Month: August 2023

Originally published by TriplePundit

As Earth’s temperatures continue to rise, it has become evident that protecting the planet will require global cooperation and direct action across every single industry. The healthcare industry is no exception. Indeed, the connection between environmental health and human health underscores the importance of the medical community’s role in reaching net zero carbon emissions.

The healthcare sector contributes an estimated 4.5 percent of global emissions. Some of these greenhouse gases are produced from healthcare facilities; others are the result of the industry’s supply chain of goods and services. Yet when it comes to climate change, the healthcare industry must go beyond focusing on treating the health conditions resulting from environmental degradation — and increasingly, we’re seeing industry starting to shift toward helping to prevent those health conditions by addressing climate change itself.

Boston Scientific is among those medical technology companies working to reduce emissions. Our ambitious effort will involve reevaluating every aspect of business and making changes to support achieving net-zero emissions along the company’s entire value chain. This work represents a considerable challenge, and one whose time has come.

“Climate change will affect almost every human disease in some way,” says Dr. Kenneth Stein, chief medical officer. “For those of us in the healthcare industry, who are dedicated to improving health and patient outcomes, that’s a worrisome thought. But we can apply our considerable innovative skills toward becoming part of the solution.”

Fortunately, we have a couple of important factors working in our favor. They are ingredients which, I would suggest, every company needs to succeed in meeting its ESG goals: A thoughtful, realistic, and science-based sustainability plan in development, along with full-throated support for our initiative at every level of our organization.

Making the business case for sustainability in healthcare

Within the medtech sector, some sustainability changes involve tracing products back through the supply chain to reimagine the way those products are sourced, manufactured, packaged and shipped. Doing so is a significant undertaking – so much so, that if an organization doesn’t have a clear understanding that its sustainability goals are in line with a clear mission to improve health outcomes, it might shy away from the challenge.

Paudie O’Connor, senior vice president in charge of Boston Scientific global supply chain, points out that for that reason, it’s important to dispel myths that there is tension between the two goals. “There is no reason why we can’t further healthcare to help decrease the plight of human suffering, and work to improve the environment at the same time,” he told me.

In fact, Boston Scientific was the first medical device company to commit to carbon neutrality within its manufacturing network, as well as to receive approval for its net zero target by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), an international organization that provides clear guidance for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with the latest climate science.

Already, we’ve made progress toward carbon neutrality goals by shifting our electricity sources in the U.S. and Europe to 100% renewable electricity – contributing to 76% renewable electricity across our global manufacturing and key distribution sites – putting us on track for 100% renewable electricity worldwide by 2024 in our manufacturing and key distribution sites. All are important milestones on the path to achieving the company’s net zero emissions target across the entire value chain by 2050.

However, some sustainability goals are more complicated. For instance, physicians and patients need medical products that are sterile, safe and reliable – and those standards are highly regulated. Now, teams must consider the environmental footprint of products at every life cycle stage, from design, sourcing, production and distribution to waste disposal and recycling.

“We spend a great deal of time thinking about how we can structure our supply chain to support growth and environmental sustainability,” O’Connor says. “For example, thinking of ways to reduce packaging, digitize instructions for use, target sterilization practices and use strategic modes of distribution.”

Shipping is a good example. Medical device manufacturers have long shipped products to their destinations by air as a matter of convenience and, importantly, speed, so that devices are always available for patients who require immediate intervention. “Our supply chain has a purpose statement: ‘delivering for patients,’” says O’Connor. “Getting high-quality products to patients when they need them.”

Rail and maritime transport are far more carbon-efficient than air transport, but take longer; for example, a product that takes four days to get from Costa Rica to Boston by air may take 14 days by boat and rail. Thus, in switching to moving products by land or sea to key distribution hubs, a company must carefully reexamine the timetables by which products are sent and adjust them accordingly. Mapping out such thoughtful, deliberate changes can result in meaningful carbon reduction, making the effort well worthwhile.

Tackling environmental challenges for better health

This is one of the biggest challenges that the global population has faced, let alone the healthcare industry. But by viewing environmental sustainability as a step toward improving human health, the goals of both the medical community and those of global supply chain teams can come together as one. I believe that such a holistic view is precisely the way to frame the important sustainability work ahead of the healthcare industry. Dr. Stein agrees: “To reduce healthcare disparities, we can’t ignore how environmental and climate changes will affect health, especially for society’s most vulnerable.”

There is so much more work to do to continue to advance our collective efforts to contribute to a healthier planet. Regulations are increasing and evolving. Customer expectations are evolving. Science is constantly evolving and changing the things that we can accomplish for our customers and patients. But the industry is making meaningful changes — and by holding ourselves and each other accountable, we can accelerate progress and achieve more together.

This article series is sponsored by Boston Scientific and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team.

Image courtesy of Boston Scientific

Originally published on the IBM Blog

CRM Connect, championed by TNC – The Nature Conservancy Centre (TNCC), India, offers valuable intelligence to farmers, agriculture sector leaders, and decision makers. Over 1,000 farmers are using this technology solution to eliminate crop residue burning, and by 2024, the teams are aiming to engage with 12,000 farmers.

Promoting sustainable agriculture in India

In North India, not too far from the Himalayas, is Punjab. With an area of only 1.5% of total land in the country, Punjab is known as the “breadbasket” of India. According to recent studies, the rich soil in this state has contributed in the past about 40% of India’s wheat and 30% of its rice. With the surplus productivity in these two crops compared to other places in the world, Punjab has positioned itself as a major contributor of crops on a global scale.

However, at the end of each harvest, farmers in North India often resort to burning crop residue. This practice refers to the process of burning the leftover plant material after the main harvest, such as straw, stubble, and other agricultural residues in fields. The residue burning is mostly prevalent during the paddy harvest and subsequent sowing of wheat, which takes place in October and November. Farmers use this option as a quick and inexpensive way to clear the fields and prepare them for the next planting season. However, this process results in air pollution and soil degradation which have major consequences for public health and the environment. Burning crop residue is easy but in many ways damaging as it impacts both millions of people and acres of farmland.

Many farmers in North India want to change this practice and government officials, communities and organizations are looking to support them. What has been missing so far? Data and technology, two critical elements that can bring all of them together to achieve this goal.

In the pursuit of long-lasting solutions, TNCC has partnered with IBM to leverage the necessary technology and data resources. Together, they are trying to address this challenge with the aim of fostering agricultural sustainability and reducing the impact of climate change on communities. By leveraging advanced data analytics and accessible mobile technology, TNCC is leading the charge in transforming sustainable agriculture practices and protecting vulnerable populations from the effects of pollution and climate change.

Watch: Transforming sustainable agriculture: The Nature Conservancy Centre and IBM unite to reduce crop residue burning in North India

Introducing CRM Connect: A catalyst for change

Recognizing the urgent need to transition from crop residue burning to crop residue management (CRM), TNCC partnered with IBM through the IBM Sustainability Accelerator to develop CRM Connect—a powerful public information platform. Built by IBM developers and tapping into the climate analytics expertise of IBM Consulting’s sustainability, climate and weather analytics expertise, CRM Connect serves as a tool to promote regenerative farming practices in India through the use of demographic insights, agricultural activity tracking, and resource mapping. Overall, CRM Connect improves agricultural sustainability and mitigates harm to the region’s air and soil quality.

The CRM Connect dashboard offers valuable intelligence to sector practitioners, government officials, and policy makers—analyzing data from various sources including weather patterns, soil conditions, and demographic information. CRM Connect fills the insights gap for transitioning to sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices.

“This solution has the potential to create maximum impact. Using technology, we have been able to analyze data sets that let us identify 2,500 villages (out of over 18,000 villages across Punjab and Haryana) that concentrate 70% of the total fire events that came from paddy residue burning over the last 4-5 years,” explains Manoj Singh, Lead for Regenerative Agriculture at TNCC. “These types of valuable insights allow decision makers to focus resources where you can make a greater impact.”

On the other hand, the platform also creates a network through the CRM Connect web portal, facilitating collaboration among farmers. Through this application, farmers can connect, share information, find CRM service providers for their operations, and offer support, overall fostering a sense of community and empowerment.

Empowering farmers and cultivating change

Following this two-sided approach of sharing demographic insights with policymakers and information with farmers, TNCC’s collaboration with IBM via the CRM Connect platform has the potential to empower stakeholders in India to adopt more sustainable agriculture practices. By providing critical information and fostering connections, TNCC is playing a pivotal role in shifting mindsets and inspiring positive change within communities. Thousands of farmers have eagerly embraced this opportunity, demonstrating their commitment to sustainable agriculture and a desire for a healthier, more resilient future.

“Today, over 1,000 farmers are using the web portal covering approximately 2,200 hectares of land. And by the end of this year, the platform aims to engage 12,000 famers, thus impacting over 25,000 hectares,” says Premjit Balasundaram, IBM’s project leader.

Looking ahead: A vision for greater impact

The impact of TNCC’s partnership with IBM extends beyond their current goals. With a vision to reach over two million farmers in the long term, TNCC aims to create a ripple effect throughout the region and beyond. TNCC aspires to inspire a national and global shift towards regenerative agriculture, protecting vulnerable populations and safeguarding the environment for future generations. CRM Connect is a useful tool for the path to achieve this vision.

As a next step, the project aims to leverage Artificial Intelligence to run more complex correlations that offer even more valuable and precise insights to farmers, organizations, and policymakers. The teams have identified 86 variables that could be analyzed using AI to promote these efforts further.

Together, TNCC and IBM are creating a better and more sustainable world for all.

Learn more about the IBM Sustainability Accelerator stories of impact