Pharma’s determined shift to more sustainable logistics
In September, Takeda announced that it is making pharma history – becoming the first in the industry to ship medicines across the Atlantic on a wind-powered trimaran. In terms of taking an environmental stand, the message was clear.
After all, since taking office, as the National Law Review reported in August 2025, the Second Trump Administration has been on a mission to put Man – and notably, the American Man – first. Indeed, Trump’s executive orders on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and environmental policy have included the termination of all DEI, DEIA, and environmental justice offices and positions in the federal government.
A lengthy, and diverse list of directions – including declaring a national energy emergency and yet ‘putting people over fish’ and ‘stopping radical environmentalism’ and ‘unleashing American commercial fishing in the Pacific’, whilst also ‘unleashing’ American energy and promoting “energy exploration on federal lands” – the list of orders have moved for withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, and any other agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. All this, and the withdrawal from the World Health Organization at the start.
So it was that, for a time, industry went quiet on DEI, ESG, or anything to do with the environment. Yet, pharma is facing significant challenges and opportunities very much due to climate change. It is heavily reliant on global supply chains and requires vast quantities of water, while as rising global temperatures impact the spread of disease, there is increased demand for new treatments and medicines.
But now, the tides are very much turning and heading back in the planet-minded direction.
The interconnection of human health and planetary health
In a new partnership with VELA, Takeda will soon ship medicines between Europe and the US on a first-of-its-kind wind-powered trimaran. Designed specifically for pharmaceutical cargo, the vessel – taking its maiden voyage in late 2026 – is built to safeguard cold-chain integrity and product safety, while cutting emissions up to 99% compared to air freight and up to 90% compared to traditional container ships.
As pharma faces mounting pressure to decarbonise supply chains and develop climate-conscious alternatives, this partnership paves the way for a future where delivering medicines around the globe quickly and protecting the planet can go hand in hand.
Takeda is focused on building climate resilience into every aspect of its operations and delivery of care, with a commitment to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions throughout its value chain by 2040. The partnership with VELA embodies Takeda’s essential general company ethos.
“As a company committed to delivering life-transforming treatments, Takeda recognises that the health of people and the planet are deeply interconnected,” explained Johanna Jobin, global head of environment and sustainability at Takeda. “Climate change is not only an environmental crisis, but also a growing public health emergency that impacts patient outcomes and strains healthcare systems. That’s why we’re embedding sustainability into every facet of our business, from our commitments to nature to our ambitious climate targets.”
In addition to its long-term 2040 vision, a near-term goal for Takeda is to reduce its Scope 3 emissions by 25% by FY2030 – goals that have been verified by the Science Based Targets initiative. Scope emissions refer to the classification of greenhouse gas emissions into three categories:
- Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources, such as emissions from fuel combustion in company vehicles or facilities.
- Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling consumed by the reporting company.
- Scope 3: All other indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain, such as emissions from the production of purchased goods and services, waste disposal, and employee commuting.
“One of the ways we are making progress is by shifting from air to sea freight,” said Jobin. “We were inspired by the opportunity to further reduce the environmental impact associated with sea freight, while piloting a first-of-its-kind partnership that is designed to deliver operational excellence, resilience, and scalability.“
A new generation of vessels equipped to handle pharmaceutical products
Alternative and low-emissions sea shipping is important for several reasons. Maritime shipping emits around 1,000 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, accounting for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
“In contrast, this new generation of sailing cargo vessels is powered 100% by wind when at sea,” explained Jobin.
VELA’s model also helps advance broader environmental priorities, including the protection of nature, since VELA’s trimaran will be the only cargo sailing vessel that does not use water as ballast, which can transfer invasive species across ocean habitats. The design eliminates the discharge of foreign water, reducing impacts on biodiversity across oceans, and is aligned with Takeda’s efforts to promote nature conservation across the business.
The trimaran will be built entirely of aluminium – a material that is infinitely recyclable. Right from the design stage, all components have been designed to be dismantled for recycling or reuse, either across other VELA vessels, or for other purposes.
“We are particularly proud that Takeda has contributed expertise to help ensure that these purpose-built vessels are fully equipped to handle pharmaceutical products, including cold storage requirements,” commented Jobin. “The trimaran will be equipped with CoolSafe by VELA, a Good Distribution Practice (GPD) compliant refrigeration system that is temperature-controlled and powered by renewable energy generated on board. This innovation in maritime transport ensures cold-chain integrity and premium logistics performance required to maintain product safety and quality.”
VELA intends to achieve delivery times under 15 days for its one-way transatlantic crossings – faster than containerised sea cargo freight – leveraging offshore racing technologies, direct routes, and more efficient port operations in secondary ports (ports that are smaller compared to primary ports). While at sea, VELA will operate propulsion with zero emissions. In port, the vessel will comply with all local maritime regulations, requiring engine power using primarily electricity (from battery, solar, and hydrogeneration) and marine diesel as a backup. This level of flexibility and resilience can provide benefits for business, as well as the planet.
Scaling its business by building a fleet of five trimarans by 2028, VELA plans to transport up to 48,000 tonnes of goods per year.
