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AstraZeneca is the world’s most prominent biopharmaceutical firm. We understand how important it is to push the boundaries and deliver life-changing medicines in record times. AstraZeneca’s strong commitment to creating a better future for everyone, even those in Thailand, can be seen in the supply of over 2.8 billion doses to more than 180 countries and bold initiatives in sustainability.
Sjoerd Hubben, Vice President and Head of Global Corporate Affairs at AstraZeneca, said the largest UK-listed biopharmaceutical company plays an active role in helping the global community tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges, especially when it comes to climate change.
“It is important that companies like AstraZeneca commit more broadly to societal objectives beyond delivering drugs. Hubben stated that we want to make greater contributions to society.
BOLD COMMITMENT AGAINST CLIMATECHANGE
According to The Lancet medical journal the healthcare sector accounts for approximately 4% global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The study examined multiregional input-output data from 189 countries, 2000 to 2015.
Hubben stated that AstraZeneca recognized the interdependence of the health of the earth, people, and economies. Hubben pointed out that the climate crisis has contributed to an increase in chronic conditions like heart disease and stroke, lung cancer, and respiratory illnesses. Everyone involved in the delivery and management of healthcare must play a part in reducing these emissions.
AstraZeneca was one of seven companies to have its net zero targets verified through the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). This is in line with its Net-Zero Corporate Standard. AstraZeneca plans to reach 95% science-based targets with its key suppliers and partners by 2025 to support its decarbonisation goals.
“AstraZeneca has made bold commitments with our Ambition zero Carbon strategy; we aim to have no carbon emissions from our global operations, fleet and assets by 2025 and become completely carbon-negative by 2030 across all of our value chains,” he said. Zero carbon refers to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emitted being equal to the amount of carbon being absorbed from the atmosphere and becoming carbon negative means removing or sequestering more CO₂ from the atmosphere than is emitted.
“We’re helping our partners transition to more sustainable solutions including access to renewable energy,” Mr Hubben added.
Hubben, who joined AstraZeneca six-years ago, stated that the United Nations Global Compact and CDP backed Science Based Targets initiative team independently verified the targets to ensure they achieve their ambitious goals.
Over the past six years, AstraZeneca has achieved a 59% reduction of its Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG footprint, and in 2021, 100% of AstraZeneca’s imported electricity came from renewable sources. Scope 1 emissions refer to direct GHG emissions that are derived from the company’s sources. Scope 2 emissions refers to indirect GHG emission from the company.
SAVE PATIENTS & THE WORLD FROM THE SAME BREATH
AstraZeneca’s goal was to create sustainable solutions that allow patients to access medicine while also accelerating the delivery and distribution of net zero healthcare.
The Global Asthma Network report stated that nearly 339 million children and adults have asthma, with low- and middle-income countries disproportionally experiencing the most severe cases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a large number of asthma patients receive medication or a type a respiratory inhaler called a pressurised-metered-dose inhaler (pMDI).
“Respiratory diseases are pressing issues around the world that are directly linked to pollution and GHG emissions. Our new partnership with Honeywell is developing next-generation respiratory inhalers using a new type of propellant that is 99.9% less polluting than propellants currently used in respiratory medicines,” Mr Hubben said.
“That’s only one example of how our company works across our entire product range and also across what we can ourselves, our partners and our supply chain to get everybody on board with our drive for sustainability.”
GLOBAL IMPACT LEADERSHIP
Honeywell and AstraZeneca have teamed up to develop next-generation pMDIs with the propellant HFO-1234ze. Positive results were recently obtained from the human Phase I trial. AstraZeneca is now ready to develop and commercialize respiratory therapies using the propellant.
To create a better tomorrow, we need a system-level approach. AstraZeneca was a founding member of HRH Prince of Wales Sustainable Markets Initiative. Pascal Soriot, CEO, is leading the newly launched initiative. Health Systems Taskforce. The Taskforce is a private-public collaboration that aims to accelerate net-zero healthcare delivery.
“There are vaccines for COVID-19 but not for climate change. The industry must be more aggressive in pursuing this agenda. It’s the biggest societal problem we all face, and it affects our children too,” Hubben stated.
STRONG PARTNERSHIPS THAILAND
AstraZeneca is currently working in Thailand on the Young Health Programme. This programme focuses on common non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer prevention among young people between 10-24 years old.
Since the program’s launch in 2019, there have been numerous outreach efforts, such as advisory committee meetings and district launches in Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Samut Prakan regions, peer education sessions, training for educators, training for peer educators supporting school-based health programmes, communication campaigns, and events that link to awareness days such as building relationships with health professionals.
“We are now entering the third year of this programme,” Mr Hubben said. “And we have reached 10,180 young people and more than 117 peer educators. We have also successfully mobilised 196 community leaders, 354 teachers, 3,258 caregivers, and 57 health professionals through the programme to help increase healthcare education across Thailand.”
Hubben also celebrated another successful partnership in Thailand with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 valet manufacturing hub.
“We have 25 manufacturing partners globally, but the partnership here with Siam Bioscience and the Thai Ministry of Public Health is one of our most successful collaborations to ensure that people have access to the vaccine in a timely way,” Mr Hubben said. “With these two entities, we ensured we could set up a supply chain that could deliver our COVID-19 vaccine to hundreds of millions of patients across Asia.”
