Serve the Environment was developed with the aim to reduce Siemens' environmental impact, which is caused by the use of natural resources and the generation of waste and air pollutants, for example. With this program, we are driving the continuous improvement of our energy and waste efficiency.

Furthermore, Siemens is pursuing a new approach to water resources management developed in 2012. In locations where there are particular risks about water (for example as a result of aridity, high waste-water loads or poorly developed technical infrastructure), we define targets matched to local conditions and thereby effectively reduce risks and negative impacts on the environment. Our environmental program also addresses air pollution, defining alternative solutions for any ozone-depleting substances still in legally permissible use and generating complete solvent balance sheets – even those we use in quantities below statutory minimum thresholds.

The Product Eco Excellence program defines an integrated approach to support our business activities with regard to environmental product-related requirements over the entire product lifecycle. As part of our EHS programs, its goal is to better prepare company units for future regulatory requirements, to strengthen the communication about product-related environmental issues, and to improve environmental awareness among our employees. The main elements of the program are to optimize the use of information relating to product components, to provide a better way of assessing substances and materials used with regard to their properties and effects, and to establish a harmonized procedure for determining the ecological footprint of our products whose coverage we want to further increase.