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By Marcus Kremb

Marcus serves as Head of Sustainability, USA & Canada, at Enel North America. During his tenure at Enel, Marcus established and led sustainability departments throughout the organization, integrating the company's Creating Shared Value (CSV) sustainability performance model and community relations teams across North American operations. He has worked across the energy value chain and sustainability for more than 20 years.

Climate Week NYC 2023 convened a city-scale expo of innovators, influencers, and leaders working to advance and scale solutions to the climate crisis. Did attendees walk away feeling empowered? How will this year’s “We Can, We Will” theme show up in organizations’ plans, targets, and actions?  Let’s take a closer look. 

Thought leaders and contributors highlighted and reinforced a few consistent topics that put into focus the areas we need to capitalize on to accelerate decarbonization, including: 

• Solution accessibility
• Understanding of Inflation Reduction Act mechanisms
• Net positive business models
• Tackling scope 3 emissions across supply chains
• Investing in the innovation of AI-enabled clean technology.

Working to advance and accelerate these opportunities within your organization may require a re-think and evolution of your strategic partnerships and their critical role in ensuring a just energy transition for all. 

Illustrated by case studies and stories shared by leading companies, I view Enel as part of a broader collective, or ecosystem, with a set of common goals: to tackle the climate crisis, deliver creative solutions, and form innovative partnerships needed to accelerate and scale. The focus on partnerships is particularly critical, as it is undeniable that to change our current trajectory, we must work together. Two great examples include the Circular City Coalition and the Global Alliance for Sustainable Energy.  

We are all witness to an industrial transformation, mobilizing capital – and most importantly, people – needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The good news – this is achievable. Here are some actionable steps organizations should take to get there: 

• Look at your entire supply chain – businesses have an obligation to look across their value chain, and bringing suppliers into the discussion will help achieve carbon reduction targets for Scope 3 emissions.
• It needs all-in support – delivering low-carbon solutions requires internal and external partnerships, with emphasis on inclusive business practices.
• Go beyond the financial transaction – clean energy partnerships that go beyond financial transactions can maximize social impact in local communities; an example is our Creating Shared Value business model.
• Keep a critical eye on your operations – increasing circularity throughout the supply chain requires partnerships built on transparency and innovation.
• Focus on resilience – entering into power purchase agreements (PPAs) and flexibility solutions partnerships helps to bring new renewable energy online and reduce Scope 2 emissions. At the same time, you can embed resilience into your operations with on-site solutions such as solar and battery storage. 
• Think of the energy transition in two ways – we need to implement solutions that have an immediate impact as we build and launch innovative technology for the future.

I’m left feeling optimistic and ready to put these learnings into action.

We can, we will.