Planetary health may not be what immediately comes to mind when you think of Aspirin, but they’re more connected than you might realize.
Bayer AG has initiated several “100 million challenges,” including its recent investment in sustainable health products to advance the company’s 2030 sustainability commitments. They’re pouring €100 million to further enable sustainable innovation, production, and consumption of Consumer Health products including global brands such as Aspirin, Bepanthen, Claritin, and Elevit.
We’ll get to the packaging details shortly. But first, it’s important to see the connection between human health and the environment. “When you think about the environment and climate issues, we're talking about the environment as a social determinant of health,” says Daniella Foster, Global Vice President and Head of Public Affairs, Science, and Sustainability for Bayer’s Consumer Health division. “Reflecting on the past 20 years, we know that climate change has been a cause behind a growing number of health concerns, and we also know that underserved populations are particularly vulnerable.”
The company is setting out to tackle the inclusive growth challenge and environmental challenge together, looking to protect people's health in both the short- and long-term, while also reaching science-based targets.
Bayer’s plan includes (1) prioritizing sustainable brands, products, and packaging, (2) urging collective industry action, and (3) targeting carbon emissions, including net zero by 2050.
One of the concepts that attracted Foster to Bayer is that they no longer separate business strategy and sustainability strategy. “They’re integrated and we bake sustainability into our business and how we think about our value chain,” she says. “The renumeration of our Board of Management is tied to our sustainability strategy and progress. So, it’s a core part of how we operate. We also have an external sustainability council that reviews our plans and progress, and they pressure test us.”
Continue to the full article here: Bayer Emphasizes Human Health and Environment with +100 Mil Investment and More
