2024-11-06 09:00:00
As part of its policy to combat climate change, France has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% between 1990 and 2030, as well as to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. To achieve these objectives, all sectors of activity must be reformed, including the French health system. This alone represents more than 8% of national emissions, according to figures from the “Decarbonizing Health” report, published by the Shift Project, and taken up by the government.
As official guidelines slowly come into place, some pharmaceutical companies are taking the lead in trying to reduce their environmental impact. While large structures benefit from significant resources of their own, and small ones, from public aid, mid-sized companies (ETI) must demonstrate organization and method to achieve the objectives they have set for themselves, in in line with the commitments of their sector.
“Mid-sized companies are more agile than large companies. However, the cost associated with this transition still requires us to plan investments to better absorb expenses,” explains Loïc Allanos who, after working for more than twenty years at Servier, joined Septodont, in January 2023, as a as environment and sustainable development director. Based in the Paris area, Septodont is a French laboratory, specializing in dental anesthetics, which employs nearly 2,200 employees, half of whom are in France. And the company has made its low-carbon policy a strategic priority. “This is a reality that we can no longer ignore and each society must take its responsibilities on the subject,” he underlines.
An approach on all scopes
Since 2021, Septodont has implemented new governance, within its executive committee, aimed at structuring and accelerating its approach. An evolution which was also reflected at the level of its sites. The ETI has recruited two “energy representatives” dedicated to these issues, on its industrial sites in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés (94, France) and Cambridge (Canada), to lead its ecological transition.
For approximately six months, Septodont carried out an inventory of its direct and indirect emissions, item by item. Enough to assess the weight of production (scope 1) in its carbon footprint. “We measured that 12% of emissions were directly linked to our production activities,” confides Loïc Allanos. And at the level of its production lines, the company has decarbonized its processes by switching from gas to electricity, and by replacing its machines to improve the energy efficiency of its factories.
And the laboratory does not intend to stop there, since it would like to “gradually increase the share of renewable energy until 2032”, without however defining a precise target. On the packaging side, the room for maneuver was more limited. The anesthetic cartridges are made up of a glass bottle set with an aluminum capsule, two components which have not been modified for reasons of regulatory complexity, in particular. Consequently, to reduce its balance sheet on this item, Septodont has targeted the use of plastic in its secondary packaging.
And, without much surprise, gains were made in scope 3, via logistics and transport. In addition, “we are working on reducing air transport for the international delivery of our products, which should allow us to reduce our emissions in this area by almost 10%”, figures the manager. Septodont has also grouped its orders in order to limit its shipments. Employee mobility has also made it possible to reduce scope 3 emissions. Septodont notably recently acquired a fleet of electric bicycles and implemented a sustainable mobility package.
Still on scope 3, once these changes were made, the ETI focused on its suppliers. “We are gradually integrating CSR criteria, such as the environmental policy or the company’s carbon footprint, in the choice of these partners,” indicates the laboratory. Septodont, which has six industrial sites in France, Canada, Brazil and India, has already managed to reduce its emissions in scopes 1&2 by 10%, between 2022 and 2023.
Septodont has three sites in Europe, in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés (94), in Mazamet (81) as well as in Spain, following the acquisition of its competitor Inibsa.
(Credit: Septodont)
From now on, the company will have to reconcile growth and decarbonization. The laboratory has made good progress in recent years, particularly through acquisitions. Septodont, for example, acquired Sanofi’s dental health division in April 2022, adding four drugs to its portfolio, as well as associated medical devices. More recently, the French signed the takeover of its main Spanish competitor Inibsa, further expanding its production capacities. By recovering the activity of the Spanish company, Septodont now produces around 865 million cartridges per year.
And the company takes its role as a model to heart on the environmental subject. At the end of September, Septodont welcomed around twenty business leaders who are members of the Bpifrance Health Industries Accelerator, to its Saint-Maur-des-Fossés (94) site, to present its activity and its environmental strategy. A way of showing that even mid-sized companies had ideas to share.
Ecovamed supports decarbonization
Due to a lack of internal resources, some pharmaceutical companies choose to seek help to achieve their decarbonization. The French company Ecovamed has dedicated its activity to supporting players in the sector in reducing their carbon footprint. To enable companies to circumvent the time and cost obstacles that they often encounter, Ecovamed is developing a method, associated with drug databases, to carry out the inventory necessary for their approach.
