Translations

BAYER integrates the Sustainable Development in its strategy and its governance

1. Organizational Governance

Strategy and organization

Sector Health and cosmetics

Year 2012

Country France

Transmitter

Context

Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals (BHP) is one of the 4 divisions of Bayer Santé SAS. BHP is among the world leaders of specialty medicines. In May 2009, the enterprise relocated to the Eurasante Park in Loos, near Lille. In 2010, the company had 705 employees.

Bayer is founding member of the UN Global Compact and, as of 2008, had invested 1 billion euros over 3 years in projects for Sustainable Development. In order to respect its engagements, the enterprise seeks to ensure the transparency of its governance and instill CSR behavior at all the levels of the hierarchy.

Objectives

Grow within a network of stakeholders and in respect of regulatory constraints
Mobilize and raise awareness among employees on the strategy of Sustainable Development
Highlight daily CSR actions

APPROACH

Bayer France created the full time position of director of Sustainable Development in 2010. This person is a member of each executive committee of the different legal entities and member of the “Country Council”, the body in charge of global governance of activities in France. He/she can thus intervene at the same level as the operational directors.

Since 2004, an annual Group CSR Report has been published. Since 2010, a Sustainable Development Report France has also been published. This is not just a series of numbers, nor an international document far removed from local concerns, but rather a way to generate value from the actions undertaken every day by the company and its personnel in France.

Collaborative management on Sustainable Development has been implemented internally thanks to the working communities (purchasing, communication, etc.) and externally thanks to associative networks such as the LEEM (The Enterprises of Medicine), the EpE (Enterprises for the Environment), the UIC (Union of Chemical Industries). Resources are structured by project and by function: purchasing, public relations, general services. Best practices are maximized whenever possible to the extent of the perimeter or transposed onto other products and processes.

The division launched an employee training program to raise awareness about Sustainable Development, via e-learning sessions. It has adopted a financial bonus scheme to reward employee knowledge on this theme: the training explains the major phases of Sustainable Development at international level as well as each of the 3 components (economic, ecological and societal). A quiz is proposed at the end of each chapter. The employees must answer a questionnaire with a minimum of 75% correct answers. They receive a financial bonus if they successfully demonstrate their knowledge.

CONTRIBUTION TO COMPANY PERFORMANCE

External recognition of the enterprise and better territorial anchoring.
Ensuring the long-term viability of an activity.
Communication from the enterprise on its Best Practices for Sustainable Development.

Benefits

Raising awareness among employees about the challenges of Sustainable Development and inciting them to take action. In December 2010, 552 persons, or 64% of employees, followed the training program and completed the evaluation questionnaire.
Financial bonus scheme for employees (total of 2 million euros in 2010).
Decisions taken by the general management with a view to sustainability.