Global Citizenship

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Our Priorities > Safeguarding the Environment Addressing Global Climate Change: Indirect Impacts

Addressing Global Climate Change: Indirect Impacts

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Advancing Education About New Energy Sources

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All-Hybrid Fleet

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Five Zero-Waste-to-Landfill Manufacturing Plants by 2015

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We continue to work on assessing our Scope 3 emissions using the methodology outlined in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development/World Resources Institute Scope 3 Accounting and Reporting Standard. We have identified areas where we may have the ability to quantify and potentially influence emissions, as well as several key emission sources outside our direct control. These sources include emissions from transportation suppliers, commercial business travel, waste management and product distribution.

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Students in Sturgis, Michigan, learn the physics, ecology and economics of alternative energy, thanks to a pioneering energy education program developed by the Abbott Fund and the Sturgis Public Schools.

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The two wind turbines we’ve installed – one at the high school and one at the middle school – supply up to 10 percent of the school district’s energy needs and can even light the high school football field during Friday night games. We’ve also installed solar panels at the town’s four elementary schools.

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Every public school in Sturgis is integrating renewable energy instruction into its curriculum and exploring the exciting field of alternative energy, with input from some of Abbott’s top experts in science, engineering and technology.

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One of the goals of this program is to expose Sturgis students to Abbott’s passion for science – because we hope some of those students will be among the inventors and innovators of tomorrow. Another goal of this program is to encourage Sturgis students to safeguard the environment.

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Our program helps students understand the impact that renewable energy can have on the health of the environment.

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It’s also teaching them about the impact alternative energy resources can have on school, business and family budgets – and perhaps even future careers.

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While the alternative energy industry is still in its infancy, we’re showing the young people of Sturgis why the potential career opportunities are limitless.

Students in Sturgis, Michigan, learn the physics, ecology and economics of alternative energy, thanks to a pioneering energy education program developed by the Abbott Fund and the Sturgis Public Schools.

Carbon Footprint Reductions Through Green Purchasing and Supplier Selection

Carbon emissions are also associated with the sourcing, distribution and consumer use of our products; these are called Scope 3 emissions. We are committed to encouraging our suppliers and distributors to reduce the carbon emissions for which they are directly responsible, and also to educating end users about the carbon emissions related to the use of our products.

In evaluating our Scope 3 carbon footprint, we are first focusing on indirect emissions arising in the supply chain and distribution. We believe that by understanding the carbon impact of our supply chain, we can encourage optimization where we have some level of influence, and this will ultimately lead to carbon footprint reductions across the supply chain.

We continue to work on assessing our Scope 3 emissions using the methodology outlined in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development/World Resources Institute Scope 3 Accounting and Reporting Standard. We have identified areas where we may have the ability to quantify and potentially influence emissions, as well as several key emission sources outside our direct control. These sources include emissions from transportation suppliers, commercial business travel, waste management and product distribution. We continue to report our Scope 3 emissions as we are able to collect and improve these estimates.

We also continue to partner with our global transportation suppliers to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with Abbott’s activities. Our analysis indicates that transportation accounts for about 370 thousand metric tons of emissions. These transportation emissions equate to about 22 percent of our total Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (indirect) emissions.

We also evaluated the greenhouse gas impact of the waste that we sent to landfill over the course of the year. During the breakdown of landfill waste over time, a potent greenhouse gas, methane, is released. We determined that this waste sent to landfills has considerable impact – 160 thousand metric tons, or 10 percent of our total global direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) emissions.

Abbott is taking aggressive steps to reduce the impact of the greenhouse gas emissions related to the waste sent to landfills. We have put in place a phased waste management strategy that covers both our own manufacturing operations and, ultimately, those of our suppliers. Part of this strategy is our commitment to achieving five zero-waste-to-landfill manufacturing facilities by 2015. As a result of these zero-waste-to-landfill and other waste reduction initiatives, we diverted more than 900 tons of additional waste from landfill in 2011, reducing our landfill greenhouse gas impact by 3 percent compared to last year.

We continue to evaluate other sources of indirect, Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, such as the greenhouse gas emissions associated with global employee business travel, which we estimate to be approximately equivalent to 7 percent of our global Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions.

Additionally, we are working to assess other sources of indirect emissions that lie outside our boundaries and upon which we have less influence, such as employee commuting, third-party manufacturing and consumer use and disposal of our products. Over time, we plan to better quantify and report on these Scope 3 emissions and the actions we are taking to minimize them. For example, in 2011 we analyzed global employee commuting habits and we estimate our CO₂ equivalent emissions from commuting to be about 290 thousand metric tons, which is about 17 percent of our Scope 1 and 2 emissions.

Minimizing the Impact of Our Fleet

Abbott's 6,000-vehicle U.S. sales fleet accounts for approximately 4 percent of our global emissions. Since 2006, we have reduced the U.S. fleet’s carbon emissions by 26 percent. We have achieved this performance through both vehicle selection and program changes.

Outside the United States, Abbott operates a 27,000-vehicle fleet, which accounts for 7 percent of our global emissions. We utilize diesel fuel and flex fuels where available, which are typically more efficient and result in fewer carbon emissions compared to gasoline. In Latin America, for example, 75 percent of our fleet consists of compact and subcompact vehicles. Our entire fleet in Japan is composed of hybrid vehicles. Abbott also educates employees about eco-friendly driving habits at work and beyond the work environment.

In total globally, we have reduced the greenhouse gas impact from our global fleet’s emissions by 21 percent compared to 2006.

Educating Our Communities

Our commitment to energy efficiency extends beyond our company fenceline to the communities where we live and work. In Sturgis, Michigan, for example, the Abbott Fund, our nonprofit foundation, has teamed up with Abbott engineers and the public school system to install two wind turbines – which supply up to 10 percent of the school district's power needs. We also have installed solar panels at all four Sturgis elementary schools.

Along with providing alternative energy to help power the school's operations, these installations provide the school district's 3,300 students with firsthand opportunities to study the physics, ecology, math and economic challenges associated with alternative energy. Abbott experts routinely visit the schools to teach classes on alternative energy issues and work with teachers to design age-appropriate curriculum.

Note: All data in the Global Citizenship section reflects activities prior to the separation of Abbott and AbbVie on January 1, 2013.