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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
The Company is subject to various federal, state, local, and foreign government requirements relating to the protection of the environment. With respect to environmental matters involving site contamination, the Company continually conducts studies, individually or jointly with other potentially responsible parties, to determine the feasibility of various remedial techniques. It is the Company's policy to record liabilities for environmental matters when remedial efforts or damage claim payments are probable and the costs can be reasonably estimated. Such liabilities are based on the Company's best estimate of the undiscounted future costs required to complete the remedial work. The recorded liabilities are adjusted periodically as remediation efforts progress or as additional technical, regulatory, or legal information becomes available.
Honeywell's environmental matters are further described in Note 19 Commitments and Contingencies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company's 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The following table summarizes information concerning the Company's recorded liabilities for environmental costs:
Balance at December 31, 2024
$678 
Accruals for environmental matters deemed probable and reasonably estimable106 
Environmental liability payments(37)
Balance at March 31, 2025
$747 
Environmental liabilities are included in the following balance sheet accounts:
March 31, 2025December 31, 2024
Accrued liabilities$244 $244 
Other liabilities503 434 
Total environmental liabilities$747 $678 
The Company does not currently possess sufficient information to reasonably estimate the amounts of environmental liabilities to be recorded upon future completion of studies, litigation, or settlements, and neither the timing nor the amount of the ultimate costs associated with environmental matters can be determined, although they could be material to the Company's consolidated results of operations and operating cash flows in the periods recognized or paid. However, considering the Company's past experience and existing reserves, the Company does not expect that environmental matters will have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial position.
In conjunction with the Resideo Technologies, Inc. (Resideo) spin-off, the Company entered into an indemnification and reimbursement agreement with a Resideo subsidiary, pursuant to which Resideo’s subsidiary has an ongoing obligation to make cash payments to Honeywell in amounts equal to 90% of Honeywell’s annual net spending for environmental matters at certain sites as defined in the agreement. The amount payable to Honeywell in any given year is subject to a cap of $140 million, and the obligation will continue until the earlier of December 31, 2043, or December 31 of the third consecutive year during which the annual payment obligation is less than $25 million.
Reimbursements associated with this agreement are collected from Resideo quarterly and were $35 million in the three months ended March 31, 2025, and offset operating cash outflows incurred by the Company. As the Company incurs costs for environmental matters deemed probable and reasonably estimable related to the sites covered by the indemnification and reimbursement agreement, a corresponding receivable from Resideo for 90% of such costs is also recorded. This receivable amount recorded in the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $90 million. As of March 31, 2025, Other current assets and Other assets included $140 million and $637 million, respectively, for the short-term and long-term portion of the receivable amount due from Resideo under the indemnification and reimbursement agreement.
ASBESTOS MATTERS
Honeywell is named in asbestos-related personal injury claims related to the Bendix Friction Materials (Bendix) business, which was sold in 2014.
The following tables summarize information concerning Bendix asbestos-related balances:
ASBESTOS-RELATED LIABILITIES
December 31, 2024$1,482 
Accrual for update to estimated liability12 
Change in estimated cost of future claims
Asbestos-related liability payments(60)
March 31, 2025$1,439 
INSURANCE RECOVERIES FOR ASBESTOS-RELATED LIABILITIES
December 31, 2024$110 
Insurance receipts for asbestos-related liabilities(4)
March 31, 2025$106 
Bendix asbestos-related balances are included in the following balance sheet accounts:
March 31, 2025December 31, 2024
Other current assets$14 $14 
Insurance recoveries for asbestos-related liabilities92 96 
Total insurance recoveries for asbestos-related liabilities$106 $110 
Accrued liabilities$156 $157 
Asbestos-related liabilities1,283 1,325 
Total asbestos-related liabilities$1,439 $1,482 
Bendix manufactured automotive brake linings that contained chrysotile asbestos in an encapsulated form. Claimants consist largely of individuals who allege exposure to asbestos from brakes from either performing or being in the vicinity of individuals who performed brake replacements. The following tables present information regarding Bendix-related asbestos claims activity:
Three Months Ended
March 31,
Year Ended December 31,
20252024
Claims unresolved at the beginning of period4,950 5,517 
Claims filed383 1,617 
Claims resolved(379)(2,184)
Claims unresolved at the end of period4,954 4,950 
Disease Distribution of Unresolved ClaimsMarch 31, 2025December 31, 2024
Mesothelioma and other cancer claims2,974 2,923 
Nonmalignant claims1,980 2,027 
Total claims4,954 4,950 
Honeywell experienced average resolution values per claim excluding legal costs as follows:
 Years Ended December 31,
 20242023202220212020
 (in whole dollars)
Mesothelioma and other cancer claims$79,900 $66,200 $59,200 $56,000 $61,500 
Nonmalignant claims1,100 1,730 520 400 550 
The Consolidated Financial Statements reflect an estimated liability for resolution of asserted (claims filed as of the financial statement date) and unasserted Bendix-related asbestos claims, which exclude the Company’s ongoing legal fees to defend such asbestos claims which will continue to be expensed as they are incurred.
