Local initiatives
Swegon is present on several markets and there are great sustainability initiatives taking place among our sites. A selection is presented below and more can be found on each specific market’s website.
Renewable and fossil free energy
Swegon aims to use 100% renewable and fossil free energy by the year of 2030. In effort to pursuit this, various sites have chosen to install photovoltaic panels. Our factories in Gembloux in Belgium, Concorezzo in Italy and in Borås in Sweden have done so, as well as the sales office in Warsaw, Poland. Factories and offices without energy production on site will have to purchase renewable and fossil free electricity and energy.
Resource efficiency
Energy
Apart from sourcing sustainable energy, minimising the consumption and make better use of produced energy is vital. By switching to LED lights in factories and offices as well as having “occupancy controlled” lights to make sure unused areas are not lit, is making a difference. As everything we do at Swegon is focused to create healthy and comfortable indoor environments, we have the knowledge and expertise to optimise ventilation, heating and cooling to ensure the lowest possible energy consumption while not compromising a good indoor climate. We strive for minimal environmental impact and put focus on ensuring an indoor climate where our employees can be productive and thrive but which is not putting additional strain on the environment.
Our factory in Heppenheim, Germany, has an updated infrastructure for compressed air which has allowed for a pressure reduction from 11-12 bar, to a maximum of 8 bar. This, together with measures like reduction of leakage and time of idling, has resulted in noticeable savings. Estimates show that each bar of lower pressure, decreases the energy consumption by 6-8 %.
Supply chain
Some of the environmental impact from Swegon can be controlled within our organization. But, the primary impact comes from our supply chain. In an effort to minimise our total environmental impact we work together with suppliers and customers to identify possible improvements and to support the development of further sustainable materials.
The Cantarana factory in Italy has a number of initiatives, with suppliers and customers highly involved, which aim to make further efficient use of packaging. Resources are to be reduced in terms of materials, personnel, storage and transportation which is why tailor made logistics baskets, handles for carrying and caps for stacking of boxes have been developed. To this, a well-kept logistics plan has been established where packaging is returned to the supplier to be used again.
There are also internal projects at Swegon where materials from our supply chain are evaluated from a sustainability point of view and, where possible, exchanged for better alternatives. Get to know more about our low carbon steel project.
To our low carbon steel project
Waste
In an effort to reduce waste in our production sites, a number of local initiatives have been established. The end goal is to eliminate waste as a concept, however there are several steps to actually reach that level of circularity.
The Tomelilla factory in Sweden focuses on a sustainability initiative that aims to minimise waste of sheet metal. This is done by the means of various different actions. For instance, the stamping process has been analysed in order to indentify possible means for optimisation in regards to co-stamping. The analysis showed that there was room for improvement, and today, more than 35 annual tonnes of sheet metal that previously was sent to recycling are instead made use of.
Print and paper
A number of factories have transitioned to make use of QR-codes for product documentation instead of printing millions of papers. QR-codes are placed on each product to make the product information available digitally. Today, only safety and installation instructions are delivered in paper. In the case of our Swedish factory in Kvänum, this change has reduced the annual use of paper sheets from approximately 2,7 million to about 0,3 million. In addition to the environmental benefits, our colleagues are happy to not have to carry that much paper, it has made the daily work more meaningful.
Refrigerants
In pursuit of transitioning to natural refrigerants in our cooling products, our factory in Cantarana have made significant progress in how to use propane, R290, as a refrigerant. Read the informative blogs, written by our expert, to learn more.
To the recommended blogs
Social aspects
Diversity and inclusion
As part of the building sector, Swegon has a responsibility as well as an opportunity to make a difference in regards to the underdeveloped area of inclusion and diversity. As it is a wide ranging subject there are numerous measures and activities that can both affect and be impacted by the sector’s every day work. Inclusion and diversity have to be acknowledged from a number of different aspects, all which vary in relevance depending on the site. Local actions therefore varies, but most importantly, all markets currently have relevant actions listed to efficiently drive the development. Above actions and related targets are followed up by the means of a strategic inclusion and diversity educational program which all managers are attending.
A specific action taken in regards to the above topic, is the free of charge menstrual protection made available at all Swegon sites worldwide – both in factories and offices.
Competence development
The social aspect of sustainability is in part to take care of our Swegon employees by supporting personal and professional development. Skills and competence enhancement is prioritised and there are considerable local initiatives which strengthen this aspect. To exemplify, in Sweden the Operations Development Program is designed to help operations personnel reach their full potential. It is a highly appreciated two-year program which provides a comprehensive and structured approach to developing the skills and abilities of employees, this in order to improve the overall performance of the operations team. Through this program, our employees gain valuable knowledge and experience that enable them to make substantial contributions to the success of our organization.
Competence growth is also supported by a program called Swegon Professional Trainers where the skills of trainers are developed. In this tailor made 6-month program, trainers learn how to setup and perform an educational exercise or a course. Trainers within Swegon are greatly experienced and knowledgeable in all aspects of the job, which allows them to provide the best possible guidance and support to other employees.
Think tank
There are local initiatives and activities within Swegon that relate to the social aspect of our products as well as the industry as a whole. To exemplify, Swegon has initiated a think tank where scientist within the field of indoor climate and HVAC meet on a regular basis. Different topics are discussed when these experts meet.
As an example of the above, norms and standards for how to create an optimal indoor environment have been deliberated from the perspective of how these can be based on an obsolete scenario where only one normative person is represented. When using a normative character as reference point, and disregard the potential variation of individual preferences and experiences, the indoor climate can turn out to be unadapted to a large portion of the occupants in a building.
ISO Certificates
Swegon aims to have all factories certified according to ISO 14001 by year 2025. Currently held ISO certificates can be found here, be aware that some are mandatory and some are local initiatives.