(EnergyAsia, July 24 2012, Tuesday) — Two European companies recently launched initiatives in Singapore to help Asian companies reduce their environmental footprints.
Sweden’s SKF, a leading global manufacturer of engineering solutions in bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems and services, introduced its BeyondZero portfolio while Switzerland’s Holcim unveiled its centre of excellence (CoE) to promote and showcase sustainable and energy-saving solutions for the construction industry.
SKF will share its insights on how businesses can better align with environmental regulations and trends as well as improve productivity and profitability through the launch of a Solution Factory over the next 12 months.
According to SKF, the BeyondZero portfolio is able to help customers measure and work towards energy savings in specific applications. Through the portfolio, the company derived SEK 2.5 billion or US$345 million of sales last year, with plans to raise that to SEK 10 billion by 2016.
Tom Johnstone, SKF President and CEO, said:
“Reducing carbon emissions has become a major priority for governments and industries in Southeast Asia, with increased regulatory requirements, greater awareness of climate change and increasing demand for green growth in the region.”
“As the first industrial engineering company participating in the WWF Climate Savers programme, we see it as our duty to offer our customers in Singapore and the region more innovative, efficient products and services that will help them reduce their carbon footprint.
Doing so will not only support our customers’ sustainability efforts but also the collective efforts of the region in going green,”
David Bishop, Area Director of SKF South East Asia Pacific, said:
“Southeast Asia is a key growth region where a large variety of industries are already using products, solutions and services from our five technology platforms to enhance their efficiency, productivity and competitive edge. With Singapore and Malaysia pledging to reduce their carbon emissions by 2020 and urging businesses to support the cause, we are confident that industries in the region will welcome our BeyondZero portfolio.”
Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Switzerland’s Holcim last month launched its Singapore Centre of Excellence to showcase and promote sustainable solutions for the construction sector in Asia.
The S$500,000 centre, the first in Asia, was launched by Lam Siew Wah, Deputy CEO of Singapore Building and Construction Authority, and attended by Jorg Al. Reding, Switzerland’s Ambassador to Singapore, Goh Chee Kiong, Director of Building & Infrastructure Solutions, and Cleantech at the Singapore Economic Development Board, and business partners. (US$1=S$1.25).
Holcim said the centre will showcase and promote productivity enhancing green solutions and materials technology to contribute to the region’s built environment.
Sujit Ghosh, CEO of Holcim (Singapore), said:
“The importance of sustainable construction in Singapore due to the lack of natural resources affirms our strategy. With the new state-of-the-art development capabilities and the highly innovative workforce therein, we now have the infrastructure to accommodate our existing operations as well as meet the demands for on-going growth. We are firmly committed to Singapore as the ideal platform to efficiently reach our customers and supply chain. With the new office, we are also committed to providing a conducive working environment for our employees.”
Established in 1912, in the village of Holderbank in the Swiss Canton of Aargau, Holderbank and then later as Holcim, the company has grown to become one of the world’s leading construction materials companies with a staff size of 80,000. It now holds majority and minority interests in around 70 countries, supplying cements, aggregates, ready-mix concrete, asphalt and services.