Abbott Park, IL — A combination of better energy efficiency, low carbon fuel switching and green power helped Abbott meet its 2011 climate change goal two years early.
The pharmaceutical giant had hoped to reduce emissions from manufacturing by 30 percent between 2006 and 2011, normalized by sales. Instead, Abbott reduced its carbon intensity by 36 percent.
Now the company plans to reduce its absolute emissions 15 percent between 2005 and 2015. So far, the size of the company's carbon footprint has shrunk by 10.7 percent, Abbott said in its 2009 Global Citizenship report.
To help it along the way to its 2015 goal, the company will increase its use of onsite renewable energy generation. So far, the company has launched projects at three of its largest 10 facilities, with a goal of investing in projects at all major manufacturing locations by the end of 2011. This allowed the company to buy 32 percent less energy last year, exceeding its 2011 goal of a 12 percent reduction in energy purchases, based on 2006 levels.
Abbott estimates its carbon footprint is 1.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Its supply chain footprint is approximately six to 14 times bigger, largely due to agricultural emissions.
The company called climate change a serious issue that has the potential to affect businesses in a variety of ways, ranging from higher energy costs to sourcing and distribution challenges caused by extreme weather patterns or water scarcity.
"Action is required on our part -- not only to mitigate these risks, but also to help society adapt to the climatic changes already under way," the company said in the report. "As a global health care company, we are committed to helping address this issue -- by reducing our direct impacts through manufacturing and by making a positive difference through indirect impacts across our value chain."
Climate change is one of Abbott's three environmental priorities, along with water use and product stewardship. Abbott also met its goal of reducing water intensity by 40 percent. Now the company intends to halve water intake by 2015. Since 2007, Abbott has avoided nearly 4.5 million pounds of packaging annually. It plans to reduce packaging 5 percent by 2013.