MILWAUKEE — Global water technology company A. O. Smith Corp. announced the release of its 2022 ESG Report, which documents the company's environmental, social, and governance activities, progress, and performance over the past two years. This is the third ESG report released by the company in the last five years.

“While ESG concepts have long been embedded within the foundation of A. O. Smith’s history - since our founding in 1874 – the release of our third ESG Report further demonstrates our commitment to being a good corporate citizen and a leader in water technology and environmental stewardship efforts,” said Kevin J. Wheeler, chairman, president, and CEO. “We are proud to remain a leading global provider of innovative and energy efficient solutions, allowing us to address the complex water-related challenges the world is facing today.”   

In the past year, A. O. Smith made significant strides in its commitment to ESG, including:

•           Progress toward the company’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goal: 10% emissions intensity reduction by 2025;

•           Preventing almost 500,000 metric tons of carbon emissions in 2021 through sales of highly efficient water heaters and boilers;

•           Achieving WAVE verification, a process developed by The Water Council and independently verified by SCS Global Services, as an initial step in creating a strategy to improve our water stewardship performance;

•           Hiring Noelle Brigham, director, ESG, who joins A. O. Smith with 20-plus years of sustainability experience in corporate environments;

•           Donating more than $1.6 million to 193 nonprofit community organizations in 2021 through the A. O. Smith Foundation and $1.5 million to provide access to clean drinking water to communities in need in partnership with Good360;

•           Continuing to achieve the company’s employee development goal – 100% of full-time salaried employees have had a documented development plan for the past three years;

•           Receiving the fourth consecutive Energy Star Partner of the Year Award and second consecutive award for sustained excellence; and

•           Assisting policymakers in analyzing data using a proprietary tool that models energy usage, environmental impact, and potential decarbonization proposals.

“With this report, we further demonstrate our commitment to be a water technology company that is continuously innovating to provide our customers with a diverse array of energy efficient solutions,” said Wheeler. “We are consistently measuring and managing our own environmental footprint and aligning what we do as a business with our ESG-related goals by being good stewards of water through our involvement in the Water Council and the Water Quality Association.”