CVS Health details environmental, social progress

Small changes can make a big difference when it comes to the environment.

By aligning the lighting times with store operating hours, CVS Health was able to achieve 1.3-million MWh reduction, according to the company’s latest Environmental, Social and Governance Report, “Healthy 2030.”  The report details how the company is helping create a healthier and more sustainable world.  CVS has set goals to reduce its environmental impact by at least 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

"In 2021 we made significant progress towards our Healthy 2030 goals, with a particular focus on addressing health equity and protecting the environment," said Karen S. Lynch, president and CEO, CVS Health. "We'll continue to utilize our community presence, diverse assets and expertise to improve the health of people and the planet."

On the environmental front, CVS’ highlights in 2021 include:

• Diverted 50% of all waste to recycling or reuse;
• Saved 33,500 MWh of energy through efficiency programs to reach company's goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050;
• Eliminated 500,000 in empty miles through backhaul program; and
• Became one of the first companies in the world to have its net-zero targets validated by the Science-Based Targets Initiative’s net-zero methodology.

Additional 2021 ESG highlights include:

• Announced increase of company's minimum wage to $15/hour effective July 2022;
• Improved health equity through the company's new Health Zones initiative, which addresses the six social determinants of health: housing, education, access to food, labor, transportation, and health care access;
• Expanded community health resources with a focus on underserved populations, including targeted COVID-19 vaccine outreach and hosting more than 1,700 free health screening events;
• Provided more than 159 million meals for people who are food insecure through a partnership with Feeding America, with approximately 40 percent of meals supporting people who are racially diverse and food insecure; and
• Delivered more than $2.5 million in value of colleague volunteerism to nonprofit organizations across the country.

The complete CVS Health ESG Report is available online at CVSHealth.com/Reporting.