AstraZeneca PLC is a Cambridge, UK-headquartered global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines across oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular, renal and metabolism, respiratory and immunology, and infection therapeutic areas, with revenues of approximately $54.1 billion in 2024 across more than 100 markets. The company operates with a stated purpose of pushing the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines, which anchors its sustainability strategy across patient access, environmental protection, and ethical governance. The primary sources for this analysis are the 2024 Annual Report and Integrated Sustainability Disclosure (AstraZeneca’s first combined annual and sustainability report, published early 2025), the 2024 Impact Publication, the AZ 2024 GHG Emissions Data, and the 2023 Sustainability Data Summary.

AstraZeneca was one of the first seven companies globally to receive SBTi-validated net-zero targets under the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard, covering all scopes with a 2045 net-zero goal. The company’s Ambition Zero Carbon strategy, launched in 2020 with a $1 billion investment commitment, governs its path from deep decarbonization in Scope 1 and 2 to value chain transformation and nature restoration, with an additional ambition to become carbon negative from 2030 onward.

Source

https://www.astrazeneca.com/sustainability.html
https://tracenable.com/company/astrazeneca/ghg-emissions
https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action/case-studies/net-zero-case-study-astrazeneca
https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/astrazeneca-sustainability-report-2023-reveals-progress

Sustainability Strategy and Goals

AstraZeneca’s sustainability strategy operates under three interconnected pillars: Access to Healthcare, Environmental Protection, and Ethics and Transparency. In 2024, AstraZeneca integrated its sustainability and annual reporting for the first time, combining ESG disclosures into the Annual Report as a structural signal of materiality parity between financial and sustainability performance. ESG targets are tied to executive compensation, including long-term incentive plan metrics connected to environmental and access goals.

AstraZeneca aligns its strategy with the UN SDGs, reports under the GHG Protocol, TCFD, GRI Standards, and SASB, and holds SBTi-validated near-term and net-zero targets, among the most advanced target architectures in the pharmaceutical sector. The company is progressing on 25 of its 27 sustainability targets, with the two most challenged targets related to absolute Scope 3 emissions reduction and specific supplier SBTi coverage milestones. Sustainability targets are subject to external assurance by an independent third party, with assurance scope expanded annually.

Net Zero and Carbon Emissions

AstraZeneca’s Ambition Zero Carbon strategy establishes a 98% absolute reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2026 from a 2015 baseline, a 50% absolute reduction in Scope 3 by 2030 from a 2019 baseline, a 90% reduction by 2045, and a carbon-negative ambition from 2030 through annual removal of more than the residual footprint via nature-based solutions. Both near-term and net-zero targets are SBTi-validated, making AstraZeneca one of the most advanced large pharmaceutical companies on target architecture.

• Scope 1 (tCO2e): 125,386 (2024); a 30.69% decrease year-over-year from 2023, the largest single-year Scope 1 reduction in recent years​
• Scope 2 (market-based, tCO2e): 14,210 (2024), reflecting near-complete renewable electricity procurement​
• Scope 2 (location-based, tCO2e): 217,026 (2024), an 18.38% increase year-over-year in 2024, reflecting grid emission factor changes​
• Total Scope 1+2 (market-based, tCO2e): 342,412 (2024); a 5.99% decrease from 2023; the 2015 baseline for Scope 1+2 was approximately 1,012,000 tCO2e, implying approximately 66% total reduction to 2024 against a 98% target by 2026
• 2023 Scope 1+2 reduction from 2015 baseline: 67.6% reduction confirmed; 2025 to 2026 target: 98% reduction​
• Scope 3 (tCO2e): 5,897,822 (2024); essentially stable since 2019, with no significant value chain footprint change despite absolute reduction targets​
• Scope 3 2019 baseline: approximately 4,972,000 tCO2e; 2024 Scope 3 at 5,897,822 represents an 18.6% increase from 2019 baseline as of 2023, with Scope 3 intensity down 24%​
• Total carbon footprint (Scope 1+2+3, tCO2e): 6,240,234 (2024); a 0.66% decrease from 2023​
• Scope 3 share of total footprint: 94.51% in 2024; Scope 3 is 20 times larger than Scope 1 and 2 combined
• Scope 3 upstream vs. downstream split: 76.34% upstream (purchased goods, capital goods), 23.66% downstream (product use, distribution, end-of-life) in 2024​
• GHG emission intensity (Scope 1, tCO2e per million USD revenue): 3.14 in 2024, placing AstraZeneca 5th of 25 companies in its peer group​

