Boston Medical Center, Takeda Collaborating on GHG Reduction in Healthcare Sector
Takeda and Boston Medical Center have partnered to identify innovative solutions for reducing hard-to-abate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the health care sector caused due to disposal of regulated medical waste, such as pharmaceutical packaging and single-use plastics.
The attempt will look for increasing interventions developed through the collaboration by sharing best practices to help other organizations adopt and learn new ways to decarbonize in their operations to drive wider healthcare ecosystem impact.
“Our collaboration with Takeda aims to drive meaningful change by tackling environmental challenges that contribute to health disparities in many communities,” said Robert Biggio, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability & Real Estate Officer at Boston Medical Center Health System, in a statement. “This collaboration is a critical step in driving innovation in the medical supply chain that can be shared with other health care organizations for a healthier environment for all communities.”
As part of its ongoing energy efforts, BMC has leveraged a rooftop solar array to provide energy bill credit to eligible patients facing energy insecurity. The hospital has not only built two rooftop farms to supply fresh produce for the hospital's food pantry, patient meals and local community organizations, but also opened a net-zero behavioral health facility.
Moreover, BMC issued sustainability bonds with a $232 million bond sale for campus renovations to support patient care.
The three-year collaboration intends to identify, pilot and share valuable insights on decarbonization solutions for other healthcare organizations to adopt and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. This is expected to include engaging with other industry stakeholders, such as suppliers, waste vendors, and packaging providers to share and establish new best practices and practical applications.
As part of the collaboration, Boston Medical Center will conduct waste audits across key clinical areas to identify emission hotspots and pilot new technologies to reduce emissions from the disposal of regulated medical waste, including pharmaceutical packaging.
The partnership supports Takeda’s climate goal to reach net-zero GHG emissions in its operations by 2035 and across its value chain by 2040. In 2024, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated Takeda’s net zero GHG emission goals as being consistent with reductions required to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
