When it comes to sustainability initiatives in the EMEA region, we're continuing to build on what we’ve achieved so far and we’re excited about our plans for the future. We’ll be posting more about our projects as they happen, so check back to check how we’re progressing.
Green chemistry
At Janssen, we are embracing ‘green chemistry’ principles, not only in our own laboratories but also through industry leadership. We evaluate our products’ environmental footprint, including the energy, materials and water used during the product lifecycle. We challenge our product development teams to explore new approaches, such as using renewable raw materials, reducing complexity in drug synthesis and using more environmentally friendly chemicals and processes. Most of all, we focus on designing and manufacturing the most sustainable products and health solutions to create a healthy future for us all.
Geothermal energy at the Janssen Beerse campus
We’re continually focusing on innovative solutions and sustainable ways of minimising our impact on the environment.
Janssen’s campus in Beerse, Belgium, uses the most energy of all Johnson & Johnson sites worldwide, with its electricity consumption currently equalling that of 38,000 homes. In 2019, we started drilling two geothermal energy wells, each around 2.4 kilometres deep, which will bring hot water up from the ground. When completed, this renewably-sourced hot water will substantially reduce the site’s energy needs and CO2 emissions.
“Thousands of non-recyclable marketing materials were being destroyed on a regular basis, incurring significant environmental consequences, as well as financial storage and destruction fees. Through optimising the volume of marketing materials ordered and discontinuing polluting plastic laminate – replacing it with biodegradable laminate – we will be reducing carbon emissions, saving water and limiting plastic pollution.”
Robert Saxton
Environmental Health, Safety & Sustainability Support Coordinator, Janssen EMEA
Changing the way we work: We Sustain
We Sustain is a global network of like-minded employee ambassadors, passionate about fulfilling our commitment to environmental stewardship. The idea is to help make the communities in which we live, work and play healthier places.
We Sustain local teams spread the word and inspire other employees to adopt positive sustainable behaviour. We Sustain teams set annual targets related to participation and engagement via volunteerism, awareness and educational campaigns.
LEED certification in Ireland
The Janssen Sciences Ireland campus in Cork, dedicated to biologics manufacturing and testing, achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) silver certification in 2019. LEED green building features at Cork include:
• Charging stations for up to 22 electric cars
• Covered bicycle parking
• Open space for protecting natural vegetation
• Adjustable sun shades on each building level that reduce solar glare and heat gain within the building
• Two wind turbines that provide renewable electricity for approximately 50% of the site’s annual electricity usage
Windpower in Belgium
We have also installed a windmill at our largest chemical production site in Geel, Belgium. The windmill has a capacity of 3.4 mw of electricity production and is expected to provide up to 15% of Geel’s electricity consumption.