Mercury Marine releases 2019/2020 Sustainability Report
Company announces successful completion of decade-long goals, sets objectives for decade ahead
Mercury Marine today released its 2019/2020 Sustainability Report, a document confirming the accomplishment of several sustainability goals slated for completion by Dec. 31, 2019, and announcing targets for the 2020s.
In his introduction to the report, Mercury Marine President Chris Drees called 2019 a "truly pivotal" year. "It marked the achievement of goals across the four pillars of our sustainability mission: Energy, Environment, Product and People. While many of these targets were established in the last few years, others were set as many as ten years ago," Drees said. "With the achievement of our 2019 goals and a variety of lessons learned along the way, we have established new and ambitious goals that will challenge us to enhance our sustainability for years to come," he added.
When Mercury developed its goals for accomplishment by the end of 2019, the company established a baseline looking back to 2005 — before the recession of 2008-2009 — for more valid comparisons with contemporary production levels. However, the company's success and growth in the second half of the past decade exceeded expectations and made achieving some sustainability goals more challenging. Without creative solutions, the company's growth and increased production could have led to more energy consumption and greater impacts on the environment.
"We had to innovate even more aggressive approaches to being sustainable through a period of explosive growth," said Scott Louks, Mercury Marine sustainability manager.
By the end of last year, the company achieved:
- 45 percent decrease in global energy use, from 1.7 trillion BTUs in 2005 to 968 billion BTUs at the end of 2019;
- 35 percent reduction in global water usage, from 295 million gallons in 2005 to 193 million gallons at the end of 2019;
- 58 percent reduction in the generation of hazardous waste, from 297 tons in 2005 to 126 tons in 2019;
- 76 percent reduction of outboard‑engine emissions, from 66.42 grams of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides (HC+NOx) per kilowatt hour in 2005 to 15.80 at the end of 2019;
- 69 percent reduction of sterndrive‑ and inboard‑engine emissions, from 16.00 grams of HC+NOx per kilowatt hour in 2005 to 4.96 at the end of 2019; and
- steady annual increases in employee engagement in charitable causes — including financial contributions, donations of goods and volunteer time — as well as in health and wellness programs.
"We would not have reached our goals without the dedicated support of many employees working on small‑scale initiatives to combine with our large‑scale programs," Louks said.
For example, actions contributing to the achievement of energy‑related goals included a multimillion‑dollar investment in solar panels at the company's headquarters for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, as well as numerous steps as simple as replacing old lighting systems with LEDs and improving power-down practices on equipment, climate controls and lighting systems.
Similarly, with regard to environment‑related goals, in 2019 the company completed a multifaceted program to make its Plant 3 warehouse and distribution center its first official zero-waste-to-landfill operation. Additionally, however, a host of smaller projects throughout the global Mercury system focused on recycling and reuse, as well as water management, to significantly enhance the company's stewardship of the environment.
In the past decade, new Mercury products have earned accolades for their environmental friendliness. The latest generation of Mercury engines has been widely recognized for its fuel‑efficiency, conservation of raw materials, low emissions and quiet and smooth operation. Mercury technologies such as Active Trim and Joystick Piloting further enabled boaters to reduce their fuel consumption.
With a commitment toward the betterment of people's lives, various Mercury facilities reached extraordinary safety milestones, and employees' engagement in causes to help the planet, their communities, their neighbors and themselves steadily grew.
"We view the accomplishment of our decade‑long goals as more of a checkpoint than a final destination," said Louks. "Our dedication to sustainability and our work in support of that mission continue."
Accordingly, Mercury established a new set of goals to pursue under each of the four pillars of its sustainability mission:
Energy
- Reduce energy consumption by 25 percent in comparison to a 2016 baseline. Deadline: year‑end 2025.
- Derive 50 percent of electricity from renewable sources. Deadline: year‑end 2030.
Environment
- Reduce water consumption by 25 percent in comparison to a 2016 baseline. Deadline: year‑end 2025.
- Designate 50 percent of global distribution centers and warehouse operations as "zero waste to landfill" facilities. Deadline: year‑end 2025.
Product
- Reduce outboard emissions by 80 percent in comparison to 2005 levels. Deadline: year‑end 2025.
- Reduce sterndrive emissions by 70 percent in comparison to 2005 levels. Deadline: year‑end 2025.
People
- Engage 75 percent of employees in health assessments. Deadline: year‑end 2025.
- Engage 50 percent or more of employees in 16 hours of volunteer service per year through 2025.
- Improve employee engagement survey results by five points by the end of 2025.
About Mercury Marine
Headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Mercury Marine is a world‑leading manufacturer of marine propulsion systems. A $3 billion division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), Mercury designs, manufactures and distributes engines, services and parts for recreational, commercial and government marine applications, empowering boaters with products that are easy‑to‑use, extremely reliable and backed by the most dedicated customer support in the world with 10,000 service points globally. Mercury's industry‑leading brand portfolio includes Mercury outboard engines and Mercury MerCruiser sterndrive and inboard packages. Mercury's global parts‑and‑accessories offerings include: propellers; SmartCraft electronics; Power Products Integrated Solutions; MotorGuide trolling motors; Attwood, Garelick and Whale marine parts; Land 'N' Sea, BLA, Payne's Marine, Kellogg Marine and Lankhorst Taselaar marine parts distribution; and Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils. More information is available at mercurymarine.com.