Novo depends on nature, including water, biodiversity, agricultural inputs and forest-based materials, throughout our value chain to make and deliver medicines safely and reliably to patients.
Most of our impact on nature occurs outside our own operations through the sourcing of raw materials such as glucose, paper and cardboard. At the same time, water use at production sites represents one of our most important direct dependencies. By working across our value chain and focusing on areas where we can have the greatest impact, we aim to help protect and restore nature while supporting long-term business resilience.
We have an ambition to halt the loss of nature in our value chain by 2033 and contribute to nature positive outcomes by 2045.
- Deforestation-free value chain by 2030¹
- 100% of the glucose we source will come from regenerative agriculture by 2033
- Two water restoration projects contributing to improvement in ecological and social conditions by 2030²
These targets help strengthen supply security, reduce risks and support the long-term availability of the natural resources on which our business depends.
Sustainable sourcing
As most of our nature footprint lies in our supply chain, we work closely with suppliers to reduce impacts associated with agricultural and forest-based materials.
Regenerative agriculture
Glucose is one of the most important raw materials used in our production. We are working with suppliers to increase the use of regenerative agricultural practices that aim to support healthier soils, improve water quality and strengthen biodiversity.
Deforestation-free sourcing
We are working to ensure key raw materials are sourced responsibly and support supply chains that are free from deforestation and conversion of natural ecosystems.
We focus on reducing water use, improving water efficiency and addressing water-related impacts in both our operations and supply chain. Priority sites are supported through initiatives that help improve water performance and build resilience in regions of water risk.
We work with restoration initiatives in the water basins in which our production sites are located to help improve water availability and quality. We currently support restoration projects in China, Brazil and the US.
We will ensure alignment with our SBTN target to ensure no conversion of critical or high-conservation habitat at our operational sites. In addition, we have an ambition to achieve no-net-loss during expansion projects.
Reducing pressure on nature while growing our business will require innovation. We are exploring new ways to make medicines and reduce dependence on nature-intensive materials, including work to optimise, reduce and potentially replace key raw materials over time. Currently, we focus on glucose and horseshoe crab products.
Through collaborations with suppliers in Europe and the US, more than 10% of our glucose is already sourced from regenerative agriculture. By supporting farmers in adopting regenerative practices, we are helping improve soil health, biodiversity and water quality, progressing towards our ambition of sourcing 100% of glucose from regenerative agriculture by 2033.
Water-saving projects, process optimisation and recycling initiatives help reduce pressure on local water resources across our production network. At our site in Montes Claros, Brazil, a rainwater harvesting system captures and treats rainwater for use in production, reducing reliance on freshwater sources by up to 40% and improving resilience to water scarcity.
We support restoration projects in China, Brazil and the US linked to our operational footprint and value chains. These projects aim to improve water availability, ecosystem health and community outcomes while strengthening long-term resilience in the landscapes where we operate.
In Tianjin, we are helping restore former mining land to improve watershed resilience, and in Montes Claros we are working with local landowners to restore degraded landscapes and strengthen long-term water security.
Deforestation-free value chain by 2030
This target is validated by SBTN. The full target states: Novo has low exposure to conversion of natural ecosystems in its direct operations and commits to maintaining this state by 2030. Novo will not convert critical habitat or high conservation value areas within sites under its operational control.
Novo will achieve 100% of volumes of material conversion-driving commodities from areas known to be conversion-free (in all natural lands) by 2030, compared with a 2020 cut-off year and will remediate all past conversion occurring between the cut-off and target year (associated with its share of volumes sourced).
Water restoration projects contributing to improvement in ecological and social conditions by 2030
This target is validated by SBTN. The full target states:
Novo is engaged in the Tianjin Water Restoration initiative in China and the Montes Claros Water Restoration initiative in Brazil and commits to contributing to substantial improvement in ecological and social conditions in these landscapes by 2030.