Because of reduced revenue and productivity, greenhouse gas emissions intensity rose in 2009 for Johnson Controls. In fact, the firm is estimated to exceed its 2012 GHG intensity target in 2009, after coming in under the target in 2008, according to the firm's 2009 Environmental Leadership report (PDF).
In 2009, Johnson Controls emitted more than 50 metric tons of CO2 equivalents per million dollars in revenue. That's up from less than 45 MT in 2008 (see image).
To reduce internal emissions, the company has been renovating its Milwaukee, Wis., headquarters, at a price tag of $73 million.
The building is being redesigned to LEED Platinum levels, and will use roof-mounted solar thermal panels for hot water production, as well as more than 1,450 ground-mounted solar photovoltaic panels that will generate up to 250 kilowatts of electricity.
The headquarters campus will use geothermal heat pumps to reduce heating/cooling costs by 20 percent or more.
In February, Johnson Controls became one of IBM’s partner companies as the computing giant rolls out its Smarter Buildings program, which aims to reduce energy and water use at corporate buildings. The program, which is an outgrowth of existing efforts between the two to create energy efficient data centers, should work for any building or portfolio of buildings.
2018 Goals
The company has a goal to reduce overall emissions 30 percent by 2018. Also in 2008, Johnson Controls says it already reached the 30 percent reduction in emissions that it had set for 2012. However, the company is estimated to exceed that target in 2009.
In 2008, the company consumed 362 gigajoules of energy per million dollars of revenue.
In the same year, the company says it sent 1.98 metric tons of waste to landfill/incineration per million dollars in revenue. The goal is to cut that figure by 20 percent by 2018.
As for water, the company consumed 86 cubic meters of water per million dollars of revenue. Johnson Controls says it wants to cut water intensity 10 percent by 2018.
