Dr. Lutz Hegemann, Head of Global Health and Sustainability at Novartis, emphasized the importance of delivering their medicines in a way that creates a positive impact on society while causing the least harm to the environment. He stated, “We must optimize our production processes and energy usage. At the same time, we must ensure that the quality of the water we return to the environment is the same as when we used it.”
Responding to questions from an AA reporter, Hegemann said that sustainability should be considered not only as environmental sustainability but also as business and impact sustainability, with all the benefits provided being evaluated from a long-term perspective.
Highlighting the importance of minimizing the environmental footprint in the drug production process, Hegemann said, “It is crucial to deliver our medicines in a way that creates a positive impact on society while causing the least harm to the environment. We must optimize our production processes and energy usage. At the same time, we must ensure that the quality of the water we return to the environment is the same as when we used it. However, a large part of our environmental footprint occurs in our supply chain. Therefore, we must work with our partners to reduce emissions.”
Hegemann pointed out that the pharmaceutical industry has a smaller environmental footprint compared to some other sectors, stating that the industry’s footprint is much less than that of the oil or energy-producing industries.
“We need to collaborate with regulatory bodies to find ecological solutions” Hegemann said, “We rely on our employees and colleagues in the field to reduce this footprint. Regulatory demands prevent us from using recycled packaging materials. Therefore, we need to collaborate with regulatory bodies to find ecological solutions.”
Natacha Theytaz, President of Novartis Turkey, also provided information about the company’s activities and sustainability goals in Turkey.
Theytaz mentioned that the hundreds of clinical trials they conduct in Turkey directly impact patients and that they produce 107 billion packages of medicine annually, reaching 6.5 million Turkish patients with these medicines.
Referring to Novartis’ sustainability goals, Theytaz said, “Our team has taken a significant step by installing solar panels on rooftops. Our goal is to be carbon neutral by 2029. Over the next five years, the team plans to reduce gas production, install more heat pumps, and produce more solar energy.”
Theytaz underlined that Novartis has been operating in Turkey for many years, stating, “We have been proud to be here since 1955. We produce local medicines for diseases such as heart failure and breast cancer. However, the current system does not always reflect the value of medicines in their pricing. Therefore, we are working with the government to steer the system towards a more value-based environment. We want to offer Novartis’ entire portfolio to the Turkish people. We are currently continuing to work with various parties, including the government. We hope to attract more interest to finance green technology, digital, and automation projects.”
source: aa.com.tr/ prepared by Melisa Beğiç