The pharmaceutical industry is stepping up efforts to decarbonize industrial heat, with Sanofi, UCB and Opella joining AstraZeneca as founding members of the Clean Heat Program launched by supply chain intelligence network Secaro and sustainability consultancy ERM.

 

The initiative aims to tackle one of the toughest challenges facing manufacturers: replacing fossil fuel-based heating across pharmaceutical supply chains with lower-carbon alternatives.

 

The program brings together pharmaceutical companies, technical specialists, funding options and clean heat solutions to address barriers that have slowed progress, including a lack of technical expertise, limited supplier engagement, funding constraints and the complexity of upgrading existing heat systems.

 

The push comes as companies face growing pressure to cut emissions not only from their own operations but across their wider value chains. The healthcare sector accounts for approximately 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to ERM.

 

Sanofi has committed to cutting its scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 90% between 2019 and 2045. UCB has set a target to reduce absolute scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 90% by 2045 from a 2019 baseline, while Opella has committed to cutting absolute emissions by 58.8% by 2034 and 90% by 2050, against a 2023 baseline.

 

All three companies' near- and long-term emissions targets have been validated by the Science Based Target initiative. AstraZeneca joined the Clean Heat Program as a founding member in December 2025.

 

Industrial heat is often among the largest remaining sources of operational emissions for manufacturers, making it a critical frontier for pharmaceutical companies pursuing net-zero targets.

 

“Heat has been one of the most challenging areas across the pharmaceutical value chain on the road to net zero, with high technical barriers, diverse supplier maturity and complex business cases,” said Giannis Kourousias, Sanofi Global Procurement Head - Environmental Responsibility. 

 

“By partnering with our peers, we can jointly develop solutions that will unblock suppliers in this critical area by providing deep technical expertise, support focusing on the right things and facilitating funding options.”

 

Opella said collaboration will be central to accelerating the transition.

 

"Decarbonizing industrial heat is an important challenge to tackle as part of our net zero ambition, and working on this with key partners is a must for developing lasting low-carbon solutions,” said Marissa Saretsky, Chief Sustainability Officer, Opella. 

 

“At Opella, our Health strategy recognizes the interconnected health of planet, people, and businesses. By partnering with Secaro, ERM and our fellow founding members, we are seizing all available opportunities to accelerate progress and help build a more sustainable, resilient healthcare system.”

 

The program is also expanding its technical network, with Secaro signing new partnerships with Schneider Electric and 3Degrees.

 

SE Advisory Services, Schneider Electric's global consulting practice, will provide suppliers with services including energy studies, investment-grade audits, metering gap analysis and energy management systems.

 

3Degrees will contribute expertise in renewable natural gas and biomethane procurement across US and European markets.

 

"Accelerating supply chain decarbonization requires streamlining pathways to implementation to the lower carbon alternatives,” said Dave Rimkus, Head of Global Supply Chain Decarbonization at SE Advisory Services. 

 

“Through initiatives like Energize, we have seen how collaboration can create these pathways to increase the uptake on renewable electricity adoption across value chains. We are excited to partner with Secaro and support the Clean Heat Program in bringing the same collaborative, action-oriented approach to one of the next frontiers of decarbonization: industrial heat.”

 

For Secaro, the initiative is intended to turn corporate climate targets into practical action across supplier networks.

 

“Reducing emissions across manufacturing, energy use and supply chains not only supports climate goals, but it also helps create a more sustainable and resilient healthcare system for future generations,” said Emily Prior, Chief Growth Officer at Secaro. 

 

“All our members on this program have set aggressive scope 1 targets for their own sites and have ambitious scope 1 targets for their suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint, and the program has been designed to help them achieve this. By decarbonizing heat in their supply chains, our members are also driving operational efficiencies, reducing reliance on volatile fossil fuel prices and preparing for future regulation. We look forward to working with Sanofi, UCB and Opella, and to welcoming businesses across other sectors.”

 

ERM said the focus on industrial heat reflects the scale and complexity of emissions reductions still required across manufacturing supply chains.

 

"Achieving climate targets requires organizations to look beyond their own operations and address emissions across their value chains," said Jon Hughes, Partner, Sustainable Products & Supply Chain at ERM. 

 

"For many manufacturers, decarbonizing industrial heat represents one of the largest and most technically complex opportunities to reduce emissions. By bringing together leading companies, experienced technical specialists, funding options and proven clean heat solutions, the Clean Heat Program helps organizations overcome barriers to adoption and deliver measurable emissions reductions throughout their supply chains. 

 

"The growing participation from leading pharmaceutical companies demonstrates the industry's commitment to turning net zero ambitions into action."