Sustainability Report 2019

PDF of legal annual report with financial statements.

Download PDF
Sustainability In Brief

PDF version of this site.

Download PDF

Electrolux produces around 60 million household appliances every year that are fundamental for people around the world to live a more sustainable life. At the same time, the company is taking action to reduce the climate impact of these products.

At the 2019 UN General’s Climate Action Summit in New York, Electrolux joined a global movement to pledge net zero emissions throughout its value chain, to help limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

The ‘Business Ambition for 1.5°C’ pledge is organized by the United Nations to encourage business leaders from around the world to commit to science-based targets and net zero emissions by 2050, in line with the most ambitious aim of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels.

Our climate neutral roadmap

“We all have a responsibility for future generations and it’s clear we cannot continue on the path we’re on,” said Jonas Samuelson, Electrolux President and CEO who signed the pledge with other business leaders in New York. A few milestones lie ahead for Electrolux to achieve the target by 2050.

In 2018, Electrolux was one of the first 100 companies in the world to establish approved science-based targets to reduce absolute carbon dioxide emissions from operations by 80% and emissions from products by 25% by 2025 (base year 2015). 

Additionally in 2019, Electrolux announced its commitment to become climate neutral with zero carbon emissions from operations by 2030.

By the end of 2019, we had cut our overall CO2 emissions by 32% compared to 2005 – toward our 50% target by 2020.

“By joining other business leaders in the UN’s pledge, we are committed to net zero emissions throughout our value chain by 2050,“ Samuelson adds. “This will require a rapid de-carbonization of our value chain and our Science Based Targets for 2025 and company target for 2030 are important milestones.” 

Appliances and the global middle class

According to the UN project United4Efficiency, refrigerators are one of the first appliances that families in developing countries buy as they move out of poverty and gain access to electricity.

As the global middle class grows, the use of refrigerators is expected to double from around 1 billion today to nearly two billion by 2030. This will increase energy consumption.

Nearly 75% of the electricity in non-OECD countries comes from fossil fuel power plants. Increased demand for electricity will cause a significant increase in greenhouse gases and air pollution.

Electrolux joined United4Efficiency in 2015 with the aim of reducing the need to build additional power plants and limiting the related climate impact by helping to establish energy efficiency legislation in developing countries. Electrolux contributed to drafting a template of energy efficiency regulation for refrigerators and freezers.

Within the EU there has been an impressive evolution of energy efficiency for refrigerators and freezers since the introduction of the energy label in 1995 and the energy efficiency limits in 1999. In developing countries, however, legislation can be outdated or not enforced, which allows non-energy efficient products to be sold. The new proposed legislation will help avoid this.

Accelerating the phase out of climate gases

Another challenge is the climate impact of certain gases used in appliances such as refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners.

In 2019, Electrolux joined an additional UN initiative - the Cool Coalition - to tackle this issue. At the end of 2019, Electrolux proposed its plan to the UN to accelerate the removal of F-gases from the production of new products and to introduce gases with reduced Global Warming Potential. Submitted in 2020, the plan foresees the replacement of all high-impact greenhouse gases in all Electrolux appliances by 2023 at the latest.

Electrolux

Electrolux is a leading global appliance company that has shaped living for the better for more than 100 years. We reinvent taste, care and wellbeing experiences for millions of people around the world, always striving to be at the forefront of sustainability in society through our solutions and operations. Under our brands, including Electrolux, AEG and Frigidaire, we sell approximately 60 million household products in approximately 120 markets every year. In 2019 Electrolux had sales of SEK 119 billion and employed 49,000 people around the world.

S:t Göransgatan 143

SE-105 45 Stockholm, Sweden

Terms & Conditions 2019