Also, the company estimates that the investments it has made over the last six years yielded $80 million in savings and cost avoidance in 2004, with $9 million of that from energy savings alone.

"The benefits go far beyond cost avoidance and energy or raw material savings," Meissen said. "Many of the initiatives we have put in place have yielded higher quality levels, greater production output and flexibility, reduced waste, as well as improvements in workplace safety."

Baxter has been recognized as a leader in environmental management and reporting and climate change for more than a decade. In the mid-1990s, Baxter began publicly reporting information regarding energy use, cost and associated greenhouse gas emissions, and was the first company to publish an environmental financial statement to demonstrate the linkage to the company's bottom-line. Baxter also has pioneered a Lean and Clean approach by applying Lean manufacturing disciplines to the company's environmental processes as well as applying environmental insights to its manufacturing operations. Not only has this effort reduced waste and improved efficiency, it has revealed numerous opportunities for environmental improvement.

With many countries addressing climate change through actions like climate taxes on energy and mandatory greenhouse gas emission caps, global companies like Baxter are already implementing programs to reduce their energy use and emissions across their operations, Meissen emphasized. He added that doing so is essential to remaining competitive on a global basis.

A copy of Meissen's full testimony is available on www.baxter.com

Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, assists healthcare 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.