Grundfos supports UN Sustainable Development Goals

In pursuit of these aims, the United Nations, in 2015, published a list of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), covering a range of key areas from ending poverty and hunger throughout the world, to improving health, combatting Climate Change and improving the availability of water supplies and sanitation.  

Whilst 15 of the 17 goals refer either directly or indirectly to water, underlining its crucial role in delivering the better world envisaged by the UN, Grundfos has aligned itself with two goals: number 6, regarding water and sanitation, and number 13, designed to address Climate Change. 

As technological and thought leader in its field, Grundfos has sustainability in its DNA, and offers customers some of the most energy-efficient and reliable long-term water solutions. It has made SDG 6 the backbone of its business, as this is where its expertise lies, and where it knows it can make the biggest difference to people’s lives around the world. 

Improving water supplies globally 

Grundfos is working with organizations around the world to bring reliable water and sanitation to people living day to day in the most challenging circumstances. It is, for instance, working with NGO’s and UN organizations to speed up delivery of clean, healthy and sustainable drinking water to some of the world’s largest refugee camps.  

Through initiatives such as Water2Life, Grundfos’ employee engagement charity and Lifelink, a UN award-winning Grundfos initiative that brings together innovative technology, professional services and support, holistic business models and multi-stakeholder partnerships, Grundfos is helping to deliver sustainable water supplies throughout the developing world.  

From Kenya, where Lifelink has worked in partnership with World Vision to establish 46 automated solar-powered water kiosks as part of a market-based initiative to improve sustainability, to Uganda, where Grundfos partnered with the Danish Refugee Council’s Business-Humanitarian Partnership Lab, to install smart water dispensers which brought drinking water for the first time to refugees in the country’s Bidi camp, these initiatives are helping to create a better, safer life for millions. 

And Grundfos is finding innovative new ways to fund pump upgrades. Like in Cambodia, where it has introduced a pay-as-you-save scheme to enable water supply company, Takeo, to replace old, outdated manual pumps with a high efficiency system that automatically adjusts flow to meet demand. Takeo were able to fund the work over an extended period from the savings they achieved in reduced maintenance, leakage and lower energy costs – and are now supplying outlying villages with water 24/7, where previously they had access for only a few hours each day.  

Addressing Climate change 

Cutting energy usage is central to global efforts to cut carbon-based emissions and address the problems of climate change. Around the world, it has been estimated that pumps account for an incredible 10% of total energy usage, and that upgrading to the latest Grundfos high efficiency pumps would reduce world energy usage by 4% and begin to make a major stand against global warming. 

Time and time again, businesses around the world are reporting savings of up to 60% in energy when they install the latest Grundfos pump systems. Often, these projects also deliver a range of other benefits, from improvements to health and living conditions and more reliable safe water supplies. 

Like in Shanghai, where Grundfos was called in by Qujiang Water Supply Management when growing urbanization put major strains on their outdated water supply system. By auditing their network, Grundfos found two pumping stations suffering badly from design problems and outdated equipment. New state-of-the-art Grundfos pumps provided the answer, ensuring a much more stable water supply and improved quality of life for the surrounding community – as well delivering energy savings of 30% and 17% respectively at the two stations.  

A coordinated approach is essential 

“The Sustainable Development Goals provide us with a common understanding and route-map to achieve a better future”, according to Grundfos’ Senior Engagement and Responsibility Manager, Pia Yasuko. “We are now on a journey to link these Goals to Grundfos’ business strengths. We see the SDGs as a win-win opportunity, improving the world for future generations, whilst supporting our vision to become a value-based, sustainable company.” 

To fully achieve the goals by the UN’s target date of 2030, however, requires a coordinated approach with buy-in by all interested parties and Grundfos has now gone on the offensive to raise awareness amongst major international companies, individuals, governments and related organizations around the world.  

Speaking at the UN Global Compact Leaders’ Summit in New York in September, Grundfos CEO, Mads Nipper said,”, “Sustainability and responsibility are not just words on paper, they should be firmly embedded in the DNA of every forward-thinking company, like ourselves with aspirations beyond simply short-term profit. We have always supported our customers with a portfolio of sustainable products and solutions and will continue to do so.” 

“Anchoring our strategy to the SDGs is a natural continuation of our heritage and working with them is just part of an ongoing process for Grundfos worldwide.”