Rheem – Amma Asantewaa Boakye – 2019

Goals 

Rheem, an American manufacturing company produces residential and commercial water heaters, boilers, HVAC and refrigeration equipment. Rheem committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% and achieving zero waste in their global manufacturing operations by 2025. Rheem enlisted EDF Climate Corps fellow Amma Asantewaa Agyei Boakye to establish their environmental footprint and quantify an emissions baseline.

Solutions

To develop a clear understanding of Rheem’s manufacturing process Boakye visited eight plants across the US and Mexico to collect sustainability metrics. Boakye identified the need for data standardization, and after connecting with the software and technology team, she recommended collecting sustainability data with Rheem’s Reliance and Business Intelligence software tools. Boakye also identified the greatest contributors to Rheem’s North American greenhouse gas emissions and presented action items to reduce emissions.

Potential Impact

Based on Boakye’s analysis, Rheem now has a clear picture of its largest contributors to GHG emissions in North America. This will serve as a roadmap to embark on high-impact emission mitigation projects to achieve their 2025 goal. Based on her recommendations for emissions reductions at one manufacturing plant, Rheem can save nearly $50,000 per year. Boakye’s data standardization process for continuous sustainability metrics capturing will allow traceability of data as well as reduce uncertainties and gaps in Rheem’s sustainability inventory going forward.