Blue Shield of California – Karan Shetty – 2020

Blue Shield of California is a not-for-profit health plan based in Oakland, servicing just over 4 million Californians. Nationwide, health care contributes to roughly 10% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Yale School of Medicine. Considering this, Blue Shield has been proactive in setting ambitious climate and sustainability targets, as climate change is a human health issue. 

As a Climate Corps fellow with Blue Shield, Karan assessed opportunities for emissions reduction in Blue Shield’s supply chain through supplier engagement strategies, designed a carbon offset portfolio to cover nearly 30,000 MT CO2e, designed a corporate giving strategy for grassroots EJ movements in California, and an employee engagement strategy focused on energy awareness, webinars, volunteer events, and sustainability champions initiatives.