ABB Summary

Brief Description of ABB:

As one of the world's leading engineering companies, ABB helps its customers to use electric power efficiently, to increase industrial productivity and to lower environmental impact in a sustainable way. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 120,000 people. ABB is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. For more information on ABB's sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives, please visit www.abb.com/sustainability [1].

ABB is a member of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change Business Environmental Leadership Council, a group of major companies that demonstrate leadership by establishing and meeting greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets; investing in more efficient products, practices and technologies; and supporting domestic and international action to achieve cost-effective emissions reductions. Read the guiding principles [2] of the Business Environmental Leadership Council.

ABB's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target:

Achieved: Reduce energy use (thereby GHG emissions) by 5% percent from 2005 to 2007.
Achieved: Develop Environmental Product Declarations for core products.
Achieved: Reduce CO2 emissions from operations in Switzerland by 50 percent compared to 1990 levels.
Continue to reduce energy use (thereby GHG emissions) through 2009 - new goals are expected to be set 2010.

All Business Environmental Leadership Council Targets [3]

CEO:

Joseph Hogan

What ABB Has to Say About Climate Change:

"ABB shares the concern about global warming and is committed to the pursuit of emission reductions. We support the Kyoto Protocol and other national and international efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions and stablize global temperatures." - ABB Position Statement on Climate Change and Global Warming

Energy Efficiency Initiatives

Success Stories Summary:

In 2006, ABB launched a two-year plan to reduce energy use per manufactured unit by 5 percent. ABB met the target by 2008, and has re-launched the plan in 2009 and aims for more reductions.
At a paper mill in Sweden, ABB redirected waste heat generated during the manufacturing process to heat its machine hall and after-treatment hall. The improvements cost approximately $150,000 and reduced energy use from 1,300 megawatt hours (MWh) /year to 200 MWh/year, corresponding to a payback time of less than two years.
One of ABB’s clients reduced energy consumption by more than 65 percent and achieved annual cost savings of over $20,000 from installing an ABB 37 kilowatt drive on water process pumps at a sewage treatment plant. The payback time was six months from original investment.
ABB facilities in New Berlin, Wisconsin were recognized for environmental protection efforts and recently acquired Green Tier Status from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Buildings summary:

ABB targeted a 15 percent reduction in energy used by the end of 2007 in its Mannheim Headquarters complex. To achieve this goal, ABB took steps to improve insulation including replacing windows and climate-control equipment, installing a revolving door at the entrance and putting in centrally-regulated blinds.

Cross-Cutting summary:

ABB conducts lifecycle analyses on all core products, and considers the environmental impact of both the manufacturing process and the potential for energy efficiency during product operation.

Internal Operations summary:

In 2006, ABB launched a two-year plan to reduce energy use per manufactured unit by 5 percent. ABB met the target by 2008, and has re-launched the plan in 2009 and aims for more reductions.
At a paper mill in Sweden, ABB redirected waste heat generated during the manufacturing process to heat its machine hall and after-treatment hall. The improvements cost approximately $150,000 and reduced energy use from 1,300 megawatt hours (MWh) /year to 200 MWh/year, corresponding to a payback time of less than two years.

Products & Services summary:

ABB conducts lifecycle analyses on all core products, and considers the environmental impact of both the manufacturing process and the potential for energy efficiency during product operation.
One of ABB’s clients reduced energy consumption by more than 65 percent and achieved annual cost savings of over $20,000 from installing an ABB 37 kilowatt drive on water process pumps at a sewage treatment plant. The payback time was six months from original investment.

ABB [4] is a member of the Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC), the largest U.S.-based association of companies dedicated to business and policy solutions to climate change. ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact.

BELC Abstracts

Electricity Abstract:

Industrial Abstract: