5.75% reduction in the company’s total carbon footprint in year 1 Company pledges the methodology to industry
Reckitt Benckiser plc, a world leader in household, health and personal care, today announced that 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 had been avoided last year by a 5.75% reduction per unit dose in the carbon impact across its products’ lifecycle – the same impact as taking around 450,000 cars off the road.
The cut in carbon emissions per unit dose of 5.75% means the company is already ahead of its carbon reduction target, having achieved 25% of its 2020 goal in the first year.
RB’s “Carbon20” programme aims to reduce its products’ impact on climate change by 20% by 2020. Launched in 2007, the approach is different in that it goes beyond targeting the easy wins of energy reduction in factories and travel. It targets reductions in the much larger carbon emissions embedded in raw and packaging materials from suppliers and in consumers’ use and disposal of the company’s products. It targets the climate change impact of the product’s overall lifecycle.
RB was an early protagonist of the total carbon footprint approach. Working with external expert consultants over several years RB has established an independently assured methodology to analyse the total lifecycle of its products, and has been targeting activities both within its own supply chain and manufacturing as well as working with consumers to change their behaviour and adopt lower-carbon routines.
Bart Becht, Chief Executive Officer of Reckitt Benckiser plc, said: “Focussing on climate change is right for our business, right for our industry, and right for society. Our Carbon20 programme set us ambitious targets and I’m pleased that Reckitt Benckiser is on track to exceed them. We still have a lot to do and we will not slow in our drive to make progress.”