Healing the future of the ecosystem
Guided by its vision of “net zero” emissions, Abdi İbrahim uses clean technologies that enable the transition to a low-carbon economy, healing the future of the ecosystem by ensuring environmental sustainability across its value chain.
Combating climate change
The climate crisis underscores the need to safeguard the ecosystem, human health, sustainable living and the rights of future generations. Closely monitoring international efforts to combat climate change, Abdi İbrahim aims to become carbon neutral by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050 through structured efforts to reduce its CO₂ emissions.
The company runs projects to curb its carbon emissions, adopts clean technologies for the low-carbon transition, targets net zero across its entire value chain, reduces unnecessary use of natural resources and promotes their effective management.
The carbon footprint is calculated annually and verified by a third party with limited assurance under ISAE 3000 (Revised). The verified data are published in the 2023 CDP report.
To achieve decarbonisation and net zero, Abdi İbrahim is accelerating its work on energy efficiency and the transition to renewable electricity. This work is led by the Energy Board, made up of directors, managers, engineers and technicians, which holds general evaluation meetings at least twice a year. The Board’s sub-committee has 85 members, and all technical staff take part in working subgroups according to their specialisation.
Water management
Abdi İbrahim manufactures medicines using water of suitable quality and gives top priority to saving water. At the Esenyurt production complex, measures are taken at every stage of production: wastewater is biologically treated using membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology under continuous monitoring. Outlet water quality has improved by 70%, well within discharge limits.
Efficient water use is ensured by employees and automated control systems: taps with photocells and filters in sinks and washing booths in the production area, irrigation only when needed and automatic washing of some production equipment. At Abdi İbrahim Tower, filter cartridges and controlled use of mains water cut consumption by 71 tonnes per month in 2021.
Abdi İbrahim was the first company in the Turkish pharmaceutical industry to sign the UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate and supports water-conservation policies implemented worldwide.
Circular economy and waste management
Under its Waste Management Procedure, Abdi İbrahim separates all waste at source, meets its obligations under environmental legislation and works with companies licensed by Türkiye’s Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change for waste recovery and disposal. The Esenyurt production complex and Abdi İbrahim Tower hold the Ministry’s Zero Waste Certificate.
As part of its circular economy work, the company runs projects to reduce product packaging, use 100% recycled paper for package leaflets and boxes, produce blister packs and other packaging with biodegradable components, collect medical waste and return packaging to the economy through recycling.
Green Harmonization packaging strategy
“Reduce” phase: in the AI- and optimisation-based Smart Software project with TOBB University of Economics and Technology (TOBB ETÜ), an algorithm focused on the packaging design stage and aimed solely at cutting carbon emissions was developed — a first for the global pharmaceutical industry. It was first applied to 26 products, which now use less aluminium, PVC and paper.
Reduce
Smaller blister packs and boxes for 26 registered products: less aluminium, PVC and paper. In later phases, packaging reduction will be extended to other products.
Switch
Shrink-wrapped packaging is to be replaced with biodegradable plastic, which generates far lower carbon emissions than PVC, starting with the plastic tubes and caps of consumer health products; prototype tubes were developed with Sabancı University’s Nanotechnology Research and Application Centre (SUNUM). The goal is to cut carbon emissions from packaging raw materials by 75% per product. Subject to successful stability studies, all PVC blister packaging will be switched to biodegradable materials.
Collect
Consumer health packaging switched to biodegradable materials is to be collected and sent to biogas plants for anaerobic digestion, yielding compost for farmers to support the local economy and more biogas for sustainable energy.