AEM Establishes Sustainability Council

As part of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers' (AEM) steadfast commitment to building on the momentum of a sustainable future, it  has announced the establishment of a Sustainability Council comprised of leaders from member companies.

The council will help advance member companies’ efforts in addressing issues of sustainability and to provide a framework for the adoption of best practices and innovation.

“Our members are committed to supporting a sustainable world by serving as a catalyst for conversation and innovation in the manufacturing industry,” says Curt Blades, Senior Vice President of Ag Services at AEM. “The Sustainability Council will work to spark ideas for establishing sustainability priorities for the equipment manufacturing industry and provide a framework that supports best practices for a more viable world.”

AEM and its member companies recognize that social and environmental challenges are complex and require transformation at all levels of an organization. The industry is committed to supporting a sustainable world by serving as a catalyst for conversation and innovation in the equipment manufacturing industry. By transcending traditional norms, AEM is working to spark ideas for setting sustainability priorities for the equipment manufacturing industry and providing a framework that supports best practices for a more viable world.

For all of its 125-year history, AEM has worked to address societal and safety issues on behalf of the industry. This includes:

• Health and well-being of the industry: Leading the effort on equipment safety through safety materials programs, enabling the development of worldwide standards on topics related to seat belts, Roll Over Protective Structures (ROPS), cab filtration and many others. In fact, AEM has been a leader in promoting equipment safety since it was founded back in 1894.
• Economic growth and security: The equipment manufacturing industry pays 35% above the national average for all manufacturing sector jobs. This demonstrates the commitment the industry has to ensuring employees are appropriately valued by receiving a fair and living wage.
• Industry innovation and infrastructure: Equipment manufacturers are uniquely familiar with integrating innovative technologies into their operations and working to modernize infrastructure, whether it includes using precision agriculture techniques to ensure an efficient harvest for farmers or deploying smart technology to ensure sustainably, efficient methods when building roads, rails, highways, bridges, ports, and more.

AEM recognizes the industry’s connection to the natural environment and is dedicated to minimizing operational impact. It  understands that the future as an industry depends on the responsible use of natural resources and acknowledges the real impacts of climate change and its effect on members, their customers and their communities today. AEM believes it is its responsibility to address these impacts directly as it works to help members fully align with the United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals to support a more sustainable future for all.

Sustainability Goal Priorities

AEM has identified seven of the UN’s 17 Sustainability Goals to be priorities for the Association and its member companies. The Sustainable Development Goals are all interconnected and considered to be the blueprint to achieve a better future by addressing global challenges.

Zero Hunger

• Provide sustainable access to quality food in sufficient quantities.
• AEM & Member Company impact: Invest in technology and infrastructure to increase the amount and quality of food produced while reducing the inputs of chemicals and amount of land and water needed.

Good Health and Well Being

• Contribute to safe and healthy living environment.
• AEM & Member Company Impact: Champion safety in all aspects of the industry from the substances used in design, to the practices used to build and operate equipment while championing safe global standards to ensure common safe approaches. During COVID-19, AEM provided health and safety guidelines, resources and information to member companies.

Clean Water and Sanitation

• Universal access to Clean water and use of sanitation.
• AEM & Member Company Impact: Work to reduce water use in manufacturing, increase access to clean drinking water, reduce pollution, minimize use of harmful chemicals 

Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Create job opportunities.
• AEM & Member Company Impact: Provide opportunities for everyone to get work that is productive and provides a fair and living wage. Workforce Solutions efforts helps members connect with and retain talent.

Industry Innovation and Infrastructure

• Encourage innovations in industry and processes to produce sustainable solutions.
• AEM & Member Company Impact: Manufacture globally and provide innovative solutions to build infrastructure.

Responsible Consumption and Production

• Smart sustainable use of natural resources and chemicals.
• AEM & Member Company Impact: Understand what is in our products and where they are sourced and how they are procured. Work to reduce waste and increase recycling.

Climate Action

• Reducing our impact on green-house gasses.
• AEM & Member Company impact: Working to reduce emissions while increasing energy conservations, while creating more fuel-efficient machinery.