We were delighted to see an article by our CEO Zeb Ahmed published recently in prestigious industry publication The Chemical Engineer.

In the article - titled Health: What’s the Formula for Sustainability in Pharma? - Zeb discusses the growing demand for sustainable built assets.

This is because, over the past decade, attitudes to environmental performance in built assets have evolved from paying lip service, to recognition that addressing the climate crisis in the way we design and construct buildings is integral to their future viability.

So, what are the drivers for improved environmental performance for built assets in the pharmaceutical sector and how can we work collaboratively to ensure reduced environmental impact is embedded in projects from concept to design and delivery?

Here, Zeb addresses the following key points:

Counting the cost of energy inefficiency

Even if a project is too constrained to improve sustainability at initial design and construction, part of the engineer’s role when designing a project is to consider how design strategies can allow for retrofitting of energy efficient improvements during the service life of the asset, as funds become available or energy prices rise.

Mandatory improvement

In addition to a regulatory obligation to demonstrate steps being taken to reduce energyconsumption and carbon emissions, future measures look set to include financial penalties for failures to achieve carbonreduction.

Reputation

CSR is no longer a nice-to-have, it is a competitive advantage. As suppliers to the NHS, which has pledged to become the world’s first netzero health service, pharmaceutical operators can expect increased scrutiny on their environmental performance, so any opportunities to reduce emissions and measure improvement should be explored.

Rethinking design strategy

Sustainability must be considered from the R&D phase, no matter how small scale the process may be at this stage. The most effective approach to delivering energy savings as part of the process design is by optimising the mass and energy balance.

Practical steps

Waste reduction and resource utilisation are fundamental principles of improved energy efficiency. Single-use technologies are another area that should be considered at the process design stage and, once again, modelling based on whole-life costs is critical to supporting a business case for the most appropriate solution.

Real-world examples

The best solutions come from a true culture of collaboration, and we bring a mix of skills together within a supportive environment. This approach has been developed over the years, driven by a bespoke leadership training programme, not just for the senior team, but for everyone at BES.

Measuring success

In addition to a regulatory obligation to demonstrate steps being taken to reduce energyconsumption and carbonemissions, future measures look set to include financial penalties for failures to achieve carbonreduction.

Read the full The Chemical Engineer magazine article here... Health: What’s the Formula for Sustainability in Pharma?