Water Stewardship

AstraZeneca’s water stewardship program is built on three levels: supply chain risk assessment aligned with nature impact dependencies, site-level water management including biodiversity stewardship, and product-level water quality management through EcoPharmacoVigilance. The company’s 2024 Impact Publication states that it is building a risk-based approach to assess nature impacts and dependencies, with water as the primary material category. Energy use per unit of output, which is directly linked to water consumption at manufacturing sites, is tracked against a 10% reduction target from the 2015 baseline.​

• Total energy use: 1,511,334 MWh (2023); a 17.5% reduction from 2015, ahead of the 10% by 2025 target​
• EcoPharmacoVigilance: Monitors water quality risk from pharmaceutical manufacturing and patient use of products; PEC/PNEC assessments applied to active pharmaceutical ingredients and marketed medicines​
• Site-level water stewardship: Biodiversity efforts and water quality programs are active at manufacturing and R&D sites, with collective opportunities being identified across geographies​
• No company-wide absolute water withdrawal reduction target with a baseline and deadline has been published in primary disclosures reviewed for this analysis​

Regenerative Agriculture

AstraZeneca does not operate in agriculture directly. However, the AZ Forest program, which has planted and maintained trees across six continents, incorporates ecosystem-level approaches including soil health restoration, watershed protection, and sustainable livelihoods for farming communities, creating indirect regenerative agriculture co-benefits. Projects in Australia focus on restoring degraded agricultural land through native tree planting to improve soil health, water quality, and ecosystem productivity.​

• AZ Forest Australia: Partnership with One Tree Planted and Greening Australia to plant 25 million native trees by 2025, focusing on restoring degraded agricultural land and improving soil health for farming communities​
• AZ Forest Ghana: Partnership with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance to plant nearly 4 million trees, improving food system diversity and reducing charcoal production pressure on natural forests​
• AZ Forest Brazil: Planted in the Amazon watershed, working with local farmers to transition to more sustainable livelihoods; 914,000 trees planted by end of 2021​
• No formal regenerative agriculture sourcing targets or farm-level supplier commitments are published in AstraZeneca’s 2024 primary disclosures​

Deforestation and Biodiversity

AstraZeneca’s AZ Forest program is the most quantified nature-based commitment among major pharmaceutical peers, with a $400 million investment to plant and maintain 200 million trees across six continents by 2030. As of 2023, 19.9 million trees had been planted across Australia, Brazil, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Rwanda, the UK, and the US. The 2024 Impact Publication confirms AstraZeneca is building a risk-based approach to assess supply chain impacts and dependencies on nature, with the 2024 Annual Report establishing a formal Nature pillar within the environmental sustainability strategy.

• AZ Forest cumulative trees planted: 3.4 million (end 2021) → 8.2 million (end 2022) → 19.9 million (end 2023); 2030 target: 200 million across six continents
• AZ Forest investment: Expanded to $400 million in 2023, from the original $200 million commitment in 2020​
• Countries covered: Australia, Brazil, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Rwanda, UK, and US; South Africa added to program scope in 2024 engagement
• Supply chain nature risk: Risk-based framework to assess nature impacts and dependencies being built in the supply chain, focused on biodiversity and raw material sourcing risks​
• EcoPharmacoVigilance: Pharmaceutical-in-environment monitoring applied at site level and for marketed medicines to manage ecosystem impact from products​

Packaging and Circular Economy

AstraZeneca’s circular economy approach centers on two distinct tracks: reducing operational waste at manufacturing and R&D sites, and the company’s flagship product-level innovation of transitioning pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) from high-GWP HFA propellants to near-zero GWP HFO-1234ze propellants. pMDIs are among the highest per-dose GHG impact pharmaceutical products globally, and AstraZeneca’s inhaler transition program is the most consequential product-level circular and climate innovation in the pharmaceutical sector.

• Total waste (2023): 26,213 tonnes, a 13.2% reduction from the 2015 baseline, ahead of the 10% by 2025 target​
• pMDI HFO-1234ze transition: Breztri (COPD) to be the first AstraZeneca inhaler using HFO-1234ze propellant, which has 99.9% less GWP than current HFA propellants​
• Breztri clinical trials: All required Phase I and III clinical studies completed; first regulatory filings in Europe, UK, and China submitted by end of 2024
• Inhaler transition significance: Downstream Scope 3 emissions (product use) account for 23.66% of AstraZeneca’s total carbon footprint; pMDI HFA emissions are the single largest downstream category​
• Ambition Zero Carbon $1 billion investment: Covers both operational (Scope 1 and 2) and value chain (Scope 3) decarbonization, including inhaler innovation, supplier programs, and AZ Forest​

Human Rights and Responsible Sourcing

AstraZeneca’s responsible sourcing target requires 95% of spend with key suppliers to be with companies that hold approved SBTi targets by 2025. This is the most ambitious supplier SBTi coverage target published by any major pharmaceutical company by percentage of spend, significantly exceeding Pfizer’s 65% and Novartis’s contract-based 97% by Scope 3 emissions coverage. Progress toward this target, while not fully quantified in 2024 primary excerpts reviewed, is identified as one of the two challenged targets in the company’s on-track assessment.

