We aim to stop the rise of chronic diseases… and with less environmental impact
Environmental challenges have never been more critical or more urgent than they are today. That’s why we have committed to net zero emissions across our entire value chain by 2045 at the latest.

Growing consumption, industrialisation, and urbanisation threaten not only the sustainability of the environment we live in, but also the health of people around the world.

Every year, we use billions of litres of water and large amounts of energy and resources to manufacture medicines. We distribute hundreds of millions of vials and injection pens to people who need them, and while our products are made of high-quality materials, most of them end up in a landfill after use.

This puts us at the frontline of some of the biggest environmental issues: climate change, water and resource scarcity, pollution, and plastic waste. Our CO2 emissions continue to rise. As 2045 approaches, we have set a near-term target to reduce our Scope 3 CO2 emissions by 33% by 2033 compared to 2024. An important step on the way to our ambition of having zero environmental impact.

To lead the way and be at the forefront of change, we have taken a bold, broad, company-wide approach to solving environmental issues – with the ultimate aspiration to have zero environmental impact.

Used inslin pens being recycled

Progress and sustainability should always go hand in hand. Take our injection devices. With sustainability playing a key role in our innovation process, newer generations of our injection devices are designed to shift consumer preference from single-use plastic devices to reusable ones.

By using exchangeable cartridges, we can decrease the amount of plastic waste per patient while still delivering the treatment they need.

Our ReMed™ initiative is built on the success of our local take back pilot programmes, enabling pen users to return their used injection devices and give the components a new life. It’s just one of the ways unordinary thinking is enabling us to challenge the status quo and reduce our environmental impact.

Find your local ReMed™ programme (novonordisk.com)

Our strategy challenges us to find new ways of designing products so they can be reused or recycled, to reshape our business to minimise consumption and waste, and to work with suppliers who help us realise our goal.

We have already taken several steps towards zero environmental impact – but we are always searching for new ways to do more. We believe the answers will come as we adapt our business to a circular mindset that keeps our products and materials in use.

 

We focus on our use of renewable electricity, how we design our products and our suppliers.

Graphic: Sourcing renewable electricity

Graphic: Hand holding a heart

Graphic: Working with suppliers sharing mind-set

We use the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to measure and assess the environmental impacts – including carbon footprint – across the entire product life cycle of our drugs and devices. Our LCAs follow the ISO14040/44 standard, as well as a product carbon footprint sector guidance document, co-developed by Novo Nordisk and other organisations within pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

Below, you find links to third-party verified carbon footprint reports for a range of specified Novo Nordisk brands documenting the carbon footprint of yearly treatment of a patient. 

Click the links for more information about the carbon footprint of our products: DuraTouch® | FlexPen® | FlexTouch® | NovoPen®

Download previous product carbon footprint reports (zip file) (2023 vs. 3.1 and 3.2)