Natural Physical Environment: Sustainability IssuesClimate change has a multifaceted effect on the pharmaceutical industry and Pfizer is no exception. For example, climate change affects microbial populations and their distribution. Global warming is melting polar ice caps and causing sea levels to rise. This produces a warmer, more humid environment, which is a hospitable environment for pathogens to grow. Add floods, droughts, and food and water shortages to the mix, and the likelihood of disease outbreaks increases dramatically. Therefore, when climate change causes the spread of diseases, people and pets living in these affected regions need vaccines and medicines produced by companies like Pfizer to recover and maintain their health. Being unpredictable, climate change presents a current and future threat. However, humanity's dependence on vaccines and medicines to cure and treat diseases ensures Pfizer's long-term growth and stability. The shortage of fresh water poses a threat to the pharmaceutical industry. Floods contaminate freshwater supplies with contaminants from runoff. Pfizer relies on significant supplies of fresh water in its manufacturing processes. Unfortunately, fresh water supplies are also indirectly contaminated by the pharmaceutical industry. When medications and vaccines expire, hospitals and patients dispose of them by throwing them down the drain. This contaminated wastewater is then dumped into lakes and rivers. This pollution contaminates aquifers and threatens fresh water supplies. The opportunities for new vaccines and drugs are exponential. Climate change, sea level rise and resulting flooding, and waterborne pathogens are contributing to increasing paper consumption for prescription drugs and we want more treatment options. the part of Pfizer. Pfizer also has several drugs in its pipeline that show great potential. Drugs like bapineuzumab, crizotinib, and apixaban are used to treat Alzheimer's disease, lung cancer, and heart disease. These three drugs have enormous potential for future growth (Motley Fool, 2010). Summary of External Factors Competition from industry competitors is the most important external factor for Pfizer at present and will continue to be so in the future as well. As developing markets like China continue to grow, the health of their citizens will continue to become a major concern. Therefore, this population will require more specialized medications and treatments to cure their ailments. The pharmaceutical company that can meet these consumer demands will gain market share and outperform competitors..