Championing sustainable practices while delivering life-changing medicines
From reducing our carbon footprint to ensuring ethical supply chains, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations are no longer just good practice – they’re critical for reputation, investor confidence, and our long-term ability to deliver life-changing medicines.
At Douglas, we understand our profound responsibility to contribute to a greener, more ethical pharmaceutical supply chain. As a leading supplier of pharmaceuticals to countries around the globe, our dedication to sustainability is a core part of who we are. It’s not just about compliance; it’s about leading with purpose. Our commitment is clearly evidenced by our internationally recognized sustainability certifications, which provide tangible proof of our efforts and offer our global partners and patients confidence in our shared ESG objectives.
Our role in a sustainable healthcare ecosystem
As a pharmaceutical manufacturer and supplier, Douglas Pharmaceuticals is uniquely positioned to drive sustainability across the entire drug product lifecycle. By integrating sustainable practices into our core operations, we aim to:
- Reduce our environmental impact: We focus on optimizing our manufacturing processes, enhancing energy efficiency, reducing waste, and responsibly managing resources. These efforts directly lower the environmental footprint associated with producing and distributing the essential medicines we supply.
- Enhance supply chain resilience and ethics: We have a supplier code of conduct that requires fair labor and robust supply chain management.
Improve our position in internationally recognised assessments: Our commitment to sustainability helps us meet evolving global regulatory requirements and strengthens our corporate social responsibility (CSR) standing, benefiting our partners, patients, and stakeholders worldwide. Independent evaluations are important in validating our progress.
Our commitment to sustainability at Douglas Pharmaceuticals isn’t merely aspirational; it’s independently verified and recognized by leading global standards.
Our foundation: Toitū Carbonzero Certification and 25% CO2 emissions density reduction
Our sustainability journey began with a strong focus on environmental stewardship, leading to our Toitū Carbonzero certification. Toitū Envirocare is New Zealand’s leading environmental certification program, providing rigorous, science-based frameworks for businesses to measure, manage, and reduce their environmental impact. Our Carbonzero certification signifies that we have:
- Accurately measured our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our operations.
- Implemented robust strategies to reduce these emissions year-on-year.
- Offset any remaining emissions through verified carbon credits, effectively achieving carbon neutrality.
Between 2019 and 2024, Douglas Pharmaceuticals achieved an impressive 25% reduction in CO2 emissions density. This significant achievement has been rigorously verified by Toitū’s independent audit process, adhering to the internationally recognized ISO 14064-1:2018 standards.
This certification provides a transparent and verifiable account of our direct environmental impact, reflecting our profound commitment to combating climate change within our manufacturing and supply processes.
Global recognition: EcoVadis Bronze
Building on our robust environmental practices, Douglas Pharmaceuticals is proud to have achieved EcoVadis Bronze status. EcoVadis is one of the world’s most trusted providers of business sustainability ratings, assessing companies across 155 countries and 200 industries. Its methodology is built on international sustainability standards, including the Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact, and ISO 26000.
Our bronze rating places Douglas Pharmaceuticals in the top 35% of manufacturing companies assessed by EcoVadis globally. This comprehensive assessment evaluates our performance across four key themes, ensuring a holistic approach to sustainability:
- Environment: Our energy consumption, waste management, water usage, and pollution controls.
- Labor and human rights: Our commitment to employee health and safety, fair working conditions, fostering diversity, and non-discrimination.
- Ethics: Our practices regarding anti-corruption measures, anti-competitive practices, responsible information management, and customer privacy.
- Sustainable procurement: How we integrate sustainability criteria into our purchasing decisions and manage the environmental and social performance of our supply chain partners.
Achieving EcoVadis Bronze status is a testament to our comprehensive approach to sustainability, demonstrating not just our strong environmental credentials but also our dedication to social responsibility, ethical conduct, and sustainable sourcing throughout our entire value chain.
Partnering for collective impact
For pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers around the world, partnering with Douglas Pharmaceuticals means engaging with a supplier who possesses recognized sustainability certifications like EcoVadis Bronze and Toitū Carbonzero. This offers significant advantages:
- De-risked supply chain: Our certifications provide assurance of our adherence to high environmental and ethical standards, reducing supply chain risks.
- Enhanced ESG reporting: Working with us contributes positively to your own Scope 3 emissions reporting and overall ESG performance metrics.
- Shared values: Aligning with a pharmaceutical supplier committed to sustainability reinforces your brand’s responsible image in the market.
- Reliable and responsible supply: Benefit from a partner who not only delivers essential medicines but does so with a proven commitment to planetary and social well-being.
At Douglas Pharmaceuticals, we understand that building a sustainable future for healthcare requires collective effort. We are committed to leading by example in our global operations, ensuring that together, we can deliver life-changing medicines with a positive impact on the planet and its people.