Managing energy and mitigating climate change
Novartis new solar generating system in Vacaville California.
Novartis is committed to using resources efficiently and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that affect the global climate. We recently established new targets on total GHG emissions for 2015 and 2020, which represent an absolute reduction of 15% by 2015 and of 20% by 2020, based on 2008 levels.
Novartis has a longstanding, comprehensive energy and climate program with a dual objective:
- Improve energy efficiency for all industrial and commercial operations and use renewable energy sources where available and feasible
- Develop carbon-offset projects
While our long-term goal is to lower GHG emissions through internal programs, we have taken additional measures to achieve our voluntary 2012 Kyoto Protocol targets, and 2015 and 2020 total GHG emission targets. Our approach includes voluntary carbon-offset options, such as the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), that enable companies or countries to compensate for exceeding emission limits through offsetting, particularly in developing countries or emerging markets.
We have created three carbon-offset projects:
- In Argentina, we are growing a forest of more than 3 million trees with the aim of 75% native species to sequester carbon and create sustainable wood products. The plantation, which received CDM registration in 2011, has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) since 2008.
- We established a jatropha plantation and bio-fuel for a rural electrification project in Mali, with a total of 12 000 hectares planned. By 2011, more than 5.000 local farmers planted over 5.000ha of jatropha. The seeds of this shrub can be used to press oil, make bio-fuel for electricity in rural areas and produce a natural fertilizer.
- In 2010, Novartis launched a reforestation initiative in Sichuan, China, involving 3 800 hectares and more than 10 million trees. The project will protect the land from soil erosion, landslides and flooding, provide labor and income (from wood and non-wood products) to local communities and a better habitat for endangered species including the giant panda, as well as sequester carbon. More than 1 million trees were planted in 2011.
Land use carbon-offset projects have been relatively uncommon, but they are attractive to Novartis as platforms to foster long-term economic growth for local populations, provide environmental and biodiversity benefits and help meet the company's overall CO2 reduction targets.
Related links:
Read more about how we manage our GHG emissions (1.3 MB, page 23)
Learn about our ODS emissions performance and target (1.3 MB, page 29)
Learn about our VOC emissions performance and target (1.3 MB, page 31)
Learn about our inorganic air pollutants emissions performance and target (1.3 MB, page 34)
Learn about our emissions into water performance and target (1.3 MB, page 37)
