Schneider Electric’s approach to sustainable business operations
Some companies talk about corporate sustainability while others organise their entire business around it. Schneider Electric falls into the latter.
From creating energy management software to installing EV charging points and assisting other companies in reducing emissions, Schnieder Electric is a one-stop wonder when it comes to sustainable operations.
For this reason, the past two years have seen Schneider Electric named The Most Sustainable Business by Time Magazine, taking the number one spot amongst 500 contenders.
Designing recognition that reflects circular economy values
We’ve worked with Schneider Electric for several years, designing trophies and awards that sit alongside their recognition programmes. Over time, that collaboration has given us a clear picture of why their approach works.
What stands out is the consistency. Big strategic decisions are treated with the same care as smaller ones, right down to the objects used to mark success.
When we design awards for Schneider Electric, the conversation never starts with “how should this look?” but instead starts with “what should this represent?”
Each eco-friendly award includes a material passport, documenting where its components come from and how they’re made. This is a native feature of our trophies, and one that aligns with the values of Schneider Electric.
In the case of trophies we create for Schneider Electric, we take their waste materials and transform them into awards with a deeper purpose than just the achievement they acknowledge – they also embody the circularity that Schneider Electric champions.
Consistency at scale: How tech leaders embed corporate sustainability
Large tech businesses have been working towards their corporate sustainability targets: Google, with its implementation of 100% plastic-free packaging, NVIDIA, achieving 100% renewable energy for its offices, and, more recently, tech communications giant Cisco.
When Cisco announced that its new products were designed to be fully circular, it signaled what’s possible when corporate sustainability is embedded into the design and infrastructure.
What’s happening at companies like Cisco and Schneider Electric matters because when large organisations commit fully (and visibly) to circularity and efficiency, it creates momentum that smaller businesses can build on – as well as providing the blueprint to follow.
It also gives regulators, partners, and suppliers something concrete to respond to. Progress becomes practical instead of theoretical.
In the technology sector, innovation in how products are made, used, and reused is one of the most effective ways to reduce impact without asking people to live differently. The same principle applies to the awards we create. The more similar the functionality to what the user already knows, the easier the adoption.
Schneider Electric and Cisco are trailblazers. They’ve set expectations for other tech firms which in turn will influence supply chains and quietly give permission for others to follow. When large organisations act decisively, the path becomes clearer for entire industries.
This is where real change tends to begin.
Why corporate sustainability leadership creates a ripple effect
We’re seeing a growing number of global organisations turn to Upstream Trophies not just for the sustainability benefits, but because they want awards that feel distinctive and elegant.
This allows businesses to experience how satisfying responsible design can be, without sacrificing brand, quality, or visual impact.
Rethinking recognition through sustainable and circular design
Schneider Electric’s continued success is proof that sustainability doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful – especially when it’s embedded into every layer of a business, from strategy to symbolism.
At Upstream Trophies, we’re proud to play a small but meaningful role in telling stories like Schneider Electric’s. We look forward to helping brands achieve corporate sustainability targets and experience the delight of circular design.
