Siemens Corporate Responsibility

In fiscal 2008, 315 locations in 37 countries – 100 percent of the company units required to file reports (see the chapter on Environmental protection in the "Management" section – submitted environmental performance data through SESIS (the Siemens Environmental and Technical Safety Information System). In 2008, our reporting base changed once again: Forty-six new locations were added and 82 were removed – the latter primarily as a result of the sale of Siemens VDO.

"Although our total revenues grew by 9% in fiscal 2008, power consumption recorded at our environmentally relevant locations dropped by around 15%." -Siemens

Energy consumption

Although our total revenue grew by 9 percent in fiscal 2008, power consumption recorded at our environmentally relevant locations dropped by around 15 percent. This is largely because the Siemens VDO Automotive (SV) manufacturing locations we sold had higher headcounts and consumed significantly larger quantities of power than the new factories and acquired businesses that we’ve incorporated into our reporting system.

Our efficiency KPI for CO2 emissions improved to 10 percent in the reporting period. This figure is derived from our CO2 emissions from primary energy and power consumption and therefore lies between the previously stated energy KPIs.

In fiscal 2007, we decided to align our greenhouse gas reporting with guidelines issued by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute (Greenhouse Gas Protocol). All our greenhouse gas emission figures are now calculated according to this system. Specifically, this means:

• Emissions figures are extrapolated to 100 percent if the data collected does not cover the whole of Siemens.
• Reporting is based on continuing operations. In other words, figures are adjusted to reflect portfolio changes by eliminating emissions for those locations that have been sold. If no exact figures are available for emissions at recently acquired locations, these are estimated for prior years and added to the series.
• The base year for the computation is fiscal 2005.

In 2008, we again had our greenhouse gas report reviewed and verified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV). Besides ensuring transparency, the verification process gives us an opportunity to discuss our computation methods with experts in this field and to refine these methods from year to year.

Our greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 totaled four million tons. They were primarily caused by power generation, burning fossil fuels, and the emission of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) from the manufacture of high-voltage equipment converted into CO2-equivalents. Other greenhouse emissions were caused by glass furnaces, cooling systems, test stations, small office locations, and business travel.

As the series of figures below shows, our greenhouse gas emissions have dropped steadily since 2006, and in 2008 we succeeded in cutting output by 8 percent from the prior year.

Source: www.siemens.com