Emerson: Sustainable Sourcing in Industrial Automation

Technology company Emerson specialises in industrial automation, software and enterprise operations across many industries, including chemicals, energy and life sciences.

Its purpose is to create innovations to make the world healthier, safer, smarter and more sustainable.

Emerson has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, detailing its progress in environmental stewardship and responsible sourcing.

Emerson’s sustainability targets

Across the globe, Emerson has more than 18,000 active patents.

It helps solve complex technology challenges and optimise customers' operations.

The company’s operational emissions account for approximately 2% of its total value chain greenhouse gas emissions, with the remaining 98% coming from indirect activities across the value chain.

Its goal is to achieve net-zero operations, with a 90% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030, relative to a 2021 baseline.

By 2030, it aims to source 100% renewable electricity for its global operations through grid sourcing and on-site generation.

Additionally, Emerson is targeting a 35% reduction in its energy intensity from a 2021 baseline.

In 2025, it achieved a 27% reduction in energy intensity while increasing the volume of purchased renewable electricity to 56%.

It achieved a 49% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2025.

Lal Karsanbhai, President and CEO of Emerson, says: “In 2025, Emerson completed its transformation into a global automation leader serving a diverse set of market verticals and customers.

“We have built a company positioned for long-term value creation with a differentiated portfolio and an unparalleled software-defined technology stack.

“With strong support and oversight from our Board of Directors, we are advancing sustainability initiatives that serve our customers and strengthen the efficiency and resilience of our operations.”

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Protecting the planet

Emerson has assessed the water footprint of its manufacturing operations, helping it set a target to reduce water consumption at its manufacturing facilities by 10% by 2032.

In 2025, it surpassed this goal early by achieving a 12% overall reduction in water consumption compared to 2022.

The company has added water operational efficiency to its Sustainable Building Standards, to be used for new construction projects.

As part of its risk management strategy, Emerson deploys an environmental compliance programme.

This focuses on regulatory requirements related to air emissions, wastewater discharges and waste disposal.

To improve compliance, Emerson focuses on pollution prevention and risk reduction to minimise operational and financial risk.

“We are taking focused action to reduce the environmental impact of our operations and help customers advance their sustainability goals,” Lal continues.

“Across the industries we serve, Emerson’s leading technologies enable lower carbon, efficient and reliable operations.

“We continue to embed sustainability into the design and procurement of our products and packaging, integrating material efficiency, energy performance and lifecycle thinking into the decisions we make.”

Responsible sourcing across the value chain

Emerson manages a complex supply chain, sourcing plastics, electronics, steel and machined parts from more than 13,000 direct materials suppliers.

It follows a responsible sourcing policy, focusing on calculating greenhouse gas emissions, setting emissions-reduction goals, and implementing human rights and labour due diligence practices.

Across the company, more than 3,300 employees have been trained on Emerson’s Supplier Code of Conduct and sustainability-related topics.

Lal says: “We continue to strengthen our approach to supplier engagement by deepening collaboration, increasing transparency and aligning expectations around shared priorities.

“These efforts help protect our customers, enhance supply chain resilience and support long-term value creation across our value chain.

“We are energised by the opportunities ahead as we focus on engineering the autonomous future, enabling customers to optimise operations and accelerate innovation.”