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Environmental management

Environmental management at the Zumtobel Group is based on three main pillars: certified environmental management systems in line with the ISO 14001 standard, the application of Lean Six Sigma methods and compliance with internal and external guidelines and directives. The purpose of environmental management is to reduce the effects of manufacturing on the environment.

Two coordination offices, one for the Lighting Segment (throughout Europe) and another for the Components Segment (globally), are responsible for organising environmental management. The coordination offices are responsible for issuing guidelines and prescribing structures for continuous improvement in environmental performance. Local responsibility lies with the environmental officer of the relevant plant. This allows the Zumtobel Group to cater perfectly for local requirements and processes. The on-site environmental officer is responsible for individual issues and targets, implementing measures and compliance with national legislation.

 ISO 14001

Certification of an environmental management system to ISO 14001 calls for systematic, continuous improvements in all environmentally relevant workflows and processes. Environmental risks and impact are initially identified, and measures and activities to systematically reduce these are taken.

In the period under review, the luminaire plant in Les Andelys, the Ennenda and Spennymoor plants and the Controls & Systems organisational unit of the Components Segment all obtained ISO 14001 certification. This fulfilled two of the top objectives contained in the Zumtobel Group’s 2009/10 Sustainability Report, namely certification of all European luminaire plants and all electronic component plants. This means that six out of eleven production sites in the Lighting Segment and seven out of twelve sites in the Components Segment have now been certified.

Potential improvements identified during internal and external audits are to be included in the programme and worked through in a structured fashion over the next few financial years in order to further strengthen and optimise our environmental management systems.

In the Lighting Segment, efforts are being made to achieve ISO 14001 certification for sites outside Europe by 2013/14. In the Components Segment, the next step is to prepare the plant in Fürstenfeld for ISO 14001 certification.

 Lean Six Sigma

The Lean Six Sigma management philosophy strives to ensure the very highest quality levels by optimising all processes. This includes more resource-efficient production, reducing negative environmental impact and higher safety standards for employees. Conserving resources is an essential part of the Lean Six Sigma philosophy and is reflected in ongoing analysis of indicators to identify potential improvements and initiatives derived from such analysis. Go to Quality and Safety.

 Guidelines and legislation

Environmental management is responsible for compliance with environmentally relevant laws and regulations. Inside the company, in-process environmental protection is enshrined in the Code of Conduct for Zumtobel Group employees, in the environmental protection and occupational health and safety guidelines and the Lighting Segment’s Quality Policy as well as in the Components Segment’s Corporate Policies. In addition, there are training courses to make employees aware of the importance of environmental protection. These training courses provide information on topics such as waste avoidance, separation of waste, environmental awareness during product development and the selection of materials.