The pharmaceutical industry is essential to modern healthcare—but its environmental toll is becoming impossible to ignore. While saving lives, many pharmaceutical companies contribute significantly to pollution, emissions, and climate stress. Today, climate change is not just a planetary issue, it’s a public health emergency.
To truly serve global well-being, pharma must embrace sustainable pharmaceutical practices that protect both people and the planet. Rubió, a Spanish innovator in niche therapies, is rising to that challenge through measurable, science-based sustainability leadership.
Pharmaceuticals are designed to save lives, yet the processes behind their creation often degrade ecosystems. From energy-intensive production to complex supply chains, the industry’s footprint is larger than most realize.
The urgency to act is clear. Climate change increases the spread of infectious diseases, worsens respiratory conditions, and disrupts global health systems. As a result, sustainability is no longer optional in pharma, it’s a moral, medical, and strategic priority.
Rubió recognizes this connection. Through its #RubióForTheFuture campaign, the company has made sustainability a core operational pillar and the company integrates these values into its strategy, prioritizing ecological impact and people’s well-being. Read our Environmental Policy here.
Many still ask: “How does the pharmaceutical industry affect climate change?” The answer is stark. Pharma is among the most carbon-intensive sectors. According to a study published in Journal of Cleaner Production, the carbon footprint of the pharmaceutical industry exceeds that of the automotive sector when measured by emissions per dollar of revenue.
Here’s why:
• Energy-intensive manufacturing processes operate 24/7, requiring heating, cooling, and ventilation systems that consume fossil fuels.
• Global supply chains rely on air freight and long-distance transport, increasing emissions.
• Cold-chain logistics for temperature-sensitive drugs (e.g., biologics) further raise electricity consumption.
• Single-use plastic packaging and chemical waste create persistent pollutants.
Beyond emissions, the environmental impact of pharmaceuticals includes massive water use, high material waste, and pollution that reaches far beyond the production site.
Rubió’s sustainability approach addresses each of these dimensions through circular thinking, investment in renewable energy, and optimized resource use. Our photovoltaic panels currently cover 15% of the company’s total energy consumption, marking a significant step toward a greener future.
One of the industry’s most dangerous legacies is drug pollution. When medications are consumed, active ingredients are often excreted in urine or flushed. Ending up in wastewater systems are unequipped to filter them.
• Aquatic ecosystems are contaminated with drug residues like hormones, antidepressants, and antibiotics.
• Endocrine disruption in fish and amphibians has been documented globally.
• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is worsened when antibiotics in wastewater fuel resistant bacteria.
• Improper disposal of expired drugs by consumers contributes to long-term soil and water contamination.
The environmental impact of pharmaceuticals is no longer theoretical, it’s measurable and visible. Rubió addresses this with safe disposal education, clean manufacturing techniques, and active participation in Spain’s pharmaceutical waste collection programs.
As a member of SIGRE and ECOEMBES, Rubió reinforces its commitment to responsible waste management. In collaboration with our waste manager, we are actively working to give a second life to all materials that can be reused. During the first part of 2025, we achieved 16.7 tonnes.
To cut emissions and reduce pollution, pharmaceutical innovation must evolve. Fortunately, breakthroughs in sustainable pharmaceutical practices are emerging:
• Eco friendly pharma packaging: Replacing PVC, using biodegradable containers, and reducing secondary packaging.
• Green chemistry: Designing synthesis pathways that minimize solvents, hazardous reagents, and energy usage.
• Energy efficiency: Shifting to solar, heat recovery systems, and LED conversion across facilities.
• Circular manufacturing: Reusing solvents, recycling water, and converting waste to energy.
Few mid-sized pharma companies show the strategic sustainability depth of Rubió. With its #RubióForTheFuture initiative, Rubió proves that ambition isn’t limited to large global firms.
Key Highlights of Rubió’s Sustainability Strategy:
• Strong commitment to renewable energy across all manufacturing facilities, reducing dependence on non-renewable sources.
• Employee training programs focused on sustainability awareness and responsible resource use, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility at every level of the organization.
Most importantly, Rubió has embedded sustainability into its corporate governance—not just as a compliance tool, but as a strategic compass. , as this responsibility is already deeply embedded in out culture.
Climate change is a health crisis. Air pollution increases cardiovascular deaths. Heat waves strain health systems. Displacement from natural disasters creates medicine shortages and disease outbreaks. This is where the pharmaceutical industry must evolve from treatment to prevention through sustainability.
In 2024, global greenhouse gas emissions reached their highest level ever recorded, intensifying the urgency for climate-conscious healthcare strategies.
Pharma can, and must, support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Companies that embrace this shift will build:
• Resilient supply chains
• Cleaner innovation pipelines
• Regulatory trust and consumer loyalty
Rubió’s blueprint is clear: design drugs with ecological limits in mind, power factories with clean energy, and operate with full life-cycle responsibility.
Founded in Spain, Rubió is a family-owned pharmaceutical company with over five decades of experience. Known for its dedication to niche therapeutic areas, the company is highly committed to sustainability and innovation.
Their core mission is to improve patient outcomes through high-quality, safe, and accessible treatments,while ensuring that every step of their operation reflects an ethical and ecological commitment.
Pharmaceutical companies hold immense power: they protect life, fight disease, and drive medical progress. But with power comes responsibility. Industry must rise to meet the climate challenge not tomorrow—but today.
Rubió, through its #RubióForTheFuture campaign, has shown that green pharma is not a dream. It’s an achievable, scalable reality when ethics and innovation converge.
From reducing the carbon footprint of the pharmaceutical industry to prevent drug pollution, the path forward is clear: care for the planet as we care for our patients.
Sustainable pharmaceutical practices refer to methods that reduce environmental harm throughout a drug’s lifecycle. These include green chemistry, eco-friendly packaging, renewable energy use, and waste minimization. Companies like Rubió are adopting these practices to align health outcomes with planetary well-being.
Eco-friendly pharma packaging includes recyclable materials, biodegradable containers, and minimalistic designs that reduce waste. It’s a key component of sustainable pharmaceutical practices, helping to lower the industry’s carbon footprint and improve circularity in drug delivery systems.
Pharma companies can reduce their environmental impact by adopting green chemistry, investing in renewable energy, minimizing waste, improving supply chain efficiency, and educating consumers about proper medicine disposal. Creating a clear code of sustainable conduct also supports long-term progress
The pharmaceutical industry contributes to climate change through high energy consumption, global supply chains, and emissions from manufacturing processes. Studies show that the pharmaceutical sector’s carbon footprint can exceed that of the automotive industry. At Rubió, we are committed to reducing emissions through energy-efficient production, including the use of LED technology, which has lowered electricity consumption.
We also use renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, and apply advanced logistics monitoring to track transportation emissions as part of our climate strategy. Additionally, we prioritize selecting suppliers based on environmental criteria, supporting a more sustainable and responsible supply chain.
In Rubió we have controlled the temperature by drugs. Energy consumption is being reduced by the installation of photovoltaic panels.
