Johnson Controls International 10-K 2021-09-30

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2021

OR

For the Transition Period From _____ To _____

Commission File Number 001-13836

JOHNSON CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL PLC

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act: None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes þ No ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes ¨ No þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes þ No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting

under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No þ

As of March 31, 2021, the aggregate market value of Johnson Controls International plc Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $42.7 billion based on the closing sales price as reported on the New York Stock Exchange. As of October 31, 2021, 704,332,395 ordinary shares, par value $0.01 per share, were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement to be delivered to shareholders in connection with the annual general meeting of shareholders to be held on March 9, 2022 are incorporated by reference into Part III.

JOHNSON CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL PLC

Index to Annual Report on Form 10-K

Year Ended September 30, 2021

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS FOR FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Unless otherwise indicated, references to "Johnson Controls," the "Company," "we," "our" and "us" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K refer to Johnson Controls International plc and its consolidated subsidiaries.

The Company has made statements in this document that are forward-looking and therefore are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements in this document other than statements of historical fact are, or could be, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this document, statements regarding the Company’s future financial position, sales, costs, earnings, cash flows, other measures of results of operations, synergies and integration opportunities, capital expenditures and debt levels are forward-looking statements. Words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "should," "forecast," "project" or "plan" and terms of similar meaning are also generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The Company cautions that these statements are subject to numerous important risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks related to: The Company’s ability to manage general economic, business, capital market and geopolitical conditions, including global price inflation and shortages impacting the availability of raw materials and component products; the Company’s ability to manage the impacts of natural disasters, climate change, pandemics and outbreaks of contagious diseases and other adverse public health developments, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; the strength of the U.S. or other economies; changes or uncertainty in laws, regulations, rates, policies or interpretations that impact the Company’s business operations or tax status; the ability to develop or acquire new products and technologies that achieve market acceptance and meet applicable regulatory requirements; changes to laws or policies governing foreign trade, including increased tariffs or trade restrictions; maintaining the capacity, reliability and security of the Company’s enterprise information technology infrastructure; the ability to manage the lifecycle cybersecurity risk in the development, deployment and operation of the Company’s digital platforms and services; the risk of infringement or expiration of intellectual property rights; any delay or inability of the Company to realize the expected benefits and synergies of recent portfolio transactions; the outcome of litigation and governmental proceedings; the ability to hire and retain senior management and other key personnel; the tax treatment of recent portfolio transactions; significant transaction costs and/or unknown liabilities associated with such transactions; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; labor shortages, work stoppages, union negotiations, labor disputes and other matters associated with the labor force; and the cancellation of or changes to commercial arrangements. A detailed discussion of risks related to Johnson Controls’ business is included in the section entitled "Risk Factors" (refer to Part I, Item 1A, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K). The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document, unless otherwise specified, and, except as required by law, Johnson Controls assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this document.

PART I

General

Johnson Controls International plc, headquartered in Cork, Ireland, is a global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, serving a wide range of customers in more than 150 countries. The Company’s products, services, systems and solutions advance the safety, comfort and intelligence of spaces to serve people, places and the planet. The Company is committed to helping its customers win and creating greater value for all of its stakeholders through its strategic focus on buildings.

Johnson Controls was originally incorporated in the state of Wisconsin in 1885 as Johnson Electric Service Company to manufacture, install and service automatic temperature regulation systems for buildings and was renamed to Johnson Controls, Inc. in 1974. In 2005, Johnson Controls acquired York International, a global supplier of heating, ventilating, air-conditioning ("HVAC") and refrigeration equipment and services. In 2014, Johnson Controls acquired Air Distribution Technologies, Inc., one of the largest independent providers of air distribution and ventilation products in North America. In 2015, Johnson Controls formed a joint venture with Hitachi to expand its building related product offerings. In 2016, Johnson Controls, Inc. and Tyco completed their combination (the "Merger"), combining Johnson Controls portfolio of building efficiency solutions with Tyco’s portfolio of fire and security solutions. Following the Merger, Tyco changed its name to “Johnson Controls International plc.”

In 2016, the Company completed the spin-off of its automotive business into Adient plc, an independent, publicly traded company. In 2019, the Company sold its Power Solutions business to BCP Acquisitions LLC, an entity controlled by

investment funds managed by Brookfield Capital Partners LLC, completing the Company’s transformation into a pure-play building technologies and solutions provider.

The Company is a global leader in engineering, manufacturing and commissioning building products and systems, including residential and commercial HVAC equipment, industrial refrigeration systems, controls, security systems, fire-detection systems and fire-suppression solutions. The Company further serves customers by providing technical services, including maintenance, management, repair, retrofit and replacement of equipment (in the HVAC, industrial refrigeration, security and fire-protection space), energy-management consulting and data-driven “smart building” services and solutions powered by its OpenBlue software platform and capabilities. The Company partners with customers by leveraging its broad product portfolio and digital capabilities powered by OpenBlue, together with its direct channel service and solutions capabilities, to deliver outcome-based solutions across the lifecycle of a building that address customers’ needs to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Business Segments

The Company conducts its business through four business segments: Building Solutions North America, Building Solutions EMEA/LA, Building Solutions Asia Pacific and Global Products.

Building Solutions North America: Building Solutions North America designs, sells, installs and services HVAC, controls, building management, refrigeration, integrated electronic security and integrated fire-detection and suppression systems for commercial, industrial, retail, small business, institutional and governmental customers in the United States and Canada. Building Solutions North America also provides energy efficiency solutions and technical services, including inspection, scheduled maintenance, and repair and replacement of mechanical and controls systems, as well as data-driven “smart building” solutions, to non-residential building and industrial applications in the United States and Canadian marketplace.

Building Solutions EMEA/LA: Building Solutions EMEA/LA designs, sells, installs, and services HVAC, controls, building management, refrigeration, integrated electronic security, integrated fire-detection and suppression systems, and provides technical services, including data-driven “smart building” solutions, to markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Building Solutions Asia Pacific: Building Solutions Asia Pacific designs, sells, installs, and services HVAC, controls, building management, refrigeration, integrated electronic security, integrated fire-detection and suppression systems, and provides technical services, including data-driven “smart building” solutions, to the Asia Pacific marketplace.

Global Products: Global Products designs, manufactures and sells HVAC equipment, controls software and software services for residential and commercial applications to commercial, industrial, retail, residential, small business, institutional and governmental customers worldwide. In addition, Global Products designs, manufactures and sells refrigeration equipment and controls globally. The Global Products business also designs, manufactures and sells fire protection, fire suppression and security products, including intrusion security, anti-theft devices, access control, and video surveillance and management systems, for commercial, industrial, retail, residential, small business, institutional and governmental customers worldwide. Global Products includes the Johnson Controls-Hitachi joint venture.

