MUNICH, Germany — Siemens aims to be the world’s first major industrial company to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030. The company plans to cut its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions – which currently total about 2.2 million metric tons a year – in half by as early as 2020. To achieve these goals, Siemens will invest some €100 million over the next three years in order to reduce the energy footprint of its production facilities and buildings.
By investing in innovative technologies ‒ such as energy management systems and automation systems for buildings and production processes as well as energy-efficient drive systems for manufacturing ‒ Siemens expects to slash its energy costs by €20 million a year. “Cutting our carbon footprint is not only good corporate citizenship, it’s also good business”, said Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG.
To reduce its CO2 emissions over the long term, the company will also apply three additional levers. First, it will use distributed energy systems at its production facilities and office buildings to optimize energy costs. Second, it will systematically employ low-emission vehicles and e-mobility concepts in its global car fleet. And third, it will move toward a clean power mix by increasingly tapping sources of energy ‒ such as natural gas and wind power ‒ that emit little or no CO2.
Siemens will launch its CO2 reduction program next fiscal year. Under the program, some €40 million will be invested at 15 different manufacturing locations worldwide to improve energy efficiency. Siemens’ new Munich headquarters building ‒ which is to meet the highest standards for environmental friendliness, resource conservation and sustainable construction ‒ will make a major contribution in this regard.
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