Beijing, October 15, 2010 -ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, was ranked 16th in the "Contribution of Global Top 500 in China" list. The 2009 list was unveiled recently by the China Corporate Social Responsibility Research Center in Southern Weekend, a leading newspaper in China.
The "Contribution of Global Top 500 in China" list, with a theme of "Global view and local perspective," analyses the CSR efforts of the Top 500 Global Companies in China. During the 6-month selection process, the organizer partnered with a professional research team and experienced consulting team to evaluate the business performances, contributions to local community, CSR efforts, and brand images of the companies. The objective evaluation was based on data collected from third parties and corporate surveys, with research from regulatory authorities also taken into consideration. ABB maintained a leading position in the ranking for the second consecutive year.
ABB is committed to long-term development in China and has maintained a steady pace of investment. The company continuously transfers leading technology to China and actively participates in domestic projects, all while fulfilling its responsibility as a corporate citizen.
ABB has invested an average of $100 million a year in China over the past six years, and around $300 million in 2008 and 2009, despite the financial crisis. ABB has 30 local companies in China, 11 of which were ranked among China's top 100 electrical companies in 2009.
ABB continuously introduces leading technology and expertise to China to drive localization. To date, over 80% of the company's sales in China has come from locally engineered and manufactured products, which are also exported to over 20 countries and regional markets. This March, ABB inaugurated a new ultrahigh voltage (UHV) Test Center in Chongqing and transferred 800kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) transformer technology to its local joint venture, the ABB Chongqing Transformer Company.
ABB has participated in a number of key projects in China with its leading technology, helping industrial customers to ensure power gird reliability, improve industrial productivity, and increase energy efficiency. For example, ABB advanced transmission technology helped China build the 2,000 km long Xiangjiaba-Shanghai 800kV high voltage transmission line, setting world records in transmission distance and capacity. The power corridor, put into operation this July, offers transmission efficiency up to 93%, and cuts land use by 40% compared with conventional technology. In addition, ABB drives helped customers save 50 billion kWh of electricity over the past 15 years, enough to meet the electrical needs of all Beijing citizens for more than a decade, and reducing CO2 emissions by about 50 million tons.
As a dedicated corporate citizen, ABB has proven its commitment to sustainable development through a variety of CSR projects to support education, environmental protection, and social welfare.
After the Yushu earthquake this past April, ABB promptly donated 2.6 million RMB to the Qinghai Branch of the China Red Cross Society. In the same month, as part of its support of post-earthquake reconstruction in Sichuan, the company successfully handed over two schools built with ABB sponsorship. A total of 2,500 local students moved into the new classrooms and a second pair of ABB-sponsored schools are expected to be completed in October.
ABB also participates in a variety of environmental protection programs. The company has partnered with the Inner Mongolia Power Group and the Ordos Power Supply Bureau for three years to jointly carry out an anti-desertification program in the Maowusu desert. The three-phase program has reforested over 2,000 mu of desert, effectively containing drift sand along the local power line. The project protects the power corridor from Inner Mongolia to Beijing, while at the same time improving the ecological environment of Beijing.
ABB also believes in the importance of supporting education and cultivating talent. The company has donated a total of 6 million RMB to the ABB-New Great Wall Fund for College Students since 2005, allowing impoverished college students to complete their studies. Over the past 6 years, the sustained charitable actions of ABB have benefited nearly 1,500 college students in 37 colleges and universities across the country.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people. ABB has a full range of business activities in China, including R&D, manufacturing, sales and services, with 15,300 employees, 30 joint ventures and wholly owned companies, and an extensive sales and service network across 60 cities.