For more information on the Company’s segments, refer to Note 20, "Segment Information," of the notes to consolidated financial statements.

Products, Systems, Services and Solutions

The Company sells and installs its commercial HVAC equipment and systems, control systems, security systems, fire-detection and fire suppression systems, equipment and services primarily through its extensive direct channel, consisting of a global network of sales and service offices. Significant sales are also generated through global third-party channels, such as distributors of air-conditioning, controls, security and fire-detection and suppression products. The Company’s large base of current customers leads to significant repeat business for the maintenance, retrofit and replacement markets. The Company is also able to leverage its installed base to generate sales for its service business. Trusted building brands, such as YORK®, Hitachi Air Conditioning, Metasys®, Ansul, Ruskin®, Titus®, Frick®, PENN®, Sabroe®, Silent-Aire®, Simplex® and Grinnell®, together with the breadth and depth of the products, systems and solutions offered by the Company, give it what it believes to be the most diverse portfolio in the building technology industry.

The Company has developed software platforms, including on-premises platforms and cloud-based software services, and integrated its products and services with digital capabilities to provide data-driven solutions to create smarter, safer and more

sustainable buildings. In fiscal 2020, the Company launched its software platform, OpenBlue, enabling enterprises to manage all aspects of their physical spaces delivering sustainability, new occupant experiences, safety and security by combining the Company’s building expertise with cutting-edge technology, including AI-powered service solutions such as remote diagnostics, predictive maintenance, compliance monitoring and advanced risk assessments. The Company leverages its digital and data-driven products and services to offer integrated and customizable solutions focused on delivering outcomes to customers, including OpenBlue Buildings-as-a-Service, OpenBlue Net Zero Buildings-as-a-Service and OpenBlue Healthy Buildings. These services are generally designed to generate recurring revenue for the Company as it supports its customers in achieving their desired outcomes.

In fiscal 2021, approximately 37% of sales originated from product offerings, 36% of sales originated from installations and 27% of sales originated from service offerings.

Competition

The Company conducts its operations through thousands of individual contracts that are either negotiated or awarded on a competitive basis. Key factors in the award of contracts include system and service performance, quality, price, design, reputation, technology, application engineering capability and construction or project management expertise. Competitors for HVAC equipment, security, fire-detection, fire suppression and controls in the residential and non-residential marketplace include many local, regional, national and international providers. Larger competitors include Honeywell International, Inc.; Siemens Smart Infrastructure, an operating group of Siemens AG; Schneider Electric SA; Carrier Global Corporation; Trane Technologies plc; Daikin Industries, Ltd.; Lennox International, Inc.; GC Midea Holding Co, Ltd. and Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. In addition, the Company competes in a highly fragmented building services market. The loss of any individual contract or customer would not have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Business Strategy

The Company’s business strategy is to sustain and expand its position as a leader in smart and sustainable building solutions by offering a full spectrum of products and solutions for customer buildings across the globe. The Company’s core strategy remains focused on creating growth platforms, driving operational improvements and creating a high-performance culture. The Company has strong positions in attractive and growing end-markets across HVAC, controls, fire, security and services, enhanced by its comprehensive product portfolio and substantial installed base. The Company believes that it is well positioned to capitalize on the emerging and prevalent trends in the buildings industry, including decarbonization, healthy buildings/indoor environmental quality and smart buildings. To capitalize on these trends, the Company is building on its fiscal 2021 priorities of maintaining leading positions in commercial HVAC and building management systems, as well as enabling growth through digital, to develop and leverage new digital technologies and capabilities into outcomes powered by its OpenBlue software platform. In furtherance of these goals, the Company has three strategic priorities:

Capitalize on Key Growth Vectors: Decarbonization, healthy buildings/indoor environmental quality and smart buildings represent key growth opportunities for the Company. The Company seeks to leverage its existing portfolio breadth and investments in product development, combined with the expansion of its digital products and capabilities powered by OpenBlue, to offer differentiated solutions and innovative deal structures to help customers achieve their objectives. The Company intends to invest in products and expand its partnerships to power innovation that will allow it to provide differentiated services that are tailored to its customers’ desired outcomes.

Accelerate in High Growth Digital Services, Regions and Verticals: The Company is focused on transforming its large service business through its OpenBlue digital technologies and enabled by the Company’s installed base, domain expertise and global coverage. The Company further intends to expand its presence in high growth regions and invest in high growth verticals within the markets it serves, including healthcare, commercial offices/campus, education and data centers.

Sustain a High-Performance, Customer-Centric Culture: The Company recognizes that developing talent and creating positive customer experiences is central to accomplishing its business strategies. The Company is investing in its talent to build a diverse workforce that is digital capable, solutions oriented and focused on continuous learning and growth. The Company aims to leverage its talent capabilities and training to create a customer-focused culture to drive customer loyalty and decisions.

To realize these priorities, the Company is leveraging its technology leadership, comprehensive product portfolio, global presence, substantial installed base and strong channels to monetize the lifecycle opportunities of install, service, retrofit and replacement which are established and delivered by the Company’s direct field businesses and third-party channels across the globe. The Company is augmenting its strategic priorities with disciplined execution, productivity enhancements and sustainable cost management to create a path to realize expanded margins and enhanced profitability.

Backlog

The Company’s backlog is applicable to its sales of systems and services. At September 30, 2021, the backlog was $10.5 billion, of which $10.1 billion was attributable to the field business. The backlog amount outstanding at any given time is not necessarily indicative of the amount of revenue to be earned in the upcoming fiscal year.

At September 30, 2021, remaining performance obligations were $16.1 billion, which is $5.6 billion higher than the Company's backlog of $10.5 billion. Differences between the Company’s remaining performance obligations and backlog are primarily due to the following:

• Remaining performance obligations include large, multi-purpose contracts to construct hospitals, schools and other governmental buildings, which are services to be performed over the building's lifetime with average initial contract terms of 25 to 35 years for the entire term of the contract versus backlog which includes only the lifecycle period of these contracts which approximates five years;

• The Company has elected to exclude from remaining performance obligations certain contracts with customers with a term of one year or less or contracts that are cancelable without substantial penalty while these contracts are included within backlog; and

• Remaining performance obligations include the full remaining term of service contracts with substantial termination penalties versus backlog which includes one year for all outstanding service contracts.

The Company will continue to report backlog as it believes it is a useful measure of evaluating the Company's operational performance and relationship to total orders.

