In their never-ending drive toward global sustainability, Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool Corporation today has announced a global commitment to reach a net zero emissions target in its plants and operations by the year 2030. The commitment will cover more than 30 of Whirlpool Corporation’s manufacturing sites and its large distribution centers around the world, spanning all direct (Scope 1) and power-related (Scope 2) emissions.
Whirlpool Corporation has also committed to a 20-percent reduction in emissions linked to the use of its products across the globe (Scope 3) by 2030, compared to 2016 levels. That target has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative, and builds on the company’s 60-percent reduction in emissions across all scopes since 2005.
Marc Bitzer, Chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation, says, “Whirlpool Corporation has a longstanding commitment to sustainability and we established our first office for sustainability over 50 years ago,” while adding, “Our net zero commitment is an important milestone in our ongoing effort to improve life at home by protecting our planet and communities.”
See more of Bitzer’s comments in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8TWhsd9LRo
Scope 1 and 2 Emissions
Whirlpool Corporation will achieve its target of reaching zero emissions across its plants and operations by 2030 through its ongoing and accelerated sustainability initiatives, including:
- Working towards 100-percent renewable energy usage through a combination of:
- Wind turbine and solar panel installation, building on the company’s record low levels of energy and water usage per appliance built.
- Entry into Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs) and PPAs with energy companies to fund wind and solar farms as the company works to source and generate renewable energy for homes across the world. Whirlpool Corporation broke ground on its first VPPA financed project in Texas in January of 2021. This will cover 50-percent of its Scope 2 emissions in the U.S. and help reduce its overall operations’ carbon footprint by nearly 15-percent.
- Energy efficiency improvements in plants and processes, including installing LEDs and implementing Energy Management Systems in all plants and facilities.
- Leveraging carbon removal development investments to offset any remaining emissions that cannot be avoided.
Whirlpool Corporation is committed to robust transparency through regular updates and detailed disclosure in its annual sustainability report.
Scope 3 Emissions
To combat Scope 3 emissions, Whirlpool Corporation is working to design its products to make them more energy and water efficient. As part of that plan, the company is investing in innovations that automate water levels, utilize cold water settings as default, and help auto-dose detergents to further lower its environmental impacts and save consumers time and money. Through such efforts, Whirlpool Corporation is targeting a reduction in Scope 3 Category 11 emissions by an additional 20-percent over 2016 levels by 2030, building on the 60-percent reduction in the carbon footprint of its products in use since 2005.
Ron Volgewede, Global Sustainability Director for Whirlpool Corporation, says, “We are proud of the commitments we have made today, but we recognize our climate impacts extend beyond our plants and facilities,” noting, “That’s why we are committed to working with our stakeholders to continue to drive improvements across the entire value chain in an ambition to reach net zero across all our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions in the long term.”
As plastics production and end-of-life are a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, Whirlpool Corporation is also taking action to reduce waste material as part of its efforts to tackle climate challenges, including:
- Maximizing its use of materials and minimizing waste to landfill as part of its drive to adopt World Class Manufacturing processes. Whirlpool Corporation is working to achieve zero waste to landfill across all global manufacturing facilities by 2022. Over 70-percent of Whirlpool Corporation’s manufacturing sites are currently zero waste to landfill.
- Increasing the proportion of recycled materials used in products and keeping products out of landfills by refurbishing and reselling them.
- Working directly with its customers to prevent waste materials from going to landfills, by providing free recycling of packaging.
In addition, as a reduction in food waste could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 6- to 8-percent according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Whirlpool Corporation is using its unique position as a kitchen appliance manufacturer to help prevent food waste across the globe. Its efforts include the “Moments Not to Be Wasted” campaign, an educational campaign designed to help raise awareness of food waste amongst families in its Europe, Middle East and Africa Region (EMEA).
To learn more about Whirlpool Corporation’s sustainability commitments, you can visit this link:
https://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/environmental-sustainability/
For more information on how to embrace a sustainable lifestyle in your home, you can visit Whirlpool’s Improving Life at Home hub at this link: https://improvinglifeathome.com/
