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Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Emissions reductions on the path to Net Zero

In 2003, Whirlpool Corporation was the first appliance manufacturer to set an emissions reduction target, and we continue to make progress through ongoing investments. This progress was made possible through prioritization of energy retrofits, offsite and onsite renewable energy, and process improvements driven by the dedicated people and processes of our World Class Manufacturing (WCM) Environmental and Energy pillars. Over the last year, we have made significant progress toward our Net Zero target and are tracking ahead of schedule. We achieved a GHG emissions reduction of 45% in scopes 1 and 2 from 2016 to 2022 in our global plants and operations, and we plan to achieve greater reductions in emissions by continuing our strong focus on environmental and energy management and expansion of our renewable energy portfolio. When fully implemented, our on- and off-site renewables projects are expected to provide renewable energy to cover 100% of the electricity consumption by our U.S. sites. Our operations with the largest scope 2 emissions impact are located in the U.S., so this will provide a large reduction in our scope 2 emissions.

Our Greenhouse Gas Emissions Goals
  • Achieve a Net Zero emissions target in our global plants and operations by 2030. This commitment covers the direct (scope 1) and power-related (scope 2) emissions in our large manufacturing sites and distribution centers worldwide.
  • Support the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Better Climate Challenge along with other companies, states, municipalities and other organizations in committing to a portfolio-wide goal to reduce GHG emissions by 50% by 2030.

Driving to Net Zero Emissions in Our Plants and Operations

Bar chart on Driving to Net Zero Emissions in Our Plants and Operations

4 KEY LEVERS

Implementing
manufacturing process improvements

Investing
in renewable electricity and fuels

Promoting
energy efficiency and retrofits

Defining
an offset strategy for unavoidable emissions

1 Scopes 1 and 2 emissions are calculated as absolute values, and, as such, their changes can be explained by an increase or decrease in production volume, among other factors.

Key Achievements:

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

  • ~25% reduction in total GHG (scopes 1 and 2) compared to 2021.
  • Defined global and regional roadmaps to Net Zero by 2030.
  • Activated two off-site, large-scale renewable energy projects that, when fully operational, are expected to yield renewable energy to cover 100% of electricity consumption by our U.S. plants.
  • Funded and executed projects that will yield approximately 18,000 Mt of CO2 in GHG reduction.

scopes 1 & 2 Location-Based1
(metric tons of CO2eq)

Bar chart on Scopes 1 & 2 Location-Based (metric tons of CO2eq)

1 Scopes 1 and 2 emissions are calculated as absolute values, and, as such, their changes can be explained by an increase or decrease in production volume, among other factors.

2022 GHG reduction initiatives

Whirpool Corp. has always held ourselves accountable to reduce our overall global footprint. This year, we have taken steps toward our Net Zero commitment in sites across the world, following best practices and investing in innovation through pilot programs and projects. Our efforts to reduce our GHG emissions are delivering results that will help ensure that our products are made as sustainably as possible.

UNITED STATES

  • Retrofitted multiple sites with LED lighting and piloted multiple new energy management/process optimization technologies.
  • Reduced scope 1 emissions by introducing hydrogen fuel for tuggers and forklifts in Cleveland, Tennessee.

INDIA

  • Invested in an on-site solar project in Faridabad, India.

BRAZIL

  • Transitioned to 100% electrical forklifts in Manaus, Brazil, which reduced the site's scope 1 emissions by 15%.

ARGENTINA

  • Opened a new manufacturing site in Argentina with Net Zero readiness which uses no natural gas or propane fueled processes, no chlorofluorocarbons or other hazardous chemicals, and uses equipment designed to maximize energy efficiency.

Opening a green factory in Argentina

One of the most significant projects for Whirlpool Corp.’s Latin America region in 2022 was the opening of the new manufacturing plant in Argentina, with around 30,000 square meters of factory floor. Following all the premises from WCM methodology, Net Zero and green factories, the new plant features best practices in its processes, including rainwater harvesting, water reuse and biodiversity protection, without using hazardous chemicals or generating effluents. The official plant opening on October 28 was attended by important figures from Argentina's political and industrial segments, and impressed the public with its modernity and commitment to the environment and the community (including the creation of more than 1,300 jobs).

Whirlpool Corp. has committed to purchasing approximately 200,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of wind energy annually from the Limestone Wind VPPA project developed by ENGIE in rural Texas.

This RENEWABLE energy is equivalent to:

Providing electricity to 27,662

homes for one year, or

removing 30,633

gasoline-powered vehicles from the roads each year, or

displacing 142,169

metric tons of CO2e from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas grid each year, or

displacing 329,151

barrels of oil consumed each year

Agreements for clean energy

In 2022, we made progress toward our commitment to investing in renewable energy sources by entering into a second VPPA to accelerate our progress toward our Net Zero commitment for plants and operations globally. The combined amount of wind energy Whirlpool Corp. has committed to purchase through this VPPA and the Mesquite Sky VPPA project in Texas from Clearway Energy is equivalent to 100% of the company’s U.S. manufacturing plant energy consumption.

Reducing Upstream Emissions

To address upstream emissions impacts and meet our goal of a 95% reduction of high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants and foams by 2023, we continued our carbon offsetting initiative based on our use of advanced formulation blowing agents with lower GWP in refrigerators produced in North America. These conversions allow us to generate tradable environmental assets and operate in the voluntary carbon credits market by following the American Carbon Registry (ACR) methodology. ACR is a leading carbon offset program that has developed environmentally rigorous, science-based offset methodologies for years. Our carbon credits registered by ACR are sold to external buyers, and the funds are used by our product development teams to invest in innovative and sustainable products to help us achieve our emissions reduction goals.

100% of our electricity consumption By U.S. Plants Expected to be covered by the activation of two off-site virtual power purchase agreements.

Scopes 1 & 2 Emissions1 (MT CO2eq)

2005-2016: 8.5% decrease in Scope 1 & 2 emissions

2016-2022: 45% decrease in Scope 1 & 2 emissions

NET ZERO BY 2030

For nearly two decades, we have steadily set and achieved scopes 1 and 2 CO2e reduction commitments. In 2021, we committed to achieve Net Zero by 2030.

1 Scopes 1 and 2 emissions are calculated as absolute values, and, as such, their changes can be explained by an increase or decrease in production volume, among other factors.

scopes 1 & 2 Location-Based1
(metric tons of CO2eq)

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

1 Scopes 1 and 2 emissions are calculated as absolute values, and, as such, their changes can be explained by an increase or decrease in production volume, among other factors.