AstraZeneca’s sustainable HQ in Egypt stresses commitment to climate action

24 / 05 / 2023

By Marwa Nassar - -

AstraZeneca’s inauguration of a new state-of-the-art and sustainable headquarters in Cairo highlights the company’s commitment to climate action and sustainable healthcare in Egypt and across the Middle East and Africa region.

The ‘LEED’ gold-certified building adopts sustainability standards that demonstrate the company’s commitment to protecting the environment and fostering sustainable practices across its business and supply chain.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by Gareth Bayley, British Ambassador to Egypt; Håkan Emsgård, Swedish Ambassador to Egypt; Prof. Dr. Awad Tag El Din, President’s Advisor for health and prevention affairs; Dr. Ehab Kamal, Advisor to the Minister of Health and Population for Continuous Medical Education; Dr. Pelin Incesu, Area Vice President, Middle East and Africa, AstraZeneca, together with key governmental representatives and esteemed doctors and partners, and AstraZeneca’s employees in Egypt.

At the event, AstraZeneca highlighted its business expansion plans for Egypt, which include launching nine innovative treatments this year and introducing 25 new brands and indications over the next three years. This expansion demonstrates AstraZeneca’s commitment to improving healthcare outcomes in line with Egypt Vision 2030. The Company has also been recognized for building equitable workplaces, earning the prestigious “Best Place to Work” award in Egypt for four consecutive years.

AstraZeneca has been a leading advocate for sustainability in the region. At COP27 last year, AstraZeneca Egypt announced several programs to accelerate the decarbonization of healthcare and the establishment of green hospitals in the country. Moreover, the company has supported clean energy initiatives by installing electric vehicle charging stations at hospitals.

AstraZeneca Egypt has also invested in decarbonizing its supply chain, by shifting supply routes from air to sea, reducing 2,000 tons of carbon emissions annually.

British Ambassador to Egypt Gareth Bayley said: “Our green partnership with Egypt remains one of our top priorities, following the handover of the COP presidency from the UK to Egypt last November. I am therefore particularly proud to see AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish company, and one which made a tremendous contribution to fighting Covid-19 through its vaccination program, committed to protecting the environment by opening a new sustainable headquarters in Cairo. AstraZeneca are expanding their operations in Egypt and playing their part in Egypt’s green transformation journey. It is crucial that we see more companies engaged in the decarbonization of the healthcare sector.”

Håkan Emsgård, Swedish Ambassador in Egypt, shed light on AstraZeneca’s efforts towards sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, demonstrating the solid sustainability strategy of the company and the scientific approach taken. “AstraZeneca’s investment in Egypt is a testament to the country’s potential for economic growth and development,” he said.

Prof. Dr. Awad Tag El Din, the President’s Advisor for health and prevention affairs, commended AstraZeneca’s contribution to the enhancement of the Egyptian healthcare system along other pharmaceutical multinational companies, highlighting the importance of promoting local manufacturing to achieve Egypt Vision 2030.

For his part, Dr. Ehab Kamal, Advisor to the Minister of Health and Population for Continuous Medical Education, expounded how pharma companies need to follow sustainable routes towards supporting the healthcare ecosystem.

He expressed the importance of introducing innovative treatments and solutions to support Egyptian patients.

Dr. Hatem El Werdany, AstraZeneca Egypt Country President, emphasized that the launch of the new headquarters is a significant milestone for the company, accentuating commitment to providing a healthy and inclusive work environment for the employees to thrive and grow, which he believes is key to AstraZeneca’s success and bold ambition.

Werdany also re-affirmed the company’s commitment to investing in sustainable practices and contributing to Egypt’s growth and development.

“We are dedicated to transforming the future of healthcare by unlocking the power of what science can do for the health of people, society and the planet.” He added.

Dr. Pelin Incesu, Area Vice President, Middle East and Africa at AstraZeneca, shared that the new office in Egypt marks an exciting milestone for AstraZeneca, adding that “AstraZeneca’s global ambition is to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable practices in everything that we do. We were one of the first seven companies worldwide to have our Scope 1-3 greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative Net-Zero Corporate Standard, aiming to be net zero by 2045 at the latest.”