Month: September 2024

This is the first buyers’ cohort through the Energize program, a pharmaceutical and healthcare sector initiative to decarbonize the shared supply chain and reduce Scope 3 emissions, to procure renewable energyThree Energize program sponsors Takeda, Teva Pharmaceutical, and UCB, along with five industry suppliers, have signed a multi-buyer PPA with developers Zelestra and Bruc adding more than 280 MW of new solar capacity to the European gridThe Energize program has been extended until 2028 with Almirall, Bayer, Kenvue, Sandoz, and Schott joining as sponsors in 2024

NEW YORK, September 25, 2024 /3BL/ – Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced exciting progress for the Energize supply chain decarbonization program, on behalf of the program’s sponsors. The first buyers’ cohort from the Energize program brings eight companies together to procure renewable energy through seven new solar projects in Spain with two developers.

Healthcare systems account for nearly 5% of all global emissions with the majority falling under Scope 3 emissions. The Energize program aims to address the current and future challenges of climate change and its impact on human health by supporting decarbonization across the global industry supply chain.

Together, three sponsors of the Energize program, Takeda Pharmaceuticals International AG, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, and UCB, and suppliers, Avantor, Organon LLC, Perrigo, and West Pharmaceutical Services Inc., have collaborated to execute an aggregated total purchase of 305 GWh of renewable energy from Zelestra. Additionally, Takeda, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Labcorp, and West Pharmaceutical Services have purchased 258.7 GWh of renewable energy from Bruc.

In total, the eight companies executed 27 PPAs for 563.7 GWh of renewable energy per year for a 10-year term. This represents an estimated 393,795 metric tons of CO2 avoided per year, or the equivalent of 51,355 households’ annual energy consumption[1]. The combined investment will support three new solar projects built by Zelestra and four new solar projects built by Bruc in Spain; the total capacity of these projects exceeds 280 MW.

This multi-buyer PPA exemplifies Energize’s mission of increasing access to renewable electricity for the pharmaceutical and healthcare supply chain, while mitigating the overall environmental impact of the industry. To date, the program (established in 2021) has provided education and support on renewable electricity procurement to over 750 suppliers. Five new sponsors – Almirall, Bayer, Kenvue, Sandoz, and Schott – have also joined Energize this year. The group of 24 sponsoring companies has extended their commitment to the program until 2028.

“As a collaborator of this virtual Power Purchase Agreement, we are demonstrating leadership and commitment to renewable energy not only within our industry but also as a key member of initiatives like Energize. By covering most of our electricity needs in Europe and nearly half globally, we are setting the standard for responsible energy use and driving toward our long-term goal of net zero emissions,” said Amalia Adler Waxman, Head of Sustainability at Teva Pharmaceuticals

“The Energize Program is an important component of Avantor’s climate action strategy, enabling us to add significant renewable electricity to our portfolio,” said Rachel Kaufman, Vice President of Sustainability for Avantor. “As a key partner to the pharmaceutical industry, we’re also pleased to support their efforts to decarbonize their supply chain emissions.”

“Planetary health is critical for patient health, and it is our responsibility to do everything we can to reduce the environmental impact of our business and our value chain,” said Thomas Wozniewski, global manufacturing and supply officer at Takeda. “This program will be an important lever in helping us achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in our value chain by 2040.”

“As we confront the urgent reality of the climate crisis, we understand that collective action is essential. At UCB, we’re committed to driving the ecological transition also through renewable energy. By forging key partnerships, such as the Energize program, we strive to achieve significant decarbonization outcomes and extend our impact beyond what we can achieve alone. Together, we’re building a more sustainable future,” said Katiana Iavarone, Chief Procurement Officer at UCB.

“We are thrilled the first Energize deal has been announced which marks an important milestone in the collaboration’s history. We co-founded Energize in 2021 and the programme is an important part of our plan to reduce our value chain emissions by 80% from 2020 to 2030,” said Lisa Martin Chief Procurement Officer at GSK. “This new solar energy deal, including four of GSK’s suppliers in Europe, highlights our collective commitment to decarbonize and support the industry’s transition to renewable energy.”

Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business served as the advisor to the eight cohort participants throughout the PPA procurement and negotiation process. The Sustainability Business will continue to serve as the Energize program manager supporting the collaboration with program sponsors and the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative (PSCI) to increase access to new and innovative renewable electricity procurement options.

