Baxter releases latest sustainability report

Baxter International has announced the launch of its latest sustainability report, which explores the company’s performance in the economic, social and environmental spheres during 2006.

Entitled 2006 Sustainability Report – Connected by a Higher Purpose – the paper for the first time sees Baxter set out its broad sustainability priorities for the whole firm.

Priorities for sustainability fall into three areas – employees; operations and products; and the wider world in which the company works.

Within these areas, the report focuses on the company’s workplace, its supply chain, its ethical conduct and compliance matters, environmental impact and healthcare access and education.

Robert L Parkinson Jr, chairman and chief executive officer of Baxter, said: “Being a great company requires a commitment to address pressing social and environmental concerns.”

He added that through definition of its priorities in sustainability over the long term, the company has placed itself in a position where it can better focus its resources on continuing to lead the industry on such matters.

In April 2007, Baxter announced the purchase of Green-e certified energy certificates to the value of 15.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity to offset the energy used by its Deerfield headquarters.

Following this purchase, the company reiterated its belief that corporations have a key role in dealing with the issue of climate change.