Johnson Controls to Receive 2004 World Environment Center Gold Medal

NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2004 -- The World Environment Center's Twentieth Annual WEC Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development has been awarded to Johnson Controls, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., for creating tremendous shareholder value through businesses and initiatives that enable energy efficiency and reduced carbon dioxide emissions; facilitate resource efficiency, reuse and recycling; and promote Green Building design concepts.

Johnson Controls supplies automotive interior systems and batteries, and is a global leader in building management and control systems for nonresidential facilities. An independent Jury of distinguished international environmental experts awards annually the WEC Gold Medal to a corporation that demonstrates preeminent industry leadership and contributes to worldwide environmental quality and sustainable development.

The award will be presented at a formal gala event on Friday, May 14, 2004 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Mr. John M. Barth, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson Controls Inc., will accept the award on behalf of the global company's 118,000 employees worldwide. Mr. Masamitsu Sakurai, President, CEO and COO of Ricoh Company, Ltd., the 2003 Award Recipient, will chair this year's event.

"We are proud to accept this prestigious award and I thank the WEC for recognizing our efforts," said Mr. Barth. "Our environmental performance is the result of our commitment to our corporate values, which form the foundation of our policies, ethics, corporate culture and business strategies. Our values embody the spirit of sustainability. They lead us to socially responsible behavior in our workplaces and in our communities, and are reflected in the products and services we provide to customers."

The Jury cited Johnson Controls for its commitment to environmental conservation, conscientious citizenship, and sustainable development. "Through its longtime policies and practices, Johnson Controls has demonstrated its leadership in sustainable development," noted Dr. Joel Abrams, Professor Emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh and Chairman of the independent Gold Medal Jury.

The Jury based its decision in part on the company's "High Performance Green Buildings" initiative. Through this innovative program, Johnson Controls creates buildings designed to conserve energy and water, use natural materials and lighting, treat landscapes with respect, and minimize emissions. Broadly accepted, this concept can have a profound effect on global energy consumption and resource depletion.

"Johnson Controls is providing global leadership in revolutionizing the way businesses and contractors build their facilities," asserts Dr. Abrams. Johnson Controls, through its internal programs and efforts on behalf of its customers, is considered one of the largest deliverers of energy efficiency in the U.S. In the United States alone, energy efficiency projects implemented by Johnson Controls since 1990 are expected, by 2020, to produce energy savings of $95 billion and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.3 billion tons.

As part of the Green Building Initiative, Johnson Controls has collaborated with the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council, in particular, to produce the LEED Green Building Rating System(TM) for designing and constructing green buildings. The company's Brengel Technology Center in Milwaukee stands as one of the nation's first green buildings certified under LEED.

Johnson Controls is also a founding member of Supplier Partnership for the Environment, an organization of automotive and vehicle suppliers that works with the U.S. EPA to develop a business-centered approach to environmental protection. As part of its environmental initiatives, the company developed Eco-cor(TM) for use in automotive interior components, such as door panels. Eco-cor is made from plant fibers and recycled plastics. In addition to its waste reduction benefits, Eco-cor has the advantage of reduced weight, which contributes to improved vehicle fuel efficiency.

In 2003, the Johnson Controls automotive interiors business reduced manufacturing waste disposal costs approximately 18% through diversion of waste products into a variety of recycling and recovery applications. All of its North American interiors plants are certified to the ISO 14001 standard, and as part of this compliance, environmental management plans include input from stakeholders, including local community interest organizations.

The Jury also acknowledged a range of the company's achievements in the areas of waste-reduction, sustainability and social responsibility. The Johnson Controls automobile battery business is a model for reuse and recycling. Currently, approximately 96 percent of all Johnson Controls automotive batteries are recycled and its manufacturing plants recycle 99.9 percent of all lead used. Waste reductions are also achieved through the application of life-cycle assessments with the goal of zero waste-to-landfill; application of ISO 14001; installation of air filters; integrating renewable natural based materials into product lines; and assisting customers and suppliers with recycling and reclaiming materials.

Johnson Controls' commitment to working with a diverse range of suppliers was demonstrated in 2002, when the company first achieved $1 billion in annual spending with diverse suppliers. To further increase supplier diversity, Johnson Controls encouraged joint ventures between itself, key suppliers and minority-owned companies.

The Jury also cited high corporate expectations for global suppliers that go beyond mere regulatory compliance by pushing for suppliers' operating standards to reflect Johnson Controls' own high standards. Suppliers' performance is monitored and the implementation of ISO 14001 management systems is actively encouraged.

The World Environment Center Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development was established in 1985 to recognize preeminent industry leadership initiatives and contributions to worldwide environmental quality and sustainable development. The WEC Gold Medal is awarded annually by an independent Jury comprised of distinguished international environmental experts. The Jury carefully examines all applications submitted by qualified multinational companies each year. Each nomination is examined for a clearly articulated set of values, a history of proven accomplishment, a global outlook and a commitment to sustainable development.

A complete list of Jury members, the Citation for the 2004 WEC Gold Medal Awardee, and a list of previous recipients are available at the WEC website: http://www.wec.org/wecgm.htm. The WEC Gold Medal Jury is completely independent of the WEC and its programs, and is composed of international environmental leaders from academia, government, industry and non-governmental organizations.

About Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls, Inc., is a global market leader in automotive systems and facility management and control. In the automotive market, it is a major supplier of integrated seating and interior systems, and batteries. For non-residential facilities, Johnson Controls provides control systems and services including comfort, energy and security management. Johnson Controls , founded in 1885, has headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its sales for 2003 totaled $22.6 billion. For more information on Johnson Controls, Inc., visit the company's web site at www.johnsoncontrols.com. Specific information about the company's environmental efforts is highlighted on its web site as well.

About the WEC

The World Environment Center (WEC) is an independent, not-for-profit, non-advocacy organization. Working with the private sector, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and academia, the WEC promotes sustainable development by encouraging environmental leadership, improving health and safety practices worldwide, and fostering the efficient use of natural resources to protect the global environment. The WEC supports its mission through three central programs: the International Environment Forum (IEF); the WEC Gold Medal Award; and Capacity Building Programs. For more information about the WEC, please visit www.wec.org.

Previous recipients of the WEC Gold Medal are: Ricoh Group, CEMEX, The Royal Dutch/Shell Group, International Paper Company, Eastman Kodak Company; Philips Electronics N.V., Compaq Computer Corporation, Alcoa, Ciba-Geigy Limited, S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Xerox Corporation, Procter & Gamble Company, Rohm and Haas Company, IBM Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, The BP Group, E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Company, Exxon Corporation, and 3M.