Our Priorities and Strategies

The three areas of strategic focus — climate change mitigation, product stewardship, access to clean water — formed the basis of our environmental sustainability roadmap. Short-term and longer-term initiatives focus on these priorities.

Helping Mitigate Climate Change and Its Impacts
Climate change is one of the most critical environmental and global health issues. Pfizer is especially concerned because of potential impacts on world health.

We understand that as a global company, we have an obligation to address our greenhouse gases footprint and embrace reduction opportunities.

Pfizer has made significant progress in the performance management of energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from owned operations -- including measurement, goal-setting and transparency. A variety of programs and initiatives support our GHG reduction and Clean Energy Goals.

To build on that foundation, we are working to address rapidly changing legislative and stakeholder expectations and take advantage of business-aligned opportunities. For example, we are refining a preliminary assessment of our extended GHG footprint. We'll use the draft World Resources Institute and World Business Council protocol to sharpen estimates of GHG emissions and provide meaningful feedback to both organizations.

See our Greenhouse Gases section for details of climate change and energy reduction efforts.

Leading Product Stewardship Efforts
Environmental impacts related to Pfizer products and services include those within the company and activities outside direct control — including suppliers and materials producers, and downstream distribution, product use and disposal. This complex value chain crosses a variety of internal and external organizations and functions.

Stakeholders increasingly expect companies to address "life-cycle" product impacts and embrace product design, development and delivery opportunities to reduce those impacts. Our Green Chemistry Program, Pharmaceuticals in the Environment initiatives, Product Take-back pilot and Green Packaging programs do just that. A product-focused component of our sustainability strategy further supports greener packaging, products and supply chain. Our global scale positions us to be an industry leader in these areas, and we can distinguish our products while reducing our environmental footprint.

Sustaining Access to Potable Water
Access to clean water is one of the most important global health issues we face today, one that may become more critical in coming years due to our changing climate. There is also growing consensus that sustainable access to safe water supply will be further challenged by overuse, population growth, economics and politics, presenting risks not only to individuals and public sector but also to the private sector.

While Pfizer's use of water in our operations is relatively low compared to some industries, responsible water management is an important element of our global EHS program. We are striving to decrease water use, assessing our global impact and looking for opportunities to expand our responsibility in addressing this world health issue.

Based on the association between improving world health through sustainable access to clean water and our business purpose as a global health care company, we are exploring ways that Pfizer can make a difference. Initiatives for this strategic priority include:

• Expanding our partnerships with governmental and non-governmental organizations
• Integrating specific targets of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals into certain business objectives
• Increasing focus on conservation measures and community outreach efforts at locations in water-stressed or scarce areas
• Implementing additional operational controls to further efficiencies in water recycle and reuse

Dig Deeper

• Learn more about our Energy and Climate Change Program
• Learn about our Product Stewardship Program
• Learn more about Water and Managing Our Footprint
• Learn more about the UN Millennium Development Goals
• Learn more about the UN CEO Water Mandate
• Watch a video about Pfizer's commitment to reducing our carbon footprint.
• Watch a video about Pfizer's green chemistry program.

• Return to the Environmental Sustainability Main Page
• Go to Our Journey . . . Our Horizons

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