WHO - World Health Organization
WHO - World Health Organization
06/12/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/12/2026 08:24
WHO consultation builds momentum for coordinated action on pharmaceutical decarbonization
Global stakeholders call for harmonized standards, stronger collaboration and practical regulatory pathways to support greener medicines without compromising access, quality or safety
More than 100 participants from over 30 institutions representing regulators, health agencies, procurement organizations, industry, academia and global health partners gathered on 8 May 2026 for a WHO-led stakeholders' forum on the role of regulation in accelerating the transition towards lower-carbon pharmaceutical products.
The virtual consultation, Regulators as enablers of pharmaceutical decarbonization, marked a key milestone in the development of WHO's forthcoming White Paper on the Greener Pharmaceuticals' Regulatory Highway. Participants examined how regulatory systems can help reduce the environmental footprint of medicines while safeguarding access to safe, effective and quality-assured health products.
"Climate change and health is a strategic priority for WHO," said Dr Rogério Gaspar, Director of WHO's Department of Regulation and Prequalification. "The objective of this initiative is to clarify where regulation currently constrains or slows down decarbonization, identify opportunities for regulatory leadership and flexibility, and build consensus across regulators, industry and global health actors on practical pathways that preserve quality, safety and access."
The consultation forms part of a broader process launched following WHO's 2024 Call for Action on the Greener Pharmaceuticals' Regulatory Highway and will inform a White Paper scheduled for publication in July 2026.
Growing recognition of regulators' role
A central message emerging from the consultation was that regulators are essential to enabling pharmaceutical decarbonization. While environmental sustainability is not explicitly embedded in many regulatory mandates, participants emphasized that existing regulatory tools and processes can already be leveraged to support sustainability - drive change, without compromising core regulatory functions.
Participants noted that regulatory systems have historically focused on ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of health products. As countries and health systems pursue climate goals, regulators are increasingly being called upon to facilitate innovation, remove unnecessary barriers and support greener manufacturing, distribution and procurement practices.
Discussions highlighted the need to carefully balance sustainability objectives with the fundamental responsibility to ensure access to essential medicines, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Manufacturing identified as a major emissions hotspot
Presentations from global partners underscored the significant climate footprint associated with pharmaceutical production.
Drawing on Unitaid's work on climate-smart health products, Janet Ginnard, Director of Strategy at Unitaid, highlighted evidence showing that a large share of emissions across health product supply chains originates upstream during manufacturing, particularly in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
"Regulators are a key stakeholder group in helping understand and overcome barriers to decarbonization," Ginnard said. "There is no shortage of opportunities, but prioritization will be important to identify those actions that can deliver the greatest impact while protecting access to medicines."
Participants also heard examples demonstrating that substantial emissions reductions may be achievable through greener manufacturing practices and process improvements without increasing costs or compromising patient access.
Procurement emerging as a powerful catalyst for change
The consultation highlighted procurement as one of the strongest drivers of sustainability transformation across the pharmaceutical sector.
Through experiences shared by global partners, including the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health (ATACH) and NHS England, participants explored how procurement requirements can encourage suppliers to measure, disclose and reduce emissions across their operations.
ATACH highlighted that approximately 70% of health-sector emissions stem from supply chains, underscoring the importance of coordinated action among purchasers, suppliers and regulators.
Participants emphasized that collective demand for sustainable products, coupled with aligned procurement standards, could help accelerate industry-wide change and create incentives for greener innovation.
Practical examples demonstrate progress
Several speakers presented examples showing that environmental sustainability and improved health outcomes can be advanced together.
Sarah Ouanhnon, Head of Net Zero Delivery and Partnerships at NHS England, described efforts to reduce emissions associated with medicines while maintaining or improving quality of care.
She highlighted collaboration between NHS England, regulators and industry to support the introduction of lower-carbon inhalers, demonstrating how early regulatory engagement can help bring innovative products to patients more quickly.
The consultation also explored opportunities to strengthen the climate resilience of health products and supply chains, including through improved heat stability and manufacturing practices that are better adapted to increasingly extreme environmental conditions.
Strong consensus on harmonization and collaboration
Participants repeatedly emphasized the need for internationally harmonized definitions, standards and methodologies across the discussions.
A shared framework for measuring pharmaceutical emissions and identifying carbon hotspots was widely seen as essential to avoid fragmentation, reduce reporting burdens and support comparable action across countries and regions.
Participants also stressed the importance of stronger collaboration between regulators, procurement agencies, environmental authorities, manufacturers and health-system leaders.
The consultation reinforced the need to bridge traditionally separate policy domains, including health, climate, procurement and environmental regulation, to accelerate progress while ensuring continuity of supply and equitable access to essential medicines.
Looking ahead
Insights gathered during the consultation will help shape WHO's White Paper on the Greener Pharmaceuticals' Regulatory Highway, which aims to provide an evidence-based framework for how regulators can support pharmaceutical decarbonization within existing regulatory systems.
The next milestone will be the Global Regulators Summit on 19 June 2026, which will bring together regulatory leaders to deepen alignment on priority actions, explore implementation challenges and identify practical pathways forward.
The final White Paper is expected to be published in July 2026.
"Working together will be essential," Dr Gaspar said. "This is not about choosing between sustainability and access. It is about identifying regulatory approaches that can help deliver both."
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