Introduction
Sustainability in biotech is no longer a side initiative—it’s core strategy. As the pharmaceutical and biotech industries face mounting pressure from regulators, investors, and the public, leading companies are embedding climate responsibility into their business models. From building net-zero campuses to redesigning molecules with the planet in mind, these companies are transforming what it means to operate responsibly.
In the United States, where the healthcare sector contributes significantly to national greenhouse gas emissions, these efforts are critical. The following ten companies represent a cross-section of sustainable biotech: from industrial biomanufacturing to pharmaceuticals, and from agriculture to therapeutics. Each has taken verifiable, meaningful action to reduce their environmental footprint.
This article provides a grounded look at how these companies are leading the shift, focusing on what they’ve done, why it matters, and how they’re setting the tone for the industry.
1. United Therapeutics
What They’ve Done
United Therapeutics constructed and operates “The Unisphere”—a net-zero energy building that serves as its headquarters. It uses solar panels, geothermal systems, intelligent lighting, and other innovations to power itself without fossil fuels. The company also opened a net-zero facility at its manufacturing campus, dedicated to advanced therapeutic production.
Why It Matters
This isn’t a retrofit. United Therapeutics designed its facilities for sustainability from the start. That changes the cost structure, energy use, and emissions profile in profound ways. As one of the few biotech Public Benefit Corporations in the U.S., sustainability is embedded in the company’s charter—this is accountability in practice, not in theory.
2. AstraZeneca (U.S. Operations)
What They’ve Done
AstraZeneca launched a global initiative to become climate-negative across its value chain. In the U.S., the company has transitioned a large portion of its commercial fleet to electric vehicles, upgraded its facilities with renewable energy sources, and committed to next-generation inhalers with low climate impact. It is also integrating biomethane energy into key R&D and manufacturing sites.
Why It Matters
This is one of the most comprehensive climate strategies in biotech—touching logistics, production, procurement, and product design. The company has tied its emissions reductions to independently verified science-based targets, showing that it isn’t just making promises, but executing a plan aligned with global climate benchmarks.
3. Genomatica
What They’ve Done
Genomatica uses precision fermentation to create key industrial chemicals—like butanediol and nylon intermediates—using sugar and microbes instead of fossil fuels. Its processes have been licensed to major global manufacturers, and its products are already in market in categories like fashion, packaging, and automotive components.
Why It Matters
Industrial chemicals are a major contributor to emissions, and Genomatica shows that biotech can directly replace oil-based manufacturing processes. It’s a standout example of “deep decarbonization” through innovation, not offsets or marginal efficiency gains.
4. Genentech (A Member of the Roche Group)
What They’ve Done
Genentech has overhauled its research and manufacturing facilities to reduce waste and emissions. The company is implementing green chemistry principles, reducing cold storage energy use, and cutting single-use lab plastics. It has also adopted eco-friendly packaging and improved waste diversion rates across its supply chain.
Why It Matters
Lab and manufacturing waste often go unnoticed in public-facing sustainability conversations. Genentech is turning its operational backbone into a model of circular and low-impact biotech. It’s a strong signal that green practices don’t have to wait until product launch—they can start at the bench.
5. Locus Fermentation Solutions
What They’ve Done
Locus FS creates microbial-based solutions for industries like agriculture, oil recovery, and water treatment. Instead of relying on synthetic or petroleum-based chemicals, its fermentation platforms use naturally occurring microbes to improve yields, reduce emissions, and regenerate soil.
Why It Matters
This is climate technology applied to real-world industry. Agriculture and heavy industry are often seen as difficult to decarbonize, but Locus is demonstrating that biology can replace fossil inputs—cost-effectively and at commercial scale.
6. Ginkgo Bioworks
What They’ve Done
Ginkgo provides a platform for engineering microbes that can be used in a variety of sustainable applications, including biodegradable materials, biofuels, and agriculture. Its technology is used by startups and global partners alike to reduce reliance on carbon-intensive production methods.
Why It Matters
Ginkgo isn’t focused on one product—it’s enabling a generation of companies to build sustainability into their products from the cell up. Its flexible, scalable model is helping create a biotech-powered circular economy across industries.
7. Amyris (Legacy Model)
What They’ve Done
Before its restructuring, Amyris was known for using engineered yeast to produce personal-care and wellness ingredients without relying on petroleum or animal sources. The company emphasized transparency, sustainable sourcing, and packaging reductions across its consumer brands.
Why It Matters
Amyris proved that green chemistry can compete in direct-to-consumer markets. It shifted the conversation from backend manufacturing to front-end marketing—proving sustainability can be a selling point, not just a cost center. While the business model has changed, its influence on consumer biotech remains.
8. Novonesis (Formerly Novozymes U.S.)
What They’ve Done
This enzyme-focused biotech enables cold-water detergents, sustainable agriculture, and biofuel production. By improving industrial efficiency and reducing input needs, Novonesis supports global companies in cutting emissions across product life cycles.
Why It Matters
Sometimes the most effective climate solutions are also the least visible. Enzymes don’t get headlines—but they quietly make processes cleaner, faster, and less energy intensive. Novonesis shows that sustainability isn’t always about radical change—it can be about smarter chemistry.
9. Merck
What They’ve Done
Merck has received multiple awards for its use of green chemistry to reduce the environmental impact of pharmaceutical manufacturing. The company redesigned synthesis pathways for key drugs to eliminate toxic reagents, reduce waste, and lower water and energy use.
Why It Matters
Greener production methods make pharmaceuticals safer not just for patients—but for the planet. Merck’s work demonstrates that even in highly regulated environments, it’s possible to innovate toward more sustainable practices without sacrificing quality or compliance.
10. Danaher
What They’ve Done
Danaher, parent to biotech firms like Cytiva and Pall, has committed to cutting operational emissions and reducing non-hazardous waste across its facilities. It is rolling out water stewardship and circular economy programs across its portfolio of diagnostic and life sciences companies.
Why It Matters
Danaher shows what sustainability looks like at scale. With dozens of subsidiaries across biotech, diagnostics, and tools, it’s proving that environmental performance can be measured, managed, and improved across diverse operating models.
Industry Trends and Regulatory Context
Science-Based Targets
Many of these companies align their climate strategies with the Science Based Targets initiative. This ensures that their emissions reductions are in line with what science says is necessary to limit warming, not just what is convenient for business.
Supply Chain Accountability
Regulators and stakeholders are pushing for greater transparency across supply chains. From Scope 3 emissions to ethical sourcing, biotech companies are being held responsible not just for what they make—but how it’s made.
Capital Markets Are Watching
Sustainable biotech companies attract better capital terms and ESG investor interest. Environmental performance is no longer just a reporting obligation—it’s part of market valuation.
Conclusion
These ten companies offer a cross-section of what sustainable biotech looks like in practice—not just in press releases. They are leading by example, proving that environmental responsibility is compatible with growth, innovation, and investor returns.
As regulations tighten, supply chains shift, and stakeholders demand more transparency, sustainability will continue moving from optional to essential. These leaders are already there—building the next generation of biotech with the planet in mind.
