Sustainability Reporting of the World’s Largest Pharmaceutical Companies

The Roberts Environmental Center (REC) at Claremont McKenna College studied the information offered on the websites of 26 of the largest pharmaceutical companies from around the world to rank companies on how they publicly report on environmental and social issues.

In general, social reporting tends to be stronger in the pharmaceutical sector than environmental reporting, the analysis found. One possible explanation is the fact that pharmaceutical companies are more likely to promote equity in medical care access and medicine than other sectors. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, for example, committed $150 million last year to research targeting the least developed countries and vulnerable populations, according to the report. As a whole, however, less than 60 percent of companies discussed on their websites their efforts to boost access to health care in low-income areas.

Slightly more than 60 percent of companies surveyed reported on their energy use and consumption, while less than 60 percent reported greenhouse gas emissions, waste and green power consumption. Slightly more than half reported water, hazardous waste and volatile organic carbon data.

The report uses the Pacific Sustainability Index to creates the scores, dubbed PSI, which is based on transparency, intent and performance of social and environmental data. REC has analyzed several sector for environmental and social reporting, including chemicals, telecommunications, entertainment, electronics and semiconductor and other industries, as well as California businesses.