Pfizer frames sustainability through a Purpose Blueprint that links “Breakthroughs that change patients’ lives” to climate action, sustainable medicines, and equitable access, with ESG organized under the annual Impact Report and a supporting ESG performance KPI deck. The company has committed to reach net-zero across its value chain by 2040 under the voluntary Net-Zero Standard, targeting a 95% reduction in company (Scope 1 & 2) emissions and 90% in value chain (Scope 3) from a 2019 baseline. Climate, circularity and access are positioned as material “responsible business growth” priorities, alongside governance, DEI, and product quality. Pfizer is also a top-five performer in the 2024 Access to Medicine Index and has launched the Accord for a Healthier World, offering its patented portfolio at not-for-profit prices to 45 lower-income countries.

• Pfizer’s net-zero ambition: 95% reduction in company GHG (Scopes 1 & 2) and 90% reduction in value-chain (Scope 3) emissions by 2040 vs 2019.
• 2019–2023 Scope 1 & 2 emissions fell from 1.27 to 1.09 million tCO₂e (~14% cut), and by 2024 were 15% below the 2019 baseline.
• Pfizer reached an estimated 414 million patients in 2024, vs 334 million patients treated in 2023 (excluding COMIRNATY and PAXLOVID).
• Through Accord for a Healthier World, Pfizer offers its full patented portfolio on a not-for-profit basis to ~1.2 billion people in 45 lower-income countries, initially covering 23 medicines and vaccines.
• In the 2024 Access to Medicine Index, Pfizer ranks 4th globally behind Novartis, GSK and Sanofi, but within the leading cluster on governance, R&D and product delivery.

Sustainability Strategy and Goals

Pfizer’s sustainability strategy is tightly integrated into its corporate strategy and risk management. The 2024 Impact Report reframes ESG as “responsible business growth” with six priority areas: product innovation, climate change, equitable access and pricing, product quality and safety, diversity, equity and inclusion, and business ethics. Board oversight runs primarily through the Governance Committee, which reviews climate and access agendas, while climate performance is embedded as an ESG modifier in the annual bonus program. On net zero and carbon emissions, Pfizer has near-term SBTi-aligned goals to cut absolute Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 46% by 2030 vs 2019 and to source 80% renewable electricity by 2025 and 100% by 2030, with supplier engagement and logistics programs as the backbone for Scope 3. Water stewardship, waste, regenerative and nature impacts, and biodiversity are managed through a sustainable medicines program, water and waste KPIs, and green chemistry, while packaging and circular economy are addressed via the Pfizer Clear packaging tool, zero-landfill targets, and sector-wide LCA collaboration. Socially, human rights, equitable access, community impact, and responsible sourcing are underpinned by Accord for a Healthier World, patient-reach metrics, health equity grants, and global human rights policies; governance, transparency, technology and innovation, and global partnerships are carried through TCFD-aligned reporting, sustainability bond financing, virtual power purchase agreements and cross-industry initiatives (e.g., Pharma LCA Consortium).

• 2030 climate goals: 46% absolute reduction in Scope 1 & 2 vs 2019 and 100% renewable electricity by 2030 (80% by 2025), under the Net-Zero Standard pathway.
• 2024 progress: Scope 1 & 2 emissions were 15% below 2019 and 3% below 2023, while renewable electricity accounted for 14% of power use, ahead of 2023 (10%) but still far from 2025’s 80% target.
• Supplier climate alignment: suppliers of purchased goods and services with science-based targets rose from 19% (2021) to 29% (2022) and 51% (2023), with a 64–65% ambition and reported level by 2025.
• Business travel emissions fell from 384 ktCO₂e in 2019 to 173 kt in 2023, and travel-related GHG emissions overall were 55% below 2019 by 2024, while upstream transport emissions dropped from 440 kt in 2022 to 305 kt in 2023.
• Access and equity: patients treated (excluding COVID-specific products) were 383 million (2021), 304 million (2022) and 334 million (2023), with 414 million patients reached in 2024 and 23 patented products in the Accord offered at not-for-profit prices in 45 countries.

