How Falck's Climate Report Drives Healthcare Transformation

The World Health Organisation calls climate change the single largest threat to human health. 

In a warming world, essential building blocks of health like clean air, safe water and nutritious food become harder to secure. The result is a rise in illnesses such as malnutrition, heat stress and infectious diseases.

Against this backdrop, healthcare organisations face growing pressure to reduce their contribution to climate change and report their impact with clarity and integrity. 

Falck has placed these principles at the centre of its latest Climate Transparency Report 2024.

As a global provider of emergency and healthcare services, delivering 9.5 million services across 25 countries in 2024, Falck uses the report to demonstrate how it is working to reduce emissions across every part of its operations.

Introducing the report, Head of Environmental Sustainability at Falck David Nri says: “We believe that with clear and comprehensive guidance on how we count our GHG emissions, others in the sector can be encouraged to do the same.

“We want to support all within healthcare and emergency services who would like to be more ambitious on climate change – our customers, collaborators and even our competitors.”

Making emissions reporting transparent

This is the second climate transparency report published by Falck, and the first since receiving validation of its science-based climate targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in January 2025. 

These targets commit the company to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across all three Scopes. From a 2022 baseline, Falck is targeting:

• 50.4% reduction in Scope 1 emissions (direct emissions from company-owned sources) by 2032
• 50.4% reduction in Scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions from purchased electricity and heat) by 2032
• 30% reduction in Scope 3 emissions (all other indirect emissions across the supply chain) by 2032

Falck follows the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the standard method for measuring and reporting emissions. 

The aim is to give a consistent and accurate view of all emission sources, identify areas of high emissions or ‘hotspots’, and enable targeted reduction actions. 

The company also charts uncertainty across emissions categories, based on the quality of data and the emissions factors used in each case. This approach is designed to show how reliable its reported figures are.

In total, Falck reports a 7% reduction in market-based emissions – the emissions linked to energy the company purchases – when compared to its 2022 baseline. The overall 2024 figure is 165,791 tCO2e.

Tracking action across all three Scopes

Each Scope reflects a different source of emissions. Falck reports progress in each category, while also acknowledging where challenges remain.

Scope 1: Direct emissions from company-controlled sources

This area includes fuel used in vehicles and heating systems. Falck delivers a wide range of services including ambulance care, home healthcare, patient transport, fire prevention and roadside assistance. As a result, transport emissions remain a significant challenge.

• Mobile combustion emissions – fuel burned in vehicles – totalled 43,563 tCO2e in 2024, or 26.3% of Falck’s total emissions. This marks an 11% reduction from the 2022 baseline and a drop from 46,462 tCO2e in 2023.
• Stationary combustion emissions – fuel burned in fixed equipment – have decreased 7% against baseline, with a total of 1,608 tCO2e, making up just 1% of 2024 emissions.

Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased energy

This category covers electricity and district heating used in company-owned or leased facilities.

• Market-based electricity use contributed 8,688 tCO2e, or 5.2% of Falck’s total emissions in 2024
• Location-based electricity emissions – calculated using the emissions intensity of the local grid – totalled 4,838 tCO2e. Both categories of electricity showed a 16% increase on baseline.
• District heating emissions fell by 6%, to 3,003 tCO2e.

Scope 3: Indirect emissions across the value chain

This is typically the largest emissions category for service-led organisations. In 2024, Falck’s Scope 3 emissions included:

• Upstream goods and services at 74,708 tCO2e, or 45.1% of total emissions. This is 10% lower than the 2022 baseline.
• Upstream fuel and energy at 13,370 tCO2e, an increase of 5% against baseline. This includes emissions from the production and delivery of fuels used in Falck operations that are not counted in Scope 1 or 2.
• Waste emissions fell by 36%
• Business travel emissions – a notable contributor for a global service provider – fell by 5%

A data-led path to long-term reduction

Falck is using the report to demonstrate how structured data, consistent methodology and full transparency guide its wider sustainability efforts. 

The company’s climate approach aligns with its overall environmental and social strategy, which focuses on four pillars: environmental action, social impact, safe and inclusive workplaces and strong governance.

Writing about the report on LinkedIn, David Nri added: “It's a rough time for sustainability reporting. The EU seems to be moving backwards, companies like Google are quietly removing targets from their website, and companies like Amazon release deceptive disinformation in place of transparent climate reporting.

“My team at Falck are trying to go in a different direction: integrity & transparency. If you know of any company that is more transparent about their climate calculations I want to hear about them.”