Covance, a provider of drug development services based in Princeton, N.J., has received Carbon Trust Standard accreditation in the U.K. for its commitment to measuring, managing and reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. 

Covance, one of only 600 companies in Europe to hold this recognition from the non-profit Carbon Trust, achieved this recognition for its four U.K. sites through a rigorous, independent assessment of Covance’s organizational carbon management practices by the Trust.

“The Carbon Trust Standard recognition affirms our strategy to reduce our carbon footprint on the environment, and with it, our overall energy consumption,” said Lucy Hind, head of facilities at Covance in Harrogate. “We are proud and responsible champions against climate change and will continue to manage our facilities and implement future capital projects and improvements that both reduce emissions and deliver energy savings to our company.”  

Covance’s facilities management practices at its sites in Alnwick, Harrogate, Leeds and Maidenhead, U.K., were integral in reducing emissions and securing the Carbon Trust Standard accreditation. All Covance U.K. sites have rigorous energy reporting, management strategies and policies in place that are guided by a corporate U.K. energy committee and designated “energy champion” representatives at each location.  The company also employs a robust energy communication system across its U.K. sites and has provided comprehensive energy reporting to the U.K. government for the past three years. 

“Covance’s commitment to carbon reduction is an important component of our global business strategy,” said Ann Towler, Covance Process Excellence. “While environmental efficiencies benefit our bottom line, it more importantly benefits our employees, our clients and the entire global community. The Carbon Trust Standard provides an important benchmark that we can improve against for years to come.”