BeyondZero™

Reduce negative environmental impact and increase positive impact in everything we do, so that the balance is increasingly positive.

To achieve environmental excellence, SKF launched an ambitious and challenging target in 2005, called BeyondZero. With this target, SKF aims to be the role model for sustainability in the industry.

SKF challenges the limitation of conventional environmental targets, which drive for zero negative impacts on nature. In combination to our internal efforts on reducing negative environmental impacts, we aim to exceed the 'zero' target by contributing positively to the environment i.e. going beyond the zero target.

BeyondZero initiative is our contribution to our planet where we continuously minimise the negative impacts on the environment from our operations AND at the same time we aim to help our customers in achieving environmental performance improvement by maximizing the environmental performance of our products and solutions.

We work continuously and intensely to develop a portfolio of products, solutions and services to help our customers in energy efficiency with quantified examples. We offer our customers the power of engineering knowledge through innovation and technologies and at the same time we help to protect the environment.

BeyondZero is our objective to stretch beyond internal initiatives, by reaching environmental goals with external partners. We take the initiations in collective actions with the industry to sustain resources for our future generations.

SKF products and solutions help the environment

There are lots of ways SKF can help customers perform in better harmony with nature. Our knowledge and creativity can be instrumental in the process of developing products that are friendlier to the environment by for example using less energy. By putting our unique expertise to use, we can also improve our customers' manufacturing processes. We reduce friction, we prevent leakages, we make things run smoother, we help minimize scrap and reduce the use of harmful fluids and lubricants, etc. By instinct, we have an environmental performance approach.

SKF bearings have a beneficial effect on the environment, due to their low friction properties. By reducing the friction needed for rotation and movement, SKF bearings cut the energy consumption of the machines in which they are installed.

SKF innovation in continual downsizing bearings also reduces constraints on the environment by requiring less raw material and energy to produce, and less energy to rotate.

Read more about Energy Efficiency Solutions.

Life Cycle Analysis on SKF bearings

A Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) was conducted in 2005 by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL) on the environmental impact of SKF bearings in service. The analysis focused particularly on the potential reduction in energy demand of SKF Explorer bearings sold in 2004, compared with previous bearing designs.

With lower viscosity lubricant and downsizing of the bearings, all SKF Explorer customers in 2004 could reduce energy consumption by as much as 3 000 MW. Assuming an average operating time of 2 000 hours per year, the potential energy consumption reduction from the SKF Explorer bearings sold in 2004 would be around 6 000 GWh per year. That is enough to provide light and heating for 300,000 single-family houses in a temperate climate (assuming 20,000 kWh per house annually).

Assuming a mix of electricity sources similar to that obtained by SKF factories worldwide, the potential reductions in CO2 emissions would be around 900 000 tons per year.

For more information on the LCA conducted, please see 2005 Annual Report, page 110.

For case studies on the power of SKF engineering knowledge on minimizing environmental impact, please see The Power of SKF Knowledge Engineering on Minimize Impact: