SkyCell meets goal of running solely on renewable electricity

SkyCell, a technology company that provides hybrid container solutions for supply chains in the pharmaceutical sector, has published its second annual sustainability report, tracking the progress it has made toward achieving net-zero emissions.

The report outlines how, in 2021, the Swiss company successfully transitioned its operations to run solely on renewable electricity.

The global healthcare industry is a significant contributor of CO₂ emissions. Each year the sector produces two gigatons of CO₂ emissions, which is the equivalent amount of the fifth-largest emitting country globally. For pharmaceutical companies, supply chains represent a sizable proportion of these emissions, primarily during the manufacturing process and transport of containers.

Read our full report on hybrid containers and how they are benefiting pharmaceutical supply chains

These Scope 3 emissions, which occur as the result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by the company, are considered the most challenging to reduce. SkyCell’s report states that in 2021 its overall Scope 3 emissions intensity decreased by eight percent, which it achieved by optimizing shipment routes, minimizing empty transports, and shifting toward more sustainable modes of transport.

Reducing pharma's carbon footprint

SkyCell also acquired a carbon dioxide removal certificate from Climeworks, a company that helps businesses reduce their emissions via direct air capture (DAC) technology. It has purchased CO₂ certificates from the United Nations’ REDD+ projects, that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, as well as support the conservation of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.

The company has also made improvements to its container design, material use and production process, which had already been found to reduce emissions by up to 50 percent compared to other pharma containers. Its newest container, the 1500X, weighs significantly less and has a lower outer volume than previous container solutions, meaning fewer trips are needed to transport the same amount of pharmaceutical product.

Sustainability goals

In recognition of these efforts, SkyCell was awarded a Gold Medal by EcoVadis, an independent analyst of businesses’ sustainability ratings. The award recognizes SkyCell’s accomplishments in environment, ethics, labor and sustainable procurement assessments, ranking the company among the top three percent of all businesses assessed by EcoVadis.

As part of its mission to become net-zero by 2040, SkyCell is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

“We believe it is an important part of our mission to detail the progress made in achieving our sustainability targets and share these with all our stakeholders,” says Michael Hegglin, Global Sustainability Manager at SkyCell.

“Our targets are science-led and are aligned to both the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” he adds. “We will continue to work toward our goal of achieving end-to-end net-zero emissions by 2040 and chart a positive, more sustainable way forwards for the pharma industry.”

Read more: Big pharma CEOs announce net zero action plan

Nico Ros, CTO and Co-Founder of SkyCell, notes: “Helping to prevent climate change is one of my top missions as a father and engineer. I wanted to prove that as engineers we can design solutions that redefine industry standards, cut CO₂ emissions and crucially reduce costs at the same time.

“With our technology we are helping pharma companies deliver their products to patients more safely and remove millions of kilograms of CO₂e from their supply chains every year. With our sustainability report, we want to lead by example and demonstrate how we are taking steps toward our net-zero goal,” Ros concludes.

You can download SkyCell’s second annual sustainability report here.

Quick links

• How the pharma sector must address sustainability
• The impact of the energy crisis on pharma
• Five ways pharma is reducing its carbon emissions

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