Procter & Gamble’s renewable energy plans set sail with a wind turbine

Demonstrating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is of course an important facet of any large corporation’s operations in 2011. While compiling and publishing data and reports that are aligned with the company’s medium and long-term strategic goals for social responsibility is important part of that process, sometimes a visual example of what a company is looking to achieve speaks volumes especially in the public eye via the media. Most importantly I think it’s of paramount importance that corporations are truly aligning their CSR goals with their actions and behavior and not just simply looking to manipulate their activities to bolster PR. To my mind that is the truest definition of the ethical practices that should be part of a cohesive CSR/sustainable approach to business.

Procter & Gamble have for years now provided a comprehensive overview of their continued dedication to sustainable behavior within their business model, their annual sustainability reports are available online dating all the way back to 1999 which places them amongst the corporate leaders in terms of overall track record . One of the major components of the P&G long-term model is to rapidly increase the amount of green energy that the company uses throughout its manufacturing facilities. They have commenced 2011 by unveiling a giant wind turbine to power a facility in the Netherlands, P&G maintain this is the most visible step yet on a continuous path to increasing their green energy portfolio company wide. They have set a target of 30% of all energy to be green throughout their plants by the year 2020. The giant turbine erected in Coevorden, Netherlands is the company’s first investment in wind energy and later this year a number plant in Cologne, Germany will be fitted with solar panels. The wind turbine is now fully operational and will supply more than one sixth of the plants annual energy consumption. The structure shall generate approximately 5500 megawatt hours of energy annually. The solar upgrades and call on our projected to generate about 800 megawatt hours per year after phase one of the installation is complete. Keith Harrison, P&G global product supply officer adds:

“These investments are another example of P&G’s commitment to sustainability and our continuous drive to operate more sustainably while simultaneously reducing energy costs. The addition of wind power to our energy portfolio enhances the Company’s diversified portfolio approach to renewable energy, which allows us the flexibility to maximize efficiency and decrease dependency on conventional petroleum-based energy sources.”

I’m optimistic that companies as large as P&G can share the same commitment to renewable energy even though it’s a case of playing catch up with technology that has lacked the investment and commitment that it has deserved in recent years, moreover that 2020 target of 30% of all energy being renewable isn’t the ceiling that Procter & Gamble are aiming for. According to the published sustainability reports the company’s long-term objective is to power all plants with 100% renewable energy in the future. Just imagine if those expectations could be reached ahead of schedule and shared by many other companies.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc2b9exH8ec&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Procter & Gamble’s new wind turbine in the Netherlands

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