Sustainability gains strategic importance in the BioRegion of Catalonia

From clinical practice to hospital strategy 

Sustainability can also be integrated into the way certain treatments are delivered. At the Dialysis Department of Hospital Clínic Barcelona, measures implemented over the past decade include optimising dialysis fluid, automating the water treatment plant, digitalising processes, improving waste segregation and using more efficient equipment. Home dialysis is also being promoted, alongside efforts to optimise patient and supply transport. In 2025, the department reduced its CO₂ emissions by 22.35% compared with the previous year — approximately 18.7 tonnes less — despite an increase in clinical activity. It also consumed 559 m³ less water and saved 62,012 kWh of electricity. 

Hospital pharmacy is another area where action can be taken. At Viladecans Hospital, the department is promoting the gradual replacement of certain pressurised inhalers, which use HFC propellants, with dry powder devices that do not require these gases, provided the treatment requirements allow it. The initiative takes a whole-life-cycle approach to medicines, from prescribing to waste management. 

In the field of clinical laboratories, Mollet University Hospital obtained Green & Sustainable Laboratory certification in 2025, awarded by the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. It was the first hospital in Spain to obtain this certification for its clinical laboratory. 

This transformation also requires changes in how hospitals and their departments are managed. MútuaTerrassa University Hospital has received the International Hospital Federation's gold medal for environmental sustainability for its second Climate Action Plan. The plan brings together 126 initiatives across twelve areas, including infrastructure, pharmacy, digitalisation and research, and involves clinical, technical and administrative teams in its implementation. 

Finally, at system level, the Catalan Health Institute (ICS) has launched the Fewer Gloves, Greater Sustainability challenge, which promotes glove use when necessary for patient safety while avoiding unnecessary use. The aim is to reduce glove consumption by 10%. If achieved, the ICS estimates that 375 tonnes of CO₂ emissions could be avoided each year. 

Laboratories: lower consumption and greater circularity 

Research could also benefit from a common framework: the Government of Catalonia is preparing the first Catalan sustainability strategy for research centres, with measures covering training, resource efficiency and incentives tailored to each discipline. The proposal is expected to be presented between late 2026 and early 2027. In the meantime, laboratories at research centres, companies and hospitals continue to implement initiatives aimed primarily at reducing the environmental impact of water and energy consumption. 

At the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), the separate collection of rigid plastics has enabled the recovery of 1,870 kg of material since June 2025, mainly pipette tip boxes and caps. The plastic is taken to a facility in Esparreguera, where it is processed into pellets that can be reintroduced into the production chain. The initiative, developed by the Park's sustainability group, involves collaboration with EINA Inserció Laboral and combines material recovery with labour market inclusion. 

At the Esther Koplowitz Centre at IDIBAPS, several measures have reduced water consumption by nearly 800,000 litres between 2024 and 2025. These include installing tap aerators, adjusting toilet cisterns and replacing purified water systems with more efficient models. An analysis of consumption has also helped identify where demand is concentrated: toilets and taps account for 71% of water use. 

Sustainability is also part of research facility planning. The Barcelona Science Park (PCB) has approved its second Sustainability Plan for 2026–2030, with priorities including efficient resource use, infrastructure resilience and engagement with the Park's community. In parallel, it has proposed that organisations based at the Park consolidate orders from regular suppliers to reduce goods transport. 

Pharmaceutical manufacturing and medicine design 

In the pharmaceutical industry, environmental action extends from manufacturing plants to the design of medicines and their packaging. Efforts to reduce emissions and resource consumption are complemented by initiatives to make better use of resources and adapt product formats to actual needs. 

Towa International, which operates a manufacturing plant in Martorelles, has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 66%, water consumption by 31% and waste generation by 19% since 2019, according to company data. Measures implemented include the use of renewable electricity, solar photovoltaic power generation, water reuse and the optimisation of processes and materials. The company has also set new targets for reducing emissions, water consumption and waste generation by 2030. 

Reig Jofre is also working to improve water efficiency at its Sant Joan Despí plant. According to estimates in its 2025 Sustainability Report, the facility recovers and reuses approximately 20,200 m³ of water each year from purification processes. This volume represents around 30% of the water supplied to the plant in 2025. 

Sustainability certifications and indices can also reflect how companies integrate environmental, social and governance criteria into their management practices. ESTEVE has obtained B Corp certification, which assesses organisations as a whole against standards for social and environmental impact, transparency and corporate accountability. 

Grifols has achieved EcoVadis Platinum status, with an environmental score of 92 out of 100. In 2026, it also maintained its inclusion in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class World and Europe indices. These recognitions assess various dimensions of corporate sustainability and complement data on companies' environmental initiatives and performance. 

Packaging ecodesign makes it possible to incorporate environmental criteria from the design stage: reducing material use, optimising packaging formats and facilitating recycling, while preserving the quality and safety of medicines. According to SIGRE data, since 2000, the pharmaceutical industry has implemented more than 3,300 environmental improvement initiatives, covering over one billion packages. Currently, one in three medicines marketed in Spain incorporates at least one ecodesign measure in its packaging. 

Another measure concerning packaging formats aims to align the pack sizes of certain antibiotics with the usual duration of treatment. The measure seeks to reduce leftover medicines in households and encourage more appropriate medicine use, while also delivering public health benefits, such as helping to prevent self-medication and antibiotic resistance. 

Good practices among startups and investment funds 

Investment funds can also incorporate impact criteria into the support they provide to companies. Ysios Capital applies its proprietary Y-mpact methodology, measured using the Y-score, and monitors the ESG performance of its portfolio companies. The firm has also developed a guide to help these companies measure their carbon footprint. 

Ship2B Ventures, meanwhile, measures and publishes the impact of its portfolio companies. In its 2025 report, based on cumulative data up to July of that year, it attributes a reduction of 5,672 tonnes of CO₂ to five portfolio startups, and water savings of 17.8 million cubic metres to one of them. The figures relate to the fund's overall portfolio and include initiatives from different sectors. 

Among the startups in the BioRegion of Catalonia, Vytrus Biotech, a biotechnology company based in Terrassa specialising in plant-based ingredients, has calculated, verified and registered its 2024 carbon footprint with Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO): 358.66 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. In 2026, it also received the EcoVadis Gold Medal, scoring 83 out of 100 overall and 93 in the environmental category.