What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

Our legal team has been extensively involved in facilitating significant contracts that would benefit our clients’ aspirations in the energy transition through ENGIE’s low-carbon services. We are committed to accelerating the transition towards a carbon-neutral world through the work we do.

A major area of focus is our support for the execution of long-term contracts aimed at helping our clients transition to clean energy and achieve energy savings. We have been actively involved in projects such as energy efficiency performance projects, wherein we guarantee the energy efficiency of our clients’ technical systems, resulting in reduced electricity consumption over the contract term. Further, we have green power projects, where our company builds, owns, and operates solar energy facilities to supply green energy to our clients.

As part of the ENGIE group, our team takes pride in assisting our clients decarbonise their operations, geared towards accelerating the carbon-neutral transition. This is particularly meaningful given that the Philippines, as an island country, is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. We thus dedicate ourselves to driving positive change towards a more sustainable future.

Why are in-house lawyers well-placed to drive change in their organisations?

In-house lawyers play a crucial role in driving change within organisations due to our unique position as business partners. At ENGIE, we believe that legal should be integrated into the decision-making process from the early stages of business and project development, working alongside other functions. By being involved in these discussions, we can effectively identify and propose ways to manage project risks. We ensure completion of ethics and human rights checks before any investment decision. This enables us to raise and address matters of significance, including environmental concerns and respect for workers’ rights, not only for the company’s benefit but also for our society.

Understanding the legal landscape, lawyers can proactively give guidance to protect the company’s reputation and promote responsible business. Moreover, lawyers may have a broader perspective to advocate for considerations that go beyond immediate financial gains. We can champion sustainability, ethics, and social responsibility, ensuring that our organisations prioritise long-term success while maintaining a positive impact on the world around us.

At ENGIE, I believe that the legal team plays a material role in bringing such impact, continuously promoting collaboration, ethical practices, and social consciousness.

If existent, can you talk about you or your company’s efforts on renewability, sustainability or other environmentally friendly activities?

ENGIE is deeply committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship. We had recently announced our ambitious goal to achieve net zero carbon by 2045 across all three scopes. In the Philippines, we are actively working on contributing to the renewable energy project mix, and providing energy solutions that support our customers’ decarbonisation initiatives.

Our projects are both diverse and fascinating. We have dedicated projects tailored to the specific needs of commercial, industrial, and real estate customers. In these cases, we thoroughly analyse their energy consumption patterns and retrofit, own, operate, and maintain air-conditioning or compressed air systems to ensure a guaranteed level of energy efficiency. We also develop solar rooftop systems and other technical facilities for our clients’ green energy consumption, as well as large-scale wind and solar projects, exceeding 100MW in capacity.

At ENGIE, we believe that our role extends far beyond legal considerations. We immerse ourselves in understanding the operational complexities of our industry to provide relevant counsel. By actively participating in sustainability initiatives and embracing environmentally friendly practices, the work we do contributes to a greener future for all. This, for sure, makes our work both challenging and incredibly rewarding.