Environment: Her Planet
The health of women depends on the health of our planet. While climate change affects the entire world, pervasive gender inequality magnifies its impact on women and girls.
We are working to implement environmentally friendly practices and long-term sustainability across our operations and our industry’s value chain. These efforts help us contribute to positive change for women everywhere.
Key 2024 achievements
Reduced Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions* by 5% against a 2020 baseline.
Engaged in biodiversity projects at all our sites and major office locations.
Reduced water usage at our manufacturing facilities by 6% against a 2020 baseline.
Reused, recycled or otherwise beneficially used** 94% of our operational waste.
* Including biogenic emissions.
** Otherwise beneficially used methods include composting and combustion with energy recovery.
Learn more about our performance in our ESG reporting center
Our approach
Our cross-functional Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Council and ESG and Policy Council are responsible for oversight of our environmental sustainability strategy and goals. The EHS Council focuses on the program implementation and goals progress. Our Public Policy & ESG Council (ESG Council) advises on key issues and guides the integration and implementation of Organon’s nonfinancial reporting related to ESG. Both bodies include senior management representatives from various parts of the organization.
The Environmental Sustainability Center of Excellence (CoE) is part of our Global Safety, Health, and Environment (SHE) organization. The CoE, which reports to the EHS and ESG and Policy Councils, monitors the company’s environmental performance, reports regularly on environmental issues, and supports our facilities as they work to meet our goals and maintain regulatory compliance.
Our SHE management system, implemented throughout the organization, is aligned with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) requirements. The system’s programs cover areas including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, air quality management, energy management, climate change risks and resilience, water management, waste prevention and management, biodiversity and pharmaceuticals in the environment. These programs are intended to ensure that we follow all applicable environmental legislation, minimize our environmental impact and continuously improve our environmental efforts.
As of year end 2024, two of our six owned facilities and one of our commercial organizations are ISO 14001 certified. One of our six owned facilities is ISO 45001 certified.
Manufacturing
The Organon Manufacturing and Supply (OMS) organization has translated our environmental sustainability strategy into a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) including energy usage, water usage, waste and biodiversity.
All six of our manufacturing sites have a five-year environmental sustainability plan in place, with goals and objectives related to energy, GHG emissions, water, materials, waste and biodiversity.
The OMS SHE Council includes senior leadership representatives from all manufacturing sites and support functions. It meets monthly to measure and discuss progress against the environmental sustainability KPIs.
All manufacturing sites have an environmental sustainability lead who oversees environmental data collection and review, monitors the progress of plans and implements our global environmental management programs.
Learn more about our strategy and progress
We aim to support the transition to a low-carbon economy, with a long-term ambition to achieve net zero GHG emissions in our operations and through our supply chain.
Effective waste management at our facilities is vital to the communities in which we operate.
Our ambition is to preserve and increase biodiversity at our locations and in our communities.
Employee engagement: Cultivating impact through Earth Day
At Organon, we believe that meaningful environmental action begins with our people. Each April, we transform Earth Day into a month-long celebration of sustainability, inviting all Founders to take part in a wide range of local and virtual activities. From green commuting challenges and learning sessions to community cleanups, Earth Month fosters creativity, awareness and collective action across our global workforce.
To strengthen the link between engagement and environmental impact, Organon commits to planting one tree for every Earth Day activity a Founder participates in. In 2024, this initiative led to the planting of 1,142 trees, each one a living testament to our collective action and shared commitment.
Our Earth Day forest in the Bruggeneindse Gooren, near the Heist production site in Belgium, forms part of a larger protected natural area and is accessible to the public, serving not only as a green legacy, but as a space where nature and communities meet.
Learn more about how we are engaging our suppliers on environmental sustainability in procurement and supply chain.
Learn more about our position regarding pharmaceuticals in the environment in the ESG reporting center.