Climate
Thermo Fisher Scientific supports the urgent call to transition away from fossil fuels and accelerate the adoption of renewable electricity
At Thermo Fisher, we support the urgent calls from scientists across the globe for climate action.
Our net-zero strategy is centered around:
- Transitioning away from fossil fuels and high-impact refrigerants
- Accelerating the adoption of renewable electricity
- Engaging with our suppliers to amplify collective progress
Our climate strategy includes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets that align with the Paris Agreement, 1.5°C pathway and the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) Health Systems Task Force joint supplier standards.
Our climate targets guide our progress and assessments by relevant, third-party organizations provide independent review of our approach. In 2023, Thermo Fisher was among the first companies in our sector to have a net-zero target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative™ (SBTi).
Colleague training Empowered by our Practical Process Improvement (PPI) Business System to find a better way every day, our global colleagues are central to advancing our environmental progress. We provide training and resources to help them understand and advance their roles in the company’s net-zero strategy. Structured learning experiences and training modules are complemented by on-demand content for easily accessible, microlearning available to all colleagues.
Our targets
Scope 1 & 2
50% reduction in emissions by 2030 from 2018 base year1
Scope 2
80% renewable electricity globally by 2030
Scope 32
90% of suppliers (by spend) to set science-based targets by 2027
Net-Zero
Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 20503
Value-chain emissions
In 2025, our operations and value chain generated approximately 7.62 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) emissions. The largest sources of these emissions continue to be the goods and services we purchase, the transportation of goods to, between, and from our facilities, and the electricity consumed by our customers from the use of the equipment and instruments we manufacture.
Our value-chain emissions4
For a detailed description of our greenhouse gas accounting methodology, see our CDP Climate disclosure.
Scope 1 & 2
At the end of 2025, we remained ahead of schedule to achieve our 2030 target. Our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions were more than 13% lower than the prior year and 41% lower than our 2018 baseline.5
Scope 1 and 2 reduction in 2025
In 2025, Scope 1 and 2 emissions were influenced by factors, including increased renewable electricity matching from virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs), certificates and onsite generation as well as increased refrigerant-related emissions and changes to regional electricity emission factors.
In addition, 30 sites achieved fossil-fuel free status in 2025.6
Our progress to 20307
Net-zero capital governance
We have established clear criteria that help align investment decisions with our long-term climate goals. These criteria include incorporating GHG impacts into the capital request process, requiring an exception for any project that adds or extends fossil fuel consumption.
It also requires adoption of the Net-Zero Building Design Guide for all new building construction and major renovation projects to eliminate fossil fuels and high-impact refrigerants. Together, these requirements are supported by a carbon capital plan that guides the transition away from fossil fuel and high-impact refrigerant assets as equipment reaches end of life.
Electrification
Under our carbon capital plan, we are expanding electrification across our facilities to help reduce reliance on fossil fuels. For example, rather than replacing end-of-life natural gas HVAC units with the same technology, our net-zero capital plan prioritizes high-efficiency electric alternatives such as heat pumps, which can deliver three to four times more energy than they consume.
With targeted investments across our network in 2025, we completed 16 HVAC electrification projects and advanced an additional 24 decarbonization initiatives, including engineering studies, infrastructure upgrades, refrigerant conversions, thermal demand reduction and waste-heat recovery efforts.
Renewable electricity
Thermo Fisher remains ahead of schedule to achieve its 2030 target of 80% renewable electricity globally. In 2025, renewables accounted for 63% of our global electricity use, including electricity purchased from external suppliers and generated and used on-site.8
% electricity accounted for by renewables
renewable electricity in the United States, Canada and addressable regions in Europe
In early 2026, we achieved 100% renewable electricity in the United States, Canada and addressable regions in Europe. Additional renewable capacity also came online in 2026 from two new VPPA projects, a 200 MW (megawatt) 20-year VPPA in Texas and a 73 MW portion of a 10-year VPPA in Spain.
2025 progress
25,710 MWh
of renewable power generated by on-site solar and wind installations
22 MW
total installed on-site solar power, including 8.2 MW installed in 2025 across six facilities9
192 sites
globally powered with 100% renewable electricity, including most sites in China
351,545 MWh
renewable power from our share of Seven Cowboy Wind Project VPPA in Oklahoma
104,764 MWh
renewable power from our 91 MW share of Serbal solar project VPPA in Spain
Value chain collaborations
To advance our net-zero roadmap, we are proud to extend renewable electricity efforts beyond our own operations. Recognizing the substantial impact of Scope 3 emissions for most companies—including our customers—we have led the acceleration of decarbonization across the value chain by convening partners to aggregate renewable electricity demand through VPPAs. These collaborations include the aggregated 127 MW Serbal solar VPPA in Spain, completed in collaboration with Eurofins Scientific, and the aggregated 118 MW Lorca Solar VPPA in Spain, which came online in 2026, co-led with value chain partners Gilead Sciences, GSK and Haleon through the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries’ Energize initiative. Together, these projects reflect a decarbonization best practice and are designed to reduce Scope 2 emissions for participating organizations while also supporting Scope 3 emissions reductions across the value chain.
“We have taken a novel, value-chain-based approach in working with Thermo Fisher Scientific, as a supplier and partner, to reduce our Scope 2 emissions caused by electricity consumption. We look forward to this collaboration with Thermo Fisher, as we strive to contribute to global climate goals.”
