We sat down for a short chat with Flavia Zimmermann, Sustainability Manager at Siemens Switzerland, one of GreenBuzz’s important yearly partners, to find out about their sustainability journey and the company’s future plans on AI, smart grids and more.
GB: What first prompted Siemens to become a GreenBuzz partner?
Flavia Zimmerman: Our journey towards sustainability and the urgent need for impactful collaborations motivated our partnership with GreenBuzz. Knowing that GreenBuzz connects changemakers to achieve environmental, social, and economic sustainability in business resonated with Siemens’ commitment to these identical values. The synergy between GreenBuzz’s mission and Siemens’ goals for sustainable futures powered by innovation, including AI and smart grid technologies, provided a compelling reason to join forces.
GB: We’ve met up at a few of our events – what has been your favourite so far?
Flavia Zimmerman: It’s genuinely challenging to choose just one, but the event on ‘Sustainable Futures Powered by AI’ stands out. It exemplified the intersection of technology and sustainability, a realm where Siemens is deeply invested. Discussions on employing AI for sustainability challenges provided insightful perspectives that align with our vision of utilizing advanced technologies for good.
GB: How important is sustainability to you personally and Siemens as a company?
Flavia Zimmerman: Personally, sustainability is a core value of mine, guiding both my daily choices and strategic decisions in our corporate context. For Siemens, sustainability is not just an aspiration but a strategic imperative. It’s central to our business ethos and increasingly embedded in our products, processes, and innovations. For instance, our focus on electrification, automation, and digitalization is aimed at making real what matters – creating value for society, our customers, and the environment.
Image: GreenBuzz and Siemens hosted a very well-received event on AI & Sustainability in April 2023.
GB: Tell us about Siemens’ sustainability journey over the years.
Flavia Zimmerman: Siemens’ sustainability journey is a continual process of evolution, innovation, and commitment toward a greener future. Over the years, we’ve significantly shifted towards digitalization and smart technologies, recognizing their power to drive sustainability. Our initiatives range from reducing our own carbon footprint and decoupling of natural resources consumption from economic growth to developing solutions that enable our customers to do the same. Further embedding sustainability into our portfolio, particularly with projects like ‘Sustainable Futures Powered by AI’ and ‘Powering Progress: the Future of Grids,’ underscores our dedication to pioneering sustainable solutions across industries.
GB: What sustainability challenges does your industry need to overcome?
Flavia Zimmerman: Our industry faces numerous sustainability challenges, including the decarbonization of energy systems, the establishment sustainable supply chains, and integrating digital solutions to drive efficiency and become more circular by minimizing waste and reuse materials as well as the development of new business models. Overcoming these challenges requires collaborative innovation and a willingness to invest in long-term solutions that combine technological advancements with ecological and social considerations.
GB: If you could make one change to make the world more sustainable, what would it be?
Flavia Zimmerman: If I could instigate one change, it would be to foster a global mindset shift towards sustainability – seeing it not as a cost but as a critical investment in our collective future. This entails developing and implementing technologies that not only benefit our environment but also drive economic and social prosperity, exemplified by our commitments to creating sustainable futures through AI and advancing the future of smart grids.
Flavia, thank you for your time!
