Novartis awarded leading position in influential sustainability index
September 24, 2007 - Novartis has been selected as a sustainability leader in the 2007 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), a global index tracking the economic, environmental and social performance of companies. Novartis also maintained its presence on the Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Index for Europe, which comprises the most sustainable companies in the region.
The total score given to Novartis is 82% while the DJSI pharmaceutical sector leader achieved 84%. This places Novartis in the top 10% of the most sustainable companies worldwide in the pharmaceutical sector.
“We are pleased to see that the Dow Jones Sustainability Index recognizes our responsible business approach,” said Thomas Wellauer, Head of Corporate Affairs, and Member of the Executive Committee at Novartis. “Every year, the DJSI selection process becomes more challenging, demonstrating that companies are increasingly engaged in the area of sustainability.”
The DJSI recognition comes after Fortune magazine ranked Novartis No. 1 among pharmaceutical companies in its survey of the “World’s Most Admired Companies.” The results, published in May 2007, were based on a survey of 1 500 pharmaceutical industry executives and financial analysts worldwide.
“Novartis has a strong track record in sustainability management and is one of the leading companies in its industry. Throughout most questionnaire criteria, the company’s scores are consistently significantly above industry average. It is particularly encouraging to see that the company strives to get even better, which is reflected in improved scores in many areas this year,” according to the Sustainability Asset Management (SAM) group which assesses companies for the DJSI.
Among the 23 evaluation parameters, Novartis received the best scores in the sector for its performance on the following eight criteria:
- Risk and crisis management
- Codes of Conduct/Compliance/Corruption and Bribery
- Brand Management
- Environmental Reporting
- Advanced Environmental Performance
- Environmental Policy/Management System
- Bioethics
- Strategy to improve access to drugs
Corporate citizenship is an integral part of how Novartis operates and a key to its success. Last year, the company spent nearly USD 755 million on access-to-medicines programs and research in neglected diseases, reaching approximately 33.6 million patients. This represented 2% of 2006 annual sales.
Click here for more information on the DJSI