Novo Nordisk

Sustainability strategy and accountability
Novo Nordisk discloses its process for identifying and prioritising its most relevant sustainability impacts as well as the outcome of this process, in relation to its sustainability strategy. It also provides evidence of linking senior executives’ remuneration to GHG emissions reduction and health in communities.

Solid and air pollution
Novo Nordisk reports some activities to reduce plastic use and waste in its own operations.

GHG emissions
Novo Nordisk has set long-term targets of zero CO2 emissions from operations and transportation by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2045. The company’s scope 1 and 2 emissions target of 2030 are aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory.

No leading practices were identified for Novo Nordisk in the area of social inclusion and community impact.

Sustainability strategy and accountability
While Novo Nordisk discloses some sustainability targets, no evidence that it 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 does not report consistently against all its targets. The company reports having a Corporate Environmental Strategy team, but no information on social sustainability responsibility has been found. The company reports its “Executive Management is responsible for the overall environmental policy and for setting strategic direction”, but no information on social sustainability responsibility has been found. The company does not disclose whether its highest governance body has expertise regarding nature-related topics.

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

Lobbying
Novo Nordisk does not disclose a list of trade associations of which it is a member. 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
While Novo Nordisk acknowledges its natural resources consumption affects surrounding ecosystems, it does not disclose any assessment of its impacts on nature, including biodiversity, within its own operations. The company does not disclose any assessment of its impacts on nature, including biodiversity, in its supply chain. While the company states it “uses a broad range of natural resources in our production of pharmaceuticals”, it 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
Novo Nordisk 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. While the company reports some efforts on the conservation of the small monkey species Sagui in Brazil, it 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
While Novo Nordisk aims to have ‘zero environmental impact across our value chain’, it is unclear if and how this translates into a zero-conversion commitment across material reals. The company does not disclose 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. While the company reports on some general efforts on reforestation in Brazil, it does not disclose a commitment to restoring 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
Novo Nordisk 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
Novo Nordisk does not report on water withdrawal, and its water consumption data show an increase between 2019, 2020, and 2021. While the company states “annual water targets for relevant business units are in place to increase water use efficiency and the reuse of water”, it does not disclose a time-bound target to reduce water withdrawal across its own operations. The company reports how much water is withdrawn for its own operations in water-stressed areas. The company does not engage with suppliers to reduce water withdrawal. While the company reports complying with local standards, it does not report 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 Novo Nordisk 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. No evidence that the company is reducing the production of hazardous waste was found. The company is reducing plastic use and waste in its own operations. The company does not report on the amount of plastic waste generated and proportions directed from or to disposal. 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
Novo Nordisk has reported an increase in the scope 1 emissions by 3% due to a new production facility, increased natural gas consumption caused by a general increase in produced volumes and an increase in car fuel consumption. The company has also reported an increase in the scope 2 emissions by 7% due to increased electricity and steam consumption caused by a general increase in produced volumes. The company does not report progress against its scope 1 and 2 emissions target.  The company’s scope 3 partial reporting indicates an increase between 2020 and 2021. It is unclear whether the company’s 2045 target includes scope 3 emissions.  The company’s scope 3 emissions disclosures, targets and progress are unclear. No evidence that the company’s scope 3 emissions target is aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory was found.

Invasive species
No evidence was found that Novo Nordisk 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
Novo Nordisk 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
Novo Nordisk 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.

Novo Nordisk describes the process for identifying its human rights risks and impacts in specific locations or activities covering its own operations. The company describes the process for identifying human rights risks and impacts in its business relationships.  The company describes its process(es) for assessing its human rights risks and discloses what it considers to be its salient human rights issues.  The company publicly discloses the results of its human rights risk assessments, which are aggregated across its operations and locations.  The company describes its global system to take action to prevent, mitigate or remediate salient human rights issues, and this includes a description of how its global system applies to its supply chain. The company provides a case study describing how it has acted on a salient human rights risk issue.   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.

While Novo Nordisk discloses that it pays attention to health and safety of employees where they operate and offers a healthy and engaging workplace, supported by a comprehensive Health & Safety programme, it does not provide a publicly available policy statement committing it to respect 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. No evidence that the company discloses a time-bound target for paying all workers a living wage or that it has achieved paying all workers a living wage was found. 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. No evidence that the company discloses the proportion of its total direct operations workforce covered by collective bargaining agreements was found. While the company states that it requires its suppliers to respect employees’ right to freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, it has an opportunity to describe how it works to support the practices of its suppliers in relation to those.

Novo Nordisk discloses a global tax strategy. 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 includes anti-bribery and anti-corruption clauses in its contracts with direct business relationships. 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.