Swiss pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Roche announced today an expansion of its climate goals, committing to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) to achieve net zero emissions across its full value chain.

SBTi is one of the key organizations focused on aligning corporate environmental sustainability action with the global goals of addressing and limiting climate change. Last year, the organization launched its Net Zero Standard, setting stringent criteria which it uses to assess and certify corporate commitments to achieve net zero emissions. SBTi also tightened its criteria for approved climate targets, announcing that it will only accept targets aligned with its 1.5°C warming ambition, as required to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.  

Roche said that its commitment to the SBTi will extend the company’s emissions reduction strategy to Scope 3 emissions, or those occurring in its up- and downstream value chain.

Founded in 2020 by King Charles III (then as Prince of Wales), the SMI is a coalition of public and private sector leaders focused on aligning economic value with social and environmental sustainability.

Roche stated that it has also joined the SMI Health Systems Taskforce to address emissions across supply chains, patient care pathways, and clinical trials. Launched at last year’s COP26 conference, the taskforce aims to accelerate the delivery of net zero, patient-centric healthcare systems that improve individual, societal, and planetary health.

Severin Schwan, Chief Executive Officer, said:

“Sustainability is part of Roche’s DNA. We have set clear targets and are working hard to truly reduce our emissions percent by percent, year after year. But it takes a broader effort to tackle the climate crisis. And how we do this will ultimately decide our future. This is why sector-level initiatives like this one are critical to jointly find and implement concrete solutions at scale.”