22 BioPharm International
®
Manufacturing and Facilities eBook 2023 www.biopharminternational.com
E
nvironmental concerns impact a variety of
industries, including bio/pharmaceutical
companies. BioPharm International
®
spoke with
Jeff Wegner, Fellow—Energy and Sustainability
at CRB, to find out how bio/pharma manufacturers can
achieve sustainability and zero-carbon initiatives.
Sustainability in biopharma
BioPharm: Is t he bio/pha r ma i ndust r y work i ng
toward sustainability and zero-carbon initiatives?
Wegner (CRB): [Let's] start with 'what is sustain-
ability'—a question we often ask at the onset of a proj-
ect kickoff. What does sustainability mean to you?
The responses are often varied, but typically centered
around 'being green'. While this is true, sustainabil-
ity is more widely described by three pillars: environ-
mental, social, and governance (E-S-G).
Biopharma, and most market sectors, are seeing
increased internal and external pressures to achieve
'real' sustainability improvements across all three
pi l l a r s. Pe ople w a nt to work f or a s u s t a i n a ble
company; investors want to invest in a sustainable
company; and cor porations are seeing that being
sustainable doesn't always have to increase costs.
In fact, in many cases, sustainable initiatives can
improve the associated life cycle of cost.
The biopharma industry is making commitments
towards strong cor porate governance across t he
market sector, most often associated with carbon,
energy, waste, and water—with increasing awareness
around social sustainability. Often leveraging third-
party certifications and commitments,[such as] LEED
[Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design],
WELL or Fit wel, and SBTi [Science Based Targets
initiative], as a baseline guide.
BioPharm: How ca n a compa ny benef it f rom
having a sustainable, zero-carbon facility?
Wegner (CRB): The benefits are numerous and
e x pa n sive. A n env i ron ment a l-f r iend ly faci l it y
consumes less and is, t herefore, not impacted as
Sustainability
Using Zero-Carbon
Biopharma Facilities
Susan Haigney is
managing editor, and
Alivia Leon was previously
assistant editor, both with
BioPharm International
®
.
How can sustainability and zero-carbon initiatives be achieved?
K
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AWIN
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