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The Swedish pharma industry launches Sustainability Manifesto

The manifesto, launched by the trade association for the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Sweden (Lif), includes nine commitments that covers the entire value chain of medicines, from research and development through manufacturing, to marketing and use.
The manifesto has both the individual patient and society as a whole in focus, and it is divided into three pillars: “ethics and transparency”, “good health and access to medicines” and “decreased environmental impact”. Each pillar states three commitments, see below.

Alexander Sommensjö, trainee, Lif, Olav Fromm, CEO, Chiesi Nordic, and board member, Lif, and Bengt Mattson, special adviser, Lif, have driven the work of the Sustainability Manifesto.
Spread internationally
These three pillars are accompanied by a sustainability strategy, the Swedish Pharma Sustainability Strategy, describing the situation and the conditions for the work within sustainable development and UN’s Agenda 2030 within the pharmaceutical industry.
“Even though Sweden is a very small market from an international perspective, Lif’s members, which usually is subsidiaries to multinational companies, have a relatively strong position within their global groups. This means that Swedish initiatives can be spread internationally,” says Bengt Mattson, special adviser, Lif.
Read more: Pharma industry confronts growing problem of pharmaceutical waste
Measurable sub-goals
In order to ensure that the commitments are being followed Lif will bring forward measurable sub-goals, including a roadmap to a fossil-free pharmaceutical industry, and an accounting model.
The work and the progress will then be presented at Lif’s annual sustainability conference.
Read more: Column: Sustainability is built into Nordic life science, but more is needed
The nine commitments
Ethics and transparency
– We work for as much cooperation, transparency and openness as possible throughout the entire pharmaceutical value chain.
– We act trust-building, and with respect in all collaboration, and maintain and further develop the pharmaceutical industry’s ethical rules and recommendations.
– Our member companies are good employers.
Good health and access to medicines
– We work for good accessibility and access to medicines and push for patients’ opportunity for optimal treatment and everyone’s equal right to medical treatments and care.
– We fight the threat of antibiotic resistance.
– We are a reliable partner in building increased resilience, in normal situations as well as in crises, pandemics, and disasters.
Decreased environmental impact
– We are part of the transition to a circular economy.
– We work for a fossil-free pharmaceutical industry.
– We work for reduced discharges of pharmaceutical residues into water.
Photo: iStock
Published: May 24, 2022