2021 Eco Construction Leaders

Here are 10 building construction industry-related companies that specialize in making themselves or others think green, from cutting back carbon emissions (CO2e) to showing the public how important sustainability is in the long term.

JinkoSolar

JinkoSolar’s history of sustainable practices includes pledging to power 100 percent of operations with renewables by 2025, cutting its electricity consumption per megawatt of production by 30 percent since 2015, and becoming the first solar panel manufacturer to join the RE100 global corporate renewable energy initiative. 

LG Electronics U.S.A.

LG Electronics met its 2030 Zero Carbon pledge for reduced CO2e in its U.S. operations a year early. Instead of cutting emissions by 50 percent by the end of 2020, the company met the goal by mid-2019 thanks to energy efficiency upgrades, conservation, and the use of 80 percent-plus renewable energy across the board.

Luxe Bidet

In addition to making a quiet topic easier to speak about, Luxe Bidet promotes tree preservation and water conservation. Encouraging people to rinse instead of wiping has saved 46.2 billion rolls of toilet paper, more than 15 million trees and 473 billion gallons of production water. The under-$40 price tag doesn’t hurt, either.

Mohawk Industries

Mohawk Industries has one of the nation’s largest delivery truck fleets and should generate excessive CO2e. But a diesel fuel economy program, small engine auxiliary power units with five-minute idling, built-in emission control devices, use of retreads on all trailers, and aerodynamic truck packages make Mohawk a clean air leader.

Panasonic

Panasonic’s Panasonic Environment Vision 2050 promotes utilizing clean energy amounts that exceed energy used over the next three decades. These include expansion of energy-generation and storage businesses, as well as offering revolutionary indoor air quality products such as the Cosmos healthy home system.

Rachio

At Rachio, conserving water and protecting water quality go hand in hand. The company’s yard care products create healthier plants without polluting water and air with nitrogen and ecosystem-damaging chemicals. Its lawn treatment method contains the right amount of all-natural nutrients. And then there’s its Rachio 3 sprinkler controller. Enough said.

Rheem

Rheem has committed to training 250,000 plumbers, contractors, distributors, suppliers and others on sustainable products, installations or recycling best practices. These training sessions expand knowledge of relevant high-efficiency products, enhance understanding of how they’re installed or serviced, and highlight key environmental and cost-saving benefits to the end user. 

Taylor Made Cabinets

Opting for custom-made cabinets and other woodworking often means substituting all-natural for environmentally unfriendly. The wood comes from endangered trees or is produced in a hazardous manner; toxic paints are used during finishing. 

Taylor Made Cabinets avoid those miscues, opting for no-added formaldehyde cabinets, plywood boxes, and solid wood drawers.

Trane Technologies

Trane Technologies wants to help reduce customers’ CO2e by 1 gigaton by 2030. That’s more than the combined annual outputs of Italy, France and the United Kingdom, or 2 percent of the world’s production. Targets have been set for accelerated clean technologies and energy efficiency, and reduced use of global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants. 

Uponor North America

Uponor North America (UNA) has reduced CO2e, and boosted wind and solar energy use by double-digit figures annually since 2017. The company has also identified projects that could cut emissions impact by 1,300 metric tons annually. ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications are in, while ISO 50001 is underway.