Key Sustainability Innovations and Technologies

Pfizer’s innovation agenda is increasingly shaped by a sustainable medicines lens, treating climate and circularity as design constraints across R&D, manufacturing, packaging, and logistics. On the energy side, Pfizer is using virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) to lock in renewable generation at scale: a 310 MW VPPA with Vesper Energy supports full renewable coverage of North American operations, complemented by pan-European VPPAs to accelerate the RE100-aligned 2030 goal. The company’s climate roadmap stresses site-level energy efficiency, low-carbon fleets, logistics optimization, and supplier science-based targets, with Scope 3 emissions recognized as roughly four times operational emissions. On the product and packaging side, the sustainable medicines program deploys green chemistry, process intensification and waste hierarchy metrics, while the Pfizer Clear digital tool models Scope 3 emissions of packaging, devices, and single-use systems to optimize packaging formats and transport efficiency. Pfizer also serves as a founding member of the Pharmaceutical LCA Consortium, helping shape sector-wide standards for lifecycle assessment. Waste and packaging innovations are being tied to Zero Waste to Landfill objectives and circular principles, from electronic product information via 2D barcodes to low-carbon aluminium, bio-based plastics and recycled corrugated boxes, alongside site-level initiatives to recycle lab plastics and reduce single-use items.

• Renewable energy: a 310 MW VPPA with Vesper Energy is expected to cover 100% of Pfizer’s North American projected electricity needs, while European VPPAs support the 100% renewable electricity by 2030 target.
• Climate tech and supplier alignment: by 2023, Pfizer had reduced Scope 1 & 2 emissions to 1.09 MtCO₂e from 1.27 Mt in 2019 and brought 51% of suppliers (by spend) under science-based targets, rising to ~65% in 2024.
• Packaging intelligence: the Pfizer Clear tool is used to quantify Scope 3 GHG for packaging and devices; in one case, switching away from a vial plus prefilled-syringe kit reduced packaging materials and weight, improving transport efficiency.
• Circular waste systems: Pfizer reduced landfill contribution to 6% of total waste in 2024, and 55% of manufacturing sites achieved zero-landfill status; one Andover facility recycled over 50,000 kg of lab plastics and eliminated single-use cups, avoiding ~2,600 kg of additional waste in 2024.
• Sustainable medicines and LCA: Pfizer integrates green chemistry across process lifecycles and participates in the Pharma LCA Consortium to co-develop standard methodologies for pharmaceutical LCAs, directly supporting climate, water and circularity decision-making.

Measurable Impacts

Recent Pfizer disclosures provide a decent time series for climate, water, waste and access, though some 2024 environmental KPIs are still under verification. On climate, Scope 1 & 2 emissions have been trending downward since 2019, but not yet at the pace implied by the 2030 trajectory; renewable electricity is still in the early ramp-up stage. Scope 3 emissions remain the dominant portion of the footprint and are now disclosed with greater granularity across categories. On circularity, Pfizer is focusing on landfill reduction, waste diversion and sustainable packaging, with clear progress in zero-landfill sites yet less visible reductions in total hazardous waste volumes. Socially, Pfizer’s patient reach and access initiatives—especially through Accord for a Healthier World—are increasingly central to its ESG narrative, supported by a strong Access to Medicine Index ranking and targeted health equity investments.

