Health services company McKesson reduced its normalized emissions from facilities by 7.5 percent year-on-year, according to the company's latest corporate sustainability report, which covers the period from April 1, 2011 through March 31, 2012.
In financial year 2011, the company produced 22.30 lbs of CO2 per square foot of facility space, compared with 20.64 in financial year 2012. However, the company's absolute carbon emissions from facilities increased around 2 percent, from 118,895 metric tons of CO2e in FY 2011 to 121,316 metric tons of CO2e in FY 2012.
McKesson attributes these figures to its adding more than 1 million square feet of space in FY 2012, with the addition of two large-scale distribution centers.
One of its new locations is in The Woodlands, Texas. The 204,000-square-foot facility is home to over 600 employees and boasts a number of green initiatives. The installation of filtered water stations in all of the main conference rooms of the building reduced the use of bottled water in the building with a cost savings of over $32,000 per year, the report says. Indoor bike racks provide accessible and secure bike parking and promote biking to work. They have decreased gas consumption and increased health and wellness, the report says.
McKesson's fleet produced 27,024 metric tons of CO2e and used 2.9 million gallons of fuel in FY 2012. The company's fleet's emissions, fuel use and carbon emissions per vehicle all stayed roughly static from FY 2011 to FY 2012.
In FY 2012 McKesson continued its policy of bringing more fuel-efficient vehicles into the fleet, replacing 6-cylinder vehicles with 4-cylinder vehicles for the US pharmaceutical sales fleet, an initiative it started in FY 2010. The transition to more fuel-efficient vehicles has increased the company's miles per gallon and has thus reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by seven percent as compared to 2010.
Emissions from McKesson's business air travel showed a 0.5 percent uptick year-on-year, from 28,582 metric tons in FY 2011. By the end of FY 2012, 27 office locations were outfitted with high-definition TelePresence systems, which enable employees at two or more McKesson sites to have "face-to-face" meetings. In FY 2012, the company saved about $4 million by using TelePresence, in lieu of traveling, the report says.
During the period covered by this report, McKesson says it did not receive "any significant fines or sanctions for non-compliance with environmental legislation." Additionally, the company did not experience any significant incidents or spills that might have impacted natural habitats during this period, the report says.
In terms of purchasing, in FY 2012 McKesson selected computer vendors that offer energy efficient equipment, resulting in 327,411 kWh savings. Purchases that contributed to this savings included 12,000 Dell computers and 3,100 ViewSonic monitors. The use of this equipment resulted in $39,358 in energy savings and eliminated the emission of 228 tons of carbon dioxide.
Under McKesson’s agreement with Arrow-Intechra, no e-waste is sent overseas. In FY 2012 this initiative diverted 655,143 lbs of e-waste from landfill. The report does not include figures for earlier years. (See chart, below)
In July last year, McKesson was named as one of the most responsible government contractors by Corporate Responsibility magazine. The results meant that the health services company held its place from the previous year in the the magazine's second annual Best Corporate Citizens in Government Contracting List. The methodology for the List is largely the same as that for CR Magazine’s 12-year old 100 Best Corporate Citizens List.
For Environmental Leader's coverage of McKesson's 2010 sustainability report click here. For coverage of the 2009 report click here.
