PING Conference 2025 - Key takeaways

At the 2025 PING Conference, it was clear that pharma must act now. Changes in attitudes to sustainability have created several risks and opportunities, which come from various stakeholders and potential events. Organisations must consider material and reputational risks, competitive opportunity, as well as the opinions and values of employees, clients and consumers.

Giving an overview of the different factors facing organisations, Charlotte Biddlecombe, Sustainability Manager at DLRC, addressed the urgency of sustainability challenges and the commercial risks of neglecting the topic.

Climate change, and the issue of sustainability, poses a multifaceted threat to businesses, where the cost of failing to act is near unquantifiable. The increased frequency of natural disasters and extreme weather patterns will affect manufacturing locations, offices, and utility supplies as well as supply chains. With increased stakeholder pressure on businesses to do the right thing, some may face reputational damage from greenwashing, which could also lead to penalties or investor or other stakeholder distrust.

From a talent retention perspective, the workforce will become ever more ESG-orientated in their attitude towards working culture as the next generations come into the workplace - particularly as 76% of millennials now consider a business's ESG commitment before deciding to work there.

What about other stakeholders? Just looking at AstraZeneca's Sustainability Report, they emphasise that they want to work only with suppliers whose values are consistent with theirs. Meanwhile, GSK requires their suppliers to take action on carbon, power, heat, transport, water, waste and deforestation-free sourcing of materials.

Why does everyone need to take sustainability seriously? Because of the ethical impacts and the damage to life on the planet, but also the commercial reality with the material effects on business. Change takes time, but the earlier that businesses can act, the more they can gain a competitive advantage from being an early adopter. Conversely, the later this is left, the greater the risk and harm. Charlotte went on to ask whether Conference attendees had done a gap analysis about what their competitors were doing and whether they were reporting - did they have policies in place?

Charlotte shared DLRC’s own sustainability initiatives, including updating their Articles of Association to include stakeholders, implementing external reporting, and creating a robust sustainability policy. Sustainability is simply too important to ignore and taking definitive steps now to understand your businesses' carbon data and how to create a robust sustainability strategy will be essential to risk management in the future.

Key takeaways

The Conference had various different speakers who all addressed different aspects of sustainability. What Charlotte covered brilliantly was that doing nothing was not an option, because there are various different stakeholders - from mission-led staff to finance to other players in the sector - who are all demanding action. Meanwhile, failure to act means the challenge gets harder later and competitors will be getting ahead.

Sustainability is an imperative and it cannot be delayed. 

At the 2025 PING Conference, a clear theme that emerged was the indirect impact of regulation on all organisations, so that even if smaller organisations do not need to meet legal requirements themselves, the flowdown from larger organisations means that this is the case in reality.

Following on from a jargon buster that got everyone up to speed, Andrew Griffiths, Director of Policy and Corporate Development at Planet Mark, explored these issues with an insightful presentation.

Andrew highlighted the increasing regulatory pressures businesses face, particularly in the context of sustainability and carbon reporting. He emphasised the growing demand for transparency across supply chains, driven by international frameworks and evolving client expectations.

A key theme of the session was the "regulatory waterfall" effect, where sustainability requirements cascade through supply chains. Scope 3 emissions, which cover indirect emissions from activities such as procurement and logistics, are becoming a focal point. Andrew noted that businesses will increasingly face pressure from their largest clients to disclose and manage these emissions, reflecting a shift towards more holistic carbon accountability.

The UK Net Zero Census revealed that one third of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have already been asked to provide carbon data, even in the absence of formal requirements directly regulating these businesses. This highlights the proactive stance many larger organisations are taking to meet their own sustainability goals. 

Andrew explored the role of international drivers in shaping carbon reporting, such as the Paris Climate Agreement, and then other international initiatives flowing from that, such as the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), SECR in the UK, the EU Omnibus Package; then there are voluntary frameworks such as EcoVadis, ISO 14064, and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which are gaining traction - helping businesses align with global best practices.

