JAGUAR'S ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT

During the summer of '98, Jaguar was assessed by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA). This resulted in Jaguar Cars being awarded certification to ISO 14001, the International Standards Organisation's accreditation for environmental management systems.

As a result of its rigorous programme of improvements over recent years, Jaguar has now won recognition for its high environmental standards. The award of ISO 14001 officially recognises Jaguar's commitment to performance improvement through the development of its product range and complex manufacturing processes that produce it.

Jaguar's commitment to the environment starts at the top with Chairman Nick Scheele.

"At Jaguar we regard our environmental performance as a strategic issue. We are continually seeking ways to conserve natural resources, to reduce the amount of energy we use, to eliminate pollutants and hazardous substances from our products and processes, to maximise the use of recycled products, and of course to improve the fuel economy and vehicle emissions of our products. This is not a case of paying lip service to the environmental movement - we already exceed the most stringent world market regulations, so now we are pushing back the frontiers. We are leading the drive to Environmental Management because it is something in which we wholeheartedly believe."

Jaguar's first formal recognition that environmental issues were a priority came in 1992 with the formation of an Environmental Strategy Committee, set up primarily to look at ways of making its cars more 'eco-friendly'. The Committee's ideas were rapidly translated into actions as the company introduced a series of component and materials changes with long-term environmental benefits.

Since then, mercury and cadmium are no longer used, CFC-free air conditioning units have been standard since 1994 and the selection of high strength steels has helped to optimise material usage. Today, as well as offering some of the best fuel economy figures in their class, with emissions among the lowest in the industry, Jaguar can also claim to be producing a product range which is over 80% by weight recyclable.

Having successfully raised the environmental credentials of the products themselves, Jaguar's environmental team also turned its focus to the company's processes. Dr. Geraint Williams spearheads Jaguar's ISO 14001 task force: "When we decided to go for ISO 14001 we were presented with an ideal opportunity Ð it gave us a target that everyone in the company could aim for. This meant trying to improve every aspect of the way the company works. We started with manufacturing and went around all our plants taking photographs of how things were done. It was amazing just how many opportunities for improvement existed. Even down to moving oil drums stored beside a drain that could have caused pollution in the event of a spillage."

The commitment of the workforce itself has been crucial to the success of the project. In just three years the company suggestion scheme has seen a trickle of environmental ideas turn into a flood. Many of the suggestions, although simple, have proved to be not only less damaging to the environment but also financially beneficial. Some ideas such as recycling glass bottles from the Sports and Social Club, selling protective engine inlet caps to a plastic recycling company, and developing on-site hazardous waste processing, have not only cut the company's landfill bill but also provided a useful income.

Mr. Jacques has also noticed that as awareness of the environment within the company has grown, the quality of response is also improving. "We had one of the production staff asking why a set of lights on the production track was on all the time, even though there was nothing happening in that area. It turned out that a change of assembly process had moved a job away from that station, but nobody had thought to disconnect the lights. We've now introduced a scorecard approach to any project or process change that identifies the environmental implications and makes sure that if one activity affects another, the environmental consequences are considered."

The introduction of Jaguar's Environmental Management System has already produced many quantifiable results. For instance the car wash now recycles and purifies its water, saving nearly 10,000 gallons a year. Printed matter such as newspapers, memos and booklets, are sorted for re-processing. Office paper is segregated using special containers and is recycled. Throughout the company's premises a series of signs remind staff to turn off taps and switch off lights in empty rooms. In their report the VCA inspectors singled out the company's housekeeping on the production line: "exceptionally good, on a par with the best we've seen. You should all be very proud."