Our ESG investor event focused on our company’s long-term strategies related to access to health, employees, environmental sustainability and ethics and values
Our company has a 130-year heritage of operating responsibly. Our inaugural Environment, Governance and Governance (ESG) investor event highlighted how we are building on this legacy to drive lasting value for our business and society.
As of February 23, a virtual event for investors, analysts, media and members of the public, members of our leadership team outlined our company’s priorities and performance across our four ESG pillars: Access to Health, People , environmental sustainability and ethics and values .
“Our drive to make a difference for humanity – through responsible invention, manufacturing and delivery of vaccines and medicines – has remained constant and central,” CEO and Chairman Rob Davis. “Our ESG efforts help fuel the actions necessary for the success of our business and our stakeholders.”
Here is an overview of some of these efforts:
Access to health
“Tackling high unmet medical needs around the world is central to Merck’s purpose and our ability to sustain long-term growth. This not only includes our investments in developing innovative new products, but also ensuring that our products reach those who need them. Expanding patient reach and access is at the heart of our business and our ESG strategy. »
– Eliav BarrSenior Vice President, Global Medical Affairs
Our efforts include:
- Access planning during the product development process
- Expanding access to our medicines and vaccines through collaborations and patient assistance programs
- Advance health equity for underrepresented populations and people in low- and middle-income countries
Employees
“Seven decades of fostering a culture that embraces different perspectives and values has taught us that inclusion creates competitive advantage for the organization. Additionally, by prioritizing the well-being of our employees, it supports our ability to continually attract and retain highly qualified people, strengthen our competitiveness and mitigate employee turnover. ”
– Steve MizellExecutive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Our efforts include:
- Determine where we can remove barriers for underrepresented groups in our hiring process
- Work with various suppliers
- Offering tools and resources to support employee physical, emotional and mental health, financial well-being and safety
Environmental sustainability
“Through our three [environmental sustainability] priority areas of improving the efficiency of our operations, reducing the environmental impact of our products and packaging, and reducing environmental risks throughout our supply chain, we are further contributing to sustainability of our business by reducing risk, lowering costs and presenting opportunities for innovation. ”
–Sanat ChattopadhyayExecutive Vice President and President, Merck Manufacturing
Our efforts include:
- Adopt a new set of climate goals, which include achieving carbon neutrality across all of our operations by 2025
- Create an “energy roadmap” to help our facilities reduce energy demand and associated greenhouse gas emissions
- Engage with suppliers to reduce environmental impact
Ethics & values
“We maintain our reputation as a trustworthy company by ensuring compliance with our Code of Conduct and our Code and Standards, which helps reduce risk in our supply chain and promotes trust with our data protection and privacy program.”
–Jennifer ZacharieExecutive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Our efforts include:
- Foster a culture in which employees feel they can freely voice concerns and report incidents that may conflict with our Code of Conduct and Policy
- Employing a third-party risk management team to establish, implement and monitor responsible and ethical sourcing practices
- Commit to maintaining 100% compliance with regulatory requirements for active incident monitoring, risk/damage analysis and timely notification of data breaches
See a replay of the event