Related resources:

How The pharmaceutical supply chain addresses the renewable energy transition:Interview with AvantorInterview with Labcorp

About Schneider Electric 

Schneider’s purpose is to create Impact by empowering all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability. At Schneider, we call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be the trusted partner in Sustainability and Efficiency.

We are a global industrial technology leader bringing world-leading expertise in electrification, automation and digitization to smart industries, resilient infrastructure, future-proof data centers, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes. Anchored by our deep domain expertise, we provide integrated end-to-end lifecycle AI enabled Industrial IoT solutions with connected products, automation, software and services, delivering digital twins to enable profitable growth for our customers.

We are a people company with an ecosystem of 150,000 colleagues and more than a million partners operating in over 100 countries to ensure proximity to our customers and stakeholders. We embrace diversity and inclusion in everything we do, guided by our meaningful purpose of a sustainable future for all.

www.se.com

[1] This household energy reference uses a US households equivalency calculator. See more here: https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator

Discover the newest perspectives shaping sustainability, electricity 4.0, and next-generation automation on Schneider Electric Insights.

About Energize

The Energize program is a supply chain renewables initiative designed and delivered by Schneider Electric Sustainability Business and endorsed by the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative (PSCI).

Current sponsor companies include: Almirall, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Charles River Laboratories, Chiesi Group, GSK, Haleon, Johnson & Johnson, Kenvue, Merck (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi, Schott, Takeda, Teva, and UCB

https://hub.zeigo.com/energize

September 25, 2024 /3BL/ – Olympic rower Imogen Grant from Great Britain, Olympic beach volleyball player Lina Taylor from Bulgaria, Swiss Olympic and the International Hockey Federation have been named the winners of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Climate Action Awards 2024, in recognition of their efforts to help address climate change and make the world of sport more sustainable.

Supported by Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner Deloitte, the IOC Climate Action Awards reward innovative projects from National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International Federations (IFs) and athletes that are aimed at reducing the environmental impact of sport while inspiring the wider Olympic Movement to take action.

In addition to the four winners, the Mauritius NOC and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) have been recognised in the “Highly Commended” category for the innovative nature of their efforts to reduce emissions.

The announcement was made by the IOC and Deloitte during Climate Week NYC – an annual event that brings together business leaders, decision-makers and civil society to drive action to address climate change.

“As climate change accelerates, the Olympic Movement is accelerating its efforts to address it,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “This year’s winners of the IOC Climate Action Awards show that the Olympic Movement is taking its responsibilities seriously: reducing our impact, while inspiring others to take action. We congratulate the winners for their innovative and impactful projects that are making the world of sport more sustainable. We hope these efforts inspire others – in sport and beyond – to join the collective effort to address one of the toughest challenges our world is facing today.”

“The path to a more sustainable future will be driven by innovative technologies and creative approaches, and Deloitte is proud to work with the National Olympic Committees, International Federations and athletes to support their efforts in furthering sustainable behaviour change at scale,” said Joe Ucuzoglu, Deloitte Global CEO. “As the supporting partner of the IOC Climate Action Awards, Deloitte congratulates and celebrates the 2024 winners, and those distinguished as highly commended, who are taking concrete measures to help address climate change within the Olympic Movement.”

The four winners were selected from amongst the 15 finalists announced during the Olympic Games Paris 2024:

In the athlete category

Imogen Grant (rowing, Great Britain) was instrumental in the launch of the Clean Water Sport Alliance to improve river health and water quality. In addition, as part of the UK National Training Centre sustainability group, Imogen has helped introduce measures such as the composting of food waste, the recycling of plastic waste and the regular testing of water quality at the national training centre in Caversham. As an ambassador for the Rivers Trust, Imogen has also contributed to over 2,400 river surveys and inspired people to participate in water-testing campaigns and initiatives, which saw over 9,000 people join September’s “Big River Watch”. She has spoken at a number of events across the UK to raise awareness and educate athletes on sustainability.

