Haier and sustainability

The HAIER Group is on a journey of transformation to become the first choice for consumers in smart home solutions. This vision is coupled with the need for a more circular economy and society.
Sustainability is a fundamental cornerstone. Our structure is based on the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an action programme for people, for the planet and for prosperity. As a company, we want to do our part in the communities in which we operate and contribute to the attainment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.More specifically: having 100% of users connected and educated about sustainable consumption; achieving 60% renewable energy by 2025; reducing our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by transforming our facilities; ensuring 100% of our factories are ISO 50001 and ISO 14001 certified; achieving 96% waste recovery and 70% water recovery and reuse in our factories; increasing the representation of women in leadership positions; expanding the availability of meaningful training opportunities for employees; ensuring the safety and dignity of all our employees in all locations and career paths; reducing accident rates to 40% by 2025; obtaining ISO 27001 certification for information security management; ensuring that 100% of the brand’s products are classified with UL Gold and Diamond seals for cybersecurity risk; ensuring 100% of employees receive training in cybersecurity and data privacy.
These are some of the pledges we have made in our sustainability report.  The industry has done its part, but there is still much to be done further down the line. In Portugal, for example, there is a great deal of talk about sustainability, but there are difficulties in focusing on the essentials and on what can be controlled. We still lack policies to reduce energy consumption and support products that really make a difference in the daily lives of consumers. Programmes such as ‘E-lar’ should include products that account for the largest share of household energy costs in Portugal. We keep on pandering to electoral agendas rather than attending to the real requirements for reducing energy and water consumption.

João Paulo Ferreira,
Country Manager of HAIER Portugal