In 2020, our strong foundation of values and robust Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework enabled us to take care of our employees, our consumers and our communities without lowering our commitments to the environment. We stayed relentlessly focused on doing the right things the right way, just as we have for the last 109 years. We embraced our diversity with inclusion, made progress on our commitments, and we continued to fulfill our vision to improve life at home.
Guided by our mission to “Earn Trust and Create Demand,” we took several tangible steps forward in our ESG initiatives that are aligned with our material issues, including green-house gas (GHG) emissions, energy management, diversity, corporate governance and ethics, responsible sourcing and others. We linked those to our goal of making life in our homes, our communities, and our operations better today and in the future. We began reporting our impact against the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) standards in our 2019 report and have now started to disclose impacts on climate-related risks and opportunities using the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework. This year marks the first in our transition to providing our investors and other stakeholders increased external assurance of the impressive progress we’ve made toward our commitments.
Whirlpool Corporation stayed true to delivering quality products while protecting our environment, despite the disruptions and uncertainty of 2020. As shelter-in-place regulations were implemented and businesses were shuttered, consumers continued to demand our products given the essential role they serve in a time when people need reliable ways to store and prepare food, sanitize and clean clothes and dishes. We are proud to deliver a full range of appliances, to make sure everyone has access to high-performing products across the socioeconomic range, in all regions around the world.
Making an Impact— Improving Life at Home
Everything we do at Whirlpool Corporation is aligned with our vision: Be the best kitchen and laundry company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. While day-to-day tasks like washing, cooking and cleaning may seem insignificant, they are an impactful expression of love and play a fundamental role in shaping the world in which we live. We are also fiercely committed to developing innovative products that drive efficiencies in water and energy use and save our consumers’ time. Water and energy savings also help reduce our consumers’ utility bills and protect our environment. Our consumers can spend these time and financial savings taking care of their families in other ways.
Because we consider consumer preferences and cultural influences, and differences in infrastructure and availability of resources (such as water and energy) around the world, our approach and impact vary by region. In developed countries such as the U.S. and in Europe, our journey in providing efficient appliances has been one of continuous success over decades of delivering on innovation while not sacrificing performance. It is these purposeful innovations that have improved the lives of millions of our consumers in meaningful ways. A majority of household chores are borne by women in the home, especially in developing countries. By creating high-performing appliances that save time and effort, we have helped alleviate a portion of the burdens and barriers that have kept women from pursuing education, jobs, personal and family time. We have done this with the introduction of unique products such as the twin tub semiautomatic washer in India. The low-cost unit allows washing of more clothes with better efficiency and significant time savings.
Similarly, we have a unique water purification product-as-a-service in Brazil, providing safe, convenient water access to people at affordable monthly costs, as well as countertop dishwashers that save water and time to clean and dry dishes. In 2020, we launched over 100 innovative products, with two new innovative global platforms, a top-load washer and a new dishwasher. Each product marks a significant milestone in both performance and efficiency, as we continue to launch innovative products that significantly outperform the ones they replace, improving life at home by saving time and money while significantly reducing their environmental impact, one appliance at a time. We also launched our first laundry detergent, Swash, which is 8x concentrated and helps reduce packaging waste. Innovation is core to our business and we focus intensely on providing innovative solutions at every level, so that every individual and family has the opportunity for a better life in the home.