KOUTOUA Claude
Chairman of the E-QHSE Commission at the CGECI
QUESTION 1 :
Energy Efficiency is a priority when it comes to reducing green- house gas emissions and streamli- ning energy costs: Do you think that Ivorian leaders will be cogni- zant of the crucial importance of Energy Efficiency??
Energy Efficiency is a significant topic for any manager and for any company wishing to more competi- tive. It is an important resource available in our companies that ought to be further exploited. Energy is indeed a major cost item (it represents a substantial part of the cost price).
Thus, it is incumbent on our companies to preserve energy resources and mitigate impacts through rational use of energy, thereby limiting the effects of climate change. It must be understood that excessive utiliza- tion of natural resources is harmful to our planet, especially that fossil energy is a scarce and finite commodity.
Energy efficiency actions have a significant bearing on all our companies. It is our companies’ obligation to pursue operations aimed at reducing the losses or wastage from various industrial processes, equipment, buildings and transport properly.
The aim is to reduce the energy bill and supply the market and customers with very competitive products and/or services and enhance enterprise performance.
The resulting savings will also make it possible to delay the setting-up of an additional production unit.
This is clearly an opportunity to be seized and a commitment to the company’s sustainable develop- ment.
QUESTION 2 :
In your opinion, what concrete energy saving levers can be most adapted to the Ivorian economic reality?
Energy efficiency is one of the key drivers for controlling costs, main- taining company margins and competitiveness both in Côte d’Ivoire and globally. Energy efficiency provides an opportunity for companies to reconcile the environmental imperatives of reducing greenhouse gas emis- sions with growing energy needs. It also addresses the challenges of competitiveness and reducing energy and environmental costs connected with global warming.
Improving our energy performance requires us to work on:
- developing eco-friendly gestures (awareness raising, training) to influence the behaviour of all stakeholders,the comprehensive optimization of system performance (implementation of energy management systems, performance of energy audits, strengthening of measure- ment and metering),
- improving the performance of equipment or industrial
QUESTION 3 :
In most energy related topics, the focus is often on North-South collaboration: do you believe that there are promising avenues to be explored in South-South collabo- ration in the area of energy efficiency??
While it is indisputable that North-South cooperation is essen- tial, South-South cooperation should not be excluded, as it provi- des an opportunity to develop good practices and feedback in the area of energy. It is therefore necessary to exclude no one if we are to benefit from the expertise of the international community and make headway.
The benchmarking activities that we have to undertake must be used to facilitate the adaptation of tools, guides and methodologies for the benefit of companies.
South-South Cooperation provides a framework that should be built and further developed. It should be based on the sharing of knowledge, skills, expertise, resources and technology transfers needed to achieve the objectives of the parties.
By KOUTOUA Claude, Chairman of the E-QHSE Commission at the CGECI
