Industrial Emissions to the Environment

Sanofi is committed to minimizing the potential environmental impacts of emissions from our facilities, particularly for emissions of pharmaceuticals in wastewater. By 2025, all relevant manufacturing sites will have implemented a plan to monitor, manage and reduce emissions of pharmaceuticals in wastewater to reduce their potential impacts on ecosystems.

All relevant manufacturing sites monitor compliance with established limits on emissions to air and water, as set in their respective operating permits. Sites must also comply with Global HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) requirements and related standards in line with the Sanofi HSE management system. HSE requirements cover emissions control including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and emissions in wastewater such as chemical oxygen demand (COD). Action plans are in place at local level to further prevent and control emissions to both air and water, where needed.

Sanofi is committed to minimize the potential environmental impacts of its medicines throughout their lifecycle. Our strategic approach covers the entire life cycle of our medicines, from production to their use by patients. We have adopted a proactive approach to minimize the potential impacts on ecosystems of pharmaceuticals in the environment.

• By end-2025, all manufacturing sites¹ will have implemented a plan to monitor, manage and reduce emissions of pharmaceutical residues in wastewater wherever needed. We are also reinforcing this approach through the implementation of best available wastewater treatment technologies at targeted sites.
• By end-2025, we will also have evaluated the potential environmental impact of our top-100-selling medicines.
• We are developing and operating a global program to promote responsible use and the proper disposal of unused medicines by 2030.

Controlling volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from drug substance synthesis and manufacturing activities is a priority for Sanofi. We apply an integrated approach at each stage of product development, from research to production, in order to:

• avoid the use of solvents by substituting chemical processes for biological processes;
• encourage the recycling of solvents;
• select the least hazardous solvents;
• reduce emissions at source through specific adjustments to manufacturing processes and maximum containment of solvent use including spill and release prevention measures; and
• capture and treat residual VOC emissions at special treatment facilities using the best available techniques for the specific physicochemical properties of the emitted VOCs (cryogenic capture, gas scrubbers, thermal oxidizers, activated carbon).

The use of solvents (primarily in the production of active ingredients and their transformation into pharmaceutical products) follows Sanofi's recommendations on their good use. Since 2013, an internal “Solvent Guide” document has been used as an internal standard when choosing solvents. Solvents are classified according to HSE and regulatory criteria and less hazardous solvents are promoted.

Sanofi continues to see significant reductions in emissions to air even through manufacturing volumes continues to grow.

Sanofi strives to reduce the impact of its emissions on water bodies by limiting contaminants in wastewater from its manufacturing activities. Industrial effluents (wastewater) are treated either at the sites’ wastewater treatment facilities and/or at external treatment plants in accordance with operating permits, before final discharge to the environment.

Sanofi also invests in technologies to improve wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and minimize potential emissions of active pharmaceutical ingredients in effluents but also seeks to limit effluent discharge upstream of the WWTP for reducing effluents at the source (i.e., upon exit from the factory). Our treatment plants undergo continuous maintenance, monitoring, and performance optimization, including equipment upgrades and flow-management improvements.

Environmental impact management programs address emissions of chemicals in wastewater, with requirements on emissions characterization, environmental impact assessment, and reduction. Our sites are responsible for checking discharges against relevant licenses and agreements. This includes minimization strategies, including reduction at source, and discharge quality monitoring and mapping on chemical oxygen demand, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc. for treated water discharged directly to a surface water body.

All manufacturing sites must implement a plan to monitor, manage and reduce emissions of pharmaceuticals in wastewater to mitigate their potential impacts on ecosystems. The global environmental risk management program focuses on pharmaceuticals in wastewater. Each site implements an emissions management plan. This program includes the following elements: quantification of pharmaceuticals in wastewaters and receiving water bodies; setting of substance specific safe discharge targets based on available data and standard methods; characterization of risks for aquatic ecosystems and other environmental compartments where relevant; implementation of case-by-base risk mitigation measures from source reduction measures to end-of-pipe treatment solutions. Emissions reduction measures, from source reduction to end-of-pipe treatment solutions, are tested and implemented as needed. Such plans are operated on 100% of our chemical synthesis and dosage form sites.

Together with the other signatories to the industry Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) roadmap, we develop and implement measures to reduce environmental impact from production of antibiotics across our manufacturing and supply chain. This includes the definition and implementation of a common antibiotic manufacturing framework and an approach to establishing discharge targets for antibiotic manufacturing. These targets are intended to be protective of adverse effects to aquatic species and of antibioresistance promotion. We implement this framework in our antibiotic manufacturing sites. We also apply the AMR Industry Alliance safe discharge targets in our risk-based program targeting pharmaceuticals in wastewaters. 

• 100% of all manufacturing sites engaged in specific programs to monitor, manage and reduce emissions;
• 85% of our top 100 selling medicines assessed for their impact on ecosystems; and
• We continued to proceed with the implementation of our risk-based program for managing emissions of active ingredients in wastewaters from pharmaceutical manufacturing plants.

Sanofi global material emissions to water performance.

1. chemical synthesis and dosage form sites