We are committed to reducing carbon emissions across our entire value chain.
Raw materials
Working with suppliers
We know that the impact of producing our products and medicines is much broader than what we do in our own operations. Around 48% of our carbon footprint comes from our supply chain, so working with our suppliers to help them reduce their carbon emissions is critical to achieving our carbon goals. That is why we are working closely with them to help look at ways we can reduce our collective environmental impact.
Operations
Reducing energy use, and the carbon emissions associated with the energy that we purchase is an important focus of our program to cut environmental impacts.
Green chemistry
We apply the principles of green chemistry when producing many of our medicines to help us reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals from the drug development and discovery process. Our Green Chemistry Performance Unit (CPU), established in 2021, researches ways to replace hazardous or unsustainable chemicals with lower-impact alternatives.
Logistics
We are partnering with our logistics providers to reduce emissions from the transportation of our products, which account for around 4% of our carbon footprint.
Product use
Like so many companies across so many sectors, the most challenging area of our carbon footprint is in usage – whether by consumer or patient.
Disposal
We are keen to increase the recycling of our products and to support the driving of positive behaviour change among patients and consumers.
The biggest carbon impact from customer disposal of our products comes from inhalers because there is often a small amount of propellant (greenhouse gases) left in them after use. Since 2021, we have encouraged UK patients to return more than 2 million used inhalers to pharmacies where they are sent back to us to be recycled through our Complete the Cycle scheme.