By entering Chugai Pharma Taiwan’s(CPT) office room and having a drink of refreshing ice-cold sparkling water, one has in fact also done their part for the environment! CPT is a subsidiary of Japan’s Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Chairman Henry Chen stated the company mission is “add special value to the global medical community and human health through developing innovative drugs and services.” Employees invest every year in concrete carbon reduction and anti-global warming activities. “Plastic reduction” is an important step in environmental protection.

CPT’s Director of Human Resources Susan Chou stated that the company is committed to environmental protection and carbon reduction and has always believed that environmental care can be practiced in daily life. The company has switched to receive guests with sparkling water, reduced at least 15 plastic bottles and 15 disposable cups every week. In addition, ever since the addition of the sparkling water machine, employees have been drinking much more water every day.

Ever since the installation of the sparkling water machine, guests have left with positive experiences. The sparkling water machine is enjoyed not only by the guests, but also benefits all employees. To encourage employees to work together in reducing the use of plastic bottles, paper cups, and disposable utensils, the company has specially distributed two exclusive water bottles to each employee engraved with their name, so that employees can bring home to share with their family, while promoting the idea of environmental protection at the same time.

Susan Chou stated that office workers often forget to drink water when they get busy. Since the sparkling water has an ice-cold taste, employees have a high acceptance and develop a healthy habit of drinking more water. One employee said that in addition to smoothing the metabolism, drinking sparkling water even unexpectedly helped him/her to slim down. This has also increased employees’ sense of self-actualization and identification with plastic reduction.

Henry Chen stated that the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) includes 17 core goals, among which the 17th goal is “to Revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.” In addition to practicing environmental protection on our own, one should also influence others through sharing and promoting the belief in order to achieve the goal of sustainable development.

Furthermore, apart from installing coffee machine in the office pantry, the company also especially provide employees high-quality milk from Taiwan’s small-scale farm “I Love Milk” (鮮乳坊). Many office workers have the habit of buying coffee from convenience stores. Henry Chen said that ever since the company started providing the high-quality milk, employees no longer need to buy coffee from outside. With one less cup bought, one less disposable cup is wasted.

Henry Chen said that using milk from small-scale farmers also has deeper layers of meaning. Supporting the economy of small-scale farmers is part of the 8th SDGs of promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all. It also supports farmers in becoming more animal-friendly and providing cattle with a healthier environment. Cattle are physically and mentally healthier, milk production and quality are improved, small-scale farmers’ economy also grows, and consumers can feel more secure.

Henry Chen also spoke gravely on the COVID-19 pandemic, which broke out in 2020 and has persisted up until now in severely impacting the human population and the earth. He stated that it can be interpreted as a counterattack from the natural environment and highlights the importance of environmental protection. CPT is part of the pharmaceutical industry and understands the importance of energy saving and carbon reduction. The company’s goal is to reduce 60%~75% of carbon emissions by 2030. Therefore, in addition to taking the responsibility to protect the environment in daily life, for example, turn off the lights that are not needed in the office. Last year, the company's servers were also updated for energy saving. Each tree can absorb about 12 kilograms of carbon dioxide each year. CPT reduces 1,715 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions a year, which is equivalent to plant 142 trees.

CPT has been actively involved in the work of environmental conservation for many years, from planting trees, cleaning beaches, to assisting in the removal of foreign plants affecting Taiwan’s native plants such as small-leaf spiderwort, all of which are efforts that bear their mark. Their goals are to reduce the production of plastic waste from the source, slow down coastline reduction, and reduce the heat island effect. In the future, while continuing to improve the quality of medical care for patients, CPT will also continue to take concrete action in practicing environmental care and protecting the earth.

CPT’s Director of Human Resources Susan Chou is an important driving force behind the company’s green initiatives. She said that environmental protection does not require employees to “sacrifice their preferences” but rather to “change their habits”, which means environmental protection and personal preferences can coexist. Image: United Daily News.

Extracted from United Daily News 2021-04-20 press release on Official Website