Policy, Guidelines, Position Papers

Environment protection and conservation of resources is a key issue at Roche.

Over the years our Corporate Principles have served as a guide for developing a broad range of measures and documents relating to safety, security, health and environmental protection at Roche. Since the late 1970s a single corporate function has dealt with all issues in these areas. Now called Corporate Safety, Security, Health and Environmental Protection, its activities are governed by a Corporate Policy that establishes fundamental and binding principles and objectives. The Corporate Executive Committee adopted a revised version of this policy on 12 July 2005.

Fuller, more specific guidance on areas covered by our Corporate Policy on safety, security, health and environmental protection is provided by the Roche Guidelines for the Assurance of Safety, Security, Health and Environmental Protection, which are supplemented by Guidance Notes for specific functions and by a number of topic-specific Corporate Directives. These Guidelines are based on ISO Standard 14000 ('Environmental Management Systems') as well as on many years of experience. They also take into account the commitments that Roche has made as a signatory to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Business Charter for Sustainable Development and as a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the chemical industry’s Responsible Care initiative. The Roche Guidelines for the Assurance of Safety, Security, Health and Environmental Protection apply throughout the Group. They take precedence over local legal requirements where they exceed those requirements, and they form the basis for the local safety, security, health and environmental protection (SHE) manuals prepared by individual Roche affiliates.

Originally issued in 1997 the guidelines have undergone complete revision in 2007.

SHE policy and guidelines describe SHE aspects and the dealing with SHE issues in a general way. To reflect and communicate the application of the Roche SHE policy on particular issues we have issued corresponding Position Papers.