GE Renewable Energy's Sustainability Advancements

ENGIE Impact sat down with Danielle Merfeld, Chief Technology Officer of GE Renewable Energy during Climate Week 2019 to discuss the recent GE sustainability announcement.

Transcript Edited for Clarity

ENGIE Impact: One of the things I was really struck by is that you have gone big this year! You have come out with a major announcement and you're looking to move quickly, why is that?

Danielle: I would say that is probably the story of our brand. GE Renewable Energy was pulled together from across GE in 2015, and in such a rapidly moving industry where innovation and the markets are changing so fast, we must move fast. When we decided that we needed to showcase how we are walking the talk with sustainability for our customers and for our employees, we decided to just go big.

ENGIE Impact: When you think about what's motivated this, there are all kinds of factors. The Secretary General has asked businesses to step up because there's a perception that countries are not doing enough. In addition, there are your stakeholders, your employees and your customers. When you think about that dynamic, what has been the prime motivator for you?

Danielle: Our mission is very clear as a business. We are focused on creating affordable, reliable and sustainable energy, in that order. We are focusing on reducing the cost of electricity through our product innovations. We have a grid solutions business that supports more than 90% of the world's utilities. It won't help the world if we're making all these great solutions but we're adding carbon to the climate. We just needed to round out our full mission and satisfy the needs of the world.

ENGIE Impact: Even though your products themselves help all kinds of other organizations become sustainable, you're now really focused on your own operations and the way that you walk the talk.

Danielle: Absolutely!

ENGIE Impact: What's been the response to your announcement?

Danielle: It has been incredibly positive and supportive. Our employees are excited about not just the mission of creating these great products but operating in a way that is sustainable. We've got customers reaching out to us as well as our supplier network. Everybody feels like they are a part of it. We want everyone to feel like they own it because the main goal long-term isn't just to make an impact ourselves, but to share our learnings, bring others with us, and help create more momentum for the change that needs to happen.

ENGIE Impact: Fantastic! Regarding the announcement, you've got less than 18 months, how do you feel?

Danielle: I think if we knew how to do this before we leaped into it, it would be too late. There is some sense of how to make this happen, but we are confident. We have one trick up our sleeve and that's the fact that one of our core businesses, LM Wind Power, went carbon neutral last year. They paved the way and created a ten-step process, so we're really feeling a lot more comfortable following in the footsteps of a core part of our business.

ENGIE Impact: Great! Best of luck to you.