“Sustainability questions have become a predominant interest amongst foreign delegations,” said John Murphy, Chief Policy Officer at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). Moderating a panel at the 2023 BIO International Convention about how biopharma and biomanufacturing are addressing climate change, he said that Europe once led discussions from a tactical standpoint, though the U.S. now plays a large role in the climate change conversation. 

And biopharma and biomanufacturing companies are working to address climate change, both in their own supply chains and more broadly, explained three industry leaders at the 2023 Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) International Convention.

How biopharma is addressing climate change

Wenny Raaijmakers, AVP for Manufacturing Operations at Organon, discussed the company’s broader strategy that goes beyond greenhouse gas emissions into water consumption, treatment, and waste. Organon’s greenhouse gas emission target is a 25% reduction by 2025. Within their supply chain, there are opportunities to meet this goal.

Organon found a way to reformulate their chemical production process in order to scale down from 25 to 8 steps, reducing solvent use by 70% and removing hazardous chemicals and heavy metals used in their processes. Greenhouse gas emissions at Organon are mainly in utilities—pressurized air, steam and, to a large extent, HVAC, in which a lot of their focus is placed.  If, according to Raaijmakers, HVAC was changed to a low-temperature system, energy consumption could be reduced.

Regarding Ginkgo’s climate and carbon policy, part of the company’s goal for automation is to change testing through unique tools and capabilities, such as replacing single-use pipettes with sound waves to move liquids, which would reduce the consumption of plastic, require smaller amounts of liquid, and reduce cost.

EuropaBio, one of Europe’s largest biotech trade associations, has always had an industrial biotechnology council. The organization recognizes a lot of companies are now incorporating biotechnology into all sectors, their processes, and products, including food, materials, and energy.

Biotechnology has become more sustainable than traditional manufacturing processes by playing a role in substantially reducing the number of steps involving hazardous material, replacing the use of resources requiring extraction from nature, and creating competition in which product complexity has become part of the design. When it comes to active pharmaceutical ingredients, or APIs, which are manufactured outside of Europe, Claire Skentelbery, Director General at EuropaBio, addressed microbial fermentation as a potential source for APIs. This could be both environmentally responsible and commercially competitive.

Centering sustainability

There are several hurdles in advancing biotechnology to accelerate the goal of zero carbon and climate-zero emissions. Jennifer Wipf, SVP of Commercial at Ginkgo, explained how time and money matter when controlling the pace for bringing new products to market. Despite this, Ginkgo maintains a continued effort to reduce the time and cost burden, involving either a pharmaceutical product, replacement to synthetic fertilizers, or moving towards bio-based alternatives. Many solutions are necessary to invoke the probability of success within the unique challenges of each sector. Raaijmakers added that “the biggest challenges for Organon, given the extent of industrial regulation, are their power to execute and the tendency to overcomplicate the process.”

As for EuropaBio, Skentelbery highlighted the “importance of regulation in order to incentivize companies to make changes.” In addition, having a “globally level playing field to allow large capital investment that would encourage the change into a more sustainable manufacturing process.” Additional points included the “need to recognize sustainable [manufacturing] within taxonomy and purchasing programs, the necessity to align policies, and the importance of entire sectors making a unified change.”

There has been an executive order on bioeconomy and the national security commission on biotechnology to move the American economy toward a bioeconomy. Potential obstacles inhibiting this change “include the plan for its implementation and ways to bring different parts of the ecosystem together to support the plans in a collaborative way,” Wipf explained. Governments around the world are struggling with the costs of healthcare. Raaijmakers suggested “there is a drive to reach out to low-cost API sources” as a result. The struggle is when “sourcing a local supply chain to maintain self-sufficiency versus helping the government address affordable healthcare issues around the world.”

In a time where climate reduction, supply chain resiliency, and nationalism are the focus of industry, how does patient advocacy remain a global priority? Skentelbery recalled the message learned during the COVID-19 pandemic in that “there are some vital components of medicine only produced by one company in the world. Local capacity and flexibility are necessary to reach healthcare targets. This is the reason global supply chains need to be strengthened and made more resilient.” 

Biomanufacturing will drive change

A challenge within regulatory oversight, according to Wipf, is “there are no industry standards or common ways to discuss the impacts of saving water or energy. Until this exists, it is difficult to link the changes to the impact being made. Many governments are becoming aware of the potential impact of biotechnology though are not yet making the necessary link to include it as a possible solution.” There remains a lack of understanding of the inclusive benefit of biotechnology and the knowledge to advance existing technology for the benefit of climate change.

Wipf concluded by saying, “Bio-based products, which align with our preferred quality of life involving food, transportation, hygiene, and healthcare, must be created before meaningful change can occur. Synthetic biology can contribute to cutting emissions and removing greenhouse gasses and already is.” What is now needed is the willingness to understand its potential impact. 

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