Our Sustainability Goals

2020 Sustainability Goals

Every five years we establish quantifiable environmental and safety goals. Developed in collaboration with our business units, reviewed and approved by our senior management and Board of Directors, our goals are focused on areas where we can make meaningful improvements and inspire our employees to build on our more than 20-year EH&S legacy. Our goals measure progress in absolute terms against a baseline year and are not adjusted for organic increases or decreases in production. Since 2006, we have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 44% and our water consumption by 43%.

2020 Sustainability Goals

Our Progress to Date

We continuously work to implement sustainable solutions in the design of our products and in our operations, and encourage suppliers, customers and employees to achieve ever greater sustainable outcomes. Learn about our factory goals and performance below.

Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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2020 GOAL 15%

CURRENT PROGRESS: 15%

Our commitment to reduce energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is informed by climate change science, the regulatory landscape and our experience in implementing targeted programs across our global manufacturing facilities. Since 2006, we have set an annual expectation that our operations achieve a 3% absolute reduction in their GHG emissions. This goal is consistent with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidance on the annual GHG emissions reductions necessary to limit average global atmospheric temperature increases to a maximum of 2°C by 2100. Based on our experience and organizational footprint, efficiency improvements in Carrier’s use of energy represent the greatest opportunity for us to reduce our GHG emissions.

Reduce Water Consumption

Reduce water consumption chart

2020 GOAL 25%

CURRENT PROGRESS: 34%

Like other companies, Carrier faces increasing global water supply risks due to localized and recurrent drought, competition for water in water constrained water sheds, climate change and municipal infrastructure limitations. Reducing our water use decreases the potential for business disruption while helping to protect scarce resources. Shortages can be brought on by unplanned weather-related issues, excessive cost and competition for limited, community water supplies or regulatory restrictions that restrict access in water-vulnerable jurisdictions. Our 2020 goal commits us to reduce our water use by 25%, compared to 2015 baseline levels. We report on our water risk management and conservation program progress annually through the CDP.

Implement Water Best Management Practices

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2020 GOAL 100%

CURRENT PROGRESS: 83%

For 2020, we also introduced a new goal targeting the implementation of water best management practices (BMPs) at our manufacturing facilities, including a water balance and leak detection program. We established site-specific goals that align with a site’s size and its water scarcity category and that require the implementation of up to eight additional BMPs.

Reduce Hazardous Waste Generation

Reduce water consumption chart

2020 GOAL 10%

CURRENT PROGRESS: 21%

Hazardous waste represents less than 10% of our total waste volume and poses the greatest potential risk to the environment. The risks also extend to the required regulatory compliance and the overall cost of managing waste reduction. To ensure the appropriate focus, our 2020 goal requires each business unit, regardless of its growth, to reduce its generation of hazardous waste by 2% per year when compared to our 2015 baseline level.

Increase Waste Recycling Rate

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2020 GOAL 90%

CURRENT PROGRESS: 94%

More than 90% of the waste we generate each year is non-hazardous and includes commodities such as metal, wood, paper and glass. Our 2020 goal aims for 90% recycling of industrial waste across our factories and operations. This goal is the latest iteration of our historic commitment to recycling, which was first quantified in a formal target in 2006. Note: The baseline for this goal was originally established for all of United Technologies and its business units, which included Carrier until Q2 2020. As an individual unit, Carrier has been recycling above this rate since 2015.

Eliminate Use of Chlorinated and Brominated Solvents

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2020 GOAL 100%

CURRENT PROGRESS: 88%

Between 2006 and 2015 we reduced our use of more than 75 targeted chemicals, including volatile organic compounds, by 70% or more. In 2015, we set a 2020 goal to focus on a handful of the original chemicals that still remained in use, and that represented a significant risk to worker safety and air emissions stewardship. Our 2020 goal targets the elimination of air emissions from the use of eight specific chlorinated or brominated solvent chemicals if used above a level greater than 100 pounds per year.

Reduce Ergonomic Risk

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2020 GOAL 50%

CURRENT PROGRESS: 62%

Ergonomic hazards represent the biggest risk of injury for Carrier’s employees. We know we can reduce future injury by eliminating these risks. Our goal is to reduce ergonomic risks assessed at high or medium by 50% by 2020, as measured by a formal ergonomic risk assessment.

Reduce Workers’ Exposure to Hazardous Substances

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2020 GOAL 100%

CURRENT PROGRESS: 90%

Our 2020 hazardous substance goal builds on the significant progress we’ve made in reducing employee workplace hazards. Recent efforts enabled us to reduce exposures to chemicals and noise for approximately 80% of our employees to levels which do not require the use of personal protective equipment. In 2015, we expanded the program to reduce potential employee exposures to chemicals that are carcinogens, reproductive toxins and endocrine disruptors (CREs) to levels below regulatory requirements. Our goal is to reduce hazardous substance exposure levels to less than 50% of occupational exposure levels* or to a qualitative exposure assessment score of moderate or below.

Occupational Exposure Limits (OEL) are defined as the lowest of the following: the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Values, or manufacturer recommended or regulatory exposure limit for chemical, physical and biological agents. Note that the implementation of workplace control measures (substitution, engineering controls or administrative controls) is required in situations where exposures exceed the OEL. Respiratory protection is provided to ensure 100% of employee exposures are below the OEL where engineering controls and administrative controls have not achieved the desired reductions.