WWF launches five-year partnership with GSK
- WWF and GSK to establish innovative nature-based solutions in the water-stressed Sutlej River Basin in India and the Indus Delta in Pakistan, areas critical to the production of medicines
- WWF and GSK to work together to promote water stewardship and support long-term business resilience for GSK manufacturing and supply chain
- The partnership aims to replenish more than 300,000 m3 of water; and positively impact over 100,000 local people by 2030
- Programmes will focus on protecting and restoring freshwater habitats and monitoring and stabilising populations of species such as river dolphins and otters.
[LONDON] WWF, the world’s leading independent conservation organisation, and GSK, a global biopharma company, have announced a major multi-million-pound partnership running to 2030.
WWF and GSK will work together to accelerate the delivery of GSK’s nature commitments with a focus on protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems, both within GSK’s operations and in its supply chain, as well as demonstrating best practice for the pharmaceutical industry. Freshwater is fundamental to human health and the production of medicines and vaccines, yet the world’s freshwater resources are increasingly under stress. This poses a threat to the health of local communities and the resilience of businesses who rely on freshwater as part of manufacturing processes.
Together, WWF and GSK will work to use the power of nature to boost ecosystems, biodiversity and human wellbeing in key water-stressed river basins – the Sutlej River Basin in India and the Indus Delta in Pakistan. GSK has three manufacturing sites, employing over 800 people, and many suppliers located across these river basins, making it an important region for the manufacturing of medicines to treat respiratory and infectious diseases.
The partnership aims to replenish more than 300,000m3 of water and positively impact over 100,000 local people by 2030. Programmes will focus on the protection, management and restoration of freshwater habitats and monitoring and stabilising populations of freshwater species like dolphins and otters. They will also support sustainable water management, promote efficient water usage in local farms, communities and organisations, whilst improving community access to clean water and support the development of early warning systems in flood-prone areas.
Regis Simard, GSK’s President Global Supply Chain said: “We’re delighted to be working with WWF to help drive positive change in water-stressed regions in India and Pakistan where we have manufacturing sites and where many of our key suppliers are located. By ensuring a sustainable water supply, we can continue to develop and deliver medicines and vaccines that prevent and change the course of disease. Collaborating with partners within and outside of our sector is crucial to achieve our ambitious nature goals, including on freshwater.”
Tanya Steele, Chief Executive of WWF-UK said: “Nature is disappearing at an alarming rate, with freshwater wildlife populations declining on average by 85% since 1970. Currently, India and Pakistan are experiencing water crises; millions of people there are without access to safe water.
As an industry so dependent on water it’s critical that the pharmaceutical sector takes action in tackling the climate and nature emergency. WWF and GSK recognise the collective impact we can have, to protect and restore vital freshwater ecosystems.”
Freshwater wildlife populations have suffered the harshest decline in size of all monitored wildlife populations, seeing an 85% decrease since 1970, according to WWF’s latest Living Planet Report. The partnership focuses on the Indus River Basin in Pakistan and Sutlej River Basin in India. The Indus River Basin is the second most water-stressed basin in the world, with millions of people relying on it for their livelihoods and agricultural systems. Protecting and restoring the freshwater resources of the basin is crucial to WWF’s mission to bend the curve on biodiversity loss and deliver to Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets.
This partnership is part of GSK’s commitment to a net-zero, nature-positive, healthier planet. GSK is one of the first companies to adopt a verified, science-based target for nature and has developed ambitious freshwater targets covering water stewardship, water use and manufacturing emissions, including being water neutral in its own operations and at key suppliers in water-stressed regions by 2030. By working with WWF, GSK will support global freshwater initiatives, in alignment with global efforts to protect 30% of oceans, lands, and freshwaters by 2030, including the Freshwater Challenge, which aims to restore 300,000km of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of degraded wetlands by 2030.
