Philips recently announced that it had joined an initiative created by the Department of Health and Human Services to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In partnership with the White House, Philips and other health sector organizations and administration leaders participated in a roundtable discussion about work that is being done to combat climate change, as well as other sustainable initiatives.

“A healthy environment is vital for healthy human lives, making this a critical initiative,” Robert Metzke, global head of sustainability at Philips, said in a news release. “At Philips, our purpose is to improve 2.5 billion lives a year by 2030 through meaningful innovation. We have been addressing climate change for many years, teaming up with our partners including our customers and suppliers. We applaud this new HHS/White House initiative and are confident that this pledge will inspire others to commit to take action against this significant threat.”

The U.S. healthcare system is responsible for approximately 8.5% of total U.S. carbon emissions, according to the company. Voluntary pledge signees on the initiative are asked to commit to reducing their organizations’ emissions by 50% by 2030 and to net-zero by 2050 and publicly report on their progress. They are also asked to complete an inventory of supply chain emissions and develop climate resilience plans for their facilities and communities.

Philips became carbon neutral in its operations at the end of 2020 and has since remained so. The company said it was one of the first health technology organizations to have its emission reduction targets approved by the Science-Based Target initiative in 2018.

The company is extending its action to combat climate change to its supply chain with the goal to have at least 50% of its supplier committing to science-based targets for CO₂ reduction by 2025.