The United Nations Climate Change Conference (called COP15) is well underway in Copenhagen. We are a member of three leading climate partner groups attending COP15: World Wildlife Fund’s Climate Savers, The Climate Group and the United States Climate Action Program (USCAP) and are engaged with them in conversations at the conference. Cécile Astuguevieille from our EU-based Government Affairs and Policy group shares her impressions of the business summit:

The great engagement of the business into climate change policies highlighted the first day of meetings attended by Johnson & Johnson in Copenhagen. The Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change gathered business leaders from the construction, media, insurance sectors and the signatories of the Copenhagen Communiqué (which Johnson & Johnson endorsed) to debate on the low carbon economy and the policy priorities post Copenhagen. The companies reported on the various energy efficiency initiatives they have launched and on the use of renewable energy to significantly reduce their global GHG emissions.  The transition towards a low carbon economy is considered a challenge but also a great opportunity for the businesses to foster innovation and competitiveness.  It was also mentioned that complementary initiatives, such as taxation of energy, should be taken in addition to the cap-and–trade system for more effective climate change policies. A recurring theme of the debate was that very few barriers to the transition towards a low carbon economy remain, apart from the political will.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Climate Business Day was organized by the WWF Climate Savers group of companies (Johnson & Johnson is a member of Climate Savers). The debate focused on the engagement of financial and insurance sectors, both of which consider CO2 regulations a growing opportunity for investments. Climate change regulations could transform CO2 into a new global currency which will imply new potential for investment in innovative sectors. It was, however, emphasized that such incentives to innovation will be effective only if the global carbon market is built on clear rules that companies can rely on.

The important presence and visibility of companies from diverse sectors in Copenhagen and during the coming week confirm the transition towards a low carbon economy as the current biggest challenge that business is already engaged in. Also, everyone’s uncertainty regarding the outcome of the Summit appeared quite clearly today, and business hopes that a strong and binding agreement will be concluded on December 18^th.

By Annette Russo, Manager, Communications and Training, Worldwide Environment, Health and Safety

If you read a newspaper, listen to the radio, or watch television, you’ve heard the word “sustainability”. It’s a business buzzword now, on the order of “total quality,” “just in time,” “six sigma” and “ISO.”

Yet while companies are starting to talk more about what they are doing to reduce their impact on the environment and be more active in their communities, you may be asking yourself – “what does this all mean for me?”

Well, many companies (Johnson & Johnson included) are starting to come up with an answer to this question. At my company, we’ve put together something called a “personal sustainability program,” or PSP to help employees understand what sustainability means – and how they can apply it to their lives. The concept was pioneered by Wal-Mart in partnership with Act Now .

Wal-Mart’s program, focused on environmental and health issues, involved training PSP leaders, who returned to their stores, trained other interested employees, and then lead PSP efforts at their stores. Each PSP participant pledged to change an environmental or health aspect of their personal life, and when that change was made, they were recognized.

Wal-Mart believes that this program has had many benefits – and they cite carbon dioxide reductions and improved health for their employees. One dividend, however, that is rather difficult to measure is that through this program they have unlocked employee creativity – to develop solutions that were then applied to the business. In a famous example, a PSP participant turned off lighting in soft drink machines in the employee lounge, saving over a million dollars in electricity use each year.

At Johnson & Johnson, I’m responsible for a PSP program that we call “Cause an Effect” – which includes tools that educate employees on four component parts of personal sustainability (environment, community, well-being and economy) and on ways in which they can improve their own environmental impact , health and connection to their communities– for instance, by doing eating locally grown food you are supporting your local farmer, reducing your environmental footprint and improving your health. The program is entirely voluntary, but those who decide to participate can make pledges to make changes and be recognized for their efforts.

So, you might be asking, what is my PSP? Like many of you, I’m struggling with my fitness, so I’m pledging to do Pilates three times each week for at least three months. I think it will help with weight loss, physical health and mental health, and I’m hoping it will help me to be a bit more graceful.

In honor of Earth Day, a fair was held at Johnson & Johnson headquarters in New Brunswick that gave people a chance to see what the company is doing to reduce its environmental footprint as well as to learn more about what can be done at home. Rob Halper and I thought we would catch some of the action on tape, and so I once again tried my hand at being a roving reporter — and found some colleagues to interview who were responsible for the day’s festivities:

(Note — the Earth Day fair was actually held last week.)