What Is The Life Science Industry Doing To Reach Net Zero?
The World Health Organisation has established that global warming is this century's most significant health emergency. It attributes climate change to highly hazardous air and water contamination as well as inadequate sanitation, which as a consequence, has caused 12.6 million deaths around the globe.
The healthcare sector is not the primary source, but it still accounts for 4.4% of total net worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. If it were a country, it would be the fifth biggest producer of GHG. But, the industry is responding to the challenge, and many firms have started projects to support the global mission of reaching a net-zero state.
In recent years, a variety of initiatives and proposals have been initiated.
The Aim of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health: Achieving Healthy Lives
In September of last year, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health promised to commit a total of $800 million in the upcoming decade to make their items more sustainable.
The Healthy Lives Mission from J&JCH has recently been announced to utilise 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable plastic packaging and paper/pulp-based packaging with certified post-consumer recycled materials for their consumer brands by 2025.
As stated by Katie Decker, Global President for Essential Health at J&JCH,
"Our company is focused on health and healthy people—everything we work on is designed to make people's lives healthier. […] How can we continue to do that if we're not serious about the health of the planet, too?"
Kaiser Permanente is the initial healthcare system to become carbon-neutral in the United States
In 2016, Kaiser Permanente, the premier non-profit healthcare provider in America, declared its objective to become carbon neutral. By the end of 2020, they accomplished this mission by decreasing their carbon footprint (e.g. advancing the energy proficiency of their facilities, introducing solar panels to the premises, obtaining energy from sustainable sources, etc.) and buying carbon offsets.
The company's annual carbon imprint of 800,000 tons has been eradicated, the same as removing 175,000 cars from the streets. It has been granted a carbon-neutral certification covering the following three scopes;4
- Emissions under Scope 1: those that are direct and originate from sources owned or operated by the company.
- Emissions from energy consumption: those produced from the use of energy by an organisation.
- Emissions outside of the direct control of the company: these may include corporate travel, for example.
The business is determined to lessen further its Scope 3 emissions, which considers its supply chain, in the future. Additionally, in June 2022, the company aimed to cut its GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2050.
AstraZeneca's ambitious plans for carbon neutrality
At the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2020, AstraZeneca announced its goal to become a zero carbon emitter in its global operations by 2025 with a $1 billion programme. The company aims to be carbon negative across its entire value chain by 2030.
The company aims to extend further its sustainability objectives, which were to double its energy efficiency, use sustainable energy resources, and transition to a fully electric vehicle fleet.
AstraZeneca has declared its intention to commit up to $1 billion to realise its new agenda, which comprises the fabrication of a novel kind of respiratory inhaler that uses near-zero Global Warming Potential (GWP) propellants. The company is working to reach its worldwide operations' net zero objectives without depending on offsets. Furthermore, AstraZeneca announced the AZ Forest project, a 50-million trees reforestation effort to be implemented over five years.
Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca's CEO, has declared that the company will pursue a zero-carbon strategy to eliminate emissions by 2025 and be carbon negative across the entire value chain by 2030.
Climate change poses a critical danger to humanity's health, the environment, and the economic stability of the world. Since 2015, our carbon emissions from operations have been reduced by nearly a third, as well as our water consumption by almost one-fifth. Now is the time to act with greater urgency and increase our efforts. The commitments AstraZeneca has announced as part of our 'Ambition Zero Carbon' plan will help us accelerate the reduction of our organisation's climate impact and lead the way in the global collaboration to bring about policy change.
My Green Lab is a non-profit organisation striving to attain a net zero carbon footprint in the life sciences sector.
Launched in 2013, My Green Lab is a non-profit aiming to improve the sustainability of scientific research. Their purpose is to bring a fresh outlook, helping life science organisations implement sustainable practices and instil a culture of sustainability in labs, which are notoriously demanding in terms of resources.
My Green Lab, a company staffed by scientists, relies on their expertise in the industry to set up standards, monitor their execution, and motivate lasting reform within the scientific community.
The mission of the organisation is approached through two different means.
- Companies can explore new options to lessen their environmental footprint by using programs that inspire them to rethink their methods. This shift in mindset can then have a progressive effect on employees' lives.
- My Green Lab utilises a data-driven methodology to back their suggestions of sustainable techniques, making the information available to all involved and the larger life science community.
My Green Lab has been in existence for some time now and has certified over 900 laboratory teams and provided assistance to many scientists globally.