Elevator and Escalator Company Pledges Carbon Neutrality by 2030

Taking sustainability to new heights, the global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, KONE pledges to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to reach carbon neutral operations by 2030.

In its latest Sustainability Report, KONE shares its commitment to a 50% cut in the emission from its operations and a 40% reduction in its products’ materials and lifetime energy use compared to 2018. This is in line with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, which is currently the most ambitious criterion for setting science-based targets.

The Finland-based company provides elevators, escalators, and automatic building doors, as well as solutions for modernization and maintenance to add value to buildings throughout their life cycle. The company has serviced over half a million customers worldwide, with about 1.5M units in its maintenance base.

Driven by its mission to improve the flow of urban life, KONE has been championing sustainability with its wide range of solutions through sustainable building design, best-in-class energy efficiency, carbon-optimized maintenance, and recyclable resources, among others.

In 2021, KONE received an “A” list for Climate by the Climate Disclosure Project (CDP) for nine consecutive years and was among the top 1% of companies rated by EcoVadis. KONE was also ranked among the world’s most sustainable companies by Corporate Knights and was included in the top 2%.

Additionally, more than 20 KONE elevator models, as well as eight escalators and autowalks, garnered A-class ratings for best-in-class energy efficiency according to ISO 25745. The company also introduced KONE Care™ DX, the world’s first carbon-neutral elevator maintenance that uses the power of AI and digital connectivity to provide seamless, predictive elevator care.

Commitment in the Philippines

KONE established its operations in the Philippines in 1975 with its head office located in Makati City. It has then expanded its presence into four more cities, namely Pampanga, Cebu, Davao, and Iloilo.

Locally, KONE pledges to contribute to the global sustainability goals. KONE Philippines has started offering smart digital solutions to enable connectivity to buildings and carbon-neutral elevators and maintenance services. Moreover, KONE Philippines is making strides in its local operations with the execution of its Eco-Safe Driving Handbook, waste management through its Sustainable Packaging Guidelines, ways to reduce travel and electricity use, and engaging its partners, vendors, and suppliers to bring environmental actions into the agenda when meeting with KONE.

“Sustainability at KONE is not just about caring for the environment but also about diversity and inclusion, safety, quality, ethics, and compliance. Our strategy strongly lies in our commitment to sustainable practices. It is the source of our innovation and competitive advantage. Our ambition is to be the most trusted partner to our customers throughout the building life cycle and help them achieve their sustainability objectives to create better urban environments,” said KONE Philippines Managing Director, Markus Nisula.

Dedicated to proactively addressing the impacts of climate change in the Philippines, KONE Philippines is also a proud member of the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC). The PHILGBC is an established member of the World Building Council (WorldGBC), a global network of more than 70 national green building councils (GBCs). Each GBC works to advance green building in their own countries as well as working with other GBCs to achieve environmental, economic, and social goals on a larger, global scale. Together with the industry, PHILGBC developed the BERDE Program to develop the country’s own national voluntary green building rating system to facilitate green building projects in the country to inspire confidence and build trust in the industry.

“PHILGBC thanks KPI Elevators, Inc. (KONE Philippines) for the support to the sustainability and green building programs of the Philippine Green Building Council as a Silver-Sustaining Corporate Member. KONE is a member of the PHILGBC since 2021 and is one of the more than 300 corporations and alliance partners supporting the largest green building initiative in the Philippines.

Support from PHILGBC Sustaining Corporate Members helps provide for the delivery of PHILGBC programs that are aimed at transforming the way we design, build, operate, and reuse our buildings making our built environment safer and healthier places to live, work, and play. This includes a broad array of research, awareness, and educational programs among others,” says Rowena Ramos, Vice-chair of the PHILGBC Board of Trustees and Chair, PHILGBC Membership Committee.

As a partner for smart and sustainable buildings in the country, the KONE DX Class elevators provide healthy, low-emission interior materials, best-in-class energy efficiency, and full disclosure about the environmental impact of KONE’s solutions. KONE is actively working on reducing carbon emissions and compensates for carbon emissions that cannot be avoided.

KONE likewise leads the industry with its first carbon-neutral maintenance service to complement its carbon-neutral elevators. KONE Care™ DX is a maintenance service that includes compensation for the carbon emissions caused by KONE’s direct and indirect maintenance activities. KONE is working with South Pole, an industry leader in climate action. KONE has chosen to support recognized and certified carbon offsetting projects to offset emissions. The diverse range of selected projects includes forestry, renewables, and community-based emission reduction initiatives.