Raw Materials

Raw materials used by the Company’s businesses in connection with their operations include steel, aluminum, brass, copper, polypropylene and certain flurochemicals used in fire suppression agents. The Company also uses semiconductors and other electronic components in the manufacture of its products. During portions of fiscal 2021, the Company experienced higher than normal commodity and component prices and, in some instances, shortages due to global inflation, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, increased demand and other regulatory and macroeconomic factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. These trends had a negative impact on the Company’s results of operations in fiscal 2021, although they were largely mitigated by the Company through proactive measures such as making purchases with the anticipation of higher demand, expanding and redistributing its supplier network, supplier financing, price increases and productivity improvements. The Company believes that the macroeconomic trends experienced in fiscal 2021 will continue into fiscal 2022. Therefore, the Company could experience further disruptions, shortages and price inflation in the future, the effect of which will depend on the Company’s ability to successfully mitigate and offset the impact of these events. In fiscal 2022, commodity prices and availability could fluctuate throughout the year and could significantly affect the Company’s results of operations.

Intellectual Property

Generally, the Company seeks statutory protection for strategic or financially important intellectual property developed in connection with its business. Certain intellectual property, where appropriate, is protected by contracts, licenses, confidentiality or other agreements. From time to time, the Company takes action to protect its businesses by asserting its intellectual property rights against third-party infringers.

The Company owns numerous U.S. and non-U.S. patents (and their respective counterparts), the more important of which cover those technologies and inventions embodied in current products or which are used in the manufacture of those products. While the Company believes patents are important to its business operations and in the aggregate constitute a valuable asset, no single patent, or group of patents, is critical to the success of the business. The Company, from time to time, grants licenses under its patents and technology and receives licenses under patents and technology of others.

The Company’s trademarks, certain of which are material to its business, are registered or otherwise legally protected in the U.S. and many non-U.S. countries where products and services of the Company are sold. The Company, from time to time, becomes involved in trademark licensing transactions.

Most works of authorship produced for the Company, such as computer programs, catalogs and sales literature, carry appropriate notices indicating the Company’s claim to copyright protection under U.S. law and appropriate international treaties.

Environmental, Health and Safety Matters

Laws addressing the protection of the environment and workers’ safety and health govern the Company’s ongoing global operations. They generally provide for civil and criminal penalties, as well as injunctive and remedial relief, for noncompliance or require remediation of sites where Company-related materials have been released into the environment.

The Company has expended substantial resources globally, both financial and managerial, to comply with environmental laws and worker safety laws and maintains procedures designed to foster and ensure compliance. Certain of the Company’s businesses are, or have been, engaged in the handling or use of substances that may impact workplace health and safety or the environment. The Company is committed to protecting its workers and the environment against the risks associated with these substances.

The Company’s operations and facilities have been, and in the future may become, the subject of formal or informal enforcement actions or proceedings for noncompliance with environmental laws and worker safety laws or for the remediation of Company-related substances released into the environment. Such matters typically are resolved with regulatory authorities through commitments to compliance, abatement or remediation programs and, in some cases, payment of penalties. See Note 23, "Commitments and Contingencies," of the notes to consolidated financial statements for further discussion of environmental matters.

Government Regulation and Supervision

The Company's operations are subject to numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations, both within and outside the United States, in areas such as consumer protection, government contracts, international trade, environmental protection, labor and employment, tax, licensing and others. For example, most U.S. states and non-U.S. jurisdictions in which the Company operates have licensing laws directed specifically toward the alarm and fire suppression industries. The Company's security businesses currently rely extensively upon the use of wireline and wireless telephone service to communicate signals. Wireline and wireless telephone companies in the U.S. are regulated by the federal and state governments. In addition, government regulation of fire safety codes can impact the Company's fire businesses. The Company’s businesses may also be affected by changes in governmental regulation of refrigerants and energy efficiency standards, noise regulation and product safety regulations, including changes related to hydro fluorocarbons/emissions reductions efforts, energy conservation standards and the regulation of fluorinated gases. These and other laws and regulations impact the manner in which the Company conducts its business, and changes in legislation or government policies can affect the Company's worldwide operations, both favorably and unfavorably. For a more detailed description of the various laws and regulations that affect the Company's business, see Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Regulatory Capital Expenditures

The Company’s efforts to comply with numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations applicable to its business and products often results in capital expenditures. The Company makes capital expenditures to design and upgrade its fire and security products to comply with or exceed standards applicable to the alarm, fire suppression and security industries. The Company also makes capital expenditures to meet or exceed energy efficiency standards, including the regulation of refrigerants, hydro fluorocarbons/emissions reductions efforts and the regulation of fluorinated gasses, particularly with respect to the Company’s HVAC products and solutions. The Company’s ongoing environmental compliance program also results in capital expenditures. Regulatory and environmental considerations are a part of all significant capital expenditure decisions; however, expenditures in fiscal 2021 related solely to regulatory compliance were not material. It is management’s opinion that the amount of any future capital expenditures related to compliance with any individual regulation or grouping of related regulations will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial results or competitive position in any one year. See Note 23, "Commitments and Contingencies," of the notes to consolidated financial statements for further discussion of environmental matters.

Human Capital Management

Overview and Governance

The Company strives to continuously drive and develop its High-Performance Culture. The Company’s High-Performance Culture represents the practices and behaviors, underpinned by the Company’s values, that lead to sustained growth, winning results and satisfied customers.

The responsibility to develop and maintain a High-Performance Culture is owned, embedded and executed throughout the Company. The Chief Human Resources Officer ("CHRO") is responsible for establishing the Company’s strategy to drive a High-Performance Culture and ensuring its execution across the Company. The Compensation and Talent Development Committee of the Board of Directors is the primary overseer of the Company’s High-Performance Culture strategy and execution. The Chief Executive Officer, the CHRO, the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion and other senior leaders within the Company are responsible for the execution of the strategy and engage with the Compensation and Talent Development Committee, the Governance and Sustainability Committee and the full Board of Directors on the critical components driving the Company’s High-Performance Culture, including discussions of human capital trends, practices and operations, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, leadership development and succession planning. Key components driving the Company’s High-Performance Culture include:

Health and Safety

Health and Wellness, Safety and Environment are the three pillars of the Company’s Zero Harm vision. The Company’s health and safety programs are designed around global standards with appropriate variations addressing multiple jurisdictions and regulations, specific hazards and unique working environments of the Company’s manufacturing, service and install, and headquarter operations. In response to COVID-19, the Company created new Zero Harm standards and processes to ensure the ongoing health and safety of its workplaces, including extensive communication and education programs to encourage all employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 when eligible and the organization of on-site vaccination clinics at the Company’s facilities. Throughout fiscal year 2021, as employees in many countries were faced with continued work-from-home instructions, the Company’s focus on employee well-being continued with the utilization of global and regional well-being councils, addressing physical, mental, social and financial aspects of employee well-being during the pandemic. See "Impact of COVID-19 pandemic" included in Item 7, "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" for more information on human capital management actions taken by the Company in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Company requires each of its locations to perform regular safety audits to ensure proper safety policies, program procedures, analyses and training are in place. In addition, the Company engages an independent third-party conformity assessment and certification vendor to audit selected operations for adherence to its global health and safety standards. Safety culture and behavior-based safety initiatives have been deployed within the Company, including a multi-faceted policy focused on preventing distracted driving and the design and rollout of a new-style of platform ladder built to provide a safe working platform for employees. One safety policy that applies to all employees around the globe, regardless of rank, is every individual worker’s right to apply the “Stop Work” principle when uncertain about the health and safety of a particular task.

The Company utilizes a mixture of leading and lagging indicators to assess the health and safety performance of its operations. Lagging indicators include the OSHA Total Recordable Incident Rate ("TRIR") and the Lost Time (or Lost Workday) Incident Rate ("LTIR") based upon the number of incidents per 100 employees (or per 200,000 work hours). In fiscal year 2021, the Company had a TRIR of 0.37 and a LTIR of 0.12.

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are embedded throughout the Company’s strategy to drive a High-Performance Culture. The Company recognizes that an inclusive culture that is diverse adds value to the Company and its customers through: the creation and delivery of innovative and outstanding products, services and outcomes; the cultivation of an engaged and empowered environment where employee productivity drives company growth; and the onboarding of high-performing talent into the organization to propel the Company's transformation and future. The Company believes that all employees and leaders are responsible for creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Employees are empowered to take an active role in creating a culture that values uniqueness, celebrates creativity and drives innovation. The Company places a high value on inclusion, engaging employees in Business Resource Groups ("BRGs") — employee-led voluntary organizations of people with similar interests, experiences, or demographic characteristics. The Company maintains its BRG chapters worldwide across nine

categories: African American, Asia Pacific, LGBTQ+, Emerging Leaders, Hispanic, Disabilities, Veterans, Women and Sustainability. The Company uses these groups to serve as a source of inclusion and to support the acquisition and development of diverse talent internally and externally. Each BRG is open to all employees and sponsored and supported by senior leaders across the enterprise. The Company’s BRG structure includes monthly learning series, an active recruitment platform, an innovation hub, and community engagement. In fiscal year 2021, the Company realized over 350% growth in BRG membership.

The Company has implemented several measures that focus on ensuring accountabilities exist for making progress in diversity:

• Diversity Performance Goals:** The CEO and other senior leaders have diversity and inclusion objectives in their annual performance goals.

• Attracting Diverse Talent:** The Company commits to having a diverse talent pipeline by partnering with its business units in their workforce planning forecasts, as well as external organizations, to develop initiatives and goals to recruit diverse talent across all leadership and skill areas. In furtherance of this commitment, the Company launched its Future Leaders Internship Program, an enterprise-wide internship program designed to build a sustainable, diverse pipeline of talent with the critical skills needed to support the Company’s growth initiatives.

• Facilitating Engagement:** The Company launched the Perspectives Listening Series to facilitate honest, courageous and authentic conversations between colleagues on topics that are relevant and important to employees, communities and society as a whole. Topics covered include next generation leadership, gender equality, the social justice movement and fatherhood.

Talent Development

To maintain a High-Performance Culture, the Company must ensure the continued development and advancement of its people. Strategic talent reviews and succession planning occur on a planned cadence annually – globally and across all business areas. The Company continues to provide opportunities for the Company's employees to grow their careers, with over half of open management positions filled internally during fiscal year 2021.

The Company believes that high performance is an outcome of a person’s ability to change, adapt, and grow their capabilities throughout their career. The Company emphasizes real-life, real-time learning that enables a person to meet the demands of challenging and changing work and focuses on reinforcing key principles that are designed to support an individual’s effectiveness in his or her current job and in their future development. The Company provides technical and leadership training to employees, customers and suppliers who work for or with the Company’s products and services. In particular, the Company’s focus on employee development has been structured over the last several years through programs designed to imbed essential skills and reinforce strategic goals that are aligned to the Company’s culture, including:

• Digital Transformation:** In support of Company’s growth strategy, the Company is investing in developing digital leadership with personalized and targeted training programs designed to create digitally capable leaders, salespersons and technicians.

• Diversity and Inclusion:** The Company has developed a structured diversity and inclusion training continuum across the levels and stages of individuals' careers to develop and align employees with the Company’s diversity and inclusion strategy and values.

• Organizational Health:** The Company regularly assesses its progress using an Organizational Health Index survey and develops annual health plans comprised of priority initiatives to drive key behaviors and practices that is informed by the survey’s results. These plans are specifically tailored for each business unit and regularly assessed during the year, with managers accountable for introducing and teaching new skills or toolsets to their teams.

In fiscal year 2021, the Company offered a robust curriculum of over 150,000 learning activities available to employees, consisting of videos, courses, e-learning, documentation, articles and books, including over 5,000 active (in person or virtual) learning courses. In fiscal year 2021, over 1.1 million learning activities were completed by approximately 85,300 employees.

Employee Population and Demographics

As of September 30, 2021, the Company employed approximately 101,000 people worldwide, of which approximately 37,000 were employed in the United States and approximately 64,000 were outside the United States. Approximately 22,000 employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements or works councils and the Company believes that its relations with its labor unions are generally positive.

(1) Male and female data represents all employees globally. Minority data represents U.S. employees only.

Seasonal Factors

Certain of the Company's sales are seasonal as the demand for residential air conditioning equipment and services generally increases in the summer months. This seasonality is mitigated by the other products and services provided by the Company that have no material seasonal effect.

Research and Development Expenditures

Refer to Note 1, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," of the notes to consolidated financial statements for research and development expenditures. In January 2021, the Company committed to invest 75 percent of its new product research and development in climate-related innovation to develop sustainable products and services.

Available Information

The Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, definitive proxy statements on Schedule 14A, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, are made available free of charge through the Investor Relations section of the Company’s Internet website at http://www.johnsoncontrols.com as soon as reasonably practicable after the Company electronically files such material with, or furnishes it to, the SEC. Copies of any materials the Company files with the SEC can also be obtained free of charge through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company also makes available, free of charge, its Code of Ethics, Corporate Governance Guidelines, Board of Directors committee charters and other information related to the Company on the Company’s Internet website or in printed form upon request. The Company is not including the information contained on the Company’s website as a part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Provided below is a cautionary discussion of what we believe to be the most important risk factors applicable to the Company. Discussion of these factors is incorporated by reference into and considered an integral part of Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations.” The disclosure of a risk should not be interpreted imply that such risk has not already materialized. Additional risks not currently known to the Company or that the Company currently believes are immaterial also may impair the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Risks Related to Economic and Political Conditions

Impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The global outbreak of COVID-19 has disrupted economic activity around the world. As a result, we and our affiliates, employees, suppliers, customers and others have been and may continue to be restricted or prevented from conducting normal business activities, including as a result of shutdowns, travel restrictions and other actions that may be requested or mandated by governmental authorities. While a substantial portion of our businesses and facilities have been classified as essential in

jurisdictions in which facility closures have been mandated, we can give no assurance that there will not be additional closures in the future or that our businesses and facilities will be classified as essential in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate.

The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted, and may continue to impact, our office locations, manufacturing and servicing facilities and distribution centers, as well as those of our third-party vendors, including the effects of facility closures, reductions in operating hours and other social distancing efforts. In response to the challenges presented by COVID-19, we modified our business practices, including restricting non-essential employee travel, implementing remote work protocols, and limiting physical participation in meetings, events and conferences, and we may take further actions as may be required by government authorities or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers, partners and suppliers. These modifications to our business practices, including any future actions we take, may cause us to experience increases in costs, reductions in productivity and disruptions to our business routines.

In September 2021, the Biden Administration issued an executive order requiring U.S.-based employees, contractors, and subcontractors, that work on or in support of U.S. Government contracts, to be fully vaccinated by January 4, 2022. The executive order includes on-site and remote U.S.-based employees, contractors and subcontractors and it only permits limited exceptions for medical and religious reasons. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") has also issued rules requiring that all large employers in the U.S. have employee populations that are fully vaccinated against or regularly tested for COVID-19 at least once per week by January 4, 2022, however, the implementation of the OSHA rules has been blocked by a federal appeals court, subject to the resolution of ongoing litigation challenging the constitutionality of the rules. These actions are or are expected to be applicable to our U.S. operations and our federal contracting business, and we have announced an internal vaccine mandate with respect to our U.S.-based employees who fall within the scope of the federal contractor and subcontractor executive order. It is also possible that additional vaccine mandates may be announced in other jurisdictions in which our businesses operate. In addition, certain customers have issued vaccine requirements with respect to our employees who provide on-site service at customer facilities. Our efforts to comply with these mandates, including requiring that some or all of our employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, could result in increased labor attrition and disruption, as well as difficulty securing future labor needs, and could adversely impact our ability to deliver services to our U.S. federal government customers and potentially other customers, which could in turn adversely impact our results of operations.

We may also experience impacts from market forces and changes in consumer behavior related to pandemic fears as a result of COVID-19. Although we experienced increases in both demand and volumes during fiscal 2021 as governments distributed vaccines and lifted COVID-19-related restrictions, challenges in achieving sufficient vaccination levels and the introduction of new variants of COVID-19 have and could continue to negatively impact our results of operations due to the extension or reinstitution of lockdowns and similar restrictive measures, limited access to customer sites to perform installation and service work, the delay or abandonment of projects on which we provide products and/or services, and the general adverse impacts on demand and sales volumes from industries that are sensitive to economic downturns and volatility in commodity prices. In addition, the Company has experienced and could continue to experience labor shortages at its facilities as the Company expands its production capacity to meet increased customer demand. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic could result in permanent changes in the behaviors of our customers, including the increased prevalence of remote work and a corresponding decline in demand for the construction and maintenance of commercial buildings. Any of these impacts could cause our stock price and the operating performances of our businesses to be adversely affected, which could require us to incur material impairment, restructuring or other charges.

Our management of the impact of COVID-19 has and will continue to require significant investment of time from our management and employees, as well as resources across our global enterprise. This may cause us to divert or delay the application of our resources toward new initiatives or investments, which may adversely impact our future results of operations. In addition, issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic may result in legal claims or litigation against us.

The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the resurgence of COVID-19 and its variants in regions recovering from the impacts of the pandemic, the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and the speed at which populations are vaccinated around the globe, the impact of COVID-19 on economic activity and regulatory actions taken to contain the impact of COVID-19 on public health and the global economy. The impact of COVID-19 may also exacerbate other risks discussed in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, any of which could have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The ability of suppliers to deliver raw materials, parts and components to our manufacturing facilities, and our ability to manufacture without disruption, could affect our results of operations.

We use a wide range of materials (primarily steel, copper and aluminum) and components (including semiconductors and other electronic components) in the global production of our products, which come from numerous suppliers around the world. Because not all of our business arrangements provide for guaranteed supply and some key parts may be available only from a single supplier or a limited group of suppliers, we are subject to supply and pricing risk. Our operations and those of our suppliers are subject to disruption for a variety of reasons, including COVID-19-related supplier plant shutdowns or slowdowns, transport

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The Company has no unresolved written comments regarding its periodic or current reports from the staff of the SEC.

The Company has properties in over 60 countries throughout the world, with its world headquarters located in Cork, Ireland and its North American operational headquarters located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA. The Company’s wholly- and majority-owned facilities primarily consist of manufacturing, sales and service offices, research and development facilities, monitoring centers, and assembly and/or warehouse centers. At September 30, 2021, these properties totaled approximately 40 million square feet of floor space of which 14 million square feet are owned and 26 million square feet are leased. The Company considers its facilities to be suitable for their current uses and adequate for current needs. The majority of the facilities are operating at normal levels based on capacity. The Company does not anticipate difficulty in renewing existing leases as they expire or in finding alternative facilities.

Gumm v. Molinaroli, et al.

On August 16, 2016, a putative class action lawsuit, Gumm v. Molinaroli, et al., Case No. 16-cv-1093, was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, naming Johnson Controls, Inc., the individual members of its board of directors at the time of the merger with the Company’s merger subsidiary and certain of its officers, the Company and the Company’s merger subsidiary as defendants. The complaint asserted various causes of action under the federal securities laws, state law and the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, including that the individual defendants allegedly breached their fiduciary duties and unjustly enriched themselves by structuring the merger among the Company, Tyco and the merger subsidiary in a manner that would result in a United States federal income tax realization event for the putative class of certain Johnson Controls, Inc. shareholders and allegedly result in certain benefits to the defendants, as well as related claims regarding alleged misstatements in the proxy statement/prospectus distributed to the Johnson Controls, Inc. shareholders, conversion and breach of contract. The complaint also asserted that Johnson Controls, Inc., the Company and the Company’s merger subsidiary aided and abetted the individual defendants in their breach of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment. The complaint seeks, among other things, disgorgement of profits and damages. On September 30, 2016, approximately one month after the closing of the merger, plaintiffs filed a preliminary injunction motion seeking, among other items, to compel Johnson Controls, Inc. to make certain intercompany payments that plaintiffs contend will impact the United States federal income tax consequences of the merger to the putative class of certain Johnson Controls, Inc. shareholders and to enjoin Johnson Controls, Inc. from reporting to the Internal Revenue Service the capital gains taxes payable by this putative class as a result of the closing of the merger. The court held a hearing on the preliminary injunction motion on January 4, 2017, and on January 25, 2017, the judge denied the plaintiffs' motion. Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on February 15, 2017, and the Company filed a motion to dismiss on April 3, 2017. On October 17, 2019, the court heard oral arguments on the motion to dismiss and took the matter under advisement. On November 3, 2021, the court granted the Company’s motion to dismiss the amended complaint.

Refer to Note 23, "Commitments and Contingencies," of the notes to consolidated financial statements for discussion of environmental, asbestos, insurable liabilities and other litigation matters, which is incorporated by reference herein and is considered an integral part of Part I, Item 3, "Legal Proceedings."

Not applicable.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

Pursuant to General Instruction G(3) of Form 10-K, the following list of executive officers of the Company as of November 15, 2021 is included as an unnumbered Item in Part I of this report in lieu of being included in the Company’s Proxy Statement relating to the annual general meeting of shareholders to be held on March 9, 2022.

Tomas Brannemo, 50, has served as Vice President and President, Building Solutions, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America since September 2019. He previously served as Senior Vice President and President, Water Infrastructure and Europe Commercial Team of Xylem Inc., a leading global water technology company. At Xylem, he also served as Senior Vice President and President, Transport and Treatment, from 2017 to 2019 and other roles from 2010 to 2017. Between 2006 and 2010, he held various marketing, sales and engineering positions at Volvo Construction Company.

John Donofrio, 59, has served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Company since November 15, 2017. He previously served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Mars, Incorporated, a global food manufacturer from October 2013 to November 2017. Before joining Mars in October 2013, Mr. Donofrio was Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for The Shaw Group Inc., a global engineering and construction company, from October 2009 until February 2013. Prior to joining Shaw, Mr. Donofrio was Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Visteon Corporation, a global automotive supplier, a position he held from 2005 until October 2009. Mr. Donofrio has been a Director of FARO Technologies, Inc., a designer, developer, manufacturer and marketer of software driven, 3D measurement, imaging and realization systems, since 2008.

Michael J. Ellis, 65, has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Customer & Digital Officer since October 2019. From May 2018 to October 2019, he served as a Managing Director at Accenture, a global provider of professional services in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. He previously served as Chairman and CEO of ForgeRock, a global digital security software company, from 2012 to 2018. Prior to joining ForgeRock, from 2008 to 2012, he held various senior executive roles at SAP SE, a global provider of enterprise software solutions. Previously, he also served as Chief Executive Officer of Univa, a leading innovator in enterprise-grade workload management and optimization solutions, and as Senior Vice President Business Development at i2 Technologies, a provider of supply chain solutions. Mr. Ellis also serves as a director on the board of CBRE Acquisition Holdings Inc.

Visal Leng, 51, has served as Vice President and President, Building Solutions, Asia Pacific since September 2018. He previously served as President Asia Pacific of Baker Hughes, the world’s first and only full stream provider of integrated oilfield products, services and digital solutions, from July 2017 to September 2018. Prior to the merger of Baker Hughes with General Electric in 2017, he held a number of roles with increasing responsibility in General Electric from his hire in November 1996, including President of its Asia Pacific oil and gas operations from January 2014 to July 2017; and Asia Pacific Regional General Manager from October 2011 to December 2013.

Olivier Leonetti, 56, has served as Chief Financial Officer since November 2020. Prior to joining Johnson Controls, Mr. Leonetti served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Zebra Technologies, a provider of enterprise-level data capture and automatic identification solutions, a position he had held since November 2016. Prior to joining Zebra, Mr. Leonetti was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Western Digital, a provider of data infrastructure solutions from 2014 to 2016. Prior to joining Western Digital, Mr. Leonetti served as Vice President of Finance – Global Commercial Organization at Amgen, Inc. from 2011 to 2014. From 1997 to 2011, Mr. Leonetti served in various senior finance positions with increasing responsibility at Dell Inc., including most recently as Vice President of Finance. Prior to joining Dell Inc., Mr. Leonetti served in various worldwide finance capacities with Lex Rac Service plc and the Gillette Company. Mr. Leonetti also serves as a director on the board of Eaton Corporation plc, a provider of power management technologies and services.

Nathan Manning, 45, has served as Vice President and President, Building Solutions, North America since October 2020. He previously served as Vice President and General Manager, Field Operations, from March 2020 to October 2020 and Vice President and General Manager, HVAC and Controls Building Solutions North America, from January 2019 to March 2020. Prior to joining Johnson Controls, he served in various roles at General Electric, a diversified industrial and technology company, where he held the position of General Manager, Operational Excellence for General Electric’s GE Power segment from August 2017 until December 2018 and the position of General Manager, Services of GE Energy Connections, a division of GE Power, from November 2015 until August 2017. Prior to joining General Electric, Mr. Manning served as Vice President, General Manager of Eaton Aerospace, a segment of Eaton Corporation plc, a provider of power management technologies and services, from February 2014 until November 2015. Prior to joining Eaton, Mr.

Manning served in a number of roles with increasing responsibility in General Electric from his hire in January 2000, including as President and Chief Executive Officer of Aviage Systems, a joint venture between General Electric and Aviation Industry Corporation of China, from July 2012 until February 2014.

George R. Oliver, 62, has served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board since September 2017. He previously served as our President and Chief Operating Officer following the completion of the merger of Johnson Controls and Tyco in September 2016. Prior to that, Mr. Oliver was Tyco's Chief Executive Officer, a position he held since September 2012. He joined Tyco in July 2006, and served as President of a number of operating segments from 2007 through 2011. Before joining Tyco, he served in operational leadership roles of increasing responsibility at several General Electric divisions. Mr. Oliver also serves as a Director on the board of Raytheon Technologies, an aerospace and defense company.

Ganesh Ramaswamy, 53*,* has served as Vice President and President, Global Services for Johnson Controls since December 2019. From 2015 to 2019, Mr. Ramaswamy served in various executive leadership roles at Danaher Corporation, a diversified manufacturer of life sciences, diagnostics, and industrial products and services, including Senior Vice President, High Growth markets—Beckman Coulter, President, Videojet Technologies, and, most recently, as Danaher Vice President & Group Executive, Marking & Coding. From 2011 to 2015, Mr. Ramaswamy served in various executive roles at Pentax Medical, a provider of endoscopic imaging devices and solutions, including as President of Pentax Medical from 2013 to 2015. Earlier in his career, Mr. Ramaswamy served in various roles of increasing responsibility with the General Electric Company across product development, service operations, and general management. Mr. Ramaswamy also serves as a director on the board of PACCAR, a global manufacturer of heavy-duty and medium-duty trucks.

