Reduce climate impact

The conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are clear: We must limit average global temperature rise to no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels to prevent millions of climate change-related deaths and avert severe health impacts on society. This is judged over a 20–30-year period, but 2024 was the first year to cross the threshold. As a healthcare company, we take responsibility for averting such impacts through our services and offerings.

Commitment to Science Based Targets initiative

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved our near-term (10-year) science-based CO₂ reduction targets at the close of 2024, and we now have company-wide emission reduction targets in line with climate science with the SBTi. We have established 2022 baselines for scopes 1, 2, and 3, and outlined CO₂ reduction pathways in accordance with the Paris Agreement. These pathways are designed to align with climate science, aiming to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

We believe that with transparent, clear, and comprehensive guidance on how we count our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, others in the sector can be encouraged to do the same. We want to support all within healthcare and emergency services who would like to be more ambitious on climate change – our customers, collaborators, and even our competitors.

To support this, we have published our 2022 baseline in a climate transparency report, which has received limited assurance under ISO 14064-1 by an independent institution.

Read the Climate Transparency Report here

Targets set for emissions

Scopes

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol accounts for carbon emissions by classifying them into three scopes.

• Scope 1 are direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. 
• Scope 2 are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling consumed by the reporting company. 
• Scope 3 includes all other indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain.