Green Chemistry and Engineering

Positive change

Government policy relevant to healthcare and pharmaceuticals

The chemical industry, including the pharmaceutical industry, faces substantial challenges due to pollution, hazardous incidents, and inadequate information about chemical risks (to people and the environment). This has prompted a surge in legislative measures, compelling the industry to balance economic viability with stringent environmental and social approval in today's rigorous legislative framework.

The topic of a greener and more sustainable healthcare sector is becoming increasingly important in the political agenda. On the global level, the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) operate key initiatives:

• The well-known 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

• The UN’s Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) policy on Environmentally Persistent Pharmaceutical Pollutants, recognising the growing problem of pharmaceuticals in the environment.

• WHO guidance for climate resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities (WHO, 202o). 

On an EU regional level, the European Green Deal was a big milestone towards the green transformation of the economy. Important objectives of the Green Deal include a stop to climate change (aiming that Europe becomes the first climate-neutral continent by 2050) and the prevention of biodiversity loss. The latest EU environment strategy contains nine aspects (see below). Within the Chemicals strategy plan is the 'Safe and Sustainable by Design' framework, an important policy for future chemical development and manufacturing. Adjacent to the Green Deal actions is the EU Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe.

The Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe is guiding the reform of the EU pharmaceutical legislation, driven by 4 principles:

• Affordable medicine;

• A competitive, innovative and sustainable pharmaceutical industry;

• Responsive to medicine shortages and crises.

• High quality, efficacy and safety standards.

Other policies also encompass the activities of the pharmaceutical sector. The proposal on the restriction on the manufacture, placing on the market, and use of persistent perfluoroalkyl substances may affect the availability of raw materials for the production pharmaceuticals. Revisions to wastewater legislation are seeking to implement 'polluter-pays' rules to water treatment costs. This will impact the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries the most because they are the origin of the main sources of micropollutants in urban water.

Financial drivers

Economics has been incorporated into sustainability, acknowledging that profitable business is linked to the stability and prosperity of communities. However, the high monetary value and societal need of pharmaceutical products has historically meant that abundant waste is an acceptable part of the business model, despite the costs associated with lost resources and waste management. 

Nevertheless, improved efficiency, be it less waste or lower energy use, is an economic driver. In more recent times, a combination of regulations, high energy prices, and the advantages of a good public image have increased the economic incentive to be environmentally sustainable.

New EU policies like that for urban wastewater treatment will hold producers responsible for pollution. By making polluters financially accountable for their environmental footprint, these measures drive industries towards more sustainable practices to avoid additional expenses.

Public attitudes towards Green Chemistry

In recent years, public attitudes towards sustainability have shifted significantly. Consumers are more likely to support products with reduced environmental impact, including lower emissions and the use of renewable energy (Philippidis et al., 2023; Narisetty et al., 2022). This growing awareness among consumers, coupled with Net-Zero targets, is pushing the chemical industries to adopt more energy-efficient processes and work towards carbon neutrality. Many companies have responded by setting ambitious targets for reducing their carbon emissions and energy use in production as part of their broader sustainability strategy. For example, some major companies in the pharmaceutical sector have pledged to become carbon neutral in the near future. For example, AstraZeneca has committed to their Ambition Zero Carbon programme.