Advancing Environmentally Sustainable Operations

We’re committed to minimizing our impact, on the environment while safeguarding a reliable supply of medicine. That entails systematic and continuous work to identify and mitigate risks posed by our operations as well as encouraging opportunities to go above and beyond. Environmental and human health are interconnected, a relationship underscored by climate change, air pollution and water stress, which are among the key environmental issues we focus on with our global approach to environmental stewardship.

Since creating Viatris, we have established new policies and practices that leverage the combined talents and deep knowledge of our Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) professionals around the globe.

Minimizing Our Environmental Footprint

As a company with a truly global presence in terms of our own operations and workforce, patients that we serve and partners on which we depend, we must address climate change head on. For us, that includes systematic work to reduce carbon emissions, increasing the use of renewable energy, enhancing efficiency in our own operations and working with partners to encourage their efforts. We are also working to protect our employees and operations from the impact of climate change through effective planning, risk mitigation, and building resilience from the impact of extreme weather.

We have formally committed to:

  • Reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 42% by 2030 and reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions covering purchase goods and services, capital goods, fuel and energy related alternatives and upstream transportation and distribution 25% by 2030, using a 2020 baseline.
  • Perform water risk assessments for all locations in high or extremely-high water risk areas as identified by the World Resource Institute and identify appropriate water conservation initiatives by 2025.
  • Achieve a 50% increase in our number of zero landfill locations by 2030, using a 2020 baseline.

Working to Reduce Emissions in Our Supply Chain

We have been working across our supply chain to reduce carbon emissions from our logistics, including reducing the environmental impact of all three of our freight transportation modes: road, ocean and air. We are planning for longer lead times so we can use ocean freight which is less GHG intensive than air. To support that while ensuring timely access to medicine, we have developed a rapid response system and established new standard operating procedures, where ocean freight is the standard mode. In the past, fewer than 50% of products were shipped via ocean. Today, more than 60% of our products are shipped via ocean. As timely access to medicine is the superior priority, there are exceptions where speed is of the essence.

“A healthy planet is vital to accomplishing our mission of empowering people to live healthier at every stage of life. That’s why we consider water consumption when evaluating products, continually evaluate new technologies to reduce our emissions, waste, and wastewater and employ innovative thinkers who constantly look for new ways to make our production processes more sustainable.”

Sanjeev Sethi
Chief Operating Officer, Viatris

Making a Difference

Our 2021 Sustainability Report details our commitments to stakeholders as we seek to empower people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life.

Read the report

Viatris 2021 Sustainability Report Fact Sheet
A letter from our CEO Michael Goettler