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Audit-Ready Carbon Reporting for Pharmaceutical Companies

Track drug manufacturing facility energy, API synthesis process emissions, clinical trial operations, and cold chain distribution for pharmaceutical operations.

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The Industry Hotspot: API Chemical Synthesis and Manufacturing Energy

Manufacturing and API synthesis dominate

Pharmaceutical carbon footprints concentrate in active pharmaceutical ingredient synthesis and drug manufacturing operations. API production uses multi-step chemical synthesis with organic solvents, reagents, and process energy. Reaction vessels require heating, cooling, and pressure control. Solvent recovery systems recycle chemicals reducing waste but consuming energy. Biologics manufacturing grows cells or organisms in bioreactors with precise temperature and sterility requirements. Formulation facilities blend APIs with excipients, compress tablets, fill capsules, and package products. Cleanroom environments maintain air quality through continuous HVAC. Cold chain distribution for temperature-sensitive drugs adds refrigeration energy and refrigerant leakage. Clinical trials generate emissions from site operations, patient travel, and sample shipping. NetNada tracks manufacturing facility energy by process area, calculates API synthesis emissions from process chemistry, monitors cold chain energy and refrigerants, and aggregates clinical trial operational footprints.

SASB Industry Definition

The Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals industry researches, develops, manufactures, and markets prescription and over-the-counter medications. Operations include drug discovery and R&D, clinical trials, active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) synthesis, drug formulation and packaging, and global distribution through cold chain logistics. Manufacturing includes chemical synthesis for small molecules and biologics production in bioreactors. The industry has complex global supply chains with energy-intensive chemical processes and temperature-controlled distribution requirements.

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Industry-Specific Carbon Accounting

No generic solutions. Metrics, data sources, and reporting aligned to Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals operations.

API Synthesis Process Emissions

Active pharmaceutical ingredient production uses multi-step chemical synthesis transforming starting materials through reactions requiring solvents, catalysts, and energy. Batch reactors heat and cool reaction mixtures. Distillation separates products from byproducts. Crystallization purifies final API. Process emissions come from energy consumption and potential chemical reactions releasing greenhouse gases. Track energy per kilogram API by product. Monitor solvent consumption and recovery rates. Calculate synthesis footprint per dose of final drug product.

API synthesis emissions per kg

Biologics Manufacturing Footprint

Biologics including monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins grow in cell culture bioreactors with precise environmental controls. Mammalian cell cultures require steady temperature, pH, and nutrient supply over weeks. Downstream purification uses chromatography and filtration. Sterile manufacturing environments demand continuous air handling and cleanroom controls. Track electricity for bioreactors, refrigeration, and cleanrooms per batch. Calculate emissions per gram biologic API and per patient dose.

Biologics energy per batch

Manufacturing Facility Energy by Area

Pharmaceutical plants include API synthesis areas, formulation suites, packaging lines, warehouses, and laboratories. Cleanroom classifications determine air change rates affecting HVAC energy. Process equipment including tablet presses, coating pans, and filling lines consume electricity. Track utility consumption by production area and allocate to product lines. Benchmark energy intensity across facility network. Identify high-consuming areas for efficiency improvements or renewable energy.

Facility energy per sqm

Cold Chain Distribution Emissions

Temperature-sensitive drugs including biologics, vaccines, and certain small molecules require controlled-temperature storage and shipping. Refrigerated warehouses and transport maintain product stability. Track cold chain energy consumption and refrigerant type by distribution center. Calculate transport emissions including temperature-control requirements. Monitor refrigerant leakage rates and transition to lower-global-warming-potential alternatives. Report cold chain emissions per dose distributed.

Cold chain emissions per dose

Clinical Trial Operational Footprint

Clinical trials span site preparation, patient recruitment and visits, investigator travel, sample collection and shipping, and data management. Multi-center trials across regions add coordination travel. Patient travel to study sites for assessments and dosing. Biological samples ship under temperature control to central laboratories. Track trial operational emissions including site energy, travel, and sample logistics. Calculate clinical trial footprint per patient enrolled or per study phase.

Clinical trial emissions per patient

SASB HC-BP Metrics Automation

Auto-generate disclosure including gross Scope 1 and 2 emissions, energy consumption, percentage renewable energy, product recalls and adverse events, percentage of facilities with third-party environmental certifications, and R&D expenditure on priority diseases. Footnotes cite product portfolio and manufacturing locations.