• Supplier SBTi coverage target: 95% of spend with companies holding approved SBTi targets by 2025; identified as one of two challenged targets in the 2023 progress review
• Scope 3 upstream: 76.34% of total Scope 3 from upstream activities; purchased goods and capital goods are the dominant categories requiring supplier-level decarbonization​
• Supply chain nature risk assessment: Risk-based framework being developed to assess supply chain dependencies on nature and biodiversity, beyond GHG emissions​
• Ethics and Transparency pillar: Covers anti-bribery, data privacy, ethical clinical research, responsible marketing, and product quality under a formal global policy framework​
• Scope 3 primary data: Significant increase in use of primary data from suppliers noted in 2023 progress reporting; full primary data coverage target is being pursued to replace modeled estimates​

Nutrition and Health

AstraZeneca’s Access to Healthcare pillar encompasses early detection, access programs, and health system strengthening across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and underserved communities globally. The Healthy Heart Africa (HHA) program is the flagship health equity initiative, delivering cardiovascular disease screening, diagnosis, and treatment through public-private partnerships across nine African countries.

• Healthy Heart Africa: 54 million blood pressure screenings delivered to date; program expanded in 2024 to include chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease together​
• HHA country expansion: Operational in Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and Uganda by end of 2025, following 2024 MOUs with Egypt, Uganda, and Ghana​
• Young Health Programme: Long-running global initiative promoting healthy behaviors among young people in LMICs and underserved communities, active across multiple continents​
• Access to healthcare goal: AstraZeneca targets reaching 50 million patients through access programs across LMICs, with progress tracked against annual baselines​
• Sustainability target on track count: 25 of 27 sustainability targets on track as of the 2023 report, with both at-risk targets related to Scope 3 emissions and supplier SBTi engagement​

Community and Social Impact

AstraZeneca’s community impact is delivered through its Access to Healthcare pillar and complementary programs addressing health system capacity building in countries where disease burden is high and health infrastructure is limited. The company co-chairs no dedicated health sector decarbonization collaborative, but actively participates in the World Economic Forum’s Trillion Trees platform and the Global Reforestation Initiative through AZ Forest, contributing to international biodiversity restoration goals.

• AZ Forest community impact: Local employment, sustainable livelihoods, food system diversification, and ecosystem services delivered through all six AZ Forest regional programs​
• Ghana AZ Forest: Timber trees provide renewable fuel, reducing charcoal production pressure on natural forests and supporting community energy access​
• Brazil AZ Forest: Collaboration with local farmers on sustainable livelihoods in the Amazon watershed, reducing deforestation pressure​
• WEF Trillion Trees platform: AZ Forest is a registered participant, contributing to the global trillion trees restoration ambition​

Governance and Transparency

AstraZeneca’s Board of Directors holds sustainability oversight through the Science Committee, which was expanded in 2023 to include environmental sustainability, and the Audit Committee, which oversees non-financial reporting assurance. The 2024 integration of the sustainability report into the Annual Report is a governance-level decision that requires ESG disclosures to meet the same board review, sign-off, and audit committee assurance standards as financial data. Sustainability targets are tied to executive compensation through the Long-Term Incentive Plan and the Annual Bonus.

• Board oversight: Science Committee (expanded to include environmental sustainability); Audit Committee (non-financial assurance oversight)​
• Integrated reporting: First combined annual and sustainability report published for 2024, aligning ESG disclosures with financial reporting governance standards​
• Executive compensation linkage: Sustainability targets linked to both Annual Bonus and Long-Term Incentive Plan for senior executives​
• External assurance: Independent third-party assurance on sustainability KPIs; scope expanded in 2024​
• Reporting frameworks: GHG Protocol, TCFD, GRI Standards, SASB, UN SDGs, SBTi Net-Zero Standard
• SBTi validation status: One of the first seven companies globally to receive validated net-zero targets under the SBTi Net-Zero Corporate Standard​

Technology and Innovation

AstraZeneca’s most consequential technology innovation for sustainability is the pMDI propellant transition from HFA to HFO-1234ze, a product-level change that eliminates 99.9% of the GWP associated with inhaler propellant emissions across the entire patient-use life cycle. This transition directly targets the downstream Scope 3 emissions that represent 23.66% of the total carbon footprint and is structurally more impactful than any operational efficiency program at the same investment level. The Breztri regulatory submissions filed in Europe, UK, and China by end of 2024 represent the first commercialization step of this transition.

