Caring for Community & Planet: How Sanofi Is Improving Lives While Reducing Its Emissions

Reducing emissions has been our primary focus from the get-go and we’re proudly on track and seeing results, with a 43% reduction in GHG emissions from our activities (scopes 1 and 2) in Q2 2024 compared to 2019, steering us towards our target of a 55% reduction by 2030, in addition to a 10% reduction across our value chain (scope 3) thus far, with the goal of reaching 30% by 2030. This achievement is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), aligning our operations in accordance with the Paris Agreement’s goals.

A pivotal element of our reduction approach is our transition to renewable energy sources. Since end of Q2 2024, 85% of our electricity is now derived from renewable sources and we're on track to reach 100% renewable electricity across our global operations by 2030, as well as converting 80% of our vehicles to an eco-fleet by 2030. In addition to the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in place in Mexico, we’ve recently signed in France three long term, renewable electricity agreements PPA with CNR, for an annual volume of 83 GWh/year over a twenty-year period.  

By 2045, our residual emissions will remain under 10% vs. 2019, in line with the SBTi Net Zero Commitment. But we knew we could do more now. Understanding that not all emissions can be immediately abated, we also invest in community-focused carbon offsetting projects to compensate residual emissions and contribute to global carbon neutrality from 2030. Our projects don’t just mitigate remaining emissions, they do so through the lens of community engagement and environmental restoration.

Since 2022, we've committed around 60M€ in pioneering projects and we’ll keep doing so in new projects. These initiatives, spanning over the next 20 years, are expected to generate significant environmental, social, and economic benefits to local communities that are already vulnerable to climate change. From avoiding GHG emissions and restoring biodiversity to providing clean water access and supporting local economies, they’re a testament to the power of a holistic approach to sustainability.

Since 2022, we have made progress on these two projects: 380 hectares of mangrove have been planted in India and all the 18,250 cookstoves have been distributed in Kenya, with the support and engagement of local communities.Following this success, we expanded our efforts with two additional projects in 2023. We have reaffirmed our support for the Sundari Mangrove Restoration project by engaging in the restoration of an additional 3,750 hectares of degraded mangroves - a vital part of one the biggest mangrove ecosystems in the world. We are also supporting the “Pungue Water Access project “developed by Removall and its local partner to rehabilitate 1,040 water handpumps over several districts in Mozambique, thus providing clean water access to 312,000 people. 

Our Planet Care strategy is a commitment to environmental sustainability and a reflection of our core values. Each carbon offset project we undertake is an effort to offset carbon emissions, but more importantly, bring benefits like biodiversity protection, community health improvements, and economic empowerment to people around the world.

As we report back on the work accomplished so far, we remain inspired and motivated by the positive changes we're chasing. For us at Sanofi, sustainability must be synonymous with serving communities. On our journey towards net zero, we’re tangibly improving lives along the way and living up to our values.