Philips North American Shifts to Carbon Neutral

December 18, 2015

Philips aims to use 100% renewable energy for its North American operations by the end of 2016, a major step toward its 2020 carbon neutrality ambitions announced last week at COP21. The 2016 goal would reduce its carbon footprint by 125,000 metric tons yearly, the equivalent of CO2 produced by over 26,000 cars in one year.

Working with EDP Renewables North America, Philips will purchase 250,000 MWh of electricity per year over the next 15 years from the Hidalgo Wind Farm in McCook, Texas, an amount equivalent to the power used at the company’s 133 sites, which support 21,000 employees in the market.

“At Philips, our goal is simple – to positively impact people’s health and well- being, while minimizing our impact on the environment. This not only means making our products more ecologically efficient, it also requires that we reduce the environmental impact of our operations,” says Brent Shafer, CEO of Philips North America. “By offsetting our North American operations with renewable energy, we will reduce the Philips global carbon footprint by 8.6%, support the local economy, and positively impact our bottom line, demonstrating the private sector can benefit from and help drive clean energy.”

Globally, Philips is a member of the RE100, a collaborative initiative of influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity. From 2008 to 2014, Philips increased its use of renewable energy from 8% to 55%.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs 106,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries.