Walgreens Boots Alliance shares 2020 CSR report

Walgreens Boots Alliance on Wednesday unveiled its latest corporate social responsibility report, “At the Heart of Health 2020.” The report outlines the company’s commitment to such needs as healthcare access, diversity and inclusion accountability, and carbon- and waste-reduction efforts. 

To mark the report’s launch, WBA held a virtual event Wednesday along with Bloomberg Media Brand Experiences, “Health and Humanity: Lessons from the Global Frontline.” Speakers included WBA CEO and executive vice chairman Stefano Pessina; Ornella Barra, WBA co-COO; WBA global chief diversity and inclusion officer Carlos Cubia; WBA board member and Obama Foundation president Valerie Jarett; Alex Gorsky, Johnson & Johnson chairman and CEO, among others. 

“Helping people lead healthier, happier lives is at the heart of our business,” said Barra, who also is chair of the company’s corporate social responsibility committee. “For generations, it has been both our responsibility and a business imperative to operate as a force for good for people and the planet – especially in times of crisis. Throughout the pandemic, we remain on the front line to ensure we safely provide healthcare services and support, which now includes COVID-19 vaccine administration, while also progressing in our other key CSR focus areas.”

Among highlights from 2020 included in the report are:

• Improving healthcare access and raising awareness of health issues through: COVID-19 testing in underserved communities; programs in Chicago to address health inequities; the creation of safe spaces for victims of domestic violence in Chile, Ireland and the UK; and online pharmacy and beauty support for UK cancer patients;
• Implementing safety, health, workplace flexibility and information measures for employees. These efforts earned WBA recognition from JUST Capital and Forbes, which ranked WBA 19th  on a list of the 100 largest U.S. employers for COVID-19 response.
• Holding managers accountable for increasing diversity by connecting pay incentives to results on WBA’s leadership diversity goals;
• Helping to provide vitamins to more than 250 million vulnerable women and children as well as 60 million lifesaving vaccines in developing nations through long-term partnerships;
• Reducing its carbon footprint, achieving its long-term energy intensity reduction goal across Walgreens retail space, reducing its generation of waste and increasing its recycling rate; and
• Reducing unnecessary plastics from WBA’s owned brand products packaging and joining industry collaborations to reduce packaging waste.

To read the full report, click here.