Nature

The sustainable use of natural resources can have positive long-term impacts on nature and society. We are committed to contributing to the global societal goal defined by the Nature Positive Initiative (PDF 0.4 MB) as “halt and reverse nature loss by 2030 on a 2020 baseline and achieve full recovery by 2050.” Our climate targets contribute to this ambition, and our approach to nature focuses on the additional areas of water, waste, and biodiversity and raw materials.
 

Water

Implement water use reduction for own and supplier sites based in water-stressed basins by 2030.

No water quality impacts from manufacturing effluents by 2030 from own manufacturing sites, labs and all active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) suppliers¹.
 

Waste

Reduce the amount of waste sent for disposal by 30% from a 2022 base year by 2030.

Biodiversity & raw materials

Assess the impact on nature at Novartis sites close to nature-sensitive areas and, where material, establish site-specific biodiversity management plans.

Water

For us, 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 endorse the CEO Water Mandate, committing us to action on water stewardship and to annual reporting on our progress.

Water use

We recognize that water is a valuable resource that needs to be used responsibly, particularly in regions of the world where it is scarce. Saving and recycling water are therefore priorities for our operations. We closely monitor all water streams into and out of our sites, which helps ensure effective management of water resources and costs. Sites are encouraged to use water from underground or surface sources for cooling because this can save energy in areas where water is abundant. However, we take care to do this in a sustainable way and without impacting the environment.

Water quality

Managing water quality includes preventing pharmaceuticals from entering the aquatic environment. Most pollution from pharmaceuticals is primarily due to excretions from patients and improper disposal of unused or expired medicine. Relatively small quantities can come from drug manufacturing effluents and R&D facilities. Water is crucial in drug production — as a solvent and for cleaning and cooling — and we actively manage pharmaceutical discharges, including antibiotics, from our own and our supplier production sites. 

Waste

We follow a clear waste management strategy with the goal to prevent, reduce or recycle waste — or use it as an energy source — before selecting safe disposal as an option. Waste prevention and reduction are always preferred to treatment, incineration or disposal. This helps to contain the overall environmental impact related to waste. 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.

Biodiversity and raw materials

In keeping with our support for the Nature Positive goal, we are assessing the impact of our sites close to nature-sensitive areas on the abundance, diversity, integrity and resilience of species, ecosystems and natural processes. We have also begun implementing a sustainable sourcing program.
 

For more information on our targets, aspirations and progress in relation to nature, see our Report on Nonfinancial Matters and Update on Public Commitments on our Reporting and Transparency Hub.