We want to minimize the impact of our operations on the environment. That means continuing to reduce the impact of LEGO® production and our use of resources. We set targets for our carbon footprint, energy use, water usage and waste generation. They are the key focus areas in what we call ‘Zero Impact in Operations’, with the goal of decoupling our impact from growth.
Our factories
We are building two factories in the US and Vietnam to manufacture our products closer to the countries where the demand is high. Both factories are being designed to include on- or off-site solar facilities which have the capacity to match their energy needs.
Adding more renewable energy production
In 2023, we increased investments in solar capacity by adding 2.2 MWp, an increase of 16%. This means we now have a peak capacity of 15.6 MWp across our production sites in Denmark, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Mexico and China. By the end of 2024, we will have a 60% increase in renewable energy production capacity compared to 2022. At the same time, we are planning to more than double our renewable energy production capacity by the end of 2026 compared to 2024.
We plan to build a solar park in Billund, Denmark, with the ambition to cover the energy requirements of our offices and sites across the town.
Using less energy
We’ve reduced reliance on natural gas at three factories and accelerated Scope 1 emission reductions over time.
In our factory in Hungary, we are installing a geothermal energy system which will replace most of the natural gas used for heating, cooling and machine operations with renewable geothermal energy. The transition is expected to be completed during 2025.
In Billund, Denmark, we are phasing out the use of natural gas by connecting to the district’s heating network powered mainly by renewable energy. The transfer should be completed in 2024. The project aims to reduce the total Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions in Billund by over 10%.
In Jiaxing, China, we captured and used excess heat from a newly installed chiller system to supply hot water for use in the factory in order to reduce our natural gas consumption.
Investing in carbon-efficient projects
To encourage more investments in low-carbon projects, we’ve introduced a financial tool called shadow carbon pricing. It places a monetary value on carbon emissions linked to a project. By including it in our calculations, we can figure out the most sustainable options before investing in a new project.
Less waste in our factories
2023 was the second consecutive year that less than 1% of waste generated from our factories has gone directly to landfill. Almost all waste was either reused, recycled, composted or sent to non-landfill waste treatment options. Our target is zero waste to landfill, and we will continue to look for alternatives in all our factories, offices and stores.
Reducing our water usage
We are committed to reducing reliance on fresh water in our sites. In Hungary, a sand filter optimization project is delivering ahead of expectations, while in Mexico we began an ultrafiltration project that aims to use treated wastewater from the local community in production.
By engaging with our most carbon-intensive suppliers.
We are working to measurably reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from making and selling LEGO® bricks across our factories, offices and stores, as well as in our supply chain.