We spoke with Sebastian Linko, ABB Motion’s Head of Communications, to find out how the company is advancing their Energy Efficiency Movement with the help of Brandkind.

Fighting climate change with advanced technology

We are all aware of the problems that humans face due to climate change and environmental degradation. Organisations and individuals alike have responsibility for identifying areas where savings can be made to help mitigate these effects. In order to provide a platform for the development of such models, the Energy Efficiency Movement (EEM) was born. “This is not your typical marketing comms campaign,” asserts Linko. “It is not about ABB or our products. It is about the opportunity to make the world a better place, and to mitigate climate change, with the help of advanced technology.”

In the case of Linko and ABB, one aim is to encourage the adoption of these technologies within different industries. For example, although electric motors have been in use for about 150 years, it is in the last decade where particularly significant advances have been made in their design. Because they are used in so many applications and are responsible for such a large part of global energy usage, any improvements in their function will have significant effects. For example, worldwide, buildings account for around 30% of energy consumption and 28% of carbon dioxide emissions, a large part of which – some 70% – is associated with electric motors. The problem is that the motors can be very inefficient, especially when they run at full power but not full loads. Energy is therefore easily wasted. New motor and variable-speed drive technology can dramatically mitigate that waste.

A movement needs multiple stakeholders

Linko points out that increasing energy efficiency is not a novel idea. “The funny thing is that none of this is really new. Some of the guys in, for example, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands have been talking about energy efficiency for years, even decades .” From here, the opportunity arises to spread the word.  “That is a great starting point to launch something like this because there is already passion and commitment and drive in the organization. And then, when you provide a well-prepared platform for people to bring their ideas together, what we see is a lot of engagement.”

…the EEM is indeed a movement, with multiple stakeholders who can all contribute to and benefit from it.

Sebastian Linko, ABB Motion

One of the main emphases of the EEM is the combination of internal and external stakeholders. The aim is to contribute to lowering energy usage around the world. “Internally, the reception has been really positive,” Linko says. “and now, I am also seeing external stakeholders reaching out to us and saying how can we become a part of this. One of the most important elements of the EEM is the idea that it is indeed a movement, with multiple stakeholders who can all contribute to and benefit from it.”

Cooperation and content

Brandkind and Linko have worked closely together on creating a platform and long-term plan for the movement. “I have worked together with Brandkind before EEM, and we stayed in touch in the intervening years. Then, when I wanted to get this movement going, I decided to start a discussion with them,” Linko explains. Brandkind operates as an outsourced project team, responsible for managing content production in cooperation with Linko’s team at ABB. The partnership has gone smoothly. “I have been very happy with things, and I hear the same from our offices around the world. The launch of the movement was implemented as planned and has required very little from me in terms of being part of daily operations,” he says.

ABB’s Energy Efficiency Movement is only one part of the puzzle about how we can reduce the effects of climate change. But it shows how, by adapting novel ways of thinking about communication, and working in partnership, we can indeed make things better.