In 2015, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of aspirations aimed at all countries and organizations across the globe. We too are making every effort to help reach these objectives. Recently, for instance, we conducted a materiality analysis to identify the goals with which our daily operations currently align.
Our approach
Underpinned by 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the international community has identified 169 targets aimed at facilitating the actions necessary to accomplishing the mission. We recognize that companies too are duty-bound to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2018, we examined the SDG targets in an effort to pinpoint the ones where our business activities make the greatest direct impact.
A closer look at our efforts
With our CR commitments we especially support the goals of Good Health & Well-Being (SDG 3), Quality Education (SDG 4) and Affordable & Clean Energy (SDG 7) (see graphic below). However, our contribution towards achieving the SDGs does not limit itself to the strategic spheres of activity established in our corporate responsibility strategy. This means that we not only contribute to solving global challenges within the areas of “Global Health”, “Sustainable Solutions” and “Broad Minds”, but rather that many of our activities have positive effects that go beyond. This is the case with seven of the 17 SDGs. In our 2018 CR-report, for the first time, we show which SDG targets we support with our management approaches and projects. Beyond these seven SDGs, we are also pursuing activities in support of eight other goals, albeit to a lesser extent. For this reason we do not report on them on a target level.
SDG 3: Good health and well-being
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Across the globe, two billion people lack access to medicines, with an estimated 400 million lacking access to effective and affordable essential health services. Given this reality, we are striving to rectify the situation through our Global Health Strategy. However, recognizing that we cannot solve these challenges alone, we have joined forces with strong partners to work towards a solution.
Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.
- Access to Medicine Index Ranking 2018
- Strategy for preventing and treating infectious diseases
- Joining forces to improve access to health
Target 3.b: Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and noncommunicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all.
- Access to and control of intellectual property
- Collaborating on open innovation: WIPO Re:Search
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative
- Global Health Institute research on neglected tropical diseases
SDG 4: Quality education
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
- Community outreach in the mica supply chain
- Igniting a passion for science with the global volunteer program SPARK
- Scientific junior labs at the Technical University, Darmstadt, Germany
- Education for teachers and school partnerships
SDG 5: Gender equality
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
- Women in leadership roles: Requirements and targets
- Revealing unconscious bias
- Networks to bolster diversity
SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Around the world, the number of areas suffering from water scarcity is on the rise. At our sites, we are dependent on a reliable supply of water. We have made sustainable water management a key focus of our environmental stewardship.
Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally.
- High marks for our water management practices
- Antibiotic residues in wastewater
- Water protection measures in India
- Clean water for China
SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
We expect all suppliers and vendors to adhere to the same high social standards as we do. These are set forth in the core labor standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Global Compact.
Target 8.4.: Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead.
SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
We are always on the lookout for pioneering developments and trends. We develop products and technologies that improve people’s lives. New technologies, especially advances in digitalization, enable us to create innovative products, services and business models.
Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.
- Making packaging more sustainable
- Recycling program updated
- Using biotechnology to produce meat in laboratories (clean meat)
- Material investments in environmental impact mitigation
- Investing in renewable energies
- Recharging facilities at our sites
SDG 10: Reduced inequalities
Reduce inequality within and among countries.
- Shared data platform for increasing the transparency of medicine donation supply chains
- Providing integrated primary healthcare service facilities (CURAFA)
- Low-price second brands
- Generics
SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
We take on social responsibility. Focusing especially on those areas where we can best leverage our expertise, we promote health, education and cultural projects. Beyond these efforts, we provide disaster relief and assist people in need in the countries where we operate, particularly in the immediate vicinity of our sites.
Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
- ISO 14001:2015 environmental certification
- Clear target for reducing the environmental impacts of waste
SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Respect for the environment is the bedrock of our approach to sustainability. We see it as our duty to not only conserve resources when developing our own products, but also to help our customers enhance the sustainability of theirs.
Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.
- Our processes for sustainable product design
- Green chemistry assessment tool
- Registration of chemical compounds
- Safety analysis during product development
Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
Target 12.6: Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.
- Our processes for sustainable product design
- Green chemistry assessment tool
- Our CR strategy
- Yearly sustainability reporting
SDG 13: Climate action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
- Emissions lowered despite growth
- Strategic climate program
- Educating employees about climate impact mitigation
- Switching to sea freight
SDG 14: Life below water
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Our wastewater may contain traces of substances such as heavy metals or pharmaceutical active ingredients. For us, sustainable water management means not negatively impacting the aquatic ecosystems from which we obtain freshwater, or into which we discharge purified wastewater.
Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
- High marks for our water management practices
- Avoid antibiotic residues in wastewater
- Water protection measures in India
- Alternatives to microplastic in cosmetics
SDG 15: Life on land
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
- Engaging stakeholder: our approach
- Engaging stakeholders about health for all
- Discussions on an international level
- Engaging stakeholders about compliance
- Engaging stakeholders about environmental stewardship