As the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) ended on Friday, energy management firm, Schneider Electric, has called on governments to strengthen policy support for industrial decarbonisation, warning that existing efforts are insufficient to meet mid-century net-zero targets.

Speaking at the Industry Net Zero Accelerator Initiative organised by the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains of the World Economic Forum, Chief Executive Officer, Schneider Electric, Oliver Blum, argued that industrial decarbonisation is a strategic pathway for addressing climate change, adding that it can also drive corporate profitability and jobs creation. He emphasised the need for stronger collaboration across industries to accelerate energy technology, warning that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and energy systems are now fundamentally linked.

He said: “It is clear we have entered a new era where Artificial Intelligence (AI) and energy are inseparable, and together, they will reshape every business. AI requires compute, and compute requires energy. That is why the world needs greater energy intelligence.”

He noted that businesses worldwide are facing similar challenges and opportunities in managing energy use more efficiently, adding that Schneider Electric aims to support this transition through electrification, automation, and digitalisation.

In her remarks, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General; Chief Executive Officer, United Nations Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), Damilola Ogunbiyi, stressed that decarbonisation is no longer optional but an inevitable economic imperative critical to delivering positive impact in emerging economies.

He urged the government in Africa to develop sustainable policies that will help the implementation of industrial decarbonisation to unlock the economic gains.

She, however, emphasised that Africa and other developing regions, many of which are still industrialising, have a unique opportunity to build clean industries from the start.

At WEF, Schneider Electric and EDP have jointly initiated EDGE Transition, a global accelerator that will empower social entrepreneurs delivering clean, affordable energy solutions and inclusive economic opportunities in underserved communities.

Meanwhile, the company also received global recognition for its work in artificial intelligence and energy innovation. The firm has been named in Cohorts 1 and 2 of MINDS (Meaningful, Intelligent, Novel, Deployable Solutions), a World Economic Forum programme that highlights high-impact, real-world AI applications.

Also, the Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network, which identifies and awards the most advanced operational sites in the world, has awarded Schneider Electric’s Wuhan factory. It is one of only three factories globally to be awarded a distinction for talent, a newly introduced category this year. This recognition marks Schneider Electric’s ninth Lighthouse award. The factory was honoured for pioneering a future-ready, people-centric workforce model that bridges the skills gap and sets a new benchmark for manufacturing resilience.