Creating a future worth living. For patients. Worldwide. Every day. This is our vision that unites all of us at Fresenius Medical Care.
For Fresenius Medical Care, managing sustainability successfully means creating lasting value – economically, ecologically and socially. Responsible conduct in compliance with our core values and applicable legal requirements is a key element of our corporate culture.
Responsibilities and processes in the area of sustainability are clearly regulated at Fresenius Medical Care. According to our global sustainability governance structure, sustainability is firmly established at Management Board level. The highest governing body for sustainability issues is our Sustainability Decision Board. Headed by our CEO, it is responsible for integrating sustainability into the Company’s strategy and business. Together with the Sustainability Decision Board, the Management Board decides on strategic initiatives. The Management Board and the Supervisory Board review the progress of sustainability management, which is then published in the separate Non-Financial Group Report.
Another important part of our global sustainability governance is the Corporate Sustainability Committee, which acts as an advisory and steering committee. It comprises senior representatives from all regions and global functions who have been nominated to adequately represent regional and functional interests in our sustainability activities. The Sustainability Decision Board and the Corporate Sustainability Committee enable the Global Sustainability department to manage Fresenius Medical Care’s sustainability activities.
In 2020, we advanced our sustainability efforts and launched a new Global Sustainability Program. It defines global targets for eight focus areas in the period from 2020 to 2022. These are derived from the results of our materiality analysis that we carry out to identify the most relevant sustainability topics for our business. The eight focus areas are: patients, employees, anti-corruption and bribery, data protection and privacy, labor and human rights, sustainable supply, environment, and occupational health and safety. The Global Sustainability Program will shape our operations and create valuable opportunities for us to integrate sustainability principles into global activities and assume even greater accountability.
Sustainability
Hightlights 2023
Non-Financial
Group Report 2023
ESG Performance Data
PDF, 178 KBAs a global healthcare company, we work continuously to save lives, promote health and improve the quality of life of our patients. We want to make a difference to the lives of others with our products and services by enabling better access to good and affordable health care in many countries. To us, human rights are an integral part of our corporate responsibility.
To fulfill our responsibility as a health care company, we are committed to respecting human rights in our operations and complying with the laws of the countries in which we do business. The below statement is unique to Fresenius Medical Care. The below statement is unique to Fresenius Medical Care. This statement builds on our commitment to respect human rights as stipulated in our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct (“CoC”). It is guided by relevant international standards including the principles described in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as well as the International Labor Organization’s 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and applicable legislation such as the German Human Rights Due Diligence in Supply Chains Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz).
Human Rights Statement
PDF, 228 KBOur Code of Ethics and Business Conduct constitutes a binding framework that governs how Fresenius Medical Care employees interact with patients, colleagues, suppliers and society. The Code defines practices beyond legal requirements. It covers material non-financial topics that are relevant for Fresenius Medical Care ranging from patient care, quality and innovation, anti-corruption and bribery to worker protection, the environment and health and safety. The Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and our underlying values also include Fresenius Medical Care’s commitment to respecting material human rights topics such as working conditions, non-discrimination and grievance mechanisms. It applies worldwide to the members of the Management Board, to all of the company’s employees as well as to the operations of all direct and indirect subsidiaries that are majority-owned or controlled in some other way by us.
Compliance with the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct is essential for Fresenius Medical Care’s long-term success as it is the foundation of our corporate culture and an integral part of day-to-day work. Specialized functions at global, regional and local level are responsible for implementing and communicating these principles within the organization. Training programs on the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct are designed to increase awareness of the applicable rules and help employees to understand them better and comply with them. The training programs are held regularly and are mandatory for all relevant employees. Standardized processes are in place to allow employees to attend the programs.
Code of Ethics & Business Conduct
PDF, 2 MBIn response to the economic, social and environmental challenges that our planet faces, the United Nations defined 17 goals for a sustainable development. The so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a worldwide agenda to reduce hunger and poverty, improve health, enable equal opportunities and protect the planet. We too expressly support the comprehensive approach of the SDGs. In line with our corporate purpose “Creating a future worth living. For patients. Worldwide. Every day.”, we support in particular SDG 3, which focuses on good health and well-being.
In addition, we seek to make a responsible contribution to further SDGs: