95
ENERGY MANAGEMENT AS A TOOL FOR IMPROVING
PERFORMANCE
the Group's commitment to improving energy performance
has been demonstrated in Germany.
an energy management system has been designed and
gradually implemented, with a view to obtaining iSo 50001
certification at all operating units there. by the end of
2012, four German factories (wuppertal, berlin, neustadt,
Schwerin) had already obtained iSo 50001 certification.
based on the experience accumulated at a pilot site
(wuppertal), a number of projects involving multi-
disciplinary working parties were launched in 2012 with
regard to energy efficiency and reducing the emissions
of co2 equivalent. an interesting project is currently in
progress at Schwerin, involving the gradual introduction of
biogas from a local farm as fuel for the heating system.
in the netherlands, a management system activated in
2010 is working on objectives for the reduction of GhG
emissions and publication of the results obtained.
the system was active at three operating units in the
netherlands at the end of 2012. using the processes
established, these factories now determine and periodically
review improvement objectives covering the optimisation
of energy performance and the reduction of indirect co2
emissions, partly by purchasing electricity from renewable
sources.
Product environmental performance and Life cycle
Assessment
the objective is to establish a working party at corporate
level to consider, on a coordinated basis for the Group, the
growing requests for information about products and their
environmental performance.
as a first step, a number of life cycle assessments
(lcas) were carried out together with various functions
in relation to specific products (p-laser, bendbrightXS
cables). interesting results were obtained with regard to
recyclability and the environmental impact of cables over
their life cycle.
hSe will carry out additional lca studies in future, both
in response to customer needs and as support for the
environmental benchmarking of similar products. this work
will refine the methodologies used to assess environmental
impact at the various stages of a product's life cycle.
certification of management systems under ISO
14001 and OhSAS 18001
certification will be extended in a gradual manner. the
objectives will be established together with the ceos of
each area, so that the implementation programmes decided
can be sustained and audited.
following addition of the auckland factory in new zealand
during 2012, the percentage of Group sites with iSo 14001
(environmental management) certification has risen to
82%, while 42% have ohSaS 18001 (safety management)
certification.
the hSe function has already carried out a number of
preliminary audits and provided support for operating units
that seek certification in 2013.
