Bespak, a manufacturer of drug delivery systems, has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable and responsible business by partnering with Tunley Environmental to complete their inaugural Supply Chain Biodiversity Footprint (SCBF) assessment.
Bespak
This collaboration sets a precedent for sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry, showing how science-based methods can uncover and reduce negative ecological impacts buried deep within complex global supply chains.
Why it matters
Biodiversity and healthy ecosystems form the backbone of a stable global environment and global economy. All businesses depend on ecosystem services, which are the natural processes and resources that support life and industry (i.e. clean water, soil, raw materials, etc.). All supply chains rely on these natural systems, whether directly through material extraction or indirectly through supply chain processes. In resource-intensive sectors such as pharmaceuticals, the use of products and procedures often carries hidden environmental impacts. By identifying these overlooked dependencies, Bespak is leading the way for other companies looking to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services as well as bolster operational resilience by adopting this proactive measure.
Biodiversity scientists from Tunley Environmental applied Tunley’s SCBF methodology, which implements Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methods to evaluate biodiversity impact via the species.yr metric, an internationally recognised indicator that estimates potential species extinction attributable to supply chain activities.
Key findings:
- Bespak’s King’s Lynn facility was found to have a biodiversity footprint of 0.2153 species.yr, equivalent to the loss of 1 species every 4 years due to supply chain-related impacts.
- The Holmes Chapel site recorded 0.0777 species.yr, which translates to the loss of one species every thirteen years.
- In both locations, commodities (or materials) such as aluminium and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) were responsible for over 70% of the total biodiversity footprint.
The benefits of this assessment
By understanding where the greatest biodiversity impacts occur, Bespak can take practical steps to reduce these negative impacts. Bespak is committed to making its operations more sustainable and resilient in the long term, and this assessment acts as a guide for indicating biodiversity hotspots within its operations. The findings of the SCBF analyses enable Bespak and other organisations to make tangible changes that benefit nature and align with growing regulatory and investor expectations around Nature Positive strategies. The full report has been detailed in their newly released whitepaper: “The Implementation of Biodiversity Footprinting: Examining Supply Chains”. This result has helped Bespak identify key biodiversity hotspots of negative impact within their supply chain and chart a nature-positive path forward. In response to the findings, it has begun integrating biodiversity mitigation measures into their procurement and operational strategy.
Dr Tara Garraty, senior scientist and biodiversity lead at Tunley Environmental, said: “It’s been a real pleasure collaborating with Bespak on this important project. These assessments help shine a light on the hidden ways supply chains impact nature and give companies the insight they need to take meaningful, lasting action.”
This initiative reinforces Bespak’s role as a sustainability leader within the pharmaceutical supply chain and offers a practical model for how other manufacturers can align their operations with global biodiversity goals. The white paper detailing the methodology and findings is available here.