Amgen’s road to net-zero is paved with innovation, efficiency and renewable energy | Greenbiz
This article is sponsored by Amgen.
Amgen’s 2027 environmental sustainability plan, “The Road to Net Zero,” includes ambitious targets for carbon neutrality in its operations (Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions), a 40 percent additional reduction in water consumption and a 75 percent additional reduction in waste disposed. To get there, the company is engaging with staff to find additional opportunities and projects to help reduce its environmental footprint.
To reduce its environmental footprint, Amgen plans to innovate across its business operations, increase the efficiency of existing processes and integrate purchased and on-site renewable energy. Amgen will integrate sustainable practices in its research, process development, manufacturing, distribution, commercial fleet operations and supply chain.
Amgen’s Road to Net Zero
The road to net-zero 2027
Amgen’s sustainability team relied on and benefitted from vast amounts of scientific research, policies and guidelines on climate change during our goal setting process for The Road to Net Zero. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C (SR15), the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Emissions Gap Report 2019 and information from the Conference of Parties-25 (COP25) in Madrid all informed our plan. After studying these reports, Amgen decided to increase its ambitions and set a Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon neutrality target by 2027.
To reach carbon neutrality by 2027, the company has embraced a three-pronged approach:
Tracking progress in environmental sustainability
Amgen has implemented projects and initiatives since 2008 to meet energy, carbon, water and waste targets. And it has continued to recommit to new goals. Its teams have completed two additional cycles to set new goals and targets resulting in a 33 percent reduction in carbon emissions, 30 percent reduction in water intake, 28 percent reduction in waste disposed and a savings of more than $200 million in operating costs.
Amgen tracks the results of each project and initiative as steps towards overall reduction targets and confirm the reductions through a formal measurement and verification process. Amgen reports its global carbon footprint (Scope 1, 2 and 3) to the CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project) and its carbon emissions are assured by a third party (the assurance statement is posted publicly on Amgen.com).
Results of 2020 Sustainability Plan
Building environmental sustainability into the business of making medicines
In addition to conservation efforts, Amgen has integrated green practices into core areas unique to the business of medical biotechnology, such as how it researches, and manufactures its medicines.
In 2017, Amgen completed construction of a next-generation biomanufacturing plant in Singapore. Compared with the manufacturing of a similar amount of product in a traditional facility, the plant has demonstrated a 73 percent reduction in energy consumption, 54 percent reduction in water use and 69 percent reduction in carbon emissions. Amgen is constructing a similar facility in Rhode Island.
Green building through sustainable design and construction
As Amgen designs new buildings, its teams design them to conform to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED standards for efficient buildings. This program provides guidelines to ensure not only that the design, construction and installation processes are environmentally friendly, but also that buildings can continue being efficient as they age.
Empowering our people
Amgen’s staff engages with green initiatives, such as recycling and composting, develops ideas for greater conservation and shares success across the Amgen network to advance our collective goals for environmental sustainability. Every year, Amgen holds an Environmental Champion Competition to recognize individuals and teams that have achieved strong sustainable contributions. Amgen sites and functions also organize sustainability ambassador teams to identify and execute sustainability initiatives and implement specific programs such as green biology and green chemistry.
Concluding thoughts
The road to Amgen’s net-zero future requires integrating sustainability into Amgen’s business decisions early on and focusing on innovation, efficiency and increasing renewable energy use. Amgen’s targets to reduce 40 percent water and 75 percent of waste disposed follows the same methodology of innovation and efficiency. Culture is a big lever for Amgen in achievement of its plan by empowering our people to take action in their area of expertise, such as research, process development or manufacturing, to further reduce our impacts on the environment.