Andrew also touched on sector-specific initiatives, such as the NHS supplier requirements, which demand carbon reduction plans, modern slavery compliance and adherence to social value standards. These long-term roadmaps are setting clear benchmarks for suppliers within the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector whilst the sector does not have any specific sustainability regulations governing day-to-day practice.

Key takeaways

Whether a business is directly impacted by the legislation such as the EU Omnibus Package or they are coming in the form of other best practice initiatives, various players in the sector are requiring others they work with to comply with these. So doing nothing is not an option.

Sustainability requirements will affect you even if indirectly. 

At the 2025 PING Conference, there were various stakeholders that were highlighted as being important - but none more so than the NHS. The NHS is the customer and is leading the field in addressing sustainability challenges, and failing to meet the NHS's needs means that businesses will not be considered as suppliers. The position is already well advanced, so delay is not an option.

Peter Morgan, Head of Medicines Net Zero at NHS England, shed light on the NHS's path to net zero and how it is helping its suppliers to meet the NHS requirements.

Explaining the imperative underpinning the requirement to change, Peter commented that climate change poses a significant risk to the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector as more extreme weather patterns, such as flooding and heatwaves, will exacerbate health crises and place pressure on suppliers. The sector has significant emissions and medicines in particular account for 20% of the NHS's emissions.

The NHS is big - with 1.4 million healthcare professionals - and is the seventh largest organisation in the world, with £180bn of spend and 80,000 suppliers. The NHS looks to deliver high-quality care for all, and unless the NHS can respond to the climate crisis, it will not be able to continue delivering high-quality care for all. For the NHS, this means hitting Net Zero by 2040 for its carbon footprint, with a more ambitious target of an 80% reduction in emissions even sooner.

The NHS is the leading health system on sustainability - being the first to embed net zero ambitions into legislation through the Health and Care Act. These ambitions are being reflected in the standards that the NHS is setting for itself and its suppliers.

There are already two requirements in the NHS's procurements:

1. Complete an Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment.
2. Create a carbon reduction plan to align with the Cabinet Office PPN 06/21.

The NHS Net Zero Supplier Roadmap requires all suppliers to publicly commit to and report all Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions by April 2027 in the form of a carbon reduction plan, which will be underpinned by a commitment to Net Zero by 2050. So, in under two years, the NHS will be broadening the scopes to include all of Scope 3 emissions and widen these from UK emissions to global emissions as well as aligning to the NHS Net Zero target.

So far, Peter reported that supplier engagement has been strong with 60% of suppliers undergoing the Evergreen Sustainable Supplier Assessment to start their journey and 10% already having a carbon reduction plan in place. Peter recognised there is a long way to go, but progress has been encouraging within the sector so far.

Peter added other things that the NHS is doing to take a lead, including working with BSI to set an international standard for measuring and reporting on the environmental impact of medicines in order to support collaborative action.

Key takeaways

The Conference heard from different stakeholders, but if anyone was in doubt about the importance the NHS is placing on achieving Net Zero, then the Conference will have changed that. It was clear that the NHS is leading the way, creating a gold standard and if anyone wants to be engaging with the NHS, particularly from April 2027, they need to be on top of all of their emissions and have a carbon reduction plan in place. 

Understanding the NHS's timelines is important if you want to supply to the NHS. 

At the 2025 PING Conference, the message was unequivocal: sustainability has evolved from a peripheral concern to a central driver of value across the pharmaceutical industry. No longer a "nice to have", ESG is now foundational to brand value, talent attraction and retention, consumer confidence, and investment readiness. For business leaders and stakeholder relations professionals, this shift demands not only attention but action.

A magnet for talent

Helene Wilson – Head of HR, Communication and Sustainability, Nordic Pharma

Helene Wilson highlighted insights on sustainability as a driver of employee engagement and talent retention.

In a standout session on workforce dynamics, Helene made a compelling case: today’s employees want to work for employers that stand for something. 74% of employees quote an employer's commitment to sustainability as a key factor in their job satisfaction. Internal research has also showed that participation in sustainability programmes is linked to a 30% increase in job satisfaction and engagement. This results in improved performance.

