Today, Novo Nordisk and sustainability think tank Sustainia present a new approach in the fight against chronic diseases based on green innovations. Accounting for more than 63 percent of all global deaths[1], chronic diseases have become an alarming issue that the healthcare sector cannot handle alone. With the release of new publication Co-creating Health, the current health threats become a matter for both the public and private sector.

Download Co-creating Health

“We want to empower people working with this – the do’ers - to see the benefits of healthy sustainable living. With ‘Co-creating Health’, we provide tangible how-to guides for city planners, business owners, teachers and food companies to help fight a major health threat by utilizing available sustainability solutions,” says Laura Storm, Executive Director of Sustainia.

Compiling best practice from around the world, Co-creating Health provides tested green tools such as city planning for walkability, steps to customising workplace health initiatives for employees and greater community and outdoor classroom design.

Opportunity to grow sustainability portfolio

Between 2011-2030, chronic diseases are projected to cause a global economic loss of 47 trillion dollars.[2] Based on cases and pilot projects from nearly all continents, Co-creating Health shows how sustainability initiatives are effective answers to reverse the rise in chronic diseases and address environmental issues simultaneously.

“The healthy choice is the sustainable choice. Initiatives for healthier food, less sedentary lifestyles and alternative means of transportation are very often the sustainable choices, too.” says Lise Kingo, executive vice president, Novo Nordisk. “In that sense, tackling the health threats will equip schools and workplaces with stronger sustainability profiles, which we know is a growing demand among stakeholders.”

Co-creating Health is released in Copenhagen, Denmark, today and is available online at sustainia.me.

The Sustainia Guide to Co-creating Health is a collaborative effort between Sustainia and Novo Nordisk, and is based on input and research from over 40 international health experts.

About Novo Nordisk
Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within haemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. Novo Nordisk employs approximately 40,000 employees in 75 countries, and markets its products in more than 180 countries.

Novo Nordisk strives to conduct its activities in a financially, environmentally and socially responsible way. The strategic commitment to corporate sustainability has brought the company onto centre stage as a leading player in today’s business environment, recognised for its integrated reporting, stakeholder engagement and consistently high sustainability performance.

About Sustainia
Sustainia is a Scandinavian think tank working to document and demonstrate how sustainable solutions can improve quality of life around the world. Based on readily available innovations, Sustainia demonstrates the sustainable future we could achieve, if existing solutions were implemented on a large scale. Sustainia and its partners continuously work to create inspiring and tangible sustainability guides for companies, policy makers and civil society across sectors and regions. The work is carried out in various publications, workshops, network, events and the annual mission to identify and publish 100 leading sustainable solutions.

[1] WHO, http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/noncommunicable_diseases/facts/en/

[2] World Economic Forum, http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Harvard_HE_GlobalEconomicBurdenNonCommunicableDiseases_2011.pdf

Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within haemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. We believe that a healthy economy, environment and society are fundamental to long-term value creation. This is why we manage our business in accordance with the Triple Bottom Line business principle and consider the financial, environmental and social impact of our business decisions. The strategic commitment to corporate sustainability has brought the company onto centre stage as a leading player in today's business environment, recognised for its integrated reporting, stakeholder engagement and consistently high sustainability performance.

More from Novo Nordisk