Amgen announced its achievement in four ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategic categories in 2021 in a report.
Based in the U.S., the multinational pharmaceutical firm released the 2021 ESG Report on Wednesday.
The report explained how much the company moved forward in Amgen’s ESG framework – Healthy People, Healthy Society, Healthy Planet, and A Healthy Amgen.
In the Healthy People category, Amgen focused on improving access to medicines so that people worldwide could live the healthiest lives, the company said. Last year, the company provided $2.2 billion worth of Amgen drugs for free for uninsured or under-insured patients in the U.S. through the Amgen Safety Net Foundation.
In Healthy Society, Amgen said it made efforts to make a fair society for employees and communities. Last year, about 27 million students and educators worldwide used the Amgen Foundation’s science education program at no cost.
“This inspired the next generation of innovators and helped to level the playing field for those who traditionally have lacked access to world-class science education,” the company said.
In the Healthy Planet category, Amgen focused on minimizing its environmental impact to preserve natural resources for future generations. The company continued to make progress last year to achieve 100 percent carbon neutrality by 2027, it added.
For A Healthy Amgen, the company ensured its values were reflected in corporate culture. Various efforts include maintaining high standards in operations and reinforcing employees’ diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
Amgen’s ESG is being recognized in various areas, the company went on to say. Newsweek named Amgen “America’s Most Responsible Companies” for the third consecutive year in the past six months. JUST Capital picked it as one of the “America’s Most JUST Companies” for the fifth consecutive year. Barron’s called it one of the “America’s Most Sustainable Companies” for the second consecutive year. Amgen also made the list of “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality,” named by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for the sixth consecutive year.
"Our core business of improving human health contributes meaningfully to the greater good," said Judy Brown, senior vice president of Corporate Affairs at Amgen. "And through our ESG programs, we build on that foundation to address other challenging issues facing our society."
The Korean offshoot of Amgen also established goals for business growth and shared growth with Korean society based on the company’s four ESG categories.
In Healthy People, Amgen Korea is developing a campaign to improve housing for the vulnerable elderly and running an open innovation program for Korean biotech companies.
In Healthy Society, the company implements various social contribution programs to increase investment in the local community’s growth under Corporate Responsibility 2025. Major activities include the “Blue Wish” campaign to help children with intractable diseases fulfill their wishes, the “Grow up, Bio up” campaign for life science education for children and adolescents, and granting “Amgen Hallim Biotechnology Award” to support the young life scientists.