Public Wants Pharmaceutical Manufacturers to Disclose Carbon Footprint

A new study by YewMaker reveals the public supports both transparency and action on the carbon emissions of medicines.

Key Findings

The NHS has committed to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045, making it essential to address medicine-related emissions, which account for a quarter of the NHS carbon footprint.

Looking to gauge public sentiment on medicine carbon footprints, YewMaker conducted a survey across the UK, US, Australia, and France with 1,304 respondents.

The survey revealed that a majority of people believe it is important for healthcare and medicine manufacturers and suppliers to work together to reduce carbon emissions related to medicines.

The survey also revealed that:

Qualitative research, including one-on-one interviews, uncovered a preference among individuals for information on medicines they could buy themselves compared with medicines prescribed for them, as they felt it could empower them to make environmentally conscious decisions.

"This research demonstrates a strong public desire for the NHS and pharmaceutical companies to measure and mitigate the carbon footprint of medicines, which account for a large proportion of NHS emissions," said Nazneen Rahman, CEO at YewMaker. "YewMaker is developing MCF Classifier to provide standardised carbon footprints for thousands of medicines, equipping healthcare professionals with the knowledge they need to make carbon-informed decisions about medicines."

MCF Classifier, supported by SBRI Healthcare and the Greener NHS, harnesses data science and green chemistry prediction metrics to calculate the carbon emissions per dose for more than 2,000 medicines. These emissions are categorised into four MCF Ratings, facilitating comparisons, and benchmarking. YewMaker is set to launch the MCF Formulary, a web application, in early 2024, making the MCF Ratings accessible to all.