DCAT’s Research & Benchmarking Committee has concluded its latest study, Incorporating Sustainability in the Bio/Pharma Supply Chain, and the findings are now available as a complimentary report for DCAT Member Company representatives.

Following a survey of DCAT Member Companies in late 2021/early 2022, the report examines the targets and progress made by bio/pharma companies and suppliers in reaching their sustainability goals.

Key takeaways from the report include:

• Bio/pharma companies and their suppliers, including CDMOs and providers of ingredients and packaging materials, are making progress in addressing sustainability in their operations, driven by investors, customers, and employees, but the efforts are still in their early stages.

• While bio/pharma companies have announced aggressive targets for their supply chains, including reducing carbon emissions and other resource use, they are still determining how to achieve those objectives.

• Initial efforts are focused on initiatives that can also reduce cost of goods, including reduced energy and water consumption and less waste. 

• Measurement of progress in achieving supply chain sustainability objectives is complicated by the immaturity of science-based measurement schemes and the vast amount of data companies might be expected to compile.

• There is still much uncertainty and ambivalence on the part of bio/pharma companies and suppliers regarding the degree to which companies will weigh sustainability performance versus other factors in their sourcing decisions, especially price.

Read more highlights from the report in this DCAT Value Chain Insights article.

We encourage all DCAT Member Company representatives to take advantage of this value-added benefit to evaluate your own company’s practices for supply chain sustainability. Please feel free to share his report with colleagues at your company.

If you have any trouble accessing the report please contact Jessica Dunkerly at jdunkerly@dcat.org or 856.388.2965.

About DCAT Research & Benchmarking

DCAT Research & Benchmarking is a complimentary, value-added member benefit providing in-depth studies that examine the crucial issues impacting the bio/pharmaceutical manufacturing value chain and the bio/pharma customer-supplier relationship. DCAT Research & Benchmarking studies are developed by the DCAT Research & Benchmarking Committee, composed of member representatives with diverse industry experience, to identify the topics of greatest interest for DCAT Member Companies and is administered and prepared using an external research firm.