Alexion and DHL sign Ireland’s first pharmaceutical sustainability

Partnership aims to reduce annual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from road freight by up to 90% by converting from diesel to Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO)

HVO will be used to deliver medicines to ten countries, with 500 deliveries taking place each year

Dublin, 30^th September 2024 – Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease and DHL Global Forwarding Freight today announced a new partnership to commence Ireland’s first sustainable fuel deliveries using Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) for the pharmaceutical industry.

By converting to HVO fuel, the two companies are aiming to reduce annual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) from road freight by up to 90% compared to GHG emissions associated with deliveries using diesel. The partners have identified multiple transport routes within Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Europe, which will all convert from diesel to HVO to deliver medicines manufactured in Alexion’s sites in Athlone and Blanchardstown, Dublin. HVO will be used in DHL’s vehicles on more than 500 deliveries, on an annual basis to 10 countries.

Produced from biomass such as used cooking oils and waste from food manufacture, HVO is a drop-in fuel, meaning it can be used within existing vehicles without compromising operational performance, removing the need for new infrastructure or fleet.

Reducing the GHG emissions associated with the transport of medicinal products is an important part of AstraZeneca’s wider sustainability strategy. This includes a focus on partnerships across the healthcare sector to accelerate the delivery of net-zero health systems, including supply chain decarbonisation. AstraZeneca has set a target to reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by 98% from 2015 base year.[i] From 2030, the aim is to halve the entire value chain footprint (absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions), from a 2019 base year, on the way to becoming science-based net zero by 2045.

Sylvia Kiely Vice President – Global Supply Chain and Product Strategy Lead, Alexion AstraZeneca Rare Disease said: “Today’s announcement with DHL to move from Diesel to HVO fuel is another milestone in our commitment to reducing our environmental impact, and dependency on fossil fuels within our global supply chain in relation to Scope 3. By working with our partners to extend eco-conscious practices to our full freight network, we can further minimise our environmental impact and dependency on fossil fuels within our global supply chain.”

Maurice Meade, Managing Director of DHL Global Forwarding Freight, Ireland, said: “This is another step in the right direction as we strive to run more sustainable operations forour customers that reduce the inherent Greenhouse emissions in transporting goods. We are delighted to see Alexion be one of the trailblazers to make this significant switch in approach and thereby follow-up on their sustainability goals with clear actions. This initiative perfectly aligns with our sustainability strategy at DHL Group, whereby our aim is to reduce all logistics-related emissions to net-zero by 2050.”