Sustainability | 3 February, 2026

Mölnlycke joins National Climate Initiative within healthcare and life science

A broad public–private partnership is now being launched to accelerate the green transition within the Swedish healthcare and life science sector. The initiative aims, through collaboration, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the ambition of reaching net zero across the entire value chain by 2045.

The partners of the national climate initiative for the healthcare sector commit to reducing their emissions through time-bound transition plans aligned with the Paris Agreement. This will be achieved through innovations, circular business models and material flows, as well as preventive health measures and more efficient treatments. Initially, the focus is on preventive care and circular solutions.

“The industry and other stakeholders are taking the lead to strengthen Sweden’s competitiveness. Together, we are demonstrating that a climate-neutral healthcare and life science sector is possible—while safeguarding patient safety and public health,” says Sara Modig, State Secretary to Minister for Energy and Business, Ebba Busch.

The work also builds on Sweden’s Life Science Strategy, which highlights the need for increased efforts to strengthen competitiveness and innovation through climate transition and reduced environmental impact.

“This initiative aligns well with our vision of a more sustainable healthcare system. As a MedTech manufacturer, we are committed to reducing our environmental footprint across our operations and the wider healthcare value chain - through renewable materials, smarter packaging, reduced waste, and more circular product lifecycles. By bringing healthcare stakeholders together, we can drive meaningful change at scale and support the sector’s transition to a low carbon, resilient future.”

Lina Karlsson, Executive Vice President, Gloves, Mölnlycke

The healthcare sector plays a crucial role in modern societies by alleviating suffering, curing disease and saving lives through informed clinical decisions. At the same time, it accounts for five percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the 2023 report Countdown on Health and Climate Change published by The Lancet.

The climate impact of healthcare is distributed as follows:

· 50% supply chains

· 5% research and development

· 35% healthcare operations and hospital logistics

· 10% patients

Companies and organisations joining the initiative commit to having quality-assured climate targets, for example through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Current participants in the national climate initiative for the healthcare sector include:

Apotea

Apoteket

Apotek Hjärtat

AstraZeneca

Kronans Apotek

Läkemedelsindustriföreningen (Lif)

Mölnlycke Health Care

Novo Nordisk

Region Skåne

Region Stockholm

SwedenBIO

Swedish Medtech