Thermo Fisher Secures 100% Renewable Power at European Sites

Thermo Fisher Scientific, a global leader in biotech research, continues to make strides in sustainability, reinforcing its commitment to reducing emissions across its supply chain. The company partners with international renewable energy developer X-ELIO on a 10-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) that will significantly increase its use of renewable electricity.

Marc Casper, Chairman, President and CEO of Thermo Fisher, underscores the company’s dual commitment to customers and sustainability: “Thermo Fisher is driven by a profound mission — to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.

“We also understand our obligation goes beyond enabling our customers’ success and extends to making the world a better place by supporting our communities, being a good steward of our planet and creating a great work environment for our colleagues.

"I am proud of what we’ve accomplished so far and deeply grateful to our global team for their passion for fulfilling our mission and delivering on our commitments to society.”

This latest agreement is part of Thermo Fisher’s wider strategy to power all European sites with 100% renewable electricity, advancing its net zero ambitions while supporting sustainability in procurement and supply chain operations.

Solar power’s role in decarbonising pharmaceutical operations

The VPPA will support the development of the Lorca solar project in Spain, set to be operational in early 2026. Thermo Fisher’s 73MW share of the project is expected to generate around 150,000MWh of renewable electricity annually—enough to power 40,500 European homes for a year.

Alongside its ongoing Serbal solar project, this agreement will ensure that all addressable European facilities are powered entirely by renewable energy. It also accelerates the company’s global sustainability goal of sourcing 80% of its electricity from renewables by 2030.

As procurement leaders in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries look for ways to cut emissions beyond their own operations, this agreement also supports Scope 2 and Scope 3 reductions across the supply chain. Thermo Fisher collaborates with pharmaceutical firms GSK, Gilead Sciences and Haleon as part of the Energize initiative—an industry-wide effort to facilitate access to renewable energy.

Konrad Bauer, Senior Vice President of Global Business Services at Thermo Fisher, highlights the power of collaboration: “When we collaborate with our customers and suppliers, we accelerate our collective progress toward net zero emissions.

“Achieving 100% renewable electricity for our European sites is a significant milestone on our journey, and as cohort lead for this agreement facilitated by the Energize initiative, we are committed to leveraging our experience and insights to help enable similar milestones for our partners.”

This agreement aligns with Thermo Fisher’s broader sustainability targets, including a 50% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030 (compared to a 2018 baseline) and a commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The Energize initiative: Driving supply chain decarbonisation

Thermo Fisher joined the Energize initiative in 2021, a programme designed to support pharmaceutical and healthcare companies in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through renewable energy procurement.

Led by the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative and managed by Schneider Electric, Energize helps suppliers navigate renewable energy markets and explore power purchase agreements (PPAs).

The initiative focuses on cutting Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased electricity) and Scope 3 (emissions from suppliers and the wider value chain) by enabling suppliers to access renewable energy solutions.

John Powers, Vice President of Global Renewables at Schneider Electric, explains the impact: “Making the most out of our energy and resources is crucial as we collectively move toward more sustainable solutions across industries and around the world.

“The Energize programme aims to drive supply chain decarbonisation across the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries while serving as a playbook for other sectors as they look to power their operations with renewable energy.”

By participating in Energize, Thermo Fisher and its pharmaceutical partners are accelerating the transition to cleaner energy across the sector, making it easier for suppliers to implement sustainable procurement practices.

Thermo Fisher’s sustainability leadership in procurement

Thermo Fisher’s commitment to renewable energy is part of its broader sustainability strategy, which is increasingly shaping procurement decisions and supplier expectations. At Sustainability LIVE: London, Chris Shanahan, Vice President of Global Sustainability and Supply Chain, highlighted the importance of urgency in tackling emissions.

“So, as you think about the evolution of technology to really get after decarbonisation, you do need new technologies to come into play and I think that's the challenge out there for the industry,” says Chris.

The company’s 2023 global renewable electricity commitment aligns with the SMI Health Systems Task Force’s joint supplier standards, reinforcing its leadership in sustainable procurement. This commitment builds on its previous target to cut Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 50% by 2030, compared to 2018 levels.

Beyond Europe, Thermo Fisher also aims to power all its US facilities with 100% renewable electricity by 2026. These ambitious targets reflect a growing emphasis on sustainable sourcing, reinforcing the company’s role as a leader in procurement-led climate action across the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

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