About the company

The Almac Group is a global leader in providing a range of expert services and support across the drug development lifecycle to pharmaceutical and biotech companies, employing more than 6,500 people across the globe. 

Almac has been a member of Business in the Community Northern Ireland (BITCNI) since 2021 and signed the BITC Climate Action Pledge after becoming a member. 

The company’s mission is to advance human health, which is the driving force behind everything it does. Almac strives to take care of its people, to protect the planet, and to make a positive contribution to local communities. 

The issue

As part of its environmental strategy, Almac is committed to the responsible management of energy, water, and waste and continually strives towards improvements aligned with committed targets.  Environmental challenges are addressed globally; and in response to the global climate emergency, we have developed a climate action plan that details our objectives and targets. 

Almac’s 2022 CSR report detailed its environmental commitments: 

• Achieve net zero by 2045 
• Reduce our scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 (with a base year of 2020) in line with the BITCNI Climate Action Pledge

In addition, Almac will engage with its supply chain as a first step in developing a target to reduce scope 3 emissions.  

What the company did

Almac’s programme of climate action will include changes in procurement and energy generation, as well as the implementation of energy-saving initiatives right across the business.  

Key highlights from Almac’s environmental strategy include the following: 

• Currently, 55% of the electricity used at Almac’s Craigavon headquarters is generated from renewable sources, while sites in the Republic of Ireland use 100% renewable electricity. A review of all sites is underway with a goal of all electricity coming from renewable sources, either through targeted procurement, on-site generation, or the use of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). 
• Almac’s UK and Ireland sites are accredited to the international standard for Energy Management, ISO 50001. A future commitment has been made to roll it out to US and APAC sites in the coming years. 
• As part of the planned £200m global expansion, all new building projects at Almac Group campuses across the world will be designed and constructed to Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) standards (or appropriate global equivalent)
• Almac’s global HQ in Craigavon is a zero-waste-to-landfill site
• Almac has joined the Energize Programme, designed to provide guidance to pharma companies on energy efficiency and achieving carbon emissions reductions
• Almac uses the Ecovadis assessment platform to evaluate supplier CSR practice to ensure its actions align with Almac’s own internal targets
• Almac is a member of the Responsible Plastic Management (RPM) Programme, as an engaged partner, to assess the purchase, use and disposal of plastics at its sites and to minimise the associated impacts on the environment 
• Almac has also recently introduced a biodiversity policy to lessen the overall environmental impact on biodiversity by working to implement climate change prevention measures and to develop new technologies

“ALMAC GROUP’S OVERARCHING MISSION IS TO ADVANCE HUMAN HEALTH, AND THIS IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND EVERYTHING WE DO AS AN ORGANISATION.  AS A GLOBAL LEADER IN PROVIDING A RANGE OF SERVICES AND SUPPORT ACROSS THE DRUG DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE TO PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOTECH COMPANIES, IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE DEMONSTRATE OUR COMMITMENT TO THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF THE SECTOR.” 

Niall Harkin, Executive Director, Almac Group

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