Every time we do an article at Automation World about "green" or "sustainability" one comment is always "CEOs want to put a statement about this in their annual reports so that people can see that they are good citizens." Well, here's a case of a company "eating its own dog food" so to speak. Rockwell not only points that out about other companies, it does it itself. Here is a report on its 2008 "Corporate Responsibility Update."
The report reviews how Rockwell Automation customers use sustainable production practices to manage volatile energy costs, scarce raw materials, costly worker's compensation, lost worker productivity, and product liability costs. The report also provides the Rockwell Automation metrics for performance, which included reducing the company's manufacturing carbon footprint and achieving a third consecutive year of exemplary safety efforts.
"Rising prices and shortages of resources, whether of talent, dollars, energy or materials, have rewritten the economics of manufacturing," said Rockwell Automation Chairman and CEO Keith Nosbusch. "The economic downturn has created a new sense of urgency for companies to build trust, operate transparently and reduce risk. Corporate responsibility, with its emphasis on sustainability, is no longer just the right thing to do -- it's a business imperative."
Rockwell Automation helps customers identify opportunities to save money and better protect workers, equipment and the environment. The company offers services and solutions that range from simple efficiency improvements to market-leading control technologies, as well as tools that put a monetary value on sustainable actions and show how they support business goals.
"While regulatory compliance may have been the motivator in the past, today's resource shortages and rising costs require cleaner, safer and more energy-efficient manufacturing," said Nosbusch. "Our Corporate Responsibility Update reinforces how, through our products and services, we help customers meet their sustainability objectives, and demonstrates that we operate by the values of responsibility and sustainability as well."
Rockwell Automation concentrates its energy conservation programs on reducing electricity usage, since electricity is the majority of the company's energy consumption and is 90 percent of its carbon footprint. In 2008, when normalized to sales, the company reduced electricity usage in its 56 manufacturing locations by 9 percent from 2007. Energy-saving efforts in 2008 included:
- A new reflective coating on a large portion of the company's Tecate, Mexico plant's roof reduced the roof temperature nearly 10 degrees and as a result, the amount of heat transferred to the building. Inside, the comfort level was increased while on average the plant uses approximately 12 percent less electricity per month.
- A number of energy-efficient features in the company's new Monterrey, Mexico plant including a white roof, maximized daylighting, skylights and high-tint windows.
Also in 2008, the company joined the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Leaders program. Membership requires Rockwell Automation to expand and redefine its global greenhouse gas reduction efforts both in terms of the number of facilities monitored and the scope of emissions measured. The company then plans to develop new baseline measures to track energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
"Rockwell Automation believes sustainable production practices go beyond environmental issues to include employee and workplace safety," said Majo Thurman, director, Environmental and Safety. "These are stressful times, and technology and processes are more complex. But, with a safe and healthy workforce, productivity increases. When we take better care of our own people, we take better care of our customers."
Rockwell Automation says it outperforms industry peers in efforts to protect employees in 2008. The company saw a significant drop in the number of work-related injuries or illnesses in facilities around the world and for the third consecutive year met all three worldwide safety goals:
- Recordable case rate: 0.86 per 100 employees compared to 1.07 year prior
- Lost work-day case rate: 0.17 per 100 employees compared to 0.25 year prior
- Lost work-day rate: 2.7 per 100 employees compared to 4.7 year prior
Rockwell, one of the few major automation suppliers not part of a larger corporation, has added a new tag line "the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information."
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