The AZ Forest AI-monitored tree planting program, which applies satellite monitoring and AI-assisted tree health tracking across all six continental programs, ensures that the 200 million trees planted by 2030 are maintained, not just planted, producing durable ecosystem services and verifiable carbon removal. This monitoring approach distinguishes AZ Forest from conventional offset programs and supports the carbon-negative-from-2030 ambition.​

• HFO-1234ze propellant (Breztri): 99.9% less GWP than current HFA propellants; all clinical trials completed; first European, UK, and China regulatory filings completed by end of 2024​
• AZ Forest AI monitoring: Satellite and AI-based tree health monitoring across all regional programs; ensures maintenance and survival tracking toward the 200 million tree target by 2030​
• Renewable electricity: 95% of all electricity from renewable sources in 2023; 100% target by 2025​
• Energy reduction: 1,511,334 MWh total energy in 2023; a 17.5% reduction from 2015, ahead of the 10% by 2025 target​
• Scope 3 primary data program: Significant expansion of primary supplier data use reported in 2023, replacing economic modeled estimates in purchased goods categories​
• Ambition Zero Carbon investment: $1 billion total committed across Scope 1, 2, and 3 decarbonization and nature restoration​

Global Partnerships and Advocacy

AstraZeneca is one of the seven founding companies in the SBTi Net-Zero Corporate Standard, demonstrating leadership in standard-setting rather than passive adoption of externally developed frameworks. The company participates in the WEF Trillion Trees platform, the Global Biodiversity Framework, and the UN SDG 3.4 NCDs initiative through Healthy Heart Africa. AstraZeneca’s engagement in the health sector decarbonization debate extends to developing the pMDI propellant transition as a model for the entire respiratory medicines industry, which collectively accounts for a significant share of pharmaceutical Scope 3 downstream emissions.

• SBTi founding validation: One of first seven companies globally to receive SBTi-validated net-zero targets; an active participant in SBTi standard development​
• WEF Trillion Trees: Active registrant under the 1t.org platform; AZ Forest progress independently reported through the Restoration Barometer​
• Healthy Heart Africa MOUs: Signed with Ministries of Health of Egypt, Uganda, and Ghana in 2024 for public-private partnership governance of the expanded NCD program​
• Industry inhaler transition: AstraZeneca’s Breztri HFO-1234ze transition is expected to serve as a regulatory and clinical template for the broader respiratory medicines industry transitioning away from HFA propellants​

Source

https://tracenable.com/company/astrazeneca/ghg-emissions
https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action/case-studies/net-zero-case-study-astrazeneca
https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/astrazeneca-sustainability-report-2023-reveals-progress
https://www.scribd.com/document/906526428/Astra-Zeneca-Impact-Publication-2024
https://restorationbarometer.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1.AstraZeneca_PledgeImplementation_ProgressReport_Designed-2.pdf

Progress vs. Target Tracker

Commitment	Target	Current Status	Assessment
98% absolute reduction in Scope 1+2 vs. 2015 baseline	2026	67.6% reduction confirmed through 2023; 2024 Scope 1+2: 342,412 tCO2e; 2015 baseline approximately 1,012,000 tCO2e; approximately 66% reduction to 2024	At Risk (32pp gap in 2 years)
100% electricity from renewable sources	2025	95% achieved in 2023; 5pp gap at deadline ​	On Track (near threshold)
Reduce energy use 10% vs. 2015	2025	17.5% reduction achieved in 2023; target exceeded ​	Exceeded
Reduce total waste 10% vs. 2015	2025	13.2% reduction achieved in 2023; target exceeded ​	Exceeded
50% absolute reduction in Scope 3 vs. 2019 baseline	2030	Scope 3 increased 18.6% from 2019 baseline through 2023; Scope 3 intensity reduced 24%; 2024 Scope 3: 5,897,822 tCO2e	At Risk (significant gap; absolute emissions above baseline)
Carbon negative from 2030 (nature-based removal exceeds residual footprint annually)	2030	Scope 3 absolute emissions above 2019 baseline; AZ Forest at 19.9 million of 200 million trees target	At Risk (Scope 3 reduction pace insufficient)
90% absolute reduction in Scope 3 vs. 2019 baseline	2045	18.6% above 2019 baseline in 2023; long-term trajectory in development ​	On Track (long horizon; requires sustained acceleration)
Net zero (Scopes 1, 2, and 3)	2045	SBTi-validated; one of seven founding validated companies ​	On Track (long horizon)
95% of spend with suppliers holding approved SBTi targets	2025	Identified as one of two challenged targets in 2023 report; specific percentage not published in primary available sources	At Risk
Plant and maintain 200 million trees (AZ Forest)	2030	19.9 million planted by end of 2023; 10% of target with 6 years remaining	At Risk (pace needs to accelerate significantly)
Reach 50 million patients through access programs in LMICs	Ongoing	Progress tracked annually; Healthy Heart Africa at 54 million screenings; 25 of 27 targets on track	On Track

