GSK
GSK is a global biopharmaceutical company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. GSK and WWF’s partnership aims to conserve and restore freshwater resources for nature, people and business resilience.
Why we're working together
All life needs water. It’s the world’s most precious resource, necessary to make many essential products we use in our daily lives, including medicines, and the energy we use daily. Freshwater habitats — such as lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and aquifers — contain more than 10% of all known animals and around 50% of all known fish species.
Meanwhile, freshwater wildlife populations have suffered the harshest decline in size of all monitored wildlife populations, seeing an 85% decrease since 1970, according to WWF’s Living Planet Report.
Despite how important water is for people and nature, it is a surprisingly finite resource. Less than 1% of the world's water is fresh and accessible.
The world’s freshwater resources are increasingly under stress, posing a threat to the health of local communities and the resilience of businesses who rely on freshwater as part of manufacturing processes.
Together, WWF and GSK are working together to accelerate the delivery of GSK’s nature commitments with a focus on protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems, both within GSK’s operations and in its supply chain, as well as demonstrating best practice for the pharmaceutical industry.
At WWF, we know we cannot achieve this level of change alone. We need to mobilise communities, businesses and government to act and feel empowered. GSK is a leader in the pharmaceutical sector and is committed to a net-zero, nature-positive and healthier planet.
GSK is one of the first companies to adopt a verified, science-based target for nature and has developed ambitious freshwater targets covering water stewardship, water use and manufacturing emissions, including being water neutral in its own operations and at key suppliers in water-stressed regions by 2030.
Through working with WWF, GSK is supporting global freshwater initiatives, in alignment with global efforts to protect 30% of oceans, lands, and freshwaters by 2030. This includes the Freshwater Challenge, which aims to restore 300,000km of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of degraded wetlands by 2030.
GSK was one of the first adopters of the Freshwater Challenge’s Business Supporter Program, which offers an opportunity for companies to contribute directly to global water goals; reduce water-related impacts, risks and dependencies; align with emerging sustainability frameworks, and government plans and strategies; build on existing initiatives and platforms; and demonstrate leadership in protecting and restoring critical natural resources.
Freshwater is fundamental to human health and the production of medicines and vaccines. As an industry so dependent on water it’s critical that the pharmaceutical sector takes action in tackling the climate and nature emergency.
What we are doing
Our partnership is addressing the challenges freshwater faces by establishing innovative nature-based solutions in three key river basins – the Sutlej River Basin in India, and the Indus Delta in Pakistan and the Mitidja Basin in Algeria (where GSK manufacturing sites and suppliers are located) – creating positive impacts on freshwater resources, for local communities and wildlife.
The partnership aims to replenish more than 300,000m³ of water and positively impact over 100,000 local people by 2030. Programmes focus on the protection, management and restoration of freshwater habitats and monitoring and stabilising populations of freshwater species like dolphins and otters. They also support sustainable water management, promote efficient water usage in local farms, communities and organisations, whilst improving community access to clean water and support the development of early warning systems in flood-prone areas.
Alongside our restoration programmes, we are advocating for sustainable business practices across the pharmaceutical sector, encouraging scaling up and further adoption of nature-positive activities across the industry.
In the first year of partnership, we have:
- Reached over 5,000 people across India and Pakistan through awareness campaigns, community stewardship groups, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) improvements and more.
- Replenished over 24,000m³ of water in Pakistan, through groundwater recharge wells and water reuse systems, supporting more sustainable use of scarce freshwater resources.
- Completed a full review of wetlands of international importance around Ropar, India, covering 5,000ha, to identify how we can strengthen long-term wetland management and conservation.
- GSK has joined the Freshwater Challenge Business Supporter Program as one of the inaugural signatories, helping to advance global goals for protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems.
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© David Woodfall / WWF-UKSutlej River Basin, India
MoreCloseBy 2029 we aim to see improvement in the ecological health of the Sutlej River and its tributaries, the utilisation of nature-based solutions (including wetland, floodplain and aquifer restoration and transformed agricultural approaches), leading to enhanced well-being of local communities, enabling better access to secure and safe water.
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© WWF-PakistanIndus Delta, Pakistan
MoreCloseBy 2029 we aim to see improved surface and ground water quantity and quality management serving nature, people and businesses in Karachi and Lahore. We will galvanise industries to improve sustainability and scale freshwater resource safeguarding, increase water use efficiency among local communities and increase action to create climate resilience.
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© Michel Gunther / WWFMitidja Basin, Algeria
MoreCloseBy 2029, we aim to see the ecological integrity of the Réghaïa wetland, Mitidja Basin, both safeguarded and restored through nature-based water replenishment, pollution reduction and habitat rehabilitation. Our work will establish a replicable model for coastal wetland restoration in this geographical context.
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