Owens Corning published its 2017 Sustainability Report. The company’s 12th annual report, themed Purpose + People + Action, documents the progress made against its 2020 sustainability goals and its stated commitment to making the world a better place. The report also prominently features Owens Corning employee stories and employee images as a testament to their contributions.
In the report, Chairman and CEO Mike Thaman and Chief Sustainability Officer Frank O’Brien-Bernini state: “We are pleased to share our 2017 Sustainability Report and our progress. We’ve built a company with three market-leading businesses, all delivering strong financial results. These results have been achieved using our decision framework for managing our company as a sustainable enterprise, a continued focus for us into the future.”
The sustainable enterprise framework guides how company leadership assesses business performance, the criteria used in those assessments, how resources are allocated and other strategic choices. The framework encompasses:
Financial strength
High-performance people
Customer-inspired innovation
Operational excellence
World-class sustainability
“This sustainable enterprise framework is now embedded throughout the organization. It is the foundation of the company’s strategy of building market-leading businesses, global in scope and human in scale,” wrote Thaman and O’Brien-Bernini.
Some highlights of Owens Corning’s 2017 Sustainability Report include:
Operations Sustainability
Sustained progress against the company’s 2020 environmental footprint reduction goals. Off the 2010 baseline year, Owens Corning:
Exceeded goals for primary energy (-26%), water (-41%), and fine particulate (-25%)
On-track to meet goals for greenhouse gas (-48% to date) and toxic air emissions
(-61% to date)
Continues to be challenged by its waste-to-landfill goal (-4% to date)
Purchased over 1.1 million megawatt hours of renewable energy
Product and Supply Chain Sustainability
Achieved the following product certifications and innovations:
World’s first products certified as made with 100% wind-powered electricity and reduced embodied carbon – various EcoTouch® and Thermafiber® insulation products
First formaldehyde-free mineral wool insulation in North America – Thermafiber® sound attenuation fire blankets
First insulation SAFETY Act Designation through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for several Thermafiber® fire barrier solutions
Achieved the company’s highest ever recycled glass use and recycled glass content in its insulation products, recycling over 1.4 billion pounds
Energy Efficiency and Durable Material Solutions at Scale
Hosted its second Builder Summit to help builders strengthen their businesses by building energy efficient, durable and comfortable homes
Acquired a producer of composite rebar for a compelling alternative (better corrosion resistance, less weight and 100-year service life) to steel reinforcements in new and restorative concrete structures
Safety, Health, Employee Engagement and Community Vitality
Advanced the goal of an injury-free workplace by reducing recordable incident rate from 2016, while managing the integration of the Foamglas business and its 1,100 employees
Expanded our Healthy Living wellness initiative for employees and their families globally
Increased company-sponsored volunteerism, product donations, or financial support and fundraising for local charities to 82% of our facilities
Owens Corning’s 2017 Sustainability Report was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards: Comprehensive option.
The full report is available online at: www.owenscorning.com/corporate/sustainability/docs/2018/OwensCorning_2017SustainabilityReport.pdf