Why ESG Matters: Insights from the Life Science Analytics Sector

Business goals in the healthcare and medical sectors are increasingly linked with big data, so much so that life science analytics has become a major proponent of environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. At a time when life science companies are painstakingly emphasizing the manufacturing and distribution of medicines, research and development and innovation, sustainable reporting has become instrumental in solidifying their brand positions. ESG reporting can be the silver bullet to retain talent and drive business results with a positive influence on society and the best possible outcome for all.

A concerted and sustainable effort to expedite replacement, reduction and refinement to foster new research models, approaches and tools has panned well. Several organizations are banking on diversity to minimize attrition rates and employees who prioritize environmental issues and social factors for good health. Furthermore, policymakers, consumers, employees, investors and venture capitalists have prioritized transparency, leadership behavior, opportunities and pay parity.

IBM Views Sustainability as Vehicle to Drive Business

Business leaders have fostered their roles in the environment portfolio to bolster carbon footprint monitoring and develop recycling initiatives. Life science companies are poised to play an invaluable role in combating climate change. The 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26)—Glasgow Climate Pact—has potentially encouraged companies to move towards a low-carbon and more sustainable path. IBM will use renewable sources to procure 75% of its global electricity consumption by 2025, the giant mentioned in its 2022 ESG report. The company is also committed to implementing at least 3,000 new energy conservation projects to offset the consumption of 275,000 MWh of energy from 2021 through 2025.

With IBM expecting to reach net-zero operational GHG emissions by 2030, it has addressed market-based scope 1 and 2 emissions and scope 3 emissions (linked with electricity consumption) at third-party co-location data centers. Besides, the technology behemoth pegged its weighted average power usage effectiveness (PUE) at 1.52 in 2022 vis-à-vis 1.552 PUE (baseline) in 2019. Commitment to environmental leadership has received an impetus, creating a path to reduce climate-related risks.

Is your business one of participants to the Life Science Analytics Industry? Contact us for focused consultation around ESG Investing, and help you build sustainable business practices

Wipro and Novartis Up Social Commitment to Turn ESG Goals into Actions

Employees and consumer safety are pivotal to further sustainable goals as companies foster social targets to underpin the business strategy. So much so that ESG-themed bond has become pronounced to make drugs more accessible to everyone. In September 2020, Novartis reportedly became the first pharma company to issue a sustainability-linked bond at EUR 1.85 billion (USD 2.2 billion) to impel patient reach in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The company is bullish on augmenting patient reach in LMICs through strategic innovative therapies by 200% by 2025.

Wipro underpinned its social profile with an infusion of funds into an inclusive and diverse culture that fosters sustainable performance. The Indian giant has implemented buoyant policies to attract and retain LGBTQ+ employees. It has apparently revised group mediclaim insurance and the medical insurance scheme to include same-sex partners of employees. In February 2021, Wipro was named in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index (CEI)—the U.S. corporate policies and practices pertaining to LGBT workplace equality. Cultivating a culture of inclusion will sow the seed of a plurality of ideas and embrace all forms of differences.

Accenture Invests in Board Diversity to Pave Path with Vision and Value

Gender-diverse boards are widely linked with better engagement, increased investment efficiency and increased work-life balance. The trend toward transparent disclosure and creating an equitable environment can be contagious. Accenture infers that 50% of its board of directors is women, while 50% is racially and ethnically diverse. The company's 2021 U.S. workforce data reveal that it has fostered the number of Asia Americans and Asia executives by 3.5 percentage points. The service company is gearing up to achieve its 2025 goals of boosting representation of Black, African American, Hispanic American and Latinx among its leadership and workforce. Forward-looking companies are expected to uphold sound corporate governance practices to ramp up their ESG objectives.

Amid medical device, pharmaceutical and diagnostic regulatory scenarios changing, top-performing companies are poised to inject funds into sustainable goals. Tax transparency, for instance, is invaluable to building trust among stakeholders. Plastic packaging tax in the U.K. came into force in April 2022, with the charge pegged at £210.82 per ton from 1 April 2023 on plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled plastic, imported or manufactured into the U.K.

Price transparency in hospitals has gained a considerable uptick, a compelling portfolio to raise the ESG bar. In January 2021, each hospital functioning in the U.S. have been required to offer accessible and clear pricing information online about services and items. With the ESG pressure compelling businesses to enhance their sustainable value chain, Grand View Research forecasts the global life science analytics market to exhibit a 7.7% CAGR between 2022 to 2030.

Related Reports:

About Astra – ESG Solutions by Grand View Research

Astra is the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) arm of Grand View Research Inc. - a global market research publishing & management consulting firm.

Astra offers comprehensive ESG thematic assessment & scores across diverse impact & socially responsible investment topics, including both public and private companies along with intuitive dashboards. Our ESG solutions are powered by robust fundamental & alternative information. Astra specializes in consulting services that equip corporates and the investment community with the in-depth ESG research and actionable insight they need to support their bottom lines and their values. We have supported our clients across diverse ESG consulting projects & advisory services, including climate strategies & assessment, ESG benchmarking, stakeholder engagement programs, active ownership, developing ESG investment strategies, ESG data services, build corporate sustainability reports. Astra team includes a pool of industry experts and ESG enthusiasts who possess extensive end-end ESG research and consulting experience at a global level.

For more ESG Thematic reports, please visit Astra ESG Solutions, powered by Grand View Research