Healing the planet: Sustainability in pharma
From the increased frequency of natural disasters, to shifting disease patterns and food shortages, climate change places a growing burden on health systems which is often overlooked.1,2 The impact of climate change on global healthcare is significant, with research identifying clear trends between climate factors and disease. For example, increases in air pollution have been linked to a rise in lung cancer and respiratory illnesses,3 while more frequent extreme weather events are leading to more deaths and illnesses, including increases in food-, water- and vector-borne diseases.2
On the flip side, the healthcare sector also plays a significant role in climate change, contributing to 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.4 Though this could be considered relatively small compared to the impact of other industries, it seems appropriate that the healthcare sector makes every effort to reduce its contributions to slow the feedback loop.
The highest proportion of emissions in global healthcare come from the supply chain, making improvements to manufacturing processes and adoption of renewable sources of heat and energy of primary importance to companies in this sector. Many pharmaceutical companies are adapting their processes and taking action towards more environmentally sustainable practices, with some larger companies working together on collaborative industry initiatives, such as the Health Systems Taskforce: a partnership in which member companies are taking joint action to meet sustainability goals.5 However, this can be much more challenging for smaller companies and agencies. There is a huge admin burden in working towards accreditations such as B-Corp status or EcoVadis, and the accreditations which are recognised or meet requirements can vary greatly across biopharma clients. This can make it particularly challenging for med comms agencies to choose the right accreditation, and can sometimes place pressure on agencies to hold multiple accreditations to meet the needs of multiple clients.6 Although certainly a move in the right direction, some have questioned how robust the measurements and calculations behind these targets are.7 It still feels like there is a long way to go to ensure the targets and accreditations we are aiming for are achievable yet significant enough to make a real difference.
It is also important to understand that emissions are only part of the full picture. Something I hadn’t fully considered until recently is the pharmaceutical industry’s impact on the biodiversity of the planet and why this is so critical. Natural resources play a crucial role in the discovery and development of new drugs, with 80% of medicines being derived from or inspired by plants.8 Every species lost, through development, deforestation or overconsumption, could mean the loss of a future treatment or scientific breakthrough. Additionally, increased commercial interest in a plant can lead to overharvesting and a decline in its natural population, threatening the future of some of our most important species.9 So, it really is in everyone’s best interest, particularly those in the healthcare sector, to preserve the biodiversity of our planet.
As agencies, we should continue to keep environmental sustainability in the dialogue with our clients and encourage its consideration, and focus, where appropriate, in internal and external communications. Industry-wide collaboration is essential to achieve sustainability targets, so we must continue to advocate for sustainable practices in any way we can. The industry must act now to heal our planet and protect our future while we still have time.
References
- World Economic Forum. Quantifying the impact of climate change on human health. Insight report. January 2024. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/publications/quantifying-the-impact-of-climate-change-on-human-health/ [Accessed 8 August 2025].
- World Health Organization. Climate change. October 2023. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health [Accessed 8 August 2025].
- Xu J, Su Z, Liu C et al. Climate change, air pollution and chronic respiratory diseases: understanding risk factors and the need for adaptive strategies. Environ Health Prev Med. 2025; 30: 7.
- Or Z and Seppӓnen AV. The role of the health sector in tackling climate change: A narrative review. Health Policy. 2024; 143: 105053.
- Big pharma pulls together to shrink healthcare’s outsized carbon footprint. February 2024. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/big-pharma-pulls-together-shrink-healthcares-outsized-carbon-footprint-2024-02-14/ [Accessed 8 August 2025].
- Going green: Insights on the move towards Environmental Sustainability from BioPharma Communications and Agency leaders. November 2024. Available at: https://the-hca.org/hca/media/members-only/Going-Green-111124.pdf [Accessed 8 August 2025].
- Pharma Times. World class? Why our approach to sustainability must lead the way. November 2024. Available at: https://pharmatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PharmaTimes-November24_Digital.pdf [Accessed 8 August 2025].
- Nature Positive. The pharmaceutical industry has been at the forefront of medical advancements over the past century. Available at: https://naturepositive.com/news/natures-medicine-the-link-between-the-pharmaceutical-industry-and-biodiversity/ [Accessed 8 August 2025].
- Theodoridis S, Drakou EG, Hickler T et al. Evaluating natural medicinal resources and their exposure to global change. Lancet Planet Health. 2023; 7: e155–e163.