Source

https://tracenable.com/company/astrazeneca/ghg-emissions
https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/astrazeneca-sustainability-report-2023-reveals-progress
https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action/case-studies/net-zero-case-study-astrazeneca

Key Sustainability Innovations and Technologies

AstraZeneca’s most consequential sustainability innovation is the pMDI propellant transition from HFA to HFO-1234ze across its entire respiratory portfolio, beginning with Breztri (COPD). Inhalers with HFA propellants contribute significantly to the downstream Scope 3 footprint because the propellant gases are released at the point of patient use, which falls within Scope 3 Category 11 (use of sold products) and is entirely outside operational control once the product leaves the manufacturing site. By transitioning to HFO-1234ze, which carries 99.9% less GWP than current HFA propellants, AstraZeneca is addressing the most structurally difficult emissions category in the pharmaceutical sector.

The AZ Forest program is the second major innovation anchor, combining AI-monitored satellite tracking of tree health and survival rates with community livelihoods programs that create economic incentives for long-term forest maintenance. The program reached 19.9 million trees across eight countries by end of 2023, representing a genuine nature-based carbon removal and biodiversity restoration investment that goes beyond conventional corporate offset procurement.

• pMDI HFO-1234ze transition (Breztri): 99.9% lower GWP than HFA; all clinical trials completed; first European, UK, and China regulatory submissions filed by end of 2024; expected to serve as template for industry-wide respiratory inhaler transition
• AZ Forest AI monitoring: Satellite and AI-based tree health and survival tracking across all regional programs; ensures maintenance commitment distinguishes from passive offset programs​
• AZ Forest investment expansion: Program expanded to $400 million and 200 million tree target in 2023, up from $200 million and 50 million trees in 2020​
• Renewable electricity at 95%: Near-complete elimination of Scope 2 market-based emissions through renewable energy sourcing, driving market-based Scope 2 to 14,210 tCO2e in 2024
• EcoPharmacoVigilance: Systematic PEC/PNEC monitoring of pharmaceuticals in the environment, applied to all marketed medicines and new compounds, managing ecosystem water quality risk at site and product level​
• Scope 3 primary data expansion: Significant increase in primary supplier data use in 2023 and 2024 to replace economic input-output modeled estimates in purchased goods categories, improving Scope 3 accuracy​
• Integrated annual and sustainability report: First combined reporting architecture in 2024, applying board-level financial reporting governance standards to all ESG data​

Source

https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/astrazeneca-eyes-up-transition-to-eco-friendly-inhaler-propellant/
https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/astrazeneca-sustainability-report-2023-reveals-progress
https://tracenable.com/company/astrazeneca/ghg-emissions
https://restorationbarometer.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1.AstraZeneca_PledgeImplementation_ProgressReport_Designed-2.pdf

Measurable Impacts

AstraZeneca’s 2024 environmental performance shows meaningful operational improvement, with total Scope 1+2 market-based emissions at 342,412 tCO2e, a 5.99% year-over-year decrease, and Scope 1 alone declining 30.69% year-over-year, the single largest annual Scope 1 reduction in the company’s recent reporting history. Renewable electricity at 95% in 2023 has effectively eliminated the majority of Scope 2 market-based emissions, with only 14,210 tCO2e of market-based Scope 2 remaining in 2024. Total waste declined 13.2% from the 2015 baseline by 2023, and energy use fell 17.5%, both exceeding the 10% operational targets.

Scope 3 remains the defining challenge, with total value chain emissions at 5,897,822 tCO2e in 2024, approximately 18.6% above the 2019 baseline as of 2023, driven by increases in upstream purchased goods and downstream product use categories including HFA inhaler propellants. The total carbon footprint declined only 0.66% in 2024, confirming that operational improvements are being offset by the structural scale of the Scope 3 challenge.

