UN Global Compact

Taking responsibility is part of Novo Nordisk’s commitment to the Triple Bottom Line. The company's approach is described in the Novo Nordisk Way.

Novo Nordisk has worked with human rights since 1998, when the first human rights review was undertaken with focus on rights to health, equal opportunities and diversity.

This year we continued to actively participate in the international debate on how to define corporate responsibility for human rights being led by the Special Representative to the Secretary General of the UN on business and human rights.

In December 2010, Professor John Ruggie, Special Representative to the UN Secretary General, presented the Draft Guiding Principle on human rights.  Professor Ruggie's Guiding Principles elaborate and clarify for companies, states, and other stakeholders how they can put into practice their respective roles in the UN 'Protect, Respect and Remedy' Framework; the duty of states to protect human rights, the responsibility of business to respect these rights and the obligation for both to ensure appropriate mechanisms for remedy in cases of infringement. Novo Nordisk was one of the first companies to welcome the new guidelines.

To see our position on human rights visit our corporate website.

Examples of corporate programmes that actively promote human rights are:

• Human rights
• Access to health
• Responsible sourcing
• Diversity

It is a minimum requirement for companies and affiliates in Novo Nordisk to ensure that the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are upheld, that the company does not engage in forced and compulsory labour or child labour, and that the company works to ensure diversity and non-discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Novo Nordisk has activities all over the world and also has operations in countries where employees do not have a free choice of union. In those cases it is ensured that the national legislation is followed.

Examples of comprehensive corporate programmes that actively promote labour standards are:

• Responsible sourcine 
• Diversity

Ensuring environmental sustainability is one of the global challenges addressed by the UN Millennium Development Goals. The unequal access to resources means that in some parts of the world economic growth is hindered by the lack of eg clean drinking water, whereas in other parts of the world the abundance of and access to energy is accelerating the depletion of fossil fuels.

Governments and intergovernmental organisations such as the United Nation (UN) recognise the urgency of this issue and seek to promote the integration of the principles of sustainable development into national and regional policy programmes. Legislation and policy instruments such as taxation and regulation aim to curb or even reverse the loss of environmental resources, but not even these initiatives fully factor in the environmental costs and the potentially negative impacts on human lives in the long term. The business community has a key role to play if we are to achieve more sustainable growth.

Novo Nordisk has also signed up to the United Nations-supported statement, 'Caring for Climate: The Business Leadership Platform', launched at the Global Compact Leaders Summit in Geneva in July, 2007. In 2010, Novo Nordisk participated in the 2nd meeting of signatories in Geneva in April and in the Business for the Environment Climate Summit 2010 in Mexico City in October.

Novo Nordisk subscribes to the International Chamber of Commerce’s Business Charter for Sustainable Development. Our approach is described in the framework for corporate governance and fundamental business principles, the Novo Nordisk Way.

Novo Nordisk has been an active member of The Copenhagen Climate Council, an independent global initiative gathering business leaders from Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania and leading politicians, authorities and scientists. The Copenhagen Climate Council worked to promote a broad global dialogue and build momentum for achieving an ambitious, global and binding treaty at the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December, 2009.

Novo Nordisk is a signatory to the Bali Communiqué, the Poznan Communiqué, the Copenhagen Communiqué and the Cancun Communiqué of the Prince of Wales Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change.

Being a pharmaceutical company means that a majority of activities related to the production of pharmaceutical products have a high level of safety, always ensuring that Novo Nordisk have identified any potential risks to the users of Novo Nordisk’s products before they are taken into use. An example of how Novo Nordisk’s work with the precautionary principle can be found in Novo Nordisk’s position on gene technology.

Examples of comprehensive corporate programmes that actively promote environmental responsibility are:

• Climate strategy
• Environmental management
• Limiting our footprint

Integrity and ethical business conduct has always been a business principle for Novo Nordisk and one that is included in the Novo Nordisk Way and its systematic follow-up methodology.

Bribery and corruption are key local concerns today, detrimental to the wealth, stability and economic growth of societies as well as to the environment and Novo Nordisk believes that these problems must be tackled by all levels of society. Novo Nordisk's role as a private company is to act responsibly in all aspects of how Novo Nordisk conducts business as well as actively supporting relevant initiatives to combat corruption.

Novo Nordisk's Business Ethics programme includes compliance with legislation and offers guidance on individual judgements. The Business Ethics Policy sets direction and states that bribery and corruption is unacceptable. It is backed by three procedures for ethical business conduct, product promotion and contracting with agents and other third parties.

In addition, all staff must complete training that provides guidance, including examples of what constitutes unacceptable behaviour. Business ethics training has been required of all employees since 2010.

Novo Nordisk has a Business Ethics Compliance office to support and monitor the company's business ethics policy and procedures, and manages training covering anticorruption, conflicts of interest, promotion of pharmaceutical products, and interaction with healthcare professionals, suppliers and intermediaries.

Our Business Ethics policy and procedures also set standards for our public affairs activities and engagement with stakeholders such as public officials, healthcare professionals and patient organisations.

During 2009, we reached settlement agreements with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the US Department of Justice and the Danish Public Prosecutor for Serious Economic Crime regarding the company's sales to Iraq during 2000 to 2003 under the United Nations Oil-for-Food programme.

Examples of comprehensive corporate programmes that actively promote anti-corruption are:

• Business ethics
• Public affairs