Lina Taylor (beach volleyball, Bulgaria) is using her background as a scientist, Olympian and coach to help address climate change. Through her Climate Executive Coaching non-profit, Lina is helping accelerate climate action through science-based climate education, professional coaching and collaboration with professionals from government, corporations and NGOs. In just two years, Lina has worked with over 2,000 people in 30 countries and across 60 organisations. Lina is also supporting fellow athletes and NOCs, coaching them individually on climate solutions.

In the NOC category 

Swiss Olympic reduced its 2023 greenhouse gas emissions by 66 per cent compared to 2022, largely due to the fact that it chose train over plane for Games-related travel in Europe. In addition, the NOC is focusing on providing funds to its national federations and their clubs, and partner organisations, through the “Swiss Olympic Climate Fund” to support their carbon-reduction efforts. For example, the NOC has contributed to the funding of a heat pump system for a 50-year-old swimming pool in Frauenfeld, Thurgau, which has the potential to save 500 tons of CO2 annually. The Swiss Olympic Climate Fund has also helped fund an electric bus for the Ticino Group of Blind and Visually Impaired Athletes. Moving forward, the NOC is aiming to support 100 other projects across all its member and partner organisations, leading to a long-term plan of reducing emissions across all sports within Switzerland in areas such as energy, athlete mobility and construction.

In the IF category 

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has reduced water usage by an estimated 60 per cent since 2012 through the development of innovative “Dry Turf” technology, which reduces the amount of water needed for elite hockey pitches. This new technology has already led to a 40 per cent reduction of water use between London 2012 and Tokyo 2020, and what is estimated to have been a further 20 per cent reduction for Paris 2024. The ultimate aim is to replace the 2,000 or so water-based artificial hockey pitches globally with dry turfs, saving approximately 7.6 billion litres of water per year. The FIH is also developing other innovative solutions, including “self-wetting balls”, which release water at the point of contact between the ball, the surface and the stick, to enable the sport to be played at the highest level on dry turf. The project is part of the FIH’s wide-ranging sustainability strategy and comprehensive carbon reduction and mitigation plan, which includes the first-ever carbon-zero artificial turf, inaugurated at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, and the global “Give Back to Forest” tree-planting programme.

The following two finalists have been recognised in the “Highly Commended” category:

The Mauritius National Olympic Committee has developed a comprehensive carbon footprint reduction plan focusing on travel and procurement, achieving a 40 per cent reduction in 2023 from its 2022 baseline. Key initiatives include a local community-based project which has encouraged around 50,000 people to switch from plastic bottles to glass bottles in order to reduce plastic waste, and the design of a “bioclimatic gym” that uses sustainably sourced PEFC-certified wood, a self-sufficient waste system, climate-resilient architecture and 100 per cent renewable energy and natural air ventilation instead of carbon-heavy air conditioning – the first of its kind in Mauritius.

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) has been working with TV broadcasters, in collaboration with the European Broadcasting Union, to measure their carbon footprint during the 2023/24 World Cup season and identify initiatives they can implement to reduce emissions in the future, with the aim of providing learnings for other sports. The IBU is the first Olympic IF that has looked at systematically reducing its major events’ broadcasting emissions – an area that is often deemed difficult to address. The project is part of the IBU’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, which includes a commitment to reduce the sport’s climate impact by 50 per cent. The strategy takes into account the IBU’s own activities, but also IBU events and the activities of member federations, partners, sponsors, media and fans.

For more information about the IOC Climate Action Awards, click here.

Learn more about Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner Deloitte, the supporter of the awards.

To find out more about the IOC’s work on climate, click here.

Latin America will be at the forefront of major global discussions on biodiversity this year. For the first time, my home country of Colombia will host the UN Conference of the Parties on Biodiversity (COP16), which starts on 21 October in the city of Cali.

COP16: local solutions for a global crisis

The COP is the governing body of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an international treaty launched here in Latin America at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992. With the aim of driving global commitments to protect nature and ensure the sustainable use of our planet’s resources, this sixteenth edition has the theme, ‘Peace with Nature’.

COP16 will gather diverse actors, such as governments, civil society, businesses, financial institutions and academia, to catalyze collective action to transform our relationship with the natural world. Following the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at COP15, this next international conference is a key moment to assess if this roadmap for action is having an effect in halting and reversing biodiversity loss.

A multi-dimensional problem

According to WWF, between 1970 and 2018 the world saw a 69% decline in species populations, largely due to deforestation, agricultural practices, overuse of natural resources, climate change, and pollution. The UN has reported, meanwhile, that one million species are threatened with extinction.

