Cummins Achieves 28 Percent Greenhouse Gas Reduction

June 1, 2011
Cummins announced this week that it exceeded its 25 percent greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitment upon completion of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders Program.

Cummins announced this week that it exceeded its 25 percent greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitment upon completion of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders Program.

Companies in the Climate Leaders Program complete a corporate-wide inventory of their GHG emissions based on a quality management system, set aggressive GHG emissions reduction goals, and report their progress annually to the EPA.

Cummins joined the program in 2006 and set the goal of a 25-percent reduction of GHG emissions per dollar revenue from 2005 to 2010. As of year-end 2010, the company achieved a 28-percent reduction in GHG emissions.

“Cummins strongly believes in the business case for climate change actions,” said Dr. John Wall, vice president and chief technical officer. “It is good business, good for our business, and it is the right thing to do. Meeting our goal not only has been good for the environment, it saves Cummins more than $20 million annually.”

“We have created a culture and structure for energy efficiency that is now part of how we do business,” said Ignacio Garcia, vice president and chief manufacturing officer. “Our global energy efficiency team has implemented nearly 300 energy efficiency capital projects across seven specific energy themes, with an average return on investment of 50 percent.”

The company’s wide-ranging energy savings actions have included projects such as high-efficiency lighting upgrades, power management systems, energy efficient motors, pumps and fans, compressed air optimization, heating and cooling equipment upgrades, and energy recovery from engine test cells. Energy efficiency is also incorporated in Cummins’ global environmental management system, implemented at 69 sites around the world and the key mechanism for driving environmental improvements at Cummins facilities.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ind., Cummins Inc. is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems.