In recognition of Earth Day today, Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), announced it is reinforcing its commitment to Advancing the world of health by affirming the first phase of its 2030+ sustainability goals – climate change targets.
Tom Polen, CEO and president, BD, said, "BD's pledge to be carbon neutral by 2040 across direct operations is consistent with our long-standing global health leadership. BD recognizes the significant impact climate change could have on our operations, our supply chain and, most urgently, on human health. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that global warming must not exceed 1.5°C to avoid the catastrophic impacts of climate change. Therefore, setting ambitious emission reduction targets based on science is an important part of our overall strategy to manage and mitigate the impacts of climate change."
BD's climate change targets are aimed at reducing its contribution to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from direct operations. BD is committing to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 46% by 2030 (from its 2019 baseline) and to be carbon neutral across its direct operations by 2040. This science-based target is aligned with the 1.5°C global emissions reduction pathway. In addition, BD continues to work with supply chain partners to quantify and reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions.
These new climate targets build upon BD's long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship. To date, the company has achieved a 48% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions (on an absolute basis) from its baseline year of 2008, as part of its previous set of sustainability goals. Earlier this year, BD became one of more than 1,000 organizations that support the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
