Orion made good progress towards the achievement of its climate target in 2019. The most important value, patient safety and availability of medicines remained at a good level. However, more work is needed to achieve the goal of a zero accidents. Read about this and much more in Orion’s Sustainability Report 2019.
Orion reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent in 2019, which means that the company is one step closer to its ambitious climate target. Orion transfered to the use of renewable electricity in its operations, which enabled this good progress.
“In addition to making progress in our climate target, we are also increasing awareness of the impact of pharmaceutical residues in the environment with the help of various stakeholders,” says Noora Paronen, Head of Corporate Responsibility.
“We have also invested in wastewater management in all our facilities in order to minimise our share of pharmaceutical residues ending up in the environment.”
Orion reports about the progress of its climate and environmental targets in its Sustainability Report, and the 2019 report was published at the end of April 2020.
Orion’s sustainability approach is based on the company’s values and four cornerstones, one of which - Manufacturing products in an environmentally sustainable way - focuses on the environment.
Orion’s operations and business philosophy are based on the company’s most important principle guiding operations: patient safety and reliable supply of medications.
“Patient safety and reliable supply of medications are the core of our business and can never be compromised. Pharmaceutical product availability in Finland was at a good level last year, 97 per cent,” says Saara Hämäläinen, Corporate Responsibility Specialist.
“And product recalls are still on the decrease.”
Responsibility for Orionees is the third cornerstone of Orion’s Sustainability Agenda. It is all the more important in these exceptional times when everyone has to go the extra mile.
Orion is committed to advancing occupational safety towards the goal of zero accidents. The means to achieve this goal include extensive training programmes.
“We have worked systematically towards the goal of a zero accidents, but the occupational safety indicators show that we did not yet achieve this target last year. But we will continue working to ensure occupational safety,” Hämäläinen says.
In 2020, Orion will continue training its personnel in occupational safety measures and thinking.
Business ethics and transparency is the fourth cornerstone guiding Orion’s operations. Orion’s Code of Conduct sets out the ethical operating principles that guide our daily work at Orion’s premises in Finland and abroad.
We expect the same sustainable operations from our partners. The updated Code of Conduct was published last year in 14 languages.
Orion advanced the sustainability of its operations by providing sustainability training to its procurement professionals last year. Supplier risk assessment process is used to ensure that each supplier meets Orion’s sustainability requirements now and in future.
“By providing training in sustainability principles and monitoring their implementation, we help our partners to develop their operations. In the big picture, if everybody improves their sustainability, it makes a stronger impact on the whole. It is our responsibility to participate in that work,” Paronen says.
“Sustainability is our shared responsibility at Orion, and something that is deep in our DNA. Sustainability is part of our everyday life and work,” Paronen says.
“But we can always improve our operations by identifying the areas where we can make more sustainable choices.”
Responsibility concerns the entire product lifecycle at Orion. The entire chain has to be unbroken all the way from R&D to manufacturing, clinical use and the disposal of a pharmaceutical product that has reached the end of its useful life.
Read Orion’s Sustainability Report 2019 here.
Text: Anni Turpeinen