• Total Scope 1+2 (market-based, tCO2e): 342,412 (2024); a 5.99% decrease from 2023; 67.6% below 2015 baseline as of 2023
• Scope 1 (tCO2e): 125,386 (2024); a 30.69% decrease year-over-year​
• Scope 2 (market-based, tCO2e): 14,210 (2024); near elimination through renewable electricity procurement​
• Scope 2 (location-based, tCO2e): 217,026 (2024); an 18.38% increase year-over-year due to grid emission factor changes​
• Scope 3 (tCO2e): 5,897,822 (2024); essentially flat vs. 2023; approximately 18.6% above 2019 baseline
• Total carbon footprint (tCO2e): 6,240,234 (2024); a 0.66% decrease from 2023​
• Scope 3 as share of total footprint: 94.51% in 2024​
• Renewable electricity: 95% (2023); 100% target for 2025​
• Total energy use: 1,511,334 MWh (2023); a 17.5% reduction from 2015 baseline​
• Total waste: 26,213 tonnes (2023); a 13.2% reduction from 2015 baseline​
• AZ Forest trees planted: 3.4 million (end 2021) → 8.2 million (end 2022) → 19.9 million (end 2023)
• Healthy Heart Africa blood pressure screenings: 54 million cumulative to date​
• Scope 1 GHG intensity (tCO2e per million USD revenue): 3.14 (2024); top 5 of 25 pharmaceutical peers​

Source

https://tracenable.com/company/astrazeneca/ghg-emissions
https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/astrazeneca-sustainability-report-2023-reveals-progress

Challenges and Areas for Improvement

AstraZeneca’s most critical unresolved challenge is the Scope 3 absolute emissions trajectory. At 5,897,822 tCO2e in 2024, Scope 3 remains above the 2019 baseline of approximately 4,972,000 tCO2e, meaning the company must achieve a reduction of more than 3,972,000 tCO2e by 2030 to meet the 50% target, a reduction larger than the entire current Scope 3 footprint minus one category. The 50% by 2030 target represents the most ambitious pharmaceutical Scope 3 commitment in the sector, but the current trajectory places it among the most at-risk targets in AstraZeneca’s portfolio.

The 98% Scope 1+2 reduction target by 2026 is also under significant pressure. Having achieved approximately 66% to 67.6% reduction from the 2015 baseline by 2023 to 2024, the company must close the remaining 30-plus percentage point gap in approximately two years, which requires delivering energy elimination initiatives and F-Gas reductions at a pace substantially above what the trajectory to date implies.

• Scope 3 absolute gap: 5,897,822 tCO2e (2024) vs. approximately 4,972,000 tCO2e (2019 baseline); currently 18.6% above baseline; 50% reduction by 2030 requires reaching approximately 2,486,000 tCO2e
• Scope 1+2 98% target pace: 67.6% reduction through 2023 vs. 98% required by 2026; approximately 30 percentage points remaining in 2 years​
• AZ Forest pace: 19.9 million trees planted by end of 2023 vs. 200 million target by 2030; approximately 180 million trees remaining across 7 years requires planting approximately 25.7 million trees per year
• Supplier SBTi 95% coverage: Identified as one of two challenged targets in 2023; specific progress percentage not published in available 2024 primary sources; most ambitious supplier target among pharmaceutical peers but least documented in progress tracking
• Scope 2 location-based increase: Rose 18.38% year-over-year in 2024 due to grid emission factor changes, indicating that the market-based Scope 2 improvement does not translate to real-world grid decarbonization at locations of AstraZeneca sites​
• Carbon negative ambition from 2030: Requires both Scope 3 at 50% reduction and AZ Forest carbon removal exceeding residual emissions; both tracks are currently off-pace
• No company-wide water withdrawal target: Water stewardship is managed at site level and product level through EcoPharmacoVigilance, but a company-wide absolute water reduction target with baseline and deadline is not published​

Source

https://tracenable.com/company/astrazeneca/ghg-emissions
https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/astrazeneca-sustainability-report-2023-reveals-progress
https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action/case-studies/net-zero-case-study-astrazeneca

Future Plans and Long-Term Goals

AstraZeneca’s post-2026 roadmap is defined by three structural milestones: Scope 3 50% reduction by 2030, carbon negative status from 2030 through nature-based removal, and full value chain net zero by 2045, with the 2026 Scope 1+2 98% target as the immediate prerequisite. The inhaler propellant transition is the single highest-leverage near-term investment for the 2030 Scope 3 target, as HFA emissions from product use are the dominant downstream Scope 3 category and each product transitioned to HFO-1234ze eliminates approximately 99.9% of its use-phase GHG contribution.

