Many countries have objected to what they consider to be the overly severe (and costly) terms of the Kyoto summit agreement on curbing greenhouse gases. Yet a large number of environmentalists felt there was a watering-down of vital targets before it took place. Few global corporations have yet achieved sizeable reductions or made a commitment to more stringent ones, which makes the Kyoto pact look lightweight.
The US health-care multinational Johnson & Johnson is an exception. It has shown that significant energy reduction is feasible and its new manufacturing facility at Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, has already received international recognition under the Energy Star programme for its energy profile.
The £31 million plant, which will employ 300 people in the manufacture of orthopaedic joint replacements and also casting, bracing and neurosurgical products, is designed with emphasis on energy-efficient technology, practices, design and operation. It is the first new Johnson & Johnson facility to receive the Energy Star mark. Environmental awareness in its products and packaging is also an important element of company strategy.
"This will be a state-of-the-art facility from the perspectives of energy, health, safety and the environment", according to Mr Gerry Fagan, general manager of Johnson & Johnson Professional (Ireland) Ltd.
He added: "This facility will provide for maximum recycling within the site. Nothing will be discharged without treatment. We will have our own tertiary sewage treatment plant. It will go well beyond the legal requirements in terms of reducing emissions from our boiler, even though that will be operating on the cleanest fuel available, natural gas."
In 1991, Johnson & Johnson set itself a 10 per cent worldwide energy reduction target over five years. In just four years it had exceeded that target by achieving a 14.1 per cent reduction among its 170 companies, which employ 90,000 people and have a turnover of $20 billion.
A new target of a 25 per cent reduction - 15 per cent for Europe and the Asia/Pacific regions - has been set for the year 2000. This is a commitment shared by the Cork facility.
