Zoetis commits to going carbon neutral by 2030

Zoetis announced its plan to go carbon neutral by 2030. The company also stated a commitment to power its operations with 100% renewable energy as part of that objective.

According to a company release, the primary means by which Zoetis aims to meet its objective is through a policy of purchasing renewable energy through power purchase agreements. The first step in this process is a new 15-year virtual power purchase agreement with Vesper Energy, which will power roughly one-third of the company’s North American operations via renewable energy. North America accounts for approximately 75% of Zoetis’ energy consumption worldwide.

“Our vision is to be the most sustainable animal health company in the world, and we are proud to be the first stand-alone animal health company to commit to carbon neutrality by 2030,” said Jeannette Ferran Astorga, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability at Zoetis. “Launching our expanded climate strategy reflects an evolution of our journey. As we live our purpose to nurture the world and humankind by advancing care for animals, we are focused on stewarding resources responsibly and minimizing our own operations’ impact on the environment to help protect our planet.”

At this time, 9 of Zoetis’ 28 manufacturing sites are now running on 100% renewable energy, with its San Diego diagnostics site the latest to reach that milestone. In addition, the company’s 3 PHARMAQ sites in Norway and its largest offices outside of the US—Zaventem, Belgium, and Dublin, Ireland—are now running on 100% renewable energy.

Zoetis states it has been working on energy efficiency projects to aid in meeting their aspirational targets, including optimizing the company’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Additionally, it is undertaking an ongoing program to upgrade its lighting to LED bulbs that are more energy efficient. Zoetis has also continuously invested in upgrading the technology at its manufacturing and research and development site to be more energy efficient.

Additionally, Zoetis cited specific examples in a press release, claiming that “retrofitting a spray dryer” at one Illinois manufacturing site resulting in a 10% reduction in energy usage. Another project in Michigan aims to lower electricity consumption by 5% thanks to solar panels. The company also has plans to transition more of its fleet vehicles to electric in another step toward sustainability.

Reference

Zoetis Announces Expanded Commitments to Protect the Planet. Zoetis Inc. January 6, 2022. Accessed January 6, 2022. https://investor.zoetis.com/news/news-details/2022/Zoetis-Announces-Expanded-Commitments-to-Protect-the-Planet/default.aspx