Johnson Controls, the pioneer in smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, has been named one of the Top 100 Most Sustainable Companies by Sustainability Magazine.
The recognition identifies companies for their substantial progress in creating lasting positive impacts on the environment, in particular for driving the energy transition forward and addressing the need for transparency around climate action and sustainability reporting.
Author's quote
“Johnson Controls is pioneering the global net zero building transformation, tackling the nearly 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions that come from buildings by deploying the smart building trifecta of energy-efficient equipment, clean electrification, and digitalization,” said Katie McGinty, vice president and chief sustainability and external relations officer at Johnson Controls.
“Digitalization and AI, in particular, are revolutionizing buildings, not only by radically decreasing energy use and emissions, but also by providing an unparalleled level of precision and transparency in energy and emissions measurement and reporting.”
carbon reduction goals
AI-driven smart building trifecta is creating an entirely new class of smart buildings
In fact, that AI-driven smart building trifecta is creating an entirely new class of smart buildings – the “net energy-positive” building. Johnson Controls OpenBlue Pioneer Powerhouse Brattørkaia in Trondheim, Norway is a prime example as the most net energy-positive building in the northern hemisphere.
Fitted with hyper-efficient equipment and systemic digitalization, it only uses half of the energy it generates, feeding the surplus to neighborhood buildings and electric vehicles to help the wider community move on its carbon reduction goals faster.
Net Zero Advisor
In addition, as business pioneers are faced with the move from voluntary to mandatory climate action and risk disclosures, in early 2023, Johnson Controls released enhanced capabilities in its OpenBlue Net Zero Advisor, bringing customers an all-in-one tool for carbon footprint assessment, target-setting, emissions management, and tracking.
Net Zero Advisor automatically extracts data from monthly utility bills, on-site renewable energy sources and local emissions factors, including the local power grid contribution. Based on that data, it calculates Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Aggregating and analyzing data from one building or across a global portfolio of buildings, Net Zero Advisor can help building managers oversee and summarize climate progress for the entire portfolio.
2030 Scope 3 target
Innovative financial models
Since this is just the beginning of an era that will be defined by deep decarbonization and sustainability, Johnson Controls continues to innovate. In fiscal year 2022, the company invested 90% of new product research and development into sustainability-related innovation. The company is also addressing hard-to-abate steel production and embodied carbon through low-carbon steel purchases, closed-loop steel recycling, and material recycling – all of which serve to make its product footprints smaller.
Johnson Controls is also innovating in financing, overcoming capital constraints that can make businesses hesitant to start their net zero journeys. OpenBlue Net Zero Buildings as a Service redefines risk by guaranteeing energy savings and paying project costs out of the savings. Since January 2000, such innovative financial models have helped partners and customers avoid more than 37 million metric tons of emissions and are set to save them more than $7.8 billion in energy and operational costs over the project terms.
Mover 2022 Sustainability Award
Johnson Controls was one of the earliest industrial companies to sign the UN Global Compact and has ranked 16 times as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. The company ranks number one in the HVAC industry on the list of Corporate Knights Global's 100 Most Sustainable Corporations. It earned a platinum rating from EcoVadis, and was distinguished at the global climate leadership level by the CDP. The company earned a top ESG rating from Sustainalytics, an AAA rating from the MSCI, and ISS ESG Prime Status.
Johnson Controls was one of the earliest industrial companies to sign the UN Global Compact
Johnson Controls has been named to the Clean200 every year since the list’s inception, recognizing its high proportion of revenues that contribute to a sustainable economy. The company also received the S&P Global Industry Mover 2022 Sustainability Award. The company was honored as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens for the 17th year by 3BL and was named a European Climate Pioneer in 2022 and 2023 by the Financial Times. Fortune chose Johnson Controls for both its Change the World and Most Admired Companies lists, and Forbes named the company one of the Best Employers for Diversity and Best Employers for Women.
2022 Global Sustainability Changemaker
The company was also honored as the Microsoft 2023 Global Independent Software Vendor Partner of the Year and the Microsoft 2022 Global Sustainability Changemaker and has received the Terra Carta Seal twice from HRH Prince of Wales.
Vice President and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer Katie McGinty was named to the 2023 ESG50, a list of the most influential global sustainable business executives, who are advancing sustainability in their fields through new business models, emerging technologies and ethical, humane leadership. For more on Johnson Controls’ sustainability milestones, see the 2023 Sustainability Report.