Biodiversity is also closely linked to economic activities and the role of businesses. The World Economic Forum’s New Nature Economy Report II found that over half of total global GDP is at risk as a result of biodiversity loss. Thus, reversing these alarming trends is crucial across multiple dimensions, including environmental, economic and human aspects.

The most biodiverse yet unequal region in the world

Latin America is home to 50% of the world’s biodiversity, including key ecosystems such as the Amazon, the most biodiverse tropical rainforest in the world; the Andes, the longest mountain chain on Earth; and the Caribbean, one of the regions with most marine biodiversity. At the same time, it is the region that shows the greatest declines in wildlife population abundance.

Latin America is also the most unequal region in the world, which magnifies the economic consequences of nature loss, with indigenous communities particularly vulnerable. One in five jobs are closely connected to biodiversity, according to analysis by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.Therefore, a just transition must not only protect nature but also ensure that the most vulnerable populations are supported, bridging the gap between sustainability and social equity.

In this context, sustainable business models that consider the impacts on nature can make a huge difference to the region’s prospects, environmentally, socially and economically. This is why a transition to a nature-positive economy is especially critical for Latin America, and why hosting COP16 in Colombia is a key opportunity to put nature at the heart of the global environmental agenda.

The role of impact reporting

Understanding and addressing the impacts of companies on nature is essential to foster conservation and halt biodiversity loss. That’s why GRI’s presence at COP16 will be centered on how to drive business accountability for their impacts on nature.

At GRI, we are shaping the global debate on the importance of biodiversity in the sustainable development agenda. At the beginning of the year, a major revision to the GRI Biodiversity Standard — GRI 101 — was published, to represent internationally agreed best practice in corporate transparency and biodiversity. At COP16 we will be focusing on our efforts to sustain momentum for biodiversity reporting, built on GRI 101:

Our pilot for the use of GRI 101 with early adopters within GRI Community members.We will share experiences from this program, which has been implemented at global and regional levels. In the GRI Latin America Network, we have been working with companies that span energy, services and civil society sectors, identifying opportunities and challenges on the use of GRI 101 to support their biodiversity disclosure efforts.To support reporters in their use of our Biodiversity Standard, the GRI Academy, the world’s leading education portal for sustainability reporting professionals, has launched Charting a greener path: reporting on biodiversity with GRI Standards. The online training provides the know-how on best applying GRI 101, and deep dives into biodiversity as a wider topic.In line with GRI’s commitment to make the Standards accessible to a diverse global audience, during COP16 we will introduce the Spanish and Portuguese translations of GRI 101. The Standard is also available in Arabic, French, German, Italian, Indonesian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.As part of our collaboration efforts to foster seamless reporting experiences, together with Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) a joint interoperability mapping resource has been published to help GRI’s 14,000 reporters globally align with the TNFD recommendations and assist TNFD adopters in their reporting according to GRI Standards.To bring business accountability on biodiversity impacts into the spotlight, during COP16 senior GRI representatives will be speaking at national, regional and international events and workshops. They will also engage with a wide range of stakeholders including policymakers, businesses, and government representatives.

Collective action and a shared responsibility

Protecting our natural heritage can only be done through a collective effort — including governments, the private sector, civil society, local communities, financial institutions and others. This multi-stakeholder ethos, as envisaged by GRI, needs to be a prerequisite for COP16 to stand any chance of succeeding in its aims.

If this shared responsibility can be realized, I believe COP16 can be the turning point for Latin America and beyond. It can deliver a lasting legacy that goes beyond supportive words from the global community about preserving biodiversity, and moves to the action needed to secure a sustainable future for the benefit of present and future generations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrea Pradilla leads GRI’s regional network for Latin America, based in Bogota, with responsibility for promoting sustainability reporting throughout the region by engaging with companies, capital markets and other stakeholders. Prior to joining GRI in 2014, Andrea headed the Colombian National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism.

Earlier in her career, Andrea worked in international development for organizations in Washington DC. She has a MSc in Foreign Service from Georgetown University (USA) and a Degree in Law from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia). She serves on the boards of various non-profits and is an Adjunct Professor of Corporate Sustainability, CESA Business School (Colombia).