Sanofi supporting vulnerable communities as part of commitment to social impact and fight against climate change
Sanofi supporting vulnerable communities as part of commitment to social impact and fight against climate change
Paris, September 19, 2023 – As global leaders gather at the United Nations’ 78th General Assembly, Sanofi is delivering vital support to communities beset by climate turbulence and by unmet medical needs. These critical initiatives come as the global healthcare company confirms its commitment to positively impact society by tackling climate change and its consequences for human health.
Ramping up adaptation efforts and initiatives to address the impact of climate change on the health of vulnerable communities becomes increasingly critical. Through Foundation S, Sanofi’s philanthropic organization, the company is strengthening locally led adaptation and health resilience programs for vulnerable communities impacted by climate change. Foundation S is today pledging nearly EUR 40 million through 2030 to support these efforts.
Paul Hudson
Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi
“Since 2015 and COP21, where Sanofi was the first and only pharmaceutical company discussing climate change and its impact on human health, we have been making strides to reduce the emissions of our supply chain and minimize the impact our products have on the environment. As we build our road to carbon neutrality by 2030, we also want to help address the broader impacts of climate change on the health of populations by teaming up with all stakeholders. By working with governments, health professionals, patient groups, regulators we can accelerate the decarbonization of healthcare systems, and by expanding our investments in the development of adaptation solutions for climate vulnerable communities. All our company commitments are rooted in concrete, transparent actions and driven by the greater sense of responsibility of playing our part in the global adaptation and fight against climate change.”
Sanofi starts in its own ‘climate’ backyard
In line with its objective to get to carbon neutrality by 2030, Sanofi is advancing a holistic, company-wide ambition to minimize the environmental impact of its products and activities, across its value chain, while strengthening resilience to environmental changes. To support its strategy, Sanofi plans to invest over EUR 450 million through 2030. These investments notably support company programs on energy efficiency and decarbonization of energy supplies, as well as resource circularity - reduce, reuse, recycle and recover - and reduction of natural resource extraction for water for instance.
Committed to the United Nation’s Race to Zero initiative, the company is building the road to carbon neutrality across all scopes of emissions by 2030, and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, five years earlier than previous targets. By the end of 2022, greenhouse gas emission had decreased 29% compared to 2019 in scopes 1 & 2 and by 7% in scope 3. In addition, the company has taken an end-to-end approach to reduce the environmental footprint of its products. For example, by 2027, the use of plastic in blister packs for all vaccines will be eliminated. Today, the company is at 33%. Also, 62% of electricity supplied on corporate sites is renewable with a target of 100% by 2030. Sanofi’s latest state-of-the-art facilities, such as its Evolutive Facilities of Neuville-sur-Saône in southern France and in Singapore, both set to open in 2025, are carbon-neutral by design, with zero landfilling and 100% of the waste recycled or recovered.
Several pilot programs have also been conducted to assess how Sanofi’s most innovative products can contribute to reducing emissions along the care pathway. The programs, evaluating medicines and vaccines for RSV, atopic dermatitis, and flu, show that prevention, reduced hospitalizations, decreased outpatient visits and fewer patient consultations have a positive impact on CO2 emissions while improving patients’ health outcome. Additionally, a pilot program on the benefits of utilizing telemedicine for patients with atopic dermatitis showed reduced CO2 emission attributed to less frequent healthcare professionals’ visits while also improving patient comfort and outcomes. Sanofi will continue to implement pilot programs to advance data and understanding of the co-benefits of best-in-class therapies that can improve health outcomes while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Josep Catllà
Head of Corporate Affairs, Sanofi
“Sustainability is at the core of Sanofi’s long-term strategy, and it is ingrained in our mindset and behaviors in everything we do. Whether it’s about accelerating our environmental commitments, improving access to healthcare for vulnerable populations, or building a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace, we’re driven by the ambition to make a sustainable positive impact for our people, our communities and society overall. This is why we are taking the initiative to help communities around the world to work towards the decarbonization of healthcare systems, which today account for more carbon emissions than air transport. By working with local governments and healthcare actors to significantly reduce those emissions, and by continuing our essential work in delivering first- and best-in-class medicines and vaccines, we double our impact to make our planet healthier.”
Joining forces to go one step further
Beyond reducing emissions from operations and its supply chain, Sanofi is focused on decarbonization of healthcare systems and sustainable delivery of care. The healthcare sector is responsible for 5% of total net emissions and the patient care pathway accounts for over 40% of that total. Sanofi is a leading member of the SMI Health Systems Taskforce, a public and private partnership of healthcare leaders launched at COP26, with an ambition to accelerate delivery of net zero, patient centric health systems. Sanofi is currently leading several key initiatives, notably the Patient Care Pathway group, focused on establishing an international measurement framework to calculate the carbon emissions of the patient care journey, the development of an industry product Life-Cycle-Assessment framework and a tool to measure the impact of pharmaceutical products on climate.
Sanofi @ United Nations General Assembly
Sanofi will host side events at the 78th UN General Assembly, on September 20.
Sanofi’s Foundation S, in partnership with Foreign Policy and Africa Europe Foundation will host Time to Adapt: Accelerating Climate Adaptation for Health, a high-level strategic dialogue to spotlight the health impacts of climate change and to mobilize on the financial need required to support community-led climate adaptation efforts in low- and –middle-income countries. Despite contributing the least to climate change, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are most affected by its consequences, including increased morbidity and mortality, loss of livelihoods, and forced migration.
As part of its work, Foundation S has launched several first-in-class grant programs to enhance the capacity of communities to prepare for and respond to climate-related impacts on health. To further raise awareness about the need for and importance of strengthening and funding climate adaptation and health resilience initiatives at the local level in climate vulnerable countries, the Collective MindS think thank will publish on September 20, 2023 an Action Report that highlights adaptation solutions that can be replicated and brought to scale, and will call for urgent multi-lateral action to address the health impacts of climate change at the community level.
Sanofi’s Global Health Unit side event ‘Unlocking Universal Health Coverage 2030: The Power of Health Financing’, co-organized with the Health Finance Institute (HFI), will focus on mobilizing stakeholders on the need for financial sustainability, sufficiency, and tools for better access to healthcare, while sharing Sanofi’s Global Health Unit Model. HFI will present the conclusions of research supported by Sanofi on healthcare financing and highlight that focus on higher efficiency and collaboration among different actors is key.
