Pfizer
At a Glance
Industry
Health Care
Project Type
Sustainability and Energy Management Strategy
Year
2022
Location
New York, NY
Summary
Zexi “Cicy” Geng proposed updates to Pfizer’s Scope 3 methodology and sustainability-oriented communications to support Pfizer’s climate action goals.
Goals
Pfizer Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Recognizing environmental impacts on public health, Pfizer is committed to accelerating climate action and achieving the voluntary Net Zero standard by 2040.
The company enlisted Climate Corps Fellow Zexi “Cicy” Geng to support environmental sustainability by helping to update the calculation of the organization’s Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to share and communicate Pfizer’s sustainability initiatives.
Solutions
Working with the Global Environment, Health & Safety team, Geng focused on three projects.
- Emissions associated with active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) (Scope 3, Category 1)
APIs are an essential part of Pfizer’s business. After examining life cycle assessment research and interviewing experts in this field, Geng identified potential improvements for current API emission estimation. After reviewing literature and databases for over 500 substances and their carbon emissions, Geng proposed new emission factors for APIs, recommended tools to estimate API emissions with manufacturing data, and suggested supplier engagement and product-specific lifecycle data as the next steps. - Emissions associated with commuting and telecommuting (Scope 3, Category 7)
As remote working becomes commonplace, telecommuting emissions become more relevant. Geng researched and compared existing methodologies and reports for telecommuting GHG accounting. Geng drafted a survey to understand employee commuting and telecommuting and support further emission calculations. Geng also prepared a remote working guide for sustainability and climate considerations. - Sustainability repository
Additionally, Geng collaborated with the Global Supply Chain team to develop a repository to highlight stories from research and manufacturing sites.
Potential Impact
Geng’s recommendation to update part of the Scope 3 methodology is expected to support a better understanding of GHG emissions throughout the value chain and accelerate Pfizer’s transition toward Net Zero. The proposed internal telecommuting guide and sustainability repository will help enhance communication of and collaboration on Pfizer’s sustainability initiatives across teams.