How Ingersoll Rand Factors ESG into Its Global Business Strategy

Businesses must think bigger and bolder to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into their long-term corporate strategy. We have seen how time and again, this approach is vital to creating long-term stakeholder value and building a more sustainable world.

The global diversified industrial manufacturing company Ingersoll Rand has just published its 11th annual sustainability supplement, which reveals the progress the company is making on ESG issues to achieve what it says is necessary to address key global sustainability trends and transform lives.

Sustainability in All Forms

Since 2013, Ingersoll Rand has increased energy efficiency by 15.6 percent, cut down GHG emissions by 37.1 percent, reduced water consumption by 45.4 percent, increased its recycling rate by 5 percent, and reduced non-hazardous waste to landfill by 32.8 percent.

On the social side, during 2017, the company increased its spending on diverse-owned businesses by 11 percent, donated $8.7 million towards philanthropic causes, and its employees volunteered 25,300 hours of their time. Ingersoll Rand’s female share of the total workforce is 22.8 percent and 19.8 percent of women are holding management positions.

Environmental Performance

Ingersoll Rand has diverted 11 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions worldwide from its products when compared to a 2013 baseline.

Through its acquisition of CALMAC Corp. in 2017, the company is strongly positioned to offer its customers wider choices for managing energy and operating costs. According to Ingersoll Rand, CALMAC will help take pressure off the energy grid, reduce strain on public utilities, bring down operating costs for building owners and enable more effective use of renewable energy.

Ingersoll Rand’s overall water use in 2017 increased by 2.5 percent compared to 2016, but the company reduced its 2017 water use by 8 percent at international locations in water-stressed regions.

Fifteen of its manufacturing sites achieved zero waste to landfill in 2017, and the company reduced its non-hazardous waste to landfill by 10 percent compared to 2016. Its recycling rate for 2017 increased by 3 percent compared to 2016.

Social Sustainability

In 2017, Ingersoll Rand’s chairman and CEO, Michael W. Lamach, joined more than 150 CEOs in a pledge to cultivate diversity and inclusion in the workplace through the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion.

The company provides its salaried employees with anti-harassment training and makes clear policies available to its employees worldwide.

In 2017, in terms of workplace safety, Ingersoll Rand continued to reduce its incident rates and is approaching world-class injury prevention performance. In 2017, 93 percent of the employees believed that the company is committed to employee safety.

The company uses a Supplier Diversity Matrix, which enables it to avoid using price as the primary factor for supplier selection. Instead, the company continues to evaluate its supply chain using a wide range of factors, including supplier diversity, quality and risk.

Corporate Governance

Ingersoll Rand offers its employees a comprehensive healthcare benefits program, which includes a variety of medical treatment options. Furthermore, it has set 2020 targets for customer satisfaction that include goals to increase the health, safety, durability and reliability of its products.

From the perspective of regulatory authority compliance, Ingersoll Rand complies with or exceeds requirements of international, national, state and local regulations and standards that aim to protect the environment, human health and safety.

In every case, whether or not an applicable law or regulation exists, the company says it applies robust EHS management practices, which continue to drive its compliance record.

“Our commitment to the Ingersoll Rand values—integrity, respect, teamwork, innovation and courage—continues to serve as the catalyst for our profitable growth,” said Lamach in a letter to shareholders. “What matters to our success is not just what we do, but how we do it.”