AbbVie

No leading practices were found in the governance and strategy area.

Water
AbbVie has reported a time bound target to halve their absolute water withdrawal by 2035 as compared to their 2015 baseline.

Solid and air pollution
AbbVie has reported its target to reduce absolute total hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated (excluding construction and demolition waste) to 20% by 2025 and reports progress against the target. The company discloses the proportion of hazardous waste treated to reduce pollution compared to total waste, the hazardous waste diverted from disposal and the waste directed to disposal.

GHG emissions
Abbvie has a time-bound target to reduce its scope 1 and 2 emissions and reports progress against its target.

No leading practices were identified in the social inclusion and community impact area.

Sustainability strategy and accountability
Although the company discloses its materiality map, it is unclear what exact sources and did the company consider when conducting the assessment. While the company discloses some sustainability targets, no evidence that the company has group wide targets on key sustainability topics for the most material parts of its value chain based on the SBTN Sectoral Materiality Tool could be found in the public domain. The company reports consistently against all its targets. The company reports that the ESG goal was weighted 10% within the short-term incentive program for each NEO. As part of this ESG goal category, all senior leaders, including the NEOs, continued to take a goal aligned to executing the Equity, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion strategy. The company further reports that its senior executives have different areas of focus when it comes to driving the company’s ESG framework, and together, the executives’ ESG goals cover all of AbbVie’s material ESG drivers These executives’ ESG goals are a mix of quantitative goals for example, reducing carbon emissions using a specific target) and qualitative goals (for example, maintaining status as a top employer). However, no specific information related to these goals could be found. The company does not disclose whether its highest governance body has expertise regarding nature-related topics.

Stakeholder engagement
The company does not disclose an overview of the issues raised during its stakeholder engagement activities. The company does not disclose its process for engaging with stakeholder groups beyond its materiality assessment.

Lobbying
The company discloses a list of trade associations of which it is a member wherever it operates. The company does not disclose a clear and detailed framework for assessing alignment of its trade associations with nature-positive policies. The company does not report (potential) misalignment between the lobbying activities of its trade associations and nature-positive policies.

Impact and dependencies assessment
The company does not disclose any assessment of its impacts on nature, including biodiversity, within its own operations. The company states that it ‘expects’ that its suppliers conduct an environmental assessment, however, there is no indication that this assessment includes biodiversity.  Further, it cannot be determined whether such assessments by suppliers have been conducted.  The company does not disclose any assessment of its dependencies on nature within its own operations. The company does not disclose any assessment of dependencies on nature of its upstream business relationships.

Key areas and species
The company does not disclose the locations that are in or adjacent to areas important for biodiversity within its own operations. The company does not disclose the locations of its suppliers that are in or adjacent to areas important for biodiversity. The company does not disclose species populations existing in or adjacent to its own locations. The company does not disclose species populations existing in or adjacent to the locations of its suppliers. The company does not disclose the status according to national and international conservation lists of species identified in its own locations.

Ecosystem conversion and restoration 
The company does not disclose a commitment to ensure zero conversion. The company does not disclose some activities to achieve conversion-free supply chains. The company does not disclose time-bound targets to achieve conversion-free supply chains. The company does not disclose a commitment to minimise ecosystem conversion. The company does not disclose activities to minimise ecosystem conversion. The company does not disclose a commitment to restore ecosystems. The company does not disclose details and outcomes of ecosystem restoration projects in areas affected by its own operations or by its suppliers.

Resource exploitation and circularity
The company does not disclose its inputs, including its material footprint. The company does not report quantitatively on its group-wide circularity performance. The company does not disclose activities to improve soil health or agrobiodiversity in its production or sourcing practices. The company does not disclose a target to improve soil health in its production or sourcing practices.

Water
The company has reported an increase in the total water withdrawal by source [million m3] – from 31.7 in 2019 to 34.7 in 2020. The company reports that the increase in water withdrawal from 2019 to 2020 was due to an increase in non-contact cooling water at two of their sites. The company does not report how much water is withdrawn for its own operations in water-stressed areas. The company does not engage with suppliers to reduce water withdrawal. The company reports a decrease in water pollution. The company does not disclose its processes for managing and monitoring discharge water quality. The company does not regularly report on water pollution. The company does not disclose targets to reduce water pollution. The company does not disclose a commitment to respect the right to water. The company does not disclose its processes for implementing preventive and corrective action plans for identified specific risks to the right to water and sanitation in its own operations.

