Change is happening faster than ever before. At Electrolux, our sustainability strategy is designed to meet that challenge. We want to be clear about our place in the new world that’s emerging. We want our business to stand for positive change, and that our strategies, products and services are in tune with this.
Proving that we are operating our business with the lowest possible environmental impact is our ticket to being a credible voice in the sustainability debate. Demonstrating that our company can make a positive difference in people’s lives and for our planet is how we can help drive the conversation.
We hit a milestone last year. Electrolux achieved its 28% energy reduction target for operations a year ahead of schedule. In fact, we exceeded our goal by 8 percentage points, consuming 36% less energy than 2005 and emitting 230,000 tons less carbon dioxide. This achievement also underlines the value sustainability work brings our business. In the process, Electrolux saved more than SEK 300m in energy costs this year compared to 2005.
We are proud of this achievement. Yet we know that we can’t only focus on minimizing our negative impacts. We have to up our efforts on enhancing the positive things that Electrolux can do for people and the planet.
Through our ingenuity and innovation, we have an opportunity to develop smarter, more accessible, resource-efficient solutions that meet people’s needs and improve their lives.
But what does this mean for us in practice? It means taking on the challenge of innovating successful green products across all categories, segments and markets. It means state-of-the-art operations and work practices, and great community relations. It means not stopping at one target; but continually going back to the drawing board to set ambitious new ones.
That’s what we’re busy doing this year. We are setting goals to lower energy, water and chemicals across all major product categories and enhance efficiency in our operations. And to keep up momentum in energy savings, we’ve set a 3.5% interim one-year goal while we gauge the investment necessary to deliver further improvement and new reduction targets out to 2015.
As part of our 2015 Group goals, we’re increasing investment in developing advanced technology by 20%, to innovate products for energy- and water-efficiency and design-for-recycling.
Since our biggest environmental impact happens when our products are in use, we can’t make a really big difference by ourselves: we have to work with others – consumers, customers, scientists, governments, etc. That’s where you come in.
P.S.: Check out our latest sustainability report, especially our GRI reporting, to find out more on our progress.
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In what ways do you think Electrolux can contribute to positive change?
