Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in healthcare account for approximately 8.5 percent of the nation’s overall emissions. As many of the communities BMC serves are in areas disproportionately affected by climate change, these emissions pose a significant health and safety threats for our patients. The large majority of the healthcare sector’s GHG emissions are generated by the supply chain, including production, transport, and disposal of medications and healthcare products, but few solutions currently address these hard-to-abate emissions. To identify innovative solutions aimed at reducing supply chain GHG emissions in the healthcare sector, Takeda and Boston Medical Center have entered a first-of-its-kind collaboration.
Taking on the Challenge
Takeda and BMC recognize that achieving meaningful reductions in supply chain emissions requires cross-sector collaboration. As a pharmaceutical supplier to BMC, Takeda contributes to upstream emissions within BMC's supply chain; conversely, as an end-user and dispenser of pharmaceutical products, BMC influences Takeda's downstream emissions through its waste management procedures.
While momentum to decarbonize the healthcare supply chain continues to grow, significant hotspots remain in areas where low-carbon alternatives are unavailable or where existing solutions face barriers of scale and feasibility. This collaboration was established to jointly identify, design, and implement solutions in these hard-to-abate areas.
Our work together includes three phases:
- Year 1: Undertake comprehensive waste audits to identify emissions hot spots
- Year 2: Develop solutions to address hot spots and reduce waste
- Year 3: Pilot innovative interventions to reduce waste
Year 1: Waste Audit Results
A year-one report details the results of our waste audits, which we will leverage to develop data-driven solutions to emissions hotspots and invite others to join BMC and Takeda in advancing this work. To support broader replication, BMC has developed a how-to guide for other health systems on conducting pharmacy waste audits.
Only through collaboration at scale can we achieve meaningful reductions in supply chain emissions. If your organization would like to learn more, please reach out to us at scope3solutions@bmc.org.