Strategic & Business Priorities

GE’s business strategy is focused on the big themes and issues facing the world today, and in the future. These are our shared priorities—areas where GE can contribute to solving societal problems or, conversely, must manage risks. Individual GE businesses face specific issues, as outlined in the priorities by business section below, and are increasingly understanding and managing these issues through a company-to-country approach. Any company-wide matrix of issues is therefore a broad simplification of what matters to the business. Nevertheless, it highlights the common areas where we have an impact and the ability to make a difference—through the way we operate within the business and the marketplace, or through our broader influence in society.

Priorities By Business

GE Aviation

• Sustainable alternative fuels—consideration for total lifecycle, sustainability of alternative fuels and the development of criteria for sustainable biofuels sourcing, as well as capital availability
• Rare, precious & conflict minerals in components
• Climate change, ocean acidification & air quality—significant radiative forcing (gases and aerosols) from aviation emissions
• Emissions Trading Scheme for aviation
• Noise pollution—pursuing technology, operational and infrastructure improvements to lower the noise impacts of aviation
• Business ethics—especially government and military sales, and corruption in emerging markets
• Intellectual property—protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in emerging markets

GE Capital

• Responsible lending—discouraging predatory or discriminatory lending practices
• Data privacy & protection—policies and systems to ensure protection and proper use of personal and financial information
• Disclosure practices—of terms and fees in statements, contracts and promotional materials
• Anti–money laundering
• Islamic finance
• Integration of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria into lending/financing/investment decisions
• Environmental products—tailored products focused on environmental credits or loans, clean tech
• Energy financial services—financing/leasing for renewables
• Financing for reduced impacts—integration of incentives and preferential terms for projects/products with reduced environmental footprint

GE Home & Business Solutions

• Smart product design—energy and water efficiency, reduction/elimination of hazardous materials across consumer and home products, beyond regulations
• Conflict minerals in light bulbs
• Packaging—reduced and recyclability of packaging, especially in consumer products
• Recyclability & disposal—including design and takeback
• Labor & environmental compliance—in manufacturing and through the supply chain
• Smart homes
• Data center solutions
• Consumer education—for purchasing and use of products to reduce impacts
• Appliances for bottom of pyramid
• Government engagement—to provide minimum efficiency standards
• Intuitive visualization of resource consumption, related impact—avoidance of overconsumption caused by human error
• Detailed insight into resource usage by area, machine or process—
adjustment of production activities to avoid peaks/spikes
• Correlate process/equipment performance to energy and water usage; automated exception trapping—sustained reductions of ~10% through process tuning
• Standard operating procedures “interlocked” with equipment, processes—incremental 5%–10% gains from elimination of variance in procedures, setups
• Profile of energy, water inputs by product family across sites—reduced costs as planning optimized for utilities as well as 
other factors

GE Healthcare

• Access to healthcare—for diagnostics and medical devices—pricing, patents
• Health systems delivery—investment in infrastructure/capabilities in emerging markets
• Data security, portability—especially electronic medical records
• Energy use in data centers/servers—due to large software services business within GE Healthcare
• Clinical trials—informed consent, low-resource environments, appropriate incentives/pay for healthy volunteer studies
• Ethical sales & marketing
• Unintended product use—e.g. ultrasound equipment
• Bioethics, including stem cells
• Animal testing
• Patient safety

GE Transportation

• Climate change—tailored products focused on reducing fuel use and improved efficiency for marine engines and all-electric or hybrid rail solutions
• Network efficiency—end-to-end route planning to create “green trade lanes”—via lower emitting modes, e.g. ship to rail and product tools to optimize rail networks
• Sustainable mobility—promoting rail market growth and influencing incentive regimes to drive sustainable practices in public rail networks (e.g. within franchises, access charges)
• Labor standards & safety—addressing conditions in manufacturing, especially in emerging economies
• Components in equipment & railcar bodies—reduced use and recyclability of components and use of more efficient materials
• Technology solutions—breakthrough battery technology knock on effects for system efficiency in wind and solar; drilling motors designed for lower marine environmental impacts

GE Energy

• Technology and policies—carbon capture and storage, hydraulic fracturing (toxic chemicals), enhanced oil recovery, minimization of gas flaring
• Social license to operate for renewables—community investments in health, education, etc.; project life cycle transitions that avoid economic/social disruptions and enhance community wellbeing
• “Choose Your Customer”—reputation risks of servicing projects that may cause significant environmental or social damage; association with controversial sourcing
• Security and safety—GE products responding to prevention, preparedness and response implementation in the industry
• Nuclear power—stakeholder concern over long-term waste issues, impact of Japan earthquake/tsunami and security risks
• Supplying solutions to public networks—smart grids, infrastructure and operational efficiency capabilities, LNG and natural gas networks
• Sustainability of renewable energy components & alternative fuels—total life cycle impact of solar panels, wind power components & electric vehicles, toxicity of components, energy requirements in manufacturing, biofuels (first, second and 
third generation)
• Conflict and rare minerals—in turbine blades, electric and hybrid cars
• Wind power designed for more diverse installation sites—e.g. more urban