Solid and air pollution
No evidence that the company reduces the production of hazardous substances was found. The company does not disclose a commitment to avoid developing or marketing new chemicals or products with SVHC (substance of very high concern) properties. The company is reducing the production of hazardous waste. No evidence that the company reduces plastic use and waste in its own operations was found. The company has reported their biologics plant in Singapore has reached an agreement with Environmental Solutions, which converts the plastic into pyrolysis oil, a petroleum-substitute biofuel. They have further reported that an estimated 400 metric tons of plastic will be diverted from landfill each year by 2025 and AbbVie will be the first biotech company in Singapore to pioneer this recycling solution. However, the company does not report on the amount of plastic waste generated and proportions directed from or to disposal at group level. The company does not report on air quality parameters of emissions of harmful air pollutants. The company does not report time-bound targets to reduce air pollutants across the most material parts of its value chain.

GHG emissions
No evidence that the company reduces its scope 3 emissions was found. The company does not disclose a time-bound target to reduce its scope 3 emissions.  The company does not report progress against its scope 3 emissions target. Further, the company has currently only committed to joining the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) by setting ambitious science-based emissions reduction targets to support limiting global temperature rise to no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in 2021. They further report that they intend to formally announce their SBTi-approved science-based targets in 2022, using 2021 as their baseline year.

Invasive species 
No evidence was found that the company identifies the activities that could lead to the introduction of invasive species in its own operations. No evidence was found that the company identifies the activities that could lead to the introduction of invasive species in its value chain.

Safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment
The company does not disclose a commitment to respecting local communities’ right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. No evidence that the company tracks its actual or potential negative impacts on the health of local communities was found. The company is not committed to zero tolerance for acts of violence, threats, intimidation or judicial harassment committed against land and environmental rights defenders.

Indigenous Peoples’ and land rights
The company does not disclose a commitment to respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights. The company does not disclose its processes for identifying and recognising the rights of Indigenous Peoples when activities in its own operations may impact their rights, nor does it describe how it obtains Indigenous Peoples’ free, prior and informed consent. The company does not disclose a commitment to respect ownership and use of land and natural resources and related legitimate tenure rights, as set out in the relevant part(s) of the VGGTs or the IFC Performance Standards. No evidence was found that the company requires its business relationships to have a process to identify legitimate tenure rightsholders, paying particular attention to vulnerable or marginalised tenure rightsholders, and to negotiate with them to provide adequate compensation.

The company states that it is focusing on preventing, mitigating and remedying any adverse human rights impacts across its value chain, however, it does not describe the process to identify its human rights risks and impacts in specific locations or activities covering its own operations. No evidence that the company describes its process for assessing its human rights risks and discloses what it considers to be its salient human rights issues was found.  The company states that it is focusing on preventing, mitigating and remedying any adverse human rights impacts across its value chain, however, it does not describe its global system to take action to prevent, mitigate or remediate its salient human rights issues. The company discloses that it provides comprehensive workplace safety training for all employees, as appropriate for their environment, however, it is unclear whether health and safety is one of company’s salient human rights issues. Also, no evidence that the company provides an example of the conclusions reached and actions taken or to be taken on at least one of its salient human rights issues as a result of assessment processes was found.  While the company discloses the categories of stakeholders it engages with generally on sustainability issues, it is not clear if these stakeholders are those whose human rights have been or may be affected by its activities. No evidence that the company provides examples of its engagement with stakeholders whose human rights have been or may be affected by its activities was found.

The company has a publicly available policy statement which shows it is committed to respecting the health and safety of workers.  The company has a publicly available policy statement which shows it expects its suppliers to commit to respecting the health and safety of their workers.  The company states that it is committed to comply with laws that prohibits unfair wages, however, it does not disclose a time-bound target for paying all workers a living wage. No evidence that the company describes how it determines a living wage for the regions where it operates was found. While the company states that it expects its suppliers to pay wages that are sufficient for workers and their families to fulfil their basic needs, it has an opportunity to disclose how it works to support the payment of a living wage by its suppliers. The company states that 23% of its employees are represented by an independent trade union or covered by collective bargaining agreements, however, it is not clear if this proportion is for trade union or collective bargaining. The company states that its suppliers shall respect the rights of workers, as set forth in local laws, to associate freely, however, it does not describe how it works to support the practices of its business relationships in relation to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The company discloses a tax strategy, but it is not applicable to all its operations.  No evidence that the company describes the process for identifying its bribery and corruption risks and impacts in specific locations or activities covering its own operations was found.  The company states that if it becomes aware of any actions or conditions which are not in compliance with the “AbbVie Supplier Code of Conduct,” it reserves the right to seek corrective action, however, no evidence of whether the company includes anti-bribery and anti-corruption clauses in its contracts with business relationships could be found.  No evidence that the company has a publicly available policy statement or policy setting out its lobbying and political engagement approach was found. No evidence that the company has a publicly available policy statement that specifies that it does not make political contributions was found.