Environmental Issue Committee
Interview with Chairperson Arima
Climate change countermeasures and the realization of a recycling-oriented society are important issues that all industries cannot avoid. Particularly for the pharmaceutical industry, which contributes to people's lives and health, addressing environmental issues is fundamental to upholding its mission of providing a stable supply of medicines and supporting the trust society places in it. The Environmental Issue Committee, which was established in 2022, will play a central role in this effort. It is working as the core of the industry's unified effort to tackle this difficult issue. We asked Satoru Arima, Chairperson of the Environmental Issue Committee, about the challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry, specific initiatives, and future prospects.
What We Can Do for the Health of Humankind and the Planet
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Resilience in an Environmental Crisis
Fulfilling the Responsibilities of Life-Related Industries and the Challenge of Environmental Issues
The most important mission of the Environmental Issue Committee is to establish a foundation for JPMA's Vision for 2035, which is to become an industry that is trusted by society. As a life-related industry, we are committed to making this a reality. As a life-related industry, it is our responsibility to address this issue seriously, as it is the very foundation of our business to maintain a stable supply of pharmaceutical products.
The Environmental Issue Committee was established in 2022 to strengthen JPMA's efforts in response to this growing global awareness. The committee works closely with the Environmental Committee of the Japan Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Associations (JFPMA), and the entire industry is united in promoting activities.
Carbon neutrality" and "recycling-oriented society" are two important issues
Currently, we are focusing on two issues in particular. One is "climate change countermeasures to achieve carbon neutrality" and the other is "addressing waste issues to realize a recycling-oriented society.
Carbon neutrality is not just about reducing CO₂ emissions. Recent abnormal weather and natural disasters are serious risks that threaten the entire supply chain of pharmaceuticals, from raw material procurement to manufacturing and distribution. We need to build a robust value chain to protect people's health.
In addition, the handling of plastics is a major challenge for the realization of a recycling-oriented society. For example, PTP sheets used for packaging pharmaceuticals are a composite material of plastic and aluminum, and are technically very difficult to recycle, a challenge unique to the industry.
We have set specific targets for these issues and are steadily working to achieve them. As a result, we achieved a 40.4% reduction in FY2023. We believe it is possible to achieve the target, but it is also true that finding the remaining room for reduction is becoming tougher every year.
A milestone for the future, a challenge for the entire value chain
The greater challenge is the entire value chain, which cannot be completed by our company alone. In our study group, the Carbon Neutral Action Plan Group and the Voluntary Action Plan for Establishing a Recycling-Oriented Society Group specialize in Scope 3 and waste issues, respectively, and in the third year since their establishment, we have finally begun to lay the groundwork for resolving these issues for the entire industry.
With regard to Scope 3, it is difficult to calculate the emissions of each supplier based on a unified standard, and we have yet to set a reduction target for the industry as a whole. To solve this problem, we applied for and were selected for the Ministry of the Environment's "FY2025 Model Project for Promoting Decarbonization throughout the Value Chain," which is a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors. Through this project, we plan to create emission calculation rules and guidelines that can be used across the industry, and this is an important step that will influence our future strategy.
In the area of recycling-oriented society initiatives, we are sharing advanced case studies of individual companies within the industry, such as PTP sheet recycling, for horizontal development. In addition, we have launched a new system called the "Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Environmental Award" to recognize and share outstanding initiatives. We aim to raise the level of the industry as a whole by spreading the word about excellent examples.
From "Collaboration" to "Co-creation
We believe that patients should be able to receive environmentally friendly pharmaceuticals in their hands as a matter of course. We believe that we should aim for that situation. Environmental considerations are not an added value, but a prerequisite for business activities that support a stable supply of pharmaceuticals and industry confidence.
Our most important task in the short term is to establish a Scope 3 calculation base. Beyond that, we are looking toward the lofty goal of "achieving carbon neutrality as an industry by 2050. This ambitious goal cannot be achieved by the pharmaceutical industry alone. In the spirit of "co-creation," we can only achieve this goal by working hand in hand with a diverse range of stakeholders, including suppliers, government and regulatory authorities, and academia.
We are working together with people of different sizes and in different situations to face the common challenge of environmental issues. We believe that we can fulfill our responsibility as a life-related industry by creating common rules for this purpose, honestly disclosing information, and promoting constructive dialogue. Together with the members of the committee, we are determined to steadily fulfill this responsibility.
The structure and activities of the Environmental Issue Committee are posted on the JPMA website. Please visit the site.
Environmental Issue Committee Website]
Environmental Issue Committee | Information from the Committee | Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association