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Our journey towards a healthier and more sustainable world

Our current approach is rooted in decades of activities and experience in finding sustainable solutions. Today, we drive sustainable innovation by considering both the needs of people and the ecological capacity of the planet.

1900 - 1965

Social focus

1900
Various Philips Health Insurance Arrangements

1920
Start of Philips Housing Program

1961
Switch to 5 day working week in Philips

1965 - 2000

Environmental agenda

Trend in this period:
  • Club of Rome

1970
Supporting the Club of Rome

Philips supercomputers calculated the future scenario’s of the Club of Rome. The Club of Rome is a global think tank driven by a common concern for the future of humanity.

1971
Philips Corporate Environmental function established

1994
First ‘all aspects’ action Program:

Improving on energy and water consumption, waste recycling and emissions of hazardous substances in our operations.

1998
Launch of first Philips EcoVision program

Scope expanded from operations only to include environmental performance of our products.

2000-2012

Accelerating in sustainability

Trends in this period:

  • Millenium Development Goals launched
  • Al Gore’s “An inconvenient truth”

2003
Extending the scope of the Philips Sustainability program to our supply chain

Leaders for Nature

2008
Philips joined Leaders for Nature

Focusing on biodiversity and ecosystems as part of wider sustainability and business policies.
Healthy@Schools

2009
Launch of Simply Healthy @ Schools:

Philips’ global community program, helping underprivileged school children live healthier lives.
Philips & Greenpeace

2010
Philips ranked third in Greenpeace’s ‘Guide to Greener Electronics'

2011 - Super Sector Leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index

Philips was elected best in the category personal and household goods.

2012 - Including the social dimension in our products

This resulted in a new company vision, stating that we innovate for a healthier and more sustainable world.

2013

and beyond....
our future

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

2013
Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation

This foundation aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
Frans van Houten

Our future ...

For a sustainable world, the transition from a linear to a circular economy is a necessary boundary condition. A circular economy requires innovation in the areas of material, component and product reuse, as well as related business models. By using materials more effectively, economic growth will eventually be decoupled from the use of natural resources and ecosystems. In such an economy, the lower use of raw materials allows us to create more value.

Frans van Houten