View Full Report

Summary

Report Highlights

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has published its eighth Corporate Responsibility Report, covering the years 2015 and 2016. It is available online at www.emdgroup.com/cr-report.

At Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, responsible conduct is embedded in our fundamental principles of corporate governance and is an integral element of our global strategy. In this vein, we meet global challenges in a variety of ways.
In living our corporate responsibility, we focus our strengths on those areas where we can have the greatest impact. We pursue three strategic spheres of activity, namely health, environment, and culture & education. Our activities are aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

• Health: For our engagement in promoting more and better access to health, we moved up to fourth place in the 2016 Access to Medicine Index. One striking example of our commitment is the fight against the tropical disease schistosomiasis. Since 2007, our company has donated more than 500 million praziquantel tablets to the World Health Organization to treat this insidious infection, thereby reaching more than 100 million children in Africa.
• Environment: Our new smart liquid crystal windows can reduce the energy use of airconditioned buildings by up to 40%. We are therefore investing € 15 million in the construction of a new production plant in the Netherlands. At our site in Darmstadt, we have constructed an OLED materials production plant for € 30 million. These materials make displays and lighting brilliant and energy-efficient.
• Culture & Education: We seek to promote curiosity. In 2016, our company invested € 3.2 million in education activities worldwide.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has prepared its Corporate Responsibility Report in accordance with the comprehensive option of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 guidelines. The report also documents our company’s progress in implementing the principles of the United Nations Global Compact.

About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2016, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany generated sales of € 15.0 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany holds the global rights to the "Merck" name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.