| Xerox Exceeds Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target, Sets New Goal |
| New Target Aims for 25 Percent Cutback by 2012 |
| December 03, 2007 |
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Untitled Document
NORWALK, Conn., Dec. 03, 2007
-- Reflecting a company-wide commitment to environmental stewardship, Xerox Corporation
(NYSE: XRX) has already exceeded its 2012 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction
target and is upping its goal by more than 100 percent.
With an 18 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since
2002, Xerox topped its 10 percent reduction target and is now boosting its goal
to a 25 percent decrease by 2012. In addition to preventing the emission of
87,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2006, the equivalent of taking more
than 18,000 cars off the road, Xerox's GHG reduction program saved the company
$18 million last year.
The results were validated by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and fulfill Xerox's commitments for participation in the EPA's Climate
Leaders program. Achieving the reduction required Xerox to invest in equipment
and process upgrades, but the company expects to reap long-term financial and
environmental benefits.
"Long before it was popular to do so, Xerox ranked sustainability
high on its list of priorities and led the industry in innovative ways to reduce
waste and conserve energy. This deep knowledge, along with our well-defined
processes, contributed to our success in exceeding GHG reduction targets six
years ahead of our goal," said Patricia Calkins, vice president, Environment,
Health and Safety for Xerox. "Our long-term experience has shown us that
when we act in ways that benefit the environment, we make sound business decisions
that not only benefit Xerox but also our customers and shareholders."
How Xerox is doing it
Xerox joined the EPA Climate Leaders program in 2003 and originally committed
to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent from the baseline year of
2002. Analyzing its GHG emissions, Xerox found they were nearly all associated
with energy use - indirect emissions from purchased electricity and steam and
direct emissions from combustion of fossil fuels like natural gas and from burning
gasoline and diesel fuels from vehicles, including the fleet of cars and trucks
used by sales and service employees. To meet its greenhouse gas reduction target,
it launched a company-wide energy reduction program called "Energy Challenge
2012."
The projects implemented resulted in significant greenhouse
gas reductions:
- 24 percent reduction
in GHG emissions from use of company vehicles.
- 27 percent reduction
of GHG emissions associated with burning natural gas.
- 13 percent reduction
in GHG emissions from electricity use.
Not only did the conservation efforts help the environment,
they also helped Xerox save money. Energy consumption during the period declined
by 21 percent, driven by a 12 percent reduction in electricity use, a 27 percent
reduction in natural gas purchases, and a 30 percent reduction in gasoline and
diesel fuel consumption. According to Calkins, Xerox's energy expenses last
year would have been 21 percent higher had it not been for its conservation
measures. As a result the company saved $18 million in 2006.
With its original target now met, Xerox has set a tough new
goal that will drive performance for the next stage of its GHG reduction program
and will spur additional GHG innovation. The company aims to reduce emissions
by 25 percent by 2012 from the 2002 baseline year.
Smart energy management
Xerox believes its existing energy-saving initiatives offer opportunity for
further GHG reduction, making it possible to step up the 2012 goal. Some of
these initiatives include:
- Xerox's biggest
single energy use is producing supplies such as toner. Xerox is increasingly
designing products to use its new EA toner, which is grown by a chemical process
and uses 25 percent less energy than traditional toner made by the grinding
method. This year, the company opened the first EA toner plant in the U.S.,
which was designed for optimum energy efficiency. For conventional toner,
which does require grinding, Xerox has developed an additive that increases
efficiency and reduces energy demand up to 22 percent per pound of toner.
- The 15,000 Xerox
employees responsible for technical support of Xerox products at customers'
workplaces are driving less because of increased reliability of digital systems
like multifunction products as well as remotely diagnosing technical issues.
In the U.S. alone, technical service engineers drove 34 million fewer miles
in 2006 than in 2002, resulting in a reduction of 26,000 metric tons of greenhouse
gases. It would take more than 666,000 tree seedlings growing for 10 years
to store the carbon from these GHG emissions.
- To save energy,
the company is upgrading some infrastructure systems in manufacturing and
office locations worldwide. For example, it replaced aging boilers and industrial
air conditioners in El Segundo, Calif., made lighting improvements in Cincinnati,
consolidated boilers in Oklahoma City, and replaced gas heaters in Mitcheldean,
U.K.
- Xerox is its best
case study for the efficiency of using digital multifunction systems in workplaces
instead of standalone printers, copiers, fax machines and scanners. In Xerox
locations worldwide, employees depend on networked Xerox systems for all their
document management needs. One multifunction system uses half as much energy
as several single-function devices. For a workgroup of 100 people, it can
reduce energy costs by as much as $2,000 per year.
- Xerox is adjusting
existing climate control equipment to capture energy savings. The standard
operating temperature in all buildings is more strictly controlled to eliminate
waste in air conditioning and heating. In addition, lighting systems are programmed
to match work schedules.
"Congratulations Xerox for achieving its Climate Leaders
greenhouse gas reduction goal. This success demonstrates that climate change
management is good for business and good for the environment," said Robert
J. Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Air and
Radiation. "EPA applauds Xerox for its leadership and looks forward to
working with it on its new goal."
About Xerox Corporation
Xerox Corporation is the world's leading document management technology and
services enterprise. A $16 billion company, Xerox provides the industry's broadest
portfolio of color and black-and-white document processing systems and related
supplies, as well as document management consulting and outsourcing services.
Over the past 40 years, Xerox has demonstrated leadership in sustainability
and citizenship in its products and its facilities and by investing in innovation
that delivers measurable benefits to the environment. It is a member of the
California Climate Action Registry as well as the United States Climate Action
Partnership (USCAP). It was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America
Index in recognition of its economic, environmental and social performance,
and it received the National Medal of Technology, the highest technology award
in the United States, for its innovations.
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