By Claire McCarthy | Global Director Sustainability, Security & Safety
SOURCE: Keysight Technologies
DESCRIPTION:
Every day is important for the environment, and on June 5th we are excited to celebrate World Environment Day as an opportunity to encourage awareness and environmental protection and inspire positive change. Each year a different country hosts the official celebration. This year Sweden is the host, and their chosen theme is Only One Earth, focusing on the need to live sustainably in harmony with nature. This is a historic year, as it marks 50 years since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm and widely considered the first international meeting on the environment. The motto at that Stockholm Conference was also Only One Earth, which still holds true today – this is our only planet, and we must safeguard its finite resources.
At Keysight, our vision is to build a better planet by accelerating innovation to connect and secure the world and employing a global business framework of ethical, environmentally sustainable, and socially responsible operations. Our corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts are directly linked to our corporate values and stakeholder requirements, which help us deliver on key impacts and business commitments. We promote environmental sustainability, deliver positive social impact, and are committed to ethical governance. This year’s theme Only One Earth resonates with Keysight because one of our top priorities is to mitigate climate change to support a sustainable planet for future generations. Keysight’s environmental programs span global operations with the intent to conserve natural resources, reduce emissions, minimize waste, and prevent pollution.
To follow the Only One Earth theme which highlights climate, nature, and pollution, below are efforts Keysight is doing to combat the climate crisis, collaborate with nature, and reduce plastic waste.
Net Zero Emissions
Keysight has committed to achieve net zero emissions in company operations (Scope 1 and Scope 2) by end fiscal year 2040, a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement’s timeline and in alignment with the preferred goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C. We have committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to develop approved science-based targets across relevant scopes in support of our emissions reduction and net zero strategy. We have a 2030 interim goal of 55% renewable energy and a 10% energy reduction over the fiscal year 2019 baseline.
Keysight's net zero strategies include improving maintenance schedules, initiating company-wide energy conservation measures, electrifying our fleet vehicles and industrial processes, implementing on-site renewable energy installations, partnering with green utility providers, and facilitating impactful Power Purchase Agreements. Examples of how we’ve made progress towards our net zero emissions goal include:
- Increased our data coverage of company operations to over 70 sites defined by our operational control, which gives us a better understanding of site-level interdependencies and impacts on our overall greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint
- Installed a 5.8MW peak rooftop solar array at our largest facility, in Penang, Malaysia, which was completed in Spring 2022 and provides approximately 7,900 MWh of energy annually, which accounts for about 20% of the site’s current electricity consumption
- Maintained the one MW peak carport solar array at our headquarters facility in Santa Rosa, CA that reduces our carbon footprint and provides approximately 5% of the site’s electrical needs; in addition, there are more than 50 electric vehicle charging stations onsite for employee use
- In 2021, we prioritized our efforts on energy reduction and conservation projects, including HVAC retrofits, light-emitting diode (LED) installations, and air compressor repairs and replacement
- In February 2020, Keysight’s Atlanta, Georgia site received a Gold Level certification by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
Restoring Nature
Keysight's locations are not in protected areas or areas of high biodiversity. Nevertheless, we operate in a manner that is committed to continuous improvement in environmental sustainability through recycling, conservation of resources, emissions reduction, prevention of pollution, product development, and promotion of environmental responsibility amongst our employees. Examples of how
we collaborate with our natural environment include:
- Planting native grass that requires less water and energy to maintain
- Housing beehives at Santa Rosa, CA headquarters campus to help support a sustainable bee population
- Many sites employ sustainable landscaping projects, recycling bins, composting, and energy efficient building systems to minimize the impact of operations on the local environment
- Employees are encouraged to grow their own vegetables in gardens on company property
- Maintaining and repairing water piping and valves at our larger sites, representing more than 2 million square feet of space
- Installing contactless faucets at our Boeblingen, Germany site
- Our Santa Rosa, CA site wastewater treatment facility reclaims approximately 15% of total water withdrawn at the site and reuses it in facility-related operations and landscaping
- Replaced non-biodegradable Styrofoam with recyclable air pillow packaging, reducing waste to landfill
Avoiding Plastic Waste
Keysight has eliminated the use of plastic straws at our sites globally. It started in 2018 when our largest manufacturing site in Penang, Malaysia launched a month-long “final straw” campaign to raise awareness and encourage employees across the facility to say no to plastic straws and other single-use plastics. Through this campaign, an estimated 8,000 straws in a month were eliminated. We are believed to be the first company in Penang’s Free Industrial Zone to take a proactive stance on this worldwide environmental concern. The state of Penang has tried for years to implement bans on single-use plastics but have been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since this inspiring “final straw” campaign, Keysight facilities globally have completely gone straw-less to reduce the number of plastic straws sent to landfills.
Forward Progress Continues
We are doing our part as good corporate citizens but understand collectively, we still have a ways to go to ensure future generations inherit a sustainable planet. We encourage all our employees at work and outside of work to do their part in supporting environmental sustainability every day. I continue to be inspired and draw strength from events such as World Environment Day. The ingenuity and technical advancements that are made on a daily basis allow for more sustainable choices in our daily lives from food to clothing to transportation. On a personal note, almost 5 years ago, I started a plant-based diet. At first, I thought it would be difficult but the more I researched and experimented, the easier (and tastier) it became. Making more conscious sustainable choices daily, no matter how big or small, help to make a difference.
We have Only One Earth and must protect it.
KEYWORDS: NYSE:KEYS, Keysight Technologies, world environment day
