At Teva api, we always remember how essential our work is to the wider community, and this was never more important than this past year, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. As Teva’s Chairman, Dr Sol J Barer said, “At Teva, it reminded us of our responsibility to patients, our employees, communities and the planet. It required us to adapt and conduct business as usual in the most unusual of times. It strengthened our resolve to elevate our words and actions in the face of social and racial injustice. And it reinforced climate change as a pressing concern that is not just environmental, but directly related to health.”
That’s why we are so happy to announce the results of the 2020 ESG report. This takes into account our environmental, social and corporate governance impact, and as a result, has put us in the top 10% of Pharma companies in terms of our Sustainalytics, the method that is used to measure and rate the relevant organizations.
Corporate Governance in Response to the Pandemic
In 2020, we continued to embed inclusion and diversity across the organization, including seeking high-quality, diverse talent at all levels of the business. 82% of employees agree that Teva promotes inclusion and diversity in its culture, which is a great thing to see. We also saw our best employee safety performance to date, which showed a 15% drop in recordable injuries.
In a global business, there is no ‘one way’ to be impacted by something like COVID-19. We are proud to say that we had zero COVID-19-related job losses, and as the pandemic evolves, we continue to put a lot of efforts into encouraging our staff to do what they need for their wellbeing and their families, including working flexibly, and taking paid vacation days when in need.
The Social Impact
The pandemic put medical care and access to pharmaceuticals under the spotlight, and the ESG report has certainly highlighted our ability to act under pressure. As Liran Nagar, our Teva api Global Supply Chain Hub leader, said, “There was no precedent for this. In my 16 years in supply chain, I’ve never encountered an emergency on such a grand, global scale.” Incredibly, the supply chain has remained “largely uninterrupted across all markets”, and we have made huge strides in speeding up and increasing production to meet the unprecedented need. We kept our labs open, our manufacturing sites running, and continued to serve almost 200 million people each day.,
Teva api has also taken an important role in identifying active ingredients related to COVID-19 treatments that can be of use to patients who are in intensive care units. Examples include inhalers to treat longer-term respiratory symptoms of COVID-19, and muscle relaxants that make it easier and safer to intubate patients. As one of the largest fully-integrated manufacturing and delivery networks in Pharma, we were integral in building what the ESG report calls “resilient supply chains.” We doubled the number of medicines we donated to patients in need in comparison to 2019, providing more than half a million dollars’ worth of critical supplies.
The Environment Belongs to Us All
Of course, despite a focused approach to handling the evolving pandemic, the environment needs our attention more than ever. Our environmental sustainability is a huge part of working towards a better, safer, cleaner world. Our goals are aggressive, looking to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2030, in comparison to 2017. This year, we have reached 25% – an exciting milestone. We’ve also reduced total energy consumption by 6%, and water withdrawals by 13%, in the areas that need it the most.
As President and CEO of Teva, Kåre Schultz commented in the introduction to the 2020 Teva ESG report,
“While our approach is now more formalized, the tenets of ESG—operating responsibly and sustainably and caring for people and communities—have been ingrained in our company since our founding. As we celebrate 120 years of improving the lives of patients, we remain dedicated to advancing the health of our patients, our planet and our business.”