Johnson & Johnson, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, has executed three separate virtual power purchase agreements in Europe, as it works towards its goal of powering its operation with 100% renewable electricity by 2025.
The company is leveraging both wind and solar power from these VPPAs, with the projects all located in Spain. Through these agreements, Johnson & Johnson will gain access to 105 MW, or approximately 270,000 MWh, of renewable electricity annually.
That’s a significant commitment from Johnson & Johnson, and while it won’t achieve its goal of 100% renewable electricity across its entire operation, it will provide the equivalent of 100% renewable electricity for all Johnson & Johnson property sites across its three business sectors — pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer health — in France, Germany, Spain, UK, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, and Italy.
“Johnson & Johnson has a longstanding commitment to environmental health, including two decades of public climate commitments,” said Carlton Lawson, Company Group Chairman, Consumer Health EMEA, Johnson & Johnson.
“These new VPPAs will cover more than 30 sites in eight European countries. Combined with existing PPAs in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Ireland, we will soon be sourcing the equivalent of 100% of our electricity for Europe from renewable sources — a fantastic achievement that underlines our commitment to ensuring a better, healthier world.”
Johnson & Johnson executed the three virtual power purchase agreements with Enel Green Power, which is developing wind and solar projects in Spain. The firm provided the backing that was needed to get the projects off the ground, with it claiming the projects wouldn’t have gone ahead without its commitment.
“As the world’s largest and most broadly-based healthcare company, we know that human health and environmental health are fundamentally linked — healthy people need a healthy planet,” said Paulette Frank, Chief Sustainability Officer, Johnson & Johnson.
“These new agreements are an exciting milestone in our longstanding commitment to climate action and take us another step closer to our goal of powering our global operations with 100% renewable electricity.”