Better communities

Committing to a healthier environment

Hakon Mattson, Director of Sustainability, alongside our development partners, as work begins on our Virginia solar project

We strive to do the right thing – for our people, our community, and our business. We are always seeking ways to conserve resources and improve the environmental sustainability of our operations. Sourcing 100 percent renewable energy will result in financial, reputational and risk management benefits over time.

John Gallina, Chief Financial Officer, Anthem

Reflecting our mission to improve lives and communities, Anthem understands its responsibility to lead today to protect the planet for tomorrow. This means doing our part to address climate change and be a good steward of natural resources.

By responding to the link between environmental health and human health, we can effect change and set an example for the industry. In fact, we achieved our environmental goals early, and in 2019, we committed to source 100% of the electricity we use with wind and solar energy by 2025.

Achieved 2020 environmental goals (from 2013 baseline):

reduced Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions intensity

reduced office water use intensity

In 2019, Anthem became the first health benefits company to join RE100, a global initiative of influential businesses focused on sourcing renewable energy within the shortest possible timeframe. “Anthem recognizes the connection between healthy people and planet and has demonstrated leadership by setting an ambitious goal of sourcing 100% renewable electricity globally by 2025,” says Mike Peirce, Corporate Partnerships Director at The Climate Group, which leads RE 100. “The private sector has a vital role to play in accelerating the clean energy transition and, as we enter the Climate Decade, we need every major company to step up,” he adds.

On the site of our solar development in Virginia

This transition is not an easy one. Anthem uses enough electricity each year to power over 20,000 homes. It will take the equivalent of more than 300 football fields of solar panels to offset this consumption, which we will accomplish through large offsite solar purchase agreements, as well as material investments in our facilities and data centers to reduce water, waste and carbon emissions.

Because of our leadership, new renewables are being added to the grid. Our first solar project is under development in Virginia where the majority of our electrical load, and nearly 9,000 associates, are based.

A leader in sustainability

For the second consecutive year, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) – the gold standard for corporate sustainability – recognized Anthem for its dedication to improving the lives of the people in the communities we serve, continually increasing the sustainability of its business and providing equal opportunities for all.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) also recognized Anthem for achieving impressive reductions in overall energy and water usage as part of the department’s Better Buildings initiative. In fact, our energy and water management program resulted in a significant reduction in our greenhouse gas footprint, and more than $10 million dollars saved since 2013.

And on issues ranging from environmental impact to employee policies, and from community support to shareholder returns, Anthem was named one of America’s Most JUST Companies for 2020, a leading corporate measurement platform sponsored by Forbes Magazine and JUST Capital. Anthem ranked seventh on the list, the highest in the healthcare category.

“America’s Most JUST Companies, Anthem among them, are measurably outperforming their peers on the key issues Americans care about most,” says Martin Whittaker, JUST Capital’s CEO. “Creating value for shareholders and stakeholders is not a zero sum game, with JUST companies earning 6 percent higher Return-on-Equity than their peers,” he adds.