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PFIZER How to protect planetary and human health ... A message from Pfizer 
Original article: https://www.axios.com/sponsored/content-item/pfizer-how-to-protect-planetary-and-human-health Peter Burgess COMMENTARY This is a sponsored message from Pfizer via Axios, and as such is corporate propaganda masquerading as corporate benevolence. There is nothing wrong with corporate benevolence, but there is a lot wrong with corporate messaging which has a focus only on the rather modest good impact when there are huge issues around the main actiivities of the business. In the case of Pfizer ... a major pharmaceutical company ... there is the issue of drug pricing and the underlying business model for the company. For all practical purposes the general public knows next to nothing about the profitability and the return on investment associated with the company's products and services. From a purely scientific point of view, Pfizer is one of a number of companies that have progressed medical science for the benefit of society in an impressive manner ... and they should get credit for that. The company has also been a major beneficiary of government largesse over the years, and at scale in the last two years or so in connection with the rapid development of a Covid vaccine. My impression is that very few people, if any, have a good understanding of the way in which government monies have been converted into social benefit and corporate profits during the period of this pandemic, and indeed, over past years and decades. My impression is that the company has been able to take advantage of sloppy government rules and regulations in ways that have not been of public benefit but have delivered unwarranted financial return to the company's investors. Axios ... for its part is promoting this piece from Pfizer ... but I am not sure that they will ever report in depth about the company so that the public can get a complete understanding of the true nature and performance of the company. Frankly ... this is not an Axios problem, but one shared by the whole of the media ecosystem that simply does not have the human and financial resources to do the accountability needed. These big powerful companies are seriously opaque, and the rules help keep it so !!!!!!!!! Peter Burgess | ||
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How to protect planetary and human health
A message from Pfizer The impact of climate change on human health is now unequivocal. Between 2030 and 2050, it’s expected to cause 250,000 additional deaths per year from increased effects like heat stress and malnutrition. Without reducing the emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHG), our access to clean air, safe drinking water and food, and secure shelter is at risk. Caroline Roan, Pfizer’s chief sustainability officer and senior vice president of Global Health and Social Impact, provides details on Pfizer’s recently announced commitment to accelerate its decarbonization plans. 1. First thing’s first: Why does Pfizer care about minimizing the impact of climate change? Caroline: Climate change profoundly impacts human health, which is Pfizer’s core business. This isn’t theoretical — we’re already seeing global impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures, more severe weather events, air pollution, geographical changes in vector-borne disease, food insecurity due to drought and more. Climate change is also a health equity issue because it affects all communities, especially historically marginalized communities. An estimated 4% to 5% of global GHG emissions are attributed to the health system — we recognize that action is needed and feel compelled to contribute to the solution. 2. The goal: What impact does Pfizer hope to have on environmental issues that can affect human health? Caroline: Guided by our company purpose, “Breakthroughs that change patients’ lives,” we’re committed to reducing our company's GHG emissions and engaging with partners and suppliers throughout our value chain to encourage similar action, such as:
Why it’s important: Roughly 80% of our GHG emissions come from operations we don’t directly manage, yet they are a critical part of our value chain in ensuring continuity of supply of medicines and vaccines to patients. Examples include suppliers that make raw materials or manufacturing components or companies that transport our products. To truly address the impact of planetary health on human health, action from all parties across all sectors is needed. 3. Looking ahead: Pfizer recently announced a commitment to reduce GHG emissions and aims to achieve the voluntary Net-Zero Standard by 2040. What does this entail? Caroline: Pfizer has had a longstanding commitment to climate action. We set our first company GHG goals in 2000 and are proud to have reduced our emissions by 64% in the past 21 years. But let’s face it — the world has changed dramatically since 2000 and there is a growing need for urgent climate action, so we are challenging ourselves and applying our company’s value of courage to accelerate our decarbonization plans. The background: The Net-Zero Standard, published by the Science Based Targets initiative, provides guidance and recommendations for reducing company emissions by 95% and value chain emissions by 90% no later than 2050. We’re committing to achieve the ambitious Net-Zero Standard across our value chain by 2040 from a 2019 baseline, which is 10 years earlier than the expectations of the standard. To achieve this bold ambition, we plan to transition to renewable and no-carbon technologies across our operations and strive to deliver similar action throughout our vast global supply chain, all while continuing to deliver on our commitments to patients. This transition will challenge our global network, requiring invention and tenacity, and will include large strategic infrastructure projects, as well as day-to-day actions from all global colleagues. 4. How it’s done: What action will Pfizer take to accelerate the decarbonization of its value chain and work with suppliers to reduce GHG emissions? Caroline: We are engaging our global network of colleagues to embed sustainability practices and integrating tried-and-tested solutions, all while challenging our team to bring forward innovative ideas and solutions. Our key areas of focus include:
The reality is some of the solutions needed for this ambitious transition are not yet commercially available — but we’re not alone and are seeking to partner with organizations that share similar ambitions to access breakthrough technologies and innovations. Together, we believe we can drive meaningful progress that helps protect our planet and people alike. Find out more about Pfizer’s commitment to accelerate climate action.
| The text being discussed is available at | https://www.axios.com/sponsored/content-item/pfizer-how-to-protect-planetary-and-human-health and |