AstraZeneca, ERM, and Secaro have launched the Clean Heat Program to streamline the transition to renewable thermal energy across pharmaceutical supply chains, addressing a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and regulatory pressures.
AstraZeneca, consultancy ERM and supply-chain platform Secaro have unveiled the Clean Heat Program, a collaborative initiative intended to overcome persistent obstacles to decarbonising industrial heat across complex pharmaceutical supply chains. According to Pharmaceutical Commerce, the effort pairs Secaro’s supply‑chain data with ERM’s technical advisory services and a suite of financing options to identify, validate and scale projects that cut fossil fuel use for process heat.
Industry figures underline the urgency: industrial process heat represents roughly 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and preliminary Secaro data cited by Pharmaceutical Commerce show that about 80% of a typical facility’s emissions sit in Scope 1, with natural gas responsible for about 60% of that load. The Clean Heat Program is designed to tackle the common choke points that stall heat projects, insufficient data, technical complexity and the difficulty of assembling investable project scale, by consolidating supplier assessments, producing business cases and connecting pooled opportunities with capital, including an EU heat fund and off‑balance‑sheet structures.
“The programme like this is the fastest and most effective way to decarbonise heat in our supply chain,” said Rob Williams, senior director of sustainable procurement at AstraZeneca, in a company release. Emily Prior, Chief Growth Officer at Secaro, described decarbonisation as “business critical.” Jon Hughes, Partner at ERM, said combining Secaro’s platform and ERM’s delivery capability will push projects beyond assessment into implementation, strengthening resilience while lowering emissions.
The partners frame the programme as both a risk‑management and competitiveness measure. Pharmaceutical Commerce reports the move is motivated in part by evolving regulatory and investor pressure, including the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and new SEC disclosure expectations, which increase scrutiny of supplier emissions and may expose buyers to pricing and compliance risk if suppliers lag on clean‑heat transition.
AstraZeneca’s role as a founding partner builds on a portfolio of prior renewable‑heat commitments. According to AstraZeneca’s sustainability disclosures, the company aims to meet all power and heat demand with renewable sources by the end of 2025 and has already pursued biomethane and renewable natural gas (RNG) solutions in multiple markets. BusinessWire detailed a partnership with Vanguard Renewables to deliver RNG to U.S. sites by the end of 2026, while AstraZeneca’s 15‑year agreement with Future Biogas in the UK was reported to create an unsubsidised industrial‑scale biomethane supply for its British operations. The Renewable Thermal Collaborative case study says AstraZeneca evaluated alternatives such as electrification and concluded RNG offered the most feasible route to decarbonise its U.S. footprint given existing gas‑fired assets and operational constraints.
Those precedents illustrate how pharmaceutical buyers can combine procurement levers, long‑term contracts and investment criteria, such as additionality, geographic proximity and traceability, to secure renewable thermal supplies while limiting disruption to production. The Clean Heat Program intends to extend that model to supplier networks that lack the resources or scale to develop projects independently, and to align disparate sites so financiers see aggregated, bankable opportunities.
For industrial decarbonisation professionals, the initiative signals a shift from isolated site upgrades to coordinated, supply‑chain level interventions that pair granular data with delivery and financing. According to Pharmaceutical Commerce, fewer than 10% of sites currently use biofuels or other renewables for direct heat, and market forecasts cited in the same reporting suggest renewable heat would only reach about 15% of the market by 2028 absent more collective action, a gap the Clean Heat Program aims to close by making projects easier to scope, fund and implement at scale.
The programme will engage existing sector fora, including the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative and the Scope 3 Peer Group, positioning collaborative procurement and pooled investment as the pathway to accelerate decarbonisation across suppliers whose thermal emissions have long been overlooked in corporate climate strategies.
- https://www.pharmaceuticalcommerce.com/view/astrazeneca-and-partners-debut-blueprint-for-decarbonizing-industrial-heat-in-supply-chains – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.pharmaceuticalcommerce.com/view/astrazeneca-and-partners-debut-blueprint-for-decarbonizing-industrial-heat-in-supply-chains – AstraZeneca, ERM, and Secaro have launched the Clean Heat Program to decarbonize industrial heat in supply chains. The program integrates data-driven insights with technical advisory services to help companies enhance energy security, manage price volatility, and accelerate emissions reductions in carbon-intensive areas. Rob Williams of AstraZeneca emphasized the program’s effectiveness in decarbonising supply chains. Industrial process heat accounts for approximately 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with 80% of a facility’s emissions under Scope 1, primarily from natural gas use. Despite the pressure to decarbonize, fewer than 10% of sites use renewable energy sources for direct heat, and projections suggest renewable heat will only reach a 15% share by 2028 without coordinated action. Heat decarbonization efforts often stall due to limited data, technical complexity, and financing challenges. Regulatory frameworks like the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and new SEC disclosure rules have heightened scrutiny on suppliers, making the transition to low-carbon heat essential for pharmaceutical supply chains.
- https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230609005345/en/AstraZeneca-announces-innovative-partnership-with-Vanguard-Renewables-to-decarbonize-its-United-States-sites – AstraZeneca has partnered with Vanguard Renewables to deliver renewable natural gas (RNG) to its U.S. sites by the end of 2026. Starting in June 2023, AstraZeneca began purchasing RNG produced by Vanguard Renewables for its Newark Campus in Delaware, where the company packages 26 medicines for distribution across the U.S. and makes medicine formulations for global supply. By 2026, this collaboration will enable as much as 650,000 million British thermal units (MMBtu), or 190,500 megawatt hours (MWh), per year, of RNG to be used across AstraZeneca’s U.S. sites, equivalent to the energy required to heat more than 17,800 U.S. homes for a year. This partnership supports AstraZeneca’s global emissions reduction targets and contributes to the circular economy by leveraging food and agricultural waste to power sites.
- https://www.astrazeneca.com/sustainability/climate-change/renewable-energy.html – AstraZeneca is committed to using 100% renewable energy sources to meet all its power and heat needs by the end of 2025. The company is accelerating action to procure renewable energy and encouraging its suppliers to do the same. AstraZeneca has developed a scoring system to evaluate energy sourcing, ensuring quality and positive impact through its purchases, including investing in new-to-grid or on-site renewable energy capacity and energy purchase agreements in the grids where it consumes energy. The company is also pioneering clean heat solutions for its operations in China, the UK, and the US, focusing on sourcing biomethane and contributing to the circular economy. In the UK, AstraZeneca’s 15-year agreement with Future Biogas brought the first unsubsidised biomethane plant online in 2025, supplying clean heat to all its UK R&D and manufacturing sites. In China, the company is sourcing biomethane and biomethane-based steam for its Wuxi manufacturing site through a collaboration with China Resources Gas and Everbright Environment. In the US, AstraZeneca collaborates with Vanguard Renewables to produce renewable natural gas from food and farm waste, which powers its US sites. This approach means that methane that would be emitted into the atmosphere is used to support the production of innovative medicines.
- https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240304700353/en/Renewable-Thermal-Collaborative-Releases-Case-Study-on-the-U.S.-Renewable-Natural-Gas-RNG-Agreement-between-AstraZeneca-and-Vanguard-Renewables – The Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC) has released a case study on the U.S. renewable natural gas (RNG) agreement between AstraZeneca and Vanguard Renewables. To meet the targets set in 2020 by the Ambition Zero Carbon strategy, AstraZeneca considered various renewable thermal decarbonization strategies, including electrification and renewable fuels, evaluating factors such as deployment and operating costs, implementation complexity, scalability, and climate impact. AstraZeneca determined that RNG was the most feasible option to decarbonize its U.S. footprint. With a large natural gas-fueled asset base across its U.S. medicine research and manufacturing facilities, AstraZeneca saw significant value in using RNG as a renewable replacement for fossil natural gas and avoiding expensive production disruptions and the need to replace or retrofit its entire boiler portfolio. Following this decision, AstraZeneca established a clear objective and timeline to acquire RNG by the end of 2026. In 2020, AstraZeneca’s procurement team issued a Request for Information (RFI) to RNG providers, and then selected multiple respondents, including Vanguard Renewables, to bid in a Request for Proposals (RFP) process. AstraZeneca detailed clear criteria in the RFP to ensure the RNG agreement would meet its financial and sustainability requirements. Financially, AstraZeneca sought a long-term contract to ensure a reliable RNG supply and future RNG price certainty. On sustainability, AstraZeneca specifically sought solutions that emphasized environmental benefits through the additionality of new RNG production, geographic proximity of the new anaerobic digesters to AstraZeneca’s sites, and traceability of the environmental attributes associated with the RNG.
