Chief Executive's introduction
With its long tradition of technological and engineering excellence, Rolls-Royce is well placed to help society address the problem of climate change and other environmental issues.
This is not a new subject for the Group. We published our first external report on the environment nearly ten years ago. Our research programmes have over many years been devoted to improving the environmental performance of our power systems.
We have become a global company active in 50 countries and with close relationships with governments, partners, customers and suppliers around the world. This broad international reach enables us to spread new technologies, science and best practice at a faster rate and on a truly global basis.
An effective response
Our knowledge will enable Rolls-Royce to help society develop an effective response to climate change, as well as opening up new commercial opportunities for the Group.
We believe that technology has a central role to play in that response and only by pursuing industrial scale solutions will the international community be able to meet the challenge of delivering sustainable economic growth.
By the same token, it is clear that environmental policies and regulations must be based on a proper understanding of the science. In all these areas, Rolls-Royce sees itself as forming part of the solution to the environmental challenges we all face.
Our strategy
Rolls-Royce is committed to pursuing a strategy which has three related elements:
- maintain our drive to reduce the environmental impact of all our business activities;
- further reduce the environmental impact of our products; and
- develop entirely new low emission and renewable energy products.
This report explains how we are implementing this strategy.
Operational excellence
As a result of the investments we have made over the last decade, our manufacturing facilities operate at, or close to, world-class levels of environmental performance. We have a programme of continuous improvement in place to strengthen that performance and we encourage our supply chain to do likewise.
Product improvement
Rolls-Royce has a long history of investing in technologies to improve the environmental impact of its products. Since the first commercial jet engines were produced in the 1950s, our engineering expertise has helped reduce aircraft fuel burn by 70 per cent and noise by 75 per cent.
We are committed to working with partners in the aerospace sector to deliver a further step change in the environmental performance of our civil aero engines. The targets we are working to, which are described in this report, are ambitious ones but the performance of our newest civil aero engines, the Trent 900 for the Airbus A380 and the Trent 1000 for the Boeing 787, is in line with their achievement. In our Energy business the Industrial Trent has reduced NOx emissions by a factor of 10, a major contribution to improved air quality. We will continue to invest in new low emission combustor technologies.
Our diesel engines offer high efficiency propulsion and power in the marine sector and our gas fuelled Bergen K engine offers reductions in NOx of up to 90 per cent, compared to conventional marine diesels.
Searching for new solutions
We are constantly seeking to develop new and advanced technologies. We are currently developing a world-leading, solid oxide fuel cell for power generation and we are also evaluating new technological opportunities such as tidal power systems.
Our commitment
There are no easy solutions to the problems of climate change and a broad range of measures will urgently need to be explored on an international basis. Applying its track record of innovation and its global reach, Rolls-Royce will work closely with all our stakeholders to develop new approaches, based on a thorough understanding of the science. We are determined to be part of the solution.
Sir John Rose Chief Executive
