Despite the fact that sustainable development is still a loosely defined idea, it is a major endeavour for multinational corporations. The world pressingly needs to find a more sustainable development route. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which are part of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, provide a framework for collaborative action to protect our future [8]. Biotechnology makes use of live organisms and their derivatives to create a wide range of useful goods [4]. As a result, it is well-positioned to replace polluting processes with more environmentally friendly biological alternatives. This article looks at biotech platforms with a key focus on AstraZeneca, as well as how science and technology can help us live a more sustainable life [7].
WHAT DOES SUSTAINABILITY MEAN FOR THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY?
Several pharmaceutical businesses have pushed sustainability in their products by creating internal goals and promising to hold themselves responsible for green goals.[7] The focus has been on developing techniques to reduce the use of non-renewable resources, give time for substitutes to be developed, and avoid depleting renewable resources faster than they can be supplied.[5] Over 28% of the pharmaceutical industry has signed on to the UN's Race to Zero pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.[7] From an economic point of view, combining climate goals with government laws that examine medicine and product proposals will benefit companies' approval rates. Stock liquidity has improved as a result of strong corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programmes. Further, institutions have been heavily investing in companies that highlight their capacity to function in a sustainable manner.[8] Hence, communicating the purpose and taking action to reduce emissions can help to shift public perception and demonstrate an organization's commitment to addressing global challenges. [7]
UPCOMING BIOTECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
When faced with rising demand from stakeholders, corporations have made commitments to sustainability that go beyond GHG emissions. Avantium is cooperating with multinational firms like Coca-Cola and Danone to develop sustainable bottles, as well as researching ways to generate recyclable bioplastics from agricultural waste in Amsterdam.[2] Futerro, Synbra, Corbion and Purac are also creating bioplastics.[3] AMSilk in Germany is collaborating with Adidas to develop a waste-free biodegradable running shoe. Meanwhile, Global Bioenergies is collaborating with Audi to create gasoline from sustainable sources including wood chips and wheat straw. Clariant is exploring methods for turning agricultural waste into biodiesel. Other firms, such as Solaga and AlgaEnergy are looking at using algae to produce fuels from natural light and CO2.[3] In the UK, Colorifix is making sustainable textile dyes and Aphea.Bio is developing microorganisms to fix nitrogen for crops like soy and peas instead of using chemical nitrogen fertilisers. Biohm, a London-based business, is investigating the use of mushrooms to create construction materials from biological waste. Furthermore, Green Basilisk aims to extend the life of the concrete by inserting microorganisms that heal the material when it is damaged and Biomason is using bacteria to manufacture low-carbon cement tiles.[3] In 2020, firms developing meat replacements received a threefold increase in financing, and Singapore became the first jurisdiction to allow the marketing of Eat Just's cultured beef product. As a result, Higher Steaks in the United Kingdom is producing pork and Finless Foods is cultivating fish cells.[3]
ASTRAZENECA’S CONTRIBUTION TO UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs) 2021
AstraZeneca is a multinational pharmaceutical company. The Sustainability Advisory Board uses over 35 performance criteria monitored quarterly in the internal corporate scorecard as part of its sustainability strategy, which involves the integration of nine members to govern sustainability.[1] Through Patient Assistance Programs, over 199,000 healthcare workers have been educated to help ten million patients gain access to long-term healthcare solutions. It described its progress and challenges from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021 in its sixth annual sustainability report. AstraZeneca believes that sustainability means maximising the company's capabilities to have the greatest impact on global healthcare. The idea that people's health, the environment, and the company's business are all interconnected, and one has an impact on the others, underpins this theory, as encapsulated by the figure above.
AN OVERVIEW OF ASTRAZENECA'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE SDGS AND ITS IMPACT IN 2021[6]
SDG 3 Good health and wellbeing[6]
• The Healthy Heart Africa and Healthy Lung programmes activated 3,599 health facilities.
• Its Young Health Programme disseminates information on preventing premature death to 30 countries.
• Since 2015, there has been a 40% decline in the number of people killed or injured in road traffic accidents around the world.
• Patient Access Programs trained more than 124,000 healthcare providers and reached 11 million people. Healthcare programmes have reached almost 31 million people.
SDG 5 Gender equality[6]
• Women hold 48.1 per cent of senior positions and 38.5 per cent of the Board of Directors, ensuring full and effective involvement and equal opportunity for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life.
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation[6]
• There was a 17 per cent reduction in water use to significantly boost water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawal and supply of freshwater to solve water scarcity.
• By 2021, 100 per cent of API discharges from AstraZeneca facilities and 91 per cent of direct suppliers will have been proven to be safe, lowering pollution, eliminating dumping, and decreasing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials.
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy[6]
• By 2030, the global pace of progress in energy efficiency will have doubled, with a 64 per cent rise in energy production.
SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth[6]
• A 68 per cent reduction in reportable injury rate since 2015 to promote safe and secure working environments for all employees.
SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production[6]
• Products have met their defined efficient use of natural resources in 75% of cases.
• Total garbage in 2021 was 28,848 tonnes, down 7% from 30,942 tonnes in 2020, indicating an 8% reduction in total waste creation from 2015 through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse. By selling garbage as a by-product in 2021, it was able to avoid 999 tonnes of waste.
SDG 13 Climate action[6]
• AstraZeneca has cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 59 per cent and boosted Scope 3 emissions by 15 per cent since 2015 by incorporating climate change measures into national policies, plans, and planning.
SDG 15 Life on Land[6]
• In 2020, 3,430,061 trees will be planted, with sustainable sources providing 95 per cent of paper-based product packaging materials.
SDG 17 Partnership for the goals[6]
• AstraZeneca established phase two of the Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience to encourage public-private cooperation.
SUSTAINABILITY IN ACTION
1. ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE
AstraZeneca has partnered with AmoyDx, a diagnostics business, to make genetic testing for ovarian cancer cheaper. The goal is to provide access to testing that detects homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), a cancer biomarker. Patients in Asia, Latin America, Russia, the Middle East, and Africa will be covered by the initiative until they receive HRD testing reimbursement in 2022, with the business covering the cost of testing in more than 20 countries around the world. As a result, there was a 27 per cent rise in tests and a 65 per cent reduction in HRD testing costs. The project aims to facilitate, promote, and assist in the creation of low-cost HRD labs that will enable accurate diagnosis and treatment of women.[9]
2. ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION: AMBITION ZERO CARBON
To prevent the impacts of climate change while improving patient-centric healthcare in a low-carbon economy, AstraZeneca sought to achieve absolute reductions in all direct and indirect sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Scopes 1, 2 and 3, across their value chain. Scopes 1 and 2 are responsible for emissions from the company's own operations, which are divided into four categories: fleet, heat, electricity, and F-gases.[6]
Several milestones have been accomplished in Scopes 1 and 2. Since 2015, $ 130 million has been invested in natural resource efficiency projects, resulting in a 59 per cent reduction in GHG emissions; 100 per cent of imported renewable electricity has been imported globally, and an agreement has been signed with Future Biogas for renewable heat in the United Kingdom.[6] Purchased goods and services, capital goods, upstream and downstream transportation and distribution, waste created in operations, business travel and employee commuting, leased assets, and use of sold products and their end-of-life treatment are all covered by Scope 3. Scope 3 has accomplished the following milestones: Science-Based Targets (SBTs) verified Scopes 1, 2, 3 and Net Zero targets; launched the Energize programme; launched the Product Sustainability Index; Honeywell Partnership announced low GWP propellants; and 7% of suppliers have SBTs.[6]
3. ETHICS AND TRANSPARENCY
AstraZeneca recognized that there is a lack of public trust in large corporations, including pharmaceutical companies, which can hinder its capacity to operate, innovate, and provide healthcare solutions to more people. As a result, by adopting three primary focus areas: ethical corporate culture, inclusion, diversity, worker safety and health, there exists optimized ethical, transparent, and inclusive policies and practices, both within the company and across its partners and suppliers.[6] The following are the steps it has taken to achieve these objectives and the effects it has had:
The human rights survey is conducted every two years, and by 2021, all current employees were promised to receive training on the Code of Ethics.
Programs have been initiated in Australia, New Zealand, Poland, and six other nations.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index gave a perfect score of 100, and AstraZeneca was named one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality in 2021.
The highest-ranking pharmaceutical business in terms of female representation on the Executive Committee.
Received a perfect score of 80 per cent on the Disability Equality Index, Best Places to Work.
CONCLUSION
As the biotech community takes a lead in publicizing the activities to achieve these goals, the public presentation of sustainability is consistent with larger industrial trends toward environmental sustainability. The social and equity components of sustainability receive minimal attention. Despite AstraZeneca's impressive achievements, there is a significant lack of sustainability adoption across industries. The company was able to extinguish itself thanks to a carefully regulated progress track, offering a fantastic example of biotechnology sustainability. As industries scramble to adapt to new challenges and put policies and measures in place, 2023 promises to be another pivotal year as the pharmaceutical sector continues to lead the way in ensuring a sustainable future for all by challenging itself to make an even greater impact.
REFERENCES
[1] Sustainability at AstraZeneca. Available from: https://www.astrazeneca.com/sustainability.html
[2] Biomaterials third wave McKinsey. Available from: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/chemicals/our-insights/the-third-wave-of-biomaterials-when-innovation-meets-demand#
[3] Fernández CR. Ten Ways Biotechnology Makes the World More Sustainable. Labiotech.eu. 2021. Available from: https://www.labiotech.eu/best-biotech/sustainable-biotechnology/
[4] Ep. 58: Biotechnology and Sustainability. Sustainability Define. Available from: https://sustainabilitydefined.com/biotechnology
[5] How can the life science industry be more environmentally friendly? Available from: https://seclifesciences.com/blog/2021/11/how-can-the-life-science-industry-be-more-environmentally-friendly?source=google.com
[6] AstraZeneca (2021) 2021 Annual Sustainability Report. Available at: https://www.astrazeneca.com/content/dam/az/Sustainability/2022/pdf/Sustainability_Report_2021.pdf
[7] Deloitte (2017) 2030 Purpose Report. Available at: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/About-Deloitte/gx-2030-purpose-report.pdf
[8] Biotechnology Innovation Organisation (2019) ICBA 2019 Sustainable Development Brochure. Available at: https://www.bio.org/sites/default/files/2019-11/ICBA%202019_SDG%20Brochure_Final.pdf
[9] AmoyDx Collaborates with AstraZeneca to Co-develop HRD Companion Diagnostics for Ovarian Cancer_Amoydx [Internet]. [cited 2022 Jun 6]. Available from: http://www.amoydiagnostics.com/newDetail/78
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