2010 Sustainability Report - Cummins.com

Cummins and climate change
Here are excerpts from a conversation on
Cummins and climate change with President
and Chief Operating Officer Tom Linebarger:
Q. Why does Cummins care about
climate change?
A: Climate change is an important issue to
Cummins for several reasons. First, our mission
statement says that everything we do needs to
lead to a cleaner, healthier and safer environment.
And we’re concerned that climate change is a
serious threat to the environment.
Second, we can make a difference. The great
thing is our products can have a positive impact
on the environment, as can lowering the impact
of our facilities.
And third, our customers care about climate
change. They may not even know it yet, but
fuel economy is directly impacted by carbon
emissions. And fuel economy is a major cost
driver for most of our customers. They care
about how much fuel they use.
Q. What else can Cummins do?
A: There are 10 climate change principles which
really define how we want to address this issue.
And six of those 10 are things that the Company
can do to be more energy efficient on its own.
We can also do things related to how we involve
our employees, getting them involved in doing
energy savings everywhere including their own
homes. They feel good about it and so do we.
But also government can play a role, and
Cummins can help on that part.
Q. How can government play a role?
A: Four of our 10 climate change principles relate
to how we can help government think through how
to make responsible regulations in this area.
Responsible regulations help companies focus
on what we need to do and how to have an even
playing field and make sure we’re all competing
on the same basis. And we know a lot about that.
And by government ensuring that companies can
continue to trade internationally by promoting
technology at home and allowing companies
the opportunity to make sure that we can sell
those technologies abroad, we can also promote
U.S. industry.
We’ve seen that in environmental regulations for
air we have today. So Cummins has developed
leading technologies to meet air emissions. And
that’s allowed us to sell those technologies not
only in the U.S. but abroad and build jobs and
create positive economic activity in the U.S.
The same opportunity exists on climate change.
If we can be developing those technologies, we
have the opportunity to sell those technologies and
trade with other countries around the world using
those technologies to drive American industry.
Environment
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