Healthy people need a healthy planet
Mission-led sustainability
There's an inextricable link between the health of the planet and the health of people. Healthy people need a healthy planet.
That's why we've created a sustainability strategy focused on building a healthy future for both people and planet. We will do this through three missions. Firstly by reducing the impact of healthcare, secondly by helping accelerate the adoption of sustainable healthcare that also keeps people healthy, and thirdly by helping regenerate the health of our planet in ways that makes people healthier too.
Reducing our impactMission Zero
The healthcare industry must reduce its environmental impact while starting to protect and regenerate the planet.
Delivering a healthy future
By 2040, we aim to be a net zero business that delivers a healthy future for people and planet. We will be reducing our own environmental impact and we’ll support others to do the same.
We’ll be transforming our products and services that support our customers' health and delivering healthcare sustainably.
We’ll also champion circularity – including work on reducing waste and increasing re-use of materials.
As we do this, we’ll always keep our focus on the health and wellbeing of our customers
Bupa's commitment to climate action began in 2014 when we established an investment fund to reduce our carbon footprint.
Renewable energy
Our largest markets are already mainly powered with renewable energy. In Spain and New Zealand, 100% of electricity comes from renewable energy, over 90% in the UK and over 70% in Chile. In February 2022, we started the supply of renewable electricity to all our Australian aged care homes and corporate offices. This will ensure 100% green energy for all our directly controlled Australian sites over the next five years. Our energy supply in Australia is now sourced from wind and solar hydro assets. This move will save over 25,000 tonnes of CO2e from the atmosphere each year, the equivalent of taking over 5,500 cars off the road annually.
Sustainable buildings
Bupa's Spanish and UK headquarters are already certified for being sustainable, and we aim to achieve this with more offices across the world.
By digitalising health services and adopting new digital technologies, we can accelerate progress towards achieving our own sustainability goals.
Digitalisation of health treatments
Delivering services through telehealth solutions has the potential to reduce emissions for patients from patient travel, buildings and equipment power. In Bupa's Spanish business we're making our patients part of our digital sustainability journey with Blua, our digital health app. The CO2 calculator in the app informs customers of the carbon emissions they’ve avoided by not travelling for a face-to-face appointment.
Reducing technology emissions
We're reducing the carbon emissions of our technology operations by using public cloud services and adopting digital technologies that reduce the carbon footprint of our business processes. Our priority is to deliver technology's share of carbon reduction across all areas and speed up our path to net zero through digitalisation. Our key performance indicators for reducing technology emissions in 2022 are:
– 90% of our systems on flexible cloud platforms
– 60% of technology spend with suppliers aligned to Bupa's net zero ambition
– 100% of Bupa's leaders participate in our data skills programme with sustainability education
Sustainable investments
Helping to reduce emissions through Responsible investment is an essential part of our sustainability strategy.
We're already preventing investment in carbon intensive sectors like coal and tar sands.
And we're increasing investment in companies which are aligned with the 1.5°C global warming target and involved in climate solutions – such as renewable energy and electric vehicles.
We're developing strategies to ensure our suppliers and other partners including healthcare providers are also committing to reducing their own emissions.
We're embedding sustainability into our procurement lifecycle to ensure that we address this challenge across the whole journey – from initial compliance checks through to monitoring the sustainability progress of our suppliers.
Innovating in our industry and beyondMission Accelerate
This is how we’ll get there. It’s how we’re disrupting, collaborating, and driving change.
Driving sustainable healthcare
Working together to accelerate change.
The Climate and Health Coalition
In 2022 we launched the Climate and Health Coalition alongside Forum for the Future and leading healthcare businesses Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Bupa, Haleon, Reckitt and Walgreens Boots Alliance.
The objective of this multi-stakeholder initiative is to mobilise the private sector to transform our health and climate systems.
This involves developing more detailed guidance for private sector action to deliver integrated climate and health strategies. These will:
- create recommendations for government, investors and philanthropy to support private sector action
- foster alignment and connection between existing private sector initiatives
- identify gaps in research and understanding
- demonstrate and evidence the links between climate change and health
The Coalition also raises awareness and understanding of this at key forums such as Climate Week and COP.
Sustainable Healthcare Coalition
As a member of the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, we are also collaborating with public and private healthcare organisations to drive sustainable healthcare and business transformation.
We are committed to being both and advocate for change, and an enabler. We’ll do this by funding and applying research into the links between healthcare and our planet’s health.
Helping healthcare professionals support sustainability
Healthcare professionals are some of the most trusted and respected members of society, and are perfectly placed to inspire and demand the changes we need for a healthier planet and healthier people.
Practical guidance on driving sustainability action
We’ve developed a series of resources to inspire healthcare professionals and raise awareness of sustainable healthcare solutions, including five toolkits offering practical guidance on reducing the environmental impact of care in areas such as medicines, consultations, food, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Showcasing how bright ideas, disruption and collaboration really can deliver game changing solutions.
eco-Disruptive Challenge – rewarding innovation
In 2022, we launched the second edition of eco-Disruptive – our global talent and innovation programme that partners with eco start-ups to find solutions to sustainability challenges.
The competition provides the entrepreneurs who are already creating a healthier future for people and planet alike, a platform to showcase their innovations.
The start-up finalists receive a mix of financial support, marketing expertise and networking opportunities with the winner receiving £200,000 (or local currency equivalent).
Restoring the natural environmentMission Regenerate
Protecting against climate change and biodiversity loss in Australia
The Bupa Health Foundation in Australia, has joined forces with Conservation Volunteers Australia to establish the Healthy Planet, Healthy People initiative.
The initiative will help activate a nationwide community of Nature Stewards focused on protecting our environment against climate change and biodiversity loss.
Planting over 10,000 trees in New Zealand
The Foundation also expanded its work to support activities in New Zealand with its first flagship project teaming up with Trees That Count.
The project plans to create three ‘legacy forests’ in 2022 by planting more than 10,000 native trees in Hamilton, Napier and Christchurch.
Promoting sustainable healthcare in Hong Kong
In April 2022, Bupa Hong Kong signed a five-year strategic partnership with environmental charity The Green Earth to promote a sustainable environment in Hong Kong.
One of the initiatives focuses on enhancing biodiversity in Hong Kong by replacing 1,000 decaying trees with a local species across 10,000 square metres of land.
We've also co-developed an ebook, One Health: Taking care of ourselves and the Earth through the partnership.
In May 2022, our Bupa teams in Europe and Latin America launched the 7th edition of Healthy Cities. This initiative encourages people to get more active to protect their health and their environment.
For everyone who reached this goal, we planted a tree, helping to rebuild urban environments to improve the health of people.
Across our Bupa Global and UK businesses, we launched a campaign to donate #1MillionMinutes of time to health, community, and planet during May 2022. Our people took part in activities from team walks and litter picks, to gym sessions, meditation, community volunteering, and walking instead of using the car. More than one million minutes (17,000+ hours) of activity was logged and, as a result, we unlocked £250,000 for Trees for Cities and UNICEF UK.