Sustainability
Vhi is fully committed to being a responsible and sustainable business. We care about the impact our business has on our customers, our people, our communities and the environment.
Our sustainability ambition is aligned to our purpose to help our customers live longer, stronger, healthier lives. It calls out the interdependencies between the health of the planet and human health and how the triple bottom line of people, the planet and profit will be balanced in the delivery of a fully integrated model of healthcare.
Environmental, Social and Governance Ambition Statement
At Vhi, we want to help our customers and patients live longer, stronger, healthier lives.
This means helping them achieve their true optimal health - that balance of physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing - so that they can live life to the fullest.
We know that the health of people, and the planet, are interdependent.
This is why we will deliver a fully integrated model of healthcare that puts people and the planet at its heart. It is an approach that will be sustainable, will care for the environment, will embrace diversity, and support the best outcomes for our customers, colleagues and communities.
Sustainability strategy
In 2022, five UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) were identified as underpinning our sustainability ambition:
Good health and well-being
Committed to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages
Gender equality
Committing to gender equality, diversity and inclusion
Decent work and economic growth
Committing to inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all
Responsible consumption and production
Committing to ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns
Climate Action
Committing to urgent action to combat climate change
In 2023, we are furthering our commitment to sustainability through the development of a comprehensive sustainability strategy for the group.
Further details on our current sustainability programme is available below.
Priority UN Sustainable Development Goals
Vhi’s purpose is to help customers and patients live longer, stronger, healthier lives, directly aligning with SDG3, which seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. We are committed to our communities and to supporting sponsorships within communities that bring our purpose to life.
Find out more here
Vhi recognises, respects, promotes, and celebrates the value of diversity and inclusion. As part of our commitment to gender equality and to reducing our gender pay gap, we have put in place a comprehensive programme, actioned through our Diversity and Inclusion strategy, that we are confident will enable change.
Find out more here
We believe in supporting our people from a financial, physical and wellbeing perspective as well as professionally to enable them to reach their full potential. We offer a diverse range of benefits, supports, variety of locations and flexible hybrid working arrangements for our people. Our graduate programme offers a rich and rewarding experience for those starting out in their careers.
Find out more here
Our facilities utilise modern environmental engineering solutions to reduce our impact on the overall environment with, for example, the use of rainwater harvesting systems installed in new toilet facilities. We segregate as much waste as possible to reduce the requirement for landfill and all clinical and hazardous waste complies fully with relevant guidelines. We are also piloting compostable PPE in our clinics in line with circular economy principles.
We know that delivering healthcare and health insurance has an environmental impact and we are committed to achieving the targets set out in the New ERA Climate Action Framework for commercial semi-states. We have improved our energy efficiency by 43.6% since our baseline year (2009) against a target of 50%. Some recent energy saving actions include LED lighting upgrades and improved building energy management system control strategies for heating ventilation, building installation and air conditioning.
From a biodiversity perspective, in 2020 we installed two colonies of bees onto the rooftop of the Vhi Head Office in Abbey Street and the harvested honey was packaged, branded and distributed as Vhi Honey. A colony of bees has also been installed at the Kilkenny office along with a wildflower meadow.