Environment

The business strategy that drives RB to outperform its peers is also embedded with an absolute commitment to run the business in a way that is responsible, environmentally sound and sustainable.



The results are clear.  RB was awarded top status in the US Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative.

Sustainability Report 2010

> View our sustainability report (PDF)

Go to our report archive area to find out more information for previous years.

 

RB's environmental initiatives

These initiatives show how RB puts its commitment to environmentally sound and sustainable business into action.

Carbon 20

is RB's bold initiative to reduce its products' total carbon footprint by 20% by 2020. That will save around 4m tonnes of CO2 equivalents in annual emissions, which is like taking more than one million medium-sized family cars off the road

Our Home Our Planet

is a new RB initiative that shows consumers how to reduce their own carbon footprint when they use RB products. Simple steps that save energy, resources – and money

Trees for Change

is RB's major forestation project to offset four years worth of greenhouse gas emissions from its global manufacturing energy use

Other environmental collaborations

Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change

is the definitive progressive statement from the international business community ahead of the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. RB is proud to be a core signatory

Save Energy and Water Project

An initiative of A.I.S.E, the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products

RB and the AIM-PROGRESS task force

RB is an active member of AIM-PROGRESS, a forum of consumer goods companies assembled to enable and promote responsible sourcing practices and sustainable production systems.

Its key objectives include the provision of a forum to exchange views regarding responsible sourcing practices and supporting the effective collaboration and potential convergence with other global initiatives having similar aims or interests.

> Find out more about AIM-PROGRESS

Carbon20 (C20) is RB’s long term commitment to tackle the real impact of our products’ life cycle on climate change by addressing their Total Carbon Footprint from cradle to grave.

The aim is to reduce our products’ Total Carbon Footprint by 20% per dose by 2020.

My position allows me to play a dual-role:

1. Global Carbon20 team member

2. Local Carbon20 Champion for SE Asia

Based in Gurgaon, India, I contribute to the C20 team through data collection, processing and compiling results quarterly to track C20 impacts from new project launches. A part of my job includes suggesting improvements to the data collection and measurement methodology. This includes capturing the difference in consumer habits, such as hand and body washing, in SE Asian countries. I do this through consumer studies and market research. I’m also responsible for training my colleagues in SE Asia and serving as a local point of contact for questions and queries.

We've reached the halfway mark on our carbon reduction target

Over 3 million tonnes of CO2 was avoided last year by a 11% reduction per unit dose in the carbon impact across our products’ life cycle – the same impact as taking nearly 1,000,000 cars off the road.

This means that RB has already achieved half of our goal to reduce our carbon footprint by 20% by 2020 as we enter the third year of the Carbon20 initiative!

Among the initiatives contributing to the success of Carbon20 are our programmes to redesign products using fewer materials and less energy, packaging and waste, along with moving a number of factories and plants to combined heat and power energy systems and installing solar-powered lighting and water heating.

> Find out more about Carbon20