• 2026: 98% absolute Scope 1+2 reduction from 2015 baseline; 100% renewable electricity​
• 2030: 50% absolute Scope 3 reduction from 2019 baseline; carbon negative from 2030 onward through AZ Forest nature-based removal exceeding residual footprint​
• 2030: 200 million trees planted and maintained across six continents through AZ Forest ($400 million program)​
• 2030: 95% of spend with suppliers holding approved SBTi targets (target formally set for 2025 but acknowledged as challenged; extension to 2030 is implied by current pace)
• 2045: 90% absolute Scope 3 reduction from 2019 baseline; science-based net zero across all scopes​
• Post-2030: Remaining residual emissions permanently neutralized through high-quality carbon removal; commitment to permanent removal rather than avoidance offsets​
• pMDI portfolio transition: Full respiratory portfolio transition from HFA to HFO-1234ze propellant across all pMDI products; Breztri is the first; remaining portfolio transitions dependent on product-specific regulatory timelines​
• CSRD alignment: As a dual-listed UK and US company with European manufacturing operations, AstraZeneca is evaluating formal CSRD disclosure compliance for applicable entities​

Source

https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action/case-studies/net-zero-case-study-astrazeneca
https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/astrazeneca-eyes-up-transition-to-eco-friendly-inhaler-propellant/
https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/astrazeneca-sustainability-report-2023-reveals-progress

Comparisons to Industry Competitors

AstraZeneca’s nearest pharmaceutical peers by revenue and ESG disclosure architecture are Novartis and Pfizer, both of which have published verified, externally assured ESG datasets covering comparable reporting periods. The comparison highlights three dimensions where the companies diverge most materially: Scope 1+2 pace vs. target, renewable electricity adoption, and Scope 3 absolute trajectory.

Metric	AstraZeneca	Novartis	Pfizer
Scope 1+2 reduction vs. baseline	-66% to -67.6% from 2015 baseline by 2023/2024; 98% target by 2026	-45.3% from 2022 baseline by 2025; 90% target by 2030 ​	-15% from 2019 baseline by 2024; 46% target by 2030 ​
Scope 3 status	5,897,822 tCO2e (2024); +18.6% vs. 2019 baseline through 2023; 50% reduction required by 2030	4,074,400 tCO2e (2025); -16.4% from 2022 baseline; 42% required by 2030 ​	3,555,207 tCO2e (2024); +14% vs. 2019 baseline ​
Renewable energy coverage	95% of electricity from renewables (2023); 100% target by 2025 ​	96% of purchased electricity (2024); 100% target for 2025 ​	14.4% of purchased electricity (2024); 100% target by 2030 ​
Supplier SBTi engagement	95% of spend with SBTi-approved companies by 2025; identified as challenged ​	97% of Scope 3 under environmental contracts (2025) ​	65% of suppliers by spend with SBTi targets (2024) ​
Net zero target year	2045 (all scopes, SBTi first-validated) ​	2040 (all scopes, SBTi-validated) ​	2040 (all scopes, SBTi-validated) ​
Nature and biodiversity commitments	AZ Forest: 200 million trees by 2030; $400 million; AI-monitored; 19.9 million planted ​	Nature Positive pillar added 2024; specific targets under materiality assessment ​	No formal nature-based or biodiversity targets published ​

AstraZeneca’s renewable electricity at 95% (2023) is on par with Novartis at 96% (2024) and dramatically ahead of Pfizer at 14.4%. On Scope 3 absolute trajectory, both AstraZeneca and Pfizer are above their respective 2019 baselines in recent reporting years, while Novartis has achieved a 16.4% reduction from its 2022 baseline, making Novartis the strongest on Scope 3 absolute progress among the three. AstraZeneca is unique in the peer group for its commitment to carbon negativity from 2030 and for having published the most ambitious absolute supplier SBTi coverage target (95% of spend), but delivery against that target remains the most visible gap.

Source

https://tracenable.com/company/astrazeneca/ghg-emissions
https://www.novartis.com/sites/novartis_com/files/novartis-update-public-commitments-2025.pdf
https://cdn.pfizer.com/pfizercom/2024_KPI_Table_Final_062625.pdf

What to Watch: 12 to 18 Month Indicators

Three specific signals will define whether AstraZeneca’s sustainability trajectory consolidates its leadership position or faces material credibility risk over the next 12 to 18 months.

Scope 1+2 98% target closure in the 2025 and 2026 data. The 2024 Annual Report confirmed approximately 66% to 67.6% reduction from the 2015 baseline in Scope 1+2, against a 98% target by 2026. The 30-plus percentage point gap to be closed in approximately two years requires delivery of the remaining F-Gas reduction program, final EV fleet transitions, and elimination of residual gas combustion across manufacturing and R&D sites. The 2025 sustainability data update will be the first confirmation of whether the 2026 deadline remains achievable. Any 2025 Scope 1+2 figure above 150,000 tCO2e market-based would indicate the 2026 target is structurally unreachable without supplemental carbon removal credits for residual emissions.

