Reducing emissions

We are committed to net-zero

We have set near- and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi): we are committed to reduce absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 90% by 2045 on a 2019 baseline, and neutralize remaining CO2e emissions.

To do so, we simultaneously work on different axes to:

reduce the impact of our existing footprint
limit the emissions coming from new projects through a green-by-design approach
advocate for change management
contribute to global neutrality beyond our value chain.

Watch this video to learn more about our climate targets and how we plan to achieve net-zero

1. We reduce the existing impacts from all parts of our footprint (Scope 1, 2 and 3)

Energy efficiency. We make our operations more energy efficient. For example, an important part of our energy consumption at our sites is attributable to the HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning), which is subject to a comprehensive optimization program that also considers the pharmaceutical requirements.

Renewable energy. We increase the use of energy generated from renewable sources, whether it is produced at UCB sites or purchased. For example, we continue substituting natural gas with biogas produced from wastes and expanding power purchase agreement.

Sustainable mobility. We aim to transition our entire company fleet to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030. We acknowledge the challenges to achieving this goal, including varying electrification maturity in the countries where we operate, limited charging infrastructure, and EV manufacturing constraints. Despite these challenges, we remain committed to reducing our environmental impact and continue to evaluate solutions to offer sustainable mobility options where they positively impact the health of the planet.

Lower-carbon transport. Whenever possible, we shift transport for both our raw materials and finished goods from air freight to sea freight.

2. We build green-by-design in our facilities and assets

Sustainable building materials. BREEAM 'Excellent' certification in Europe and LEED 'gold' in other markets are our standards for the construction, major refurbishment or purchase of buildings to be occupied by our staff.

Product sustainability. We have deployed the Green Product Scorecard, a holistic eco-designing approach that scores our medicines’ environmental performance based on a lifecycle analysis (LCA) and builds a clear roadmap to reduce the environmental footprint of each medicine.

The scope of analysis is from cradle to grave: from the carbon footprint and water impact of raw materials (for drug substance, drug product, packaging, device), to the manufacturing and distribution, until end-of-life (the treatment of packaging and device waste after use of the medicine). Through this approach, we work across different segments of our medicines’ lifecycle, including digital marketing, sustainable partnerships, and ecodesigning packaging, distribution flows, means of transportation, and manufacturing processes to name a few.

3. We advocate for change by working both on internal and external fronts

Internal behavior change. We mobilize behavior change among our leaders and employees, from recruitment and onboarding of new hires to internal awareness campaigns about environmental footprint and carbon emissions - particularly emphasizing the impact of commuting and business travel.

Employee engagement. We build awareness among employees and encourage their commitment to informed and impactful actions through a strong network of ambassadors, champions and regional representatives. This network drives our environmental roadmap while embedding change management practices within the company.

Sustainability initiatives. We ensure sustainability initiatives are effectively adopted by promoting activities and learning sessions throughout the year, highlighted by events such as our annual Sustainability Week and regional awareness weeks. We also reduce our digital footprint with our yearly ‘green clean-up week’, which shares IT sustainability tips & tricks. In addition, we engage employees with external programs, such as the climate collage for team building exercises and implement My Green Lab certification in our laboratories.

Supplier engagement. We integrate two distinct but complementary mechanisms into our supplier management activities: climate change mitigation and resilience.

Graph showing the "Carbon Maturity" of a supplier

The indirect impact of our goods and services suppliers represents a significant part of our CO2e emissions. We are requesting contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) and other partners to define ambitious climate targets, aiming for 80% of supplier-generated emissions to be covered by SBTi-aligned goals by 2028. To support this, we have developed an internal methodology to measure the ‘Carbon Maturity’ of a supplier along a scale to understand where they are in their journey towards net-zero.

We have also implemented a climate-related risk assessment to evaluate our suppliers’ resilience to environmental hazards. Our ultimate goal is to ensure supply chain continuity so we can continue providing medicines to patients despite potential impacts of climate change on our suppliers.

Industry collaboration. We actively collaborate across the industry to accelerate value chain decarbonization and reduce overall environmental footprint by:

Engaging and supporting suppliers toward decarbonization through industry initiatives such as the Energize program with Schneider Electric, the Activate program with Secaro, Responsible Health Initiative, Ecovadis, Converge with My Green Lab and Scope 3 Peer Group.

Working to reduce our downstream impact through take-back programs such as returpen, Circularity in Primary Pharmaceutical Packaging Accelerator (CiPPA) and Dastri.

Working with industry coalitions to drive collective action for a more sustainable future. These include The Chancery Lane Project, The Shift, Sustainable Markets Initiative, Pharma Supply Chain Initiative, American Chemical Society Pharmaceutical Roundtable, Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, Innovative Health Initiative and Nature Peer Group.

We believe transparency and public disclosure are essential to creating lasting change. We have signed onto leading environmental frameworks including the UN Global Compact, SBTi and CDP. We have also committed to aligning with the Task Force on Climate related Financial Disclosure (TCFD), an initiative created by the Financial Stability Board.

4. We contribute to global neutrality beyond our value chain:

External partnerships. To help achieve global neutrality beyond our value chain and generate other co-benefits (such as biodiversity, natural resource preservation, and support for local communities), we partner with CO2logic and  WeForest on dedicated programs.

We also continuously monitoring SBTi guidelines and align with them as soon as they are available, ensuring our contribution to ‘neutralization’ follows the latest scientific recommendations.

We will also keep monitoring SBTi guidelines and follow them as soon as made available, to ensure we’ll contribute to ‘neutralization’ according to latest scientific recommendations.