4. Achieve more with less

Progress on our promise

Electrolux will continue to reduce its environmental footprint by shifting to renewables and optimizing use of energy and other resources across operations.

On track  

Additional effort is required  

Off track  

Work has not yet begun  

How we measure progress

1. Energy efficiency (energy used per unit produced).
2. Water efficiency (water used per unit produced).
3. Share of manufacturing sites with a certified energy management system.

Through ambitious targets and by integrating our goals into the Group’s manufacturing system, we’ve demonstrated real progress in reducing our CO₂ footprint in operations.

Year on year, we have shown that ambitious targets coupled with integrating our thinking into manufacturing processes lessens our CO₂ impact considerably. Average energy consumption per unit produced has decreased by 18% over the last five years, exceeding our 2015 target by three percentage points. The benefits don’t stop there: had we maintained the same energy consumption levels as in 2005, Electrolux would have had to pay SEK 400m per year more in energy costs.

This year, our efforts have focused on investment and further integration into operations and along our supply chain. We have:

1. Implemented our Energy Action Plan, including the formulation of new targets, with 2015 as a baseline. We have committed to a 20% energy reduction by 2020, and a 5% reduction in water consumption per year for manufacturing sites in water-stressed regions.
2. Formulated an investment strategy for energy-efficient equipment and processes.
3. Gathered energy data from 80% of our OEM supplier base. Our ambition is to encourage key suppliers to set their own targets for energy reduction.

The energy management system ISO50001 has been implemented in two sites to date and several are in the process of certification.

The challenges

• ​In the last decade of reducing our energy use, we have prioritized investments with optimal payback time.

As our performance improves, it is becoming increasingly challenging to realize new savings with optimal pay-back times. We are ready to raise our level of ambition in the use renewables; hydro, solar, wind and biomass alternatives. We will also apply the lessons learned from existing onsite renewable installations and explore new projects around the world.

The approach

Energy and water management in operations is coordinated and best practice is shared among manufacturing sites through our Green Spirit program. We have both relative and absolute targets for energy consumption. Action plans include energy management, technological investments and employee awareness raising and behavioral change. Each facility reports energy and water consumption data monthly, and this data is aggregated on a regional and global level. Performance indicators for the Group are followed up on a monthly basis.

All Electrolux sites are evaluated annually against criteria that include energy performance and -management as well as implemented actions and are thereafter rated on a scale of zero to three. Criteria for achieving Green Spirit certification are raised every year.