At BD, every decision we make and action we take is driven by our Purpose of advancing the world of health. For the last 125+ years, we’ve been working to help make the world a healthier, more equitable place and we take great pride in the role we’ve played throughout our history to serve healthcare workers and their patients.

Together We Advance, our corporate sustainability strategy, enables us to unlock new opportunities for growth and value creation by identifying and mitigating the right risks, and threading sustainability goals into our core business strategy. ­

We are proud to share a report of our impact and progress made toward the goals and commitments we set for 2030+ to advance the health of our company, planet, communities and people.

"Our work touches billions of people in nearly every country in the world, and our growth and size result from one thing – trust. Trust, excellence, collaboration – these are the bedrock for our approach to sustainability and responsibility."
- Tom Polen, Chairman, CEO and President of BD

Here’s what we are most excited about:

We surpassed our Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG Emissions Reduction Targets for FY 2023

• In FY 2023, we reported an 18% reduction of Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions (from a 2019 baseline), which is 5 percent points more than our target of 13% for the year.
• We doubled the number of sites that are now using Green Electric Power and on-site renewables (solar power) since FY 2019.
• We surpassed our 2030 mid-point target on water and energy use efficiency nearly two years ahead of plan.

Earlier this year, we received approval for our near and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets¹ from the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).

• We are committed to reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 90% by 2050 (from a 2019 baseline); and Scope 3 emissions 97% per unit of product sold by 2050 (from a 2021 baseline).
• The SBTi also verified our net-zero science-based target by 2050.
• This approval affirms that our targets conform with the SBTi Corporate Net Zero Standard – the world’s only framework for corporate net-zero target setting in line with climate science and consistent with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. 

This past year, we signed the White House U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Climate Pledge, at which point we increased our Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for 2030 – from 46% to 50% (from a 2019 baseline).

We also support the Collective Healthcare Action to Reduce MedTech Emissions (CHARME) collaboration as a founding participant and executive committee member, which will work to implement a 24-month decarbonization roadmap based on a white paper that was published in May 2023 with input from over 30 organizations. BD was one of three supplier advisors in developing the white paper.

Validation from the SBTi, along with progress made toward our 2030+ climate goals, shows that we are playing active role in reducing emissions across our value chain and helping address the climate footprint of the healthcare industry, which is equivalent to nearly 5% of global net emissions².

We’re piloting new ways to reduce waste.

We know that GHG emissions from disposal of our products at their end of life represent a significant portion of our overall footprint. We launched a Design for Sustainability Framework (rethink, reduce, reuse, replace and recycle) to help reduce waste. By selecting alternative materials and using smart design to help lower emissions during distribution, storage and/or use, designing our products with circularity in mind will keep materials in use for longer, helping to conserve resources and reduce emissions.

We’ve engaged partners in the U.S., Brazil, Denmark, New Zealand and Australia to advance circularity in our operations. In the U.S., we were a leading partner in an industry-first pilot recycling 40,000 pounds of used medical devices from red box sharps containers (needles, syringes, pipettes, glass slides, sharp instruments, other single-use sharps).

We’re supporting our suppliers’ environmental journey.

"We applaud BD's commitment to sustainability including the establishment of SBTi targets and are pleased to see their program aligning with our own values at DHL. By prioritizing sustainability, responsibility and adaptability in their supply chain, BD is taking significant steps towards reducing their environmental impact. We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate further to enhance the sustainability of their operations and contribute to a greener future together."
- Jonathan Spearing, Director of Sustainability, DHL CSI Americas

Our top 500 suppliers represent 80% of our emissions related to purchased goods and services emissions. If these suppliers set their own science-based targets, they would help BD reduce emissions and make progress toward our own targets. And - if their suppliers do the same – the impact could be substantial.

We launched a new program for our suppliers called the Supplier Climate Action to support suppliers in their work to complete annual emissions measurements, target setting and accountability. As part of our effort to help address the global climate footprint of the healthcare industry, we have committed that 75% of our suppliers and customers by emissions would have science-based targets by 2028.

We’re committed to making healthcare accessible for the underserved.

In FY 2023, more than 30 million cervical and breast cancer screenings and diagnoses were enabled by BD technology. Leveraging our portfolio and expertise in this area, we established new partnerships with the Ministry of Health in Kenya and public-private sectors in Columbia and the U.S. to help advance access to breast and cervical cancer screening, prevention and treatment. And, in BD communities around the world, we realigned corporate giving to our health equity strategy in order to help ensure that the majority (more than 75%) of our social investments are strengthening under-resourced health systems and serving those who need it most.