Sustainability of the chemical-pharmaceutical industry

The chemical, pharmaceutical and life sciences industries take responsibility for promoting sustainability for present and future generations. With their research and their innovative products and services, the scienceindustries members make a significant contribution to sustainable development every day. The central points of reference are the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (UN SDGs) set by the United Nations and the net-zero target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

As a strategy for the future, sustainability combines economic success, social responsibility and ecological balance: scienceindustries and its members see sustainability along these three dimensions as an essential component of the long-term success of the industry. With this in mind, they have been implementing the international Responsible Care® initiative in Switzerland since the 1990s with the aim of achieving continuous improvements in environmental protection, health and safety. Chemical companies and associations in over 50 countries support this initiative.

In the position paper, which is divided into three chapters, scienceindustries reaffirms the high relevance of the overarching topic of sustainability and the commitment of its members, from research and development to industrial production and the circular economy.

Commitment ‘Sustainability as a core concern’

Our research and development enable innovative products and processes. This is how we deliver solutions to the major challenges of our time, today and in the future, and how we make a relevant contribution to our society.

The protection and regeneration of the environment are accorded outstanding priority. This is evident not least from the self-imposed and ambitious sustainability goals of the member companies.

With our environmental and socio-political ambitions, we are committed to prosperity, competitiveness and the attractiveness of Switzerland as a business location. scienceindustries, as the representative of the chemical, pharmaceutical and life sciences industries, plays an important role in shaping optimal framework conditions.

Key topics for our members

Our industries' commitment to sustainability is based on the 2030 Agenda, which was adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015 and represents a plan for growth and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future. At the heart of the agenda are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which call on all countries to take action as part of a global partnership.

Our industries see themselves as part of the solution and are contributing to the achievement of the UN SDGs, with a focus on ten SDGs – although all commitments are of equal importance – and the six priority topics of nutrition, health, education, resources, climate and biodiversity. These priority topics provide the chemical, pharmaceutical and life sciences industries with central reference points for designing, managing and communicating their activities. The position paper uses examples of existing initiatives and commitments to illustrate this contribution.

Demands: Enabling innovation and sustainability

Sustainability encompasses three dimensions that must be given equal consideration: environmental, economic and social. Finding the right balance between them is a key challenge in policy-making.

A regulatory framework for sustainability must enable the chemical-pharmaceutical life sciences industry to advance its commitment and succeed in all three dimensions of sustainability. To achieve a long-term positive impact, the chemical-pharmaceutical industry sees the following elements as necessary on the part of policymakers.

• Openness and promotion of technology (e.g. new biotechnological processes or carbon capture and utilisation/storage)

A society's openness to scientific and technological developments is the basis for an innovation-friendly environment. A successful, future-oriented framework for sustainability should enable the development and use of new technologies and innovative solutions.

This requires that science and scientific knowledge be at the centre of political decision-making. Similarly, consumer recommendations and guidelines should always be based on scientific knowledge and solid, regularly updated data.

• Security of supply: energy, medication, nutrition

Energy: To ensure that Switzerland's energy supply remains secure in the future, policymakers must think more comprehensively about the country's energy future and enable a technologically broad-based, affordable and innovative supply that also takes into account the expansion of renewable energies and future technologies.

Medicines: The pharmaceutical industry is making great efforts to ensure that the population has good access to both innovative and proven, safe and effective medicines and vaccines. However, a level playing field is needed, without which the current supply disruptions will unfortunately continue to increase.

Nutrition: Thanks to innovations in the areas of breeding, seeds, crop protection, production processes and digitalisation, sustainability and productivity in modern food production are no longer mutually exclusive.

• Reducing regulatory hurdles to implement the circular economy

scienceindustries views the closing of the resource cycle, where it makes holistic sense (according to the three dimensions of sustainability), as a promising approach to conserving primary resources and reducing environmental pollution. In order for the circular economy to develop its full potential, innovation-friendly framework conditions and a rethinking of existing systems are essential.

• Future-oriented chemicals strategy

scienceindustries shares the federal government's concerns regarding protection. At the same time, scienceindustries is committed to framework conditions that guarantee economic freedom of action in the long term. Important elements here are the anchoring of the risk approach, the reduction of administrative burdens when handling chemicals, and the avoidance of ineffective regulatory instruments such as unilateral export bans. Above all, however, Switzerland continues to need an independent chemicals strategy tailored to the needs of industry and society.

• Promotion of education, research and innovation

scienceindustries wants to promote society's willingness to innovate. By this we mean:

• ensuring comprehensive freedom of research and technology
• promoting technical and scientific education at all levels with future-oriented training geared to industry needs
• securing qualified specialists and promoting young talent in the chemical, pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors
• securing sufficient and steady funding for universities and research institutions
• ensuring access to European research programmes for universities and companies
• improving the attractiveness of the clinical research location
• promote understanding of the protection of intellectual property

• Opportunities of digitalisation

Digitalisation is increasingly determining social and economic life today. It has also found its way into the healthcare sector and is expected to bring significant benefits in the future, from efficiency gains to improvements in healthcare services. scienceindustries is in favour of an accelerated approach to digitalisation, particularly in healthcare. In the interests of the public, patients and general healthcare, this topic must be given high priority and the pace of implementation of these digitisation efforts in particular must be speeded up as a matter of urgency.
 

More on this in the position paper ‘Sustainability of the chemical-pharmaceutical industry – Commitment to the environment and society’ (only available in German).