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Environment

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Our Commitment to the Environment

At Johnson Controls, we’ve been dedicated to protecting the environment since our invention of the electric thermostat in 1885, which provided a fundamental shift in the energy efficiency of buildings. Now, all over the world, our products and services empower customers and communities to consume less energy and conserve resources.

Turning sustainability words into sustainability action

As the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, we have set ambitious environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments, science-based targets as well as a net zero carbon pledge to support a healthy, more sustainable planet over the next two decades.

Climate policy and engagement leadership

Johnson Controls recognizes the importance of engaging with world leaders and other leading organizations in fighting climate change and takes seriously its important role as a thought leader on critical sustainability issues.

  • Johnson Controls proactively engages with policymakers at all levels of government to share our perspective on issues related to sustainability and decarbonization. We also comment publicly on policies that have an impact on the climate, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, the Supreme Court decision in West Virginia versus EPA, and the AIM Act, which mandated the phasedown of HFCs. George Oliver also testified before the U.S. Senate Budget Committee at a hearing entitled 'Climate Change: The Cost of Inaction'
  • We lead in organizations that bring decision-makers together who can turn sustainability words into sustainability action. For example, George Oliver, Chairman and CEO, chairs the Sustainable Buildings Task Force, which is made up of global CEOs from throughout the buildings industry working together to accelerate the delivery of net zero buildings to reduce carbon emissions. Katie McGinty, Vice President and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer, currently serves on the International Steering Committee of the World Sustainable Development Summit that focuses on energy, environment and sustainable development.

High-rise commercial buildings surrounded by greenery

Our Accomplishments

Across our organization, we seek to continuously improve in our environmental work. We’re proud and fortunate to have been included in more than 40 prestigious sustainability indexes in recent years.

Here are just some of the reasons why we’ve received this recognition:

In our operations

  • We’ve reduced absolute emissions across our operations by more than 43% since 2017 on the way to our SBTi-approved science-based target of 55% by 2030.
  • 42.1% of our electricity globally is met or matched by renewable sources

For our customers

  • In 2023, more than 90% of new product R&D was invested in climate-related innovation to develop sustainable products and services, surpassing our already-ambitious goal of 75%
  • Since January 2000, performance contracting projects have helped avoid nearly 39 million metric tons CO2e and are set to save more than $8.4 billion for our customers through energy and operational savings over the project term

In our supply chain

  • Sustainability is weighted at 21% of supplier scorecards, making sustainability equal to cost, quality and delivery in supplier evaluations.
  • We are proud to have been named as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the 17th time and to the prestigious CDP Climate Change A List for transparency and performance on climate action