Celebrating World Environment Day – Today and Every Day
Today marks the United Nations’ 43rd World Environment Day – a global awareness day intended to encourage people to reconnect with nature and remind us why keeping our planet healthy is so important. It’s a day to encourage action for environmental protection, something that remains top of mind for Ingersoll Rand as we seek to reduce the environmental impacts of our operations and product portfolio.
In fact, we reported progress against our Climate Commitment just last month, announcing advancement toward our climate goals and further demonstrating our dedication toward environmental and climate action. Through our Climate Commitment, we've avoided approximately 6.7 million metric tons of CO2e – equivalent to the energy use of 700,000 homes in one year – and reduced the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of our operations by 23 percent compared to a 2013 baseline.
As part of our Commitment, we pledged to:
- A 50 percent reduction in direct GHG potential of our products by 2020, and incorporating alternatives with lower global warming potential across the company’s product portfolio by 2030; and
- A $500M investment in product-related research and development over the next five years to fund the long-term reduction of GHG emissions
- A 35 percent reduction in GHG footprint of our own operations by 2020;
Our Climate Commitment is deeply entrenched within our company culture and enables an employee mindset where preserving the environment is top of mind for everyone, every day. Beyond our company culture, the commitment works across our entire value stream as a comprehensive approach to reducing our operating footprint.
Beyond World Environment Day, bringing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into collaborative industry efforts also keeps the goal of a healthy planet at the forefront. By focusing on our own company climate goals, as well as global initiatives such as the SDGs, we are helping foster a sustainable future, driven by an inclusive, engaging workplace that connects our employees to the company’s purpose and sustainability initiatives.
Today serves as an opportunity to remind ourselves of these goals and celebrate the steps we’ve already taken to improve the health of our planet, as well as encourage us to continue onward and promote environmental protection every day.
What are you doing to celebrate #WorldEnvironmentDay this year? Share your story on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn using the #WorldEnvironmentDay or #WithNature hashtags today.