Whilst surveys have shown that there is not a huge difference between gender and geography, there is with generations. The keenness to engage is particularly true for Millennials and Gen Z, now the dominant cohorts in the labour market. 75% of them cite climate change as a source of stress influencing their career choices, and over 40% say they would consider changing jobs over concerns about an employer’s environmental record. 55% of job seekers are more likely to apply to an employer with strong sustainability and CSR programmes. For forward-looking organisations, embedding sustainability into their DNA is not just about social impact — it’s a competitive advantage in the war for talent.

Trust through transparency

Amber Harrison – Sustainability Consultant, Grain Sustainability

Amber Harrison addressed how consumer expectations are reshaping the pharmaceutical industry’s approach to packaging and product communication. 

Consumer expectations are evolving rapidly. In a session on packaging and public perception, Amber underscored that vague claims like "eco-friendly" are losing credibility. What today’s consumers really want is specificity: carbon impact disclosures, recyclability, and honest, clear labelling.

For the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector — where product safety and regulation are paramount — the challenge is to marry innovation with transparency. Refillable packaging, QR code disclosures, and verified claims are gaining traction, but they must be implemented without compromising trust. Sustainable design must go hand-in-hand with clear communication.

Access to capital now depends on ESG

Professor Dr Funke Abimbola MBE – Corporate Finance Lawyer - in conversation with Dr Matthew Konneh – Business Consultant and Venture Capital Adviser

Professor Dr Funke Abimbola MBE and Dr Matthew Konneh explored how sustainability is influencing the financial side of the pharma industry. They reported that sustainability clauses are increasingly embedded into finance agreements, particularly around supply chain transparency and measurable environmental metrics.

Funke noted a broader shift to stakeholder models, where long-term value is prioritised over short-term gain. "The days of sustainability being an optional extra are over," she remarked. "It’s now a core condition for funding."  Funke described a scenario she had been involved with where the banks were increasingly looking for sustainability criteria as a condition of lending.

Matthew spoke from a venture capital perspective, observing that start-ups now face greater scrutiny around sustainability when it comes to people investing money.

ESG is no longer a tick-box exercise — it is a prerequisite. Whether pitching to venture capital or negotiating with institutional lenders or receiving lending, founders and executives are under growing pressure to show how sustainability is embedded in their strategy from the outset.

From R&D and clinical trials to supply chain logistics, ESG metrics are now being used to assess risk, resilience and long-term viability. Sustainability has become a shorthand for operational discipline and forward planning. Investors are signalling clearly: no ESG, no capital.

Implications for leadership

The Conference's sessions left no doubt — sustainability must be integrated, measurable and aligned with core business goals. Whether it's engaging employees through purposeful initiatives, innovating packaging to meet regulatory and public expectations, or preparing investor or lender-ready ESG reporting, sustainability now touches every aspect of enterprise value.

The takeaway for leadership? This is not about optics. It’s about doing something - and this is important for growth and resilience, and it is increasingly relevant in an economy where value is increasingly defined by impact and a clear mission rather than just making money.

Sustainability is no longer an add-on. It’s the strategy. Is your business ready to lead? 

At the 2025 PING Conference, there was a lot of talk about the various stakeholders that are putting pressure on pharma leaders on the issue of sustainability - such as the NHS, customers, consumers, funders and money lenders, mission-led staff and others in the supply chain. But what can actually be done about it?

There were two great sessions from Madelyn Postman, Joint Managing Director of GRAIN Sustainability, and Césaré Cejas, Co-Founder of MFX.

Madelyn explained how sustainability in the pharmaceutical sector starts with a straightforward process: Assess > Plan > Implement. Central to this is the materiality assessment, which identifies key environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues based on input from internal (employees, board, shareholders) and external (clients, customers, regulators) stakeholders.

Using interviews and surveys, organisations map these priorities in a materiality matrix, showing what matters most to stakeholders and where the business has the most significant impact. This insight drives strategy, starting with a baseline, gap analysis, and ambition setting, leading to clear KPIs, internal training, and policy updates.

