GSK goes green: pharma giant commits to fixing health of the planet

DRUG-maker GlaxoSmithKline today launched ambitious new green goals and a commitment to have a “net positive” impact on the planet by 2030.

The London-based pharmaceuticals giant, which employs just under 100,000 people in 90 countries, will equip all sales staff with electric vehicles, use 100% renewable energy at all sites and commit to zero waste across its complex supply chain.

Single-use plastics will be eliminated, except for those critical to product development, health and safety, and regulatory requirements.

It will insist paper packaging, palm oil derivatives, soy and animal-derived products are all sourced in a sustainable way across the supply chain.

One example is a move to encourage asthma sufferers to switch to lower-carbon inhalers where medically possible. The NICE watchdog revealed last year that each 100-dose inhaler emits the same amount of green gas as a 180-mile car journey.

International business travel will be permitted “where necessary” with a greater focus on video conferencing and virtual ways of working, a move accelerated by the pandemic.

The FTSE100-listed company was among the first pharmaceutical companies to set ambitious environmental targets in 2010 and has since cut carbon emissions by 34%, waste to landfill by 78% and total water use by a third.  

It said that where it cannot reduce its impact on the environment any further, it will invest in restoration projects that it can "put back into nature more than the company takes out".

Emma Walmsley, chief executive officer, said: “Meeting these goals will require working closely with others, including our suppliers, customers, consumers and patients, and we are grateful for their support.

“As a global healthcare company, we want to play our full part in protecting and restoring the planet’s health.”