"Green Transformation": A bridge of cooperation spanning more than 7,000 kilometers
In November 2023, when attending the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Astrid Fries, Vice President of Grundfos, heard the most discussed topic on "green transition".
A few days ago, a reporter from China Environment News came to the multinational pump manufacturer headquartered in Denmark and learned that the group not only participated in the CIIE for six consecutive years, but also was a supplier of venue equipment.
"China's market is diverse and huge." Astrid Freese told reporters that the "dual carbon" goal proposed by the Chinese government coincides with the group's "sustainable development" value concept.
Newhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo by Niu Qiupeng
Thomas Schroeder, Grundfos Group Climate Director, said that in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the Group has developed a climate transition action plan, and last year established a Sustainability Committee, with a total of nine core members, representing different functional departments and business units, to coordinate and update the Group's sustainability agenda.
"Sustainability is at the heart of all our businesses and underpins everything we do." Thomas Schroeder said.
The reporter learned that this sustainable development committee will regularly investigate the operation of factories around the world and explore more opportunities to optimize energy data. The key performance indicators for the climate transition are also related to the remuneration package of management.
According to statistics, in order to promote the decarbonization of the entire value chain, the group invested an additional 134 million Danish kroner (about 14.1 billion yuan) in climate transition last year, which was used to improve the energy efficiency of its own operations, improve the energy efficiency of its products and innovative digital solutions, and expand sustainable development partnerships.
With 99% of carbon emissions coming from the use of the Group's products and only 1% from its own operations, the Group has made significant efforts to innovate and sell energy-efficient products to improve the energy and water efficiency of its customers.
In 2023, the Group will reduce its CO2 emissions by 9% year-on-year and water consumption by 7% year-on-year, on the premise that full-year sales will increase by 4.2% year-on-year.
"We're actually reducing carbon emissions more than the country needs to reduce." Thomas Schroeder said.
This is also confirmed by the latest statistics released by the Danish Energy Agency, which shows that in 2023, the CO2 emissions from Danish energy consumption will be 4.8% lower than the previous year, and the overall energy consumption will be 1.1% less than the previous year.
Grundfos Group's pump plant area. Photo by Niu Qiupeng
During the research and interview in Denmark, the reporter felt that Denmark is not a country with innate advantages in the development of clean energy in terms of resource endowment. However, with its abundant wind resources, Denmark has become a well-deserved wind energy kingdom.
In 2023, Denmark's national renewable energy consumption increased by 1.6%, and 63% of total electricity consumption came from wind and solar.
Danish companies are at the forefront of green transition and sustainable development solutions. Finn Mortensen, executive director of Green Nation, told reporters that green technology exports already account for 10% of Denmark's exports.
"Of the 175 delegations last year, 33 were from China, and they focused on water treatment, energy efficiency, district heating and livable cities." Fein Mortensen said.
In 2023, China and Denmark launched a new bilateral green work programme, focusing on close cooperation between the two countries in the fields of climate, energy and environment.
In late March this year, Grundfos Changshu officially opened its high-end manufacturing plant in Changshu, Jiangsu Province, which is also Denmark's largest overseas single investment project in the past 10 years.
The production line of this "super factory" is designed according to green and low-carbon standards, photovoltaic power generation covers about 50% of electricity demand, and a new wastewater recycling system is built to significantly reduce water consumption and pollution, and is committed to meeting Industry 4.0 standards, achieving maximum energy recovery and helping enterprises to green transformation.
The issue of building energy efficiency is a key challenge for the global green transition.
"Our buildings are actively shaded during the summer months, reducing the use of air conditioning. Thermal insulation is used during the coldest part of the winter to ensure heat inside the building. Thomas Schroeder introduced that not only the production line, but also the Changshu factory will monitor the indoor air quality, and at the same time, natural light will be allowed to enter the building as much as possible to ensure a more suitable working environment.
"Against the backdrop of a slowdown in the global economy, China remains attractive. Here, the innovation momentum of enterprises can be stimulated, and the emerging new fields such as the renovation of existing buildings and the energy-saving transformation of the automobile manufacturing industry also let us see the diversity and potential of the Chinese market. Astrid Freese said.
