AKRON — Goodyear touted its continuous improvement action, including the push to reduce its environmental footprint and its commitment to communities in its 22nd annual corporate responsibility report, which was published recently.
Among the efforts emphasized were:
- Goodyear continues to commit to providing safe and secure working conditions for its associates and contractors. The tire maker said it was recognized as an employer of choice in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, China and 11 European countries by employer certification organizations such as the Great Place to Work Institute and the Top Employers Institute.
- Goodyear said it invests continuously in technologically and innovative products and services necessary for a complex market. The company earned the 2017 Environmental Achievement of the Year award from Tire Technology International for its breakthrough in applying soybean oil in the tread compound of tires as a replacement for traditional petroleum oil, it said. Goodyear has 35 commercial truck tire products with SmartWay verification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for low rolling resistance performance that reduces truck fuel consumption by at least 3 percent.
- The Akron-based tire maker said it strives for minimum energy, emissions, water and waste generation globally. It said it has reduced its manufacturing energy intensity by 15 percent, greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent and water use by 21 percent compared to 2010.
- Goodyear and inaugural the Global Week of Volunteering featured 2,000 volunteers at 115 events in 22 countries, nearly doubling its performance over the last year.
- Goodyear said it is committed to responsible sourcing and expects suppliers to do the same. The company recently introduced a natural rubber procurement policy addressing human rights and deforestation risks in the natural rubber supply chain and is working to strengthen its monitoring and enforcement practices in its supply chain.
Richard J. Kramer, chairman, chief executive officer and president, said Goodyear "was founded on the values of quality, integrity and responsibility, and those same values continue to guide our decisions and actions today. We take our corporate responsibility seriously, working every day to the benefit of our customers, our associates and our communities, while minimizing our impact on the environment."