*The world gets smaller every day. People can travel across town in a matter of minutes – or be in an entirely different country in a few hours. Products purchased halfway around the globe can be on your table the very next day. But this mobility and connectedness comes at a cost. As the world’s population grows and its middle class continues to expand – travelling more, buying more, using more – the need for sustainable technologies becomes ever more urgent.
At Eaton, we’re working with our customers around the world to help utilities, municipalities, businesses and everyday homeowners re-think the impact they have and how to reduce it. Whether it’s using more energy-efficient products – or harnessing low-carbon and renewable resources like solar, wind and hydroelectric power.
We’re also helping major industries lower their emissions. Reducing aircraft weight, so planes fly lighter and use less fuel. Improving engine efficiency, hybridisation and vehicle electrification. Enabling sustainable transport without sacrificing performance.
And we’ve worked hard to improve our own emissions, too – reducing the total GHGs generated by Eaton’s worldwide operations by 25.5 % or nearly 276,000 metric tons since 2006.
I want to make sure that everyone is safe whilst they are flying. I take great pride in my work – and that Eaton’s products, processes and engineering make that possible.
*We live in an energised world that depends on safe, reliable, always-on electricity. This ever-increasing demand for energy has a growing impact on climate change. As communities around the world look to maintain and modernise their ageing utility infrastructure and homeowners look to better manage and control energy costs, it's critical to find ways that we can help the grid to be more responsive, intelligent and efficient while making the most of renewable resources.
In Europe, Eaton teamed up with Nissan to bring innovative energy storage to homes, buildings, plants and grid operators. Imagine charging your home's storage batteries through solar panels or at night when utility rates are lower. Then when rates are high or if the electricity suddenly goes out, that power is ready to be used.
This same idea is at the core of how Eaton is powering campuses and communities from North America to Africa and beyond. Safe, secure and reliable microgrids are helping hospitals remain resilient in the face of disaster and keeping communities safe, even when the grid goes down.
Today, global climate collaboration as enshrined in the 2015 Paris Agreement is signalling a monumental shift towards ecologically efficient technologies. Eaton innovations in on-demand energy – from energy inverters to full-scale microgrids – will certainly help pave the way.
When I tell people I work on solutions that may help avoid pollution and global warming, they’re very interested… and it motivates me to work even harder.
*Cities are on the rise. According to the UN, for the first time in history more than half the world’s population lives in urban areas. This means that cities will play a critical role when it comes to climate action. From the utilities that power our homes to the offices and production lines where we work, Eaton is helping to make cities smarter and more sustainable at every turn.
Whether it’s New York or Paris, Dubai or Shanghai, there’s nothing more iconic than the buildings that make up a city’s skyline. Because buildings consume 30 to 40 per cent of the world’s energy, we need to find ways to help them use energy more wisely. Our wireless communication devices and lighting controls are designed to increase efficiency and flexibility while reducing costs. And our variable frequency drives improve the efficiency of HVAC, material handling and other process applications. Eaton is helping buildings to meet new energy efficiency standards and dramatically reduce energy use.
We’re doing our part as well. Across Eaton’s worldwide manufacturing sites and offices, we’re striving to create zero-waste-to-landfill-certified facilities, reduce carbon emissions and develop less impactful processes. Because the harder we work to build, manage and manufacture more efficiently, the better we can help our customers do the same.
If we are to preserve our planet, we need to start with small actions. If all the people on this planet try to do well, one small step per day, we really will make a difference.
*We're honoured to be part of the global discussion around sustainability and climate change. Creating healthy, sustainable communities and businesses starts with dedicated, hands-on involvement. At Eaton, we want to be a big part of bringing tangible and sustainable benefits to the places where we live and work.
We are again honoured to be part of the global discussion around sustainability and climate change. The 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, in November later this year.
We're proud to be a sponsor of the 11th annual Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF20), which will take place in parallel with COP26.
View "Beyond the tipping point", a Bloomberg New Energy Finance economic study commissioned by Eaton in partnership with the Renewable Energy Association.
Download the executive summary of the new report "Opportunities in Electric Vehicle Charging at Commercial and Industrial Sites" by Aurora Energy Research.