UnitedHealth Group
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2022)
Reporting Period: 2022
Environmental Metrics
Total Carbon Emissions:506,252 tCO2e/year (Scope 1 & 2 Location-Based)
Scope 1 Emissions:122,356 tCO2e/year
Scope 2 Emissions:383,896 tCO2e/year
Scope 3 Emissions:13,788,578 tCO2e/year
Renewable Energy Share:0% of total energy use (2022)
Total Energy Consumption:1,584,441 MWh/year
Water Consumption:1.81 Mio. m3/year (Municipal Water Use)
Waste Generated:87,452 metric tonnes/year (Waste Disposed)
Carbon Intensity:1,561.72 tCO2e per billion USD revenue (Scope 1 & 2 Location-Based)
ESG Focus Areas
- Building a modern, high-performing health system
- Healthy environment
- Our people and culture
- Responsible business practices
Environmental Achievements
- 24% reduction in inbound paper
- Completed our first assessment of scope 3 emissions
Social Achievements
- 40% of top management positions are held by women
- 39K employees participated in Employee Resource Groups, up 17,500 from 2021
- 75% positive employee experience score, up from 72% in 2021
- $100M scholarship program launched to help build a diverse health workforce
- Conducted our first Human Rights Impact Assessment
Governance Achievements
- 33% female independent directors on our board
- Named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indices since 1999
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Invest and source 100% of our global electricity demand with renewable sources by 2030
Medium-term Goals:
- Achieve a 60% reduction in scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 2030
- Reach operational net-zero by 2035
- Invest $100 million to create a new philanthropic program and partnerships that will measurably advance a diverse health workforce by 2033
- 85% of our members will receive preventive care services annually by 2030
- 55%+ of our outpatient surgeries and radiology services will be delivered at high-quality, cost-efficient sites of care by 2030
Short-term Goals:
- Close 600 million gaps in care for our members by the end of 2025
Environmental Challenges
- Overall emissions increased in 2022 due to operations and square footage of acquired businesses and increased employee return to work sites.
- Rising health care costs
- Wide health disparities
- Fragmented health care experience for many
- Growing threat of climate change
- Extreme weather events impacting customers, members, employees, and providers
- Employee burnout
Mitigation Strategies
- Implementing decarbonization strategy including renewable energy sources and energy efficiency improvements
- Developing innovative health benefits (Surest plans) to reduce costs and improve transparency
- Investing in health equity initiatives to address disparities
- Expanding in-home clinical care and virtual care to improve access
- Reducing paper usage through digitalization
- Weather risk mitigation plan with operational redundancies and backup systems
- Programs to address employee burnout, including leader trainings and tool/platform enhancements
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: 498/year
Responsible Procurement
- Supplier Code of Conduct
- Sustainable procurement strategy informed by supply chain ESG risk assessment
- Engaging suppliers to gather GHG emissions data through CDP
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Extreme weather events
Transition Risks
- Regulatory changes, market shifts
Opportunities
- Development of energy-efficient products
- Transition to renewable energy sources
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: SASB
Certifications: HITRUST
Third-party Assurance: Independent certified public accountants
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Surest health plans
- Integrated benefits card
Awards & Recognition
- Named to Fortune’s 2023 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list
- One of Fortune’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023
- Named to Forbes’ list of America’s 500 Best Large Employers for 2022