Green growth paves sustainable path for pharmaceutical industry

Green growth paves sustainable path for pharmaceutical industry

Green growth is becoming essential for pharmaceutical companies in the face of increasingly severe climate change by ensuring sustainable business growth and minimising environmental impacts.

The pharmaceutical industry plays a critical role in public health, so sustainable development is no longer optional, it has become a global imperative. Worldwide, the green transition is reshaping pharmaceutical production and distribution, focusing on reducing carbon emissions, saving energy, using clean materials, managing waste, and ensuring fair access to medicines.

In Vietnam, Imexpharmis one of the pioneers supporting the government's goal of net zero by 2050. Through green production solutions, efficient energy use, clean and safe raw materials, and environmental protection measures, Imexpharm is steadily incorporating sustainability into its long-term development strategy.

On March 14, Imexpharm donated 500 trees to the Dalat Youth Union, contributing to the city's plan to plant 3.8 million trees and the 50 million-tree target of Lam Dong province. This initiative aims to protect the environment and support local forestry and ecotourism development.

Nguyen An Duy (left), deputy general director and CFO of Imexpharm, presented a symbolic board donating 500 green trees to the Dalat Youth Union. Photo: Imexpharm

According to the Steering Committee for Sustainable Forestry Development, by 2023, Lam Dong had achieved a forest coverage rate of 54.37 per cent, with a total forest area of ​​approximately 538,000 hectares. It had also responded to the government-led initiative of planting on billion trees in the 2021-2025 period, aiming to enhance forest quality and expand urban greenery, while laying the foundation for ecology, economics, and quality-of-life sustainability.

Climate change is considered the greatest global challenge of the 21^st century, with escalating impacts such as extreme weather, resource depletion, rising sea levels, and ecological imbalance. The World Bank warns that without timely action, Vietnam could lose up to 14.5 per cent of its GDP annually by 2050, with an additional one million people falling into poverty before 2030.

Vietnam is among the 10 countries most affected by natural disasters, with 20 out of 21 disaster types recorded. In light of this, businesses, especially those in the pharmaceutical sector, must adapt. Environmental and climate factors are increasingly embedded into business strategies, from innovating production technologies and adopting renewable energy, to practicing social responsibility, all contributing to community health and long-term sustainability.

As a leading pharmaceutical company, Imexpharm has prioritised sustainable development and environmental protection since its founding days. Beyond investing in EU-GMP-certified factories, the company has been a trailblazer in “greening” its production and supply chain in alignment with international environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.

Employees at an Imexpharm factory. Photo: Imexpharm

Imexpharm's factory clusters, including three EU-GMP-certified clusters with 12 EU-GMP-standard production lines, meet strict requirements, from input materials to energy-saving processes and effective waste treatment. Across all factory clusters, Imexpharm is implementing energy-saving measures, optimising raw material usage, and tightly controlling emissions (air, water, and solid waste), aiming for a green and circular manufacturing model.

In 2025, Imexpharm plans to invest in rooftop solar power systems at its factories, marking a new milestone in its journey towards proactively adopting clean energy and advancing green manufacturing. This initiative aligns with the global green transition trend, which emphasises the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and minimise emissions across the entire supply chain.

Embedding social responsibility into internal activities has been a consistent journey for Imexpharm. Following the tree donation ceremony in Dalat, nearly 500 Imexpharm leaders and employees participated in a walk around Xuan Huong Lake, promoting healthy and green living.

This activity was part of the Sales & Marketing Congress 2025, themed “Tien Phong Dan Loi” (Pioneering the Way Forward). Earlier, during the Sales & Marketing Congress in Nha Trang (March 2024), the company also collaborated with local authorities to plant trees along Ring Road 2.

For nearly half a century, Imexpharm has been steadfast in environmental protection efforts and a pioneer in community responsibility, from distributing free medicine to the underprivileged, awarding scholarships, building bridges and homes for the disadvantaged, to sponsoring healthcare programmes.

The Imexpharm team at the ceremony to donate 500 green trees to the Dalat Youth Union. Photo: Imexpharm

Tran Thi Dao, general director of Imexpharm, shared, “We believe that a pharmaceutical company not only protects community health through high-quality products, but also must accompany, create, and spread the values ​​of healthy and green living. Every action for the environment today is a precious remedy for future generations. Imexpharm remains steadfast in placing community and environmental wellbeing at the heart of sustainable development.”

VIR