Novo Nordisk signs agreement on emissions reduction

Novo Nordisk has announced that as part of the firm’s dedication to reducing its energy consumption and carbon emissions, it has signed a partnership agreement with Dong Energy to utilise wind turbines to supply a key part of its electricity in Denmark.

As part of this deal, Novo Nordisk has stated that it will convert energy savings seen at its production sites in Denmark into the purchase of green electricity from a newly-established wind farm at Horns Rev.

The agreement will see the company lower CO2 emissions, with a target of a ten per cent reduction from 2004 levels by 2014, while Novo Nordisk makes a key contribution to the construction of the Horns Rev II wind farm project.

Lars Clausen, executive vice-president of Dong Energy, said: “It is important that we all take the CO2 issue seriously and take active steps to deal with it.

“Therefore this is an extremely important commercial agreement which we hope will serve as an inspiration to many other companies.”

He added that energy companies had a vital position in helping to lower carbon emissions through both their own work and by providing assistance to other businesses nationwide to realise their environmental responsibilities.

Earlier this week, Novo Nordisk announced the inauguration of a $200 million (100 million pound) insulin manufacturing facility in Brazil, the firm’s largest site outside its native Denmark.