As cities worldwide set ambitious targets for carbon neutrality, we at KONE are deepening our commitment to sustainability and helping our customers to radically reduce emissions.
Cities everywhere are on the quest to become carbon neutral by 2050. To reach that goal, they need to take small but steady steps. Cities must unite their policymakers, businesses, NGOs, and citizens around clear targets – and maintain their commitment over long term.
This is critical, but not easy. Cities must sustain their commitment and momentum for decades.
Global disruptions – like pandemics, regional wars, or extreme weather events – also bring roadblocks to progress. However, we cannot let these stop us on our journey to decarbonize cities. We need to keep moving forward to meet the ambitious climate goals together.
Everyone’s input is essential, and KONE plays important part. Retrofitting and repurposing buildings plays a key role in achieving net zero carbon emissions and tackling the climate crisis.
Sustainability makes sense also economically
In shaping the future of cities, KONE wants to be both a thought leader and an active participant. We are not solely selling elevators and escalators; we want to drive change, inspire our customers and partners and help create sustainable solutions along the way. One important approach is to demonstrate the business case for sustainability, and to show that sustainable practices make sense both economically and environmentally.
In 2023, KONE became the first in our industry to achieve carbon-neutral manufacturing. We’re also switching our vehicle fleet to hybrid and electric models and have committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity for our facilities worldwide by 2030.
Innovations save energy and reduce emissions
We have been leading the way with innovations to help our customers reduce carbon emissions and extend product lifetimes. One standout example is our regenerative drive technology, which KONE offered to its customers as the first elevator company. This technology captures energy when the elevator brakes and recycles it back into the electrical system. This can recover up to 20-40% of an elevator’s energy consumption. Another example of a breakthrough technology is the KONE UltraRope® hoisting technology that can cut elevator energy use by up to 40% in high-rise buildings.
In addition, we have expanded our other solutions with sustainability in mind. Modernization upgrades bring older elevators and escalators up to today’s energy efficiency standards. We offer also partial modernization instead of full replacement, extending the lifecycle of the equipment in a sustainable way. It is also important to care for the equipment: our predictive maintenance tools keep elevators and escalators running smoothly for longer.
We are also actively looking for innovative ways to reduce emissions related to our products’ materials and lifetime energy consumption.
For the planet and people
Leading in sustainability has long been a strategic ambition for KONE; Our goal is to act for the well-being of the planet and people in every aspect. Besides environmental sustainability, this means safety, diversity, equity and inclusion, and practices to ensure we are a trusted and transparent partner to everyone we work with.
While climate targets are a big focus in our strategy, social and governance goals are also very important. That means tackling the climate crisis while promoting inclusion in a culture where we all feel valued and driving the highest ethical standards with everyone we work with.
Collaboration is crucial to tackle climate change
Solving the climate puzzle isn’t going to be a one-company show, it will be about collaboration across companies, different sectors, and governments – bringing everyone along. And the heart of our success will be about staying focused on what drives real change. It all comes back to KONE’s core: we want to be the easiest to work for and to work with. For us it’s about speed, simplicity, and maybe most importantly, courage. We are ready to roll our sleeves and to unite various stakeholders. I invite other companies and partners in creating more sustainable cities for future generations together!
Article written by Kirsi Simola-Laaksonen, SVP of Sustainability & Environment at KONE.
