Sustainable Procurement & CSR News - Pharmaceutical Industry

UK-based global pharma company AstraZeneca and US consumer products company Honeywell have announced a partnership to build a new “next generation” inhaler with a propellant that reduces Global Warming Potential by more than 99%. 

Social Sustainability performance is one of the three pillars of ESG. It assesses a company’s engagement with its workers, customers, suppliers, and the local community. It covers human rights, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, and community impact. Inattention to these factors can damage corporate brands and reputations and bring legal and regulatory penalties. Companies in every sector, including pharma, will need to make concerted efforts to improve their performance across all three ESG measures.

Bormioli Pharma has recently joined Glass Futures, a UK-based project that aims to develop a low CO2 emission approach to glass production.

The project, which will last ten years, will soon see the opening of a pilot furnace in the UK dedicated to the experimentation and application of these technologies.

"In a celebration year for glass, we are ready to confirm our role as innovators in the industry, with several concrete research and development initiatives," said Andrea Lodetti, CEO of Bormioli Pharma.

"This commitment is all the more important in a sector such as pharmaceuticals, where glass must not only contain, but also protect the therapeutic efficacy, and where the constant increase in production requires a serious rethinking of our responsibilities towards the environment."

Sustainability is a key pillar for Bormioli Pharma, which has committed to manufacturing 50% of its products using materials with low environmental impact by 2025.

Pharma, like every other industry, has an impact on the environment – and in the face of a climate crisis, it has a responsibility to find ways to mitigate this harm. In a GlobalData survey conducted last year, 43% of respondents considered the environment the most pressing ESG (environmental, social and governance) issue for the pharmaceutical sector to address.

As members of an industry that emits more greenhouse gases than the automotive sector, drug companies must make a concerted effort to reduce the carbon footprint associated with getting their medicines to patients – but how?

In our first edition of 2022, we look to the future with how best to support and improve our health service. The NHS is set to continually grow and learn through digital innovation as well as further efforts made towards a sustainable way of working.

This magazine homes in on topics that are now more than ever vitally important to the healthcare sector as a whole, including: A greener NHS and building a better future, digitising the NHS and the future of technology within facilities and pharma.

As resource consumption grows, several industries including the pharmaceutical industry are under pressure to implement sustainable practices.

Verdict has conducted a poll to understand the sustainability areas that pharmaceutical industry needs to address the most.

Environmental sustainability was voted as the area that needs to be addressed the most by the pharmaceutical industry, according to 43% of the respondents. Climate change was considered as the most pressing environmental issue by 52% of the respondents who voted for environmental sustainability, followed by pollution (32%), natural resources (11%), and biodiversity (5%).

The company has committed by 2030 to:

Reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 33% versus 2017 levels to support efforts to limit the global temperature increase to well below 2°C, aligning with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.

Improve transparency of Scope 3 GHG emissions and increase engagement on climate issues with key suppliers throughout the value chain.

Increase energy efficiency by 10% and the total proportion of energy purchased or generated from renewable sources to 50%.

Cedar Cares program will build better experiences for communities across the country, supporting nonprofits focused on healthcare access, climate change and education

Cedar, a leading patient engagement and financial technology platform, announced the relaunch of Cedar Cares, the company’s charitable initiative. Cedar Cares will amplify the mission of Cedar by supporting nonprofit organizations that are improving access to healthcare, tackling climate change and closing educational gaps.

From vitamins to vaccines, the pharmaceutical industry is fundamental to enhancing the world’s health by advancing cutting-edge, innovative solutions and utilities like steam are vital in the manufacturing process. However, with reducing carbon footprint becoming an increasing focus for energy-intensive manufacturing processes, plant owners and operators are striving to reduce energy consumption and wastage.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have always been an integral part of pharmaceutical manufacturing, with organisations such as AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline estimating that HVAC demands accounted for 60-70% of their UK operations’ total energy consumption[1]. In fact, operating costs of industrial HVAC in cleanrooms tend to be between 20 and 100 times larger per square foot than those employed in typical buildings. With such large numbers in mind, it is understandable that reducing overall consumption and improving efficiency is an area of importance for plant managers and operators.

In the past year or so, Novartis has focused on better governance by tightening its ethics standards. Now the Swiss pharma is also working to improve its corporate image from an environmental perspective.

Novartis aims to become carbon neutral across its supply chain by 2030, replacing a previous goal targeting a carbon reduction of 50% from a 2016 baseline. And the supply chain goal comes on top of its target for carbon neutrality within its own operations by 2025. In the first half of 2020, the company had reduced or offset 14% of the carbon emissions within its own operations or from its power sources, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan told investors Tuesday.

Envirotainer, the global market leader in secure cold chain solutions for air transportation of pharmaceuticals and Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP Cargo), the leading airline in pharmaceutical logistics, today announced their collaboration on Sustainability.

