Dale A. Martin

CEO

Siemens Ltd.

By developing and marketing environmentally conscious solutions, our portfolio helped globally to reduce our customers’ CO2 emission by 428 million tons in 2014 alone. Our goal is to cut our own CO2 emission by half by 2020, and to become carbon-neutral by 2030. One great example is the almost 5000 sqm green roof on our office buildings in Budapest. We started installing them already in the early 90s, setting the trend at least in Hungary. Such green roofs have multiple benefits: decrease heating and cooling costs; additionally contribute to decreasing CO2 emission by its plants and decrease the impact on drainage system in case of heavy rainfall.

Green Roof

Industry: Industry

Date: 2014

Climate change


Solutions of the macro-sustainability challenges

Mitigation of climate change risks and flexible adaptation through effective monitoring, education and communication, and developing new technologies and business models

Further targets:

What´s the solution?

We started installing green roofs on our office buildings in Budapest already in the 90’s, which resulted in an almost 5000 sqm green roof installation by today. Beyond the esthetical aspects they have also a function in our climate change strategy: they help adaptation to climate change, and at the same time through decreasing CO2-emissions, they also mitigate climate change risks.

Business connection

Sustainability has many layers. For us at Siemens the meaning of sustainability is that we act in the best interest of the coming generations. Just as our founder, Werner von Siemens stated: ‘I won’t sell the future of my company for a short-term profit’. As a leading technology company we aim to make our customers’ operation more sustainable and become more sustainable ourselves as we think that this is the key for the future. We firmly believe that ‘walk the talk’ is the best way of reaching success: our goal is to cut our own CO2 emission by half by 2020, coinciding with Action 2020’s aim, and to become carbon-neutral by 2030.

Our products and services are directly connected to our core business, green roof is more an indirect solution without a short term business case. It demonstrates our commitment and forward looking attitude. Local responsibility and example is important to us.

Results

By developing and marketing environmentally conscious solutions, our environmental portfolio helped to reduce our customers’ CO2 emission by 428 million tons in 2014 alone, which equals the 45% of Germany’s overall CO2 emission the year before.

You will find 5000 sqm of green roof on our office buildings in Budapest. We started installing them already in the early 90s, setting the trend at least in Hungary. Such green roofs have multiple benefits: decrease heating costs in winter and cooling costs in summer; additionally contribute to decreasing CO2 emission by its plants and decrease the impact on drainage system in case of heavy rainfall. Several of these green roofs are accessible and serve as a „liveable” example for both business partners and colleagues.