Healthier planet

Advancing science for more sustainable solutions to reduce our impact on the environment.

Why it matters

We work to minimize waste and reduce our carbon footprint across our value chain, while investing in sustainable solutions that benefit healthcare providers, patients, employees and communities.

Our priorities

Confronting climate change

Guided by science, we are working to reduce emissions across our value chain to achieve our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Embedding product stewardship

We are dedicated to minimizing the environmental impact of our products throughout their entire life cycle — from design and sourcing to production, distribution and end of use.

Addressing water, waste and biodiversity

Across our sites, we implement sustainability initiatives and set goals to reduce waste and water usage, helping to create a healthier and more resilient ecosystem.

Our progress in 2024

100%

renewable electricity at key manufacturing and distribution sites¹

75%

of solid, non-hazardous waste recycled²

72%

real estate independently certified for energy efficiency³

Stories of impact

Boston Scientific Colombia team carbon neutral certification

Achieving carbon neutrality in Colombia

In Colombia, we are the first medical device company to receive carbon neutral certification for our operations. The certification is from ICONTEC, the country’s national standards organization.

Our distribution center in Kerkrade, the Netherlands, has achieved more than 90% renewable energy as of 2024.

Reducing our climate impact

We are advancing our 2030 carbon neutrality goal through a strategy focused on cutting energy use, converting to renewables and compensating for remaining emissions.

Learn more about our carbon neutrality goal

Our path to net zero

In 2022, Boston Scientific became the first in the Healthcare Equipment and Supplies sector to receive Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approval for our net-zero emissions target by 2050—covering scopes 1, 2 and 3.⁴ We’re committed to measurable progress and transparent reporting.

A triangle graphic shows the progress from the beginning of the Boston Scientific climate journey in 2017 into the future.

Key environmental sustainability initiatives

As of July 29, 2022, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved the Boston Scientific science-based net-zero target and near- and long-term emission reduction targets:

Overall Net-Zero Target

Boston Scientific Corporation aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the value chain by 2050 from a 2019 base year.

Near-Term Targets

Boston Scientific Corporation aims to reduce absolute scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions by 46.2% by 2030 from a 2019 base year. We also aim to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions from:

Purchased Goods & Services
Capital Goods
Fuel & Energy-Related Activities
Upstream transportation & Distribution
Business travel (by reducing GHG emissions by 55% per USD value added within the same timeframe)

Long-Term Targets

Boston Scientific Corporation aims to reduce scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 97% per USD value added, equivalent to 90% absolute reduction, by 2050 from a 2019 base year. We also aim to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions by 97% per USD value added within the same timeframe.

In 2017, we became one of the first medical device manufacturers to pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 in all of our manufacturing and key distribution sites. This steady progress has been driven by our Global Energy Management System and our C³strategy, which guides priorities and programs in the following areas:

Cut energy use – by investing in energy efficiency at our existing sites and new construction that meets the highest climate standards.
Convert – to renewable energy sources companywide instead of relying on fossil fuels.
Compensate – with carbon credits and offset projects for remaining unavoidable emissions.

Learn more about our C³ strategy

Our Global Packaging and Labeling Sustainability team uses data to evaluate sustainable packaging materials, guide and quantify packaging sustainability improvements and support sustainable suppliers.

Our strategy focuses on:

Reducing the amount of material in packaging
Redesigning packaging for sustainability and supply chain efficiency
Improving recyclability of all packaging and using recycled content where possible
Responsibly sourcing packaging materials in collaboration with suppliers
Monitoring regulatory developments and advocating for sustainable packaging requirements

We have set a goal to reduce our scope 3 GHG emissions by 55% per U.S. dollar (USD) value added by 2030.⁵ Collaborating with suppliers across our global supply chain is key to understanding and implementing sustainability initiatives that can have the most impact across our global supply chain.

We approach supplier engagement with a focus on the following:

Identify top 80%⁶ of suppliers by emissions
Sharing sustainability best practices and supporting target setting and progress tracking
Pursuing abatement and reduction levers and discussing hotspot opportunities

Explore more corporate responsibility resources

View our latest Performance Report

View our latest highlights

Includes renewable electricity generated onsite (e.g., solar) and purchased electricity matched with electricity attributed to renewable sources via energy attribute certificates (EACs) purchased through the open market, purchased through an energy provider, or associated with virtual Power Purchase Agreements.
Inclusive of key manufacturing and distribution sites only
Percentage of all Boston Scientific real estate (including commercial, leased and owned) that is independently certified for energy efficiency by industry leading bodies such as LEED for design and Energy Star or ISO 50001:2018 for building operations.
Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy. Scope 3 emissions are all indirect emissions (not included in scope 2) that occur in the value chain of the reporting company, including both upstream and downstream emissions.
Boston Scientific has a goal to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions intensity from Purchased Goods & Services, Capital Goods, Fuel & Energy-Related Activities, Upstream Transportation & Distribution, and Business Travel by 55% per USD value added by 2030 from a 2019 base year. Our GHG emissions intensity is calculated as units of carbon equivalent emitted per unit of gross profit.
We identified the 80% using a spend-based carbon methodology.

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