This tool was chosen by the State to serve as a reference for future national policies.
“Laboratories will thus be able to calculate their environmental impact themselves and adopt appropriate solutions to reduce it,” rejoices Sébastien Taillemite, president of Ecovamed.
Specialist in the analysis of the life cycles of pharmaceutical products, in connection with eco-design, Ecovamed has also developed a carbon footprint comparator to help manufacturers choose between producing a single-use medical device and favoring a product reusable.
The tool, available online on its website, takes into account the material used, the origin of manufacture, the stages of the sterilization process and the management of the waste generated.
There remains an obstacle, common to many mid-sized companies, that of financing.
“Many laboratories have very strong ambitions, but it is not always easy to finance them,” continues the president of Ecovamed, who encourages arbitration to determine possible actions in the short term. Furthermore, these changes can take time, because the regulations force companies to undertake numerous administrative procedures.
A disadvantage that players in the sector, like Sébastien Taillemite, deplore: “We would find it rather healthy for the authorities to favor regulatory changes, when an environmental impact has been measured and can be mitigated.”
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**Interview with Loïc Allanos, Environment and Sustainable Development Director at Septodont**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us today, Loïc. France has set ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving carbon neutrality. Can you explain how Septodont is aligning with these national commitments?
**Loïc Allanos:** Thank you for having me. At Septodont, we recognize the urgency of addressing climate change, especially since our sector contributes significantly to national emissions. We’ve made low-carbon policy a strategic priority and have implemented new governance to accelerate our ecological transition. This includes a detailed inventory of our emissions and setting tangible objectives across all scopes of our operations.
**Editor:** You mentioned a focus on your emissions inventory. What were your findings, and how do you plan to address them?
**Loïc Allanos:** We found that direct production activities accounted for 12% of our emissions, primarily from energy usage. To tackle this, we’ve transitioned from gas to electricity for our production processes and are investing in more energy-efficient machinery. Additionally, we aim to increase our renewable energy usage gradually by 2032.
**Editor:** With regards to packaging, you’ve mentioned regulatory complexities that limit changes. What strategies are you employing to manage this challenge?
**Loïc Allanos:** Yes, the anesthetic cartridges we produce have certain regulatory constraints. However, we are actively working on improving the sustainability of our secondary packaging by incorporating more plastic where possible. This allows us to mitigate our environmental impact while staying compliant with regulations.
**Editor:** Logistics and transport have been identified as significant contributors to emissions, particularly in scope 3. How is Septodont addressing this?
**Loïc Allanos:** We’ve implemented measures to reduce air transport for international deliveries, projected to decrease emissions by about 10%. We’re also optimizing our logistics by grouping orders to minimize shipments, and we’ve launched a sustainable mobility initiative with a fleet of electric bicycles for employee transportation. This holistic approach is crucial for reducing our overall carbon footprint.
**Editor:** It’s impressive to see such proactive strategies from a mid-sized company. How are you collaborating with your suppliers to promote sustainability?
**Loïc Allanos:** We’re integrating CSR criteria into our supplier selection process, assessing their environmental policies and carbon footprints. This not only helps us reduce emissions in our supply chain but also encourages our partners to adopt more sustainable practices.
**Editor:** Lastly, Septodont has expanded its operations through acquisitions while focusing on sustainability. How do you plan to balance growth with your environmental goals?
**Loïc Allanos:** Balancing growth and decarbonization is indeed a challenge, but we believe it’s achievable. Our recent acquisitions, such as Sanofi’s dental health division and Inibsa, will enhance our production capacity without compromising our commitment to sustainability. We plan to approach every new venture with our low-carbon strategy in mind, ensuring that growth goes hand in hand with responsible environmental stewardship.
**Editor:** Thank you, Loïc, for sharing Septodont’s innovative approach to tackling climate change. It’s inspiring to see how mid-sized companies are taking significant strides towards sustainability.
**Loïc Allanos:** Thank you; it’s been a pleasure to discuss our initiatives. We hope to lead by example and encourage others in the industry to take action as well.