Envirotainer and Air France KLM Martinair Cargo each have a strong focus on sustainability and are pursuing multiple initiatives with a view to achieving more sustainable operations. Being long-term close partners, both organisations sought to strengthen the initiatives by collaboration.

Air France KLM Martinair Cargo has approved the newly introduced Envirotainer Releye® container and is in the process of implementing it in its booking system as part of its product portfolio. The Releye provides outstanding environmental performance, delivering up to 90% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to available passive solutions, based on life-cycle analysis.

TCS is working with clients across retail, financial services, pharma, manufacturing, automobile, consumer goods as well as group companies to offer these IoT-based solutions to track emissions and energy consumption, said Regu Ayyaswamy, global head, IoT and digital engineering, TCS.

“There is a lot of corporate board-level focus on sustainability. So, people are really looking at how they can grow their business sustainably. Three years back, everybody was working with minimum viable products but now customers have gone on scale,” he said.

A leading North American pharmacy retailer has deployed TCS Clever Energy to reduce emissions by 26% across thousands of its stores.

Environmental sustainability performance is one of the three pillars of ESG, measuring the energy a company consumes, the waste it generates, the natural resources it uses, and the consequences for ecosystems and habitats Momentum is on the side of the sustainability movement. Citizens, governments, regulators, and the media are turning the spotlight on corporations and demanding action. Companies in every sector, including pharma, will need to make concerted efforts to improve their performance across all three ESG measures.

Taking stock of pharma’s environmental impact
But while the pharma industry of today is replete with ambitious carbon reduction targets and prominent shows of solidarity – GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is one of COP26’s principal partners – there’s evidence that the sector has some way to go before it truly takes stock of its carbon footprint and wider environmental impact.

“The pharma industry appears to have conveniently hid behind its image of clean factories making life-saving drugs,” says McMaster University associate professor of engineering and chair of eco-entrepreneurship Lotfi Belkhir, who has been highly critical of pharma’s approach towards its own carbon impact. “Who cares about carbon footprint when you’re doing so much for humanity, right?”

The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain in 2021 will require Robust Solutions

Pharmaceutical SCM has become more unpredictable and basic in current digital world situation. It holds the life-saving guarantee of individuals and demands the participation of distinct partners. It includes pharma manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, customers, and regulatory agencies. Notwithstanding COVID-19, supply chains have significantly been disrupted owing to nation-wide limitations all around the world. This supply chain disturbance has left challenges in the pharmaceutical industry, require to reexamine supply chain management and robust solution.

The challenges of increased market demand and stricter legislation increase the demand for more efficient, flexible, and specific Pharmaceutical SCM software. Today, Pharma distributors must have to move products to their customers an exact time or faster while maintaining lower inventory levels. Also, Meta-Pharma – Pharmaceutical ERP software helps to improve supply chain management, customer relations, vendor agreements, identification of slow-moving, and out-of-stock items, and inventory data.

SFEE and its member companies are committed to ensuring the sustainability of our healthcare systems by breaking barriers and silos and working together with policymakers to deliver outcomes to patients, society and the national economy, writes Olympios Papadimitriou.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., has recently announced that the company has been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), under the category of emerging markets for the third consecutive year in a row.

DJSI is one of the world's most respected and widely accepted sustainability benchmarks globally with only the top ranked companies in terms of Corporate Sustainability within each industry featured in the index.

Gartner, Inc. recently released its 12th annual Gartner Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25 ranking, which recognizes companies across the healthcare value chain that advance healthcare by improving patient outcomes and controlling costs.

“2020 has proved to be a challenging year for healthcare and life sciences supply chains with the COVID-19 pandemic stressing many networks to their breaking point,” said Stephen Meyer, senior director analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain practice. “All supply chains had to make significant changes to the way they worked, both tactically and strategically.”

The pandemic has required a rethink of how we do business: and CPhI Festival of Pharma is encouraging companies to prioritize sustainability efforts moving forward.
Momentum towards more sustainable solutions has been building over the last few years – think Greta Thunberg, climate strikes, David Attenborough, COP21 – and thus increasing scrutiny in the area.

And while the coronavirus pandemic may have grabbed the world’s attention in 2020, organizations like CPhI champion the opportunity to use the shake-up as a chance to reset the industry’s approach to the environment. For the pharma and biopharma industry, it’s a wide-reaching remit: covering everything from the carbon footprint of the supply chain to waste management.

“Challenging times call for great innovation,”​ notes CPhI. “Opportunities to accelerate market growth are hand-in-hand with social and environmental sustainability. ​Leading operations efficiency is one of the ways in which businesses can be cost-effective and contribute to a faster market recovery whilst building consumer loyalty.​

“One of the biggest challenges a company faces when embracing sustainability is finding the right information and resources. Look out for consumer trends and market updates at CPhI.”