Ericsson has published its 22nd Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Report, stating that it is on track to reduce its carbon footprint by 30 percent of CO2e per employee by 2017, with a 10 percent reduction achieved in 2014.
During 2014, Ericsson enhanced portfolio and operational efforts to reduce environmental impacts associated with energy consumption. To help reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, the company shifted more of its product transport from air to ground, resulting in a 25,000 metric ton reduction of CO2e. While emissions from business travel were up about 8 percent per employee in 2014 compared to 2013, they have declined 10 percent per employee compared to the 2011 baseline. To reduce the carbon impact of travel even further, Ericsson is increasingly using videoconference tools as a substitute for travel. Fleet vehicle emissions increased 3 percent in 2014. Ericsson is purchasing more efficient vehicles to help bring this number down.
The company’s total direct and indirect CO2e emissions were 766,000 metric tons in 2014 versus 829,000 metric tons in 2013 — a 7.6 percent decrease. Since 2010, the company has decreased total direct and indirect emissions by 22 percent.
To help reduce facility energy use, Ericsson is making its buildings more energy efficient by implementing gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building requirements.
While product take-back and recycling of e-waste increased 60 percent from 9,872 metric tons in 2013 to 15,862 metric tons in 2014, global collection levels were below the 2014 target commitment level of 17 percent take-back, particularly in non-legislated markets. Ericsson explained that the target may have been overly optimistic and has revised the target for 2015 to a 9 percent global take-back average.
Ericsson increased the amount of production and office waste that is recycled from 6,025 metric tons in 2013 to 8,180 metric tons in 2014 — a 36 percent jump. Production and office waste to landfill was consistent from 2013 to 2014, but hazardous waste dropped 67 percent from 150 metric tons in 2013 to 49 metric tons in 2014.
