This is characterized by record temperatures in the summer of 2022, climate migration or floating flood-proof quarters Starting point of the 28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conferencethe Conference of the Parties or COP, which will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 30 to December 12 this year.
The COP can take credit for a number of things in the fight against climate change, such as the 1997 Kyoto Protocol or the 2015 Paris Agreement, and presents this edition as an “opportunity”. Try again to translate the objectives set in the French capital in 2015 into strict commitments. According to the UN Panel of Climate Experts (IPCC), the challenge is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees to avoid irreparable consequences.
To this end, the United Nations hopes to make progress in areas such as financing adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development; Climate justice, financial and technical support for countries suffering from climate damage, and a reliable supply of clean, affordable energy.
The pharmaceutical and healthcare industry is raising its voice at COP28. On this occasion, the sector is focusing on mitigating the effects of climate change and the impact that this circumstance has on the emergence of infectious diseases.
The goal of major pharmaceutical companies and international and governmental organizations is to expand the focus on human health, both individual and collective, in global debates. In fact, Tedros Adhanom himself, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), has recently pointed out that “prioritizing health is not just a choice, but the foundation of resilient societies,” adding: “We must change.” Take am Join the conversation and demonstrate the enormous benefits of bolder climate action for our health and well-being.”
It is the WHO itself that warns that the climate crisis is contributing to the increasing spread of noncommunicable and infectious diseases. According to the organization led by Adhanom, an estimated seven million people die each year due to air pollution alone. To underline this: the healthcare sector is responsible for around 5% of total greenhouse gas emissions, twice as much as aviation emissions, for example. In addition, climate change is also responsible for the increase in diseases such as cholera and dengue fever.
The impact on the pharmaceutical sector
More than 50% of healthcare sector emissions arise in manufacturing supply chains, and the energy these chains consume accounts for approximately 25% of total industry emissions.
The healthcare sector is responsible for around 5% of total greenhouse gas emissions
To reduce environmental impact and mitigate the climate crisis, The global pharmaceutical industry is working towards greater decarbonization of healthcare. To this end, some multinational companies in the sector are entering into negotiations with energy suppliers from China and India to increase renewable energy in the supply chain.
The Asian giant and India are key markets for the production of pharmaceutical products and are estimated to represent around 50% of the raw materials used in the production of medicines, according to the European Chemical Industry Council.
AstraZeneca, through its CEO Pascal Soriot, is calling for the development, manufacturing and supply of medicines to be decarbonized and to work together to promote sustainable change.
“We must rethink healthcare and build resilient healthcare systems that are more equitable and transition to net-zero emissions; No company, government or organization can do it alone; We need to work together at a certain pace and scale,” says AstraZeneca.
More specifically, the Anglo-Saxon pharmaceutical company has a program called Ambition Zero Carbon, which concerns this decarbonization in the value chain. The company hopes to reduce emissions from its operations and global fleets by 98% by 2026. The group is also working to reduce the carbon footprint of its respiratory inhalers.
GSK hopes to reduce its carbon emissions by 80% by 2030
Another example is GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The company, led by Emma Walmsley, its CEO, aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 80% by 2030 and 90% by 2045. The British pharmaceutical company assures that it will invest £1 billion between 2020 and 2030 to achieve its sustainability goals.
Recently, GSK has announced that it will begin Phase III testing of a low-carbon version of its metered dose inhaler. (MDI), Ventolin (salbutamol), using a new propellant. Dosing of the first patients is planned for the first half of 2024. If successful, applications for approval will begin in 2025.