Every day, we push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines. By embedding sustainability into everything we do – from the lab to the patient – we are committed to playing our part to deliver better healthcare outcomes with a lower environmental footprint, and creating positive societal impact, helping more people live healthier, better lives. This is Sustainable science.
Learn more about our approach to Sustainable science
Fostering a sustainability mindset
Whether in research and development, clinical innovation, manufacturing, or the treatment and delivery of healthcare, we encourage our employees and partners to adopt a sustainability mindset that embraces our core values.
We are creating a culture where colleagues bring a sustainability-focused mindset to everything they do. This ensures that our actions today not only uphold the highest standards but also pave the way for a sustainable legacy for future generations.
Sustainable science across the pharmaceutical value chain
Across our value chain, we are harnessing the power of sustainable science. By reducing our environmental impact, working inclusively, openly and ethically, and applying our science to drive equitable access.
R&D: We’re focused on turning science into medicine, ensuring great science born in the lab can make a real difference to people’s lives. We’re doing this sustainably through our collaboration with My Green Lab and the “Switch Off Optimisation” programme, reducing the impact of our lab operations by engaging scientists across the organisation from lab-based colleagues in R&D to our operational colleagues across quality control. We’re also building state-of-the-art research and development facilities such as The Discovery Centre (DISC) in a way that is respectful of our planet.
Clinical trials: We’re committed to designing clinical programmes with equity at the forefront – from idea inception to patient care. Our approach includes increasing the diversity of clinical trial participants so trials better reflect the patients who may use our medicines, which ensures we have a robust and reliable body of evidence.
Manufacturing: Our commitment to sustainable operations recognises the interconnection between business growth, the needs of society and the limitations of our planet. We’re innovating to optimise the efficiency of our manufacturing processes and develop new sources of renewable energy. In line with our science-based decarbonisation strategy, Ambition Zero Carbon, our sites are reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions to enable us to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 98% by 2026. Through our “Positive Sourcing Programme” we promote ethical behaviour among our suppliers and with the introduction of electronic product information (ePI) we can improve access to materials for patients and reduce our environmental footprint.
Patient care pathways: Everyone should have access to sustainable healthcare, no matter who they are or where they live. This is critical across the patient care pathway – from prevention, early detection and diagnosis to the effective treatment of disease. We’re working to improve equitable access and reduce the environmental footprint of care, for example by using the latest digital technologies for early screening as well as collaborating to decarbonise patient care pathways.
Pioneering new approaches to sustainable science through partnership
We know that we need to work together to build resilient, equitable and net zero health systems. However innovative our own approach to sustainable science, working collaboratively with others is key to driving impact at pace and at scale.
That is why we’re partnering across and beyond the healthcare sector, to accelerate the delivery of net zero, resilient health systems. Key initiatives where we play a leadership role include the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) Health Systems Task Force, championed by our CEO Pascal Soriot and the Partnership for Heath System Sustainability and Resilience.
By taking a science-led, collaborative approach to lower the environmental and economic burden of healthcare, we can build more sustainable, resilient health systems – for people, society and the planet.
