Contribution to sustainable development Energizing the Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 3

Good Health and Well-being

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Safety and health are a top priority for ABB; our goal is to achieve zero incidents. Our automation solutions help other enterprises pursue the same goal. Automated processes in mining have saved countless lives, and robots from ABB are taking on the dull, dirty and dangerous tasks that no human should have to do.

Person In Charge of Work

ABB partners with the Global Challenge initiative to build a healthy, fit and resilient workforce

SDG 4

Quality Education

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

We support a wide range of educational activities and organizations, including several hundred community engagement programs around the world. The global foundation created to honor former ABB Chairman Jürgen Dormann helps promising engineering students fund their further education. ABB also invests roughly $11 million annually in employee learning initiatives.

Working with underprivileged children

SDG 5

Gender Equality

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Our new diversity and inclusiveness framework is designed to expand opportunities for women, especially those already working at ABB. Its first phase focuses on integrating diversity objectives into our talent development processes and raising awareness among employees. We support the Women’s Forum to share and learn from best practices at other companies.

SDG 10

Reduced Inequalities

Reduce inequality within and among countries

ABB actively seeks to address the issue of inequality by recruiting skilled employees from diverse backgrounds and by utilizing local supply chains that generate local jobs. Our extensive business and social commitments are outlined in our Group Code of Conduct, our Ethics, Environment, Social and Human Rights policies, and other internal guidelines.

Working with underprivileged children

SDG 13

Climate Action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Taking action to address the causes of climate change is of vital importance to both the environment and the global economy. ABB was one of 79 signatories to an open letter in 2015 urging the world’s leaders to reach an ambitious climate deal at COP 21. We have actively participated in all recent COP meetings to encourage countries to deliver on their policies and action plans.

Sustainable high-voltage circuit breakers

ABB boosts renewables and power reliability at its own facilities

Collaborating with local farmers in Mysore, India

SDG 14

Life Below Water

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Our integrated marine systems improve operational efficiency and reduce fuel consumption, lessening the environmental impacts of ocean shipping. These include our Azipod® propulsion systems and our marine software and services. We support the research of By the Ocean we Unite, which addresses the major challenge of plastic pollution in the oceans.

SDG 15

Life on Land

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

We have implemented policies and programs to reduce resource consumption, maximize recycling and eliminate use of hazardous materials. Our eco-efficient products are subjected to life-cycle assessments that encompass long-term environmental consequences. Among our many environmental commitments, we have participated actively in reforestation programs in Costa Rica and Inner Mongolia, China.

SDG 16

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

For over 10 years, ABB has been a member of the corporate support group of the International Committee of the Red Cross, helping to address humanitarian challenges in areas of conflict. In 2017, ABB engineers installed a microgrid solution to deliver reliable power at the International Committee of the Red Cross Logistics Center in Nairobi, Kenya.

Investments in integrity are paying dividends

Cross-functional experience exchange to improve human rights training

SDG 1

No Poverty

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Lack of basic infrastructure keeps nearly 2 billion people trapped in poverty around the world. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, ABB is addressing the issue of access to electricity with an innovative solution to tap into high-voltage transmission lines to provide power to small communities nearby.

ABB enables access to electricity in Africa

SDG 2

Zero Hunger

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

ABB is a leader in technologies that enable farms and food producers to improve performance and reduce environmental impacts. In Egypt, low-voltage motors from ABB are used to power the pumps at two fish-farming pilot projects in the Nile Delta, part of an ambitious initiative to expand the country’s fishery resources.

SDG 8

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Industrial automation is an effective way to generate growth and strengthen job markets. Robots such as ABB’s YuMi are increasing productivity while creating entirely new types of jobs for people. Deonet, a Dutch manufacturer of promotional products, has deployed advanced automation to compete successfully with low-cost overseas manufacturers.

Conflict minerals

SDG 9

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

We operate seven corporate research centers, employ 8,500 researchers, and collaborate with more than 70 universities around the world. In 2017 we invested $1.4bn in R&D and have set ourselves a target to increase the share of revenue from our eco-efficiency portfolio to 60% of our total revenue by 2020.

SDG 11

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

We provide a foundation for smarter cities by supporting critical infrastructure and enabling the automation of factories, stores, offices and homes. In a recent project for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority, ABB developed a hybrid energy storage system that captures excess energy produced by braking trains, reducing energy consumption by 10 percent.

ABB enables access to electricity in Africa

Harnessing wind power

A reliable power supply for Warsaw’s second metro line

SDG 12

Responsible Consumption and Production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Our products, manufacturing processes and supply chain must comply with the “ABB List of Prohibited and Restricted Substances.” We monitor the sourcing of certain minerals closely and are phasing out the use of hazardous substances. ABB works closely with its suppliers to support these efforts.

Sustainable high-voltage circuit breakers

Collaborating with local farmers in Mysore, India

Conflict minerals

Suyog Electrical

SDG 17

Partnerships for the Goals

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

United for Efficiency (U4E) is a public–private multi-stakeholder collaboration partnership led by the United Nations Environment Programme. It helps governments develop and implement national and regional strategies for improved energy efficiency. ABB is a founding partner, sharing our know-how on motors and transformers, policies, regulations and standards, and potential applications for the best available technologies.

SDG 6

Clean Water and Sanitation

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Advanced technologies from ABB are making access to safe water and sanitation possible in countries across the world. The ABB Ability Distributed Control System will serve as the cornerstone of the water distribution network in New Cairo, Egypt, delivering 500,000 cubic meters of water per day to 2.5 million people.

SDG 7

Affordable and Clean Energy

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

ABB’s microgrids, powered by renewable energy, bring electricity to remote places and excel at providing clean backup power to regions prone to outages. Microgrids can integrate multiple distributed generation sources, and their benefits are realized almost immediately. One recent installation brought vital power to weavers and tailors in Barmer, India.

Harnessing wind power

ABB boosts renewables and power reliability at its own facilities

Collaborating with local farmers in Mysore, India