Aetna’s Commitment to a Healthy Environment
Going green to protect valuable resources
Helping people stay healthy is our most important mission. And a healthy environment is part of good health. That's why we focus on:
- Decreasing emissions
- Saving water and energy
- Using renewable energy
- Recycling
Solar powered
Our solar panels in Windsor, Conn., generate 268,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of power annually. That's enough electricity to power 24 homes per year. We’re also generating some power of our own with solar panels in the Atrium building in Hartford, Conn. The system produces about 250,000 kWh each year.
Reducing energy consumption
- Energy-saving efforts across the company cut our electrical use by 14,237,167 kWh since 2010. That's enough to power 1,504 homes for a year.
- Teleworkers save more than 3.7 million gallons of gas and 33,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
- Electric vehicle charging stations at two of our campuses help encourage employees to drive electric/hybrid cars to work.
Green buildings
A two-year renovation of the Atrium building in Hartford earned us a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver certification. We have 11 such certified buildings across the country.
We also upgraded our water fixtures, which reduced water use per employee by 48 percent.
We've recycled fluorescent light bulbs since 1994, long before it was required. And every month we recycle an estimated 191 tons of paper, cardboard, glass and plastic.
Helping our suppliers go green
We help key suppliers find ways to improve their green business practices. We do this with an online sustainability assessment tool that measures a supplier’s engagement and proficiency level in a broad range of business practices that contribute to sustainability.
Environmental policy statement
As a health care company, we believe nothing is more important than helping people stay healthy. Aetna’s business strategy includes promoting sustainable practices nationally and internationally in furtherance of the health of our members, employees and communities in which we operate.
We are committed to limiting our own environmental impact by reducing our energy consumption, conserving environmental resources, and adopting a sustainable approach to the management and maintenance of all real estate and business processes wherever possible.
We also are committed to addressing the waste that accounts for one-third of all health care costs and threatens the long-term sustainability of our health care system. To that end, we will continue to work with health care professionals to further the development and availability of quality-focused, accountable care.
Using a collaborative, multi-faceted approach, we are helping to develop a healthier population with a broader sense of responsibility toward the use of health care resources and with a shared sense of commitment to nurturing a healthy environment.
