Improving our environmental footprint contributes to mitigating the impacts of climate change on the planet and on human health. It also allows us to increase the efficiency of our operations. As such, it is integral to our business strategy, spanning two of our strategic priorities: embed operational excellence and build trust with society.

Our priorities

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Planet

Achieve climate and nature targets, including net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
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Patients

Develop sustainable products for patients, applying sustainable design principles for new products.
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People & Policy

Transform the sustainability mindset across our organization and collaborate with industry partners to influence change in our sector.

Our strategy and targets

Our ambition is to be a catalyst for positive change through our commitments in climate and nature. We aim to be a net-zero company by 2040 and contribute to nature positive.

Download the Novartis Environmental Sustainability Strategy (3 MB)

Climate

Become a net-zero company by 2040. Novartis is committed to using resources efficiently and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which affect the climate. Our ambition is to make the company both energy and climate resilient.

Nature - Water

Reduce water consumption and have no water quality impacts from manufacturing effluents.

For Novartis, responsible water management means using water efficiently and safely throughout the lifecycle of our products, including in our supply chain, and avoiding potential risks related to pharmaceuticals reaching the natural environment. We aim to be a water steward wherever we operate, working to achieve water sustainability and helping ensure sufficient and safe water.

Nature - Waste

Reduce waste sent for disposal and eliminate polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in product packaging.

Novartis is committed to keep the environmental impact from waste at a minimum and follows a clear waste management strategy. The aim is to prevent, reduce, recycle or use waste as an energy source, before selecting safe disposal as an option. Waste prevention and reduction is always preferred to treatment, incineration or disposal. This helps ensure the overall environmental impact related to waste remains minimal, while energy use from waste is maximized. All Novartis sites report waste data on a quarterly basis and our waste contractors are routinely audited to help ensure our waste is properly managed.

Our performance

Information about our progress against targets and our efforts to reduce our impacts on the environment is published in the Novartis in Society Integrated Report, which covers our business, strategy and performance, including environmental, social and governance topics.