OUR PURPOSE PIONEERING SCIENCE COMMUNITY REPORTING 89 PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY BIOGEN 2021 YEAR IN REVIEW PATIENTS OUR PEOPLE ENVIRONMENT Analyzing our product lifecycle To equip us with new insights into product impacts across materials, manufacturing, distribution and end-of-life issues, Biogen recently completed a life cycle assessment (LCA) of three biosimilars products – Benepali™, Flixabi™ and Imraldi™ – across a total of 30 configurations in four countries, providing actionable new insights on climate, air pollution, water and land use. We focused on Germany, Sweden, France and the U.K. because these countries cover a range of relevant variables including the number of SKUs used, multipackage presentations and interest in ESG criteria. SPOTLIGHT Green chemistry According to the U.S. Department of Energy, scientific labs use anywhere from three to 10 times more energy and water than typical office buildings and generate 5.5 metric tons of plastic a year worldwide. As part of our commitment to sustainable drug development, in 2021, approximately 470 employees in 14 Biogen labs piloted Green Lab Certification through the nonprofit My Green Lab. This program is recognized by the United Nations’ Race to Zero campaign as a key measure of progress toward a zero-carbon future and sets the standard for best practices for laboratory sustainability. Biogen’s effort assessed the labs’ operations and materials, including fossil fuel-derived plastics, which are widespread in the pharmaceutical space. To minimize plastic consumption, the labs made several changes, including working with key suppliers to procure reusable containers and adjusting processes to reuse plastic items such as vials, pipettes and petri dishes, as well as consolidating orders to minimize plastic packaging use. The pilot sparked other lab-specific and company-wide sustainability changes, including reduction of energy use, initiation of multi-site recycling and waste audits, and an infrastructure lighting review. After implementing these sustainable practices, four labs were awarded Green Lab Certification (highest level), four Platinum and six Gold. By 2023, Biogen aims to have more than 40 labs complete the baseline assessment of the Green Lab Certification. By 2025, the target is for 50% of Biogen labs to achieve a Gold certification or higher. Reducing energy use and plastic waste is helping accelerate action to meet our climate goals and is an important part of our broader commitment to implementing the principles of sustainable drug development. My Green Lab aims to eliminate emissions through a unique intersection of action and engagement in laboratories. This program works to empower lab employees to address sustainability in their spaces, allowing for both footprint reduction in traditionally resource-intensive lab spaces and the growth of a culture of sustainability.” Tooba Gilani (pictured right) Senior Associate I, EHS and My Green Lab champion