How Merck is Driving Sustainability Across Health and Planet
The pharmaceutical sector faces mounting pressure to demonstrate environmental responsibility alongside clinical innovation.
As healthcare systems worldwide grapple with the dual challenges of expanding access and reducing carbon footprints, pharmaceutical manufacturers are increasingly recognising that patient outcomes cannot be separated from planetary health.
Merck (known as MSD in the UK) exemplifies this shift in thinking.
The global healthcare and pharmaceutical company is working to align its net-zero commitments with its core mission of improving patient care.
"Our purpose to save and improve lives is inextricably linked to fostering a healthy planet. It is why we embed our commitment to enabling a safe, sustainable and healthy future within our Corporate Strategic Framework," says the company.
Renewable energy in healthcare manufacturing
Healthcare manufacturing requires significant energy inputs, from maintaining sterile production environments to powering cold chain logistics for biologics and vaccines.
Merck is addressing this challenge by reducing energy demand whilst simultaneously increasing renewable energy use.
The company's renewable footprint is expanding through Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs), long-term contracts that help bring new clean energy projects online.
Over the past five years, Merck has secured 209 megawatts (MW) of VPPA commitments across North America (118 MW) and Europe (91 MW), with its second US VPPA beginning operation in 2024 and a new solar project in Spain commencing in the second quarter of 2025.
"Our long-standing commitment and focus on advancing access to health, operating responsibly and implementing strategies that protect the health of people, animals and the planet is unwavering," says Robert M. Davis, Chairman and CEO of Merck.
"As we continue to navigate the rapid pace of change happening all around us, I am proud of the progress we've made thus far and I remain optimistic about our future."
Merck has committed to sourcing 100% of purchased electricity from renewable energy by 2025 and has reached 61% to date.
The organisation is working towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across global operations by 2045, aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative, supported by more than 400 supplier partnerships.
As of late 2024, Scope 1 and 2 emissions were 16% below its 2019 baseline, while Scope 3 emissions were 6% below baseline, with a target of a 30% reduction by 2030.
Water stewardship in pharmaceutical operations
Access to clean water remains fundamental to both public health outcomes and pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.
"Water is a key input to our manufacturing operations and we assess water risk throughout our network as a standard business practice," says Merck.
The company's global water strategy supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation.
This includes ensuring wastewater discharges meet local and national standards, understanding and controlling its operational water footprint, managing water risk at facilities and within the supply chain and reporting publicly on water use and goals.
Merck's Water Management Standard requires sites to comply with relevant regulations, minimise discharge-related impacts and identify water reduction opportunities.
Reduction measures include integrating water considerations into process design, optimising cooling systems, recovering and reusing steam condensate and 'reject water' for non-potable applications and optimising process water purification systems.
Biodiversity protection and healthcar
Merck recognises that protecting and restoring nature and biodiversity is essential to a healthy planet and the company's long-term growth because nature provides critical ecosystem services such as air and water purification and genetic resources for medicines.
The company supports biodiversity by monitoring species, improving its understanding of wild populations, survival rates and migration patterns.
Merck also aids in providing medicines, vaccines and technologies that advance aquaculture and conservation, alongside solutions that protect species ranging from salmon and sturgeon to sea turtles, penguins and bats.
Over the past eight years, Merck has invested annually in habitat restoration and reforestation projects linked to its UN CEO Water Mandate Commitment, working with partners such as The Nature Conservancy and One Tree Planted.
