Shaping the Future of Healthcare: Sustainability and Davos 2020

The future of health and healthcare systems represented a key public discussion moment at the 2020 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, which convenes approximately 3,000 of the world’s top leaders and this year addressed the theme ‘Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.’

Takeda President and CEO Christophe Weber spoke as one of four official panel members about the disruptions facing global healthcare, noting that longer lifespans – the result of improved healthcare and medical innovation – will pose a major challenge to maintaining sustainable healthcare systems.

The Longevity Challenge
“Statistically, many of us will live until we are 100 years old,” Weber said. “The challenge of this longevity is that it doesn’t come free … and so it is important that society understands that longevity means the financing of healthcare is very important.”

He noted that while the next decade is likely to see remarkable advances in medical technologies, the key questions will be how to make these advancements affordable and accessible.

Looking Beyond Medicine: Prioritizing Access
Takeda’s Ricardo Marek, President of Growth & Emerging Markets Business Unit, elaborated on the inextricable link between sustainability, affordability, and access at a Davos-affiliated event titled ‘Leaving No One Behind’. The discussion highlighted the importance of partnerships to effectively scale up good ideas. Although affordability of medicines is a key issue, he explained, it is also necessary to look beyond medicine – for example, the logistics of bringing patients to treatment centers is important in rural and outlying communities.

Walking the Talk on Sustainability
The week prior to Davos, Weber announced Takeda’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality across its value chain by 2040 at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in California. To meet this ambitious goal, he shared that Takeda will eliminate all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from company operations, work with suppliers to significantly reduce their emissions, and address any remaining value chain emissions through verified carbon offsets., Beginning with FY19 GHG emissions Takeda commits to carbon neutrality across its value chain through the use of renewable energy and verified carbon offsets.

Days following this news, Corporate Knights Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World (Global 100), announced annually at the Davos meeting, featured Takeda for the fifth consecutive year. Specifically, the Global 100 praised Takeda for environmental sustainability, equitable pricing strategies in low- and middle-income countries, and for female representation among senior executives. The company ranked third among pharmaceutical companies for sustainable leadership.

As a global top 10 pharmaceutical company, Takeda recognizes its responsibility to identify, and actively partner in solving, the many healthcare challenges that affect us all — in every corner of the globe. Prioritizing sustainability is just one of the clear ways that the company – and its entire leadership – demonstrates that promise over the long term and at the highest levels. Importantly, major announcements and recognition through global rankings represent a starting point for Takeda: a commitment to deliver on every day, in every action.