Pfizer ($PFE) renewed its commitment to sustainability, cutting its greenhouse gas emissions 20% this year, and that standard applies to its ideal contractors, too, the company said.
A Pfizer spokeswoman told Outsourcing-Pharma that the company looks to implement its green efforts all the way down the value chain, including trial and manufacturing contractors. The company updated its procurement procedures to include data on the environmental consciousness of its top suppliers, she said, and that could be the difference maker in awarding contracts. "'Greener' suppliers will have an advantage when all other criteria are equal," the spokeswoman told Outsourcing-Pharma.
The pharma giant surveyed its top 130 suppliers, tabulating their energy use and emissions output. The company plans to share that data with its contractors in the future, encouraging greener practices throughout its supply network. The process is part of a long-running effort to implement energy-efficient technologies, and Pfizer has completed more than 1,500 conservation projects since 2007, Outsourcing-Pharma reports.
And the drugmaker isn't the only one pushing for energy consciousness among contract companies. In India, regulators are tightening emissions rules, with lawmakers in CMO-rich Andhra Pradesh adopting stricter regulations. The state's Pollution Control Board cracked down last month, shutting down 12 API-producing facilities over improper chemical disposal.
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