CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (July 5, 2022)—Royal Philips, a global provider of health technology, announced the company has joined an initiative created by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the White House, to address climate action through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Earlier this week at the White House, Philips along with other health sector organizations and administration leaders, participated in a roundtable discussion about work being done to combat climate change and other sustainable initiatives.
The U.S. health care system is responsible for approximately 8.5% of total U.S. carbon emissions, putting the onus on the industry to minimize future environmental damage. The voluntary pledge signees are asked to commit to: (1) reducing their organization’s emissions (by 50% by 2030 and to net zero by 2050) and publicly reporting on their progress; (2) completing an inventory of Scope 3 (supply chain) emissions; and (3) developing climate resilience plans for their facilities and communities. It also asks them to designate an executive lead for this work.
“A healthy environment is vital for healthy human lives, making this a critical initiative,” said Robert Metzke, global head of sustainability for Philips. “At Philips, our purpose is to improve 2.5 billion lives a year by 2030 through meaningful innovation. We have been addressing climate change for many years, teaming up with our partners including our customers and suppliers. We applaud this new HHS/White House initiative and are confident that this pledge will inspire others to commit to take action against this significant threat.”
Philips became carbon neutral in its operations at the end of 2020 and has remained so since then. The company became one of the first health technology organizations to have its emission reduction targets approved by the Science Based Target initiative in 2018. Philips extended its ambitious action to combat climate change to its supply chain, aiming to have at least 50% of its supplier committing to science-based targets for CO₂ emission reduction by 2025. The company has embedded sustainable efforts across its business, generating 16% of revenue from circular products, services and solutions, including new business model innovation and digitalization.
Philips has been recognized for its environmental accomplishments, noted as a leading company in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices as well as Wall Street Journal’s 100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies in the World.
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