Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Whirlpool Corporation is the industry leader in energy and water efficiency, and the only appliance manufacturer that brings an "across the board" focus to energy and water conservation, from design to manufacturing and distribution to end of product lifecycle.

Whirlpool has been focused on sustainability for a long time.  At the ninth meeting of the Conference of Parties of the Kyoto Protocol in 2003, Whirlpool became the first appliance manufacturer to announce a global greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target, with a goal of reducing emissions by 3 percent from 1998 levels by 2008.  We assumed responsibility not only for our direct emissions, but also for the much larger emissions associated with the use of our products.
 
From the time we established our target through the end of 2006, we reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 4.1 million metric tons.  The positive output of that reduction is equivalent to approximately 1.37 million acres of trees. 

In 2007, Whirlpool announced we would significantly increase our commitment to environmentally-sound business practices by reducing total greenhouse gas emissions 6.6 percent by 2012, despite having grown its manufacturing substantially both organically and with the 2006 acquisition of Maytag Corporation.  The positive output of this reduction is equivalent to approximately nearly 7,000 square miles (or more than 11 square kilometers) of trees, an area larger than the size of the U.S. states of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.

We will achieve our goal by continuing to introduce more energy efficient models in our product lines and by implementing all practical improvements in our manufacturing operations, improving our freight operations and continuing to reduce the use of ozone depleting chemicals in refrigerators. 

In 2007, we announced a partnership with SmartWay Transport, an innovative collaboration between U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the freight industry designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.

By improving our freight operations, Whirlpool will contribute to the SmartWay goal of reducing carbon dioxide by 33 to 66 million metric tons and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide per year by 2012. Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas, and nitrogen oxide is an air pollutant that contributes to smog.