We care: our commitment to environmental responsibility
Published on 2023-06-05 14:00:33Sustainability

We care: our commitment to environmental responsibility

Blog

Amsterdam, 5 June 2023 –  This World Environment Day, we're excited to share some of our recent efforts towards making a positive impact.  Achieving our ISO-14001 certification in 2022, demonstrates our dedication and also gives us a solid framework to minimizing environmental impacts and finding innovative solutions. Below, we dive into some of our recent activities and collaborative projects.

Identifying our environmental impacts

As part of our Environmental Management System (EMS), we have taken a lifecycle perspective to conduct a comprehensive assessment of our operations throughout the supply chain, analysing each step’s potential impact. By understanding the full scope of our activities, from production to the end of use, we have identified key areas where we can make a difference. This lifecycle perspective has allowed us to identify and develop targeted strategies that can reduce our (and our partners’) environmental impact.

Minimising CO2 emissions

As  the emissions generated in our supply chain are a key impact for IDA, in 2023 we have focused on conducting a baseline assessment of our CO2 emissions across our business, including scopes 1, 2, and 3. This comprehensive evaluation enabled us to gain an understanding of our carbon footprint, helping us identify areas where emissions reduction measures are most needed, and where we see opportunities. Armed with these insights, we are exploring sustainable aviation fuel options that can help us reduce our reliance on traditional fossil fuels and lower our carbon emissions. By collaborating with partners who share our beliefs and vision, we aim to find environmentally friendly alternatives that align with our commitment to sustainability.

Addressing the impact of traveling

While smaller than the footprint of transporting goods, business travel also impacts IDA’s carbon footprint, and we believe in setting the right example. We recently updated our Travel Policy to ensure we consider themost responsible travel option available for each situation, and have taken proactive steps to ensure that our business travel is always offset through climate projects. In addition, with our travel agent HumanitAir, we are actively insetting sustainable aviation fuels, meaning we were net positive in 2022.

Collaborative projects

At IDA, we firmly believe that meaningful change is best achieved through collaboration. We actively seek opportunities to work with like-minded organisations and partners to address complex environmental challenges. By pooling resources, expertise, and innovative ideas, we can collectively create a more sustainable future. Our collaborative projects encompass a wide range of initiatives, including research and development on greening procurement, knowledge sharing, and joint efforts to reduce environmental impacts through for example using circular materials. Examples of partnerships include Solvoz and CocoPallet (circular pallets made of coconut waste), we aim to maximise our positive impact and drive meaningful change within our industry, and thereby motivating our stakeholders to do the same.

Our engaged teams

At IDA we all work towards our mission of ‘bridging the gap in access to medicines’, but our people also feel the responsibility of protecting the environment. Through training, awareness campaigns, and office initiatives, we are happy to see that our colleagues are true sustainability ambassadors. For examples of our recent activity, see the following blog articles: