A sustainable commitment: High air quality for a better future

Mark Simmons, President and CEO of Camfil, states: "For more than half a century, sustainability has not just been something we do, but who we are."

For nearly 60 years, the task has been to provide solutions for indoor air quality to protect people, processes, and the environment. The pandemic in 2021 demonstrated how important indoor air quality is, especially for protecting people. This year also highlighted the relationship between humans and nature: city streets became quieter, and nature was more visible.

Sustainability at Camfil

Healthy indoor air quality is essential for protecting people, processes, and the environment. With energy-efficient product solutions, Camfil focuses on providing innovative technologies. The sustainability report emphasizes the company's strong commitment and activities across all areas. Mark Simmons, President and CEO of Camfil, explains: “For more than half a century, sustainability has not only been something we do but who we are.”

The importance of good indoor air quality

Questions of sustainability and climate change are at the forefront worldwide, and more and more people are becoming aware that the air they breathe indoors can be even more polluted than outdoor air. Air filtration solutions benefit not only people and their health, well-being, or productivity but can also impact the economy and the environment, especially in critical manufacturing processes such as vaccine production or sensitive environments like hospitals; this was highlighted during the pandemic and is now regarded as a necessary standard for the future.

“The 2021 sustainability report highlights our numerous initiatives to further improve indoor air quality, energy, and operational efficiency to achieve our sustainability goals both for ourselves and our customers. Our sustainability measures are a daily expression of our owner’s directive to positively influence people, processes, and the environment through indoor air quality. They are passionately implemented by my colleagues at Camfil around the world, who call things by their name every day,” - Åsa Lidström, Quality and Environmental Initiatives Manager.

Clean air at the Music City Center in Nashville

The 2021 sustainability report features a success story demonstrating how Camfil in the USA and the Music City Center in Nashville collaborated to improve indoor air quality for visitors while reducing energy consumption, waste, CO₂ emissions, and overall operating costs. “A great example that commitment to sustainability is not just an investment but pays off,” says Mark Davidson, Head of Marketing at Camfil USA.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations aim to combat inequality, end extreme poverty, and protect the world we live in. To achieve the SDGs, companies must make significant efforts by adopting a sustainability mindset and embedding sustainability into their strategies, business activities, and employee behavior. This report shows how Camfil creates a better and more sustainable organization based on performance indicators, aligned with its vision and values: “Clean air is a human right.”

United Nations Global Compact

Camfil adheres to the Code of Conduct with the ten principles and guidelines of the UN Global Compact, for both employees and business partners. This includes requirements for compliance with environmental regulations for external partners, with an approach that promotes modern practices and technologies to enhance energy efficiency and sustainable resource use. The Compact was founded to encourage companies worldwide to take responsibility for their activities and to report annually on their progress as members.

Customer success stories

– In Denmark, Camfil partnered with Middelfart Wastewater to develop a solution to eliminate odors and air pollution in the treatment plant.
– A study by University College Dublin and Dublin’s Mater Hospital found that Camfil’s City M air purifiers remove aerosols from poorly ventilated rooms four times faster. The WHO states that COVID-19 is primarily transmitted through inhalation of aerosols from close proximity.
– The Alto Garda gas turbine power plant in Italy was able to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 1,100 tons per year. By choosing the right air filters, pressure drop in the system was reduced, leading to longer filter life and significant savings in fuel consumption.
– One million visitors to the Swedish Pavilion “The Forest” at Expo 2020 in Dubai breathed clean air thanks to co-sponsoring with Camfil air filtration solutions.
– And many other ongoing projects, such as conducting life cycle assessments (LCA) for Camfil products, efforts to reduce waste generation, and examples of reducing carbon emissions through energy-efficient solutions.

The sustainability concept at Camfil is continuously developed and improved. The World Economic Forum states that more than half of the global GDP depends on nature and a functioning ecosystem. Therefore, it is crucial for companies worldwide to establish a long-term balance and relationship with nature that positively impacts people, products, and processes, as Camfil does in this industry.