Environmental

Just a few examples of our commitment to protecting our environment:

• We invented EAGLE XG® glass, the industry’s first LCD glass with no added heavy metals or halides, which makes possible TVs that are eco-friendly before, during, and after their use in homes around the world.
• We produce diesel vehicle exhaust filters that capture 99 percent of soot particles.
• We deployed an environmental management system (EMS) more than a decade ago. Now, every manufacturing and R&D facility in the world has instituted a Corning EMS.
• We invented the ceramic substrate that is a key element in many of the world’s automotive catalytic converters. “Our substrates have helped capture billions of tons of air pollutants over the past 40 years,” says Hal Nelson, division vice president and business director for Corning Environmental Technologies. “As a result, millions of people worldwide breathe cleaner air.”
  
  

We continue to implement our environmental policy by:

• Complying with, and striving to exceed all applicable laws, regulations, and company standards
• Maintaining environmental management systems at all facilities
• Reusing or recycling waste material where feasible
• Promoting environmental awareness
• Encouraging the use of technologies and materials that are friendly to the environment
• Promoting measures to reduce water and energy use, to reduce air emissions and lessen their impact, and to minimize the impact of wastewater discharge and waste disposal

View Environmental Policy >

Corning has a long-term view of energy conservation and energy and resource management that includes the environmentally responsible and cost-effective use of energy in our facilities around the world. We work to improve our impact on the environment throughout our operations and value chain by reducing the natural resources we use, the emissions we produce, and the waste we generate.

Corning’s Global Energy Management (GEM) program strategically manages the company’s global energy usage with consideration to energy productivity, power supply reliability, and environmental impact. GEM’s expanded scope includes water and waste management, and a greater focus on renewable energy.

The mission of the GEM Program is to "innovate and be responsible users of energy, water, and other natural resources. Inspired by Corning’s culture of innovation, GEM will continuously improve reliability, efficiency, and productivity in a quest to make customers and the company more competitive and to support healthier communities around the world."

Teams at every Corning facility drive the following initiatives to achieve this mission:

1. Continuously improve resource management in operations.
2. Incorporate resource innovation in product development, product design, and manufacturing processes, including embedding these approaches in their design for sustainability programs.
3. Engage employees, customers, and suppliers in resource management.
4. Ensure that Corning meets customer requirements for natural resource utilization.
5. Analyze and communicate Corning’s progress and achievements in resource innovation to internal and external stakeholders.

Climate Goals >

Corning’s GEM Program has helped Corning achieve the ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year award for eleven consecutive years, and several Corning plants have achieved the ENERGY STAR® Challenge for Industry.

Partner of the Year is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's highest recognition, one which Corning is honored to share with some of the world's most energy-conscious companies. The Sustained Excellence designation of the award is reserved for companies achieving Partner of the Year several years in a row, and for those making constant improvements to their energy management programs.

In addition, several Corning facilities have achieved the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry, which asks industrial sites to reduce energy intensity by 10 percent within five years. 

Corning deeply values its partnership with the EPA and ENERGY STAR and is proud to help the efforts to protect our world and its resources.

Over the past decade, through research, development, and strategic partnerships, Corning has embraced the potential of renewable energy to improve the way we generate and consume energy. The company has implemented renewable energy systems across multiple sites, reducing the company’s carbon footprint. The impact of Corning's decade-long investment in solar power extends beyond the company itself. By advancing solar technologies and making them more accessible, Corning has played a role in driving the global transition towards renewable energy.

Currently, Corning is striving for a fivefold increase in our renewable electricity use (against our 2018 baseline) and toward 100% renewable electricity by 2030 in the United States and Europe. We look for both on-site and off-site production opportunities, including through VPPAs with additionally, community solar projects, and green tariffs. We also use Energy Attribute Certificates in regions where other renewable energy procurement options are difficult to develop or until our VPPAs become operational.

Increase our use of renewable energy by 400% by 2030 from a 2018 baseline*

Looking ahead, Corning continues to invest in solar power and explore new possibilities for sustainable energy solutions.

ib vogt and Corning announce collaboration >

Corning Incorporated understands the importance of water as a valuable resource and is committed to implementing innovative measures to reduce and manage water usage across its operations.

Corning’s Global Energy Management program leads the efforts in seeking ways to minimize water consumption, clean and purify, as well as recycle. Through education, resource provision, and fostering a culture of conservation, Corning encourages and supports its employees in their efforts to preserve clean water for future generations.

Based on an assessment using the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas version 3.0, 25 of our operating locations are in high- or extremely high-water-stressed basins. All Corning manufacturing sites use our global environmental data reporting tool to track water withdrawal, discharge, and consumption, and to identify ways to improve water efficiency and quality. Where possible, we recycle industrial wastewater for use in our manufacturing processes. While the majority of Corning manufacturing facilities use local public water supply in their operations, certain manufacturing sites require access to alternate water sources, such as groundwater and fresh water.

Corning's commitment to responsible water management is demonstrated through its annual reporting on water-related information and programs to CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project). This transparent approach ensures accountability and allows the company to track progress while identifying areas for further improvement.

By the end of 2024, Corning will be generating monthly, accurate, and comprehensive water-use data for our top 10 water-use facilities.

Corning Incorporated reports on water-related information and programs annually to CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project). View Corning’s 2023 CDP Water Security Questionnaire.

2024 CDP Questionnaire >

We are committed to responsible waste management in our direct operations and throughout our supply chain. Corning’s Waste Strategy Steering Committee, which includes Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) leaders from all divisions across Corning, oversees our waste management strategy. Each Corning site evaluates opportunities to reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost waste whenever possible, prioritizing source reduction as the preferred control. We evaluate the treatment, storage, and disposal facilities that we send our hazardous waste to for their compliance with applicable environmental standards.

Working with our MAP sustainability leads, our manufacturing and sourcing teams look for opportunities to reduce waste in the production and packaging of our products. This includes opportunities to use fewer materials and less packaging, use more sustainable materials, including recyclable or recycled materials, and advance sustainable end-of-life options, such as reuse.

By the end of 2028, Corning will increase its waste diversion rate to greater than 80% globally

• Aligned to the waste categories in our global environment data reporting tool with the UL standard waste definitions
• Properly categorized all waste and recycled material to ensure accurate diversion rate
• Worked to identify recycling opportunities at our largest waste-generating sites