5.17.2006 ET

(CSRwire) DEERFIELD, Ill.- Baxter International Inc. has been selected as a recipient of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2006 Climate Protection Awards, which honor individuals and organizations around the world that have made significant contributions to protecting the climate.

In selecting Baxter for this award, the EPA cited Baxter's leadership and corporate responsibility, notably the company's participation in the agency's Climate Leaders program, in addition to Baxter's global perspective in the area of climate change, and commitment to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

"This year's Climate Protection Award winners have set impressive goals, employed innovative approaches and demonstrated what can be achieved in the interest of protecting our climate," said William Wehrum, acting assistant administrator for air and radiation at the EPA. "We congratulate Baxter on its outstanding achievement."

Baxter has long been recognized as a leader among corporations in the area of environmental responsibility. The company is a charter member of the EPA's Climate Leaders program, an industry/government partnership that works with companies to set longer-term GHG emissions reduction goals and develop comprehensive climate change strategies. In January 2006, the EPA announced that Baxter was one of the first five companies in this program to achieve its voluntary U.S. GHG emissions reduction goals. From 1996 to 2005, Baxter has reduced its global GHG emissions by 39 percent per unit of production value.

In February of 2005, Baxter was one of the first three companies to be designated by the EPA as a Performance Track Corporate Leader, a program recognizing corporate-wide environmental leadership. The EPA established this designation for companies that meet a number of key criteria, including the involvement of a large number of the company's facilities in the agency's Performance Track program, a commitment to "beyond compliance" environmental performance and environmental excellence.

"Global climate change could have serious long-term environmental, health and economic consequences on communities around the world, and Baxter has taken concrete actions and a cooperative approach to address this issue," said Arthur J. Gibson, vice president of environment, health and safety at Baxter. "We are proud to receive this award from the EPA and look forward to continuing our partnership with the agency and other companies worldwide to responsibly address climate change."

Award winners will be recognized at a ceremony this evening in Washington, D.C. The EPA established the Climate Protection Awards in 1998 to recognize exceptional leadership, personal dedication and technical achievements in protecting the Earth's climate. Today, they are among the most prestigious environmental awards for climate protection in the world, and so far have recognized 122 individuals and organizations from 16 countries.

Baxter's commitment to advancing environmental stewardship and social responsibility spans more than three decades. Baxter has been recognized by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for seven consecutive years. Baxter is a member of the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, the Business Environmental Leadership Council of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the EPA's Energy Star Program, Ethics & Compliance Officer Association and Hospitals for a Healthy Environment. Baxter is also a founding member of the Chicago Climate Exchange, North America's only, and the world's first, GHG emissions registry, reduction and trading system. Baxter endorses the Ceres principles and is an organizational stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). To learn more about Baxter's sustainability initiatives, including the company's efforts around climate change, please visit www.baxter.com/sustainability.

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), through its subsidiaries, assists healthcare professionals and their patients with the treatment of complex medical conditions, including hemophilia, immune disorders, cancer, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma and other conditions. The company applies its expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives.

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