Environmental Sustainability is a Core LG Principle

In celebration of President Obama’s National Day of Service, I had the honor of being invited to Washington, D.C. to participate on behalf of LG Electronics in a CEO Executive Roundtable on environmental sustainability.

Hosted by Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the roundtable discussion provided an opportunity for LG – and senior executives from other leading multi-national companies such as Intel, Ford, GE, Dow and Xerox – to engage in a dialog about our sustainability experiences and results, as well as ways that we all can help spread the word about best practices.

For our readers who share LG’s commitment to the environment, I wanted to highlight my main points prepared for the roundtable.

Sustainability is a core business principle at LG. We design and implement our sustainability principles from a 360-degree perspective – in our supply chain, throughout our own operations, with regard to our energy efficient products, and through our recycling programs.

LG has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our U.S. operations by 50 percent by 2020.  Key to our ability to meet this industry-leading pledge (reducing emissions from 2007 baseline)is our plan for a new “green” headquarters campus in New Jersey, which is designed to achieve at least LEED Gold certification. Engaging employees and changing behaviors also will be very important.

LG has pledged to participate in a broad array of EPA environmental stewardship programs.  In December, we signed a formal agreement with the EPA that covers a variety of initiatives, including:

• Enhancing LG’s leadership in the ENERGY STAR® program by joining the ENERGY STAR Commercial Building Program,
• Expanding our role in the EPA Green Power Partnership Program by increasing its purchase of green power,
• Joining the EPA WasteWise Program to enhance waste prevention programs, recycling practices and sustainable purchasing at all U.S. facilities.
• Incorporating EPA WaterSense technologies in its facilities to conserve water,
• Utilizing the EPA GreenScapes program to support environmentally beneficial landscaping practices that can reduce waste, conserve water and cut energy usage,
• Adopting the EPA Clean Construction USA Program to help reduce emissions from internal combustion engines used in facility construction and operation,
• Implementing environmental best practices in energy management systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
• Achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council.

We are a proud ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year.  In 2012, LG increased U.S. sales of ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances and consumer electronics products by more than 15 percent. We increased the total number of ENERGY STAR qualified models available in the United States from 2011 by more than 140 percent.   We are proud to have been recognized as a leader by ENERGY STAR.

Unlike our competitors, LG supported ENERGY STAR’s new Most Efficient program from the beginning. In 2012, more LG refrigerators and washing machines earned “Most Efficient” than any other brand. And we sold a total of more than 1 million “Most Efficient” products in 2012.

LG pledged to achieve Gold status in the EPA’s Recycling Challenge.Consistent with President Obama’s National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship, LG’s support for the EPA Challenge reflects our already strong leadership in e-waste.  In fact, LG Electronics USA collected and responsibly recycled more than 38 million pounds of unused and unusable electronics in 2012, up from 16 million pounds in 2011.

By joining the Challenge, we’re committing to refurbishing and recycling even more used electronics in 2013 and beyond.  By using third-party certified recyclers, we’re helping to drive the use of environmentally protective practices.

LG believes in the importance of public education campaigns to help spur demand for sustainable products. In 2012, LG reached more than a billion consumers with a nationwide public education and community outreach campaign about ENERGY STAR®, designed to help consumers change behaviors.

Highlights include playing a leading role in the TEAM ENERGY STAR campaign, featuring ENERGY STAR in dozens of ads on LG’s Times Square Billboard, showcasing ENERGY STAR at high-profile consumer events such as NCAA Final Four, conducting aggressive media outreach about ENERGY STAR, and participating in ENERGY STAR social media events.

In addition, we educated more than 265,000 sales associates about LG ENERGY STAR qualified products, including those awarded the Most Efficient 2012 designation.

We still have a lot of work ahead, but LG is committed to being a leader through our environmental initiatives in the United States. We appreciate the strong support of our dealers, business partners and consumers who share our commitment to living better today while working to leave a better planet for future generations.

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Wayne Park

President and CEO of LG Electronics

Wayne Park is President and CEO, LG Electronics USA, Inc., responsible for overseeing all activities for LG’s Home Entertainment, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning & Energy Solutions and Commercial Displays in the United States, as well as serving as LG’s regional representative, overseeing related service and support operations throughout North America. Park, who has been the corporation’s most senior executive in the Western Hemisphere since January 2010, was President and CEO of LG Electronics Korea from 2007-2009, responsible for cultivating the LG brand in the Korean market by developing advanced marketing skills and best practices. In the 1990s, he achieved outstanding performance in the North American market as President of LGE Canada, Vice President of Zenith Electronics LLC and Vice President of LG Electronics USA. Beginning in 2000, when he was appointed Vice President of Digital TV Marketing, he led LG's global digital TV strategy, again with a strong concentration on the United States. He joined LG in 1982 after earning his bachelor’s degree in economics from Seoul University, Korea. Park earned his master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Park has diverse business expertise, such as marketing and sales, corporate strategy, and management.