Boeing receives EPA's highest energy efficiency award for its operations as it strives for zero emissions growth

For the second year in succession, Boeing has been awarded ‘Energy Star Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence’ recognition by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its leadership in energy efficiency. Award winners are selected from around 16,000 organisations participating in the Energy Star voluntary programme and Boeing is among 16 other ‘Partners of the Year’ recognised by an award in the industrial category. Boeing has received the Energy Star award each year since 2011 and reached the Sustained Excellence level in 2013. From 2007 to 2012, Boeing reduced its energy consumption by 3 per cent on an absolute basis, the equivalent of energy to power 44,000 US homes for a year. Last year, it set new targets of zero growth for greenhouse gas emissions by 2017.

The latest EPA award recognises a 5.1 per cent reduction in energy intensity and an absolute energy reduction of 1.1 per cent over the year by Boeing, which employs 159,000 personnel and owns more than 70 million square feet (650ha) of space.

Boeing is investing $6.6 million in energy efficiency improvements through an investment fund that requires sites to dedicate 3 to 5 per cent of their annual utilities budgets for energy and environmental projects.

“Our fourth consecutive year of recognition by Energy Star acknowledges this team’s hard work towards continuing to improve the environmental performance of our operations, while at the same time raising our production rates to record levels,” said Boeing CEO Jim McNerney. “This is thanks not only to the investments we are making to run facilities more efficiently but also to the efforts of employees who are making energy-conscious decisions.”

According to the citation from the EPA, Boeing has met the Energy Star ‘Challenge for Industry’ at two of its sites and earned the Energy Star for four of its office buildings, including its corporate headquarters. The EPA said the aerospace company had built “a strong energy management strategy and culture that reduces the environmental footprint of Boeing operations by using resources efficiently and removing waste.”

Commented EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe: “Boeing has earned EPA’s highest Energy Star award because of its unwavering commitment to energy efficiency.”

Boeing will receive its award at a ceremony on April 29 in Washington DC.

Fonte: Green Air Online