CORK, Ireland — Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), the global leader for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, has been named to the 2023 Fortune Change the World list for its innovative and transformative heat pump technology. Fortune’s Change the World list recognizes companies that use creative tools to address society’s unmet needs and is evaluated based on measurable social impact, business results and degree of innovation.
Johnson Controls’ heat pumps use electricity to efficiently move heat, rather than burn fuel. Buildings represent nearly 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 50% of building energy consumption is used for heating and cooling. This makes heat pumps, which boost energy efficiency by three to eight times, a critical tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As the HVAC industry evolves to meet decarbonization needs, heat pumps are uniquely positioned to revolutionize the sustainable infrastructure industry.
“Urgent climate action is needed to make sustainable buildings an immediate reality,” said George Oliver, chairman and CEO of Johnson Controls. “Johnson Controls is proud to deliver the technologies, financing and innovation to help drive the progress needed in tackling climate change, supporting the sustainability journeys of our customers while lifting up people and the planet. It’s an honor to be included on the Fortune Change the World list, helping elevate transformative heat pump technology to accelerate positive change.”
A 2022 International Energy Agency emissions report found that global emissions rose less than 1% in 2022, thanks in significant measure to unprecedented growth in energy-efficient equipment like heat pumps, renewable energy and electric vehicles. According to the report, using heat pumps in place of boilers and other traditional heating systems could replace 80% of the gas used to heat buildings, playing a significant role in helping the built environment reach net zero and drive energy security. Johnson Controls offers one of the world’s most comprehensive range of heat pumps across residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
Johnson Controls’ heat pump customers have seen incredible results and are making immense progress toward their sustainability goals, not just in terms of carbon emissions, but also in reducing water use. For example, in Denmark, Johnson Controls’ design of optimized systems allowed a data center customer to utilize heat pumps as a cooling solution and, instead of using traditional evaporated water-cooling technology, recovered the heat for a district heating system, saving 132,000 tons of water per year.