• Climate performance (2019–2024)
  • Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions decreased from 1.27 MtCO₂e (2019) to 1.09 Mt (2023), a ~14% cut, and are reported at 15% below 2019 in 2024.
  • Renewable electricity share was 10% in 2019, dipped to 7% in 2021–2022 and recovered to 10% in 2023 and 14% in 2024, well short of the 80% by 2025 trajectory.
  • Scope 3 emissions are roughly four times greater than Scope 1 & 2; external aggregators estimate total Scope 3 at about 3.56 MtCO₂e in 2024, reflecting the scale of value-chain decarbonization needed.
• Water and waste footprint
  • Water withdrawal rose from 28.7 million m³ (2022) to 31.9 million m³ (2023) before easing to 30.9 million m³ in 2024, while water consumption increased from 2.9 to 3.3 million m³ over 2022–2024.
  • Hazardous waste generated was 76.5, 80.4 and 79.9 thousand tonnes in 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively; hazardous waste diverted from disposal increased from 7.5 to 12.6 thousand tonnes over the same period.
  • Non-hazardous waste generated stayed broadly flat (34.7–36.2–35.1 thousand tonnes between 2022–2024), while diversion from disposal rose to 19.7 thousand tonnes by 2024; overall landfill now accounts for just 6% of total waste.
• Access, health impact and equity
  • Patients treated (excluding COMIRNATY and PAXLOVID) totalled 383 million in 2021, 304 million in 2022 and 334 million in 2023; Pfizer estimates 414 million patients reached in 2024 across its portfolio.
  • Accord for a Healthier World offers Pfizer’s patented portfolio on a not-for-profit basis to up to 1.2 billion people in 45 low-income and lower-middle-income countries, building on 23 medicines and vaccines targeted at high-burden diseases.
  • In 2024, Pfizer’s impact reporting highlights an Access to Medicine Index rank of #4 and a US$2 million grant program for 11 non-profits under “Communities in Action for Health Equity,” supporting underserved communities in the US.

Challenges and Areas for Improvement

Pfizer’s sustainability progress is real but uneven, especially when viewed through a Scope 3 and circular economy lens. While Scope 1 & 2 reductions and zero-landfill achievements are notable, value-chain emissions remain large, and renewable electricity adoption is still at an early stage relative to 2025–2030 targets. Hazardous waste volumes have not yet decisively declined, even as diversion improves, and water use has generally trended upwards, reflecting both operational growth and the materiality of water-intensive manufacturing. In packaging, Pfizer has built strong capabilities (Clear tool, ePI, new materials), but lacks the kind of quantitative, time-bound plastic and PVC reduction targets now appearing in some competitor roadmaps. On access, Pfizer has made high-profile commitments through Accord and continues to perform well in the Access to Medicine Index, yet it must navigate persistent scrutiny around pricing and affordability in higher-income markets, as well as the challenge of fully operationalizing Accord delivery at scale across diverse health systems.

• Scope 3 emissions are still in the multi-million tonne range (around 3.6 MtCO₂e in 2024) and roughly four times Scope 1 & 2, while Pfizer’s 2040 net-zero target requires a 90% value-chain reduction from 2019.
• With Scope 1 & 2 down only 15% vs 2019 by 2024, Pfizer must accelerate decarbonization to achieve a 46% cut by 2030, effectively more than doubling the pace of reductions over the next six years.
• Renewable electricity remains at 14% of demand in 2024, vs a target of 80% by 2025 and 100% by 2030, putting significant pressure on VPPAs and on-site renewables to close the gap.
• Hazardous waste has hovered around ~80 thousand tonnes since 2022, and water withdrawal remains above 30 million m³, suggesting more radical process redesign and solvent/water minimization will be needed to bend these curves downward.
• Operationalizing Accord for a Healthier World for 1.2 billion people in 45 countries, across 23+ products, requires complex collaboration on health systems, supply chains, and diagnostics; early case-studies highlight promising pilots but also systemic bottlenecks.

Future Plans and Long-Term Goals

Looking ahead, Pfizer’s sustainability trajectory is anchored by its 2040 net-zero commitment and interim 2030 climate and circularity milestones. The climate roadmap is structured around operational decarbonization (energy efficiency, low-carbon fleets, refrigerant management), 100% renewable electricity via VPPAs and on-site generation, supplier engagement through science-based targets, and low-carbon logistics. The Road to Net Zero section in the 2024 Impact Report explicitly aligns with the Net-Zero Standard, with residual emissions to be neutralized by high-quality removals after meeting the 95%/90% reduction thresholds. On the circular side, Pfizer is pushing toward a “zero waste to landfill” ambition, with internal metrics based on the avoid–reduce–reuse–recycle–dispose hierarchy and targets to expand zero-landfill recognition beyond the current 55% of manufacturing sites. In social impact, the company’s forward agenda focuses on scaling Accord for a Healthier World, integrating equitable pricing into core portfolio strategies, and expanding global health and health-equity initiatives, including grant programs and partnerships. Technologically, Pfizer intends to deepen its use of AI, LCA tools, and digital twins across the value chain to improve energy efficiency, waste minimization, and access outcomes.

