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“Trickle Down” Approach to Meeting Global Emissions Targets

IndustryTap has written about the IEA’s call for $33 trillion in spending between now and 2035 as the price of meeting the world’s emissions targets. And we have reported how Apple now runs 75% of its corporate offices and 100% of its data centers on clean and renewable energy. While some of the impetus to change will come from government programs and policies, it is up to large multinational corporations to lead the way by setting an example for smaller firms.

Do What We Do

Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the multinational healthcare and pharmaceutical giant, is doing just that. J&J has reduced its global facilities’ CO2 emissions by 6% since 2010 by requiring all of its “family” companies to meet new targets and cut waste.

Now it is laying down new sustainability standards and targets for all supply chain companies, including 138 of its major suppliers now participating in the Carbon Disclosure Project’s Supply Chain program. This program is eliminating complexities and redundancies within J&J and its supply chain to improve overall performance. J&J CEO Alex Gorsky has pledged to go even further by applying new standards to the entire supplier base.

Clean & Efficient Vehicles & Buildings

An example of the company’s improved efficiency is its reduction in the global average carbon dioxide emissions per vehicle for its various fleets to 161 g/km, which is a nearly 10% improvement over the past two years. Finally, J&J is increasing the amount of on-site clean technology and renewable energy capacity that is installed as it constructs new facilities. The company is now generating 38 MW of clean energy with 7.5 MW under construction.

J&J’s stated corporate goal of working with companies that have embraced sustainability is a positive sign as the world works to make its economy more sustainable.