The Company reflects the inclusion of all years of epidemiological disease projection through 2059 when estimating the liability for unasserted Bendix-related asbestos claims. Such liability for unasserted Bendix-related asbestos claims is based on historic and anticipated claims filing experience and dismissal rates, disease classifications, and average resolution values in the tort system over a defined look-back period. The Company valued Bendix asserted and unasserted claims using average resolution values for the previous two years. The Company reviews the valuation assumptions and average resolution values used to estimate the cost of Bendix asserted and unasserted claims during the fourth quarter each year.
The Company's insurance receivable corresponding to the liability for settlement of asserted and unasserted Bendix asbestos claims reflects coverage which is provided by a large number of insurance policies written by dozens of insurance companies in both the domestic insurance market and the London excess market. Based on the Company's ongoing analysis of the probable insurance recovery, insurance receivables are recorded in the financial statements simultaneous with the recording of the estimated liability for the underlying asbestos claims. This determination is based on the Company's analysis of the underlying insurance policies, historical experience with insurers, ongoing review of the solvency of insurers, judicial determinations relevant to insurance programs, and consideration of the impacts of any settlements reached with the Company's insurers.
SEC MATTER
The Company is cooperating with a formal investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which is primarily focused on certain accounting matters with respect to the Company's former Performance Materials and Technologies segment. At this time, the Company does not expect the outcome of this matter to have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated results of operations, cash flows, or financial position.
PETROBRAS AND UNAOIL MATTERS
On December 19, 2022, the Company reached a comprehensive resolution to the investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the SEC, and certain Brazilian authorities (Brazilian Authorities) relating to the Company's use of third parties who previously worked for the Company's UOP business in Brazil in relation to a project awarded in 2010 for Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras). The investigations focused on the Company’s compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar Brazilian laws (UOP Matters). The comprehensive resolution also resolves DOJ and SEC investigations relating to a matter involving a foreign subsidiary’s prior contract with Unaoil S.A.M. in Algeria executed in 2011 (the Unaoil Matter).
In connection with the comprehensive resolution, (i) the Company agreed to pay a total equivalent of $203 million, which payment occurred in January 2023, to the DOJ, the SEC, and the Brazilian Authorities, collectively, in penalties, disgorgement, and prejudgment interest, (ii) the Company’s subsidiary, UOP, LLC (UOP), entered into a three-year Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the DOJ for charges related to the UOP Matters, (iii) UOP entered into leniency agreements with the Brazilian Authorities related to the UOP Matter in Brazil, and (iv) the Company entered into an agreement with the SEC that resolves allegations relating to the UOP Matters and the Unaoil Matter. Pursuant to these agreements, the Company agreed to undertake certain compliance measures and compliance reporting obligations. These agreements entirely resolved the Petrobras and Unaoil investigations.
OTHER MATTERS
The Company is subject to a number of other lawsuits, investigations, and disputes (some of which involve substantial amounts claimed) arising out of the conduct of the Company's business, including matters relating to commercial transactions, government contracts, product liability, prior acquisitions and divestitures, employee benefit plans, intellectual property, and environmental, health, and safety matters. The Company recognizes liabilities for any contingency that is probable of occurrence and reasonably estimable. The Company continually assesses the likelihood of adverse judgments or outcomes in such matters, as well as potential ranges of probable losses (taking into consideration any insurance recoveries), based on a careful analysis of each matter with the assistance of outside legal counsel and, if applicable, other experts.
Given the uncertainty inherent in litigation and investigations, including those discussed in this Note 15, the Company cannot predict when or how these matters will be resolved and does not believe it is possible to develop estimates of reasonably possible loss (or a range of possible loss) in excess of current accruals for commitment and contingency matters. Considering the Company's past experience and existing accruals, the Company does not expect the outcome of such matters, either individually or in the aggregate, to have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position. Because most contingencies are resolved over long periods of time, potential liabilities are subject to change due to new developments, changes in settlement strategy or the impact of evidentiary requirements, which could cause the Company to pay damage awards or settlements (or become subject to equitable remedies) that could have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated results of operations or operating cash flows in the periods recognized or paid.