Johnson & Johnson cuts emissions as water becomes main sustainability challenge

In its annual Citizenship and Sustainability report, Johnson & Johnson reported it had realised a 9.6% absolute reduction in facility CO2 emissions since 2010 and a 19% reduction in its fleet emissions per mile, nearly meeting its 2015 Healthy Future targets.

The multinational had also increased onsite clean and renewable energy capacity to more than 50MW, representing around 7% of the company’s energy requirements.

However, the report also suggested the firm was struggling to meet its water reduction targets, finding a slight increase in water use from 2013. The firm has achieved a 2.3% reduction in overall water use since 2010, some way off meeting its aim of a 10% absolute reduction by 2015. The report added the increase in water use was being partly driven by moving production in-house.

Johnson & Johnson reported a slight increase in waste disposed off-site in 2014, up 1.3% compared to 2010. The firm also experienced a 13.5% increase in hazardous waste generation from 2013.

The report identified the firm’s work in improving global health, improving its supply chain sustainability and its work to reduce CO2 emissions as some of the main successes, but found reducing water use to be one of the central environmental challenges facing the company.

Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky said: “Our credo defines our responsibilities to: the patients and consumers we serve, our employees, the communities in which we live and work, and to our shareholders. Our citizenship and sustainability practices are an important part of those responsibilities, and we take this work very seriously.”

Matt Field