Political Strategies for an Environmentally Friendly Supply of Pharmaceuticals

The healthcare sector is responsible for around 6% of German greenhouse gas emissions and therefore plays a significant role in achieving the statutory target of climate neutrality by 2045.

The production, consumption and disposal of pharmaceuticals have far-reaching effects on the environment and climate. In addition to high emissions, drug residues pollute water bodies and ecosystems and contribute to the global threat of antimicrobial resistance. However, these ecological impacts have rarely been regulated to date and greenhouse gas emissions in the pharmaceutical sector in particular are still barely transparent.

To swiftly minimise the environmental impact of the pharmaceutical sector, it is crucial to implement more binding, effective, and pragmatic measures. In the policy brief “Strengthening sustainability in the pharmaceutical sector”, CPHP has already identified legal mechanisms to reduce the environmental footprint of the pharmaceutical sector. Since then, initial political processes have been initiated at the EU level.

In this project, CPHP is building on previous developments by bringing together stakeholders from the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors to identify needs and collaboratively develop solutions and policy recommendations. A key priority is the reduction of drug consumption, especially that of over-the-counter medicines, which have received limited attention in political debates to date. The aim is to advance regulatory adjustments that consider both environmental and consumer protection aspects.

Project goals

The core objective is to establish a network of stakeholders from politics, healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry to develop concrete options for action for a more sustainable pharmaceutical policy. Additionally, the development of political recommendations for reducing emissions and environmental pollution in the pharmaceutical sector is planned.

Evidence-based solutions are to be promoted across all sectors through the involvement of professional societies and associations.

At the same time, it is crucial to address the policy recommendations developed in a targeted manner to decision-makers and to communicate the results to politicians and the public in a comprehensible and effective manner.

Social issues such as environmental justice, consumer protection and global health impacts (e.g. antimicrobial resistance) will also be integrated into the analysis.

Methodology

CPHP employs an interdisciplinary, science-based and participatory approach. The central methodological steps include:

Identification of regulatory gaps and challenges through a collaborative analysis with relevant stakeholders.
Development of a publicly accessible policy brief that outlines concrete measures to improve sustainability in the pharmaceutical sector. This will be discussed with political decision-makers.
Knowledge communication through the preparation of results in various formats for wide dissemination.
Organising two public webinars to present and discuss the results, which will also be available as videos afterwards.