Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
As members of PhRMA, we believe improving human life means celebrating human diversity
ESG Strategy
As a research-driven global biopharmaceutical company, we apply the same high standards and rigor to the medicines and solutions we pursue, to how we operate our business. AbbVie is advancing ESG initiatives that contribute to the sustainable growth of our company so that we can create positive impact for generations to come. Our leaders are stewards of our ESG mission, and our people are committed to ensuring our research, innovations and collaborations put impact for people, communities and our world first. We evaluate our efforts relative to external frameworks such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (UN SDGs) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).
Our ESG Framework is built around three foundational pillars that align with our enterprise goals and principles. These pillars have been developed based on an analysis of our material issues, considering the topics of most interest and relevance to our company and our stakeholders—including our patients, patient organizations, employees, investors, regulators and government, payers and providers, suppliers and nonprofit partners.
Our ESG Framework is built around three foundational pillars that align with our enterprise goals and principles. These pillars have been developed based on an analysis of our material issues, considering the topics of most interest and relevance to our company and our stakeholders—including our patients, patient organizations, employees, investors, regulators and government, payers and providers, suppliers and nonprofit partners.
EEDI Strategy
Our five-year EEDI strategy, launched in 2019, focuses on several cornerstones of success: drive awareness & understanding; attract and source talent; develop and engage talent; and create connections and community. We do this for our people, our patients and our business. Each of these strategic areas has specific objectives and associated initiatives and include implementation plans organized by business function and geography. The strategy and its implementation are driven and overseen by our CEO, Chief Equity Officer and the Executive Leadership team who set formal goals and are held accountable for our performance in this area. Additionally, all AbbVie executives have equity, equality, diversity and inclusion related goals. See the Board and Executive Oversight of ESG section of this report to learn more about our executives’ ESG goals.
Racial Injustice Must End
We are deeply concerned about the state of racial equality and social justice in the U.S. Each of us must stand up and reject bias, racism and the lack of real inclusion. We recently donated $50 million to support health and educational opportunities for Black and other historically underserved communities across the United States.
As a part of our donation, The AbbVie Foundation seeded Direct Relief's Fund for Health Equity with a $10 million commitment. The initiative centers on improving care and addressing health inequities in Black and marginalized communities.
Global Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Efforts
AbbVie affiliates around the world are implementing programs that resonate with their unique cultures and employee needs. For example, AbbVie New Zealand’s EEDI Committee and other leaders have actively elevated Māori inclusion by sponsoring language lessons and organizing visits to culturally significant venues.
Environmental Sustainability:
As members of PhRMA, we believe a healthy environment is essential for improving human life
AbbVie Environmental Targets
AbbVie’s Environmental Targets demonstrate AbbVie’s continuous efforts to be responsible environmental stewards. In 2021, AbbVie surpassed its 2025 scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions reduction target of 25%, four years ahead of schedule. We accomplished this by increasing our investment in renewable sources, decreasing our Scope 2 emissions. Furthermore, AbbVie has implemented energy efficiency measures, which decreased both our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. For example, we completed the replacement of our cogeneration system at our site in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico.
Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
In 2021, we committed to joining the Science Based Targets initiative and setting ambitious science-based emissions reduction targets to support limiting global temperature rise in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Working with SBTi allows us to access expert resources on our journey to meaningfully reduce our climate impact.
Spark Innovation Accelerator
An Incubator for employee-driven ideas that accelerate our efforts to reduce energy consumption, water use and waste. In 2021, AbbVie employees developed groundbreaking systems and strategies, resulting in a reduction of 31 metric tons of material waste and almost 15,000 kilowatt hours of energy.
Access & Affordability:
As members of PhRMA, we believe that living our mission of improving human life relies on broad access to medicines
Global Access to Medicines
To facilitate access to AbbVie medicines globally, we contribute to the World Intellectual Property Organization's Patent Information Initiative for Medicines (Pat-INFORMED) database. This database provides patient Information on medicines from HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hepatitis C, oncology, respiratory conditions and other products on the WHO Essential Medicines List so that procurement agencies may easily find patent holders and communicate directly with companies selling medicines they need.
Donating Medicines
Through our medicine donation programs, we supply medicines to underserved populations who typically have no other means of accessing them. We have seven ongoing medicine donation partnerships with international non-governmental organizations providing care in low- and middle-income countries. Since 2013, we have donated medicines for use in over 100 countries.
MyAbbVie Assist
Patients in the United States without insurance or those with limited coverage for our medicines may be eligible to receive AbbVie medicines at no cost to them through myAbbVie Assist. The program serves as an important safety net and helps 99% of uninsured patients who seek our assistance. In 2021, myAbbVie Assist integrated products available under the Allergan Patient Assistance Program and supported over 170,000 patients in the United States.