AstraZeneca plans to have zero carbon emissions from its global operations by 2025 and be carbon negative by 2030, the drugmaker announced Jan. 22 at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
The plan, called "Ambition Zero Carbon," includes doubling the company's energy productivity, using renewable energy for both power and heat, and using only electric vehicles.
Having zero carbon emissions means the drugmaker won't put any carbon into the atmosphere, while carbon negative means it is taking steps to reduce the amount of carbon already in the atmosphere.
The drugmaker also plans to help its suppliers reduce emissions and figure out carbon removal options, since emissions from its partners are significantly larger than from its own operations. The entire chain plans to be carbon negative by 2030.
Another part of the plan includes partnering with One Tree Planted, a company that focuses on tree reforestation, to plant 50 million trees. The first trees will be planted in Australia next month, with France, Indonesia and other countries to follow.
AstraZeneca is also developing an inhaler to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that does not have any global warming potential propellants and plans to launch it by 2025.
AstraZeneca said it will invest as much as $1 billion to achieve "Ambition Zero Carbon."
Read the full news release here.