AstraZeneca, Secaro and ERM's Clean Heat Program

As the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the SEC’s new disclosure rules tighten scrutiny on emissions, suppliers that fail to align with buyers’ net zero strategies risk falling behind – or losing contracts altogether. This growing pressure is pushing the decarbonisation of industrial heat to the forefront, making it a key lever for competitiveness and protection from both regulatory and financial risks.

“Decarbonising heat is now business critical,” says Emily Prior, Chief Growth Officer at Secaro. “It is an essential way to protect revenue, reduce exposure to energy price shocks, and stay ahead of regulation and investor and customer expectations.”

In response, global pharmaceutical leader AstraZeneca, supply chain intelligence platform Secaro, and sustainability consultancy ERM have launched the Clean Heat Program. The initiative aims to close critical gaps in heat decarbonisation across global supply chains – strengthening energy security, managing price volatility, and accelerating emissions cuts in one of industry’s most carbon-intensive areas.

Data-driven decarbonisation

Secaro’s comprehensive environmental supply chain database, now enriched with heat-specific data, provides the program’s digital foundation.

Its data collection, analytics, and solution recommendation tools – alongside a network of over 8,000 buyers, suppliers, and solution providers – are designed to uncover high-impact decarbonisation opportunities.

ERM complements this with the rigorous technical assessments needed to turn data insights into investable projects and measurable outcomes.

“By combining Secaro’s data with ERM’s technical expertise, we can accelerate the delivery of heat decarbonisation projects that have historically struggled to move beyond preliminary assessment,” says Jon Hughes, Partner at ERM. “The Clean Heat Program will provide clients with the practical implementation support required to decarbonise industrial heat while strengthening resilience, reducing risk, and unlocking value across the supply chain.”

As a founding partner, AstraZeneca will gain early access to the programme’s tools and insights. This will allow the company to foster collective action among its suppliers and peers, while giving them a structured pathway to make meaningful progress where emissions reductions have previously stalled.

Tackling an overlooked emissions hotspot

Industrial process heat accounts for roughly 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet progress toward decarbonisation has been slow. Preliminary data from Secaro’s pharmaceutical programme show that around 80% of facility emissions fall under Scope 1, with 60% linked to natural gas use. Fewer than 10% of sites currently rely on biofuels or other renewable energy sources – and if current trends hold, renewable heat may reach just 15% by 2028 without decisive action.

“Many organisations are looking at heat in isolation, comparing the current gas bill to a full switch to biomethane for example,” Emily explains. “To succeed in decarbonising supply chain heat, businesses need to take a more holistic approach that starts with efficiency and then transitions to decarbonised fuels, ensuring the economics work. As part of this programme, businesses will have access to various financing solutions, including EU-based heat decarbonisation funds and off-balance-sheet financing partners.”

Financing remains a major barrier. Heat projects often struggle to secure investment because they deliver long-term rather than immediate returns. While site teams may identify aging boilers or upgrade opportunities, fragmented project scopes often fail to reach the scale needed to attract capital.

The Clean Heat Program addresses these challenges by combining robust data intelligence, deep technical expertise, and collaborative investment pathways. “It’s clear that a programme like this is the fastest and most effective way to decarbonise heat in our supply chain,” says Rob Williams, Senior Director of Sustainable Procurement at AstraZeneca. “We are long-term partners with Secaro and ERM, and now we’re expanding relationships with peers, buyers from other industries, and suppliers to plan, fund, and launch the projects that will make heat decarbonisation a reality. This level of collaboration is essential.”