APC 2005 Annual Report Download - page 62

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A dedicated organization
James Ross, a member of the Board of Directors and
of the Board’s Audit Committee, has been assigned on
behalf of the Board to develop specific expertise in the
area of sustainable development.
The Company also has a Sustainable Develop-
ment Department with thirty team members, a sus-
tainable development council that sets strategic objec-
tives for sustainable development improvement plans,
and a sustainable development committee, which
brings together representatives from the functional
and operating divisions to oversee plan deployment
and consistency.
An environmental council and committees dedicated
to diversity, health and safety, and local development
were set up in 2005.
Energy efficiency:
a critical part of our sustainable
development approach
In today’s world, saving energy and preserving natural
resources have become major challenges given the
growing scarcity of fossil fuel sources, steadily rising
raw material prices and the need to protect the envi-
ronment.
C
onsumers, businesses and communities can all reduce
consumption, make their installations more energy
efficient and reduce scrap by improving production
quality. Rising demand for systems and services to
enhance energy management and process control
reflect these concerns.
Similar trends are apparent among electricity, water,
oil and gas operators, who are on the lookout for
increasingly efficient systems to manage production,
transport and distribution. New distribution solutions
are also needed for renewable energies.
We address all these needs by offering advanced
technological solutions and innovative payment meth-
ods through TAC and other specialized subsidiaries.
Two of our products won awards in 2005, demonstrat-
ing the effectiveness of our consumption management
strategy:
PowerLogic, which delivers substantial energy sav-
ings in the buildings and commercial sectors, was
selected Building Services Product of the Year at the
Electrical Industry Awards 2005 in the United King-
dom.
Lubio, which can reduce public lighting energy use
by up to 30% and extend street lamp life by 30% to
50%, won the innovation prize at a gathering of
France’s mayors and local community representatives.
A research and development avenue
To prepare the solutions of tomorrow, we are focusing
our research on such topics as energy efficiency,
speed drives, energy metering and lighting manage-
ment. In medium voltage, we are doing work on sen-
sors and software to give devices advanced diagnos-
tic functions. Our teams are also designing new elec-
trical distribution products to feed energy from solar
power, micro-turbines, wind farms or fuel cells into the
power grid. In 2005, we played an active role in setting
up the Minalogic industrial cluster in France, which
pools research and cooperation among manufactur-
ers, research centers and training organizations in the
area of nanoelectronics and embedded intelligence.
Smart energy management is one of the applications
for these technologies. We are also involved in the
Enerrdis industrial cluster, dedicated to renewable
energies.
A responsible
corporate citizen
In devising our strategy, we constantly include
improvement targets for economic, social and environ-
mental performance and set up indicators to measure
our achievements objectively, as well as areas for fur-
ther progress.
Environmental performance
We fully assume our environmental responsibility at all
levels of our business by participating in the definition
of new regulations and applying them early, by making
our sites more energy efficient, by promoting eco-
design, and by raising our employees’ and partners’
environmental awareness.
An ambitious program
The European Restriction of Hazardous Substances
(RoHS) directive, which will come into effect on July 1,
2006, bans lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent
chromium and brominated flame retardants in certain
electrical and electronic equipment – primarily house-
hold goods–sold in Europe.
The directive affects only a small portion of our lineup
directly, but it impacts a larger share indirectly. This is
the case for equipment integrated in finished products
covered by RoHS.
We have gone far beyond the directive’s require-
ments and decided to stop using these substances
all together.
We intend to:
Bring into compliance products directly concerned
or frequently integrated in targeted equipment by July
2006.
Help contractors, OEMs and distributors fulfill the
directive’s obligations.
Work with suppliers to identify substitute compo-
nents and materials that meet quality and perform-
ance requirements.
Participate in discussions to promote a shared vision
of the directive and offer implementation guides.