Breztri HFO-1234ze regulatory approval in Europe and the UK. AstraZeneca filed the first HFO-1234ze inhaler submissions in Europe, UK, and China by end of 2024. Regulatory approval in Europe and the UK in 2025 or 2026 would trigger market conversion and begin displacing HFA propellant emissions at patient-use scale, directly reducing the largest downstream Scope 3 category. A regulatory approval timeline beyond 2026 would push the most impactful Scope 3 reduction lever further out and materially increase the risk of the 50% by 2030 Scope 3 target being missed.​

AZ Forest planting rate acceleration. At 19.9 million trees by end of 2023, AstraZeneca must plant approximately 180 million more trees by 2030, averaging 25.7 million trees per year. The 2024 Annual Report will confirm the planting rate for the year. A 2024 figure below 25 million trees planted would signal that the program has not yet reached the sustained pace required to meet the 2030 target, reducing the plausibility of the carbon-negative-from-2030 ambition, which relies on AZ Forest removal capacity exceeding residual emissions.

Source

https://tracenable.com/company/astrazeneca/ghg-emissions
https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/astrazeneca-eyes-up-transition-to-eco-friendly-inhaler-propellant/
https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/astrazeneca-sustainability-report-2023-reveals-progress

AstraZeneca’s sustainability architecture is the most structurally ambitious among the pharmaceutical peers analyzed in this series, with a 98% Scope 1+2 target by 2026, a carbon-negative ambition from 2030, a 50% Scope 3 target by 2030, SBTi first-mover validation, a $400 million nature restoration program, and the only product-level downstream Scope 3 innovation in the sector through the HFO-1234ze inhaler transition. The renewable electricity performance at 95% in 2023 and market-based Scope 2 at 14,210 tCO2e in 2024 confirm that operational decarbonization of purchased electricity is essentially complete, placing AstraZeneca in the top tier of the pharmaceutical industry on Scope 2 performance alongside Novartis.

The central challenge is that the ambition architecture requires execution across three structurally difficult tracks simultaneously: closing the 30-plus percentage point Scope 1+2 gap in two years, reversing a Scope 3 trajectory that is currently above the 2019 baseline, and sustaining an AZ Forest planting pace of more than 25 million trees per year through 2030. Of these three, the pMDI transition is the highest-leverage intervention and the one where AstraZeneca has no peer equivalent, because it targets the product use emissions that represent 23.66% of the total carbon footprint and that no operational program can reduce.

Three strategic takeaways stand out for practitioners benchmarking or replicating AstraZeneca’s approach:

• Treat product-level Scope 3 innovation as the primary decarbonization lever, not a secondary sustainability program. AstraZeneca’s pMDI HFO-1234ze transition is the clearest example in the pharmaceutical sector of a company targeting downstream Scope 3 emissions through product redesign rather than supplier engagement or offset procurement. For any company whose products generate significant Scope 3 Category 11 use-phase emissions, the highest-return decarbonization investment is in the product design and regulatory pathway, not in the supply chain or operations.​
• Match target ambition with implementation pace or publicly revise targets with new baselines. AstraZeneca has published the most ambitious near-term and mid-term sustainability targets in the pharmaceutical sector, but the Scope 3 trajectory above the 2019 baseline and the Scope 1+2 98% pace risk create a credibility gap between ambition and execution that will become more visible as 2026 and 2030 approach. Practitioners setting science-based targets should build bottom-up delivery roadmaps before publishing targets rather than using top-down ambition statements calibrated to scientific requirements alone.
• Nature restoration programs require planting plus maintenance accountability. AstraZeneca’s AZ Forest is distinguished from conventional tree-planting programs by its AI-monitored satellite tracking of tree health and survival rates, its community livelihoods integration, and its commitment to maintenance rather than planting alone. Practitioners designing nature-based carbon removal programs should require survival and health tracking data, community stewardship structures, and independent verification of tree counts, all of which are embedded in AZ Forest’s design and which are absent from most corporate offset programs.

Source

https://tracenable.com/company/astrazeneca/ghg-emissions
https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/astrazeneca-sustainability-report-2023-reveals-progress
https://sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action/case-studies/net-zero-case-study-astrazeneca
https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/astrazeneca-eyes-up-transition-to-eco-friendly-inhaler-propellant/
https://www.novartis.com/sites/novartis_com/files/novartis-update-public-commitments-2025.pdf
https://cdn.pfizer.com/pfizercom/2024_KPI_Table_Final_062625.pdf