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Containers & Packaging
Containers and packaging industry entities convert raw materials including metal, plastic, paper and glass, into semi-finished or finished packaging products. Entities produce a wide range of products, including corrugated cardboard packaging, food and beverage containers, bottles for household products, aluminium cans, steel drums and other forms of packaging. Entities in the industry typically function as business-to-business entities and many operate globally.
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Medical Equipment & Supplies
The Medical Equipment & Supplies industry researches, develops and produces medical, surgical, dental, ophthalmic and veterinary instruments and devices. Hospitals, clinics and laboratories use these products, which range from disposable items to highly specialised equipment. The increased prevalence of diseases associated with unhealthy lifestyles and an ageing population are important factors that may encourage growth in this industry. Emerging markets and the expansion of health insurance may contribute to further growth. However, the extension of government insurance programmes, provider and payer consolidation, and regulatory emphasis on reduced costs in all markets may result in downward pricing pressure.
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Relevant Issues for both Industries (11 of 26)

Why are some issues greyed out?

The SASB Standards vary by industry based on the different sustainability-related risks and opportunities within an industry. The issues in grey were not identified during the standard-setting process as the most likely to be useful to investors, so they are not included in the Standard. Over time, as the ISSB continues to receive market feedback, some issues may be added or removed from the Standard. Each company determines which sustainability-related risks and opportunities are relevant to its business. The Standard is designed for the typical company in an industry, but individual companies may choose to report on different sustainability-related risks and opportunities based on their unique business model.

Environment
- GHG Emissions
  The category addresses direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that a company generates through its operations. This includes GHG emissions from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes), whether a result of combustion of fuel or non-combusted direct releases during activities such as natural resource extraction, power generation, land use, or biogenic processes. The category further includes management of regulatory risks, environmental compliance, and reputational risks and opportunities, as they related to direct GHG emissions. The seven GHGs covered under the Kyoto Protocol are included within the category—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
- Air Quality
  The category addresses management of air quality impacts resulting from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes) as well as industrial emissions. Relevant airborne pollutants include, but are not limited to, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, particulate matter, and chlorofluorocarbons. The category does not include GHG emissions, which are addressed in a separate category.
- Energy Management
  The category addresses environmental impacts associated with energy consumption. It addresses the company’s management of energy in manufacturing and/or for provision of products and services derived from utility providers (grid energy) not owned or controlled by the company. More specifically, it includes management of energy efficiency and intensity, energy mix, as well as grid reliance. Upstream (e.g., suppliers) and downstream (e.g., product use) energy use is not included in the scope.
- Water & Wastewater Management
  The category addresses a company’s water use, water consumption, wastewater generation, and other impacts of operations on water resources, which may be influenced by regional differences in the availability and quality of and competition for water resources. More specifically, it addresses management strategies including, but not limited to, water efficiency, intensity, and recycling. Lastly, the category also addresses management of wastewater treatment and discharge, including groundwater and aquifer pollution.
- Waste & Hazardous Materials Management
  The category addresses environmental issues associated with hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated by companies. It addresses a company’s management of solid wastes in manufacturing, agriculture, and other industrial processes. It covers treatment, handling, storage, disposal, and regulatory compliance. The category does not cover emissions to air or wastewater nor does it cover waste from end-of-life of products, which are addressed in separate categories.
- Ecological Impacts
Social Capital
- Human Rights & Community Relations
- Customer Privacy
- Data Security
- Access & Affordability
  The category addresses a company’s ability to ensure broad access to its products and services, specifically in the context of underserved markets and/or population groups. It includes the management of issues related to universal needs, such as the accessibility and affordability of health care, financial services, utilities, education, and telecommunications.
- Product Quality & Safety
  The category addresses issues involving unintended characteristics of products sold or services provided that may create health or safety risks to end-users. It addresses a company’s ability to offer manufactured products and/or services that meet customer expectations with respect to their health and safety characteristics. It includes, but is not limited to, issues involving liability, management of recalls and market withdrawals, product testing, and chemicals/content/ingredient management in products.
- Customer Welfare
- Selling Practices & Product Labeling
  The category addresses social issues that may arise from a failure to manage the transparency, accuracy, and comprehensibility of marketing statements, advertising, and labeling of products and services. It includes, but is not limited to, advertising standards and regulations, ethical and responsible marketing practices, misleading or deceptive labeling, as well as discriminatory or predatory selling and lending practices. This may include deceptive or aggressive selling practices in which incentive structures for employees could encourage the sale of products or services that are not in the best interest of customers or clients.
Human Capital
- Labour Practices
- Employee Health & Safety
- Employee Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion
Business Model and Innovation
- Product Design & Lifecycle Management
  The category addresses incorporation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations in characteristics of products and services provided or sold by the company. It includes, but is not limited to, managing the lifecycle impacts of products and services, such as those related to packaging, distribution, use-phase resource intensity, and other environmental and social externalities that may occur during their use-phase or at the end of life. The category captures a company’s ability to address customer and societal demand for more sustainable products and services as well as to meet evolving environmental and social regulation. It does not address direct environmental or social impacts of the company’s operations nor does it address health and safety risks to consumers from product use, which are covered in other categories.
- Business Model Resilience
- Supply Chain Management
  The category addresses management of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks within a company’s supply chain. It addresses issues associated with environmental and social externalities created by suppliers through their operational activities. Such issues include, but are not limited to, environmental responsibility, human rights, labour practices, and ethics and corruption. Management may involve screening, selection, monitoring, and engagement with suppliers on their environmental and social impacts. The category does not address the impacts of external factors – such as climate change and other environmental and social factors – on suppliers’ operations and/or on the availability and pricing of key resources, which is covered in a separate category.
- Materials Sourcing & Efficiency
- Physical Impacts of Climate Change
Leadership and Governance
- Business Ethics
  The category addresses the company’s approach to managing risks and opportunities surrounding ethical conduct of business, including fraud, corruption, bribery and facilitation payments, fiduciary responsibilities, and other behaviour that may have an ethical component. This includes sensitivity to business norms and standards as they shift over time, jurisdiction, and culture. It addresses the company’s ability to provide services that satisfy the highest professional and ethical standards of the industry, which means to avoid conflicts of interest, misrepresentation, bias, and negligence through training employees adequately and implementing policies and procedures to ensure employees provide services free from bias and error.
- Competitive Behaviour
- Management of the Legal & Regulatory Environment
- Critical Incident Risk Management
- Systemic Risk Management

Disclosure Topics

What is the relationship between General Issue Category and Disclosure Topics?

The General Issue Category is an industry-agnostic version of the Disclosure Topics that appear in each SASB Standard. Disclosure topics represent the industry-specific impacts of General Issue Categories. The industry-specific Disclosure Topics ensure each SASB Standard is tailored to the industry, while the General Issue Categories enable comparability across industries. For example, Health & Nutrition is a disclosure topic in the Non-Alcoholic Beverages industry, representing an industry-specific measure of the general issue of Customer Welfare. The issue of Customer Welfare, however, manifests as the Counterfeit Drugs disclosure topic in the Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals industry.