Dr. Gilles G. Martin
Chief Executive Officer, Eurofins Scientific
Scope 3
In 2025, our Scope 3 emissions decreased 3% from the prior year and 31% compared to our 2021 baseline.
Scope 3 reduction in 2025
While upstream Scope 3 emissions—those allocated to customers for their purchase of our goods and services—increased 2% from the prior year, overall emissions decreased due, in part, to changes in business activity, improved supplier data, reduced non-renewable energy use, more targeted business travel, methodology updates and changes to emissions factors. Because Scope 3 emissions reflect activities beyond our direct operations, they can vary year to year. Still, our progress remains ahead of the pace needed to reach our 2050 net-zero goal.
As we reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions, Scope 3 represents an increasing share of our overall emission profile. To address this, we continue to focus on engaging with suppliers to accelerate our collective progress. This includes focused engagements and events like our Supplier Sustainability Summit, acquiring supplier-specific emission factors, collaborating on lower carbon materials and our target to have 90% of our suppliers, by spend,10 set science-based targets by 2027. At the end of 2025, 46% of our suppliers, by spend, had accomplished this, and an additional 13% committed to set a science-based target. Although progress toward the 90% threshold is constrained by current industry maturity, we continue to engage suppliers to improve readiness.
% suppliers with science-based targets
Scope 3 highlights
Purchased Goods
170 tCO₂e prevented through the use of over 50 tonnes of International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certified biobased plastics in 2025. These lower carbon plastics utilize the mass-balance approach to enable drop-in replacement for fossil-derived plastics without sacrificing performance or quality, supporting our customers’ efforts to decarbonize bioproduction and R&D activities.
Transportation
Over 16,000 tCO2e in well-to-wake emissions prevented by investing in sustainable aviation fuel for transportation of select goods since 2024, which releases up to 80% fewer emissions compared to traditional jet fuel.11
Waste
Over 1,100 tCO₂e prevented by diversion of drug manufacturing solvent waste from incineration to a recycling and reuse disposition, supporting our customer’s effort to decarbonize external manufacturing since 2024.
Commuting
641 electric vehicle charging stations are available to colleagues at over 60 sites as of the end of 2025. Several sites also offer subsidies for biking, public transit and shuttles.
AI and sustainability
Thermo Fisher considers the environmental implications of AI within our broader net-zero strategy, which is focused on transitioning away from fossil fuels and high-impact refrigerants while accelerating the adoption of renewable electricity. We also address AI’s upstream impacts by engaging our technology suppliers to collaborate on more sustainable solutions and establish their own climate targets. In 2025, our global IT expenditures—inclusive of AI—accounted for approximately 1% of our emissions from purchased goods and services. While this reflects a limited footprint today, we are taking steps to support sustainability across our technology value chain as AI adoption grows. By December 2025, more than 60% of our technology partners, by spend, had set or committed to science-based emission reduction targets.
Transitioning to primary data
Thermo Fisher continuously works to improve the quality of data used to calculate Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, guided by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’sTM principles. Over the past several years, we have enhanced our Scope 3 disclosures by transitioning multiple categories—including energy, transportation, waste, business travel and use of sold goods—from secondary estimates to primary data sources (information collected directly from our operations and supply chain). Read more »
Endnote:
- Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are a company’s operational greenhouse gas emissions, comprising direct emissions from sources it owns or controls (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from the generation of purchased or acquired electricity, steam, heating, or cooling consumed by the company (Scope 2). The exact Scope 1 and 2 target is 50.4% from a 2018 baseline. Our 2018 Scope 1 and 2 market baseline is 803,558 tCO2e.
- Scope 3 emissions are all other indirect emissions that occur in the company’s value chain, both upstream and downstream, that are not included in Scope 2.
- Requires at least 90% reduction against the base year (2018 for Scope 1 and 2, 2021 for Scope 3) with long-term removal of any residual emissions generated after the target date.
- Percentages may not add up due to rounding. See the data summary for all environmental data. Our Scope 1 and 2 emissions are represented by direct energy and refrigerants and indirect energy and are comprehensive of all leased and owned facilities and fleet. Our Scope 3 emissions cover purchased goods and services, capital goods, transportation and distribution, fuel- and energy-related activities, waste, commuting, business travel, use of products sold and end-of-life treatment.
- This figure may not match the one found in the Highlights section or the data summary due to rounding.
- Fossil-fuel free is defined by Thermo Fisher as greater than 99% of the energy consumed came from renewable sources.
- Progress reflected includes restated environmental data for the 2018 to 2024 reporting year(s) resulting from the following: operational data collection improvements, acquisitions, adjustments to energy attribute certificates allocation within the relevant electricity grid region and third-party emission factor updates.
- Includes renewable electricity where Thermo Fisher retains or contractually obtains the associated renewable attributes.
- The six facilities where on-site solar was installed are Ahmedabad, India; Erlanger, Germany; Heysham, United Kingdom; Pleasanton, California, United States; two sites in Suzhou, China.
- By spend - for the two indicators presented in this table, suppliers with science-based climate targets track progress toward our 2027 Scope 3 emissions target, while suppliers committed to set a science-based climate target represent the pipeline of suppliers that may support future progress.
- The reduction calculation is based on the well-to-wake life cycle. Well-to-wake means the direct and indirect GHG emissions occurring from the combustion of aviation fuel, as well as upstream GHG emissions related to extraction, refining, production and transportation.
Last updated: July 2026
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) 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 unrivaled 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
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