Marlon Sullivan, 47, became Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer in September 2021. Prior to joining Johnson Controls, he served as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Delta Airlines from January 2021 to September 2021. Prior to joining Delta, Mr. Sullivan served in various human resources and talent development leadership roles at Abbott Laboratories from December 2007 through December 2020. Earlier in his career, Mr. Sullivan held a variety of human resources roles at The Home Depot.

Robert VanHimbergen, 45, has served as Vice President and Corporate Controller since December 2017. Mr. VanHimbergen joined Johnson Controls in 2007 as the Corporate Director of Global Accounting and has held various Corporate and Power Solutions positions of increasing responsibility. His most recent position was serving as the Chief Financial Officer of Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, an Adient joint venture, formed in 2015. Mr. VanHimbergen began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1998.

Jeff M. Williams, 60, has served as Vice President and President, Global Products, Building Technologies and Solutions since July 2019. He previously served as Vice President and President, Building Solutions, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America from March 2017 to July 2019. Prior thereto, he served as Vice President - Enterprise Operations - Engineering and Supply Chain from January 2015 through the Merger to March 2017. With respect to roles at Johnson Controls, Inc., he served as Vice President, Program Management Office from 2015 to 2016, as Group Vice President and General Manager Global Seating & Supply Chain from 2013 to 2014, and as Group Vice President and General Manager Customer Group Americas from 2010 to 2012. Mr. Williams joined Johnson Controls, Inc. in 1984.

There are no family relationships, as defined by the instructions to this item, among the Company’s executive officers.

PART II

The shares of the Company’s ordinary shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "JCI."

In March 2021, the Company's Board of Directors approved a $4.0 billion increase to the Company's share repurchase authorization, adding to the $2.0 billion remaining as of December 31, 2020 under the prior share repurchase authorization

approved in 2019. The share repurchase authorization does not have an expiration date and may be amended or terminated by the Board of Directors at any time without prior notice. During fiscal year 2021, the Company repurchased approximately $1.3 billion of its ordinary shares on an open market. As of September 30, 2021, approximately $5.1 billion remains available under the share repurchase authorization.

The following table presents information regarding the repurchase of the Company’s ordinary shares by the Company as part of the publicly announced program during the three months ended September 30, 2021.

During the three months ended September 30, 2021, acquisitions of shares by the Company from certain employees in order to satisfy employee tax withholding requirements in connection with the vesting of restricted shares were not material.

Equity compensation plan information is incorporated by reference from Part III, Item 12, "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters," of this document and should be considered an integral part of this Item 5.

The following information in Item 5 is not deemed to be "soliciting material" or to be "filed" with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, and will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, except to the extent the Company specifically incorporates it by reference into such a filing.

The line graph below compares the cumulative total shareholder return on the Company's ordinary shares with the cumulative total return of companies on the Standard & Poor’s ("S&P’s") 500 Stock Index and the companies on the S&P 500 Industrials Index. This graph assumes the investment of $100 on September 30, 2016 and the reinvestment of all dividends since that date.

General

Johnson Controls International plc, headquartered in Cork, Ireland, is a global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, serving a wide range of customers in more than 150 countries. The Company’s products, services, systems and solutions advance the safety, comfort and intelligence of spaces to serve people, places and the planet. The Company is committed to helping its customers win and creating greater value for all of its stakeholders through its strategic focus on buildings.

The Company is a global leader in engineering, manufacturing and commissioning building products and systems, including residential and commercial HVAC equipment, industrial refrigeration systems, controls, security systems, fire-detection systems and fire-suppression solutions. The Company further serves customers by providing technical services, including maintenance, management, repair, retrofit and replacement of equipment (in the HVAC, industrial refrigeration, security and fire-protection space), energy-management consulting and data-driven “smart building” services and solutions powered by its OpenBlue software platform and capabilities. The Company partners with customers by leveraging its broad product portfolio and digital capabilities powered by OpenBlue, together with its direct channel service and solutions capabilities, to deliver outcome-based solutions across the lifecycle of a building that address customers’ needs to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This discussion summarizes the significant factors affecting the consolidated operating results, financial condition and liquidity of the Company for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. This discussion should be read in conjunction with Item 8, the consolidated financial statements and the notes to consolidated financial statements. A detailed discussion of the 2020 to 2019

year-over-year changes are not included herein and can be found in the Management's Discussion and Analysis section in the Company's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed November 16, 2020 under the heading "Fiscal year 2020 compared to fiscal year 2019," which is incorporated herein by reference.

Macroeconomic Trends

Much of the demand for installation of the Company’s products and solutions is driven by commercial and residential construction and industrial facility expansion and maintenance projects. Commercial and residential construction projects are heavily dependent on general economic conditions, localized demand for commercial and residential real estate and availability of credit. Positive or negative fluctuations in commercial and residential construction, industrial facility expansion and maintenance projects and other capital investments in buildings could have a corresponding impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

As a result of the Company’s global presence, a significant portion of its revenues and expenses is denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The Company is therefore subject to non-U.S. currency risks and non-U.S. exchange exposure. While the Company employs financial instruments to hedge some of its transactional foreign exchange exposure, these activities do not insulate it completely from those exposures. Exchange rates can be volatile and a substantial weakening or strengthening of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar could increase or reduce the Company’s profit margin in various locations outside of the U.S. and impact the comparability of results from period to period.

The Company continues to observe trends demonstrating increased interest and demand for safe, efficient and sustainable buildings, and seeks to capitalize on these trends to drive growth by developing and delivering technologies and solutions to create smart and healthy buildings. In 2020, the Company launched its software platform, OpenBlue, enabling enterprises to manage all aspects of their physical spaces delivering sustainability, new occupant experiences, and safety and security by combining the Company’s building expertise with cutting-edge technology, including AI-powered service solutions such as remote diagnostics, predictive maintenance, compliance monitoring and advanced risk assessments. The Company continues to leverage its install base, together with data-driven products and services to offer outcome-based solutions to customers with a focus on generating accelerated growth in services and recurring revenue for the Company. In January 2021, the Company committed to invest 75 percent of its new product research and development in climate-related innovation to develop sustainable products and services.

The Company has experienced, and expects to continue to experience, increased input material cost inflation and component shortages, as well as disruptions and delays in its supply chain, as a result of global macroeconomic trends (including increased global demand), government-mandated actions in response to COVID-19 and labor shortages. Actions taken by the Company to mitigate supply chain disruptions and inflation, including expanding and redistributing its supplier network, supplier financing, price increases and productivity improvements, have generally been successful in offsetting some, but not all, of the impact of these trends. As a result, these trends have negatively impacted the Company’s revenue and margins. The Company expects that these trends will continue in fiscal year 2022. Therefore, the Company could experience further disruptions, shortages and price increases in the future, the effect of which will depend on the Company’s ability to successfully mitigate and offset the impact of these events.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic

The global outbreak of COVID-19 severely restricted the level of economic activity around the world and caused a significant contraction in the global economy.

