Boston Scientific – Charles Vinsonhaler – 2018

Goals

Boston Scientific, a medical-device manufacturer, enlisted EDF Climate Corps fellow Charles Vinsonhaler to assist with benchmarking its energy performance and implementing its clean energy strategy. Last year, Boston Scientific made an impressive commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030. The corporation hired a Global Energy Manager and mapped out its climate pathway, but had not yet developed the tools to mobilize action across its decentralized global network.

Solutions

After analyzing energy and emissions data, studying corporate objectives, and interviewing energy managers at each site, Vinsonhaler and the Global Energy Manager identified tools to enable Boston Scientific’s decarbonization journey. He surveyed energy management practices across all sites and identified opportunities for improvement. Charles then built a model to forecast energy use and carbon emissions at each site, allowing local users to set annual performance goals and observe the impact of prospective energy projects. Finally, Vinsonhaler researched organizations that promote sustainable energy actions, facilitating membership to those organizations that best align with Boston Scientific’s climate goals.

Potential Impact

The Global Energy Manager is now well-positioned to guide Boston Scientific towards carbon neutrality. The energy model will be used to set key performance indicators at each site, holding local managers accountable for their annual energy usage and carbon emissions. Membership to clean energy organizations will provide Boston Scientific with greater visibility as a leader in sustainability, and will align the company with select health care providers who have made the same commitments.