Global frameworks support these efforts, including:

• SBTi (50% CO2 reduction);
• ISO 14001 (environmental management);
• PSCI (ethical pharma supply chains);
• UN Global Compact, Ecovadis, and B Corp certification.

By embedding sustainability into their core strategy, pharmaceutical businesses can drive meaningful change while meeting stakeholder expectations.

Césaré explained that biopharma is among the most waste-intensive industries. It is heavily reliant on single-use systems made from polystyrene, which supports high productivity but results in significant energy use and operational waste.

He mentioned that transitioning to a circular economy is challenging but achievable through small, strategic changes:

• Improve equipment efficiency by switching off unused systems or upgrading to energy-saving models.
• Review consumables use by reusing glass, sterilising plastics, and tightening internal policies can reduce waste.
• Adopt better waste management practices by sorting, recycling, and reducing hazardous waste handling errors.
• Explore energy loops: companies like Novo Nordisk have built an ecosystem in Kalundborg that sees one person's waste repurposed as raw materials in other processes (such as gypsum).

Even small businesses can benefit by identifying sustainability goals and forming symbiotic partnerships. Starting with low-hanging fruit can lead to a bigger impact, without compromising operational performance.

Key takeaways

It is easy to be overawed by the scale of what is needed. However, as Madelyn showed, it is about getting started on the process and once you take the first small steps then others will follow. And for Césaré, it's all about challenging our thoughts - what small changes can we make to make the world more sustainable?

Sustainability is about the art of the possible to make a difference. 

At the 2025 PING Conference, it was clear that most of the carbon emissions faced by most organisations are Scope 3. So, what can be done about that? It involves working with suppliers up the supply chain.

Andrew Griffiths, Director of Policy and Corporate Development at Planet Mark, and Cassandra Brown, Commercial Director at Manufacture 2030, discussed what to do about suppliers - a large contributor to Scope 3. They looked particularly at businesses tied to manufacturing and supply chains, as this represented most of their significant carbon footprint.

Cassandra said that is where Manufacture 2030 has been able to comes in. Since 2003, their data-driven platform has supported major organisations like AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and GSK in taking action on their science-based targets. This means working with their supply chain to ensure sustainability is measured and improved.

For many companies, the most significant emissions come from purchasing goods and services (Category 1). So, what is the next step once you know this? Granular supplier data is often gathered through focused materiality assessments. Manufacture 2030 simplifies this by using a single, thoughtful questionnaire to avoid survey fatigue and build trust with suppliers.

The platform helps clients to forecast their future carbon footprint, starting with basics like energy and water usage, and drilling down to product-level data as supplier maturity grows. Businesses such as Haleon are already pioneering this approach, gaining a competitive edge by encouraging supplier collaboration.

By aligning with peers and using platforms such as Manufacture 2030, businesses can drive measurable progress in reducing Scope 3 emissions — and move closer to meeting their climate goals.

What Cassandra and Andrew emphasised is that this is a collaborative approach - it is about businesses working with their supply chain rather than frightening them off. In that way, it can be a win-win.

Key takeaways

It is easy to see sustainability as a challenge that you have to deal with yourself. However, by working with others in the supply chain, it can spread the load and ensure collaborative relationships can be maintained by coming together to address this climate emergency.

Dealing with Scope 3 emissions from suppliers is a collaborative exercise, and together you can make a difference. 

The 2025 PING Conference gave attendees a lot to digest around the drivers of sustainability in pharma, as well as what to do about it. Whilst there was a lot of talk about Scope 3 Emissions, one aspect that people can do more about is their own buildings - or can they?

Emily Slupek, Director and Head of Oxford Project Management at Savills, and David Roden, Managing Director of Niazi Roden, discussed various aspects of property in pharma from a sustainability.

As life sciences companies sharpen their focus on sustainability, the design and function of physical buildings play an increasingly important role. The buildings could include labs, warehousing and office space. There are also considerations to think about when looking at staying or moving to an existing plot with a building on it, repurposing or extending it, or designing and constructing a new building from scratch.

