DEERFIELD, Ill., May 27, 2009 - Baxter International Inc. was recently included among the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute and recognized on Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine's 100 Best Corporate Citizens list for exemplary corporate social responsibility performance. Other recent sustainability-related highlights focus on the company's continuing commitment to make a positive impact in its local communities through partnerships with non-profit and governmental organizations, volunteer time and monetary donations, and grants through The Baxter International Foundation.

Ethisphere Names Baxter Among World’s Most Ethical Companies
For the second time, the Ethisphere Institute, a U.S.-based think tank, included Baxter on its list of the World's Most Ethical Companies. Ethisphere's list honors companies like Baxter that promote ethics throughout their organizations and demonstrate that ethical practices are necessary and help make businesses stronger and more sustainable. The list was first compiled in 2007 and this year recognizes 99 companies. Inclusion in the list is based on a rigorous and competitive selection process that includes in-depth analysis in the following categories: corporate citizenship and responsibility; corporate governance; legal, regulatory and reputation track record; and industry leadership. For more information, visit http://ethisphere.com/wme2009/.

Baxter Included on 100 Best Corporate Citizens List
Based on its corporate social responsibility performance, Baxter has been ranked 19th in Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine's 100 Best Corporate Citizens list. Released in March, the annual survey draws from U.S. firms in the Russell 1000 Index. This is the eighth year Baxter has been included on the list. The list has gained national recognition as an indicator of best practices in the area of corporate responsibility since it was developed in 2000 by Business Ethics magazine. For more information about the list, visit www.thecro.com.

Baxter Mexico Honored for Commitment to Social Responsibility
Baxter Mexico has been recognized as a distinguished Socially Responsible Company by Centro Mexicano de Filantropía A.C. (CEMEFI) based on its exemplary programs in business ethics and work life, commitment to the community and environmental practices. Past winners of the award include S.C. Johnson, Coca-Cola and Microsoft Mexico. CEMEFI is a private, non-profit association with more than 700 partners that works to promote civic participation throughout Mexico. CEMEFI's Socially Responsible Companies, like Baxter Mexico, demonstrate a commitment to continuous, measurable improvements in corporate social responsibility that generates value while being both sustainable and competitive.

Baxter Joins Carbon Disclosure Project Supply Chain Program
Baxter is pleased to announce that it has joined the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Supply Chain Program as a data member. Baxter recognizes that its supply chain and product distribution operations contribute to the company's overall green house gas (GHG) emissions, and would like to better understand the risks and opportunities related to climate change and reducing GHG emissions within its supply chain. The CDP Supply Chain Program encourages the transparency of GHG emissions data by providing a unified methodology to measure supply chain emissions using data collected directly from suppliers, which is a key step in managing the company's total carbon footprint. As a data member, the CDP will distribute the supply chain questionnaire on Baxter's behalf to 10 of the company's top suppliers to explore the allocation of supplier emissions to business units or product groups. The CDP is an international, independent not-for-profit organization that acts as an intermediary between shareholders and corporations on all matters related to climate change and reporting GHG emissions. Driving a green supply chain is one of Baxter's nine sustainability priorities.

Baxter Becomes a Founding Member of Forward Chicago
Baxter has signed on as a founding member of Forward Chicago, a public-private partnership dedicated to helping the city of Chicago achieve its aggressive GHG emissions targets and help make Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games as environmentally sound as possible. Forward Chicago, a collaboration of The Climate Group, Chicago 2016 and the City of Chicago, identified three major environmental challenges facing Chicago's neighborhoods: reducing urban "heat island" effects, creating open space and greening, and preventing flooding.

Baxter will partner with the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Chicago Public Schools, and the City of Chicago to finance and install green infrastructure solutions, such as rain gardens, to better manage storm water and alleviate flooding issues at one or more schools. Rain gardens provide a natural way to manage storm run-off, reduce the impacts of "heat islands" in the summer and help to better manage increased rainwater expected from the implications of climate change. Reducing GHG emissions and taking action on climate change are core elements of Baxter's sustainability efforts. This initiative further expands Baxter’s commitment to education "“ another Baxter sustainability priority - by engaging students in tangible environmental science projects.

Baxter Volunteers Demonstrate Continued Commitment to Community Service
In 2008, Baxter volunteers donated more than 140,000 hours to their local communities around the world. This extraordinary achievement is a concrete example of Baxter's continuing commitment to community service in the locations where it operates. Every year, employees are encouraged to participate in the Baxter Global Service Program to advance Baxter’s culture of volunteerism and support of the community. Employees are recognized on two levels: "Give It A Week" for employees volunteering 40 hours in a calendar year and "Global Service 75" for employees volunteering 75 hours or more in a year. Employees reaching either milestone receive a certificate of appreciation from Baxter. Thirty of the 513 employees globally who volunteered 75 or more hours during 2008 were randomly selected for a $1,000 donation to an approved charity of their choice. These employees recorded a collective 3,866 volunteer hours. In 2008 more than 800 Baxter employees reached either the 40- or 75-hour milestones.

Foundation Grants Support Health Programs Around the World
The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter, approved 11 grants totaling more than $700,000 in the first quarter of 2009. These grants will help improve access to healthcare in communities in the United States and abroad. Funding will support a variety of programs which range from expanding comprehensive sexual violence services, to improving healthcare for adolescents in crisis, to providing health education and support services to immigrants and their families. Recipient organizations include:

• Changing Faces in London, England, to support the expansion of outreach, professional training and psychological support services for people with facial disfigurement in East and Southeast England.
  
• BraveHearts Therapeutic Riding & Educational Center, Harvard, Ill. to increase therapeutic riding and related programs for veterans with disabilities and post traumatic stress disorder.
  
• Volunteers in Medicine of Monroe County, Bloomington, Ind., to add a part-time nurse practitioner to increase the services of the free healthcare clinic for the uninsured.

About Baxter
Baxter's commitment to sustainability spans three decades. The company is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and has been recognized by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors as one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World and by Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens. Baxter is a member of the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, the Business Environmental Leadership Council of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, the Chicago Climate Exchange, the U.S. EPA's Climate Leaders and the Ethics & Compliance Officer Association. Baxter endorses the Ceres principles and is an organizational stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative.

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX), through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.

Baxter International Inc.

Baxter International Inc.

At Baxter, sustainability means creating lasting social, environmental and economic value by addressing the needs of the company’s wide-ranging stakeholder base. The company's sustainability efforts support Baxter's mission to apply innovative science in the development of products and therapies that save and sustain patients' lives.

More from Baxter International Inc.