Sustainability performance
Access to Medicine Index
Every two years, the Access to Medicine Foundation publishes the Access to Medicine Index. It benchmarks 20 of the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical companies on activities and initiatives that experts consider most relevant for access to medicine in low- and middle-income countries.
The Foundation revised the Access to Medicine Index methodology in 2020. The latest Index was published in January 2021. We came in eighth place (previously fourth place). Our position among the top ten confirms our continuous commitment to improving sustainable access to high-quality solutions for all. The ATM Index for 2021 recognized us for our performance in Research & Development, where we ranked fifth. Our leading role in Intellectual Property sharing also received accolades.
CDP climate and water
We’ve been reporting our climate actions to the CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) since 2008. In 2020, our climate impact mitigation activities scored a B in the CDP, up from a C in 2019. This initiative measures the strategies companies use to reduce emissions along with their successes, as well as how they manage their risks and opportunities on climate change.
In addition to reporting on our climate action, since 2016 we have been reporting our water-related performance and processes to the CDP. In 2020, we again received a B for our water management practices.
The CDP evaluates companies’ performance in the areas of climate and water on a scale from A to D-, with A being the top score.
EcoVadis rating
The independent rating agency EcoVadis evaluates suppliers from more than 160 countries across the categories of Environment, Labor and Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. As a member of the Together for Sustainability initiative, we also undergo this assessment. We were again assessed in 2020, and with a score of 79/100 achieved platinum status, which put us among the top 1% of all participating companies.
ESG Rating from MSCI
MSCI ESG Research provides MSCI ESG Ratings on global public and a few private companies on a scale of AAA (leader) to CCC (laggard), according to exposure to industry-specific ESG risks and the ability to manage those risks relative to peers. In May 2020, we received a rating of AAA in the MSCI ESG Ratings assessment.
ESG Risk Rating from Sustainalytics
With the ESG Risk Rating Sustainalytics measures company's exposure to industry-specific material ESG risks and analyses how well companies are managing those risks. In December 2020, Sustainalytics ranked us 13th among 792 pharmaceutical companies with an overall “low” exposure to ESG risks.
ESG company rating from ISS
In 2020, the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) group of companies again granted us Prime Status (“good” to “very good”) as in 2019.
The 100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies in the World
In 2020, The Wall Street Journal newly ranked the world’s most sustainably managed companies focusing on companies’ ability to create long-term shareholder value. Among all companies ranked we took fourth place while reaching the first place in the subranking “Social and product issues management”. With the first place in the subranking we are recognized for our social initiatives such as our program to eliminate schistosomiasis.
The 200 most sustainable companies in Germany
In 2020, the magazine stern and the market research company Statista analyzed both the sustainability performance of German companies and the perception of these companies by citizens in the three ESG categories. Among 200 qualified companies, we took second place in the overall ranking on the most sustainable companies in Germany.
Sustainability indices
Ethibel Sustainability Index (ESI) Excellence Europe
Since 2015 we have been a constituent of the ESI Excellence Europe, a sustainability index that comprises the 200 top-rated European companies based on their corporate responsibility performance.
FTSE4Good Index Series
Since 2008, we have been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series, a leading international ethical investment stock market rating that annually measures the performance of companies in demonstrating strong environmental, social and governance practices.
STOXX® Global ESG Leaders Index
In 2020, our company was once again included in the STOXX Global ESG Leaders sustainability index, which assesses companies based on key environmental, social and governance criteria.
Awards
Prize for research and development
The R&D 100 Awards are among the most prestigious innovation awards in the world, honoring research and development pioneers. In November 2019, one of these awards recognized our first-to-market innovation Eshmuno® CP-FT Resin, which can be used to efficiently remove aggregates from antibodies, thus lowering the risk to patients. Moreover, this product yields higher capacities than traditional methods and results in a smaller ecological footprint from manufacturing.
Top Project of the Year Award
In July 2020, we received the “Top Project of the Year Award” from the Environment + Energy Leader journal for our web-based tool DOZN™. With DOZN™ users can estimate the green scores of their processes and products in order to increase their sustainability.
HR Excellence Award
In 2020, we received the HR Excellence Award for our project “Empowering Leadership” to transform our leadership culture. By setting clear expectations, providing training for managers at all levels, as well as conducting communication campaigns, we have been able to achieve strong impact within the company and rising indicators of leadership quality.
Most Attractive Employers ranking
The success of our efforts is also confirmed by our ranking among the 100 most attractive employers for students and professional scientists in Germany. This index is published annually by employer branding specialist Universum and involves a survey of more than 47,000 people. In the category of Natural Sciences, we ranked eleventh out of 100 in the student survey.
Award from Science Magazine
Science, a leading peer-reviewed academic journal, once more named us a top employer. Almost 8,000 employees and managers from biotech and pharmaceutical companies took part in the magazine’s online survey, ranking our company sixth in 2020.