Go green network

The company’s transformation to a next-generation BioPharma leader includes a stronger alignment with green and sustainable business practices, which is one of the reasons why Bristol Myers Squibb is among the top ten ranking on the 2018 “100 Best Corporate Citizens” list, which is compiled annually by Corporate Responsibility CR Magazine.

CR looked at the largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. to determine the top leaders in seven categories: environment, climate change, human rights, philanthropy and community support, employee relations, finance performance and corporate governance. “We are proud to again be ranked on CR Magazine’s annual list of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens,” says Carol Powell, vice president of environment, health, safety and sustainability at Bristol Myers Squibb. “Our top ranking on this list and similar lists year after year recognizes the positive impact our company’s commitments to promoting economic, social and environmental sustainability are having on our patients and customers, our employees, our shareholders, our global communities and our environment. At Bristol Myers Squibb, corporate responsibility is an integral part of how we do business every day,” Powell says. “We have committed in writing to operate with high standards of ethical behavior and to promote conscientious citizenship that improves health and promotes economic, social and environmental sustainability.”

A few examples of Go Green innovations at Bristol Myers Squibb include:

Promoting green chemistry

We remain committed to minimizing the use of chemicals of concern. Our Green Chemistry program includes a process that is solvent free so that our scientists do not have to handle and dispose of highly regulated solvent wastes. Green Chemistry reviews are conducted on products in development to identify opportunities to substitute less hazardous materials, and thereby beneficially impact employee safety, production costs and the environment.

A greener fleet improves fuel economy

Our fleet operations are working to reduce fossil fuel consumption in a variety of ways, such as using more hybrid and higher mileage vehicles. Our goal included a 10 percent increase in fuel economy from 2008 to 2015 for the combined U.S./Canada fleet. In Germany, we are using alternatives to gasoline to fuel vehicles, optimizing engines, installing energy saving tires and conducting environmentally friendly driver training to reduce fossil fuel use. In Lawrenceville and Princeton Pike, New Jersey, we encourage employees to drive hybrid vehicles by offering drivers prime parking spots and charging stations.

Renewable energy

At our office site at Princeton Pike, New Jersey, we installed a solar photovoltaic system that generates nearly 10% of the site’s total annual electricity needs. 

Green facilities

Bristol Myers Squibb’s engineering group has embraced the green building standards under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. At our biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Devens, Massachusetts, we were awarded LEED Gold certification for the laboratory/administration building and LEED Silver certification for the cell culture manufacturing facility. The new clinical development and biologics development buildings are being constructed to meet LEED Silver standards. Leveraging that experience, green building concepts are now incorporated into the company’s engineering design guidelines, and LEED criteria are considered and implemented, where appropriate, in all projects. Visit our Worldwide facilities page to learn more.

Conserving land and helping threatened species

We have supported land conservation in a wide range of the countries in which we have operations worldwide. These efforts have conserved a wide range of habitats, including forests, grassland, marshes, bogs and reefs. At many of our manufacturing, R&D and distribution campuses, we are supporting natural habitats, planting trees, installing birdhouses and more. Many of our facilities worldwide have adopted and support a local endangered or threatened species, in many cases with direct involvement of site employees.

Partnering with communities

Bristol Myers Squibb supports environmental efforts in the communities where we live and work. As an example of our commitment, we are a founding sponsor of the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, a 20-mile multipurpose recreational trail and transportation corridor that runs through public and private lands in New Jersey's Lawrence and Hopewell Townships. The trail will help support an active, livable and sustainable community with opportunities for alternative forms of transportation to reduce reliance on automobiles as well as promote recreation, health and fitness, and outdoor education.

Green meetings

We are reducing air and land travel with a focus on decreasing the number of meetings to those that are essential, and conducting those via video or teleconference whenever possible.

Minimizing environmental impact

Listed below are examples of some projects we have implemented or are experimental with:

• Our U.S. facilities have switched to 30% recycled content paper, and at our facilities in New Jersey and Connecticut we have eliminated the use of styrofoam for dining.
• The company’s Information Technology team found that removing screen savers from all employees’ computers in the U.S. saves about 1.9 million kilowatts of energy and $266,000 annually.
• Office light switches have occupancy sensors so that the lights automatically turn off when the office is unoccupied.
• The company’s facilities group piloted use of no-flush urinals, each of which can save up to 30,000 gallons of water a year.
• Recycling of paper, cardboard, glass and plastic bottles, printer cartridges, solvents, batteries, electronic equipment and computers is standard practice.
• Our packaging group is developing more efficient options for products that require maintenance of cold temperatures during shipping, and introduced new shippers that greatly reduce material waste.

Visit sustainability to learn more about our overall green and sustainability practices and initiatives.