• 2030 climate milestones: 46% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions vs 2019 and 100% renewable electricity across global operations, with Scope 3 cuts delivered via logistics optimization, supplier SBTs and sustainable medicines criteria.
• 2040 net-zero standard: 95% reduction in company GHG emissions and 90% reduction in value-chain emissions vs 2019, ten years ahead of the Net-Zero Standard’s 2050 expectation.
• Waste and circularity: landfill is already down to 6% of total waste, with 55% of sites at zero-landfill; future plans focus on extending zero-landfill, increasing diversion (already >30 thousand tonnes across hazardous and non-hazardous waste streams), and scaling circular packaging pilots.
• Access agenda: Accord for a Healthier World is designed as a long-term platform to provide a not-for-profit patented portfolio to 1.2 billion people in 45 countries; Access to Medicine Index 2024 positioning (4th) sets expectations for continued leadership and more granular patient-reach reporting.

Comparisons to Industry Competitors

In the large-cap pharma climate and access landscape, Pfizer’s sustainability profile is that of an ambitious yet operationally still-catching-up player. Its 2040 net-zero target puts it among the more aggressive climate commitments in the sector and ahead of peers with 2045 ambitions, but behind the most advanced operational decarbonizers. On access, Pfizer performs strongly but not at the very top of the Index; on packaging and circularity, it is credible but less visibly radical than some peers experimenting with blister-free designs and PVC elimination.

Relative to Novartis and Sanofi, Pfizer has similar or stronger net-zero timing but a different emphasis:

• Novartis targets net-zero GHG across its value chain by 2040, with SBTi-approved near- and long-term targets (90% Scope 1 & 2 and 42% Scope 3 reduction by 2030 vs 2022). Pfizer matches the 2040 net-zero year but from a 2019 baseline and with 95%/90% reduction levels; its Scope 3 baseline and near-term pathway are somewhat less aggressive on percentage cuts by 2030.
• Sanofi aims for net-zero by 2045 across all scopes with a 55% Scope 1 & 2 and 30% Scope 3 reduction by 2030 vs 2019, slightly later on net-zero timing but with a clear Planet Care roadmap and strong waste-to-resource and blister-free packaging commitments. Pfizer is faster on net-zero year (2040 vs 2045) but arguably behind Sanofi on explicit packaging and PVC phase-out targets.

Versus GSK and AstraZeneca, Pfizer’s net-zero timing is comparable but its operational reductions lag the most advanced leaders:

• GSK targets an 80% reduction in emissions across all scopes by 2030 (baseline 2020), and net-zero with a 90% reduction by 2045, with 100% renewable electricity by 2025. AstraZeneca’s Ambition Zero Carbon aims for a 98% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 by 2026 and a 50% value-chain cut by 2030, moving toward a 90% reduction by 2045. Pfizer is more ambitious on net-zero year (2040) than GSK and AstraZeneca (2045), but its current 15% Scope 1 & 2 reduction vs 2019 indicates a slower decarbonization curve than AstraZeneca’s near-term operational targets.

On access and social impact, Pfizer sits just behind the top three:

• The 2024 Access to Medicine Index ranks Novartis (1st), GSK (2nd), Sanofi (3rd) and Pfizer (4th). Pfizer’s Accord for a Healthier World, which offers a patented portfolio at not-for-profit prices to 1.2 billion people, is one of the more structurally significant access commitments in the sector, though delivery is still in its early years compared with GSK and Sanofi’s long-standing access platforms.

