Since its founding in 1886, Johnson & Johnson has been on a mission to solve the toughest health challenges and help create a healthier world.
Today, the company released its 2023 Health for Humanity Report, which outlines Johnson & Johnson’s progress advancing its environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy.
In 2023, Johnson & Johnson had significant achievements in terms of sustainability, global health equity, accountability and innovation and promoting a work environment in which employees feel empowered to help meet the needs of communities everywhere. Read on to learn key takeaways about how Johnson & Johnson is making progress in creating a healthier, more equitable world.
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Providing access to lifesaving treatments and healthcare is an essential way Johnson & Johnson champions global health equity. One example: Last year, the company delivered 200 million doses of a drug to help treat soil-transmitted helminths to up to 100 million children and women of reproductive age.
And it’s not just access to healthcare that Johnson & Johnson is supporting. Last year, Johnson & Johnson and the Johnson & Johnson Foundation supported almost one million healthcare workers—and trained more than 40,000 operating room and hospital staff members in resource-limited settings.
Another area where Johnson & Johnson is focusing: closing health disparity gaps as part of the company’s commitment to health equity in the U.S. People of color are often underrepresented in clinical trials, and Johnson & Johnson is reducing these gaps by playing an active role in study recruitment in diverse communities. In 2023, the company’s initiatives to improve representation in clinical trials helped more than 80% of Johnson & Johnson clinical trials with diversity enrollment goals achieve their target.
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A dedication to innovation has been a driving force at Johnson & Johnson since its founding. Indeed, this commitment landed the company a spot on Fortune’s first and second Most Innovative Companies lists.
In 2023, Johnson & Johnson invested $15.1 billion in research and development (R&D) across its Innovative Medicine and MedTech businesses; it also spent $4.9 billion on small and diverse suppliers.
These investments proved crucial as Johnson & Johnson continues to create products that deliver, in part by implementing the latest technology in R&D. Some notable strides over the years include utilizing AI algorithms to help doctors diagnose diseases earlier, developing a treatment option for bladder cancer that helps deliver medicine more efficiently and using a precision medicine approach when developing drugs.
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In 2023 the company made significant strides toward maximizing usage of renewable energy and minimizing carbon emissions. Today, 100% of Johnson & Johnson’s global electricity for operations in Europe, the U.S. and Canada comes from renewable sources. Since 2021, the company achieved a 23% reduction of its absolute Scope 1 (direct emissions that are owned or controlled by Johnson & Johnson) and Scope 2 (emissions that physically occur at each facility) greenhouse gas emissions.
Being a sustainable company also means rethinking how products impact the environment. For example, single-use medical instruments (such as surgical instruments, catheters and endoscopes) are typically used once per patient, then disposed of and sent to landfills or incinerators. To reduce waste, Johnson & Johnson established a recycling program focused on single-use medical devices. The program started in New Zealand in 2018 and as of last year, counts 11 countries with hospitals partnering with Johnson & Johnson.
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Johnson & Johnson’s employees are the heart of the company; their passion for bringing innovation to life is an essential part of creating a healthier world. That’s why Johnson & Johnson continues to invest in its employees—both in and out of the office.
In 2023, Johnson & Johnson held its first dedicated Global Learning Day for all employees, allowing them to expand their skills beyond their role through online panels and training videos. Employee participation amounted to 196,000 training hours in 220,000 different J&J Learn sessions on Global Learning Day and through October.
Employee satisfaction is also paramount, and Johnson & Johnson prides itself on promoting a culture of respect and inclusion. Employees agree: Last year, 94% of employees responded to the Our Credo Survey—which seeks to gather feedback on how the company lives up to its Credo values—and 85% reported that management provides an inclusive work environment.
Outside the office, Johnson & Johnson encourages employees to give back to their communities, allowing them to take time off to volunteer. In 2017, the company launched Talent for Good, an umbrella strategy that encompasses several specialized company volunteering programs. Last year, the company logged more than 30,000 employee volunteer hours with its community partners through our signature Talent for Good programs.
