CORK, Ireland — Johnson Controls released its 2024 Sustainability Report, which marked its progress toward decarbonizing the built environment.

The report says the company reduced absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 43.8% since 2017, putting it ahead of schedule in achieving its 2030 target of a 55% reduction, according to a press release from Johnson Controls. The company also reported a 27.1% reduction in Scope 3 emissions derived from the use of its products, exceeding its 2030 target of achieving a 16% reduction by 2030.

“At Johnson Controls, our focus on sustainability is a force multiplier accelerating our strategy, cutting our operating costs, and helping us attract and retain the best and brightest talent in the industry,” said George Oliver, chairman and CEO. “Putting our operating technology and OpenBlue digital platform to work achieving our own ambitious decarbonization goals enables us to be a trusted partner to our customers, accelerating their climate progress and success. I am proud of the progress we have made and am excited by the many initiatives we have under way that make the promise of sustainable buildings a reality.”

Buildings are responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, and reducing emissions from buildings is one of the fastest — if not the fastest — paths to meeting global climate targets, the company’s press release said. Throughout the report, Johnson Controls highlights key innovations and initiatives that deliver energy efficiency and decarbonization in buildings. These include the solutions and services that form what the company calls the smart building trifecta: energy-efficient equipment, clean electrification, and digitalization.

These solutions are making a difference in buildings like the Children’s of Alabama medical center, where OpenBlue and heat-pump technologies are delivering $450,000 in annual savings and reducing the use of natural gas by 69%, Johnson Controls said. In Norway, OpenBlue is helping create the largest net energy-positive building in the northern hemisphere, the company said.

“We have very purposefully created a company that is uniquely qualified to meet the needs of customers at every level — creating the products, installing and servicing them, investing in advanced technologies like AI, and creating the financing structure to support net-zero journeys end to end,” said Katie McGinty, vice president and chief sustainability and external relations officer at Johnson Controls. “The numbers show we are having tremendous impact in cutting energy, emissions, and cost in our own operations and for our customers. We are moving the needle on net-zero buildings fast and we realize every day that decarbonizing buildings is a winner for the climate and for smart, cutting-edge organizations that are determined to be best in class.”