Bespak-Tunley report sets benchmark for biodiversity accountability
This collaboration sets a precedent for sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry, showing how science-based methods can uncover and reduce negative ecological impacts buried deep within complex global supply chains.
Why it matters
Biodiversity and healthy ecosystems form the backbone of a stable global environment and global economy. All businesses depend on ecosystem services, which are the natural processes and resources that support life and industry (i.e. clean water, soil, raw materials, etc.). All supply chains rely on these natural systems, whether directly through material extraction or indirectly through supply chain processes. In resource-intensive sectors such as pharmaceuticals, the use of products and procedures often carries hidden environmental impacts. By identifying these overlooked dependencies, Bespak is leading the way for other companies looking to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services as well as bolster operational resilience by adopting this proactive measure.
Biodiversity scientists from Tunley Environmental applied Tunley’s SCBF methodology, which implements Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methods to evaluate biodiversity impact via the species.yr metric, an internationally recognised indicator that estimates potential species extinction attributable to supply chain activities.
Key findings:
- Bespak’s King’s Lynn facility was found to have a biodiversity footprint of 0.2153 species.yr, equivalent to the loss of 1 species every 4 years due to supply chain-related impacts.
- The Holmes Chapel site recorded 0.0777 species.yr, which translates to the loss of one species every thirteen years.
- In both locations, commodities (or materials) such as aluminium and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) were responsible for over 70% of the total biodiversity footprint.
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