Cooper touts energy conservation in sustainability report

FINDLAY, Ohio (Aug. 7, 2015) — Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. is touting its achievements in reducing energy usage and waste in its third annual corporate social responsibility and sustainability report, “Responsibility the Cooper Way.”

“As we begin our second century in the tire business, topics such as corporate social responsibility and sustainability are increasingly important,” said Findlay-based Cooper's Chairman, CEO and President Roy Armes.

“This report details our goals and progress on environmental protection as well as technology and innovation, safety and philanthropy. Cooper is making progress on these initiatives and is committed to continuing to work on and report on our progress to key stakeholders.”

Highlights from Cooper's sustainability report include:

• The company said it has reduced energy usage intensity by 12 percent since 2009, and based on 2014 production levels, the company saved approximately 0.7 trillion joules of energy per year, which is equivalent to about 14.5 percent of current energy use.
• Cooper has reduced water usage intensity by 8 percent since 2009.
• Landfill usage intensity has decreased nearly 40 percent since 2009.
• Cooper conducted a materiality assessment to effectively drive its sustainability strategy. The company identified the significant economic, environmental and social aspects of the business and prioritized those aspects for review and potential action in coordination with the company's business objectives. The process revealed the aspects most important to Cooper stakeholders and the company is acting on those priorities.
• Cooper collaborates with a number of entities and partners on tire raw materials and design, training, regulatory matters, scrap tire management and other sustainability topics. For example, the company and a number of universities and public/private sector partners are working together to develop more sustainable tires. Cooper also recently completed work under a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant to develop ultra-light weight fuel-efficient tires, exceeding the project's goals.

• Cooper continues to implement an employee safety excellence system that is the centerpiece of its “Drive to Zero” global safety campaign, which demonstrates the company's commitment to injury prevention as a top priority by building a zero-injury culture.

“Corporate social responsibility has played an important role at Cooper because we have always known it is the right thing to do,” said Tom Wood, Cooper's director, global environmental affairs.

“We continue to work toward improving our performance and achieving sustainability improvements. The results in our report reflect Cooper's commitment and the conviction of our employees toward a more sustainable future.”