ISO Standardization & Climate Action at Quest Diagnostics

Dec 5, 2023 2:20 PM ET
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Originally published in Quest Diagnostics Corporate Responsibility Report 2022

2025/2026 Goals

  • Expand our electric vehicle pilot project to include 3 additional lab locations by 2025 
  • Secure ISO 14001 certification for 3 additional lab locations by 2026 
  • Transition 50% of our vehicle fleet to electric or hybrid engines by 2026

ISO standardization

ISO 14001 is an internationally recognized management system that leverages leadership involvement and employee engagement to:

  • Help organizations ensure compliance with regulatory standards
  • Improve their environmental performance
  • Provide a competitive advantage and gain the trust of stakeholders
  • Achieve strategic goals by incorporating environmental issues into business management

In 2022, we achieved our first ISO 14001 certification for our esoteric laboratory facility at San Juan Capistrano, CA. We plan to secure ISO certification for 3 additional laboratories by 2026.

Climate action 

We are actively seeking ways to transition our business to a lower carbon footprint and improve the energy efficiency of our operations and supply base through new and expanded programs.

Facilities 

  • We conducted ASHRAE Level 2 Energy Audits to identify energy conservation measures across building envelope, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems
  • We launched an Energy Management Program that includes desktop audits to identify energy conservation measures and to optimize building management strategies
  • We developed an enterprise-wide operational best practices tool to drive optimal site performance, including monitoring and adjusting unoccupied/occupied settings

Vehicle fleet conservation 

  • We continued to optimize courier routes in response to changing business demands. In 2022, we reduced our fleet miles driven by approximately 2.7 million miles, reducing our gasoline consumption by approximately 100,000 gallons and our CO2 emissions by approximately 870 metric tons
  • We installed charging stations in our Clifton, NJ lab and plan to do the same at 3 additional labs by 2025
  • After considering the results of our 2021 electric vehicle pilot project, we plan to transition 50% of our vehicle fleet to electric or hybrid engines by 2026

Renewable energy 

  • Through our renewable energy procurement efforts, we purchased over 34 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy in 2022

Supply base 

  • We continued to engage with our suppliers about their environmental profile and practices. We request supplier assessments and evaluate their responses with assistance from an external expert as we seek to identity improvement opportunities

To learn more, see our Supply chain section on page 12 of this report and our website.

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