Ingrid Zeegers is responsible at Philips’ development and design of sustainable business. Zeegers is one of the exponents of the principles of cradle-to-cradle in The Netherlands, and under her supervision the Electronics division now has a different view on the use of materials, energy efficiency and product propositions. A view that leads to considerable savings. Innovative solutions, like the EnergyCare vacuum cleaner, have been developed under the Philips Green logo. “Sustainability requires systems innovation and is a shared responsibility of the entire organization
and its value chain.”
What are good examples of sustainable entrepreneurship?
"A new generation of companies is completely focused on sustainability. Very inspiring are the hybrid tuk-tuk (a motrized mini taxi in Asia) and the energy generating dance floor of Enviu. Innovaders is doing well with the Wattcher. This smart gadget gives an insight into the energy consumption at home, and helps private individuals with saving energy. Fashion brand Kuyichi has become internationally successful with organic cotton, including clothing and bags that have been produced according to fair trade principles.”
How has sustainable entrepreneurship taken shape within your organization?
"The first environmental activities began in 1972 after the publication of the report ‘The limits to growth: a global challenge’ by The Club of Rome. Frits Philips was also involved with this. Since 1994, improving the environment has been a core objective of our company, and sustainability has become integrated in corporate processes. The EcoVision 4 program runs from 2007 to 2012 and contains ambitious targets. For instance, 30 percent of the turnover in 2012 must come from green products. In order to realize this target, a technical innovation program for the entire value chain has already been ongoing for two years. We are sharing knowledge with suppliers and waste processors and are thinking of new business models together.”
Where should the responsibility for sustainability lie within an organization?
“Philips wants to embed sustainability in all positions. After all, everyone can think along on how we can do things smarter.”
What are realistic targets to set within an organization?
“It is important to articulate a serious ambition. Our goal is to realize 30 percent of the total revenue in 2012 via green products, with a 25 percent higher efficiency in energy consumption than in 2007. Furthermore, 1 billion Euros has to be invested in sustainability. We use sustainable performance indicators to measure this. Philips annually accounts for all of these aspects in the sustainability report, which is checked by an accountant.”
How sustainable are you in daily life?
“I do notice that I am becoming increasingly sustainable in my daily routine. I go to the health food store, I no longer have a car, I use energy-saving bulbs and eat less meat. I recently bought the Wattcher, which is so much fun. Just as in my work, I notice that it is still quite difficult to find."
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