Environment

Total greenhouse gas emissions

Our response to the Carbon Disclosure Project contains a detailed description of our calculation methods.

We have included the following gases in our calculation of direct and indirect CO2eq emissions:

• Direct CO₂ emissions: CO₂, HFCs, PFCs, CH₄, N₂O, NF₃, SF₆.
• Indirect CO₂ emissions: CO₂.

In 2020, we emitted 0.11 kg of CO₂eq per euro of net sales.

Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions

No data are available for Scope 3 categories not listed above. Their relevance to Merck is assessed in the Scope 3 document.

Biogenic emissions (Scope 3), if present, are not being recorded.

Emissions of ozone-depleting substances

Substances included: R-12, R-22, R-123, R-141b, R-401a, R-402a, R408a, R-409a, R-502, R-503.

Source for the emission factors: Montreal Protocol.

Other air emissions

The VOC, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and dust emissions reported here are attributable to production activities as well as energy generation. These figures do not include emissions from vehicles. Emissions are determined partially based on measurements and partially based on calculations or estimates. Only some sites are required to measure individual parameters.

Transport of finished goods, by means of transportation

The figures contain the volumes of the biggest global distribution centers of our Healthcare, Life Science and Performance Materials business sectors. These figures pertain to the total weight of transported products and indicate the primary means of transport.

In shipping finished goods from our production sites to the local warehouses of our subsidiaries, we have been working to reduce the use of air shipping in favor of sea freight. This change aims to both reduce costs as well as lower transport-related CO₂ emissions.

Energy consumption

At our sites in Billerica (MA, United States), Bedford (MA, United States), Molsheim (France), Tel Aviv (Israel), Rome (Italy), Guatemala City (Guatemala), Shizuoka-ken (Japan), and Shanghai (China), we use photovoltaics to produce power.

Merck currently only records purchased secondary energy – this is primarily electricity and, to a lesser extent, heat/steam/cold. Details on the local energy mix, including the respective percentage of primary energy, renewable energy, etc. are not available. Data on local energy efficiency in electricity or heat generation are not available either. Our production sites are located in countries with a widely varying energy mix.

Our Darmstadt and Gernsheim sites in Germany consume the most energy, representing 25% of our Group-wide total. Here, fossil energy (coal, gas, etc.) accounts for approx. 42%, nuclear energy approx. 14% and renewable energies approx. 44% of the energy mix. Renewable energies account for a higher share of electricity generation at production sites in Switzerland, with nuclear energy taking the lead in France. Based on an estimated global energy efficiency of 37% for the conversion and distribution of generated electricity, this results in a primary energy consumption of 2,551 GWh for 2020. Based on an estimated global energy efficiency of 85% for heat/steam/cold, this results in a primary energy consumption of 192 GWh for 2020. This yields a total primary energy consumption of 2,743 GWh for 2020. (The calculation is based on factors stated in the “Manual for energy management in practice - Systematically reducing energy costs” published by DENA, 12/2012.)

In 2020, Merck’s energy intensity relative to net sales totaled 0.14 kWh/€.

Water withdrawal

These figures do not include the ground water that we use for safety measures at our Gernsheim site in Germany. Here, the water is fed back directly into natural circulation.

The volume of seawater and produced water withdrawn is not significant and is therefore not reported separately.

Water reused

The recirculating cooling system at our Darmstadt, Germany facility accounts for the majority of reused water as it allows the water to be re-utilized multiple times. The volume of reused water is thus greater than the total volume of consumed water.

Wastewater volume

The volume of seawater and groundwater discharged is not significant and is therefore not reported separately.

Discrepancies between total wastewater volume and the sum of directly discharged wastewater and wastewater sent to third parties arise from other disposal methods, which, however, only result in minor amounts of wastewater.

Direct discharges correspond to the “freshwater” classification of the GRI. Indirect discharges correspond to their “other water” classification.

Wastewater quality

The wastewater treatment plant at our Gernsheim, Germany site also treats wastewater from the neighboring municipality of Biebesheim. The communal wastewater from Biebesheim is included in the emissions stated in the table.

Emissions are determined partially based on measurements and partially based on calculations or estimates. Only some sites are required to measure individual parameters.

These figures reflect the wastewater as it is when it leaves our facilities. Some of the substances in the water are then later removed by third-party purification plants before the water is ultimately discharged into the ecosystem.

Hazardous and non-hazardous waste

We generally use external service providers in order to dispose of our waste outside our sites. Some material recycling of hazardous waste takes place directly at our sites (2020: approx. 46 metric kilotons).

Exported/Imported hazardous waste

In 2020, approx. 3% of hazardous waste was shipped internationally.

Waste by disposal method

As in previous years, the total waste generated continues to be heavily influenced by the waste from construction and remodeling activities. Construction, excavation and demolition waste accounted for 21% of our waste in 2020. Around 37 metric kilotons of construction, excavation and demolition waste was recycled.

We generally use external service providers in order to dispose of our waste outside our sites. Some material recycling of hazardous waste takes place directly at our sites (2020: approx. 46 metric kilotons).

Significant spills