PLAINSBORO, N.J., April 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning in
early 2020, Novo Nordisk's global production will be completely
powered by renewable electricity, with a ten-year goal of achieving
zero carbon emissions from operations and transportation.
The announcement follows a $70
million investment in a 105-megawatt dc solar energy
installation to be built in Pender
County, North Carolina. When completed, ground-mounted solar
arrays will harvest sunlight and provide renewable electricity to
all existing Novo Nordisk US offices, laboratories and
manufacturing facilities as well as to support the new
manufacturing facility under construction in Clayton, N.C. Developed and constructed by
Cypress Creek Renewables, the solar panel installation will be one
of North Carolina's largest solar
sites.
Construction of the solar site began in March 2019, and is creating approximately 900
construction-related jobs this year. Last year, Novo Nordisk US
production sites in Clayton and
New Hampshire emitted 13,460 tons
of CO2 from electricity use. With the new solar project,
the company's net CO2 emissions from electricity will go
down to zero.
The solar site is an example showing how, over the next decade,
Novo Nordisk is taking steps to clean the air, minimize consumption
and turn waste into resources, designing and producing medicines,
packaging and devices so they can be recovered and re-used, and
collaborating with suppliers to embed circularity in its supply
chain.
The goal is part of the company's new 'Circular for Zero'
strategy, aiming for zero environmental impact globally.
"Reducing our environmental impact is part of our corporate
responsibility to the patients we serve, the communities in which
we operate and future generations," says Chad Henry corporate vice president and general
manager of the Diabetes Finished Products site in Clayton, N.C. "For us, the call to act is
clear, and we are making a significant financial investment in new
renewable energy production in North
Carolina to supply Novo Nordisk offices, manufacturing
facilities and laboratories across the
United States."
In 2015, Novo Nordisk made a commitment with The Climate Group
and The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) by joining RE100, a
collaborative, global initiative of businesses committed to using
100% renewable power. Once the solar site is completed in early
2020, Novo Nordisk expects to be the first pharmaceutical company
in the RE100 to achieve this goal.
The North Carolina facility
will be joining the ranks of other Novo Nordisk sites from around
the world that already benefit from renewable energy. Novo
Nordisk's production in Tianjin in
China uses 100% wind power. In
Monte Claros in Brazil the company uses 100% hydropower and in
Europe all production sites use
100% wind power. In Denmark, all
facilities, production sites and offices, run on 100% renewable
power.
About Novo Nordisk's Circular for Zero strategy:
In addition to the zero emissions target, the Circular for Zero
strategy commits the company to a significant shift towards
circular thinking within three focus areas:
- Circular company:
Novo Nordisk will continue to
reduce the environmental footprint of its production by working
towards the elimination of waste sent to landfill and zero loss of
water, energy and resources.
- Circular supply:
Novo Nordisk will reduce
environmental impact across its supply chain by collaborating with
suppliers to encourage circular business practices and by
increasing procurement of recycled and carbon-neutral materials and
resources.
- Circular products:
Novo Nordisk will upgrade
existing products and design new products based on circular
principles and work towards a sustainable solution for the reuse
and recycling of products.
About Novo Nordisk in the US:
Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company, has been committed to
discovering and developing innovative medicines to help people
living with diabetes lead longer, healthier lives for 95 years.
This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also
enable us to help people defeat other serious diseases including
obesity, hemophilia and growth disorders. We remain steadfast in
our conviction that the formula for success is to stay focused,
think long term and do business in a financially, socially and
environmentally responsible way. With U.S. headquarters in
New Jersey and production and
research facilities in five states, Novo Nordisk employs nearly
6,000 people throughout the country. For more information, visit
novonordisk.us, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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SOURCE Novo Nordisk