Sustainable healthcare: hype or hope?

Article by Hannah Marshall, Account Manager at Day One Strategy.

“What happens next is up to every one of us. What we do now, and in the next few years, will profoundly affect the next few thousand” — David Attenborough

We are increasingly witnessing the impacts of climate change in our daily lives, whether through direct experiences or the media we consume. As cities face wildfires and forests vanish, it becomes increasingly clear that contributing to sustainability is no longer optional. Individuals are making conscious efforts to recycle more, consume less and adopt environmentally friendly practices to reduce their personal impact. This raises some critical questions, however. What actions are being taken by those with greater influence? And what steps are the most significant contributors to climate change taking to secure a sustainable future? These considerations are particularly relevant when examining the healthcare industry.

While essential for human well-being, healthcare has a significant environmental footprint, with substantial greenhouse gas emissions due to energy-intensive processes like hospital operations, pharmaceutical production, and medical equipment manufacturing. The sector also generates large volumes of waste, hazardous materials, and pharmaceuticals that can pollute land and waterways. These environmental impacts not only contribute to climate change but also indirectly affect public health, creating a complex interplay between environmental degradation and human health.

Adding to this complexity is the rising adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. While AI offers transformative potential, from diagnostic tools to personalised treatments, it comes with an environmental cost. The energy required to train and deploy large-scale AI models is significant, often driven by fossil-fuel-powered data centres. As AI becomes more integrated into healthcare systems, its energy demands and therefore its carbon footprint are growing rapidly, making it a key consideration in any discussion of healthcare sustainability.

When we look at pharmaceuticals specifically, the impacts extend across the entire product lifecycle, from raw material extraction to production, distribution, use, and eventual disposal.

Key areas of concern include:

Carbon Footprint: A 2019 study revealed that the healthcare sector’s climate footprint was approximately two gigatonnes of CO₂ equivalent, accounting for 4.4% of total global emissions. Of these emissions, 71% stem from the healthcare supply chain, which includes the biotech and pharmaceutical industries (2). One study points out that the pharmaceutical industry alone has a carbon footprint that is higher than the automotive industry when comparing emissions per million dollars of revenue (1).

Water Pollution: A comprehensive study detected pharmaceutical substances in over 80% of water samples from 258 rivers across 104 countries, indicating widespread contamination (3).

Waste Generation: A leading pharmaceutical company, reported generating approximately 16,000 metric tons of chemical (hazardous) waste in 20244.

Pharmaceutical companies are taking meaningful strides toward building a more sustainable future for healthcare. Many industry leaders are actively embracing renewable energy, implementing green manufacturing techniques, reducing waste, and improving water efficiency. They’re also innovating eco-friendly products and championing sustainable supply chains. These efforts reflect a strong and growing commitment to reducing the industry’s environmental footprint while driving positive change. Here are some standout examples of recent initiatives in the sector:

Sustainability Bond (5): In March 2020, Pfizer issued a $1.25 billion Sustainability Bond, the first of its kind in the biopharmaceutical sector. The proceeds are allocated to projects that enhance environmental sustainability, strengthen healthcare systems, and improve patient access to medicines and vaccines, particularly in underserved communities.

Eco-Friendly Inhalers: Recognising the environmental impact of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) propellants in inhalers, AstraZeneca (6) and GSK (7) are developing low-global-warming-potential propellants.

Science-Based Targets for Nature (8): GSK has established validated science-based targets to achieve good water stewardship and plans to reduce overall water use by 20% by 2030.

Waste Reduction Initiatives (9): UCB aims to reduce waste by 25% by 2030, focusing on eco-friendly production through waste recovery, efficient raw material use, and the Process Mass Intensity (PMI) metric to minimise environmental impact.

While we are becoming more conscious of environmental challenges, the rapid adoption of AI presents a new and urgent dimension to the healthcare sustainability conversation. The energy-hungry nature of AI, particularly in training large language models or managing health data at scale, adds pressure to the sector’s already substantial environmental burden. As hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and biotech firms increase their reliance on AI, it’s critical to design systems that are not only effective but also energy-efficient and environmentally responsible.

Pharmaceutical companies are making encouraging steps toward greener practices, yet there is still much to address across the entire supply chain – including the digital infrastructure powering AI innovation. From manufacturers to agencies, every stakeholder plays a role in reducing environmental harm. At Day One Strategy, we recognise our responsibility and are actively working to minimize our environmental impact, both in physical operations and in our use of digital tools. As an EcoVadis10-rated organisation, we are committed to tracking our progress, identifying areas for improvement, and contributing to a more sustainable future.

The healthcare industry has the power to heal – but now more than ever, it must also help heal the planet.

Sources

Abigail StuartApril 8, 2025