Episode 10: Decarbonization in Pharma Manufacturing—Tips from David Vazquez

Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly asking their contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) to report their greenhouse gas emissions. That's because a CDMO's emissions count toward its pharma customer's Scope 3 footprint. So how should CDMOs and other pharma manufacturers approach this request, and how do they actually calculate—and reduce—their carbon footprint? To answer these questions, we sat down with David Vazquez, a Climate Principal Consultant at Nexio Projects. In this interview, David breaks down what pharma manufacturers, and especially CDMOs, need to know about assessing and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. We discussed: How to establish a baseline for all levels of emissions, including Scopes 1, 2, and 3 The GHG Protocol standard, and why it's moving closer to ISO auditing requirements Why data is usually the biggest challenge in sustainability programs—and what companies can do when good data isn't available The financial “co-benefits” of measuring your greenhouse gas emissions How to estimate the ROI of a decarbonization measure, and concrete steps that don’t require major capital investment How CDMOs can engage their own suppliers for better Scope 3 data, including the ADKAR change-management model The sustainability footprint of AI—from data center energy and water use to efficiency gains it can unlock The biggest hurdles pharma companies face in their sustainability programs, and how to get past them Listen in as David shares practical, business-minded advice on decarbonization, drawn from his work advising pharma manufacturers and CDMOs. Learn more & connect! Connect with our guest, David Vazquez: LinkedIn Learn more about Nexio Projects Connect with our podcast host, Laura Bush: LinkedIn Visit brandwidthsolutions.com to learn how we support CDMOs and other companies in life sciences and technology industries.