The Sustainability Year in Stories: June 2024

December 28, 2024

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Paris 2024 Olympics

We look at the articles that made the news in 2024. Today, it is June's turn, featuring Olympics sustainability, Johnson and Johnson, Boeing & Amazon

Paris 2024 Olympics: Can Major Events be Sustainable?

In fairness to the Paris 2024 organising committee, sustainability is a highly visible subject.

It says: “Paris 2024, with the first Olympic Games fully aligned with Olympic Agenda 2020, promises to deliver spectacular Games that are more responsible, more sustainable and more inclusive.

“The organisers have laid out a cutting-edge plan to halve the Games-related carbon footprint compared to previous Games, with innovative solutions for energy, food, venues, transport and digital services.”

Sam Booth, Director of Sustainability at AEG

Decarbonising big events

When it comes to having a handle on the nitty-gritty of turning high-consumption, transport-heavy, crowded events into carbon-neutral showcases, Sam Booth is living it.

Sam is AEG Europe Director of Sustainability and his employer runs venues including:

The O2 Arena, London
Uber Arena, Berlin
Barclays Arena, Hamburg
Accor Arena, Paris
Eventim Apollo
Indigo at the O2
Olympia London.

Can big events be given a green heart?

Sam describes the waste produced at venues and festivals as “monstrous”, and says landing the AEG Europe job in January 2023 was a “great opportunity”.

He says: “The business is super varied, so there are so many opportunities for change and influence within it.

“We always say that the music industry itself is responsible for a very small percentage of global emissions, but the cultural weight and the influence that it has to engage people in these issues and actually change the paradigm a little bit and change the conversation is really quite fundamental.”

He adds: “You have to believe it's possible, because otherwise none of us gets out of bed in the morning, but a brutal answer is that it's not possible right now.”

What is being done at Paris 2024?

Paris targets a 50% reduction in carbon emissions compared to the average of London 2012 and Rio 2016.

A carbon budget was set which includes all Games planning and operations – from construction to energy and transport, catering and procurement.

Its emissions measures will even cover the indirect footprint of the Games, (Scope 3) such as spectator travel. It has calculated its material footprint by, venue by venue, creating a detailed map of required resources, aiming to minimise them and control their life cycle before, during and after the Games.

It includes everything from spectator seating to tents, beds, chairs, tables and even tennis balls.

A total of 95% of the Paris 2024 competition venues are pre-existing or temporary, with the rest built using low-carbon construction methods.

Paulette Frank, Chief Sustainaiblity Officer, Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson on Balancing People, Planet & Profit

Johnson & Johnson is promising a “relentless focus” on improving the health of people and the planet.

In its 2023 Health for Humanity report, J&J reveals a host of improvements in its sustainability performance, supply chain management and health treatments.

Johnson & Johnson CSO Paulette Frank said: “Johnson & Johnson’s relentless focus on solving the world’s toughest health challenges inspires our commitment to environmental stewardship – because human health and environmental health are inextricably linked.

“From our global, science-based approach to climate action, to our community-based support for health workers and clinics on the front lines of climate change, we put the patient and the planet at the centre of our sustainability efforts.”

Value chain decarbonisation

The report says that, to “support a healthy environment”, J&J focuses its efforts on areas including:

Decarbonising its operations and value chain

In 2023, J&J submitted new climate goals to the Science-Based Targets initiative to reflect J&J’s new environmental footprint following the creation of Kenvue as a separate company. The goals which were validated by SBTi.

Since 2021, the company’s Scope 1 & 2 emissions have dropped by 23%. The target is 44% by 2030.

J&J also has a target of sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. The global figure is currently 87%, including 100% in the US, Canada and Europe.

A third target is for 80% of J&J’s suppliers to have SBTi-approved targets by 2028. In 2023, the figure stood at 28%.

The report says: “Through our Onward Program, we help educate suppliers on the business reasons for setting science-based climate goals.

“Through the Energize Program, we are collaborating with peer companies to provide training and resources to support renewable energy adoption for pharmaceutical suppliers.”