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RACS ASC 2026
Global surgical device companies’ commitments towards net zero
Verbal Presentation

Verbal Presentation

4:21 pm

01 May 2026

River View Room 5

Environmental Sustainability in Surgery

Presentation Description

Institution: Royal Melbourne Hospital - VIC, Australia

Purpose: To evaluate the net-zero commitments of surgical device companies operating in Australia and their alignment with global sustainability targets. Methodology: 29 major surgical device companies operating in Australia were selected based on a large tertiary hospital’s expenditure in Victoria and an expert panel from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. A scorecard was developed using the PricewaterhouseCoopers Building Blocks for net zero transformation framework, the Carbon Disclosure Project grading, and the SBTi approval system. The companies’ Environmental, Social, and Governance reports were reviewed to assess their monitoring and disclosure of GHGE, their scopes 1, 2, and 3 targets, and their strategies for GHGE reduction. Results: Companies were classified into three groups: industry leaders with SBTi-approved targets across all three scopes (Abbott Laboratories, Bard Australia, Boston Scientific, Edwards Lifesciences, Johnson & Johnson, Olympus, Teleflex, Terumo, and Zimmer Biomet); companies with SBTi-approved targets missing scope 3, or with specific targets without SBTi approval (3M, B Braun, Baxter Healthcare, Cardinal Health, Livanova, Medtronic, Molnlycke Health Care, Smith & Nephew, and W L Gore & Associates); and companies without adequate targets (Applied Industrial Technologies, Bausch & Lomb, Conmed Corporation, Cook Medical, Da Vinci Intuitive Surgical, Defries industries, Integra Neurosciences, Karl Storz Endoscopy, Medline Industries, Multigate Medical Products, and Stryker). Common gaps included suboptimal scope 3 commitments, limited sustainability strategy disclosure, and most importantly, an effort to move away from a linear business model towards a circular one. Conclusion: Surgical device companies in Australia show growing commitments towards net zero, but with important gaps remaining in carbon reporting and reduction strategies that need to be addressed to move towards a circular business model.
Presenters
Authors
Authors

Dr Yuqing Lu - , Mr Yusuf Wardak - , Dr Ben Dunne - , A Prof Kenneth Winkel -