SASB HC-BP compliant

Product Features for Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals

Use Carbon Data Uploader to import manufacturing utility bills, API production records, clinical trial site data, and distribution logistics for automated pharmaceutical emissions calculation. Learn more →

The Activity Calculator applies emission factors for chemical synthesis, electricity, solvents, and cold chain logistics—calculating comprehensive pharmaceutical product carbon footprints. Learn more →

Related Solutions

See our Carbon Accounting solution for end-to-end pharmaceutical emissions tracking from API synthesis through manufacturing and global distribution.

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Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals Case Studies

How entities in this industry use NetNada to solve carbon accounting challenges.

Specialty Pharmaceutical Manufacturer (Portfolio of chronic disease treatments, Biologics and small molecule drugs)

Challenge

Health system customers including NHS requested product carbon footprints for procurement decisions. Manufacturing emissions data limited to facility-level utilities without product allocation. API synthesis varied substantially by drug with complex synthesis routes. Cold chain distribution for biologics added carbon intensity.

Solution

Implemented product-level carbon accounting allocating manufacturing energy to individual drugs based on batch records and production volumes. Assessed API synthesis emissions working with contract manufacturing organizations to collect process energy data. Tracked cold chain refrigeration energy and refrigerant management. Calculated carbon footprint per dose by product.

Result

Generated product carbon footprints for major drugs enabling health system procurement responses. Identified API synthesis and biologics cold chain as highest emission intensity per dose. Engaged API suppliers on green chemistry and process efficiency. Transitioned biologics distribution to lower-global-warming-potential refrigerants. Published product environmental profiles for key medications supporting sustainable procurement programs.

Biotech Company (Monoclonal antibody development and manufacturing, Clinical trials through commercialization)

Challenge

Investor ESG questionnaires required Scope 1, 2, and 3 disclosure. Early-stage company with limited emissions data collection. Clinical trials contracted to third-party sites without emissions visibility. Needed scalable carbon accounting as company grew from trials to commercial manufacturing.

Solution

Established carbon accounting system starting with corporate offices and pilot manufacturing facility. Tracked clinical trial site energy and patient travel through site contracts and monitoring. Modeled commercial-scale manufacturing footprint based on pilot facility data scaled by anticipated production volumes. Assessed contract manufacturing partner emissions through supplier engagement.

Result

Achieved baseline for company operations and clinical trial footprint. Modeled commercial manufacturing emissions supporting facility design decisions for energy efficiency. Selected renewable energy supply for commercial manufacturing facility under construction. Incorporated sustainability criteria in contract manufacturing partner selection. Positioned company for climate disclosure requirements as publicly-traded entity.

SASB Disclosure Topics for Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals

Material sustainability topics beyond emissions that investors and stakeholders expect disclosed per SASB standards.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

environment

Track Scope 1 from manufacturing facility fuel combustion, process emissions from chemical reactions, and refrigerant leakage. Report Scope 2 from electricity for manufacturing and R&D facilities. Calculate Scope 3 from raw materials, packaging, and distribution. Report emissions per revenue or per dose produced.

Energy Management

environment

Monitor energy consumption in API synthesis, formulation, packaging, and R&D laboratories. Report energy intensity trends and renewable energy percentage. Disclose process efficiency improvements and waste heat recovery.

Drug Safety and Quality

social

Report adverse event reporting rates, product recalls, and quality control testing. Disclose pharmacovigilance systems and regulatory compliance. Track manufacturing deviation rates.

Access to Medicine

social

Disclose drug pricing policies, patient assistance programs, and access in low-income countries. Report percentage of R&D focused on neglected diseases. Track licensing agreements for generic production.

Clinical Trial Diversity and Ethics

social

Report clinical trial participant demographics and geographic distribution. Disclose informed consent processes and ethics committee oversight. Monitor clinical trial transparency and result publication.

Sustainable Chemistry and Manufacturing

business model

Disclose investments in green chemistry reducing solvent use and hazardous reagents. Report continuous manufacturing adoption and process intensification. Track API yield improvements and waste reduction.

NetNada tracks all SASB material topics, not just emissions. Our platform supports disclosure across environmental, social, governance, and business model topics relevant to your industry.

Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals FAQs

Common questions about carbon accounting for this industry

How do pharmaceutical companies allocate manufacturing emissions to individual drug products?
Pharmaceutical facilities often produce multiple products sharing common equipment. Allocation approaches include: Mass-based: Allocate emissions proportional to kilograms API or doses produced. Favors higher-dose drugs. Time-based: Allocate based on equipment occupancy hours per batch. Reflects process complexity. Energy-based: Allocate facility energy to products based on direct metering or process requirements. Accounts for energy-intensive synthesis. Hybrid: Combine approaches allocating cleanroom HVAC by area and time, process equipment by energy use. Most companies use mass or time-based allocation for simplicity. Report allocation methodology clearly. Product-level footprints enable comparison across portfolio and support sustainable procurement decisions by health systems.
Why is API synthesis emission-intensive and how can it be reduced?
API synthesis uses multi-step chemical reactions with heating, cooling, and separation processes consuming energy. Organic solvents used in reactions require distillation for recovery. Low reaction yields mean processing excess materials. Batch synthesis in reactors has inherent inefficiency. Reduction strategies include: Green chemistry: Designing synthesis routes with fewer steps, safer reagents, and less hazardous solvents. Continuous manufacturing: Flowing reactions in continuous reactors instead of batches improves efficiency. Catalyst improvements: Better catalysts increase yields reducing waste and rework. Solvent recovery: Efficient distillation and recycling reduces fresh solvent energy. Renewable energy: Procuring renewable electricity for manufacturing facilities. Track API yield per synthesis route. Engage process chemistry teams on emission reduction integrated with cost and quality considerations.
Should pharmaceutical companies report Scope 3 emissions from product use and disposal?
Product use and disposal for pharmaceuticals differs from other sectors: Use-phase emissions: Taking medications generates no combustion or energy emissions. Not material for carbon accounting. Disposal: Unused medications disposed through wastewater or incineration. Incineration generates emissions but quantities typically small relative to manufacturing. Wastewater treatment minimal carbon impact. Most pharmaceutical companies do not report use and disposal as material Scope 3 categories. Focus disclosure on: Scope 1 and 2 manufacturing and R&D, Scope 3 Category 1 raw materials and APIs, Scope 3 Category 4 upstream transportation, Scope 3 Category 9 downstream distribution. For medical devices with higher material content, disposal may be more material to report.
How do clinical trials contribute to pharmaceutical company carbon footprint?
Clinical trials generate emissions from several sources: Site operations: Clinical trial sites consume energy for patient visits, sample processing, and data management. Often contracted sites without direct operational control. Patient travel: Participants traveling to sites for study visits and procedures. Long-term studies with frequent visits add substantial travel. Investigator travel: Site initiation, monitoring visits, and coordination meetings across multi-center trials. Sample logistics: Biological samples shipped under temperature control to central laboratories for analysis. Material shipping: Investigational product distribution to trial sites with cold chain requirements. Calculate trial emissions by phase accounting for site count, patient numbers, and visit frequency. Strategies to reduce trial emissions include: Decentralized trials with home visits, Telemedicine follow-ups reducing travel, Site selection considering patient proximity, Sample testing at local laboratories reducing shipping.
Can pharmaceutical companies use renewable energy to reduce manufacturing emissions?
Yes, renewable energy procurement significantly reduces Scope 2 emissions from electricity-intensive pharmaceutical manufacturing. Strategies include: On-site generation: Rooftop or ground-mount solar at manufacturing campuses. Virtual power purchase agreements: Long-term contracts supporting new renewable projects supplying electricity to grid. Green tariffs: Selecting utility programs providing renewable electricity. Renewable energy certificates: Purchasing certificates matching electricity consumption to renewable generation. Pharmaceutical manufacturing characteristics favoring renewables: Year-round steady demand from continuous operations. Large facilities with high electricity consumption. Long planning horizons for facility investments. Track percentage renewable energy by facility. Calculate emission reduction from renewable procurement. Consider renewable energy availability in site selection for new manufacturing facilities. Report progress toward renewable energy targets.

Track Drug Manufacturing, API Synthesis, and Distribution Emissions

See how pharmaceutical companies calculate product carbon footprints, monitor manufacturing energy, and generate SASB-aligned disclosures—automated from operations data.

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