Tempur Sealy Commits to Long-Term Sustainability Goal

December 22, 2020  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry   

"We have already taken meaningful steps toward reducing or offsetting Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from our wholly-owned operations,” said Scott Thompson, chairman and CEO. “This year we sourced 100% renewable energy for our wholly-owned U.S. and European manufacturing operations, and expect to continue doing so in future years. We are on track to install a solar power array at our largest mattress manufacturing operation in Albuquerque, New Mexico in early 2021, which is expected to generate enough solar energy to power all of the plant's assembly lines. We are also driving zero-landfill waste initiatives across our global organization, with the goal of our U.S. and European wholly-owned manufacturing operations achieving zero-landfill by the end of 2022. The long-term carbon neutral goal we announced today will further our progress towards reducing our environmental footprint across our global operations."

Tempur Sealy will reduce or offset 100% of Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from its wholly-owned manufacturing, logistics and retail operations by the year 2040. This will reduce both Scope 1 emissions (direct emissions from sources it owns or controls) and Scope 2 emissions (emissions attributable to the electricity it consumes). The company plans to achieve this long-term goal through absolute emission reductions from the continued use of renewable energy and operational efficiency improvements, as well as the funding of carbon offsets.

In addition, Tempur Sealy intends to extend its sustainability efforts to its global supply chain by encouraging its suppliers to establish their own sustainability goals. Through this initiative, Tempur Sealy aims to increase sustainability awareness and initiatives within its supplier base with the goal of reducing its Scope 3 emissions (emissions from sources it does not directly own or control) and reducing the environmental footprint of its supply chain. 

Thompson continued, "This new long-term goal reflects the continued commitment by Tempur Sealy's board of directors and management team to improving our communities and environment. Our zero-landfill and renewable energy initiatives have already delivered a significant reduction of our environmental footprint to-date. In this next phase of our efforts, we will continue to implement industry-leading sustainability initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. Our global workforce is mobilized to implement solutions that limit our environmental impact, benefit our community, and drive shareholder value."