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Energy and environment: an uneasy relationship

With much of the world discussing climate change, it’s clear that humanity needs to clean up its act and reduce the production of pollution. So how does GlaxoSmithKline play its part?

Greenhouse gasses and ozone

That the activity of humans is changing our planet is no longer a debate. Greenhouse gasses (GHGs) such as water vapour and carbon dioxide have been suggested as the main cause of the "greenhouse effect" – the trapping of heat within the earth’s atmosphere causing a global increase in temperatures.

Such GHGs occur naturally but the burning of fossil fuels has greatly increased their presence in the atmosphere. Most experts now agree that this increase in GHGs is causing the earth to warm, a process which could bring about disastrous changes to our climate.

Carbon dioxide is not the only culprit. Ozone, when found in the upper atmosphere, performs an important role as a filter of harmful ultra-violet light. But low-level ozone also has potentially harmful effects on the lungs and the respiratory system. Much of this low-level ozone is produced at ground level when sunlight reacts with pollution from motor vehicles that use petroleum-related fuels.

Sadly, this does not counteract the depletion of ozone layer in the upper atmosphere. Depletion of this layer by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) has been suggested as causing skin cancer in humans due to the harmful ultra-violet light that reaches the earth’s surface.

Energy use in the 21st century

Global energy requirements are expected to grow by 60 per cent over the next 25 years with about two thirds of this growth likely to come from countries such as China and India.

During 2006, the price of energy, specifically gas and electricity, has increased significantly and growing concerns about the use of fossil fuels paint a grim picture of our planet for future generations.

The resulting increases in pollution and global warming, as well as increase costs of energy meant that governments, companies and other organisations are thinking seriously about what to do.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change aims to stabilise GHGs in the atmosphere at a level that will help to prevent dangerous intervention with the earth’s climate system. To support this Convention, the Kyoto Protocol established the mechanisms that governments can use to limit or reduce their GHG emissions. The treaty was ratified in February 2005 by all member states except the United States and Australia, although significantly, both countries have signed the Framework Convention.

Supporters of the Kyoto Protocol say that it will address the major concern about climate change – the production of carbon dioxide and subsequent global warning. Opponents say that the protocol does not go far enough or that it is too interventionist.

GSK's commitments on energy consumption

Many companies have established energy reduction targets and historically, GSK has performed well in reducing energy consumption and GHGs.

Generally, the pharmaceutical sector’s energy consumption and GHG emissions are less than many other industries, for example mining, electricity and oil.

GSK has set a modest energy reduction target of at least 1 per cent per year relative to sales. In 2005 the company was identified as a climate leader in the pharmaceutical sector and during 2006 was ranked 5th by the Carbon Disclosure Project, an organisation that helps investors to assess the effects of business on GHG emission and climate change.

To meet its targets, GSK plans to reduce GHG emission by:

• Reducing the amount of energy used by the company
• Buying and using energy from renewable sources (such as solar and wind power)

For more information, see the side bar on this page.

CFCs, medicines, the ozone layer and global warming

CFCs have been used for many years as propellants to deliver asthma medication to the lungs using a device called a metered dose inhaler (MDI).

However, CFCs destroy the ozone layer and their use has now been prohibited. They also have a great potential to cause global warming and therefore most manufacturers of asthma medications have committed to remove CFCs from their MDIs.

GSK no longer uses CFCs in such devices that are made in the US and EU, although some are still being made in India and China. The company has committed to remove totally the use of CFCs in its MDIs as soon as possible and by 2010 at the latest.

A brighter future?

It's relatively easy to paint a very dark picture of the future based on current predictions about global warming and climate change. What is clear, however, is that we all have a part to play, whether at home, at work or on holiday. Here are some energy-saving suggestions:

• Use energy-saving light bulbs and turn off lights when you leave a room
• Do not leave electrical appliances on ‘standby’ and unplug chargers (eg for phones and MP3 players) when they are not in use
• Wash clothes at a lower temperature – at 30C as opposed to 40C uses 30 per cent less energy
• Turn the heating thermostat down by 1C - this can save 10 per cent on average
• Fit your home with appropriate insulation to conserve heat in the winter

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