Sustainability Initiatives Forward
New York – September 17, 2009 – Corporations across the U.S. must amplify sustainability efforts and increase efficiencies, especially given President Obama’s focus on making America the 21st century clean energy leader. A new report from Siemens and McGraw-Hill Construction, the 2009 Greening of Corporate America Report, shows that corporate America has in fact embraced standard sustainability practices, such as recycling, building green, focusing on employee engagement, and partnering with non-profits, as “business as usual.” Seventy-six percent (76%) of firms have made significant commitments to sustainability, and as a result, the firms of tomorrow must be innovative in their sustainability plans to stand out in the market and gain a competitive advantage.
Commissioned by Siemens Building Technologies and conducted by McGraw-Hill Construction Research & Analytics, the report follows a similar 2006 study and provides comparative statistics, trend analysis, and thought-leader interviews with corporate sustainability officers at Microsoft, AT&T, and Owens Corning. Notable highlights include:
- Three out of four firms view sustainability as consistent with their profit missions. They expect that green practices tied to core business strategies will reduce energy costs (75%), retain and attract customers (70%), and provide market differentiation while contributing to the financial performance of the company (61%).
- The economic crisis has supported, rather than deterred, sustainability activity; 57% of those polled believe sustainability practices are either unaffected or aided by the down economy.
“Our goal with the study was to track corporate America’s progress in moving along the sustainability path and to understand how far companies have evolved, the key motivators and the impact of the current economic challenges on sustainability initiatives,” said Daryl Dulaney, CEO of Siemens Building Technologies, a business unit of engineering conglomerate, Siemens AG. “We wanted to identify some of the key factors influencing sustainability, so companies can take action in meeting their sustainability goals.”
“It is exciting to see what a difference three years can make,” said Harvey M. Bernstein, Vice President of Industry Analytics, Alliances & Strategic Initiatives at McGraw-Hill Construction. “Our first report with Siemens in 2006 tracked the rise of the green movement, and today we see the substantial changes occurring in the U.S. as most CEOs recognize the business value sustainability provides. Despite the recession, firms are investing in sustainable practices and incorporating them into business strategies.”
For more information or to download a free copy of the report, visit http://construction.com/market_research/.
About Siemens Building Technologies
As a leading provider of energy and environmental solutions, building controls, fire safety and security systems solutions, Siemens Building Technologies, Inc., makes buildings comfortable, safe, secure and less costly to operate. With U.S. headquarters in Buffalo Grove, Ill., Siemens Building Technologies employs 7,400 people and provides a full range of services and solutions from more than 100 locations coast-to-coast. Worldwide, the company has 28,000 employees and operates from more than 500 locations in 51 countries.
About Siemens AG
Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, and operates in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors. For more than 160 years, Siemens has built a reputation for leading-edge innovation and the quality of its products, services and solutions. With 428,000 employees in 190 countries, Siemens reported worldwide sales of $116.6 billion in fiscal 2008. With its U.S. corporate headquarters in New York City, Siemens in the USA reported sales of $22.4 billion and employs approximately 69,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. For more information on Siemens in the United States, visit www.usa.siemens.com.
About McGraw-Hill Construction
McGraw-Hill Construction connects people, projects and products across the design and construction industry. For more than a century, the Company has remained North America’s leading provider of construction project information, plans and specifications, product information, industry news, and industry trends and forecasts. In print and online, the Company offers a variety of tools, applications, and resources that easily integrate with its customers’ workflows. Backed by the power of Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record (ENR), GreenSource, HQ and 11 regional publications, McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers within the $4.6 trillion global construction community. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.
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Media Contacts:
Siemens Building Technologies:
Steven E. Kuehn -- (847) 941-6047, steve.kuehn@siemens.com
Lisa Jaycox, Communications Specialist,
The McGraw-Hill Companies Information & Media, +1 212-512-3272, lisa_jaycox@mcgraw-hill.com
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