USA – CVS has released its 15th annual environmental, social, and governance (ESG) report, which outlines the company’s long-term objectives and key initiatives.

According to the report, stakeholders are still aligned with CVS’ Healthy 2030 strategy, which reflects a continuous increase in the importance and prioritization of topics such as diversity, equity, inclusion, climate action, human capital, and health.

The report also detailed how CVS has committed to the strategy by providing 65 billion health care interactions to individuals, investing more than US$1 billion in building healthier communities, and attempting to reduce its environmental impact by half by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

I am proud to be able to share our ongoing work to strengthen our communities, empower our colleagues, and act as exceptional stewards of our environment in our 2021 ESG Report,” said CVS EVP Laurie Havanec.

To address long-standing health disparities, the drug store chain provided more than 32 million COVID-19 tests and 59 million or more COVID-19 vaccine doses in 2021, as well as more than US$185 million in affordable housing projects.

Other accomplishments over the past year include the opening of more than 300 new HealthHUB locations and the provision of more than 159 million meals to people experiencing food insecurity.

The company conducts a full prioritization assessment every two years to better reflect its growing business, strategy, and stakeholder expectations.

It conducted an extensive ESG prioritization assessment in 2021 in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative Standards.

CVS also announced a new pollinator health policy that encourages suppliers to reduce the use of pollinator-toxic pesticides, making it the 11th major grocery retailer to establish a pollinator policy addressing pesticides such as neonicotinoids, organophosphates, and glyphosate, following companies such as Walmart and Giant Eagle.

The new policy acknowledges the negative effects of chemicals on the environment and farmworkers. After identifying organic agriculture as a solution for pollinator health, it also advises organic suppliers to use less-toxic pest management methods.

Pollinator populations around the world are declining, according to research, due to a combination of factors including pesticides and pathogens – some of the same chemicals used in pest management practices and products.