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Corporate Social Responsibility
News
2.24.2005 ET
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EPA Recognizes Baxter Healthcare Corporation as a Corporate Leader of its Performance Track Program
(CSRwire) DEERFIELD, IL - Baxter Healthcare Corporation has been selected by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the agency's
three inaugural Performance Track Corporate Leaders, a program recognizing
corporate-wide environmental leadership.
The EPA has established this new designation for companies that meet a
number of key criteria, including the involvement of a large number of
facilities in the agency's Performance Track program, "beyond compliance"
environmental performance and environmental excellence demonstrated at the
corporate level. Baxter, Johnson & Johnson and Rockwell Collins are the
first three recipients of this new EPA designation.
In selecting Baxter as a Performance Track Corporate Leader, the EPA cited
Baxter's longstanding commitment to corporate environmental leadership,
particularly related to innovative practices, supply chain performance and
corporate governance.
"The Performance Track Corporate Leader designation recognizes companies
for their strong environmental performance beyond current regulatory
requirements," said EPA Acting Administrator Steve Johnson. "This
voluntary partnership program is based on the premise that government
should complement its existing regulatory programs with new tools and
strategies that not only protect people and the environment, but also
capture opportunities for reducing cost and spurring technological
innovation."
To qualify for this designation, the EPA requires that at least five of
the company's facilities be Performance Track members, and 25 percent of
the company's operations be either Performance Track members or members of
similar performance-based state programs. In Baxter's case, eight of the
company's 18 major U.S. facilities (44 percent of U.S. facilities) and two
smaller U.S. facilities are already Performance Track members.
Building upon its focus on environmental excellence, Baxter has pledged to
continuously improve its environmental performance and that of the
company's suppliers and/or customers as part of its commitment as a
Performance Track Corporate Leader. It has also committed to increase the
number of facilities participating in the Performance Track program to at
least 50 percent within five years of designation. Performance Track is a
public/private partnership recognizing top environmental performance among
participating U.S. facilities of all types, sizes and complexity.
"We are proud to receive this recognition from the EPA, and look forward
to continuing our collaboration through the many valuable programs like
Performance Track," said Robert L. Parkinson, Jr., Baxter's chairman and
chief executive officer.
"In sharing our own experiences and performance with others through
programs such as these, we are constantly challenged to raise the bar and
often come away with new ideas for product and process improvement."
Baxter's commitment to advancing environmental stewardship and social
responsibility spans more than two decades. Baxter has been recognized by
Innovest Strategic Value Advisors as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable
Corporations in
the World, as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Business Ethics
Magazine, and is the 2004 Medical Products Industry Leader in the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index. Baxter is a member of the Boston College
Center for Corporate Citizenship, the Business Environmental Leadership
Council of the Pew Center on Global Climate Exchange, the Chicago Climate
Exchange, the U.S. EPA's Climate Leaders, the Ethics Officers Association
and Hospitals for a Healthy Environment. Baxter endorses the Coalition
for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) principles and is an
organizational stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). To
learn more about Baxter's sustainability initiatives, please visit www.baxter.com/sustainability.
To learn more about the EPA Performance Track Program, please visit www.epa.gov/performancetrack/corporateleaders/index.htm.
Baxter Healthcare Corporation is the principal operating subsidiary of
Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX). Baxter International Inc., through
its subsidiaries, assists health-care professionals and their patients
with the treatment of complex medical conditions, including cancer,
hemophilia, immune disorders, kidney disease and trauma. The company
applies its expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and
biotechnology to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives.
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