Pharma bosses have launched a new alliance for net zero healthcare, which commits companies to work together to decarbonize their supply chains, power systems and logistics, and set standards and frameworks for sectoral emissions.
The new Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) Health Systems Task Force was launched this morning by the CEOs of AstraZeneca, GSK, Merck KGaA, Novo Nordisk, Roche, Samsung Biologics and Sanofi to collectively fight against the significant emissions generated by the health system.
The CEOs pledged to establish a set of common standards for suppliers to encourage decarbonization efforts in their supply chain, collaborate on renewable energy joint purchase agreements in China and India from next year and to collectively explore the potential for shared “green transport corridors” by 2025. .
They also pledged to switch to renewable energy and explore low-carbon heating solutions by the same date.
In addition to new carbon reduction initiatives, task force members said they will work together to develop an end-to-end emissions standard and tool that measures and tracks emissions throughout the “care pathway”, and publishes the lifespan at product level. cycle assessment data (ACV) to increase transparency on the emissions generated by the treatment of customers. They also aim to establish a common framework for measuring the carbon footprint of clinical trials.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization, applauded the launch of the new initiative, noting that any exceedance of the 1.5°C temperature limit set in the Paris Agreement would have “irreversible impacts” on global health.
“The transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient health systems is essential for every country’s journey towards universal health coverage,” he said. “The commitments announced today demonstrate the power of public-private partnership to bring about positive and lasting change for the health of people and the planet.”
Health systems are on the frontline of the climate crisis, given the impact of rising temperatures, air and water pollution and extreme weather events on health and well-being some people. But the sector is also responsible for up to 5% of global emissions.
Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca and champion of the SMI health systems task force, said the power of collaboration in the health sector has been proven during the pandemic.
“Today we are acting with the same urgency to tackle the climate crisis, with the collective commitments announced by the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Health Systems Task Force setting a benchmark for others to act” , did he declare.
