Corporate Responsibility
MSD publishes 2017/2018 Corporate Responsibility Report 28th September 2018
MSD (tradename of Merck & Co) has issued its 2017/2018 Global Corporate Responsibility Report. The report reflects the company’s performance and progress in its four corporate responsibility priority areas of Access to Health, Employees, Environmental Sustainability and Ethics & Transparency.
“Our company has an important role to play in tackling some of humanity’s greatest challenges,” said Kenneth C Frazier, chairman and chief executive officer, MSD. “By fostering a long-term, strategic approach to our business and our contributions to society, we can not only strengthen our future as a company but also fulfill our commitments to make this a better, healthier world for all.”
The report highlights MSD’s approach to creating social, environmental and economic value for the company and its stakeholders and the company’s commitment to operate ethically and transparently. For the first time, the report includes cross-references to the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) disclosures. The report also highlights the company’s contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the international community’s aspirations for improving the lives of the world’s population – especially the poor – by 2030.
Additional highlights from this year’s report include:
- MSD research in oncology continued to advance, providing hope to a growing number of patients with different cancers.
- Approximately 65% of the company’s vaccines were distributed outside the United States in 2017, up from just 28% in 2010, contributing to the global fight against disease.
- The company expanded the MECTIZAN Donation Program to reach up to 100 million more people per year through 2025 as part of the global effort to eliminate lymphatic filariasis.
- MSD improved access to quality maternal healthcare and modern contraception for more than 6 million women around the world through MSD for Mothers, the company’s 10-year, $500 million global initiative to end preventable maternal deaths.
- In 2017, the company achieved a 31% increase of spend with diverse suppliers, after a 57% increase in 2016, exceeding its corporate goal to achieve $1.2 billion in spend with minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, LGBT-owned and disability-owned business enterprises.
- The company made progress toward its 2025 goal of having more than 50% of purchased electricity come from renewable sources by signing a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with Invenergy.
Learn more about MSD’s approach to Corporate Responsibility and progress on key initiatives in the 2017/2018 Corporate Responsibility Report.