Our Sustainability Goals
2020 Sustainability Goals
Our Progress to Date
Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
15% Reduction in GHG Emissions
Reduction in GHG Emissions (Million Metric Tons CO2e)
Our commitment to reduce energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is informed by climate change science, the regulatory landscape and our experience in implementing targeted programs across our global manufacturing facilities. Since 2006, we have set an annual expectation that our operations achieve a 3 percent absolute reduction in their GHG emissions. This goal is consistent with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidance on the annual GHG emissions reductions necessary to limit average global atmospheric temperature increases to a maximum of 2°C by 2100. Based on our experience and organizational footprint, efficiency improvements in United Technologies’ use of energy represent the greatest opportunity for us to reduce our GHG emissions. Since 2010, we have invested $150 million in over 1,200 energy efficiency and GHG reduction projects. This has led to an avoidance of 165,000 metric tons of CO2e from operations.
Case Study: Pratt & Whitney Springdale, Ark.
Reduce Water Consumption
25% Reduction in Water Use
Reduction in Water Use (Billion Gallons)
Case Study: Collins Aerospace Santa Fe Springs, California
Implement Water Best Management Practices
Implement Water Management Best Practices
For 2020, we also introduced a new goal targeting the implementation of water best management practices (BMPs) at our manufacturing facilities, including a water balance and leak detection program. We established site-specific goals that align with a site’s size and its water scarcity category and that require the implementation of up to eight additional BMPs.
Reduce Hazardous Waste Generation
10% Reduction in Hazardous Waste
Reduction in Hazardous Waste (Million Pounds)
Hazardous waste represents less than 10 percent of our total waste volume and poses the greatest potential risk to the environment. The risks also extend to the required regulatory compliance and the overall cost of managing waste reduction. To ensure the appropriate focus, our 2020 goal requires each business unit, regardless of its growth, to reduce its generation of hazardous waste by 2 percent per year when compared to our 2015 baseline level.
Increase Waste Recycling Rate
90% Recycling of Industrial Waste
Recycling of Industrial Waste
More than 90 percent of the waste we generate each year is non-hazardous and includes commodities such as metal, wood, paper and glass. Our 2020 goal aims for 90 percent recycling of industrial waste across our factories and operations. This goal is the latest iteration of our historic commitment to recycling, which was first quantified in a formal target in 2006.
Case Study: Collins Aerospace GOALZERO
Eliminate Use of Chlorinated and Brominated Solvents
100% Reduction in Chlorinated and Brominated Solvent Air Emissions
Reduction in Chlorinated and Brominated Solvent Air Emissions (Thousand Pounds)
Between 2006 and 2015 we reduced our use of more than 75 targeted chemicals, including volatile organic compounds, by 70 percent or more. In 2015, we set a 2020 goal to focus on a handful of the original chemicals that still remained in use, and that represented a significant risk to worker safety and air emissions stewardship. Our 2020 goal targets the elimination of air emissions from the use of eight specific chlorinated or brominated solvent chemicals if used above a level greater than 100 pounds per year.
Reduce Ergonomic Risk
50% Reduction in High and 50% Reduction in Medium Ergonomic Risks
High Ergonomic Risk & Medium Ergonomic Risk
Ergonomic hazards represent the biggest risk of injury for United Technologies’ employees. We know we can reduce future injury by eliminating these risks. Our goal is to reduce ergonomic risks assessed at high or medium by 50 percent by 2020, as measured by a formal ergonomic risk assessment.
Reduce Workers’ Exposure to Hazardous Substances
100% Reduction in Workplace Exposure from Carcinogenic, Reproductive Toxic and
Endrocrine Disruptive Chemicals
Our 2020 hazardous substance goal builds on the significant progress we’ve made in reducing employee workplace hazards. Recent efforts enabled us to reduce exposures to chemicals and noise for approximately 80 percent of our employees to levels which do not require the use of personal protective equipment. In 2015, we expanded the program to reduce potential employee exposures to chemicals that are carcinogens, reproductive toxins and endocrine disruptors (CREs) to levels below regulatory requirements. Our goal is to reduce hazardous substance exposure levels to less than 50 percent of occupational exposure levels* or to a qualitative exposure assessment score of moderate or below.
* Occupational Exposure Limits (OEL) are defined as the lowest of the following: the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Values, or manufacturer recommended or regulatory exposure limit for chemical, physical and biological agents. Note that the implementation of workplace control measures (substitution, engineering controls or administrative controls) is required in situations where exposures exceed the OEL. Respiratory protection is provided to ensure 100% of employee exposures are below the OEL where engineering controls and administrative controls have not achieved the desired reductions.
Level I Mistake Proofing Safety Controls
Level I mistake proofing is a corrective action process designed to eliminate the possibility of health and safety event recurrences. Corrective actions could include the re-engineering of work processes or the introduction of specialized tools to facilitate specific tasks. Our 2020 goal requires an increase in the application of Level I mistake proofing methods to mitigate fatal, serious or lost day incidents.
EH&S Compliance Goals
-
0
enforcement actions for non-compliance -
100%
annual permit and program evaluations -
100%
inspections without enforcement actions -
100%
passing compliance / assurance scores