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This section summarizes the Group’s Health,
Safety and Environmental (HSE) performance in 2003. Our HSE targets
focused once again on reducing the number of accidents, lowering
energy use/CO2 emission, safely disposing of the hazardous waste
we produce, and successfully integrating recently acquired partners
and newly founded organizations. This report describes the most
important measures undertaken to fulfill our ambitious targets,
and discusses our achievements as well as areas in which we intend
to improve. The full Novartis HSE report is available on our website
at www.novartis.com/hse. There you will also find additional information
on all the issues mentioned in this report.
Strong Commitment
Protection of the environment has a high
priority in all our activities. We strive to make efficient use
of natural resources and minimize the environmental impact of our
activities and products.
Between 2001 and 2003, we set ourselves
the target of reducing our direct CO2 emission by 3% (based on 2000
emission levels). As can be seen in our report on Air Emission (see
page 66) we achieved a reduction of 2.8%, in spite of a 4.8% growth
in production. The reduction was facilitated by a move to more energy-efficient
facilities, and has resulted in a CO2 emission level, relative to
sales, that is well below the industry average.
In light of these achievements and with
the goal of further improvement, we have proposed individual energyefficiency
targets for the Pharmaceuticals and the Consumer Health Divisions
for 2004-2006. We will continue to report our absolute CO2 emission
and will also include indirect emission (e.g. from electricity and
purchased energy).
Our focus on energy efficiency as opposed
to absolute CO2 emission better reflects our commitment to the sustainable
use of natural resources1. Energy-efficiency improvement targets for
each Business Unit will be 2% per year, based on their most representative
denominator (e.g. sales, production, employees). Moreover, each Business
Unit must report energy-saving projects that amount to a total reduction
of 1% of the previous year’s energy consumption. |
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Enough Water for a Small City
When Sandoz, our generic pharmaceuticals
Business Unit, originally acquired the Roferm S.p.A. plant at Rovereto
in Italy in 1995, there was considerable room for improvement both
economically and environmentally. Following the acquisition, the
product portfolio was adapted to the needs of Sandoz and focused
on the production of antibiotics. Investments worth approximately
USD 170 million were also made in new technologies and equipment,
together with logistical and environmental improvements.
In 2002, Rovereto achieved a reduction of
more than 50% in halogenated VOC emission by cryocondensation, a major
first step towards an HSE performance that is inline with the highest
environmental standards. During 2003, further progress was made through
energy conservation and groundwater saving initiatives.
To reduce energy consumption, two new air
compressors were fitted with heat recovery exchangers. The compression
heat generated (2x360 kW) is now recovered and used to preheat the
feed water for the plant’s steam generators. This process has increased
efficiency, reduced CO2 emission by approximately 800 tonnes per year,
and provided a cost saving of around USD 90 000 per year.
Rovereto’s reduction of approximately 40%
in its groundwater consumption during 2003 is an equally important
achievement. Cooling water at the plant was previously used only once,
before being discharged into the River Adige. Thanks to the investment
in new technology, a recycling system has been installed that allows
the water to be reused for cooling condensers and solvent recovery
processes. The new system has resulted in an overall saving in groundwater
consumption of around 510 m3/h, equal to the hourly water consumption
of an Italian city of 50 000 inhabitants.
Now Rovereto is looking to go further and
formalize its commitment to environmental management by applying for
ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification in 2004.2 Kurt
Gstrein, Head of HSE, Sandoz is delighted with what has been achieved
at the plant: “Rovereto’s success shows how HSE management can combine
with top-level engineering at acquired sites to bring about exceptional
improvements in HSE performance. It is an excellent model for the
integration of new partners in the future”.
1 CO2 emission reduction could also
be achieved by switching to alternative fuels or purchasing steam,
without reducing energy consumption.
2 ISO issued the international standard ISO 14001 for
environmental management systems in 1996.
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