Energize Programme: a shared commitment to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy in the pharmaceutical sector

The Chiesi Group, which has always been active in the challenge against climate change, supports the Energize Programme which aims to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy within the pharmaceutical value chain.

Energize, the result of a collaborative effort between companies in the industry and Schneider Electric, was launched in 2021 to inform and provide functional support to suppliers to purchase renewable electricity in the market. 

The Programme thus formed the first unit, or procurement cohort, consisting of 7 companies, enabling an aggregate electricity demand of 1 terawatt-hour (TWh) in Europe and North America. In concrete, this innovative cohort model allows participants to procure electricity together on a large scale through a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA): by aggregating electricity demand, companies can find more financially sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. The project has so far also facilitated the direct purchase of renewable energy through energy attribute certificates (EACs) in North America and aspires to provide aggregated purchasing opportunities in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

One year after its first launch on occasion of COP26, the Energize Programme has revealed that is now supported by 15 sponsoring companies: Chiesi Group, Boehringer Ingelheim, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Msd, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda. A total of 364 suppliers were recruited, representing 22.1 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity demand.

For Chiesi, the decision to support Energize represents a further concrete commitment to decarbonisation and the transition towards clean energy.

The Chiesi Group aims to become Net Zero by 2035, reducing its greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible and balancing its residual emissions. And since a large part of the impact comes from the propellant contained in some products, the Group is engaged in a total re-engineering of metered dose inhalers to reduce the carbon footprint of inhalers by up to 90%. The plan involves an investment of €350 million over 7 years.

In addition, the company considers crucial to share the value generated by running its business. “As a Benefit Company and certified B Corp, we strongly believe in interdependence, which means that all elements that make up a given system are interconnected and depend on each other,” says Guido D'Agostino, Global Procurement Head of the Chiesi Group. 

According to this perspective, the Supply Chain consisting of over 16 thousand suppliers is considered as an Ecosystem where each one is essential for the others, in a process of mutual learning. The outcome of this continuous dialogue is the Chiesi Code of Interdependence, a tool that all the players in this Ecosystem can use to evolve towards a more sustainable and inclusive value chain, tackling together the most urgent social challenges such as the fight against climate change and respect for human rights.