Containers & Packaging Remove
Access Standard
- GHG Emissions
  The category addresses direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that a company generates through its operations. This includes GHG emissions from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes), whether a result of combustion of fuel or non-combusted direct releases during activities such as natural resource extraction, power generation, land use, or biogenic processes. The category further includes management of regulatory risks, environmental compliance, and reputational risks and opportunities, as they related to direct GHG emissions. The seven GHGs covered under the Kyoto Protocol are included within the category—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
  - Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    The Containers & Packaging industry generates direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel combustion in manufacturing and cogeneration processes. GHG emissions may result in regulatory compliance costs or penalties and operating risks for entities. However, the financial effects may vary depending on the magnitude of emissions and the prevailing emissions regulations. The industry may be subject to increasingly stringent regulations as countries try to limit or reduce emissions. Entities that cost-effectively manage GHG emissions through greater energy efficiency, the use of alternative fuels or manufacturing process advances could benefit from improved operating efficiency and reduced regulatory risk, among other financial benefits.
- Air Quality
  The category addresses management of air quality impacts resulting from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes) as well as industrial emissions. Relevant airborne pollutants include, but are not limited to, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, particulate matter, and chlorofluorocarbons. The category does not include GHG emissions, which are addressed in a separate category.
  - Air Quality
    In addition to greenhouse gases (GHGs), containers and packaging manufacturing may produce air emissions, which may include sulphur dioxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). As with GHGs, these emissions typically stem from fuel combustion to produce energy. Relative to other industries, the Containers & Packaging industry is a significant source of some of these emissions. Although related financial effects may vary depending on the magnitude of emissions and the prevailing regulations, entities face operating costs, regulatory compliance costs, regulatory penalties in the event of non-compliance and capital expenditures related to emissions management. As such, entities may manage the issue through technological process improvements or other strategies that can mitigate such impacts, improving financial performance and enhancing brand value.
- Energy Management
  The category addresses environmental impacts associated with energy consumption. It addresses the company’s management of energy in manufacturing and/or for provision of products and services derived from utility providers (grid energy) not owned or controlled by the company. More specifically, it includes management of energy efficiency and intensity, energy mix, as well as grid reliance. Upstream (e.g., suppliers) and downstream (e.g., product use) energy use is not included in the scope.
  - Energy Management
    Containers and packaging manufacturing is energy-intensive, with energy used to power processing units, cogeneration plants, machinery and non-manufacturing facilities. The type of energy used, amount consumed and energy management strategies depend on the type of products manufactured. Typically, fossil fuels such as natural gas and biomass are the predominant form of energy used, while purchased electricity also may be a significant share. Therefore, energy purchases may be a significant share of production costs. An entity’s energy mix may include energy generated on site, purchased grid electricity and fossil fuels, and renewable and alternative energy. Trade-offs in the use of such energy sources include cost, reliability of supply, related water use and air emissions, and regulatory compliance and risk. As such, an entity’s energy intensity and energy sourcing decisions may affect its operating efficiency and risk profile over time.
- Water & Wastewater Management
  The category addresses a company’s water use, water consumption, wastewater generation, and other impacts of operations on water resources, which may be influenced by regional differences in the availability and quality of and competition for water resources. More specifically, it addresses management strategies including, but not limited to, water efficiency, intensity, and recycling. Lastly, the category also addresses management of wastewater treatment and discharge, including groundwater and aquifer pollution.
  - Water Management
    Containers and packaging manufacturing requires water for various stages of production including in raw materials processing, process cooling and steam generation at on site cogeneration plants. Long-term historical increases in water scarcity and cost, and expectations of continued increases—because of over-consumption and reduced supplies resulting from population growth and shifts, pollution and climate change—show the importance of water management. Water scarcity may result in a higher risk of operational disruption for entities with water-intensive operations, and can increase water procurement costs and capital expenditures. Meanwhile, containers and packaging manufacturing may generate process wastewater that must be treated before disposal. Non-compliance with water quality regulations may result in regulatory compliance and mitigation costs or legal expenses stemming from litigation. Reducing water use and consumption through increased efficiency and other water management strategies may result in lower operating costs over time and may mitigate financial effects of regulations, water supply shortages and community-related disruptions of operations.
- Waste & Hazardous Materials Management
  The category addresses environmental issues associated with hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated by companies. It addresses a company’s management of solid wastes in manufacturing, agriculture, and other industrial processes. It covers treatment, handling, storage, disposal, and regulatory compliance. The category does not cover emissions to air or wastewater nor does it cover waste from end-of-life of products, which are addressed in separate categories.
  - Waste Management
    Containers and packaging manufacturing may generate hazardous process waste which may include heavy metals, spent acids, catalysts and wastewater treatment sludge. Entities face regulatory and operational challenges in managing waste because some wastes are subject to regulations pertaining to its transport, treatment, storage and disposal. Waste management strategies include reduced generation, effective treatment and disposal, and recycling and recovery, if possible. Such activities, while requiring initial investment or operating costs, may reduce an entity’s long-term cost structure and mitigate the risk of remediation liabilities or regulatory penalties.
- Access & Affordability
  The category addresses a company’s ability to ensure broad access to its products and services, specifically in the context of underserved markets and/or population groups. It includes the management of issues related to universal needs, such as the accessibility and affordability of health care, financial services, utilities, education, and telecommunications.
  
