home // our approach

Sustainability 2017 is Johnson Matthey’s long term vision for sustainability. It sets out the direction and our aspirations for what we want to achieve in the future.

We have two major business drivers for our vision.

(i) To be more efficient with the resources we use as a business; and
(ii) To design new products and services which help our customers to be more sustainable and competitive.

By saving resources, from major spends such as energy, raw materials and water through to things we take for granted, such as stationery, we are making Johnson Matthey a more sustainable company, reducing our impact on the planet and saving money at the same time.

By developing improved, more efficient, more durable products for our customers and developing our existing products to make them more efficient in use, we will enhance our customers’ performance, reduce their sustainability footprint and at the same time improve our competitiveness.

To implement Sustainability 2017, we have developed a roadmap, from early beginnings to maturity. Sustainability initiatives are developed at local level, where the infectious enthusiasm of employees has exceeded all expectations. Communicating progress is an essential part of our approach and we also recognise achievement through our annual Sustainability Awards.

Sustainability 2017 Roadmap – A three phase approach
We have developed a roadmap for our journey towards Sustainability 2017 to support its delivery and help track progress.

Phase one covers planning and early input: creating metrics and tools to measure progress, investing in R&D for transformational new technology and gradually improving our operations. We have involved Johnson Matthey’s employees from the outset, inviting them to help explore the business case and define the vision. In 2007, we ran workshops at sites around the world, together with a dedicated session at our annual management conference. Our efforts to engage employees meant that we could benefit from their experience on the ground.

In phase two step changes in manufacturing will be introduced and we will start to implement our new technologies. In phase three our new products, improved manufacturing processes and operational efficiencies will come together to fulfil our Sustainability 2017 Vision. As world events reshape the external landscape, we will be ready to respond and seize new opportunities as they arise.

Local Action
Johnson Matthey is made up of a diverse range of businesses around the world. Our businesses in different regions are best placed to identify the opportunities for sustainability initiatives that are most meaningful to them.

So we have devolved responsibility for implementing our Sustainability 2017 Vision to our businesses. They develop local projects, underpinned by the wider corporate vision which ensures a consistent, group wide understanding.

We link sustainable practices with commercial advantage. Sustainability makes us efficient and in turn more competitive in the marketplace. For this reason we treat it like any other business activity. It has been embedded in our management systems and is built into our business planning. Every year each business submits a sustainability plan as part of the annual budget review process.

Read more about how we manage sustainability performance.

Communication and Recognition
From the start of our Sustainability 2017 journey, we have put an emphasis on effective internal communication. At the early stages we provided training, seminars and workshops to explain and help set sustainability activities in motion. We have also launched a sustainability intranet which provides a means for everyone in the group to feed back their ideas and share good practice on sustainability. It also offers a central source of information which employees can draw upon to support their initiatives.

Externally, we communicate our progress through our annual Sustainability Report which is available on our website.

Every year, Sustainability Awards are made to recognise initiatives across the group. Individuals, teams, businesses and sites are all eligible and awards are made in several categories including corporate citizenship, developing a sustainable workforce, sustainable business, sustainable operations / supply chain and new product development. The awards showcase the winning entries, clarify the achievements of all who participate and bring together the activities of everyone in Johnson Matthey, wherever they are in the world.

We are also extending our sustainability efforts beyond our own businesses and workforce and are involving our suppliers and other partners.

Above all, we believe that sustainability is a team game. Whether they are putting forward an idea for saving energy, giving time to their local community or charity to help it prosper or developing a pollution control technology, our employees are playing a vital role in building a more sustainable business for the future.

^ back to top