Our areas of responsibility
Environment
Management approach
In both product development and manufacturing, we are working on minimizing the environmental impact of our activities and continuously improving environmental protection. For this purpose, we have introduced an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001 at all 242 locations worldwide.
Regular audits ensure that the environmental protection measures implemented at the Bosch locations are effective and help to achieve the defined targets: By 2020, we aim to reduce our CO₂ emissions (relative to added-value) by 35 percent compared to 2007.
Sustainable production
Using natural resources economically and sustainably makes sense from more than just an ecological point of view. As a result of globalization, the raw materials required by industry have become scarcer and therefore more expensive. That is why the various divisions of Bosch are committed to reducing the volume of raw materials they use, and where possible feed materials back into the production cycle. Three examples:
As part of the Bosch eXchange program, used car components are industrially remanufactured. Reconditioned starters, alternators and ignition distributors, for example, are used in vehicle repairs, and are up to 40 percent cheaper than the equivalent new parts. Around 2.5 million components are re-installed every year. Compared to production of new parts, this generates 23,000 metric tons less CO₂.
The machine tools used in industrial production at Bosch are equipped with variable-speed pump drives. Unlike standard pumps, these recognize part load operations and break times, for example, and adapt their speeds flexibly to suit the current requirements. This saves drive power from the outset, and also reduces heat build-up — many machines no longer require their own cooling system.
Another of our own developments is the IndraLogic PLC lighting system. This ensures that the light in the production halls regulates itself — dependent on daylight and whether there are people present. This innovative system reduces the energy required for lighting by up to 60 percent.