  None
- Product Quality & Safety
  The category addresses issues involving unintended characteristics of products sold or services provided that may create health or safety risks to end-users. It addresses a company’s ability to offer manufactured products and/or services that meet customer expectations with respect to their health and safety characteristics. It includes, but is not limited to, issues involving liability, management of recalls and market withdrawals, product testing, and chemicals/content/ingredient management in products.
  - Product Safety
    Container and packaging product safety is a critical factor for the industry since many products are used in consumer-facing applications including in the food and healthcare industries. Aspects of packaging safety include physical hazards and the presence of potentially hazardous chemical substances. In the event of a product safety incident, products may be recalled or require redesign, possibly increasing costs to the manufacturer and resulting in reduced revenue and adverse impacts to brand value. As such, entities that proactively manage product safety risks may enhance their brand reputation and reduce adverse financial impacts.
- Selling Practices & Product Labeling
  The category addresses social issues that may arise from a failure to manage the transparency, accuracy, and comprehensibility of marketing statements, advertising, and labeling of products and services. It includes, but is not limited to, advertising standards and regulations, ethical and responsible marketing practices, misleading or deceptive labeling, as well as discriminatory or predatory selling and lending practices. This may include deceptive or aggressive selling practices in which incentive structures for employees could encourage the sale of products or services that are not in the best interest of customers or clients.
  
  None
- Product Design & Lifecycle Management
  The category addresses incorporation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations in characteristics of products and services provided or sold by the company. It includes, but is not limited to, managing the lifecycle impacts of products and services, such as those related to packaging, distribution, use-phase resource intensity, and other environmental and social externalities that may occur during their use-phase or at the end of life. The category captures a company’s ability to address customer and societal demand for more sustainable products and services as well as to meet evolving environmental and social regulation. It does not address direct environmental or social impacts of the company’s operations nor does it address health and safety risks to consumers from product use, which are covered in other categories.
  - Product Lifecycle Management
    Containers and packaging entities face opportunities and challenges associated with the potential environmental impacts of their products throughout their lifecycle. Designing products with reduced use-phase and end-of-life environmental impacts is an important opportunity for manufacturers. Demand for packaging produced with safer chemicals and using recycled and renewable materials continues to grow, along with demand for recyclable, reusable and compostable products. Although the lifecycle impact of products depends largely on their use and disposal, entities that effectively optimise such attributes during the design phase may gain a competitive advantage.
- Supply Chain Management
  The category addresses management of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks within a company’s supply chain. It addresses issues associated with environmental and social externalities created by suppliers through their operational activities. Such issues include, but are not limited to, environmental responsibility, human rights, labour practices, and ethics and corruption. Management may involve screening, selection, monitoring, and engagement with suppliers on their environmental and social impacts. The category does not address the impacts of external factors – such as climate change and other environmental and social factors – on suppliers’ operations and/or on the availability and pricing of key resources, which is covered in a separate category.
  - Supply Chain Management
    Containers and packaging manufacturing uses large quantities of raw materials including wood fibre and aluminium. Sustainable production of these materials is an important supply chain consideration for entities in the industry because adverse environmental impacts could increase materials costs and affect the brand value of entities. To mitigate such risks, entities may implement supply chain vetting practices and implement third-party standards within internal operations and suppliers that certify that the materials were produced in a sustainable manner. Additionally, such actions may raise brand value and meet customer demand for sustainably produced packaging products, providing access to new markets and growth opportunities.
- Business Ethics
  The category addresses the company’s approach to managing risks and opportunities surrounding ethical conduct of business, including fraud, corruption, bribery and facilitation payments, fiduciary responsibilities, and other behaviour that may have an ethical component. This includes sensitivity to business norms and standards as they shift over time, jurisdiction, and culture. It addresses the company’s ability to provide services that satisfy the highest professional and ethical standards of the industry, which means to avoid conflicts of interest, misrepresentation, bias, and negligence through training employees adequately and implementing policies and procedures to ensure employees provide services free from bias and error.
  
  None
Medical Equipment & Supplies Remove
Access Standard
- GHG Emissions
  The category addresses direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that a company generates through its operations. This includes GHG emissions from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes), whether a result of combustion of fuel or non-combusted direct releases during activities such as natural resource extraction, power generation, land use, or biogenic processes. The category further includes management of regulatory risks, environmental compliance, and reputational risks and opportunities, as they related to direct GHG emissions. The seven GHGs covered under the Kyoto Protocol are included within the category—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
  
  None
- Air Quality
  The category addresses management of air quality impacts resulting from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes) as well as industrial emissions. Relevant airborne pollutants include, but are not limited to, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, particulate matter, and chlorofluorocarbons. The category does not include GHG emissions, which are addressed in a separate category.
  
  None
- Energy Management
  The category addresses environmental impacts associated with energy consumption. It addresses the company’s management of energy in manufacturing and/or for provision of products and services derived from utility providers (grid energy) not owned or controlled by the company. More specifically, it includes management of energy efficiency and intensity, energy mix, as well as grid reliance. Upstream (e.g., suppliers) and downstream (e.g., product use) energy use is not included in the scope.
  
  None
- Water & Wastewater Management
  The category addresses a company’s water use, water consumption, wastewater generation, and other impacts of operations on water resources, which may be influenced by regional differences in the availability and quality of and competition for water resources. More specifically, it addresses management strategies including, but not limited to, water efficiency, intensity, and recycling. Lastly, the category also addresses management of wastewater treatment and discharge, including groundwater and aquifer pollution.
  
  None
- Waste & Hazardous Materials Management
  The category addresses environmental issues associated with hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated by companies. It addresses a company’s management of solid wastes in manufacturing, agriculture, and other industrial processes. It covers treatment, handling, storage, disposal, and regulatory compliance. The category does not cover emissions to air or wastewater nor does it cover waste from end-of-life of products, which are addressed in separate categories.
  
  None
- Access & Affordability
  The category addresses a company’s ability to ensure broad access to its products and services, specifically in the context of underserved markets and/or population groups. It includes the management of issues related to universal needs, such as the accessibility and affordability of health care, financial services, utilities, education, and telecommunications.
  - Affordability & Pricing
    Health care cost containment and health care access regulatory initiatives may place downward pricing pressures on the Medical Equipment & Supplies industry. This pressure may be increased further by consolidation among health care providers and the role of government-sponsored insurance programmes. Entities that ensure fair pricing may limit the negative effects of cost containment as well as benefitting from the potential revenue opportunities associated with expanded access. Entities that successfully balance the risks and opportunities associated with cost containment and improved access to health care may increase their market share among segments of the population that might ordinarily be less likely to seek health care.
- Product Quality & Safety
  The category addresses issues involving unintended characteristics of products sold or services provided that may create health or safety risks to end-users. It addresses a company’s ability to offer manufactured products and/or services that meet customer expectations with respect to their health and safety characteristics. It includes, but is not limited to, issues involving liability, management of recalls and market withdrawals, product testing, and chemicals/content/ingredient management in products.
  - Product Safety
    Information on product safety and side effects may be discovered after controlled clinical trials and approval. In such cases, entities are exposed to the financial implications of recalls and other adverse events, such as unfavourable media coverage, fines or investigations. Issues related to product safety, such as equipment failures, manufacturing defects, design flaws or inadequate disclosure of product-related risks, may result in significant product liability claims. Entities that limit the incidence of recalls, safety concerns and enforcement actions for manufacturing concerns may better protect shareholder value.
- Selling Practices & Product Labeling
  The category addresses social issues that may arise from a failure to manage the transparency, accuracy, and comprehensibility of marketing statements, advertising, and labeling of products and services. It includes, but is not limited to, advertising standards and regulations, ethical and responsible marketing practices, misleading or deceptive labeling, as well as discriminatory or predatory selling and lending practices. This may include deceptive or aggressive selling practices in which incentive structures for employees could encourage the sale of products or services that are not in the best interest of customers or clients.
  - Ethical Marketing
    Entities in the Medical Equipment & Supplies industry face legal and regulatory challenges associated with product marketing. Direct-to-consumer advertisements for medical devices and outreach to physicians provide opportunities for entities to increase their market share. However, challenges arise from the potential for marketing off-label uses, which may result in significant fines and settlements. Corporate disclosure of legal and regulatory fines and the codes of ethics that govern marketing activities may allow investors to develop a better understanding of performance in this area.
- Product Design & Lifecycle Management
  The category addresses incorporation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations in characteristics of products and services provided or sold by the company. It includes, but is not limited to, managing the lifecycle impacts of products and services, such as those related to packaging, distribution, use-phase resource intensity, and other environmental and social externalities that may occur during their use-phase or at the end of life. The category captures a company’s ability to address customer and societal demand for more sustainable products and services as well as to meet evolving environmental and social regulation. It does not address direct environmental or social impacts of the company’s operations nor does it address health and safety risks to consumers from product use, which are covered in other categories.
  - Product Design & Lifecycle Management
    Medical equipment and supplies entities face increasing challenges associated with the human and environmental impact of the industry’s products. Entities may face consumer and regulatory pressure to limit the use of material inputs associated with health concerns, while also addressing issues such as the energy efficiency and end-of-life disposal of specific products. Entities that address these concerns while engaging in efforts to enhance product take-back may satisfy consumer demand and reduce future liabilities better.
- Supply Chain Management
  The category addresses management of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks within a company’s supply chain. It addresses issues associated with environmental and social externalities created by suppliers through their operational activities. Such issues include, but are not limited to, environmental responsibility, human rights, labour practices, and ethics and corruption. Management may involve screening, selection, monitoring, and engagement with suppliers on their environmental and social impacts. The category does not address the impacts of external factors – such as climate change and other environmental and social factors – on suppliers’ operations and/or on the availability and pricing of key resources, which is covered in a separate category.
  - Supply Chain Management
    Supply chain quality is essential to protecting consumer health and corporate value. Entities that fail to ensure quality and traceability throughout their supply chains may be susceptible to fines, lost revenue and reputational damage. Additionally, entities may need to manage the use of material inputs that are considered scarce. Disclosure of supply chain audit programmes, strategies to ensure traceability and management of critical materials may better inform investors how entities in this industry are protecting shareholder value.
- Business Ethics
  The category addresses the company’s approach to managing risks and opportunities surrounding ethical conduct of business, including fraud, corruption, bribery and facilitation payments, fiduciary responsibilities, and other behaviour that may have an ethical component. This includes sensitivity to business norms and standards as they shift over time, jurisdiction, and culture. It addresses the company’s ability to provide services that satisfy the highest professional and ethical standards of the industry, which means to avoid conflicts of interest, misrepresentation, bias, and negligence through training employees adequately and implementing policies and procedures to ensure employees provide services free from bias and error.
  - Business Ethics
    Entities in the Medical Equipment & Supplies industry are subject to various international, national and local laws pertaining to health care fraud and abuse. An entity’s ability to ensure compliance throughout its global and domestic operational footprint may have notable effects on enterprise viability and reputation. Corporate disclosure of legal and regulatory fines and the codes of ethics that govern interactions with health professionals may better allow investors to monitor performance in this area.

General Issue Category

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Remove Medical Equipment & Supplies Access Standard

GHG Emissions

Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The Containers & Packaging industry generates direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel combustion in manufacturing and cogeneration processes. GHG emissions may result in regulatory compliance costs or penalties and operating risks for entities. However, the financial effects may vary depending on the magnitude of emissions and the prevailing emissions regulations. The industry may be subject to increasingly stringent regulations as countries try to limit or reduce emissions. Entities that cost-effectively manage GHG emissions through greater energy efficiency, the use of alternative fuels or manufacturing process advances could benefit from improved operating efficiency and reduced regulatory risk, among other financial benefits.

Air Quality

Air Quality
In addition to greenhouse gases (GHGs), containers and packaging manufacturing may produce air emissions, which may include sulphur dioxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). As with GHGs, these emissions typically stem from fuel combustion to produce energy. Relative to other industries, the Containers & Packaging industry is a significant source of some of these emissions. Although related financial effects may vary depending on the magnitude of emissions and the prevailing regulations, entities face operating costs, regulatory compliance costs, regulatory penalties in the event of non-compliance and capital expenditures related to emissions management. As such, entities may manage the issue through technological process improvements or other strategies that can mitigate such impacts, improving financial performance and enhancing brand value.

Energy Management

Energy Management
Containers and packaging manufacturing is energy-intensive, with energy used to power processing units, cogeneration plants, machinery and non-manufacturing facilities. The type of energy used, amount consumed and energy management strategies depend on the type of products manufactured. Typically, fossil fuels such as natural gas and biomass are the predominant form of energy used, while purchased electricity also may be a significant share. Therefore, energy purchases may be a significant share of production costs. An entity’s energy mix may include energy generated on site, purchased grid electricity and fossil fuels, and renewable and alternative energy. Trade-offs in the use of such energy sources include cost, reliability of supply, related water use and air emissions, and regulatory compliance and risk. As such, an entity’s energy intensity and energy sourcing decisions may affect its operating efficiency and risk profile over time.

Water & Wastewater Management

Water Management
Containers and packaging manufacturing requires water for various stages of production including in raw materials processing, process cooling and steam generation at on site cogeneration plants. Long-term historical increases in water scarcity and cost, and expectations of continued increases—because of over-consumption and reduced supplies resulting from population growth and shifts, pollution and climate change—show the importance of water management. Water scarcity may result in a higher risk of operational disruption for entities with water-intensive operations, and can increase water procurement costs and capital expenditures. Meanwhile, containers and packaging manufacturing may generate process wastewater that must be treated before disposal. Non-compliance with water quality regulations may result in regulatory compliance and mitigation costs or legal expenses stemming from litigation. Reducing water use and consumption through increased efficiency and other water management strategies may result in lower operating costs over time and may mitigate financial effects of regulations, water supply shortages and community-related disruptions of operations.

Waste & Hazardous Materials Management

Waste Management
Containers and packaging manufacturing may generate hazardous process waste which may include heavy metals, spent acids, catalysts and wastewater treatment sludge. Entities face regulatory and operational challenges in managing waste because some wastes are subject to regulations pertaining to its transport, treatment, storage and disposal. Waste management strategies include reduced generation, effective treatment and disposal, and recycling and recovery, if possible. Such activities, while requiring initial investment or operating costs, may reduce an entity’s long-term cost structure and mitigate the risk of remediation liabilities or regulatory penalties.

Access & Affordability

Affordability & Pricing
Health care cost containment and health care access regulatory initiatives may place downward pricing pressures on the Medical Equipment & Supplies industry. This pressure may be increased further by consolidation among health care providers and the role of government-sponsored insurance programmes. Entities that ensure fair pricing may limit the negative effects of cost containment as well as benefitting from the potential revenue opportunities associated with expanded access. Entities that successfully balance the risks and opportunities associated with cost containment and improved access to health care may increase their market share among segments of the population that might ordinarily be less likely to seek health care.

Product Quality & Safety

Product Safety
Container and packaging product safety is a critical factor for the industry since many products are used in consumer-facing applications including in the food and healthcare industries. Aspects of packaging safety include physical hazards and the presence of potentially hazardous chemical substances. In the event of a product safety incident, products may be recalled or require redesign, possibly increasing costs to the manufacturer and resulting in reduced revenue and adverse impacts to brand value. As such, entities that proactively manage product safety risks may enhance their brand reputation and reduce adverse financial impacts.

Product Safety
Information on product safety and side effects may be discovered after controlled clinical trials and approval. In such cases, entities are exposed to the financial implications of recalls and other adverse events, such as unfavourable media coverage, fines or investigations. Issues related to product safety, such as equipment failures, manufacturing defects, design flaws or inadequate disclosure of product-related risks, may result in significant product liability claims. Entities that limit the incidence of recalls, safety concerns and enforcement actions for manufacturing concerns may better protect shareholder value.

Selling Practices & Product Labeling

Ethical Marketing
Entities in the Medical Equipment & Supplies industry face legal and regulatory challenges associated with product marketing. Direct-to-consumer advertisements for medical devices and outreach to physicians provide opportunities for entities to increase their market share. However, challenges arise from the potential for marketing off-label uses, which may result in significant fines and settlements. Corporate disclosure of legal and regulatory fines and the codes of ethics that govern marketing activities may allow investors to develop a better understanding of performance in this area.

Product Design & Lifecycle Management

Product Lifecycle Management
Containers and packaging entities face opportunities and challenges associated with the potential environmental impacts of their products throughout their lifecycle. Designing products with reduced use-phase and end-of-life environmental impacts is an important opportunity for manufacturers. Demand for packaging produced with safer chemicals and using recycled and renewable materials continues to grow, along with demand for recyclable, reusable and compostable products. Although the lifecycle impact of products depends largely on their use and disposal, entities that effectively optimise such attributes during the design phase may gain a competitive advantage.

Product Design & Lifecycle Management
Medical equipment and supplies entities face increasing challenges associated with the human and environmental impact of the industry’s products. Entities may face consumer and regulatory pressure to limit the use of material inputs associated with health concerns, while also addressing issues such as the energy efficiency and end-of-life disposal of specific products. Entities that address these concerns while engaging in efforts to enhance product take-back may satisfy consumer demand and reduce future liabilities better.

Supply Chain Management

Supply Chain Management
Containers and packaging manufacturing uses large quantities of raw materials including wood fibre and aluminium. Sustainable production of these materials is an important supply chain consideration for entities in the industry because adverse environmental impacts could increase materials costs and affect the brand value of entities. To mitigate such risks, entities may implement supply chain vetting practices and implement third-party standards within internal operations and suppliers that certify that the materials were produced in a sustainable manner. Additionally, such actions may raise brand value and meet customer demand for sustainably produced packaging products, providing access to new markets and growth opportunities.

Supply Chain Management
Supply chain quality is essential to protecting consumer health and corporate value. Entities that fail to ensure quality and traceability throughout their supply chains may be susceptible to fines, lost revenue and reputational damage. Additionally, entities may need to manage the use of material inputs that are considered scarce. Disclosure of supply chain audit programmes, strategies to ensure traceability and management of critical materials may better inform investors how entities in this industry are protecting shareholder value.

Business Ethics

Business Ethics
Entities in the Medical Equipment & Supplies industry are subject to various international, national and local laws pertaining to health care fraud and abuse. An entity’s ability to ensure compliance throughout its global and domestic operational footprint may have notable effects on enterprise viability and reputation. Corporate disclosure of legal and regulatory fines and the codes of ethics that govern interactions with health professionals may better allow investors to monitor performance in this area.

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