According to David and Emily, understanding the balance between operational and embodied carbon is key to making smart, future-ready infrastructure decisions. Operational carbon refers to the emissions generated from daily building use (energy, heating, cooling). By contrast, embodied carbon is embedded in the materials and construction processes. Alarmingly, it can take 60 years of operational emissions to match the carbon impact of construction, making early design decisions critical. Considering the longevity of the space is therefore important, but other factors to consider would be transport and well-being of staff.

Considering all these and the relative weight given to them by other stakeholders such as procurement, customers and funders are important when making property decisions.

When comparing new builds vs. refurbishments, new constructions typically have higher embodied carbon (650–800 kg CO2/m²). However, light-touch refurbishments can significantly reduce this footprint if managed effectively. Still, refurbishments come with added cost, time, and sequencing complexities.

For the life sciences sector, flexibility is essential. Buildings must adapt to evolving needs over 10–15 years. Key design factors include:

• Structural height and grid planning for adaptability.
• Concrete floors to reduce vibration, which is crucial for lab equipment.
• Communal spaces that support lab and write-up areas.
• City centre locations with strong transport links, improving accessibility and reducing emissions from commuting.

BREEAM sustainability certifications such as "Good", "Excellent", and "Outstanding" ratings help benchmark building performance. Global standards like Australia’s NABERS also offer valuable frameworks.

Some tenants may feel that they have limited opportunity to affect the decisions made by landlords, but they can play a part in the conversation and decide where they are located.

With investors increasingly asking about the sustainability of built environments, designing for longevity, flexibility, and reduced carbon is no longer optional; it's a business imperative.

Key take-aways

Sustainability in buildings is something that all pharma businesses must consider - whether labs, warehouses or offices. Embodied carbon is something that is often overlooked rather than operational carbon, but it can be the biggest factor in helping the planet. Planning for flexibility for future needs is also important.

Property issues can affect your carbon footprint, but this needs a holistic and flexible approach. 

At the 2025 PING Conference, there was a lot discussed around the need to make change and how to go about it. There was also talk about the need to avoid greenwashing and ensure that you retain a competitive advantage when going about change.

AI tools can help businesses to meet this challenge, according to Richard Charter, Managing Director at CHLOE Healthcare Advisory Group.

Richard demonstrated that the intersection of digital transformation, AI and sustainability is reshaping healthcare systems, especially facing mounting challenges like an ageing population and rising treatment costs. Technology is no longer optional for the NHS and life sciences sector; it is essential.

AI offers powerful tools to improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and minimise environmental impact, but Richard struck a warning: its effectiveness depends entirely on the quality and standardisation of data inputs. Robust digital infrastructure and AI literacy are crucial to unlocking this potential.

As global demand for green energy grows, AI must be deployed thoughtfully to avoid increasing emissions. When used strategically, AI can support holistic, sustainability-driven decisions rather than siloed fixes.

Meanwhile, despite its high ambitions, the UK is not alone in leading the charge for improving sustainability in healthcare. France, Germany, Spain and the Nordics are developing strong frameworks for integrating digital tools into healthcare.

Where AI can really help in this area is that ESG considerations are increasingly influencing procurement from healthcare purchasers, with 7.5% CAGR growth in ESG-aligned investments since 2018. There is strong momentum in ESG adoption in the MedTech tenders with some mandatory regulations taking full effect from this year onwards, e.g., compulsory Social Value in the UK central government tender evaluations. Businesses attaining success in the future lies in aligning regulation, AI innovation and digital readiness to build more sustainable, accessible healthcare systems. There are AI tools to help businesses evaluate how to meet the differing procurement challenges from different healthcare systems.

Key takeaways

AI is going to make the world more efficient and open up more opportunities including when looking for the different sustainability criteria against multiple systems. As with any use of the AI, it is important to manage the data that gets entered.

AI can help to make a difference in achieving sustainability in life sciences.