Lockheed Ahead of Go Green Commitments

Lockheed Martin, the aerospace and global security giant, says in its sustainability report for 2011 that it purchased 274 million kilowatt hours of green power last year – the most among Fortune 500 industrial goods and services companies.

It was a big year for the Bethesda, MD-based company in other environmental and sustainability areas: it met or exceeded major goals first outlined as part of its Go Green commitment in 2008. LM reduced absolute carbon emissions by 30 percent, water use by 23 percent and waste-to-landfill by 39 percent compared to 2007 baseline levels. Over that five year period revenues rose 12 percent, and its net sales last year were $46.5 billion.

LM also said the number of company sites earning LEED green building certifications increased by 14 percent, and 39 sites are seeking or have achieved the certification.

Other points from the 2011 report include:

• Completed 18 annual Environmental, Safety and Health (ESH) audit engagements, according to a board-approved risk-based audit plan. Currently, 43 facilities operate to ISO 14001 Environmental Management System standards, comprising 64 percent of the company’s global facility footprint.


• Implemented “enhanced supplier incident management tools, which assist in mitigation and rapid communication with suppliers who could be impacted by natural disasters, political turmoil, labor strikes, fires, terrorist threats and the like.”


•  Established 57 corporate agreements with suppliers that provide environmentally preferable products, and “are working to make such products a requirement in the future.”


• Worked with suppliers to ensure compliance with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization (and restriction) of Chemicals (REACH) legislation, a European Union (EU) law that requires all companies that import, manufacture or use products in the EU to take responsibility for evaluating the chemical hazards and risks associated with their products.

The company is active in the development of cutting-edge renewable energy technology, including the WindTracer Doppler sensors, ocean thermal energy conversion technology, wave and tidal energy, fuel cell generator sets, and bio energy, smart grid and energy storage solutions.

The report also outlines LM’s performance with regard to ethics, diversity and inclusion, global community outreach and occupational health and safety.

Many companies these days assert that sustainability is in their DNA. Lockheed Martin’s claim is as valid as any, because it goes back to 1912: Malcolm and Allan Loughead and Glenn L. Martin, founders of LM’s legacy companies, put their knowledge for aircraft design and construction to work, answering complex questions of fuel and flight sustainability in the early days of aviation.

Lockheed demonstrates in a packed 48-page CSR report that a large corporation can significantly reduce its environmental impact, act sustainably and ethically, and increase revenue, while addressing complicated global issues of war, peace and the environment.

[Image credit: Lockheed Martin F-35A Performs First Night Flight by Lockheed Martin via Flickr]