Cummins Inc. recently announced its next environmental sustainability strategy, which includes science-based goals that meet or exceed the goals in the United Nations Paris agreement on climate change. By 2050, Cummins is targeting net-zero carbon emissions.
“Our communities and our business depend on our collective response to improve the health of the planet while creating prosperity for all,” Cummins Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger says. “It’s clear that government, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and communities must unite behind swift, decisive action to address the environmental threats we face.”
The strategy, called PLANET 2050, is focused on three priority areas: addressing climate change and air emissions, using natural resources in the most sustainable way, and improving communities. It includes eight specific goals, timed to 2030, as well as aspirational targets for 2050 and is the most comprehensive and ambitious environmental sustainability strategy ever pursued by the company.
Below are Cummins’ new, specific 2030 goals related to its parts, products, and company-managed facilities and operations:
Addressing climate change and air emissions:
• Reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions from facilities and operations by 50 percent (science-based target).
• Reduce absolute lifetime greenhouse gas emissions from newly sold products by 25 percent (science-based target).
• Partner with customers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from products in the field by 55 million metric tons.
• Reduce volatile organic compounds emissions from paint and coating operations by 50 percent.
• Using natural resources in the most sustainable way
Creating a circular life cycle plan for every part to use less, use better, use again:
• Generate 25 percent less waste in facilities and operations as a percent of revenue.
• Reuse or responsibly recycle 100 percent of packaging plastics and eliminate single-use plastics in dining facilities, employee amenities and events.
• Reduce absolute water consumption in facilities and operations by 30 percent.
Cummins will make investments to achieve the goals, which will require new technology and capabilities. The company has a history of developing challenging goals and then finding ways to achieve them. Cummins reports results transparently even when falling short of goals. As Cummins has done with past environmental goals, the progress on 2030 goals will be periodically evaluated and communicated including consideration of whether more can or should be done in line with global energy and environmental challenges.
