Study: Majority of people want pharma companies to disclose carbon footprint of their products
A new study by YewMaker reveals strong public support for transparency and action on the carbon emissions of medicines. In fact, 84% of respondents want health care to actively reduce the carbon emissions of medicines and to prioritize suppliers with a lower carbon footprint, if the costs are not higher.
The NHS has committed to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045, making it essential to address medicine-related emissions, which account for a quarter of the NHS carbon footprint, YewMaker noted.
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The survey, which was conducted across the UK, United States, Australia and France with 1,304 respondents also revealed that an overwhelming majority of people feel it is important for healthcare and medicine manufacturers and suppliers to work together to reduce carbon emissions related to medicines.
Additional findings:
- 73% of respondents consider it important for doctors to have access to carbon footprint information when prescribing medicines.
- 53% of participants personally wish to receive information about the carbon footprint of the medicines they consume, reflecting a growing interest in making informed choices.
- Qualitative research, including one-on-one interviews, uncovered a preference among individuals for information on medicines they could buy themselves compared with medicines prescribed for them, as they felt it could empower them to make environmentally conscious decisions.
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Nazneen Rahman, CEO at YewMaker said, "This research demonstrates a strong public desire for the NHS and pharmaceutical companies to measure and mitigate the carbon footprint of medicines, which account for a large proportion of NHS emissions. YewMaker is developing MCF Classifier to provide standardised carbon footprints for thousands of medicines, equipping healthcare professionals with the knowledge they need to make carbon-informed decisions about medicines."