Walgreens cites vaccinations, carbon in sustainability report
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. is highlighting its work in health and vaccine equity, while also focusing on issues such as carbon reduction and recycling.
The global drugstore/healthcare giant has released its fiscal 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance 2021 (ESG) Report, which outlines the company’s efforts in its four corporate responsibility pillars – Healthy Communities, Healthy Planet, Healthy and Inclusive Workplace, and Sustainable Marketplace.
Fiscal 2021 ESG highlights
In its report, Walgreens details ESG initiatives made during fiscal 2021, including:
- Partnering with hundreds of community organizations on its Vaccine Equity Initiative to combat vaccine hesitancy and ensure immunizations reach communities that have issues with healthcare access.
Administering more than 34 million COVID-19 vaccinations in fiscal 2021, including more than 15 million doses in high-social vulnerability impact areas and more than 13.5 million COVID-19 vaccinations in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021.
- Launching the “Recycle@Boots” in-store recycling program through Boots UK and No7 Beauty Company to provide hard-to-recycle beauty, health and wellness items in more than 700 stores.
- Increasing the proportion of women in leadership roles globally by 2.3 percentage points.
- Donating more than 680,000 toiletries and essentials through its partnership with The Hygiene Bank, Boots U.K., and No7 Beauty Company.
- Launched a global supplier sustainability program for company-owned brands.
Six months into fiscal 2022, Walgreens says it is continuing its progress to reduce carbon emissions 30% by 2030 from a 2019 baseline. More than 1 million items have now been deposited in the Recycle@Boots in-store recycling program in the U.K. In addition, Walgreens has launched a pilot program with partner Vitamin Angels to provide free prenatal vitamins to expectant mothers in select Chicago stores.
“We have made much progress over the past year, solidifying our ongoing commitment to our four pillars,” said Ornella Barra, Walgreens Boots Alliance COO, international and chair of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility Committee. “At Walgreens Boots Alliance, we have cemented our role as a corporate leader, led by example with our health equity initiatives and diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and laid the groundwork for our part in creating a sustainable and livable planet for the generations who will come after us.”
“I am so encouraged by the remarkable and impactful progress we’ve made over the years,” said Richard Ellis, VP, corporate social responsibility, Walgreens Boots Alliance. “We will continue to move forward in an effort to reimagine healthcare for a new era while doing all we can to inspire more joyful lives through better health with our sustainability initiatives and healthcare commitments.”
Walgreens Boots Alliance is an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail provider with approximately 13,000 locations across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. The company operates in nine countries through its portfolio of consumer brands: Walgreens, Boots, Duane Reade, the No7 Beauty Company, Benavides in Mexico, and Ahumada in Chile. Additionally, Walgreens Boots Alliance has a portfolio of healthcare-focused investments located in several countries, including China and the U.S.