Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
DANTES
ABB examples
Lennart Swanström
ABB Corporate Research
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
PROJECT INFORMATION
ABB
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ABB is a leader in power and automation
technologies that enable utility and industry
customers to improve performance while lowering
environmental impact
The ABB Group of companies operates in around
100 countries and employs around 102,000 people
Revenues 20 721 MUSD (2004)
ABB in DANTES
Four people from Corporate Research in the project
group
Five people representing the Business Areas and
Group Function Sustainability Affairs in the
steering group
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Two DANTES strategies developed by ABB
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R&D
– How to integrate sustainability aspects in
product development through a Gate model
Marketing
– How to use Environmental Product
Declarations (EPD) in marketing
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Sustainability aspects in product development
• The ABB Gate model provide a framework for
management of development projects.
• The aim is to ensure that projects are driven by
business objectives and executed with full
management commitment
• The use of the ABB Gate model also implies
that the line organization is actively involved in
the project and that the project status is made
visible.
• The ABB Gate Model is mandatory in all ABBs
business areas
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Sustainability aspects in product development
• A gate is a decision point in a
project where the achieved results
are evaluated from a business and
strategic (and sustainability etc..)
point of view to determine whether
to continue the project or not.
• Each Gate consists of two parts, a
Gate assessment and a Gate
meeting
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Sustainability aspects in product development
• Sustainability objectives and plans was included in the
ABB Gate model during year 2000
• A supporting sustainability toolbox on ABBs Intranet and
training programs were then also launched
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Sustainability aspects in product development
The key is early
planning of actions!
The sustainability plan is a
critical part of the concept
“the red thread”
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Sustainability
plan - example
Sustainability aspects in product development
Objectives
Resource
weeks
Finished
(date)
Responsible
person
No hazardous materials
(check laws & restricted list)
0,25
2004-04-30
N.N.
LCA Light comparing new
product with present
product
1,5
2004-04-30
M.M.
Low energy consumption
during usage phase
0,25
2004-09-30
N.N.
LCC tool adapted to new
product
1,5
2004-10-31
N.N./P.P
Marketing material based on
environmental performance
1,5
2004-12-15
N.N/S.S
Sustainability aspects in product development
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Sustainability aspects in product development
• Experiences
• The time consumption (calendar and resource)
for the implementation process should not be
underestimated
• Establishment of a supporting toolbox and
organization is critical but resource demanding
– It is of especial importance to consider long
term maintenance of the toolbox and support
organization
– www.dantes.info can be helpful in this process
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Sustainability aspects in product development
• What can be found on www.dantes.info?
• Strategy/R&D
– A strategy on how to implement
environmental aspects in product
development through a Gate model
• Publications
– An article describing ABBs experiences
• Tools & Method/Management
– A more general description of a Gate model
• Tools & Method/Software tools
– LCA light & LCC Light tools
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
How to find the
Strategy?
Sustainability aspects in product development
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Use of EPD in marketing
• EPD provide customers with objective, credible
and third party verified LCA based data of ABB
products
• ABBs objective is to develop EPDs for “core
products”.
• More than 60 environmental product
declarations have been developed for ABB’s
products. Thirteen of these have been certified.
LCA = Life Cycle Assessment, EPD =Environmental Product Declaration
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Use of EPD in marketing
Examples of content in an EPD
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Use of EPD in marketing
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Decide who should have the EPDs :
– e.g. customers, suppliers, stakeholders
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Decide for which products that EPDs should be developed:
– e.g. all products, core products, high-volume products
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Decide when the EPDs should be distributed:
– e.g. sales, quotations, web sites, fairs
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Decide in what format should the EPD be distributed:
– e.g. stand alone document, integrated in brochures,
electronic distribution
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Use of EPD in marketing
• Experiences
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In most cases, customers do not specifically ask for
an EPD. However, customers often require general
information on the environmental performance of our
products and therefore value the information
contained in EPDs - when they are made aware of
the fact that we do have EPDs
Some customers perceive the information in an EPD
as being too complex
It is resource demanding to develop an EPD
There is a need for a complement to EPDs
– easier to use and understand
– give information not common in EPDs
(working environment, safety etc.)
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
Use of EPD in marketing
• What can be found on www.dantes.info?
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Strategy/Marketing
– A strategy on how to use EPD in marketing
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Publications
– An article describing ABBs EPD experiences
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Tools & Method/Communication Tools
– A general description of the EPD concept
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Strategy/Environmental support
– Guidance on how to conduct an EPD
– Guidance on how to conduct an LCA
Demonstrate and Assess New Tools for Environmental Sustainability
STRATEGIES
How to find the
Strategy?
Use of EPD in marketing