Praise for Bayer: As the best German chemical company in the area of sustainability Bayer has been honored with the SAM Sustainability Award 2012.The rating agency Sustainable Asset Management (SAM) conferred its Gold standard on the Group in the area of sustainability. On a global scale, two other companies in the chemical industry were granted similar recognition.

In its Sustainability Yearbook, the rating agency Sustainable Asset Management (SAM) provides insights into its annual SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment of companies from 58 sectors. This determines the companies that are included in the SAM Yearbook listing the world’s sustainability leaders. These comprise the top 15 percent of companies from each sector classified into three categories: SAM Gold Class, Silver Class and Bronze Class. In the new Yearbook 2012 Bayer has been honored with SAM Gold Class for its commitment to sustainability, as one of three companies in the chemical sector. Apart from the sector leader, those peer group companies whose total score is within 1 percent of the SAM Sector Leader are awarded SAM Gold Class.

SAM assesses the sustainability performance of more than 2,000 of the world's largest listed companies. The composition of the Dow Jones Sustainability indices is based on its evaluation. According to the rating agency, companies headquartered in Germany traditionally perform very well in this sustainability ranking in an international comparison. Bayer is included in both indices relevant for the company, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index Europe. Investors are showing an increasing interest in how companies integrate sustainable development into their strategies, and apply sustainability ratings as an additional risk indicator.

At the beginning of 2010, analysts from Norwegian financial service provider Storebrand Investments carried out an assessment of 15 pharmaceutical companies. As one of the top three companies, Bayer was awarded "Best in Class" status. As a result, Bayer stock once again qualified for inclusion in the Storebrand Principle Fund. Storebrand is considered one of the world’s leading financial service providers for sustainable investments.

Storebrand has been awarding "Best in Class" status since the end of 2009 to companies that stand out due to their excellent financial performance and their credentials in the environmental, climate protection, social and governance sectors, while not violating the exclusion criteria. Bayer received a very good rating in the human rights area for the implementation of its Bayer Human Rights Position, among other aspects.

Storebrand’s analysis techniques include continuous negative screening, the "Best in Class" analysis and active dialogue with companies.

The Access to Medicine Foundation was set up in the Netherlands in 2005 with the aim of improving access to sustainable health care, particularly in developing countries. In 2008, the Foundation established the Access to Medicine Index. The “Access to Medicine Index” is supported by 27 institutional investors with a managed investment volume totaling US$3.3 trillion.

The Access to Medicine Index (ATM) was published for the second time in 2010 following its first issue in 2008. After reaching rank nine in 2008, Bayer is number 14 on the 2010 Access to Medicines Index out of 20 R&D-based pharmaceutical companies analyzed. The evaluation is carried out by U.S. rating agency MSCI.

The ATM Index assesses and evaluates the extent to which pharmaceutical companies promote access to sustainable health care and to effective, affordable medicines in particular. The index classifies the top 20 R&D-based pharmaceutical companies and seven generics companies in the world. The ATM Index is helping to further the debate on this subject. The complete report and Bayer’s company profile with respect to ATM are openly accessible on the ATM website.

Bayer stock has again been included in one of the most important sustainability indexes, the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), for 2011 for the thirteenth consecutive period. Bayer is one of the few German companies that have been listed in the DJSI World continuously since its establishment in 1999. Bayer stock has also once again been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index (DJSI Europe). The listing in both Dow Jones indexes underpins Bayer's standing as an international leader in sustainability. The analysts awarded Bayer very good scores for risk management, climate strategy and environmental management and human resources development.

Since 2008, Sustainable Asset Management (SAM) includes the top 15 percent of companies per sector in the SAM Sustainability Yearbook 2011, which gives an overview of the corporate sustainability assessments performed. The companies represented there are classified into three categories: SAM Gold Class, SAM Silver Class and SAM Bronze Class. In the new Yearbook Bayer has been honored with SAM Silver Class for its commitment to sustainability. Peer group companies whose total score is within 10 percent of the SAM Sector Leader are awarded SAM Silver Class.

