The iconic LEGO bricks have been a part of childhood for millions of kids – adults too – worldwide for generations.That’s because LEGO is all about using bricks to build castles, starships, techno gadgets or just about anything that you can imagine.
Now this innovative Danish company has achieved its goal to balance 100 percent of its energy use with energy from renewable sources. The plan was reach this milestone in 2022 but the company met its goal three years ahead of the schedule because they had the imagination to build a more sustainable future.
The LEGO Group joined the RE100 global initiative – companies that pledged to use 100 percent renewable energy – and was able to achieve this goal thanks to the recently completed 258-megawatt Burbo Bank Extension wind farm off the coast of Liverpool, UK. The farm will generate clean green energy for 230,000 British households according to a LEGO Group press release.
The company has been involved in renewable energy since 2012 and partners with other companies to the tune of DKK 6 billion to invest in clean energy including a second offshore wind farm in Germany.
The total output of these renewables now completely offset the energy used (360-gigawatt hours in 2016) at all the LEGO factories worldwide.
The Group is also installing 20,000 solar panels on the roof of the LEGO factory in Jiaxing, China and greening its manufacturing processes in other countries.
“We work to leave a positive impact on the planet and I am truly excited about the inauguration of the Burbo Bank Extension wind farm. This development means we have now reached the 100 percent renewable energy milestone three years ahead of target. Together with our partners, we intend to continue investing in renewable energy to help create a better future for the builders of tomorrow,” said Bali Padda, CEO of the LEGO Group in the press release.
Since LEGO is the inspiration of budding engineers, architects, and STEM students worldwide, the company is in the unique position of inspiring young minds. So, to celebrate their recent milestone and to raise student's awareness of renewable green energy, the company built the world's largest LEGO brick wind turbine.
The turbine was built with 146,000 LEGO bricks and stands 7.5 meters tall and is a Guinness World Record. It is a replica of the windmills that are used at Burbo Bank Extension wind farm (the largest wind turbines in operation in the world) and has been on display at the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, in the UK.
The company also invited hundreds of children from the Liverpool area and the more than a million children on the LEGO Life platform to take part in building challenges to channel their imaginations to build renewable energy machines to power their lives.
“We see children as our role models and as we take action in reducing our environmental impact as a company, we will also continue to work to inspire children around the world by engaging them in environmental and social issues,” Padda said in the press release.
LEGO also recently released a fully functional wind turbine kit for anyone who wants to build their own.
As the world's largest toy maker, it is really good to see that the LEGO takes its commitment to the planet and the children who live on it seriously. Taking care of the earth is one of the most important values we can pass onto the next generation.
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