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Environment
At LEO Pharma, we are on an ambitious growth journey, seeking to make a difference for more than 100 million patients globally – and counting. As part of this journey, we aim to grow our business responsibly with clever use of resources and in ways that minimize our negative footprint. As a global company with multiple production sites and worldwide distribution, optimizing how we operate is essential and reflects our responsibility to be a trustworthy partner to healthcare providers and patients.
Our environmental strategy is part of our overall sustainability approach and is sponsored by a member of the Executive Management, the Executive Vice President of Product Supply.
Climate change – Our journey towards net-zero
With six production sites in Europe and numerous global suppliers, our operations and value chain contribute to climate change with a significant carbon footprint. Addressing our carbon footprint is critical not only to mitigate environmental harm but also to ensure the long-term sustainability of our business. To tackle these challenges, we focus on reducing emissions, ensuring high resource efficiency across our operations, and collaborating with partners to drive reductions throughout the value chain. To reduce our own emission, we are electrifying our car fleet that in 2024 contributed 20% of our Scope 1 and 2 emissions. In 2024, we reduced our emission from the car fleet with 14% compared to previous year. At our manufacturing site in Cork, the transition to a water-cooled chiller ensured higher resource efficiency by reducing electricity consumption with 260 MWh annually. In 2024, our transition from air to ocean freight for the overseas transportation of our products contributed to emission reductions in our value chain through a 35% decrease in GHG intensity in our downstream overseas transportation compared to our 2021.
For more details on actions supporting our target see our sustainability statement here: https://www.leo-pharma.com/our-annualreporting.
Our approach is rooted in science, with targets validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and aligned with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5˚C. The commitment reflects our responsibility to combat climate change while supporting business growth. By continuously monitoring progress and coordinating efforts across the value chain, we aim to make meaningful contributions to a low-carbon future. In 2024, as a continuation of our efforts, we committed to setting a Net-Zero target by 2050. Currently, we are in the process of preparing for third party verification.
All LEO Pharma manufacturing sites continuously work to improve health and safety performance and reduce environmental and climate impact and are certified according to ISO 45001 (Occupational health and safety) and ISO 14001 (Environment) standards to support systematic and continuous improvement. In addition, all our own manufacturing sites work with energy management, and 5 out of 6 sites are certified according to ISO 50001 (Energy). The remaining site is planning for ISO 50001 certification in 2026. Environment, Health and Safety are integrated into our Code of Conduct and a Principle Procedure for global EHS Management , which together cover all parts of the business to ensure compliance with Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) legislation and internal standards.
Internal audits are conducted regularly by our EHS departments across all manufacturing sites. At least once a year a legal compliance evaluation is carried out addressing compliance with local and national legislation. An EHS management review is conducted annually with Executive Management.
We expect our business partners to adhere to the LEO Pharma sustainability standards for business partners and to have systems in place to prevent and mitigate accidental spills and releases to the environment and adverse impacts on the local community. We have a risk-based approach to audits of suppliers with regards to Environment, Health and Safety based on internal evaluations and screening processes and work actively with our business partners to continually improve practices.
Valid EHS certificates can always be found at our LEO Pharma website:
LEO Pharma is committed to protecting the environment, preventing pollution, and using energy, materials, and water responsibly across our operations. As part of this approach, we continuously work to reduce the environmental impact of our manufacturing processes by improving resource efficiency, strengthening pollution control, and promoting more sustainable waste and water management.
Examples of our actions include mapping VOC-containing air streams at our Ballerup site, improving the collection, treatment, and monitoring of emissions from tank trucks and storage tanks, and an upgrade and adjustment of the existing abatement solution, along with improved monitoring of VOC emissions. We are also replacing our existing Fucidin® facility with a new facility, expected to be commissioned in 2026, designed to meet updated environmental standards, reduce VOC emissions, and include a modern wastewater treatment plant. In addition, we are working to reduce pharmaceutical residues in wastewater by using the new treatment plant to support existing production facilities. Beyond manufacturing, we are also taking steps to improve resource efficiency in commercial activities. For example, in collaboration with a vendor, we have introduced a modular approach to congress exhibitions that increases the reusability of booths and display materials.