Tag: Sanofi Australia

Sanofi Australia Reveals Plans to Expand Solar Farm Project at Its Virginia-Based Manufacturing Campus

Photo credit: U.S. Department of the Interior, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Sanofi Australia recently revealed its plans to double its green energy commitment at its Brisbane manufacturing campus in Virginia, following the successful installation of 1,500 solar panels at the site.

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At a ceremony held last mid-October 2022, Sanofi unveiled its 1,500 rooftop solar panels installed by Smart Commercial Solar at the company’s consumer healthcare manufacturing facility. The event was attended by The Hon. Anika Wells MP, Federal Minister for Aged Care, Federal Minister for Sport and Member for Lilley.

Sanofi is a global healthcare company that operates in about 100 countries and provides potentially life-changing treatment options and life-saving vaccine protection to millions of people globally. Sanofi’s Brisbane-based vitamin, mineral and supplement manufacturing campus produces Nature’s Own, Ostelin and Cenovis products.

During the unveiling ceremony, Sanofi likewise revealed its plans to expand the solar panel population at the site to 3,000 which will include solar panel-topped car shade across the campus park as well as new electric charge points for employee vehicles.

Expected to be completed by 2023, the solar farm is projected to save the site approximately 1,400 tonnes of CO2 and deliver 2GwH of electricity, more than 25 per cent of its annual electricity needs. The solar farm will generate electricity enough to power some 200

“As a global healthcare company, we recognise that climate change presents one of the greatest challenges of our age and that environmental action, taken by everyone, is a key to protecting the health of people worldwide,” Sanofi Australia & New Zealand Country Lead Karen Hood, said.

“Globally we are committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and Net-zero by 2050 across all scopes. We have started a number of major programs to deliver on these commitments including switching to renewable energy across all global operations. Locally, our solar panel program in Brisbane is a proud part of this critical journey.”

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The Brisbane solar farm is another proud step forward on Sanofi’s commitment to carbon neutrality across the whole value chain by 2030 and is the latest of the many actions taken in Australia to help meet its global environmental commitments including:

  • In 2021 the Australian business announced it was moving to a hybrid car fleet. This shift is now 75% complete. 
  • In June 2022 it launched an industry-first partnership with Return Unwanted Medicines, which aims to help raise awareness of the environmental impact of the incorrect disposal of unwanted and out-of-date medicines
  • In 2022 its consumer healthcare brand Nature’s Own announced a leading three-year partnership with Greening Australia to help restore natural ecosystems by establishing 25,000 native trees, shrubs and wildflowers across three major Australian cities. The phase one rooftop solar farm was installed by Smart Commercial Solar.

Sanofi Australia is one of the country’s top five medicines and vaccines companies with more than 50 medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, six on the Life-Saving Drugs Program, and 17 vaccines in the country with seven on the National Immunisation Program.

Sanofi Australia also operates a consumer healthcare business in Australia with household name brands including Telfast, Bisolvon, Nature’s Own, Ostelin, Cenovis and many others.