In September 2011, the company was once again included in the two global climate indices published by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Bayer is one of 29 companies included in the Carbon Performance Leadership Index in recognition of its endeavors to reduce CO₂. The company has also achieved the top international ranking in the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index, which lists the 52 companies that display the greatest transparency in climate reporting. As last year, Bayer is ranked as the best company in its sector in this index. For both indices the 500 biggest publicly traded companies (FTSE Global 500 Index) are evaluated. Only 23 companies are included in both indices. The climate indices are used as a guide by investors wishing to invest in companies with a sustainable climate strategy.

Bayer is the only chemical and pharmaceutical company that has been included in the Carbon Disclosure Index continuously for seven consecutive years. The company achieved its best overall rating to date with a score of 99 out of 100 and shares first place with three companies from other sectors. Bayer is included for the second time in the Performance Index, which was established in 2010. Instead of absolute points, companies are assigned to performance bands and Bayer has been awarded the highest rating of A.

Both the CDLI and the CPLI were compiled following detailed research and analysis of climate-relevant corporate data by corporate auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on behalf of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). As well as data on CO₂ emissions and reduction targets, action and strategies to protect the environment and deal with climate change are taken into account. This database is the largest of its kind in the world. The companies’ reports are published on the Internet.

The CDP is an initiative that now includes 551 institutional investors, with combined assets under management of US$71 trillion. These investors explicitly expect companies to make available comprehensive climate-relevant information so that they can base their investment decisions on what contributions the companies make to climate protection and how they are addressing the challenges posed by climate change. In this connection, the investors are interested not just in the strategic alignment of the business toward new needs, but also the management of the business risks that can be linked with climate change. The CDLI and CPLI offer these investors such orientation for their investment decisions.

The CDP Global 500 Report 2011 and the Bayer’s response are published on the CDP website.

Bayer has been recognized as a Brand Emissions Leader in the Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare sector for 2009. The Brands Emissions Leaders Project aims to provide an annual rating of the carbon performance of the leading brand operating in the United Kingdom. Qualifying criteria include reductions realized, emissions targets and transparency in reporting.

Bayer has once again received the TOTAL E-QUALITY Award for exemplary activities in terms of human resource management aimed at providing equal opportunities for women and men in their professions. Bayer has received the award already for the fifth time – so far only one other German company has been presented the award so many times. At the beginning of 2011 Bayer has voluntarily committed itself to increase the quotas for the upper management. Therefore the group seeks to increase the percentage of women in the five highest contract levels worldwide from momentarily about 21 percent towards 30 percent by 2015.

The association TOTAL E-QUALITY Deutschland e. V. was founded in 1996 by representatives of several German companies and with the support of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology as well as the Federal Ministry of Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The association’s aim is to establish and sustainably ensure equal job opportunities. One of the key issues is the advancement of women in leadership positions.

Bayer Corporation has again been recognized by Working Mother magazine as one of the nation’s 100 best companies for working mothers. This is the eighth time in the past nine years the company has been recognized on the annual list. 

All companies were measured and evaluated on eight areas of work/life criteria including women’s issues and advancement, child care, company culture, flexible work arrangements, benefits, workplace profile, parental leave and other work/life programs. 

Over the years, Bayer has implemented a number of work-life programs to better fulfill the needs of employees. For example, the company established the Women’s Leadership Initiative to foster the professional development of females in the organization. 

The Working Mother recognition follows a long line of national and local recognition Bayer has received, including the Catalyst Award - the highest honor for diversity in the United States - for its initiatives and programs to develop women and minorities. Bayer has also been honored by LifesWork of Western Pennsylvania with its Joseph F. Mulach award, which honors companies’ efforts to eliminate barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities.

Bayer is one of the companies worldwide offering the best jobs to researchers working in industrial companies. The Leverkusen-based Group came in among the top ten of the renowned ranking list "The Scientist’s Best Places to Work in Industry". This list acknowledges top companies following creative paths to achieve scientific progress.

The ranking list is considered a key indicator for the most innovative research companies worldwide and is based on an annual survey of the scientific journal "The Scientist". In this survey, more than 2,200 scientists evaluate their working conditions according to a set of 43 criteria in the areas of research environment, management, integrity, communications, job satisfaction, training and development, remuneration and benefits, as well as policies and practices.

