Pharma Companies Speed Up Supply Chain Decarbonization

Sanofi, UCB as well as Opella have joined AstraZeneca as the latest multinational pharmaceutical companies to become founding members of the Clean Heat Program, an initiative from global sustainability consultancy ERM and supply chain intelligence network Secaro. The program tackles the challenge of reducing industrial emissions by shifting away from fossil fuel-based heating to low-carbon alternatives, assisting businesses to overcome typical barriers such as a lack of expertise, limited supply chain engagement, funding constraints, and the complexity of upgrading heat systems.

As the main suppliers of medicines that protect and promote public health and with the healthcare industry responsible for almost 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more and more companies are recognizing the need to reduce emissions more rapidly.

Sanofi aims to reduce its emissions from scopes 1, 2, and 3 by 90% between 2019 and 2045 as part of its Net Zero target. UCB has committed to reduce absolute scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 90% by 2045 from a 2019 baseline and to neutralize remaining CO2e emissions. Opella is aiming for more than 50% – 58.8% to be exact absolute reduction by 2034 and 90% by 2050, from a 2023 baseline and across scopes 1, 2, and 3. All three companies’ near- and long-term emissions targets have been validated by the Science Based Target initiative – SBTi. AstraZeneca joined as a founding member of the program in December 2025.

Industrial heat is often the most significant driver of operational emissions. The adoption of clean heat technologies is an important step toward decarbonizing energy-intensive manufacturing processes while maintaining the quality, safety, and reliability of pharmaceutical production. The Clean Heat Program offers companies a practical pathway to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors and, rather than leaving companies to their own devices to solve this challenge, mitigates risk by bringing together industry leaders, technical experts, and proven solutions.

As per Giannis Kourousias, Sanofi Global Procurement Head – Environmental Responsibility, “Heat has been one of the most challenging areas across the pharmaceutical value chain on the road to net zero, with high technical barriers, diverse supplier maturity, and complex business cases. By partnering with our peers, we can jointly develop solutions that will unblock suppliers in this critical area by providing deep technical expertise, support focusing on the right things, and facilitating funding options.”

According to Marissa Saretsky, Chief Sustainability Officer, Opella, “Decarbonizing industrial heat is an important challenge to tackle as part of our net zero ambition, and working on this with key partners is a must for developing lasting low-carbon solutions. At Opella, our health strategy recognizes the interconnected health of planet, people, and businesses. By partnering with Secaro, ERM, and our fellow founding members, we are seizing all available opportunities to accelerate progress and help build a more sustainable, resilient healthcare system.”

Secaro also has entered into new agreements to expand its partner network with Schneider Electric and 3Degrees. Schneider Electric’s global consulting practice, SE Advisory Services, offers additional services to suppliers, including energy studies, investment-grade audits, metering gap analysis, and comprehensive energy management systems. 3Degrees, a global provider of climate and renewable energy solutions, has extensive experience in the US and European markets for short- and long-term procurement of renewable natural gas and biomethane.

As per the Head of Global Supply Chain Decarbonization at SE Advisory Services, Dave Rimkus, “Accelerating supply chain decarbonization requires streamlining pathways to implementation of the lower carbon alternatives. Through initiatives like Energize, we have seen how collaboration can create these pathways to increase the uptake of renewable electricity adoption across value chains. We are excited to partner with Secaro and support the Clean Heat Program in bringing the same collaborative, action-oriented approach to one of the next frontiers of decarbonization: industrial heat.”

Says Chief Growth Officer at Secaro, Emily Prior, “Reducing emissions across manufacturing, energy use, and supply chains not only supports climate goals, but it also helps create a more sustainable and resilient healthcare system for future generations. All our members on this program have set aggressive scope 1 targets for their own sites and have ambitious scope 1 targets for their suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint, and the program has been designed to help them achieve this. By decarbonizing heat in their supply chains, our members are also driving operational efficiencies, reducing reliance on volatile fossil fuel prices and preparing for future regulation. We look forward to working with Sanofi, UCB, and Opella, and to welcoming businesses across other sectors.”

According to Partner, Sustainable Products & Supply Chain at ERM, Jon Hughes, “Achieving climate targets requires organizations to look beyond their operations and address emissions across their value chains. For many manufacturers, decarbonizing industrial heat represents one of the largest and most technically complex opportunities to reduce emissions. By bringing together leading companies, experienced technical specialists, funding options, and proven clean heat solutions, the Clean Heat Program helps organizations overcome barriers to adoption and deliver measurable emissions reductions throughout their supply chains. The growing participation from leading pharmaceutical companies demonstrates the industry’s commitment to turning net zero ambitions into action.”