We commit to accelerate our climate target toward Net Zero - UCB
We commit to accelerate our climate target toward Net Zero | UCB
We commit to accelerate our climate target toward Net Zero
There is an intrinsic link between people’s health and the health of our planet. The climate crisis is considered one of the most pressing risks to global health by the World Health Organization, causing 10 million deaths each year. The latest climate science from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - described by the UN as “code red for humanity” - shows it is still possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, but we are dangerously close to that threshold.
At UCB, we are inspired by patients and driven by science. On International Environment Day, we are proud to announce that we have publicly committed to set near- and long-term company-wide emission reductions in line with science-based net-zero through the Sciences Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
We have started and will continue to deploy green-by-design for our solutions as well as our physical footprint. This includes initiatives such as green building certifications, reducing and controlling our business travel, accelerating efforts to reach 100% renewable energy through purchases or production, shifting transportation from air to sea freight, and selecting suppliers with Science Based Targets. These are just some of the ways we are working to translate our pledge into reality and to preserve the environment, now and for the future.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”