The Company’s affiliates, employees, suppliers, customers and others have been and may continue to be restricted or prevented from conducting normal business activities, including as a result of shutdowns, travel restrictions and other actions that may be requested or mandated by governmental authorities. Although shutdown orders and similar restrictions have been lifted in many jurisdictions in conjunction with the global distribution of vaccines, challenges in achieving sufficient vaccination levels and the spread of new variants of COVID-19 have caused some governments to extend or reinstitute restrictions in impacted areas. During fiscal 2021, the Company’s facilities generally operated at normal levels.

The Company continues to focus its efforts on preserving the health and safety of its employees and customers, as well as maintaining the continuity of its operations. The Company modified its business practices in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including restricting non-essential employee travel, implementing remote work protocols, and limiting physical participation in meetings, events and conferences. The Company also instituted preventive measures at its facilities, including enhanced health and safety protocols, temperature screening, requiring face coverings for all unvaccinated employees and encouraging employees to follow similar protocols when away from work. The Company has adopted and implemented a

multifaceted framework to guide its decision making as it reopens its offices and facilities to employees, and will continue to monitor and audit its facilities to ensure that they are in compliance with the Company’s COVID-19 safety requirements.

The Company initially experienced a decline in demand and volumes in its global businesses as a result of the impact of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. Specifically, during portions of fiscal 2020, the Company experienced lower demand

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See "Risk Management" included in Item 7 - Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Johnson Controls International plc

Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of Johnson Controls International plc and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of September 30, 2021 and 2020, and the related consolidated statements of income, of comprehensive income (loss), of shareholders’ equity attributable to Johnson Controls ordinary shareholders, and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 2021, including the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the accompanying index (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of September 30, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 2021 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for leases as of October 1, 2019.

Basis for Opinions

The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based

on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

As described in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, management has excluded Silent-Aire from its assessment of internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021 because it was acquired by the Company in a purchase business combination during 2021. We have also excluded Silent-Aire from our audit of internal control over financial reporting. Silent-Aire is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company whose total assets and total revenues excluded from management’s assessment and our audit of internal control over financial reporting represent less than 1% of each of the related consolidated financial statement amounts as of and for the year ended September 30, 2021.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s inter

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None.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company’s management, with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluations, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective in recording, processing, summarizing, and reporting, on a timely basis, information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act, and that information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). The Company’s management, with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, the Company’s management has concluded that, as of September 30, 2021, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the Company’s consolidated financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021 as stated in its report which is included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K and is incorporated by reference herein.

Management has excluded Silent-Aire from its assessment of internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021 given its acquisition date of Silent-Aire in May 2021. Silent-Aire is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company whose total assets and total revenues excluded from our assessment represent less than 1% each of the related consolidated financial statement amounts as of and for the year ended September 30, 2021.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended September 30, 2021, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

None.

None.

PART III

In response to Part III, Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, parts of the Company’s definitive proxy statement (to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after Registrant’s fiscal year-end of September 30, 2021) for its annual meeting to be held on March 9, 2022, are incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K.

The information relating to directors and nominees of Johnson Controls is set forth under the caption “Proposal Number One” in Johnson Controls’ proxy statement for its annual meeting of shareholders to be held on March 9, 2022 (the “Johnson Controls Proxy Statement”) and is incorporated by reference herein. Information about executive officers is included in Part I, Item 4 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The information required by Items 405, 407(c)(3), (d)(4) and (d)(5) of Regulation S-K is contained under the captions “Governance of the Company - Nomination of Directors and Board Diversity,” “Governance of the Company - Board Committees”, and “Committees of the Board - Audit Committee” of the Johnson Controls Proxy Statement and such information is incorporated by reference herein.

Code of Ethics

Johnson Controls has adopted a code of ethics for directors, officers (including the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer) and employees, known as Values First, The Johnson Controls Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics is available on the Company’s website at www.valuesfirst.johnsoncontrols.com. The Company posts any amendments to or waivers of its Code of Ethics (to the extent applicable to the Company’s directors or executive officers) at the same location on the Company’s website. In addition, copies of the Code of Ethics may be obtained in print without charge upon written request by any stockholder to the office of the Company at One Albert Quay, Cork, Ireland.

The information required by Item 402 of Regulation S-K is contained under the captions “Compensation Discussion & Analysis” (excluding the information under the caption “Compensation Committee Report on Executive Compensation”), “Executive Compensation Tables” and “Compensation of Non-Employee Directors” of the Johnson Controls Proxy Statement. Such information is incorporated by reference.

The information required by Items 407(e)(4) and (e)(5) of Regulation S-K is contained under the captions “Committees of the Board - Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation” and “Compensation Discussion & Analysis - Compensation Committee Report on Executive Compensation” of the Johnson Controls Proxy Statement. Such information

(other than the Compensation Committee Report on Executive Compensation, which shall not be deemed to be “filed”) is incorporated by reference.

The information in the Johnson Controls Proxy Statement set forth under the caption "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management" is incorporated herein by reference.

On March 10, 2021, the shareholders of the Company approved the Johnson Controls International plc 2021 Equity and Incentive Plan, which terminated the 2012 Share and Incentive Plan, as amended in September 2016 (collectively, the "Plans"). Both plans authorize stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted (non-vested) stock/units, performance shares, performance units and other stock-based awards. The Compensation and Talent Development Committee of the Company's Board of Directors determines the types of awards to be granted to individual participants and the terms and conditions of the awards.

The following table provides information about the Company's equity compensation plans as of September 30, 2021:

The information in the Johnson Controls Proxy Statement set forth under the captions “Committees of the Board,” “Governance of the Company - Director Independence,” and “Governance of the Company - Other Directorships, Conflicts and Related Party Transactions,” is incorporated herein by reference.

The information in the Johnson Controls Proxy Statement set forth under “Proposal Number Two” related to the appointment of auditors is incorporated herein by reference.

PART IV

All other schedules are omitted because they are not applicable, or the required information is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto.

Financial statements of 50% or less-owned companies have been omitted because the proportionate share of their revenue or profit before income taxes is individually less than 20% of the respective consolidated amounts and investments in such companies are less than 20% of consolidated total assets.

Not applicable.

Johnson Controls International plc

Index to Exhibits

(a) (1) and (2) Financial Statements and Supplementary Data - See Item 8

(b) Exhibit Index:

Johnson Controls International plc

Index to Exhibits

Johnson Controls International plc

Index to Exhibits

Johnson Controls International plc

Index to Exhibits

Johnson Controls International plc

Index to Exhibits

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below as of November 15, 2021, by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated: