Climate protection and gaseous emissions (VOC, ODS)
Siemens' greenhouse gas balance is made up of the total emissions at our locations and the emissions caused by business vehicles and travel.
Siemens reports its greenhouse gas emissions on the model of the guidelines of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol published by the World Resource Institute (WRI) in collaboration with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). All figures provided on our greenhouse gas emissions were therefore calculated using this method and system.
Environmental reporting and monitoring of environmental goals
Our greenhouse gas emissions increased slightly by about 1% last year. This increase can be attributed to higher SF6 and building-related emissions. There was a decline in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from business travel, due to the lower number of flights booked.
Our reporting covers about 92% of our indirect and direct greenhouse gas emissions. The remaining 8% is determined through extrapolation. This refers to greenhouse gas emissions caused by employee activities that are not recorded directly in the reporting system.
EU emissions trading
Siemens operates a heating plant in Germany that is covered by the European emissions trading system. It accounts for 0.4% of Siemens’ direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions.
Other atmospheric pollutant emissions
There are other environmentally relevant industrial emissions besides those important in a climate protection context. Volatile organic compounds (VOC), for example, contribute to the formation of ozone close to the earth’s surface and are one of the causes of what is known as summer smog. Siemens uses such organic compounds as solvents in paints and adhesives, impregnation techniques and for surface cleaning.
The use of ozone-depleting substances (referring to the stratospheric ozone layer in this case) has been sharply curtailed by the Montreal Protocol, an international convention on the protection of the ozone layer, and by country-specific legislative initiatives around the world. Consequently, Siemens now uses these substances only when there are no alternatives that are more compatible with the environment – for example in refrigerants.
VOC emissions have declined as compared to the previous year, primarily due to the carve-out of Osram. Emissions of ozone-depleting substances in 2012 were also lower than in 2011.
Burning fossil fuels in combustion plants and engines has an environmental impact due to nitrogen oxides. At Siemens such combustion plants operate in many locations to generate thermal and process heat; this is done in conformance with the requirements imposed by law in each country and is monitored accordingly. Nitrogen oxides are calculated assuming typical combustion conditions; for fiscal 2012 this results in a quantity of 179 tons.
2011-Mar-09 | Author
- Environmental protection - Facts & Figures
- Overview
- Environmentally compatible product design
- EP Standard
- Chemicals management
- Lifecycle assessments
- Environmental product declarations
- End of life
- Environmental management systems
- Energy consumption
- Climate protection and gaseous emissions
- Waste management
- Water and wastewater
- Nature and wildlife conservation
- Incidents and penalties