In the Spotlight
COP30: Acting early on chronic disease can support climate action
ArticleThe secret to better global health is in our genes
Article
Sustainable science – from the lab to the patient
Home / Sustainability / Sustainable science
Sustainability is embedded into everything we do – from the lab to the patient. We’re focused on reducing environmental impact, applying our science to drive health equity and working inclusively, openly and ethically.
Science that’s good for patients, good for the planet
Developing a new medicine takes many years and we know that early-stage scientific decisions, long before a potential medicine reaches the patient, can play a major role in their long-term sustainability.
We're applying sustainable science across everything we do, from R&D and manufacturing to how we engage with communities and health systems. By rethinking traditional processes, we're reducing waste, improving efficiency, and working to close healthcare gaps for lasting positive impact on people, society and the planet.
Discover sustainable science across our value chain
Designing sustainability into early discovery
Rather than making drugs in large batches, flow chemistry – a process that moves chemicals through a series of small, temperature‑controlled tubes – enables us to reduce heating and cooling demands, improve energy efficiency and have greater control when handling reactive steps.
We’re also using acoustic droplet ejection technology, which employs sound waves to “bounce” nanolitre droplets of compounds from one plate to another. This innovation has reduced the amount of compound required for screening by up to 100‑fold, while also lowering the carbon footprint associated with disposable plastic tips.
Reducing environmental impact through smarter R&D design
Across our R&D, we are embedding sustainability into how medicines are designed and developed.
For example, in the production of a cardiovascular medicine, we optimised route design – the process used to map chemical steps to manufacture a drug substance – and were able to cut waste and lower CO₂ emissions.
We’ve also adopted a circular approach to solvent use across our labs – collecting, purifying and reusing these essential materials while tracking their CO₂ impact. Doing so has helped us reduce carbon emissions and minimise waste in the manufacture of a cancer medicine.
Driving health equity – from R&D to clinical trials
At our Centre for Genomics Research, we build genomic datasets to represent the diversity of the people our medicines serve.
Our dataset spans more than 1.7 million human genomes, with nearly 40% from individuals of non‑European genetic ancestries – around four times the global average.1
Equity is also at the forefront of our approach to designing clinical programmes – from idea to inception to patient care. This includes ensuring clinical trial participants and trials better represent the patients who may use our medicines, which ensures we have a robust and reliable body of evidence.
Cutting emissions – across our global operations and supply chain
Through our science-based climate strategy, Ambition Zero Carbon, by the end of 2025, we reduced absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 88% since 2015, with multiple sites – from Mexico to Egypt and Sweden – already delivering a sustained 98% GHG reduction versus 2015. Our state-of-the-art research and development facilities, including The Discovery Centre (DISC), are also designed to lower energy consumption and use innovative clean heat and power solutions.
Our suppliers have an important role to play in helping us decarbonise our value chain and progress towards our science-based net zero target. We’re advocating for our suppliers to adopt science-based targets (SBTs) and by end of 2025, over 80% of our eligible spend was with suppliers who have committed to SBTs.
Green labs from R&D to manufacturing
Over 4,500 of our scientists have participated in My Green Lab Certification to embed sustainable science within our laboratories.
From R&D to our manufacturing supply network, we've reduced our environmental footprint through decreased energy, waste, and water usage, enabling 97 of our labs to achieve Green, the highest level of certification.
We have been recognised for our efforts in lab sustainability through our continued success in the My Green Lab and the I2SL: International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories Freezer Challenge. In 2025, we were recognised as the top organisation in the biotech and pharmaceutical sector and our Regional Human Biological Samples (HBS) Centre Gothenburg Lab received the small size lab winning streak award.
Sustainable patient care
We’re working to improve equitable access and reduce the environmental footprint of care by using the latest digital technologies for early screening and collaborating to decarbonise patient care pathways.
Optimising disease management and improving patient outcomes is one of the ways we believe we can reduce environmental impacts. That’s why we've developed a first-of-its-kind modelling tool, the CARe pathways Environmental Sustainability Assessment (CARESA), to quantify the environmental impact of interventions across patient care pathways.
We’re also driving product innovation, including transitioning our portfolio of pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDI) to a near-zero Global Warming Potential propellant, helping to ensure patient needs are met while reducing our climate footprint.
Our commitment to sustainable science is grounded in the principle that the medicines we aim to discover today should contribute to a healthier future for both people and the planet. By thoughtfully integrating sustainability into how we design, test and develop new molecules, we continue to prioritise approaches that support scientific progress while also working to minimise our environmental footprint.
Steve Rees, Senior Vice President, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca
Pioneering new approaches to sustainable science through innovative platforms and partnerships
We know that we need to work together to build resilient, equitable and net zero health systems. However innovative our own approach to sustainable science, working collaboratively with others is key to driving impact at pace and at scale.
In R&D, we have already made large components of our population-scale AI tools and insights available through our open access platforms, including MILTON, AZPheWAS and REINVENT, to support advancements globally. Our collaborative model enables researchers everywhere to build upon discoveries and advance scientific progress. It fosters transparency, minimises unnecessary duplication, reduces compute burden, and ensures discoveries can move faster and more sustainably.
We’re also partnering across and beyond the healthcare sector, to accelerate the delivery of net zero, resilient health systems through the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) Health Systems Task Force and the Partnership for Heath System Sustainability and Resilience.
References
- Mills, M.C., Rahal, C. The GWAS Diversity Monitor tracks diversity by disease in real time. Nat Genet 52, 242–243 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-020-0580-y
Veeva ID: Z4-83034
Date of preparation: June 2026