In 2001, ABB launched a new corporate Research and Development program, called “Sustainability and Global Change”. The program involves six people and has an annual budget of $ 1.2 million. This new program works closely with ABB’s business units and external partners including universities, scientific institutions, non-governmental partners and other companies.
It has four main goals:
- To develop analytical methods and support tools for environmental impact assessments, which are now mandatory in all new product development projects at ABB
- To examine the effects of sustainability issues on our business. For example, the program is studying the potential impact on ABB’s business of the Joint Implementation Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol
- To support ABB’s “Access to Electricity” initiative, working with development agencies and non-governmental organizations on sustainable electrification projects in the developing world
- To collaborate with external organizations that research sustainability issues. These include the Alliance for Global Sustainability, the European Climate Forum, the International Energy Agency and the World Energy Council.