Make Money, Make it Ethically, Make a Difference: Three Examples from GE’s 2010 Citizenship Report

GE released its seventh annual Citizenship Report today, focused on “Sustainable Growth.” The report outlines the company’s wide-ranging efforts to address key global challenges, from struggling cities to water scarcity, from financial volatility to chronic disease, among several others. GE’s two primary global citizenship themes are “Energy and Climate Change” and “Sustainable Healthcare.”

For much more on those efforts, be sure to check out GE’s comprehensive citizenship website. The site includes reams of data, like metrics for GE’s Ecomagination commitment, and a detailed breakdown by region and country of progress by GE’s suppliers in meeting citizenship expectations. Here are just three examples of how GE is doing well by doing good:

1. Using Less and Doing More with Rare Earth Minerals: Rhenium is a rare and semi-precious metal that is used as an alloying element in the aerospace industry, allowing jet engines to reach higher temperatures required in flight. But it’s also incredibly rare, mined primarily in the U.S., Chile and Kazakhstan, and its extraction leads to environmental consequences associated with mining and material disposal. GE’s program to reduce its reliance on rhenium combines new component design, developing advanced manufacturing techniques and boosting recycling and reuse of unserviceable engine parts. The result will be lower costs and better outcomes

To continue reading this article about the GE citizenship report, click here.    About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is an advanced technology, services and finance company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. Dedicated to innovation in energy, health, transportation and infrastructure, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.
 
Citizenship at GE is more than a program or a set of good intentions - it is a full-time commitment built upon cultural behaviors and actions. These actions are integrated with business strategy and have defined goals, strategies and metrics that make it actionable and accountable.
 
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