Assa Abloy's Commitment to Sustainability
That humankind needs to reduce its emissions, preserve natural resources, and generally reduce its impact on the planet cannot be disputed, thanks to overwhelming scientific evidence that highlights the critical situation in which we now find ourselves. The solutions are well documented. In this article, Olympia Dolla, head of the sustainability program at Assa Abloy Opening Solutions EMEIA, shares how she and her team are embedding sustainability at the core of a global industry leader and why this approach is essential to fostering a customer-centric culture.
With a background as an environmental scientist, and with a Master’s in Sustainable Development, Energy, and Materials, Olympia has long been passionate about renewable energy, product life cycle analysis, and a circular economy. Her journey began in Greece, where she completed her initial degree before pursuing her Master’s in The Netherlands. An internship at TU Delft ignited her desire to collaborate with businesses to drive effective, sustainable innovation. This passion has guided her through roles in the chemical and construction industries, as well as sustainable R&D and policy roles. Eventually, it led her to Assa Abloy Opening Solutions EMEIA (AAOSE) where she has been instrumental in advancing the company’s sustainability agenda since joining in 2022. Throughout her career, Olympia has also maintained a presence within many influential organizations such as the ECO Platform, Construction Product Europe, and the World Green Building Council.
Olympia and her wider team have played a key role in driving an EMEIA Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) pathway towards net zero emissions by 2050. She has led a comprehensive Scope 3 strategy for the company, aligning sustainability efforts across various parts of the organization such as in procurement, operations, innovation, and product design. The importance of sustainability is redefining how companies operate, from their supply chains to their product designs. At AAOSE, sustainability is not a box-ticking exercise: it is embedded as a core principle within the business. This mindset is transforming the company’s approach to innovation, highlighting the strong connection between sustainability and innovation with the primary objective of delivering products and solutions that meet the evolving needs of customers.
How is Assa Abloy Innovating for Sustainability
Enforcing sustainability challenges businesses to rethink their conventional practices and to develop innovative ways to reduce their environmental impact. They can include using recycled materials in products, designing for durability, and ensuring that products can be reused or recycled at the end of their life cycle. These efforts not only reduce waste and minimize the overall carbon footprint of our operations, but they drive innovative thinking. From discovering new materials to finding creative ways to reuse products and enhancing product quality, sustainability inspires continuous improvement. Throughout this journey, we must remain focused on meeting our customers' evolving needs, delivering solutions that align with their priorities and the planet’s future.
A priority at AAOSE is empowering the engineering and design teams to incorporate carbon footprint considerations into product development. By integrating circularity principles and designing products for easy disassembly and reuse, the company is actively shaping the future of sustainable innovation while minimizing waste. It is also focused on reducing the carbon footprint of its products. Since 2024, all new products developed within EMEIA must achieve at least a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to their predecessors. This ambitious goal is being achieved through the use of sustainable materials and innovative design practices, demonstrating the company’s commitment to creating products that not only meet today’s needs but also support a sustainable future.
How Can Buildings Improve Energy Efficiency
Buildings account for around 30% of global energy consumption, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). By addressing energy use at every stage of a building’s life cycle, there is the opportunity to make a significant and immediate impact on global energy efficiency. Energy efficiency drives the development, design, and the manufacturing of the company’s innovative solutions. From energy-harvesting technology to mobile keys and energy-efficient devices, the products enhance sustainability performance from the outset, while equipping building owners with the flexibility to adapt to future challenges.
Looking ahead, it is pushing the boundaries of innovation by further exploring advanced technologies such as energy harvesting, which captures energy generated by everyday actions. By integrating these capabilities into its Digital and Access Solutions (DAS) product range, AAOSE is demonstrating how sustainability can inspire groundbreaking advancements in access control.
How To Drive Sustainability in The Construction Industry
The drive for sustainability extends beyond individual organizations: it requires industry-wide collaboration and a collective push toward higher standards. Compliance with mandatory regulations should not be viewed as an encumbrance but as a springboard for innovation, encouraging companies to work smarter and faster. For example, through collaboration with key stakeholders on large-scale projects, AAOSE ensure that sustainability is not just a regulatory requirement but a value-add.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are crucial for the construction and related industries because they provide transparent, standardized, and measurable information about a product’s environmental impact across its life cycle. This in turn drives more informed decision-making. EPDs support sustainable building and construction practices because they are aligned with frameworks such as LEED, BREEAM, and other green certification programs. By the end of 2024, AAOSE had 24 active EPDs published within EMEIA, with more set to follow in 2025. This is just the beginning of the company’s commitment to driving greater transparency and sustainability in the industry.
Sustainability at the Heart of Operations
AAOSE’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond its products and encompasses every aspect of its operations. It prioritizes energy optimization by implementing solutions such as photovoltaic panels and lean manufacturing practices. A shining example of this commitment is the Rychnov factory, which has achieved remarkable improvements in energy efficiency. Covering more than 17,000 square meters, it requires substantial amounts of energy to support its heavy machinery, galvanic lines, and the operational needs of its office buildings and warehouses. To address this, AAOSE have integrated a series of digitization initiatives as part of its ‘smart factory’ program, which supports the Science Based Targets.
HVAC Plus
One project at Rychnov was the implementation of an advanced energy monitoring system. This innovative tool tracks energy usage and identifies areas for improvement. The process involved installing sensors and devices to measure key variables such as temperature, light intensity, and the consumption of electricity, gas, compressed air, and water. This data provided precise insights into the energy demands of each machine, process, and assembly line, enabling AAOSE to make data-driven decisions and to optimize operations.
The results have been transformative: autonomous systems now adjust lighting intensity based on natural light, while heating and ventilation systems activate only when specific temperature thresholds are met. By aligning compressed air production with actual demand, production efficiency has been increased by an impressive 10.6%. These advancements underscore the power of data-driven strategies in reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste, and integrating sustainability into operations.
