Schneider Electric, ranked as the world’s most sustainable company, has partnered with Glencore, one of the world’s largest globally diversified natural resource companies, to transform its copper supply chain and enhance decarbonisation efforts.  

Schneider Electric already collaborates with Glencore and its subsidiary Li-Cycle to recycle lithium-ion batteries and is looking to develop a system for collecting copper and electronic waste.  

The company aims to revamp its supply chain by directly sourcing raw materials from Glencore and distributing them to its European factories through its network of suppliers. 

The partnership, as outlined in an official statement on Friday, involves developing efficient and environmentally friendly procurement standards for capital equipment that support "best practices" in line with Schneider Electric's Zero Carbon initiative. 

Demand for copper is projected to double by 2035 due to the increasing shift toward electrification and clean energy, according to several media reports.  

Balancing this demand with the move towards more sustainable practices presents a significant challenge for the mining industry, which accounts for up to 7% of global CO₂ emissions. Scope 3 emissions – the result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organization – contribute 75–95% of the sector's total carbon emissions. 

Jyothish George, Glencore’s head of copper and cobalt marketing, said: “Schneider Electric is exploring increased use of recycled content in its products, as well as exploring closed-loop solutions that enhance the circularity of their products and supply chains. This collaboration will enable both companies to establish circular supply chains, lowering their respective carbon footprints.” 

The partnership involves creating high-efficiency, low-emission purchasing requirements for equipment that align with Schneider Electric's Zero Carbon initiative's 'best practices.' 

Schneider is developing and implementing power and energy management systems with measurement and analytics capabilities to assist Glencore in more accurately monitoring and reporting energy consumption. 

In addition, Schneider is offering industrial digital transformation services and process electrification consulting services to help Glencore reduce the carbon footprint of its raw material supply.