How do innovative pharmaceutical businesses start their sustainability journey when patient care is the priority?
CHALLENGE
How do innovative pharmaceutical businesses start their sustainability journey when patient care is the priority?
Healthcare contributes over 4% of global emissions, enough to make it the world’s fifth‑largest emitter if it were a country. That is why Neolpharma, Grupo Farmaceutico, a supplier of pharmaceutical products to Mexico’s main sales channels, decided to take climate action.
Neolpharma is focused on improving people’s quality of life through a portfolio of safe and affordable medicines, positioning itself as a key player in expanding access to healthcare. In parallel, the company is adopting a proactive approach to climate action. Although it is not subject to formal sustainability reporting, Neolpharma is committed to reducing its environmental footprint and positioning climate resilience as a strategic pillar for its future competitiveness, beyond simple reliance on carbon credits.
But decarbonising the production of medical products is not straightforward. Manufacturing medication is time-intensive and specialised. In addition, prompt and reliable delivery is paramount. These challenges can seem dauting, leaving companies confused about where to start.
SOLUTION
Understanding Neolpharma’s emissions and creating a strategy for reductions
Neolpharma, and IFC collaborated with the Carbon Trust to review the pharmaceutical company’s emissions, boost the skillset of staff, and set out a carbon reduction roadmap. Together, we:
Reviewed Neolpharma’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions from sources such as thermal energy and refrigerants for accuracy and alignment with best practices. Following this, Neolpharma will work on calculating Scope 3 emissions across six sites: Neolpharma, Laboratorios Alpharma, Psicofarma Tlalpan, División del Norte and Toluca, and Neolsym
Held a workshop to understand Neolpharma’s barriers to footprinting. From this, we explored ways to optimise data collection processes and identify data sources. Staff training ensured Neolpharma could confidently manage it themselves going forward.
Highlighted areas to decarbonise, based on site visits, data review, and value chain mapping. We carried out a prioritisation matrix and developed a high-level decarbonisation roadmap that goes beyond carbon markets, showing the products and areas over which the company has influence, including packaging and injectables.
IMPACT
Changing mindsets and laying the foundations for strong climate action
Understanding its emissions profile has given Neolpharma a solid starting point for its decarbonisation strategy, showing that emissions must be measured before they can be reduced. This enables Neolpharma to:
Take targeted climate action. With a clearer picture of where to start and what to prioritise, Neolpharma established an internal Energy and Decarbonisation Committee to drive the roadmap forward. The company has since transitioned to natural gas as a stepping stone to cleaner energy, and in 2026 will install its first photovoltaic system at the Neolsym site in Ecatepec, Mexico.
Shift its mindset. Neolpharma learned that sustainability requires new processes and collaboration across teams, in a business-wide effort. The company understood that they can proactively reduce emissions across the value chain and not just rely on carbon credits.
Raise its ambition. Following this work, Neolpharma set initial short-term reduction targets for Scope 1 and 2 emissions in its 2026 sustainability report which they look to validate in future. The company acknowledges that it can be a facilitator of change and promote recycling regulations to help the sector decarbonise.
The Carbon Trust's work helped us shift our mindset—from focusing solely on our internal processes to embracing our external influence and collaborating across our value chain. Embedding best practices upfront, rather than retrospectively as we used to, will make a significant difference.
