Environmental Sustainability
As a company committed to applying science to confront the world’s greatest challenges, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a strategic priority.
Our company purpose – “Breakthroughs that Change Patients’ Lives” – guides our environmental sustainability priorities. We’re passionate about protecting human health. That’s reflected in our environmental sustainability goals: climate action & sustainable medicines.
Bringing Breakthroughs that Change Patients’ Lives goes beyond breakthrough medicines. Climate change is impacting the health we protect and the patients we serve. It’s the challenge of our age, we need to act, and our customers and patients want us to act.
What do we mean by sustainability?
The most common definition of sustainability comes from the 1987 Brundtland Report: Our Common Future. This says, "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." 1
How is climate change impacting health?
We know that climate change poses significant risks to societies and economies around the world:
- Increased adverse impacts on human health2
- Growing frequency of severe weather events3
- Potential disruption to the value chains that are critical for providing medicines and vaccines to patients4
What we are doing at Pfizer
All our futures depend on the environment. Here’s how we’re working to protect health through sustainability.
2001
We developed a science-based climate action strategy and introduced our first greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals.
2007
We met our first GHG reduction goal by decreasing our emissions by more than 35% adjusted to revenue. That was equivalent to a total reduction of 20%.
2012
We achieved our second GHG reduction goal a year early (in 2011), by decreasing our emissions by more than 20% on an absolute basis.
2015
We became the first company in the pharmaceutical sector to have our climate target validated by the Science Based Target initiative.
2020
We exceeded our third generation GHG goal of a 20% reduction from our 2012 baseline, and delivered a 33% reduction. This means we have reduced our GHG emissions by more than 60% since 2001.
December
2020
We announced our ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030 in our direct emissions and committed to new targets approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative. We signed the Business Ambition for 1.5 degrees.
Our 2030 targets
We have made bold commitments to:

Drive a 46% absolute reduction of direct emissions from our 2019 baseline

Utilise 100% renewable energy by 2030.

Offset any remaining emissions through carbon credits.
Climate Action
Our Partnerships & Commitments
UK Actions
Global Actions
Sustainable Medicines
References
- United Nations. Sustainability. Accessed Jan 2022
- WHO. The True Death Toll of COVID-19. Accessed Jan 2022.
- Nature. The burden of heat-related mortality attributable to recent human-induced climate change. Accessed Jan 2022.
- McKinsey. Could climate become the weak link in your supply chain? Accessed Jan 2022.