Mar 17, 2021 - Reading time 3-5 minutes
When asked which sector we see as the main contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, most of us tend to reply, ‘air travel’, or ‘the energy industry’. Not many people realize that the world’s healthcare systems account for over 4% of global CO₂ emissions. That’s more than the aviation or shipping sectors!
Having achieved our 2020 ‘Healthy people, Sustainable planet’ targets, we continue to forge ahead, setting challenging goals to counter the effects of climate change. So that future generations inherit a healthier planet.
We are committed to reducing CO₂ emissions in line with a 1.5 °C global warming scenario, throughout our value chain. We are not doing this in isolation. Health leaders recognize the health implications of climate change and the importance of sustainability to achieve health objectives. That’s why more and more of our customers are applying green public procurement criteria when buying medical equipment.
We are teaming up with our customers and suppliers to devise solutions to problems across the healthcare sector. Solutions that improve people’s health and well-being while respecting the planet. For instance, by rethinking business models, driving the adoption of circular practices, and applying EcoDesign principles to all our products.
We believe that, by working together, we can reduce our joint carbon footprint and create a sustainable and more resilient healthcare industry.