Beyond manufacturing
ABB began implementing the ISO 14001 standard for Environmental Management Systems seven years ago. By the end of 2001, 531 manufacturing and service sites – out of a total of 550 – had implemented the ISO 14001 standard.
Two new countries, Iran and Vietnam, joined ABB’s sustainability program in 2001. In Vietnam, ABB’s manufacturing facility for distribution transformers has started to implement Environmental Management Systems. In Iran, we have already obtained our first ISO 14001 certificate.
We now plan to extend ISO 14001 to all our facilities, not just those that handle physical products. Naturally, we will have to adapt the model for different types of operation. In an research and development organization, for instance, we may focus on the environmental performance of products under development. In an administrative office, we may look at the environmental aspects of internal communication – such as travel.
Up and down the supply chain
ABB applies the same principles to its main suppliers as it does to itself. We favor suppliers who are committed to continuously improving their environmental performance and who are certified to ISO 14001 or its equivalent.
During 2001, ABB introduced mandatory checks on environmental impacts at a very early stage in all new product development. These include, for example, comparing the lifetime environmental performance of the product with those of existing products, and assessing the product’s content of materials that might harm the environment.
ISO 14001 implementation
In this context, a site is an organization, or a part of an organization, having its own, stand alone Environmental Management System. A typical site is an organization performing manufacturing or service in its own or rented premises. We also include laboratories and full-service activities among our sites.
Integrated management systems
In 2001, ISO 9001:2000, the latest version of the established quality standard, became available. It shares the same basic principles as the ISO 14001 environmental management standard and as such supports the development of combined or integrated management systems.
We are encouraging our facilities to produce integrated management systems for environment (ISO 14001), quality (ISO 9001) and occupational health and safety (OHSAS 18001). In 2001, the number of sites using integrated systems grew from 70 to 80. Some of these have been externally certified.
Integrated management systems are most common at ABB facilities in Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the U.S.
ISO 14001 sites
| Country | 2001 "ISO" sites |
 | |
| Argentina | 8 |
| Australia/New Zealand | 21 |
| Benelux | 24 |
| Brazil | 8 |
| Canada | 7 |
| Czech Republic | 4 |
| China | 13 |
| Colombia | 3 |
| Denmark | 24 |
| Egypt | 3 |
| Estonia | 2 |
| Finland | 29 |
| France | 13 |
| Germany | 35 |
| Greece | 2 |
| Hungary | 6 |
| India | 12 |
| Italy | 27 |
| Japan | 2 |
| Latvia | 3 |
| Malaysia | 1 |
| Mexico | 2 |
| Norway | 35 |
| Peru | 1 |
| Poland | 10 |
| Portugal | 2 |
| Romania | 2 |
| Russia | 4 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 |
| Singapore | 3 |
| South Africa | 8 |
| South Korea | 2 |
| Sweden | 84 |
| Switzerland | 55 |
| Thailand | 4 |
| The Gulf region | 6 |
| Turkey | 2 |
| United Kingdom | 36 |
| U.S. | 25 |
| Venezuela | 2 |
| |
| Total | 531 |