SAN JOSE, CALIF.—Lumileds, a global leader in innovative lighting solutions, released its 2018 Sustainability Report, which details the company’s progress in supporting the transition to a worldwide low-carbon economy. In the report, Lumileds highlights how its lighting solutions are contributing to positive changes in energy usage, safety, and health and wellness, supporting the company’s commitment to making the world safer, better and more beautiful with light. Lumileds follows a formalized sustainability agenda that identifies specific priorities and tracks progress. For example, in its global LED and automotive lighting operations, the company recently surpassed its 2020 operational goals relative to 2015 including:
- 41 percent reduction in emissions (20 percent goal);
- 25 percent reduction in energy consumption (20 percent goal); and
- 25 percent reduction in water usage (20 percent goal).
The sustainability objectives are based on creating value for customers through sustainable innovations, reducing the environmental footprint of the company’s operations, driving improvements in the supply chain toward compliance with the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and preventing injuries. Lumileds has aligned its sustainability efforts with external frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and identified four SDGs to which it can make the most significant contribution: climate action, good health and well-being, affordable and clean energy, and responsible consumption and production.
Lumileds’ development of energy-efficient, low-carbon LED lighting technologies supports the urgent action to combat climate change. A 2017 market analysis by IHS Markit estimated that Lumileds LEDs reduced total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of lighting globally by 39 million metric tons—equivalent to shutting down 11 coal fired power plants in the United States. In addition to the 41 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, three sustainability programs at the Singapore facility reduced the impact of perfluorinated compounds on the environment by 90 percent.
Focus on Workplace Safety
“Maintaining a safe environment for our worldwide employees is the highest priority,” said Jan van Rompay, Director of Sustainability at Lumileds. “Lumileds’ commitment to and strong performance in occupational health and safety is demonstrated by our low injury rates, as shown in the report. In the area of hazardous substances, we are on track to phase out in our consumer products the use of all polyvinylchloride (PVC) and non-regulated bromide flame retardants (BFR), substances that are implicated in detrimental effects on human health, by 2023. As of 2018, 87 percent of Lumileds consumer products are PVC and BFR free.”
Quality and reliability are hallmarks of Lumileds’ business. By the end of this year, all Lumileds facilities worldwide will be ISO 14001:2015 and OHSAS 18001:2007 certified. Lumileds also certified against the International Automotive Quality Management Systems standards—IATF16949:2016—which outlines the requirements on designing, developing, manufacturing, installing and servicing automotive products.
Lumileds supports good health and well-being with innovations like the VisionPlus headlamps for automobiles which increase road visibility by 60 percent, compared to standard minimum legal requirements in low beam test results. The company is also developing light source technology for digital lighting, which can enable next-generation high resolution headlighting systems as well as further improve the seeing, sensing and being seen functions of automated driving systems—all of which help to increase road safety and driver comfort.
To access Lumileds’ 2018 Sustainability Report, see Lumileds.com.
