Thermo Fisher Scientific Launches Innovative Carbon Calculator to Drive Greener Clinical Trials

New tool helps sponsors measure, manage and minimize the environmental impact of research

WILMINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The PPD™ clinical research business of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, recently announced the launch of its innovative Clinical Trial Carbon Calculator, designed to help biopharmaceutical companies and research sponsors estimate, understand and reduce the environmental footprint of their clinical trials.

Clinical trials are essential to advancing medicine, but their environmental impact has long been overlooked. Research shows that a single large, Phase 3 clinical trial can generate up to 3,000 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent gases (mT CO₂e), roughly the same as the annual emissions of 176 Americans.¹ Multiplied across the industry, the carbon footprint of global clinical pipelines can rival that of entire nations, like the British Virgin Islands or Turks and Caicos.

“As an industry committed to improving human health, we also have a responsibility to protect the planet,” said Michael J. Cohen, senior director, environmental sustainability, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Our new Carbon Calculator gives sponsors the insights they need to make data-driven, sustainable choices in trial design, before the waste and fossil fuels are burned. Our goal is to help practitioners identify key areas where we can work together to decarbonize.”

Making sustainability measurable

The Carbon Calculator is an open access tool that provides an evidence-based framework for assessing emissions across every phase of a study—from investigational product manufacturing and patient travel to lab sample processing and site operations. By quantifying each activity’s contribution to total emissions, the tool helps users:

• Identify high-impact “carbon hotspots”
• Compare study designs for CO₂e efficiency
• Implement strategies to lower emissions without compromising quality or compliance

For example, decentralized or hybrid trial models -- such as those that leverage remote monitoring and virtual visits -- can significantly reduce emissions tied to travel and on-site activity.

A shared commitment to sustainable research

The initiative reflects the broader vision of the PPD clinical research business to advance sustainability across the clinical development ecosystem. Through collaboration with sponsors, vendors and investigative sites, the company aims to integrate environmental responsibility into every stage of study planning and execution.

“Sustainability in clinical development is a shared challenge that demands shared solutions,” said Cohen. “By helping our customers start to understand the material sources of their carbon impact, we’re equipping them with the information needed to make a change, ensuring the way we advance medicine also protects the world we live in.”

For more information about the Clinical Trial Carbon Calculator, visit https://carboncalculator.ppd.com/.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue over $40 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics or the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies, we are here to support them. Our global team delivers an unrivalled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD.

For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.

¹ Feng, K., Hubacek, K., & Song, K. (2021). Household carbon inequality in the U.S. Journal of Cleaner Production, 278, 123994. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123994