P&G Achieves a Significant 2020 Sustainability Goal Ahead of Schedule
We are proud to share that we are purchasing 100% renewable electricity in the U.S. and Canada, and extended it to Western Europe. These three markets are among our largest and represent over 70% of our purchased electricity, signifying a strong start to P&G’s Ambition 2030 goal of purchasing 100% renewable electricity globally by 2030.
This accomplishment is driven largely by our wind farm in Tyler Bluff, Texas, which offsets 100% of the electricity needed for our Fabric and Home Care facilities in the U.S. and Canada, and our onsite combined heat and power biomass facility in Albany, Georgia, which provides 100% of the Bounty and Charmin steam requirements at this plant.
In addition to these large-scale projects, P&G is reducing emissions in our global operations through a diverse portfolio of renewable energy projects focused on wind, solar, geothermal, hydro and the use of renewable energy certificates, all of which helped us meet our 2020 renewable electricity goal. P&G’s hope is that by executing new projects, while also continuing to purchase electricity from renewable sources, we can spur further innovation, investment and a transition to renewable energy for the regional utilities that provide energy to our nearly 150 sites globally.
Achieving this goal was a meaningful step on P&G’s sustainability journey, but the work doesn’t stop there. We know we can’t solve the world’s most pressing environmental challenges alone. Continued progress requires collaboration, and P&G is focused on creating partnerships that will enable people, the planet and the business to thrive.
“Given P&G’s size and scale, purchasing 100% renewable electricity across P&G’s operations in these three big markets represents a significant accomplishment and is another important example of how we’re moving to a more circular end-to-end supply chain,” said Julio Nemeth, Chief Product Supply Officer, P&G. “From purchasing renewable electricity to reducing water and energy use in our facilities to achieving zero manufacturing waste to landfill at 92% of our sites, the entire P&G Product Supply organization is delivering on our commitment to reduce our impact and accelerate our progress.”
In 2015, we were one of the leading global CPG companies to partner with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Science Based Targets initiative to define our fair share in the fight to limit global warming to below 2°C. This included setting a 30% absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction by 2020 and cutting manufacturing emissions in half by 2030. WWF has been instrumental in helping us develop our overall climate strategy and advance our efforts on renewable energy. WWF, P&G and several other partners worked together to create the Corporate Renewable Energy Buyers’ Principles, which laid the foundation for what is now the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance, a community of energy buyers that seek to advance solutions within the broader industry. P&G is also working with WWF on the Renewable Thermal Collaborative to advance solutions on renewable thermal energy.
P&G’s reduction in our carbon footprint also includes participation in Walmart’s Project Gigaton, which aims to avoid 1 billion metric tons of GHG emissions from the global value chain by 2030 through the collective efforts of Walmart suppliers. Joining this initiative in 2017 accelerated our efforts to combat climate change and enable and inspire positive impact on the environment and society.
P&G’s long-term commitment to renewable energy has not gone unrecognized; according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Company is currently #2 for on-site generation. Additionally, based off our work in Tyler Bluff and Albany, we were awarded the EPA Green Power Partnership Leadership Award for Direct Project Engagement in 2018.
“At P&G, environmental sustainability is core to our company operations and our progress in purchasing renewable electricity is a critical proof point,” said Virginie Helias, Chief Sustainability Officer at P&G. “By achieving this goal and making significant strides towards our Ambition 2030 goals, we are making it easier for the 5 billion people our brands touch each day to have a positive impact, while helping address one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.”
For more information on this announcement and P&G’s plans for 2030, click below.
