BOULDER, CO – Roche, a global pharmaceutical and diagnostics company, has achieved a 10.8 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 2001 at its United States sites.

This accomplishment is two years ahead of the goal set by Roche in support of the United States Environmental Protection Administration’s (EPA) Climate Leaders program. The official announcement was made at a Climate Leaders Partners Meeting in Boulder, Colo.

Launched in 2002, the EPA’s Climate Leaders program is a voluntary industry-government partnership to develop long-term comprehensive climate change strategies. Industry Partners set corporate-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals and inventory their emissions regularly to measure progress.

“Roche’s goal was a combined 10 percent reduction of 2001 greenhouse gas emissions by year-end 2008,” said Jack Kace, vice president, Environmental and Safety. “Thanks to the extraordinary dedication and hard work of Roche employees across the country, we reached and exceeded the goal at the end of 2006 two years ahead of schedule.”

Roche’s accomplishments result from a broad array of initiatives, including:

• Greater automotive fleet efficiency through the use of hybrid and electric.
  

  
  

• Modernizing the cogeneration plant at the Nutley, New Jersey facility.
  

  
  

• Elimination of mechanical refrigeration through water-side economizers.
  

  
  

• Retro-commissioned buildings.
  

  
  

• Improved automation systems.
  

  
  

• HVAC systems upgrades.
  

  
  

• Cool roof coatings.
  

  
  

• Lighting system improvements.

  Roche also announced that it has submitted to the EPA new goals scheduled to be achieved by 2010. In the next three years, Roche has pledged to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the country and will move from a 10 percent goal to a 15 percent reduction of gases by 2010.