Environmental Leader

Over the past quarter, Baxter International Inc. has implemented programs that drive responsible business practices, while garnering a few accolades along the way.

Two of Baxter’s 2015 supply-chain goals are to incorporate green principles into its purchasing program with its top 100 suppliers, and reduce the carbon footprint of Baxter’s car fleet by 20 percent from a 2007 baseline.

As part of its green supply-chain initiative, Baxter recently launched its new Global Supplier Sustainability program to incorporate green principles into its purchasing program that can also help reduce the carbon footprints at Baxter and its suppliers. The program is focused on a green supply chain, customs-trade partnership against terrorism (C-TPAT), material regulatory compliance, as well as supplier environment, health and safety audits.

The program includes 20 supplier green criteria elements to assess suppliers. Baxter works with its suppliers to improve their environmental performance, purchase products with reduced environmental impacts, and minimize transportation-related emissions.

Baxter reduced its net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions indexed to revenue by 21 percent from 2005 to 2008, meeting its original 2010 GHG emissions goal two years early and on target to meet its 2015 goal.

Baxter’s Code of Conduct recently received an overall score of A- from Ethisphere Institute’s “Code of the Week”. The healthcare company received top scores for the code’s public availability, expressed values and commitments, risk topics discussed, and non-retaliation and reporting efforts.

Baxter, a charter company of the Waste to Profit Network in Chicago, has been named “Outstanding Sustainability Champion” by the network for reducing waste and increasing its recycling.

Since 2006, the Network has diverted more than 165,000 tons of solid waste from landfill and created nearly $16 million dollars in economic impact to local companies.

In addition, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) recently named Baxter an “Outstanding Partner” for its Science@Work program. The five-year, three-part program, in partnership with CPS, Renaissance Schools Fund and Illinois Institute of Technology, provides science education opportunities for CPS students and teachers focused on biotechnology.