Reduce climate impact

Climate changes and global health are highly interlinked. According to WHO, climate change is the single biggest health threat. CO2 emissions from health care systems are fairly high and under-addressed. As a healthcare service provider, we want to do our part. We strive to advance healthcare while we reduce our climate impact.

It is our current assessment that Falck’s single biggest direct adverse impact on the climate derives from the fuel consumption of our fleet. We have therefore begun the transition from diesel and petrol-powered vehicles to electric vehicles and adopting the use of biofuels. Read more

We are aware that our operations impact the climate in other ways, e.g., through the energy consumption in buildings, the equipment used in our ambulances and the business travel of our employees, cf. scope 1-3 guidelines of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. That is why we are widening the scope to also set targets for our indirect emissions (scope 2, e.g. electricity/heating) and our value chain (scope 3, e.g. goods & services) emissions.

Commitment to Science Based Targets initiative

Falck has committed to Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Hereby, we are committed to setting targets supporting Paris Agreement goals. We will set science-based targets for scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.

To deliver on our commitments, we need to transform systems, reinvent services, and optimise operations. We are working for a green transition while advancing sustainable healthcare. We strive to reduce emissions within existing ways of working by electrification of our fleet. We work smarter by enabling digital solutions and thereby reducing the use of our fleet. We innovate new solutions like using drones instead of our fleet. We look into digital solutions where patients can have treatment 24/7 at home.

In 2023, we made further progress on the SBTi based on our 2022 commitment. We have progressed on our baselines for scopes 1, 2 and 3, and are now ready to define CO2 reduction pathways in line with the Paris Agreement and to align as necessary according to climate science to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

Targets set for emissions

Transitioning to a green fleet

In 2021, HVO biofuels accounted for more than 70% of all fuel used in Falck Sweden. We’re monitoring and following the development of biofuels as they can play a role in bridging the gap between fossil fuel vehicles and zero emission vehicles.

HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) is a 100% fossil-free product made from renewable and sustainably sourced fats and oils, including waste and residue from food industries. It has the same or better technical properties as regular diesel and can be used in existing vehicles, where the manufacturer has approved HVO. HVO can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90%. Its tailpipe CO₂ emissions are considered zero, as the amount of carbon dioxide released upon combustion equals the amount the renewable raw material has absorbed earlier.