Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) today issued its 2011
Sustainability Report, marking the 13th consecutive year the company has
released a report about its social, environmental and economic
performance. The report, available at http://sustainability.baxter.com,
features progress toward the company's sustainability priorities and
goals and its commitment to addressing the needs of stakeholders
worldwide.
Baxter's Alathur and Waluj, India, facilities use coconut and rice husks as well as sugar cane remnants as energy sources that help to decrease fossil-fuel related greenhouse gas emissions, reduce energy costs and contribute to the local economy. Baxter has reduced its absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent since 2005, due in part to innovative strategies such as using renewable biomass fuels. (Photo credit: Baxter International Inc.)
This press release has an accompanying Smart Marketing Page providing
further details about the organization, products and services introduced
below. You can access the Smart Marketing Page via the following link: https://smp.newshq.businesswire.com/pages/baxter-launches-2011-sustainability-report
''At Baxter, sustainability is about creating lasting social,
environmental and economic value by addressing the needs of our
wide-ranging stakeholder base,'' said Robert L. Parkinson, Jr., Baxter's
chairman and chief executive officer. ''We succeed as a business by
operating responsibly in service of these diverse stakeholders – which,
in turn, ensures we can continue to advance our sustainability
priorities well into the future.''
Highlights from the 2011 report include:
-
Reducing absolute greenhouse
gas emissions by 7 percent since 2005, due in part to innovative
renewable energy strategies such as using biomass fuels rather than
fuel oil. For example, Baxter’s Alathur and Waluj, India, facilities
use coconut shells, rice husks and sugar cane remnants as energy
sources in boilers, which decreases fossil-fuel related greenhouse gas
emissions, reduces energy costs and contributes to the local economy.
-
Reducing absolute water
use 6 percent since 2005, primarily through water conservation
strategies. For example, Baxter’s Atlacomulco, Mexico, facility,
located in a water-stressed region, reduced absolute water use by 26
percent compared to 2010 through innovative water reuse projects.
-
Increasing access
to healthcare through more than $80 million in combined giving
from Baxter and The Baxter International Foundation, the company’s
philanthropic arm. Product donations helped people in 75 countries
during the year, including contributions of intravenous (IV)
antibiotics and other IV solutions following the earthquake and
tsunami in Japan and extreme rainfall and flooding in Thailand.
Baxter's nine sustainability
priorities reflect issues of key concern to Baxter and its
stakeholders and areas where the company is positioned to have a
positive impact. Priorities include strengthening access to healthcare,
enhancing math and science education, and a range of environmental
initiatives such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation,
and water use.
Baxter's 2011 Sustainability Report is aligned with the Global Reporting
Initiative guidelines, which provide a uniform and transparent set of
metrics to systematically report on sustainability initiatives and
results.
Baxter Earns Sustainability Recognition
Based on its sustainability performance, Baxter has been included for
the 11th year in Corporate Responsibility magazine's 100 Best
Corporate Citizens list. Released on April 17, the annual survey draws
from firms in the Russell 1000 Index and is based on more than 320 data
points of publicly available information in seven categories:
environment, climate change, employee relations, human rights,
governance, finance, and philanthropy. For more information, see http://www.thecro.com/.
For the second consecutive year, Baxter is the leader of the Healthcare
Products subsector of the latest Maplecroft Climate Innovation Indexes.
Created in collaboration with Bloomberg, the Indexes analyze how the
largest multinational companies in the United States manage and adapt to
climate change, with a focus on innovation. For more information, see http://maplecroft.com/cii/.
Fourth Annual Baxter World Environment Week Features Philippe
Cousteau, Jr.
Baxter’s fourth annual Baxter World Environment Week, held the first
week of June to correspond with the United Nations’ World Environment
Day, is Baxter’s signature initiative aimed at engaging and educating
its employees on environmental sustainability. The initiative features
opportunities for employees to participate in activities and learn about
sustainable living, and this year included a presentation by Philippe
Cousteau, Jr., about the importance of oceans and environmental
conservation.
Employees around the world create local events and volunteer with
organizations that match their personal interests and help address local
concerns. For example, Baxter's Woodlands facility in Singapore held
events for employees about energy efficiency and water conservation, and
employees from Baxter’s Austria facilities volunteered to help with
maintenance and trail trimming at the Danube-Auen National Park near
Baxter’s facility in Orth. For more information, see http://sustainability.baxter.com/community-support/employee-involvement.html.
About Baxter
Baxter's commitment to sustainability spans more than three decades. The
company is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and has been
recognized by Corporate Knights as one of the Global 100 Most
Sustainable Corporations in the World and by Corporate Responsibility
magazine as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens. Baxter is a member
of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical
School, Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, and the
Ethics & Compliance Officer Association. The company endorses the Ceres
principles and is an Organizational Stakeholder of the Global Reporting
Initiative. Further information about Baxter’s sustainability activities
can be found at www.sustainability.baxter.com.
Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops,
manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of
people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney
disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a
global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique
combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and
biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50320686〈en
