Research, Reports & Publications

Going Integrated for the 12th Time: Novo Nordisk Publishes 2015 Integrated Annual Report

Feb 8, 2016 10:00 AM ET

February 8, 2016 /3BL Media/ - Today Novo Nordisk published its 2015 Annual Report detailing the company’s year-end performance. The report highlights the company’s progression towards long-term targets taking an integrated approach that accounts for financial, social and environmental performance. This is the company’s 12th integrated report.

Novo Nordisk’s 2015 report features articles highlighting the need for urgent action to address the growing number of people living with undiagnosed diabetes, progress on the company’s flagship programme, Cities Changing Diabetes, and introduces an updated environmental strategy to reduce the CO2 impact from so-called indirect emissions from sources such as purchased goods and services from raw materials to business flights.

Jakob Riis, executive vice president, explains the rationale for the broader scope of the company’s environmental strategy: “While we’ll continue to challenge ourselves and improve in the areas of energy and water consumption, waste reduction and direct carbon emissions, we’re ready to broaden the scope of our responsibility to include indirect CO2 emissions. With overwhelming scientific evidence of the increased rate and impact of climate change, we simply must set ourselves ambitious targets in this area,” he says. In November 2015, Novo Nordisk set a new ambition to use 100% renewable electricity at all its global production sites by 2020.

Key performance on social and environmental dimensions include:

Social

  • 26.8 million people with diabetes have been treated with Novo Nordisk’s diabetes care products of which 5.5 million were treated with insulin for USD 0.19 per day or less, which is the ceiling price for insulin sold according to the differential pricing policy.
  • The Changing Diabetes® in Children programme has been rolled out in nine countries since its launch in 2009, reaching more than 13,400 children. A total of 108 clinics have been established and more than 6,500 healthcare professionals have been trained or re-trained in diabetes care.
  • The Changing Diabetes® in Pregnancy programme, also launched in 2009, has since screened more than 33,300 women for gestational diabetes, and more than 3,800 women have been diagnosed and subsequently treated.
  • 98% of all relevant employees completed and documented business ethics training and passed the related tests.

Environmental

  • CO2 emissions related to energy consumption at production facilities decreased by 11% despite a 9% increase in energy use. The production plant in Tianjin, China, has started sourcing wind power from a windfarm in Inner Mongolia, and the Danish production facilities are now sourcing bio-natural gas.
  • CO2 emissions from transport (product distribution) decreased significantly by 25% compared with 2014. This is mainly due to an increase in the volume of products being distributed via sea from 72% in 2014 to 83% in 2015.
  • In 2015, the company generated 34,715 tons of waste, which is an increase of 13% compared with 2014. This is mainly due to an increase in non-recyclable ethanol used in purification processes for insulin production.
  • In 2015, water consumption increased by 6%, a reflection of increased production and capacity as well as increased activities within research and development. Of the water used at production sites, 14% is in water-scarce regions in Brazil and China.

Novo Nordisk’s Annual Report 2015 is available as a downloadable PDF. Download the report

Novo Nordisk values feedback and welcomes questions or comments about its reporting and performance at annualreport@novonordisk.com.
 

Reporting standards

In the absence of global standards for inclusive reporting, the report was prepared in respect of international standards for mandatory and voluntary reporting, including:

  • International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
  • Danish Financial Statements Act
  • The content elements and guiding principles of the International Integrated Reporting Framework, <IR>, developed by the International Integrated Reporting Council
  • The accountability standard, the AA1000 (2008) Framework, which includes AA1000APS (2008) and AA1000AS (2008)
  • US Sarbanes-Oxley Act requirements for financial reporting
  • International Standards on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) 3000
  • Danish Corporate Governance Recommendations

In addition, Novo Nordisk publishes its Communication on Progress to the UN Global Compact, with a separate section in accordance with the Blueprint for Corporate Sustainability Leadership (LEAD), available at http://www.novonordisk.com/annual-report-2015.html.

 

About Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to help people defeat other serious chronic conditions: haemophilia, growth disorders and obesity. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 41,100 people in 75 countries and markets its products in more than 180 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube

For more information about Corporate Sustainability at Novo Nordisk, visit novonordisk.com/sustainability