Baxter names first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer

Renae Kezar has been appointed as Chief Sustainability Officer at healthcare company Baxter International – the first ever CSO at the organisation.

The news was shared by Kezar in a post on LinkedIn last week. “This role is deeply meaningful to me because of what it represents. The chance to lead with purpose, to help drive environmental and social change, and to collaborate with passionate people who are committed to making healthcare more sustainable,” she said.

Kezar added that she would be working alongside brilliant minds to advance initiatives that protect our planet while delivering life-saving therapies and technologies. 

Renae Kezar's sustainability background

Kezar joins from Johnson Controls where she held the position of Global VP, Head of Sustainability Strategy & Deployment for the last four years. Prior to that she was Global Senior Director of Sustainability at Avery Dennison.

She is a board member of the Midwest Sustainability Network and is the founder and former global president of CELAB, a global consortium of companies that aims to increase the recycling of pressure-sensitive labels.

She is also a liaison delegate at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), where she collaborates with other leaders and stakeholders on advancing the circular economy and addressing climate change.

Kezar has a MS in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University and an Executive MBA from Case Western Reserve University. She describes herself as being “passionate about collaboration and using the power of the enterprise to deliver strategies and growth plans that far exceed expectations". 

Baxter International climate targets

Baxter International’s most recent sustainability report, published on 24 June, says that the company reduced Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 13.5% compared to 2023, and by 18.8% compared to the baseline year of 2020. This marks three-quarters of the way to Baxter’s 2030 goal of a 25% emissions reduction, aligned with its 'well-below 2ºC' science-based target. 

In 2024, Baxter invested approximately US$12 million to complete 175 energy conservation projects across the company’s manufacturing sites, including four solar installations and one biomass-fired steam generator installation.

The company also invested around US$31.5 million in underserved and disaster-affected communities worldwide through strategic partnerships and product donations from both Baxter and the Baxter Foundation, including more than US$4 million to support employees and communities affected by Hurricane Helene in the US.