SPOTLIGHT u Sustainability
Sustainable solutions: It’s time to decarbonise the life science industry
By Chris Collins, Country President Ireland at Schneider Electric T
he Irish life sciences sector is something of an economic jewel in the crown. Despite several recessions, it has
continued to thrive while driving foreign direct investment and winning a well-deserved international recognition. This booming sector has presented Ireland with new opportunities and an incontestable job market. While it is certainly true that the sector is an
important driver for the Irish economy, business success can no longer be down to just profit. Sustainability has quickly become a business imperative. Yet, the life sciences industry in Ireland has a considerable carbon footprint and with the country already struggling to meet its global carbon targets, steps need to be taken. It’s time for Ireland to ensure the sector is becoming greener and more sustainable. So, how can this be achieved?
WHY IS IT CRITICAL FOR LIFE SCIENCES TO DECARBONISE? The life sciences industry has come under mounting pressure to meet the increasing demands of their customers and partners while ensuring the affordability and accessibility of medicines for all. Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has accelerated this demand exponentially and drug manufacturers have quickly realised the importance of being prepared for the unexpected. To do this, companies must accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies to address unprecedented situations and bring transformational changes to the way the lifecycle of medicinal products are managed. The challenge doesn’t stop here, however. Right now, all eyes are on the biggest crisis of our generation – climate change. It’s imperative that every industry, including life sciences, is working together to combat this. It is commonly known that the industry is not the most sustainable. The widespread use of single-use plastic, environmentally unfriendly chemicals, and high energy-consuming equipment are certainly not benefiting our environment. It is no longer necessary to use these harmful methods, and the industry should look towards alternative solutions to decarbonise. After all, the life sciences are no strangers to driving meaningful behaviour and technology changes to address the climate crisis. For example, following UN 2016 Paris Agreement
12 September 2021 Irish Manufacturing
and Montreal Protocols, AstraZeneca shared their Ambition Zero Carbon Strategy. But a commitment to go green must go beyond this; the industry must change from the inside out.
COMBATTING THREATS TO SUSTAINABILITY Energy management and sustainability are key business drivers for pharmaceutical companies looking to enhance their brand image and cost management strategies. Therefore, it is imperative they look towards fighting the threats to sustainability and adopt more sustainable and environmental goals to move towards net-zero. With over 65 per cent of electrical energy being consumed by power facilities, the efficiency of energy consumption is one of the highest risks impacting the cost of production. The industry must make it a priority to adjust their production processes and supply chains, and integrate an energy management system – this is not only good for the environment, but it will save costs and enhance value.
The pharmaceuticals and life sciences
industry also continues to emit massive quantities of greenhouse gas emissions. It is these pharmaceutical value chains committed to reducing carbon emissions and footprints that will be the greatest assets to securing a carbon- neutral future. Further to this, as an industry, pharmaceuticals can often result in copious amount of landfill waste. Landfills, notoriously, cause environmental harm by releasing methane and contributing to the contamination of water supplies.
Subsequently, this would lead to ineffectively managed water supplies which can result in major reputational, environmental, and economic impacts – a lose-lose situation.z So, how can they combat these challenges and achieve a successful sustainability strategy?
TECHNOLOGY AS AN ENABLER The life sciences industry needs to tap into the use of technology and innovation to gain the insights to become more energy efficient. Digitalisation will provide the ability to unite
real-time data from previously siloed sources and provide a contextualised summary that will help the pharmaceutical companies drive business decisions. With a 360 view of their business processes, businesses will be able to see which areas are in need of improvement. In turn, they will be able to boost sustainable performance and ease regulatory compliance. Using technology will help companies to
compare and benchmark their business’s sustainability performance to identify energy efficiency opportunities. This will provide businesses with a single source of information for projects to drive energy reduction and reach global environmental goals. It is important that life sciences and pharmaceutical companies take the lead and encourage their customers to also make a positive step towards improving the environment and society in which we live in.
Schneider Electric
www.se.com/uk
www.irish-manufacturing.com
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