Sustainability in construction

Michael Sagermann underlines the importance of sustainability at the Atlas Copco Group and reveals how the company is looking to improve sustainability through product development.

Sustainability has been significant to the Atlas Copco Group long before this area became a popular business trend. A significant part of the design phase in new product development is paying close attention to reducing the environmental impact of our products - the belief being that there is always a better way of doing things. And from a corporate responsibility perspective our aim is to provide the best products and services to our customers, with the minimum negative impact to the local community and environment.

From the point of view of sustainability, Atlas Copco's vision is to become and remain first in mind for its key stakeholders. This vision is also the driving force of the group's sustainability strategy, and the objective is to be a good corporate citizen in each market. As such, Atlas Copco is committed to making a positive impact within its sustainability framework: through the economic, environmental and social dimensions, and through the pride among employees in the group's values.

For the fourth time Atlas Copco has been selected as one of the 100 most sustainable companies in the world. By and large, the group's production units are ISO14001 certified and suppliers are encouraged to have an environmental management system.

Locally Atlas Copco Services Middle East has engaged with the community through a career development programme under the STEP PROGRAM banner, to develop local Saudi people within our aftermarket business area. They participate in a training programme designed to provide all the necessary skills to become certified compressor and generator service technicians - potentially furthering progress in career paths and reducing reliance on foreign resources.

The environment has been a key concern in developing new products. Atlas Copco products have their main impact on the environment, not when they are produced, but when they are being used through the energy required to operate them. Atlas Copco works to reduce this impact already in the design phase of its new products and in continuous product development.

The Atlas Copco Group's main environmental impact is related to CO2 emissions during the use of the products. Atlas Copco's products and solutions are continuously improved in regards to customers' demands of quality, costs and efficiency as well as in regards to ergonomic, environmental and health and safety aspects.

The Atlas Copco products sold into the Middle East meet or exceed the latest European norms related to noise and exhaust emission levels. We have a local responsibility to the community and its residents, and therefore we offer only the European norm products. The benefits are not only to the environment and local community, but there is also the benefit of increasing our customers profitability through more efficient solutions in their processes - either by reducing the operational costs, or increasing their productivity, or both.

The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference is bringing worldwide attention to the effects of our actions to the world's climatic changes. Atlas Copco's beliefs are that it is our responsibility to take actions to address this problem, from the local to the global levels. Our hope is that our customers, and potential customers, appreciate the benefits of our products to save their profit while at the same time help to save the planet.

Michael Sagermann is the Regional Business Line Manager, responsible for the Portable Division product lines, with Atlas Copco Services Middle East. With 16 years experience within the Atlas Copco Group, having worked in sales and production facilities in Canada and Belgium, Sagermann is presently based in Bahrain.

The three dimensions of sustainability

Atlas Copco has grouped its main sustainability activities in three dimensions:

• Community engagement, for example our Water for All programme of providing assistance to develop clean drinking water access in regions where potable water is scarce
• Reengineer internal processes, for example ISO 14001 in all production processes, supplier evaluations and HIV/Aids programmes
• Reengineer the larger environment, for example launch new innovative products that shape the regulations and push the industry to adapt to new standards