- https://www.rngcoalition.com/news/2023/9/14/astrazeneca-advances-uk-clean-heat-and-energy-efficiencies-with-biomethane – AstraZeneca has agreed to a 15-year partnership with Future Biogas to establish the UK’s first unsubsidised industrial-scale supply of biomethane gas, investing £100 million in major energy efficiencies in its operations. Energy from the biomethane facility will supply AstraZeneca’s sites in Macclesfield, Cambridge, Luton, and Speke with 100 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, equivalent to the heat demands of over 8,000 homes. Once operational in early 2025, the partnership will reduce emissions by an estimated 20,000 tonnes CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e), adding renewable energy capacity to the national gas grid. The anaerobic digestion facility and long-term partnership with Future Biogas provide a blueprint for wider commercial adoption of renewable gas in the UK.
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-13/astrazeneca-to-invest-in-landmark-clean-biomethane-plant-in-uk – AstraZeneca is setting up Britain’s first subsidy-free biomethane gas system that will provide the pharmaceutical giant with an industrial-scale supply of clean heat and help slash its carbon footprint. The drugmaker is spending £100 million ($125 million) in a 15-year partnership with Future Biogas for a facility that will provide four UK sites with 100 gigawatt-hours of green gas per year, or equivalent to the heat demand of more than 8,000 homes. Once operational in 2025, the project will be a blueprint for the commercial use of renewable gas in Britain, it said.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
7
Notes:
The Clean Heat Program was announced recently, with the earliest known publication date being 13 March 2026. ([erm.com](https://www.erm.com/about/events/erm-at-pharma-sustainability-integrates-2026/?utm_source=openai)) However, similar initiatives by AstraZeneca, such as the partnership with Future Biogas in September 2023, have been reported earlier. ([futurebiogas.com](https://www.futurebiogas.com/news-resource/astrazeneca-partners-with-future-biogas-to-deliver-net-zero-target/?utm_source=openai)) This suggests that while the Clean Heat Program is a new development, it builds upon previous efforts, potentially reducing its perceived novelty.
Quotes check
Score:
6
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Rob Williams, Emily Prior, and Jon Hughes. However, these quotes cannot be independently verified through online searches, raising concerns about their authenticity. ([erm.com](https://www.erm.com/about/events/erm-at-pharma-sustainability-integrates-2026/?utm_source=openai)) Without independent verification, the credibility of these quotes is uncertain.
Source reliability
Score:
5
Notes:
The article originates from Pharmaceutical Commerce, a niche publication. While it may be reputable within its sector, its limited reach and potential biases reduce its overall reliability. Additionally, the article appears to be summarising or aggregating content from other sources, which may affect its originality and independence.
Plausibility check
Score:
7
Notes:
The claims about the Clean Heat Program’s objectives align with AstraZeneca’s previous sustainability initiatives, such as the partnership with Future Biogas. ([futurebiogas.com](https://www.futurebiogas.com/news-resource/astrazeneca-partners-with-future-biogas-to-deliver-net-zero-target/?utm_source=openai)) However, the lack of independent verification for key details, including the program’s specifics and the quotes provided, raises questions about the accuracy of the information presented.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article presents information about the Clean Heat Program, but significant concerns about the freshness of the content, unverified quotes, reliance on a niche source, and lack of independent verification sources lead to a ‘FAIL’ assessment. Editors should exercise caution and seek additional verification before considering publication.
