by Nicolò, Margherita, Maria, Iver and Sindre
Biogen Inc. is an American multinational biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specialized in the discovery, development and delivery of therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative, hematologic and autoimmune diseases to patients worldwide.
Biogen has resulted first on a special list regarding the 100 most sustainable corporations in 2015.
Biogen in particular has tried to focus its attention and its endeavours on reducing the carbon emission; Biogen, in fact, consume a considerable amount of energy that can create carbon emission during its research, development, commercial and manufacturing operations.
In 2014 the firm became a carbon neutral company and maintained the status also in 2015, it means that Biogen in able to neutralize all the carbon emissions from its business.
This is a result of many previously investments targeted to reduce the carbon footprint and making the business more sustainable.
Biogen has implemented a three-steps proceed that allows it to keep under control and decreasing its carbon footprint at the same time: first of all Biogen monitors and measures its footprint derivate from its operation.
Then it continuously reduces its carbon emission through innovations and efficiency, and it works with its suppliers to do the same.
Lastly it finds certified renewable energy to neutralize its footprints; this includes wind, solar, hydro and landfill gas.
Biogen is also careful about the use of water and it’s trying to find out a way to reduce its dependence on water, for instance recycling more of it.
Finally Biogen is very careful about the waste production. In 2015 it obtained a zero manufacturing waste to landfill status; in order to obtained and maintained this status, Biogen leverage on a series of projects that avoid, recycle and compost its waste, and then use the rest of it to create or recovery energy. In 2015, 61% of its waste was diverted and reused as energy.
The topic above can arise two questions: Can an environmental “Good Guys” list (instead of an environmental “Bad Guys” list) help the firms to make changes on their way of doing businesses?
And has to be Biogen considered a firm that put its attention on what it has responsibility or what it can take responsibility for?
Sources:
https://www.biogen.com/en_us/home.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biogen
http://www.corporateknights.com/magazines/2015-global-100-issue/2015-global-100-results-14218559/
BUS446 
First of all – what an interesting piece. I have never heard of Biogen before. My group wrote a previous blogpost were we had the opposite case, with pointing out firms as ”bad guys” as a trigger for sustainable thinking. We wanted our fellow students to reflect over how a ”bad guys”- list could be a good idea for making an incentive for the firms to do more good and less bad. I think it is interesting how we can reverse this way of thinking, and make such a list in positive terms!
I personally think it could be a great idea with an environmental ”good guys” list to challenge the firms and make them change their business models. I would like to ad one thought though, and that is that all means to create as much attention around such a list as possible, must be used. The atmosphere around the nominations of the list must be like we see around the VGs “prisbørs” (price exchange). It could also be difficult to choose which factors should be measured and what “score” would reflect as a “good guy”. To answer your second question; I think that Biogen appears as a company that focuses on what they have responsibility for. They have identified their shadow-side, and are trying to be responsible by decreasing their negative externalities and their negative footprint.
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Very interesting piece, and also an interesting comment by Christina. An environmental “good guys” list sounds like an excellent idea, and I also agree that nominations for this list should receive wide-spread media exposure. An initiative such as this would incentivize efforts to become sustainable, while at the same time making these efforts more visible for the public. I also believe that companies in such a list should receive more government attention, in terms of subsidies and grants that may cover some of the costs they are incurring in their effort to balance sustainability with profitability.
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I have never heard about Biogen before, and I find it very interesting. I definitely think such “good guys” should get more exposure on different types of arenas.I do not think such companies get as much as attention as “bad guys” get, and this is necessary so other companies can learn, take inspiration and adapt.
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I have never heard of Bigoen before either! I believe the “good guys” should get atleast as much attention as the “bad guys”. Companies should not only focus on what their responsibility is, but how they can shed light in a profitable way.
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I very much agree with the ones above regarding a “Good guys”-list. But are you sure that something like this dont already exist?
I also found the part about “carbon neutrality” very interesting. Do you think that this is a good measure of the “climate friendliness” of a company?
Im not really sure about what I think. On one side, some companies will struggle a lot being climate neutral than others, just due the nature of their business. However, if what they deliver/create/produce is of significant importance to humanity, that is not necessarily bad, or is it? On the other hand, should companies that operate in sectors where its very easy to be more carbon friendly be regarded as sustainable, even though they might be a lot less sustainable then they could have been if they fulfilled their potential?
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What a nice post here, thanks a lot for sharing. I find the concepts both of having a “bad guys” list and “good guys” list very interesting. Unfortunately, I also believe that “good guys” will never get as much attention as bad guys though; bad companies, failures, negative exposure just stick more easily in the human mind.
Both lists should be exposed contemporary if possible and “good guys” should be awarded appropriately, for their initiative and effort in caring. Media attention for “bad guys” will hurt them either way and urge these company’s to rethink their business model. Arguably, I would see a “bad guys” list of more use to everyone.
As Christina already mentioned in the first comment here it might be difficult or even impossible to create an appropriate score for both lists; which factors should be considered? Would you assign the same weight to all factors or are there areas which are more important? Who decides which area is more important?
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Very interesting blog post! I, as many of the others, have not heard about Biogen before. I absolutely think it is a good idea with a “good guy” list! In almost all settings in life, positive reinforcement works better than punishment, right? However, I’m not sure if the same rules applies to the business world.
With regards to the second question, I would not say that the answer is clear. Biogen takes responsibility for the mess it is making itself, but at the same time, they also extend this to e.g. suppliers. And also, sadly, they could chose to take no to little action at all, and no one would “notice”. So a little bit of both maybe (if I understood your question correctly)?
Either way, the steps they are taking on their way to sustainability, are great!
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It’s safe to say Biogen are very sustainable and conscious on how their processes affect the environment. Their efforts to minimize carbon emissions and their use of renewable energy sources and limits on water consumption really highlight their awareness and concern for their shadow on the environment. This is definitely a company that should be seen as a role model for all others in not just it’s own industry but all over.
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Biogen is setting the pathway forward for many other companies and businesses. Having recycle all their resources and without producing waste is a great business model where other companies should follow. Biogen can be the good guys that will certainly make a difference and assist the “bad guys” in doing more good to the environment. This is a collective approach where both the good and bad can play a part to make a difference to the environment for the coming future. All in all, I hope there are many companies and businesses would do what Biogen is doing and perhaps improve on this approach as well.
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I think that lists for both bad and good is a great contribution! If both lists were published together I think that the effect would be greater: at the same time as you see who the good guys are- you get a look at how the bad guys also are, and people can compare them, which ultimately creates an even stronger effect where you identify yourself with the good or the bad. Hopefully people see that they consume/create value in a good/bad way, and can change this for the greater good! Biogen is a good example on how the “good guys list” motivate to keep up making sustainable choices.
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