2 September 2021 - HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer, and enterprise markets, has reaffirmed that its focus will include three pillars of sustainability: people, communities, and the environment. By placing social and environmental responsibility at the heart of its strategy, HARMAN will ensure that its future growth is responsible, sustainable, and equitable.

 

Building and Expanding on Current Initiatives

While HARMAN has already made significant changes in favor of sustainability, the past several years have witnessed an acceleration. For example, HARMAN is transitioning to post-consumer recycled plastic and paper for almost all new Consumer Audio product packaging in 2022.   Furthermore, HARMAN will reduce packaging dimensions, switch to soy ink printing, and eliminate non-essential power cords to minimize waste further. HARMAN is also investing in circular economies of scale to improve the longevity of its products ​​by strengthening product robustness and enabling easy product repair and disassembly to facilitate recycling.

HARMAN has chosen accountability by involving third parties to review and rate its sustainability performance. For decades HARMAN has been releasing sustainability reports that highlight its commitment and performance in this space. And, in 2021, ECOVADIS rated HARMAN "Silver" for sustainability, a rating that only the top 25% of businesses receive. To further improve its rating, HARMAN closely monitors and tracks its environmental performance and aims to reduce its global carbon footprint by 40% between now and 2025. HARMAN has also set the ambitious goal of reaching carbon neutrality in 2040. 

 

Continuing to Innovate and Perform

HARMAN performed remarkably well during the unprecedented Coronavirus health crisis, setting sales records during the 4th quarter of 2020 and achieving extraordinary double-digit growth in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period in 2019 and 2020. And HARMAN remains one step ahead of the industry on audio design and innovation thanks to its consumer-centric approach that provides a deep understanding of the needs and desires of today's consumers. HARMAN audio brands have won 455 design and technology awards for 336 products since 2013 - including 93 awards in 2021 alone, including the prestigious CES 'Best of Innovation' award for the Harman Kardon Radiance 2400 home speaker system.

Research has revealed several key trends that will likely influence the industry over the next 3-5 years, and HARMAN is already working its innovative magic to deliver forward-thinking products. Chief among these trends is the convergence of home and on-the-go as brands seek to capitalize on the mainstreaming of hybrid work and education habits, increased product sustainability, and possible smartphone alternatives.

"As a lifelong innovator consistently at the forefront of its industry, HARMAN prides itself on setting—and achieving—ambitious goals. It is no wonder that HARMAN has chosen to amplify its social and environmental commitments and to bring its legacy of innovation to the heart of building a strong and sustainable future," said Dave Rogers, President, HARMAN Lifestyle Division.

 

ABOUT HARMAN 
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.