On circularity and packaging, Pfizer is competitive but not obviously sector-leading:

• Pfizer’s Clear tool, zero-landfill progress (55% of sites), and packaging pilots (ePI, low-carbon materials) are strong, but peers like Sanofi and AstraZeneca have more visible, quantified packaging and plastic elimination targets—such as blister-free vaccine packaging timelines or specific tonnage reductions—positioning them slightly ahead on packaging-specific commitments.

Our Thoughts

Pfizer has moved decisively from traditional CSR to a more integrated, strategy-level ESG model, aligning net-zero, sustainable medicines and access under a single Impact Report and responsible business growth framework. The company’s 2040 net-zero commitment—95%/90% reductions across operations and value chain—is among the more ambitious in big pharma, and the supporting mechanics (VPPAs, supplier SBTs, logistics decarbonization, and an ESG-linked incentive modifier) are credible instruments. At the same time, current reductions in Scope 1 & 2 (15% vs 2019) and the persistent scale of Scope 3 (~4x operations) underscore how much acceleration is still required this decade. On circularity, Pfizer’s zero-landfill progress, waste hierarchy metrics, and packaging innovations (Clear tool, ePI, alternative materials) are strong foundations, but the absence of highly specific, time-bound packaging and plastic-reduction targets leaves room to sharpen its positioning relative to peers.

For other high-waste, logistics-heavy sectors, several strategic takeaways stand out:

• Treat value-chain decarbonization as core strategy: supplier science-based targets (rising from 19% to 51% in three years), logistics optimization, and renewable VPPAs are essential levers where Scope 3 emissions exceed operational emissions by a factor of four.
• Build circularity into product and packaging design: tools like Pfizer Clear, internal waste hierarchy metrics, and zero-landfill targets can guide packaging and process redesign, not just end-of-pipe treatment.
• Anchor access and equity in the business model rather than philanthropy: Accord for a Healthier World and patient-reach KPIs show how differentiated pricing and not-for-profit models can be scaled into core strategy, supporting both impact and license to operate.

Overall, Pfizer is a serious sustainability actor with ambitious climate commitments, sophisticated tools, and a growing circularity and access portfolio. The next phase will be defined by how quickly it can close the gap between targets and performance – especially on renewable electricity, Scope 3 decarbonization, hazardous waste reduction, and packaging transparency – while ensuring its access and pricing practices remain aligned with its public commitments across all markets.

Key sources

Pfizer 2024 Impact Report (ESG and responsible business growth, climate and circularity data, Accord and access metrics)
https://cdn.pfizer.com/pfizercom/Pfizer_2024_Impact_Report_02JUN2025.pdf

Pfizer 2023 ESG Performance KPIs (climate, water, waste and access time series)
https://cdn.pfizer.com/pfizercom/Pfizer_2023_ESG_Performance_13MAR2024.pdf

Pfizer environmental sustainability and climate/net-zero overview
https://www.pfizer.com/about/responsibility/environmental-sustainability
https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/net_zero_by_2040_how_pfizer_is_fighting_climate_change_with_ambitious_science_based_goals

Pfizer packaging, sustainable medicines and circular economy content
https://www.pfizer.com/about/responsibility/green-journey/packaging
https://www.pfizer.co.uk/responsibility/environmental-sustainability/sustainable-medicines

Accord for a Healthier World and access case-study
https://www.pfizer.com/about/responsibility/global-impact/accord
https://accesstomedicinefoundation.org/access-insights/pfizers-accord-for-a-healthier-world

Access to Medicine Index 2024 – overview and ranking
https://accesstomedicinefoundation.org/resource/2024-access-to-medicine-index

Pfizer 2024 Impact Report summary article (patient reach, grants, Index rank)
https://insights.pfizer.com/inside-pfizers-2024-impact-report

Novartis, Sanofi, GSK, AstraZeneca – climate and net-zero comparators
https://www.novartis.com/esg/environmental-sustainability/climate
https://www.novartis.com/esg/environmental-sustainability
https://www.sanofi.com/en/magazine/sustainability/net-zero-towards-2045
https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/responsibility/environment/climate/
https://www.astrazeneca.com/sustainability/environmental-protection/ambition-zero-carbon.html