in supporting the renewable energy transition.

"We are at the heart of energy transition," she says, explaining that ABB is deeply involved in optimising energy systems and electrifying industries to reduce emissions.

Anke stresses that ABB’s solutions aim to support critical renewable energy and storage capacities, which must be tripled by 2030 to meet International Energy Agency (IEA) targets.

A crucial aspect of ABB's role is enhancing energy efficiency. Anke explains that energy efficiency improvements represent one of the best ways to minimise energy use.

Introducing the concept of variable speed drives in motors as a key technology to reduce energy waste, Anke highlights that with only 23% of electrical motors using drives, there is significant potential to improve energy efficiency across industrial applications.

ABB’s role in reducing Scope 3 emissions and the challenge of ‘double counting’

Anke addresses the complexity of ABB's Scope 3 emissions, which encompass emissions across ABB’s value chain, primarily in product use.

For ABB, Scope 3 emissions account for 96% of total emissions, as ABB products (e.g., electric motors) are used by clients worldwide, often in fossil-fuel-dependent contexts. This reliance on customers to reduce emissions makes collaboration essential.

ABB’s emissions strategy relies on partnerships across sectors to decarbonise grids, encourage customer use of renewable energy and ensure that ABB products operate at peak efficiency.

Anke emphasises that double counting, an inherent feature of Scope 3 accounting, is intended to promote collaboration between companies.

“The solutions that are needed to drive decarbonisation will only work in collaboration,” she says.

Anke Hampel, Group Head of Sustainability at ABB

ABB’s approach to innovation and collaboration in decarbonisation

ABB’s commitment to technological innovation underpins its sustainability goals.

Anke discusses ABB’s latest advancements in energy-efficient motors, such as the high-efficiency IE6-class motor and its potential for significant carbon reduction across industries.

She shares a recent example from CERN, where ABB’s audit revealed a 17% efficiency improvement opportunity, leading to the upgrade of more than 600 motors at the European Centre for Nuclear Research.

Anke also explains the importance of regulatory support, mentioning ABB’s engagement with governments to drive changes in sustainability standards, especially in areas like circularity.

She notes that achieving decarbonisation goals would require collaboration with policymakers and adherence to forthcoming protocols, such as the Global Circularity Protocol expected at COP30.

“It’s clear that we’re not going to make it on our own,” she adds, calling for unified action across industries and governments.

Anke Hampel, Group Head of Sustainability at ABB

ABB’s net zero ambitions and measurable progress

Anke shares ABB’s commitment to reaching net zero by 2050, a target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

In 2023, ABB achieved 94% renewable energy in its operations and reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 76%, surpassing its interim goal.

Despite these milestones, Anke explains that ABB's overall emissions may appear to rise due to product demand, which underscores the need for cleaner energy sources in customer operations.

ABB’s achievements have been recognised by third-party ratings, with the company attaining a triple-A rating from MSCI and a place on CDP’s 2023 A-list.

Anke concludes her presentation by reiterating ABB’s commitment to transparency, including the company’s pioneering approach of reporting two different Scope 3 metrics to improve clarity and comparability for stakeholders.