Five ways Boston Scientific worked to create a healthier, more equitable world in 2022

Apr 17, 2023
VP, ESG, Boston Scientific
Kathryn Unger, VP,  ESG, Boston Scientific
Kathryn Unger, vice president, ESG, Boston Scientific

At Boston Scientific, our purpose is advancing science for life.

As a global medical technology leader for more than 40 years, we provide a broad range of high-performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of health care.

But we know our work in health care also comes with a responsibility to create positive change in the world around us. This commitment is central to the success and sustainability of our business. It requires environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices that reflect our values and make a difference in measurable ways.

Our just-released 2022 Performance Report demonstrates how our more than 45,000 employees around the world continued to work and make progress on our collective goal to create a brighter and healthier future for patients, communities and our planet last year.

I am proud to be leading this effort for a global business where employees at every level are committed to our ESG priorities. Here are just a few highlights of our accomplishments from 2022.

Innovating to meet new patient needs

Our best inventions come from the diverse perspectives of our people as they advance science to uncover potential solutions for unmet health needs and then implement rigorous research and development (R&D) that prioritizes quality.

How we did in 2022:

  • 33+ million patients served.
  • $1.3+ billion invested in R&D1.
  • 80 active clinical trials with 17,000+ people enrolled globally.

Fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace

We continued to make progress against our objectives aimed at increasing opportunities for representation of women globally and multicultural talent in the U.S., including Puerto Rico.

How we did in 2022:

  • 42.6% global representation of women at the supervisor and manager level, against a 43% goal.
  • 22.6% representation of multicultural talent at the supervisor and manager level in the U.S., including Puerto Rico, against a 23% goal.

While I am encouraged that we made strong progress, we fell just short of our goal. Transparent reporting helps to keep us accountable for our actions and focused on the work we need to do next to continue to make steady progress in this area.

Increasing diversity in medical research

Our longstanding work to increase clinical trial diversity includes the ELEGANCE patient registry and post-market study for patients diagnosed with peripheral artery disease (PAD), which disproportionately affects Black people.  

How we’ve done through 2022:

  • 43% of people enrolled in ELEGANCE were women, against a goal of 40%+.
  • 47% of people enrolled in ELEGANCE were underrepresented minorities, against a goal of 40%+.

Reducing our environmental impact

In 2021, Boston Scientific committed to setting science-based targets for reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across our entire value chain by 2050.

How we did in 2022:

  • Our targets for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 were approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), making us one of the first in our sector to gain this approval.
  • We achieved 76% renewable electricity2, 3 and remained on track for carbon neutrality (scopes 1 and 2)4 in all our manufacturing and key distribution sites by 2030.
  • 71% of our non-hazardous waste2 was recycled.

Keeping our supply chain resilient and reliable

To ensure we are able to deliver for the patients who rely on our life-changing technology, our global supply chain organization is supported by an agile network adept at continuously responding to changing market conditions.

How we did in 2022:

  • ~37 million products delivered.
  • 21,000+ supply chain team members worldwide.
  • $340+ million spent on small and diverse suppliers.

There is so much more work to do together with our stakeholders to achieve our ESG targets and advance our collective efforts to contribute to a healthier planet. With a strong tradition of employees taking ownership throughout the company, I see us achieving new levels of progress year after year, always working together to deliver more impact.

 

Learn more about how Boston Scientific is advancing science for life through our ESG strategy.

 

1 Represents GAAP R&D expense per 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

2 Inclusive of all manufacturing and key distribution sites only.

3 Purchased electricity matched with electricity from renewable sources.

4 Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. Scope 2 emissions

are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy.

 

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