MILWAUKEE, Jan. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A. O. Smith
Corporation (NYSE: AOS) today announced the release of its
2020 Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Report, which
documents the company's environmental, social and governance
activities and performance over the past two years. The 2020
report details the positive impact of A. O. Smith's highly
efficient products, highlights the company's commitment to its
employees and communities in which it operates and announces its
first greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction goal of 10% by
2025.
"We are proud to share the positive impact A. O. Smith is having
in the areas of efficiency, energy and water conservation and
sustainability, and the forward movement we have made over the past
two years to reduce our contribution to global carbon emissions,"
said Kevin Wheeler, chairman and
chief executive officer. "The strength of our company and ability
to meet these goals are dependent on our employees who live our
values and identify opportunities to improve our processes, deliver
outstanding performance and bring innovative, high efficiency
products to market."
"The adoption of our first GHG emissions reduction goal is an
important step for A. O. Smith to help further advance our
innovation efforts as we work to mitigate the impact we have on the
environment and be good stewards of the resources we use in our
operations," said Patricia Ackerman,
senior vice president, investor relations, treasurer and corporate
responsibility & sustainability. "The goal was developed
through a strategic initiative to identify opportunities to further
reduce and conserve water, natural gas and electricity consumption
and associated GHG emissions. This is a journey for the A. O. Smith
organization, and we recognize and are committed to the work to be
done to achieve our goals in the coming years."
The report describes achievements in five key areas: creating
innovative, customer-centric and efficient products; maintaining
strong operational discipline; practicing responsible supply chain
management; being a good place to work; and being an upstanding
corporate citizen.
Below are some of the key report highlights:
- Products with a positive environmental impact represented 28%
of 2019 sales.
- Over 1.2 billion single-use plastic bottles of water were
displaced through the sale of water filtration systems and
replacements in North
America.
- Sales of high-efficiency water heaters and boilers from our
North America business units
offset GHG emissions of 222,790 tons and 289,110 tons,
respectively.
- The 2020 Global Employee Engagement Survey had a participation
rate of 96% with high scores for employee loyalty and
engagement.
- A total of $1.6 million in
donations through the A. O. Smith Foundation's partnerships with
199 nonprofit organizations supported the primary focus areas of
education, human services, art and culture and health.
About A. O. Smith Corporation
A. O. Smith Corporation,
with headquarters in Milwaukee,
Wis., is a global leader applying innovative technology and
energy-efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed
worldwide. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the
company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of residential
and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a
manufacturer of water treatment and air purification products. For
more information visit www.aosmith.com.
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SOURCE A. O. Smith Corporation