Biogen has announced a $250-million, 20-year initiative to eliminate fossil fuels across its operations and collaborate with institutions to advance the science on the health and environmental impacts of climate change. The initiative’s funding will start in 2021.

Biogen’s goal is to eliminate its fossil-fuel emissions by 2040 as well as advance the science around how fossil fuels impact human health and take action to promote climate and health equity.

The initiative, called Healthy Climate, Healthy Lives, has two principal components: (1) having the company become fossil-fuel free and go beyond carbon neutrality by eliminating emissions on an accelerated timeframe; and (2) collaborating with institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, to use data science and predictive analytics to drive strategies to mitigate environmental and health impacts from climate change and influence policy and improve health outcomes, particularly for the world’s most vulnerable populations.

The Healthy Climate, Healthy Lives initiative will be divided across two principal areas during a 20-year period: (1) the company’s operations, including employee benefits and related programs; and (2) support of new collaborations.

Source: Biogen