Today, our lifestyles cost our surroundings more than we think, fuelling a cycle that only aggravates the worsening climate crisis. To mitigate these effects, we must incorporate sustainability in every way we can. With the promise of a better future as our driving force, living sustainably is not merely a choice, but an urgent responsibility.
Not every problem is a numbers game, but for climate action, every fact and figure counts. Here’s what we accomplished according to our Sustainability Report 2020, and how we plan to take it a step further going into 2030.
A taste for better eating
Responsible for 30% of global emissions, the food industry is one of the biggest contributors to climate change from production to consumption. Aside from the industry's carbon footprint, consumer behaviour impacts our global food security, as we waste around a third of global food production each year.
To reduce our diets' climate impact, we must adopt a more conscious attitude towards food. Among our initiatives last year, around 9,400 people joined the Electrolux Food Foundation’s events centred on sustainable eating habits and valuing our relationship with food.
As we approach the next decade, we plan to make sustainable eating the preferred choice, by making alternative cooking methods easier and developing more technology that can minimise food waste.
As a matter of fact, we have been integrating technology to keep fresh food and preserve its taste for longer, placing at least one soft freezing compartment in our refrigerator models, or advancing our induction cooktops for efficient cooking. All those continuing effort is to reduce food waste and energy consumption while giving better tasty meals.
Better clothing care is “in”
In the last 20 years, people have bought clothes 400% more than usual. Unfortunately, the apparel industry accounts for 8% of annual global emissions — which could snowball to a vast amount, given our increased consumption rate of clothing.
To minimise this number, we must actively care for our garments. To emphasise this point, we launched our Make It Last campaign last year — our first pan-regional endeavour to inspire a new attitude of conscious fabric care and prioritise clothes’ longevity in our customers.
Going forward, we aim to make clothes last twice as long with half the environmental impact, by championing proper fabric care and reducing clothing-related emissions through innovation, from the laundry process down to handling and maintenance. You can easily see that effort in our washing machines, clothes dryers, and washer dryers.
A better environment starts at home
At this point, we’re no stranger to climate change and pollution’s impact on our planet, but did you know that it can also creep into your household? Today, over 90% of the world’s population live in places with air quality that exceeds WHO guidelines.
To cut down on our emissions, we plan to replace all high-impact greenhouse gases from all our appliances by 2023. Last year, the UN Cool Coalition approved this endeavour, which solidified our dedication towards this cause.
As we approach 2030, we prioritise making homes healthier and more sustainable by introducing smarter solutions for household needs like what we are doing with our vacuum cleaners and air purifier models. By encouraging sustainability at home, we get to protect the only home we have: the planet Earth. Learn more about our progress towards our sustainability goals here.
