The Rexel Foundation to take part in the Yale Climate Change Dialogue initiative

Rexel Foundation is committed to a bottom-up, multi-stakeholder approach to facilitate a global response to climate change and identify action-oriented solutions.

PARIS, 6-2-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — The Rexel Foundation for a better energy future has joined the Yale Climate Change Dialogue initiative, taking part in one of its key meetings held on January 30, 2015 in New York City with leaders from the world of business, government, and academia.

The Yale Climate Change Dialogue, an initiative driven by the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, aims at delivering action-oriented solutions that have the potential for broad appeal across the world to respond to climate challenges, through a multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary approach. Rexel’s decision to join the Dialogue is fully in line with the company’s partnership driven approach to promoting better access to energy efficiency for all through the work of the Rexel Foundation for a better energy future and as a founding partner of Solutions COP21 (see Notes to Editors).

According to the International Energy Agency, energy efficiency represents the most important plank in efforts to decarbonise the global energy system and achieve the world’s climate objectives.¹

As a leading player in the energy supply chain industry, with over a half-million customers worldwide, including electrical contractors, industrial and services companies, Rexel is in an important strategic position to promote the adoption of innovative and climate-friendly solutions across residential and commercial buildings and industrial markets. Through its Foundation, Rexel has engaged its clients, suppliers as well as its employees at large, in a range of community projects, research grants and knowledge raising initiatives that seek to secure a more sustainable energy future for all.

The Rexel Foundation has been actively involved in the work of the Yale Climate Change Dialogue based around three main ideas in support of the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference taking place in Paris in December this year. These are:

• Engaging Climate Change Leaders Who Can Demonstrate Action: An Energized Agenda through broader Participation
• Strengthening Clean Energy Finance: Reducing Barriers to Investment
• Keeping Score: Capturing Information Age Opportunity to Track Performance and Broaden Accountability

Dan Esty, Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy at Yale University observed: “We initiated the Climate Change Dialogue with a focus on the anticipated new Paris 2015 Climate Change Agreement as a critical opportunity to enhance ongoing efforts and foster ambitious actions. We are delighted to welcome the Rexel Foundation as one of our members. With energy lying at the heart of Rexel’s business model, and leveraging its special role as a catalyst in the downstream electrical industry, Rexel will provide high-value insights on how to make it work.”

Notes to Editors:

This new partnership follows two major initiatives supported by Rexel, with the aim to protecting the environment and fighting climate change:

• Rexel is a founding partner of Solutions COP21. Initiated by Comité 21 and Club France Développement Durable, Solutions COP21 is a coalition of companies, institutions, local authorities, research institutes and associations aimed at promoting practical initiatives and climate change solutions including in the field of energy, mobility and the built environment. Solutions COP21 recently launched the Climate Solutions Hub, an online platform to drive awareness of existing practical solutions that respond to an environmental, societal or economic problem associated with climate disruption. Clean, sustainable and efficient energy and building initiatives are at the forefront of these solutions (www.plateformesolutionsclimat.org).
• Rexel Austria and Rexel Group joined forces in support of Regions for Climate at the R20 Austria & EU conference, in Vienna, and on the Solutions COP21 stand at the World Summit of Regions for Climate, in Paris.

About the Yale Climate Change Dialogue
The Yale Climate Change Dialogue has convened a team of diverse and dynamic thought leaders from around the world to develop a suite of policy options that can facilitate a more robust global response to climate change. Drawing on the expertise of leaders from business, government, and academia, the Dialogue seeks to deliver action-oriented solutions that have the potential for broad appeal across the world and a capacity to bridge existing political divides. While every participant may not sign on to each individual idea of the proposal, they have collectively shaped an agenda and 21st century policy framework that will strengthen the results of the negotiations on climate change over the next 12 months.

About the Rexel Foundation
The Rexel Foundation for a better energy future was founded in May 2013 by the Rexel Group, a global leader in the professional distribution of products and services for the energy world, under the aegis of the Fondation de France. The Rexel Foundation’s mission is to promote access to energy efficiency for all based on three key pillars: to improve understanding and raise awareness of energy efficiency; to encourage innovation through research and education, and to support community projects across the world in partnership with NGOs, social entrepreneurs and other key stakeholders.

About Rexel
Rexel, a global leader in the professional distribution of products and services for the energy world, addresses three main markets – industrial, commercial and residential. The Group supports customers around the globe, wherever they are, to create value and run their businesses better. With a network of some 2,300 branches in 38 countries and c. 30,000 employees, Rexel recorded sales of €13 billion in 2013.

Rexel is listed on the Eurolist market of Euronext Paris (compartment A, ticker RXL, ISIN code FR0010451203). It is included in the following indices: SBF 120, CAC Mid 100, CAC AllTrade, CAC AllShares, FTSE EuroMid, and STOXX600. Rexel is also part of several SRI indices including the DJSI Europe and the FTSE4Good Europe & Global. For more information, visit Rexel’s web site at www.rexel.com

¹“Energy efficiency represents the most important plank in efforts to decarbonise the global energy system and achieve the world’s climate objectives: In the IEA scenario consistent with limiting the long-term increase in global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius, the biggest share of emissions reductions – 40 percent – comes from energy efficiency,” IEA, Energy Technology Perspectives 2014.

PRESS CONTACTS

Pénélope LINAGE +33 1 42 85 76 28 penelope.linage@rexel.com
Karolina ADAMKIEWICZ +33 1 42 85 76 39 karolina.adamkiewicz@rexel.com

Yale University Contact
Jordan Holsinger +1 203-432-5115 jordan.holsinger@yale.edu