SECTORS / GICS-352020 / TRANSITIONS

Pharma Manufacturing · transition pathways

← all sectors

The recognised primary transition pathway for pharma manufacturing, plus the upstream sectors pharma manufacturing firms depend on for their own decarbonisation. A consulting firm cutting business travel still needs aviation to decarbonise; a REIT cutting tenant energy still needs the grid to clean up. These are the rate limiters.

Primary pathway

SBTi 1.5°C corporate + PSCI + My Green Lab

No pharma-specific SBTi pathway yet. Most majors align via SBTi general 1.5°C corporate targets. PSCI (Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative) drives upstream supplier engagement. My Green Lab certifies lab-energy reduction.

Reference ↗
Decarbonisation pathways
hover to read · click to pin
02550751002020203020402050
Year readout

Hover the chart to read off Best / Realistic / Worst values at any year. Click to pin the readout.

2050 endpoint:
Best 0% · Worst 70%
Corporate Scope 1+2 absolute emissions · % of 2020 emissions · base 2020 · Source: SBTi 1.5°C corporate criteria (4.2% YoY) · Race to Zero · BAU
Dependant pathways· 4

Upstream sectors pharma manufacturing firms rely on. The faster these decarbonise, the faster the firm can hit its own targets — even when it does everything in its control.

Power & electricity

Scope 2

Cleanroom HVAC and lab energy are grid-bound. Faster grid decarbonisation cuts the largest direct lever.

framework:IEA Net Zero by 2050 (Power), Ember Global Electricity Review
Decarbonisation pathways
0501002020203020402050
Best0%
Realistic15%
Worst60%
Grid carbon intensity · % of 2020 gCO2/kWh · base 2020
Source: IEA WEO 2023 — NZE / APS / STEPS

API + chemicals supply chain

Scope 3 · cat 1

Active ingredient synthesis is the largest S3 bucket. Decarbonisation pace of bulk chemicals + fine chemicals manufacturers in Asia caps progress.

framework:SBTi Chemicals (sector pathway), PSCI Energy Working Group

HFC refrigerants + propellants

Scope 1 + Scope 3 · cat 4 + cat 11

Cold-chain HFC leaks + MDI propellants. Kigali Amendment phase-down sets the schedule.

framework:Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol

Aviation

Scope 3 · cat 6 + cat 4

Clinical trial sample shipping + global team travel. Cold-chain air freight is doubly energy-intensive.

framework:IATA Fly Net Zero 2050
Decarbonisation pathways
07515020192020203020402050
Best0%
Realistic50%
Worst150%
Aviation CO2 (commercial) · % of 2019 absolute CO2 · base 2019
Source: IATA Fly Net Zero, ICAO LTAG, BAU (~3% pa growth)
Decarbonisation by location — coming soon

Once we have HQ + operations location data per firm in this cohort, we'll overlay Ember grid-carbon-intensity data per country so you can see the geographical decarbonisation tailwind (or headwind) each firm is operating against.

Source: ember-energy.org · Global Electricity Review + per-country grid carbon intensity (gCO2/kWh).