Investor Update
Basel, 19 September 2005
Roche reselected for inclusion in Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Index series
Roche recognised as a leading sustainability-driven company in the healthcare industry
Roche has been reselected as an index component of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes, (DJSI World) and Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Indexes (DJSI STOXX). Within the healthcare sector Roche is recognized as a leading company in both indexes. In addition, Roche again met the FTSE4Good criteria, so continues to be a member of the FTSE4Good Index series. The selection process involved a thorough assessment of the company’s economic, environmental and social performance for inclusion in indexes that track companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards. The inclusion in these important index series underlines Roche’s commitment to responsible business practice and long-term value creation and allows selection of Roche equities into additional sustainability-driven portfolios.
“I am very pleased that Roche has fulfilled the high criteria set by the Dow Jones family and FTSE4Good series of Sustainability Indexes” said Franz B. Humer, Chairman and CEO of Roche. “Sustainability is an integral part of our business model: Roche’s primary mission is the discovery and development of innovative healthcare solutions that offer society a high medical benefit and ultimately save lives. Along with this, we are looking for new ways to tackle healthcare challenges in providing access to medicines, both in the least developed and the developed countries, so as to ease the global disease burden. Additionally, we are focused on developing our strength as an employer of choice as people are the driving force behind long-term sustainable value creation.”
Sustainable development at Roche
Sustainable development has been a core value at Roche ever since the company was founded in 1896. In recent years Roche has extended its internal and external reporting on its efforts in sustainability, adopting the definition proposed in the 1986 Brundtland Report — namely, that development is sustainable if it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In late 2002 the Roche Corporate Sustainability Committee, which reports directly to the Group’s Chairman and CEO, was established to assess and coordinate corporate policies and all activities as they relate to sustainable development. In 2004 the first Roche Corporate Sustainability Report, based on the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), was published as an integral part of the Group’s Annual Report.
Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes
Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. Based on the cooperation of Dow Jones Indexes, STOXX and SAM, they provide asset managers with reliable and objective benchmarks to manage sustainability portfolios. Currently 52 DJSI licenses are held by asset managers in 14 countries to manage a variety of financial products including active and passive funds, certificates and segregated accounts. In total, these licensees presently manage 2.8 billion euros based on the DJSI.
FTSE4Good Index Series
The FTSE4Good Index Series has been designed to measure the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards, and to facilitate investment in those companies. Transparent management and criteria alongside the FTSE brand make FTSE4Good the index of choice for the creation of Socially Responsible Investment products.
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in Diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2004, sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 21.7 billion Swiss francs, while the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 7.8 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Additional information about the Roche Group is available on the Internet (www.roche.com).
Additional information
- Sustainable Development at Roche
- Roche Sustainability Report 2004
- Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes
- FTSE4Good Index Series
Roche reselected for inclusion in Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Index series
Roche recognised as a leading sustainability-driven company in the healthcare industry
Roche has been reselected as an index component of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes, (DJSI World) and Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Indexes (DJSI STOXX). Within the healthcare sector Roche is recognized as a leading company in both indexes. In addition, Roche again met the FTSE4Good criteria, so continues to be a member of the FTSE4Good Index series. The selection process involved a thorough assessment of the company’s economic, environmental and social performance for inclusion in indexes that track companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards. The inclusion in these important index series underlines Roche’s commitment to responsible business practice and long-term value creation and allows selection of Roche equities into additional sustainability-driven portfolios.
“I am very pleased that Roche has fulfilled the high criteria set by the Dow Jones family and FTSE4Good series of Sustainability Indexes” said Franz B. Humer, Chairman and CEO of Roche. “Sustainability is an integral part of our business model: Roche’s primary mission is the discovery and development of innovative healthcare solutions that offer society a high medical benefit and ultimately save lives. Along with this, we are looking for new ways to tackle healthcare challenges in providing access to medicines, both in the least developed and the developed countries, so as to ease the global disease burden. Additionally, we are focused on developing our strength as an employer of choice as people are the driving force behind long-term sustainable value creation.”
Sustainable development at Roche
Sustainable development has been a core value at Roche ever since the company was founded in 1896. In recent years Roche has extended its internal and external reporting on its efforts in sustainability, adopting the definition proposed in the 1986 Brundtland Report — namely, that development is sustainable if it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In late 2002 the Roche Corporate Sustainability Committee, which reports directly to the Group’s Chairman and CEO, was established to assess and coordinate corporate policies and all activities as they relate to sustainable development. In 2004 the first Roche Corporate Sustainability Report, based on the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), was published as an integral part of the Group’s Annual Report.
Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes
Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. Based on the cooperation of Dow Jones Indexes, STOXX and SAM, they provide asset managers with reliable and objective benchmarks to manage sustainability portfolios. Currently 52 DJSI licenses are held by asset managers in 14 countries to manage a variety of financial products including active and passive funds, certificates and segregated accounts. In total, these licensees presently manage 2.8 billion euros based on the DJSI.
FTSE4Good Index Series
The FTSE4Good Index Series has been designed to measure the performance of companies that meet globally recognised corporate responsibility standards, and to facilitate investment in those companies. Transparent management and criteria alongside the FTSE brand make FTSE4Good the index of choice for the creation of Socially Responsible Investment products.
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in Diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2004, sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 21.7 billion Swiss francs, while the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 7.8 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Additional information about the Roche Group is available on the Internet (www.roche.com).
Additional information
- Sustainable Development at Roche
- Roche Sustainability Report 2004
- Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes
- FTSE4Good Index Series