DuPont ranks at the top of the list. Bayer comes in eighth, followed by Abbott Laboratories and Pfizer. In another combined ranking list for large and smaller companies, Bayer takes place 27 of the top 40 worldwide. Training and development as well as remuneration and benefits were named as the company's special strengths. The U.S. company Epizyme features at the top of this list.

Favored by students: a global poll of more than 160,000 students by leading employer branding consultancy Universum Communications places Bayer as one of eight German companies among the world’s 50 most attractive employers in the engineering category.

The Universum index was published for the third time. Students of business and engineering subjects from Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, U.K. and U.S. participated in the global 2011 survey.

Prestigious honor for Bayer: the company is one of the world’s top employers in the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industries according to an internet survey on the "Science Careers" career portal run by the international specialist journal "Science.

"Responses to the survey on the "Science Careers" online career portal, a platform of the international specialist journal "Science," highlighted high-end research, social responsibility and the loyalty of Bayer employees.

Award for Bayer student laboratories: The “Partner für Schule NRW” (partners for schools in NRW) foundation initiated by the regional government of North Rhine-Westphalia has presented Baylabs with the “Enterprise Award 2010”. The company was awarded a special prize for outstanding innovative and supraregional commitment for its educational initiatives and support.
In explaining the reason behind its decision, the panel of judges highlighted other initiatives organized or supported over the years by Bayer with the aim of promoting science education, such as the ‘Jugend forscht’ science competition for students, the Biology and Chemistry Olympiads and the ‘Making Science Make Sense’ international education program for children at elementary school.

Baylabs are student laboratories located in Wuppertal, Monheim and Leverkusen where children and young people have the opportunity to gain first-hand, practical experience of science through experiments and study programs. Tailored to specific age groups and different types of schools, experiments on health, nutrition and materials are offered to complement the curriculum. All projects were developed in close cooperation with scientists and training providers from Bayer. In 2010, a fourth, interdisciplinary Baylab was opened at the company’s headquarters in Leverkusen to supplement the three existing labs – each devoted to a single discipline – already up and running at the Wuppertal, Monheim and Leverkusen sites. In 2010, a total of some 11,500 students and teachers took advantage of the services offered by the Baylabs.

The Enterprise Award 2010 is part of the campaign “Wir wollen: Wirtschaft für Schule in NRW” (We want: Business for schools in NRW), which was initiated by the “Partner für Schule NRW” foundation with the aim of promoting long-term cooperation between business and schools. The award is supported by North Rhine-Westphalia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing and Transport and the European Regional Development Fund.

The Bayer Sustainable Development Report ranks among the best in the world. The corporate publication came in third in the category "Best Report" at this year’s CR Reporting Awards from the online service provider CorporateRegister.com.

The Bayer Sustainable Development Report demonstrates how the Group creates a balance between economy, ecology and social responsibility. On 116 pages, the publication presents corporate targets, strategies and programs contributing to sustainable solutions for today's main global challenges.

The Internet platform CorporateRegister.com maintains under this web address the most comprehensive registry of sustainability reports in the world with currently more than 31,000 reports from 161 countries. In an international online survey, more than 35,000 registered users evaluated these publications based on the criteria content, communication, authenticity, commitment and comparability. Only Hewlett Packard and Coca Cola achieved better results than Bayer.

High accolade for Bayer: At the World Media Festival Hamburg 2009, Bayer won the Gold Award for its image film "Climate Change" in the category "Corporate Communications Stockholder." The judging criteria included creative and technical excellence as well as the effectiveness of the medium in addressing the target groups.

Bayer’s CSR online communication scored No.2. Since 2009 the Italian strategic communications consultancy Lundquist carries out a research project that measures the effectiveness of online CSR communications. Scope for the CSR Online Awards has been the online CSR communication of about 90 members of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index including all of its supersector leaders and the German DAX-30 companies. Bayer achieved rank 2 in Germany and rank 7 of all examined DJSI companies.