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Baxter's Commitment To Sustainability Extends To Suppliers, Employees, Local Communities

Initiatives and Programs Drive Innovation and Promote Responsible Business

Baxter's Commitment To Sustainability Extends To Suppliers, Employees, Local Communities

Initiatives and Programs Drive Innovation and Promote Responsible Business

Published 12-16-09

Submitted by Baxter International Inc.

Baxter International Inc.'s commitment to help address key global sustainability issues, such as climate change, natural resource use and inadequate education, enhances the company's business while supporting its corporate responsibility to the communities in which it operates. Pursuing programs that drive innovation and promote responsible business practices among Baxter's suppliers, employees, customers and other stakeholders has resulted in new collaborations and recognition by several organizations.

Program Encourages Suppliers to Improve their Environmental Performance
Baxter recently launched its new Global Supplier Sustainability program to drive progress toward Baxter’s corporate sustainability goal to incorporate green principles into its purchasing program with suppliers. The program is focused in the areas of green supply chain; customs-trade partnership against terrorism (C-TPAT); material regulatory compliance; and supplier environment, health and safety audits. As part of the program, suppliers who engage in activities that result in positive environmental results for themselves and Baxter, such as changing a manufacturing process that reduces energy usage, will receive recognition. Baxter believes that programs such as this can help reduce the carbon footprints of both Baxter and its suppliers. The program also includes 20 supplier green criteria elements that will be used to assess Baxter's suppliers, such as if they have an environmental or sustainability program and how they are reducing their carbon footprint and natural resource use. As part of the global business community, Baxter is committed to working with its suppliers to improve their environmental performance, purchase products with reduced environmental impacts, and minimize transportation-related emissions.

Baxter's Code of Conduct Receives High Marks
Baxter's Code of Conduct was recently featured as the Ethisphere Institute's "Code of the Week" with an overall score of A-. The Code of Conduct defines the core principles that govern employee behavior at Baxter and how the company conducts its business. Baxter received top scores for the Code's public availability, expressed values and commitments, risk topics discussed, and non-retaliation and reporting efforts. The Code of Conduct builds on Baxter's longstanding commitment to leadership in ethical business practices, covering topics such as protection and use of company assets, accurate recordkeeping, competitive and confidential information, sales and marketing practices, anti-corruption, insider trading, bioethics, conflicts of interest, gifts and trade compliance. Additionally, Baxter's Ethics and Compliance Standards for Baxter Suppliers defines policies and sets common expectations about ethical behavior when doing business with Baxter. Further information about the Ethisphere Institute's methodology and Baxter's score is available at http://ethisphere.com/code-highlight-baxter-intl.

Baxter Recognized for Commitment to Reducing Waste and Increasing Recycling
The Waste to Profit Network, a partnership of the Chicago Manufacturing Center, City of Chicago, State of Illinois, and Region V of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, recently named Baxter an "Outstanding Sustainability Champion." The Waste to Profit Network helps area businesses collaborate to identify opportunities to reuse materials and by-products, bringing together more than 200 Chicago-area companies, City of Chicago departments and various institutions to identify and implement synergies that not only reduce waste and emissions, but also deliver economic impact. Since 2006, the Network has diverted more than 165,000 tons of solid waste from landfill and created nearly $16 million dollars in economic impact to local companies. Baxter, the first company to join the Waste to Profit Network, is working to find innovative ways to recycle mixed medical plastics. Baxter's commitment to reducing waste generation and increasing recycling and reuse spans more than three decades. Further information on the Waste to Profit Network is available at http://www.wastetoprofit.org.

Baxter Named an Outstanding Partner for Science and Math Education
The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) recently named Baxter an "Outstanding Partner" for its Science@Work program. The five-year, three-part program, in partnership with CPS, Renaissance Schools Fund and Illinois Institute of Technology, is aimed at providing enhanced science education opportunities for CPS students and teachers focused on biotechnology. Since 2008 the program provided education opportunities to more than 24,000 CPS students via 352 teachers in 109 schools. Baxter also hosted 24 volunteer-based activities providing access to Baxter experts and innovations. As part of the program, Baxter adopted Lindblom Math and Science Academy, a public high school in Chicago, and established the Biotechnology Center of Excellence to provide critical teacher training to enrich biotechnology curricula throughout CPS. The company is also helping provide lab supplies and hands-on, real-world experiences for teachers and students. In the past year, Lindblom students toured Baxter's Round Lake, Illinois facility, attended a career day at the company's headquarters, and worked on a group project with Baxter employees to develop a prototype home dialysis machine for teen patients as part of a problem-based learning project.

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 was also recently ranked first in the healthcare category of Newsweek's Green Rankings. 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. logo

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.

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