Sydney Opera House announces Honeywell as first Global Goals partner

The Sydney Opera House has named US-based multinational Honeywell as the first partner in its Global Goals sustainability, diversity and inclusion initiative.

Having, in October 2019, become the first Australian arts institution to commit to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Opera House is aiming for the three-year partnership with Honeywell to drive will collaborate on initiatives aligned with the Global Goals.

These include helping the Opera House become climate-positive by 2023, collaborating on an event to discuss how engineers are contributing to positive social and environmental change and launching a program to support First Nations tertiary graduates with their chosen profession.

Sydney Opera House Chief Executive, Louise Herron advised “as we approach the opera house’s 50th anniversary in 2023, we are looking for more ways to work with organisations that share our vision for positive social and environmental change.

“So we are thrilled to welcome Honeywell as our first Global Goals partner. Honeywell technology has already helped the Opera House reduce its water consumption by 30% through improved monitoring and supported our goal of reducing energy use by 20%. This new partnership will enable an expanded range of significant projects, contributing to the huge collaborative effort required to achieve the Global Goals.”

Vimal Kapur, President and Chief Executive of Honeywell Building Technologies, noted “we are pleased to work with the Opera House as its first Global Goals partner and demonstrate our shared values to protect the environment.

“The Opera House has long set the standard for more sustainable buildings in Australia with regards to improved energy efficiency, water management and waste reduction. We look forward to our continued collaboration to identify new solutions that will help our valued customer achieve their goal to become climate-positive by 2023.”

NSW Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin added “as a symbol of modern Australia, the opera house has the power to inspire and shape positive change.

“This partnership is a great example of the arts, business and government coming together to achieve common goals. I look forward to seeing the opera house and Honeywell collaborate over the next three years on initiatives that deliver a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.”

In the lead-up to its 50th anniversary in 2023, the Opera House is seeking partners across Australia and globally to join its efforts to inspire positive change. This aligns with Global Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals, which encourages organisations to share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources.

Honeywell recently committed to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035 with about half of its new product introduction research and development investment is directed toward products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers.

Based in North Carolina in the USA, Honeywell is multinational conglomerate that primarily operates in four areas of business: aerospace, building technologies, performance materials and technologies, and safety and productivity solutions.