Osram achieves around four billion Euro revenue with environmental portfolio

More than 70 percent of the total revenue in 2012 attributable to sustainable products

Osram used the Sustainable Innovation Forum 2012, taking place alongside the UN Climate Conference in Doha (Qatar), to present its current environmental portfolio. "Energy-efficient lighting is one of the simplest and most effective levers in reducing energy costs significantly and promoting climate protection at the same time" says Constantin Birnstiel, Chief Sustainability Officer at Osram. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), global power consumption could be reduced by 110 billion US Dollars annually by changing to energy-efficient lighting technologies. In addition, around 950 terrawatt hours of power could be saved, which corresponds to the annual energy consumption of India and Mexico.

As a participant in the Sustainable Innovation Forum in Doha, Osram presents its solution suggestions from its environmental portfolio. In the end, light is one of the simplest and likewise effective levers for more energy savings worldwide. Lighting is responsible for almost 20 percent of global energy consumption and for six percent of the emitted greenhouse gases. Particularly with artificial light, we can save energy quickly and simply.

Osram has concentrated for years on the subject of sustainability. The company now achieves more than 70 percent of its total revenue with sustainable products. In the financial year 2012 this amounted to around 4 billion Euros. A large component in this is made up by LED-based products and solutions. They already represent more than 25 percent of the total Osram revenue of 5.4 billion Euros.

Osram customers have, in the preceding five years, saved almost 70 million tons of CO₂ emissions using their energy-efficient products and solutions. That corresponds to the emissions from an Airbus A 380 flying round the world 30,000 times. In addition to the broad portfolio of energy-efficient products, the company is also responsible for sustainability projects, such as the Off-Grid project at Lake Victoria in Kenya. Here Osram offers sustainable lighting solutions in areas that are not connected to the grid.

Also, the company is involved in various different sustainability initiatives such as en.lighten by UNEP. The project stands for rapid market transformation in emerging and developing countries to ecological and sustainable lighting technology and driving the process to the end of the traditional incandescent lamp. Around 50 countries have undertaken to eliminate these conventional light sources by 2016, using en.lighten. Osram is also a member of the Global LEAP Initiative which was called into being by the United Nations and the World Bank. An important aim of this sustainability initiative is to make energy-efficient light available to as many people all over the world as possible.

Definition of the Osram Environment Portfolio

Qualification of the products and solutions for our environmental portfolio is based on a defined selection process and is checked once a year by Osram experts. Two criteria are used to qualify Osram products, systems, solutions and services for acceptance:

1. Energy efficiency: Osram products, systems, solutions and services, as opposed to conventional technologies, lead to an improvement in energy efficiency of at least 20 percent or to a corresponding energy savings during operation with the customer. Examples therefore are light management systems or LED lamps which save 80 percent and more energy in comparison to conventional systems or lamps.
2. Environmental technologies: An environmental technology protects the environment and resources, reduces or curbs the negative effects by human intervention or contributes to a cleaner and more healthy environment. Osram products, systems, solutions and services either themselves represent a form of environmental technology or make a central contribution to it. One example therefore are UV lamps as Puritec from Osram. They are adapted for disinfecting air, water and surfaces and are used in municipal and industrial waste water treatment and drinking water treatment plants.