Business
"Sounds like a fairy tale."
by Susan Elizabeth Turek
Photo Credit: Getty Images
A Danish drugmaker has revealed a stunning increase in pollution amid plans to boost production of its popular weight loss drug, and the matter will take some time to resolve.
What's happening?
As detailed by Reuters, Novo Nordisk announced in February that it saw a 23% increase in heat-trapping pollution last year, and it expects that percentage to climb as it churns out more of the weight management medication Wegovy to meet demand.
"Emissions come with growth," said Katrine DiBona, the drugmaker's corporate vice president of global public affairs and sustainability, adding: "It will be worse before it gets better. And that's also super-important for us to be very transparent on that."
In its 2024 annual report, Novo Nordisk reported it has made progress in reducing direct emissions and indirect emissions from purchased energy. However, 96% of its pollution comes from its supply chain.
Why is this important?
The increase in Novo Nordisk's Scope 3 pollution highlights the need for solutions to better support sustainable growth, as pollution from dirty fuels is connected to millions of premature deaths every year. It also sparks a crucial discussion about how businesses build and market their products.
The drugmaker says in its report that it isn't backing down from its plan to achieve net zero by 2045, a concept in which its pollution generation is balanced by the amount absorbed.
In order to do that, it is eyeing a 33% reduction in Scope 3 pollution by 2033 compared to a 2024 baseline by switching to low-carbon materials and feedstock and supporting supplier transitions to clean energy.
However, Sasja Beslik, chief investment strategy officer at SDG Impact Japan, told Reuters that this interim goal didn't seem to be realistic given that the company hadn't decoupled its growth and emissions goals, raising questions of whether Novo Nordisk is giving lip service to sustainability to limit the risk of scrutiny or whether it is truly committed to its aims.
"Sounds like a fairy tale," Beslik said. "The sustainability angle is not part of the valuation of the stock and has no bearing on financial results, unfortunately."
What is Novo Nordisk doing about this?
While more than 1,800 of its suppliers have agreed to transition to renewable power, Novo Nordisk acknowledged in its report that "these measures will not be enough to meet our target," adding that it will also consider new and emerging technologies to "close the gap."
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More broadly, Wegovy has been in the spotlight after an aggressive marketing campaign boosted its profile. Weight-loss drugs like Wegovy are also receiving hype on social media — no stranger to promoting the latest trends and fueling overconsumption.
As CBS News reported, health care professionals have raised concerns that some patients may not be using the medicines as intended amid the buzz, highlighting how mindful consumption can support both public health and the planet.
"My sense is that many people posting on social media are using these drugs but don't meet the medical criteria for using them," Dr. Cecilia Low Wang, a UCHealth expert in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism, said in a release.
"Even though this can be an amazing drug for many people, each person is unique and you need to make an informed decision," Low Wang added.
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