Signalling a brighter future Philips Lighting

SIGNALLING A BRIGHTER FUTURE

In March 2018, Philips Lighting announced its decision to rename the company: “Signify”. In its first year of trading the company recorded revenues of more than €1.5 billion. Philip Yorke looks at the transformation of an industrial giant and the cutting edge advances it has made in its first year of operation.

Philips Lighting was founded in the Netherlands in 1891 and began by manufacturing carbon-filament lamps. It has since been responsible for many of the world’s most important, groundbreaking innovations from the invention of the x-ray and solid-state radio technology, to the development of LED’s (light emitting diodes).

When the company changed its brand name to ‘Signify’ it became the global number one for connected, LED and conventional lighting products overnight. The choice of the new company name ‘Sigfnify’

“originates from the fact that light becomes an intelligent language which connects and conveys meaning” according to Eric Rondolat, CEO of Philips Lighting. However, the company will continue to use the Philips brand, the world’s biggest lighting brand, under its existing lighting agreement with Royal Philips.

At the launch of the new company Rondolat added: “We’re excited to announce our new company name as another step in our transformation journey. Our new company name is a clear expression of our strategic vision and a fabulous opportunity to introduce a new corporate look and feel that is uniquely our own, and will serve to further unite our 32,000 employees. At the same time, we remain proud to continue to use the Philips brand on all our products.”

Today Signify is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Signify’s energy efficient lighting products, systems and services enable its customers to enjoy superior quality light, and make people’s lives safer and more comfortable, as well as businesses more productive and cities more liveable. With sales in 2018 of more than EUR 6.4 billion, approximately 30,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries, Signify says that it is unlocking the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. Pioneering sustainable, solar street lighting

In Seville in Spain, Signify is using its pioneering solar lighting products to enhance the safety of visitors to the Infanta Elena Park. During the pilot project, 20 Philips ‘SunStay’ solar streetlights will be installed in the park, underscoring both Seville’s and Signify’s commitment to sustainability.

By integrating the solar panel, luminaire, charge controller and battery in one housing, the Philips SunStay streetlights are compact and easy to install and maintain. They will also help Seville, a city committed to sustainability and ecology, to reduce energy costs and improve its own carbon footprint.

Juan Espaadas, the Mayor of the City of Seville said, “Seville is a city committed to the fight against climate change and a model of a sustainable city that meets the objectives of the strategic plan; Sevilla 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. All the municipal electricity supply is converted into 100 per cent renewable energy. That is why it is so important that one of the green areas of the city is where we will develop an innovative business project to find solutions that improve citizens’ public spaces usage and, at the same time, contribute to the reduction of emissions and improve sustainability”.

Today Philips SunStay streetlights save on cabling costs, reduce carbon footprint and lower overall capital and operational expenditure. With

an output of 3,000 lumens of warm light and an efficacy of 175 lm/W, they’re more efficient than any other existing solar street lighting.

Driving the global lighting challenge

In 2018 Signify made major progress toward its sustainability targets set for 2020 as part of its “Brighter Lives – Brighter World” programme. The new company is committed to achieve carbon neutrality and to shift to 100 per cent renewable electricity and to generate 80 per cent of its revenues from sustainable products, systems and services by the year 2020.

Nicola Kim, Head of Sustainability at Signify said: “In 2018 we achieved 79 per cent sustainable revenues, reduced our global carbon footprint by 49 per cent and realised carbon neutrality in the US and Canada. On top of that, we also reduced the amount of waste delivered to landfill by 17 per cent compared with 2017, by recycling 82 per cent of our waste.”

“We are proud of our achievements as we can only make such strong progress towards out Brighter and Better World targets when all our employees are behind it, as sustainability is really at the heart of our purpose. All of us at Signify are committed to create brighter lives and a better world by providing light which is energy efficient, saves resources and improves lives.”

In recognition of its progress, Signify was named ‘Industrial Leader’ in the Electrical Components and Equipment category of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the second year running.

In addition it was included in CDP’s “Climate A List” for reducing its environmental impact, as well as being noted in CDP’s “Sustainable Supply Chain List”.

Signify’s 2018 sustainability highlights included the delivery of more than 1.7 billion LED lamps and luminaires since it joined the Global Lighting Challenge in 2015, thus avoiding the release of 43 mega-tonnes of CO2 emissions. The company also generated almost 80 per cent of its revenues from energy efficient products, systems and services. In addition, it achieved a supplier sustainability performance rate of 93 per cent. n

For further details of Signify’s latest sustainable energy-efficient products and services visit: www.signify.com