Dell and Pirelli aim to sustain

Australian
Thursday 6/8/2009 Page: 6

SOME companies we cannot do without, regardless of how environmentally unfriendly they may be. Companies without computers or cars without wheels are simply unimaginable. While these types of manufacturer may rank among the world's eco-unfriendly, closer investigation reveals they are trying to ensure they become the most sustainable. We are committed to becoming the greenest technology company on the planet," Dell global director of sustainable business Tod Arbogast explains.

Dell's environmental efforts span its entire product range, manufacture, distribution and disposal, as well as its operations and supply chain. And the company is being rewarded for its efforts; it ranks fourth in the US Environmental Protection Agency's Fortune 500 green power challenge for renewable energy purchasing and its products receive the EPA five-star energy rating.

In a similar vein, Pirelli, perhaps better appreciated for its calendars than its tyres, has set itself a target of achieving 40% of its total revenue from green endeavours by the end of 2011, up from 20% today. Pirelli is not just a tyre company. Pirelli Ambiente uses municipal waste, used lyres and chloride-free plastic to produce a fuel called CDR-Q that is used to co-fire power plants. It is also a supplier of green energy through its Italian-based solar PV utility. Its Eco Technology business aims to reduce diesel emissions by 90% with the Feelpure filter system, which can be retrofitted to existing vehicles, while its Gecam diesel fuel reduces emissions by more than 50%.

Research from Pirelli laboratories has produced the Cinturato P7 high performance tyre that reduces carbon emissions by up to 200kg through lower fuel consumption during the tyre's lifetime. Research into the use of ecological materials has enabled Pirelli to reduce reliance on synthetic substances. This year the company was the first to be awarded the leader of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, auto parts and tyres, for two years in a row. This year's Pirelli calendar, by the way, is carbon neutral.

'We are a multinational company and have a responsibility to ensure we operate in a sustainable manner. We are continually researching new products, new solutions, new materials to reduce our impact on our planet. Our responsibility is more far reaching than purely financial gain. Our strategy is to ensure we are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable," Pirelli Australia marketing manager Richard Butler says.

The Australian Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility advises clients on CSR and sustainability issues. Managing director Leeora Black points out that old world industries need to consider what initiatives they can take to make the transition to the new world economy. "Companies need to stay close to their stakeholders, to make a large effort to understand what stakeholders have to contribute to the discussion because they have the influence to generate innovation and ideas," she says. "Tyres are a good example because we are not going to stop driving cars but want to drive cars that are more environmentally sustainable. We need a global technological solution and stakeholders can participate in that process," Black says.