Xerox Corp : Xerox Exceeds Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal Six Years Early; New Target Aims for 25 Percent Cutback by 2012
12/03/2007| 07:00am US/Eastern

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Reflecting a company-wide commitment to environmental
stewardship, Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) has already exceeded its 2012
greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target and is upping its
goal by more than 100 percent.
With an 18 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2002,
Xerox topped its 10 percent reduction target and is now boosting its
goal to a 25 percent decrease by 2012. In addition to preventing the
emission of 87,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2006, the equivalent
of taking more than 18,000 cars off the road, Xerox's
GHG reduction program saved the company $18 million last year.
The results were validated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
and fulfill Xerox's commitments for
participation in the EPA's Climate Leaders
program. Achieving the reduction required Xerox to invest in equipment
and process upgrades, but the company expects to reap long-term
financial and environmental benefits.
?Long before it was popular to do so, Xerox
ranked sustainability
high on its list of priorities and led the industry in innovative ways
to reduce waste and conserve energy. This deep knowledge, along with our
well-defined processes, contributed to our success in exceeding GHG
reduction targets six years ahead of our goal,?
said Patricia
Calkins, vice president, Environment, Health and Safety for Xerox. ?Our
long-term experience has shown us that when we act in ways that benefit
the environment, we make sound business decisions that not only benefit
Xerox but also our customers and shareholders.?
How Xerox is doing it
Xerox joined the EPA Climate Leaders program in 2003 and originally
committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent from the
baseline year of 2002. Analyzing its GHG emissions, Xerox found they
were nearly all associated with energy use –
indirect emissions from purchased electricity and steam and direct
emissions from combustion of fossil fuels like natural gas and from
burning gasoline and diesel fuels from vehicles, including the fleet of
cars and trucks used by sales and service employees. To meet its
greenhouse gas reduction target, it launched a company-wide energy
reduction program called ?Energy Challenge
2012.?
The projects implemented resulted in significant greenhouse gas
reductions:
-
24 percent reduction in GHG emissions from use of company vehicles.
-
27 percent reduction of GHG emissions associated with burning natural
gas.
-
13 percent reduction in GHG emissions from electricity use.
Not only did the conservation efforts help the environment, they also
helped Xerox save money. Energy consumption during the period declined
by 21 percent, driven by a 12 percent reduction in electricity use, a 27
percent reduction in natural gas purchases, and a 30 percent reduction
in gasoline and diesel fuel consumption. According to Calkins, Xerox's
energy expenses last year would have been 21 percent higher had it not
been for its conservation measures. As a result the company saved $18
million in 2006.
With its original target now met, Xerox has set a tough new goal that
will drive performance for the next stage of its GHG reduction program
and will spur additional GHG innovation. The company aims to reduce
emissions by 25 percent by 2012 from the 2002 baseline year.
Smart energy management
Xerox believes its existing energy-saving initiatives offer opportunity
for further GHG reduction, making it possible to step up the 2012 goal.
Some of these initiatives include:
-
Xerox's biggest single energy use is
producing supplies such as toner.
Xerox is increasingly designing products to use its new EA
toner, which is grown by a chemical process and uses 25 percent
less energy than traditional toner made by the grinding method. This
year, the company opened the first EA
toner plant in the U.S., which was designed for optimum energy
efficiency. For conventional toner, which does require grinding, Xerox
has developed an additive that increases efficiency and reduces energy
demand up to 22 percent per pound of toner.
-
The 15,000 Xerox employees responsible for technical
support of Xerox products at customers'
workplaces are driving less because of increased reliability of
digital systems like multifunction
products as well as remotely diagnosing technical issues. In the U.S.
alone, technical service engineers drove 34 million fewer miles in
2006 than in 2002, resulting in a reduction of 26,000 metric tons of
greenhouse gases. It would take more than 666,000 tree seedlings
growing for 10 years to store the carbon from these GHG emissions.
-
To save energy, the company is upgrading some infrastructure systems
in manufacturing and office locations worldwide. For example, it
replaced aging boilers and industrial air conditioners in El Segundo,
Calif., made lighting improvements in Cincinnati, consolidated boilers
in Oklahoma City, and replaced gas heaters in Mitcheldean, U.K.
-
Xerox is its best case study for the efficiency of using digital
multifunction systems in workplaces instead of standalone printers,
copiers, fax
machines and scanners.
In Xerox locations worldwide, employees depend on networked
Xerox systems for all their document management needs. One
multifunction system uses half as much energy as several
single-function devices. For a workgroup of 100 people, it can reduce
energy costs by as much as $2,000 per year.
-
Xerox is adjusting existing climate control equipment to capture
energy savings. The standard operating temperature in all buildings is
more strictly controlled to eliminate waste in air conditioning and
heating. In addition, lighting systems are programmed to match work
schedules.
"Congratulations Xerox for achieving its Climate Leaders greenhouse gas
reduction goal. This success demonstrates that climate
change management is good for business and good for the environment,?
said Robert J. Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator of EPA's
Office of Air and Radiation. ?EPA applauds
Xerox for its leadership and looks forward to working with it on its new
goal."
About Xerox Corporation
Xerox Corporation is the world's leading document
management technology and services
enterprise. A $16 billion company, Xerox provides the industry's
broadest portfolio of color
and black-and-white document processing systems and related supplies,
as well as document management consulting
and outsourcing services. Over the past 40 years, Xerox has demonstrated
leadership in sustainability and citizenship
in its products and its facilities and by investing in innovation
that delivers measurable benefits to the environment. It is a member of
the California
Climate Action Registry as well as the United
States Climate Action Partnership (USCAP). It was named to the Dow
Jones Sustainability North America Index in recognition of its
economic, environmental and social performance, and it received the National
Medal of Technology, the highest technology award in the United
States, for its innovations.
Customer Contact:
For more information about Xerox Environment Health & Safety, visit http://www.xerox.com/environment
NOTE: For more information on Xerox, visit http://www.xerox.com
or http://www.xerox.com/citizenship
for more about the company's citizenship
programs. For open commentary and industry perspectives, visit http://blogs.xerox.com/.
XEROX® is a trademark of XEROX CORPORATION.
Xerox Corporation
Elissa Nesbitt, 585-423-3591
elissa.nesbitt@xerox.com
or
For
Xerox
Sandy Mauceli, 585-385-0834
smauceli@lightyearmarketing.com
© Business Wire 2007
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