Alliance to Zero Founded for ‘Green’ Pharma Supply Chain Initiative

Eight companies representing the pharmaceutical supply chain for pharma products have founded the Alliance to Zero, a non-profit membership association for pharma and biotech supply chain companies that aims to facilitate the transition of the pharma sector to compliance with net-zero emissions in line with the goal of the Paris Climate Agreement.

The founders share the view that there is an urgent need to collaborate across the pharmaceutical supply chain and while there is much discussion in the pharma community today about sustainability and climate impact, substantial change among supply chain partners and manufacturers is not happening fast enough to reduce the emissions footprint. This is what the Alliance to Zero is committed to changing.

In order to develop solutions that will have broad acceptance and a true positive impact on the pharmaceutical industry, the alliance recognizes the need for deep and proactive collaboration across traditional company boundaries. The founding companies of the alliance represent key parts of the pharma supply chain, including component suppliers, machine suppliers and assembly/manufacturing service providers, as well as those involved in primary and secondary packaging to final device assembly and even collection after use.

“The formation of this alliance is the first step in a challenging but urgent journey that our member organizations have committed themselves to,” said Sebastian Gerner, president of the Alliance to Zero. “Enabling the launch of net-zero pharmaceutical products in regulated markets will require companies like ours to transform our operations, products, services, logistics, innovations and investments. Our combined effort and our shared responsibility to ensure a real and lasting change is at the heart of the Alliance’s mission.”

The alliance has begun development of a roadmap describing what a net-zero emission concept for pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chain would look like and the steps necessary to achieve it. This foundational work also includes agreement on harmonized language and principles for the assessment and control of the total emission footprint for the final pharmaceutical products, as well as the company-specific responsibilities.

The Alliance to Zero intends to involve, connect and coordinate suppliers, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers and service providers along the supply chain and engage with academia and non-profit organizations with similar aims.