A greener supply chain for the greater good
“One of the challenges within the healthcare industry is that we develop, produce, and deliver life-transforming treatments in ways that can inadvertently contribute to negative impacts on planetary health,” Jobin said. “Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) are a good example.”
Indeed, The Lancet reports that air pollution linked to climate change is responsible for more than eight million premature deaths each year globally, making it the second-leading risk factor for death worldwide.
“To address this, healthcare organisations should be guided by the latest environmental science,” insisted Jobin. “This means reducing greenhouse gas emissions to achieve net-zero before 2050. In some cases, the pathways are relatively clear. For example, Takeda is taking a leadership role in working to electrify our operations and switch to renewable electricity.”
To this end, Takeda recently began operation of AHEAD (Advanced Heat Pump Demonstrator), an innovative project conducted with the Austrian Institute of Technology in Vienna. A high-temperature heat pump, it is intended to allow the generation of process steam completely without fossil fuels for the first time, using 100% natural refrigerants.
“[Additionally,], through Energize, we’re supporting a multi-buyer Power Purchase Agreement, where pharma companies and suppliers pool demand to jointly contract with a renewable energy developer to help decarbonise the healthcare supply chain,” Jobin explained. “Yet, other sources of emissions are harder to abate, areas where few low-emissions alternatives exist, or where those that do are not viable on an industrial scale. If we are serious about raising the challenge of meeting science-based climate targets, we need to innovate now to create new solutions.”
Within the pharmaceutical sector, this will include addressing areas such as regulated medical waste and plastics, which not only have direct health impact, but are also a source of GHG emissions.
“We are working on innovative initiatives to address these contributors to our Scope 3 emissions,” reiterated Jobin. “Our collaboration with Boston Medical Center (BMC) is a great example of this, which focused on identifying innovative solutions that can reduce hard-to-abate greenhouse gas emissions in the healthcare sector. The collaboration aims to reduce the GHG emissions caused by disposal of regulated medical waste, such as pharmaceutical packaging and single-use plastics, which are among the most difficult environmental challenges facing the pharma industry.
“That is important because, as with many companies, Scope 3 emissions account for the majority of Takeda’s total GHG emissions – in our case, approximately 90%,” said Jobin. “Pioneering collaborations like the one with BMC are critical to accelerating progress on Scope 3 hard-to-abate emissions categories, including emissions related to transportation and logistics. We think it reflects the kind of bold new thinking the pharmaceutical industry needs to address climate and health.”
From bold thinking to meaningful action
In the US alone, the healthcare sector contributes approximately 8.5% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. And as the World Health Organization states, the direct damage estimated costs to global health due to climate change (excluding in health-determining sectors such as agriculture, water, and sanitation) could be between $2bn to $4bn per year by 2030. Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases through better transport, food, and energy use choices will be highly beneficial for public health, especially in terms of reduced pollution, particularly air pollution.
“We recognise climate exacerbates patient health outcomes, but also puts a strain on the healthcare system, and that’s why we also work to invest in climate healthcare resiliency,” Jobin stated. “In oncology, for example, air pollution and environmental exposures are linked to higher cancer risk. In neuroscience, climate-related stressors such as heat and air pollution are tied to increased risk of stroke and cognitive decline. And in vaccines, we’re already confronting the spread of vector-borne diseases like dengue, which thrive as global temperatures rise. In fact, last year, the number of dengue infections globally was the highest on record.”
“When we cut emissions, we’re not only reducing our own environmental footprint: we’re also working to improve patient and community health outcomes,” explained Jobin. “That potential for positive impact has motivated us to collaborate with VELA to transport our products, aiming to start at the end of 2026. By leveraging wind-powered shipping, Takeda is providing a new example of what efficient, flexible, and more sustainable logistics can look like within the pharmaceutical industry.”
About the author
Johanna C Jobin is vice president, global head of environment and sustainability, at Takeda. A corporate responsibility leader with deep expertise tackling complex issues across global health and climate, she heads Takeda’s Planet Imperative. Jobin drives the company's ambitious climate and nature goals, advancing groundbreaking collaborations, championing Takeda’s approach to the voluntary carbon market, and addressing the most challenging greenhouse gas emissions to achieve net-zero operations by 2035 and a net-zero value chain by 2040.
Prior to joining Takeda, Jobin led corporate reputation and responsibility at Biogen, and served as the executive director of the Biogen Foundation, conceptualising and launching an evolved sustainability strategy that made Biogen the first US pharmaceutical company to join the Business Ambition for 1.5°C with SBTi approved goals. Under her leadership, Biogen received top industry accolades, including a US Chamber of Commerce Foundation award, Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas recognition, and setting an industry record for leadership on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for ten years.
Jobin actively serves on numerous boards and advisory councils, including the Museum of Science, MassBioEd, Project Green Schools, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, and Duke University’s Business and Environment Council. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and toddlers, who inspire her to build a healthier, more sustainable world.
About the author
Nicole Raleigh is pharmaphorum’s web editor. Transitioning to the healthcare sector in the last few years, she is an experienced media and communications professional who has worked in print and digital for over 20 years.
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