Building A Sustainable Future for the Biopharma Industry

Written by: Maria Elena Gasperini, Director of Sustainability Life Sciences, Jacobs.

As part of the global effort to address climate change, the biopharma industry is committed to decarbonising its operations and making manufacturing more sustainable. To support this seismic shift, biopharma companies are working closely with solutions providers to incorporate sustainability practices into their operations and construction projects.

Implementing these changes will lead to reduced emissions and the decarbonisation of entire value chains. The companies whose sustainability practices are the most effective will enjoy a competitive advantage and deliver the most meaningful, positive societal impact.

Reducing Scope 1 & Scope 2

Proactively reducing in-house (Scope 1) emissions means that pharma companies are taking the first vital steps on a sustainable path. This ensures their long-term marketplace viability and meets the requirement that large-scale investments achieve net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions. More broadly, it is in response to consumer and other stakeholder expectations around corporate environmental responsibility.

Natural gas combustion for steam generation is a major contributor to Scope 1 emissions in many industries, including the biopharma sector. One of the most effective strategies to cut Scope 1 emissions is by reducing demand for steam-maximising heat recovery, and instead prioritising lower-temperature hot water and solutions that use electricity (eg, electric boilers and electric humidifiers).

Biopharma companies with high energy demands also have a significant opportunity to reduce Scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions from purchased electricity) and gain cost savings simultaneously.

As is the case with direct emissions, maximising heating recovery, avoiding waste and the use of efficient equipment are crucial. To cut these emissions, biopharma companies are also investing in solar panels to produce electricity on-site at their facilities and campuses. For their remaining electricity requirements, they are pivoting to 100% renewable sources such as solar, wind or hydro power to cut their Scope 2 emissions.

The Scope 3 Challenge

However, biopharma organisations face a more considerable challenge when it comes to reducing indirect (Scope 3) emissions, also known as value chain emissions, that occur outside a company's direct operations but are still associated with its activities.

Scope 3 can comprise up to 90% of total emissions related to a biopharma company and its output and they arise throughout the entire life cycle of a product, from the acquisition of raw materials to the disposal of the product at the end of its life.

Scope 3 includes emissions related to the supply chain before a company receives a product or service (upstream) and emissions after a company sells their product (downstream). The upstream group includes emissions from raw material extraction and processing, the purchased goods and services and the transportation and distribution of purchased materials to the company.

Meanwhile, the downstream group includes the use of the sold products or services by the customer, the transportation and distribution of the products to customers and the end-of-life treatment of the product, such as recycling or disposal. Working in partnership with biopharma clients, solutions providers are reducing Scope 3 emissions by identifying the biggest sources and making informed decisions about sourcing materials. 

Solutions providers can help biopharma companies map their entire supply chain to pinpoint the biggest emitters. This could involve raw material extraction, manufacturing processes of suppliers and transportation logistics. Tools like life cycle assessments (LCA) can quantify the environmental impact at each stage.

A key challenge facing solution providers is around the availability of the data - and often they must rely on estimated data from suppliers and customers.  AI can provide an alternative, innovative methodology to support calculating and understanding these indirect emissions through data gathering and analysis and in processing unstructured data, which results in more accurate estimates of the emissions factors.

Eco-design is another innovative approach that supports the reduction in Scope 3 emissions. It’s about designing products with a focus on reducing their environmental footprint. This could involve minimising packaging materials, optimising production processes to reduce waste, or designing products for easier disassembly and recycling.

Water Stewardship & Waste Management

The journey to net zero goes beyond emissions reductions – effective water stewardship and waste management are also key to ensuring that biopharma facilities operate in a more sustainable manner. With manufacturing processes typically consuming 95% of overall water use in a pharma facility, the need to optimise water use is no longer a best practice option but a necessity for biopharma companies.

Environmental regulations also compel biopharma companies to reduce water usage. Against this backdrop, biopharma companies also face a broader ethical and economic dilemma as they seek to balance their production needs with responsible resource management - particularly in countries and regions where water is a scarce commodity.

In response, innovative water conservation strategies demonstrate a proactive approach towards compliance and ensuring adequate water supply. They also reduce dependence on fluctuating external water sources and increase operational resilience during times of drought or water shortages.

To achieve this objective, biopharma companies need to change and challenge how they operate their facilities. For example, reducing the quality of water that is used in production or changing the cleaning equipment procedures.  

Like water conservation, the biopharma industry is also focused on reducing waste generation and exploring recycling / upcycling opportunities for waste materials. This is an especially important consideration as pharmaceutical waste is complex and requires specialised treatment and disposal methods.

An added challenge for biopharma companies lies in the fact that many single-use plastic items used in the manufacturing and packaging - such as blister packs for medications; IV bags and tubing; single-use syringes and vials and protective gear for personnel - are not designed to be recycled.

Additionally, the complex nature of some pharmaceutical plastics, often involving multiple materials or residues of medications, makes them incompatible with standard recycling processes. In response, solutions providers are supporting pharma companies to work collaboratively with their supply chain to redesign packaging using new materials (e.g. bio-based plastics) or using ‘natural’ materials that can be easily recycled.

Conclusion

The biopharma industry is committed to making its manufacturing operations more sustainable and transitioning to a decarbonised future.The reduction of Scope 1 and 2 emissions is an important first step on the journey to net zero.

While cutting Scope 3 can be more challenging, solutions providers are working in partnership with biopharma companies to map the entire value chain. By identifying the largest emitters and deploying innovative, design and AI-led approaches, it is also possible to reduce the Scope 3 footprint. In parallel, there is a need for effective water conservation and waste management strategies that reduce usage and support effective recycling and upcycling.

The journey to net zero is not without its challenges. However, a commitment to sustainability bolsters a company’s reputation and boosts public trust levels, while resonating with employees and plays a role in attracting highly skilled talent. These factors all contribute to a more resilient, adaptable and prepared organisation that is primed to thrive in a changing world.