Roche recognised as a global leader for sustainable water management

• Sustainability is an integral part of Roche’s business strategy
• The company’s goal is to reduce water consumption by 10% per employee by 2020

For the first time, Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) has been identified as a global leader for its actions to manage water more sustainably. CDP, the non-profit global environmental disclosure platform, has awarded Roche a position on this year’s Water A-List. Through CDP, more than 800 institutional investors with assets of over USD 100 trillion are asking companies to disclose how they are managing the risks posed by worsening water security. Companies on the A-List receive the highest rating in accordance with CDP’s water scoring methodology.

“We are very pleased to have been recognised for our environmental efforts in the area of sustainable water management,” said Roche CEO Severin Schwan. “This is a great achievement which demonstrates that providing innovative medicines and diagnostics and protecting the environment go hand in hand at Roche.”

The company’s goal is to reduce water consumption per employee from 2015 until 2020 by 10%. All Roche sites are either working on or implementing programmes to increase efficiency in water usage. Measures to conserve water resources and to reduce water consumption are introduced particularly in water-stressed regions. Actions range from the introduction of less water-intensive processes, water recovery and water re-use to the reduction or elimination of irrigation water. For more information, please see Roche's position paper on water.

Roche is committed to promoting water protection, conserving water resources and improving access to clean water. In this respect, the company supports international and national efforts such as WASH Pledge (Access to Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene at the Workplace). WASH Pledge is an initiative by the WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development) to ensure access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for employees. All Roche Group companies are required to meet the WASH provisions at all premises where Roche employees have permanent workplaces.

For over 120 years, sustainability has been an integral part of Roche’s business. Roche follows a holistic approach when managing sustainability: In addition to environmental protection, the company’s strategy also focuses on improving access to products and achieving continuous progress in areas such as social responsibility, supply chain sustainability, people attraction and retention. More examples of our activities in sustainability areas can be found here: http://www.roche.com/sustainability/our_reporting/un-sdgs.htm.

About CDP

CDP is an international non-profit that drives companies and governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Voted number one climate research provider by investors and working with institutional investors with assets of USD 100 trillion, we leverage investor and buyer power to motivate companies to disclose and manage their environmental impacts. Over 6,300 companies with some 55% of global market capitalization disclosed environmental data through CDP in 2017. This is in addition to the over 500 cities and 100 states and regions who disclosed, making CDP’s platform one of the richest sources of information globally on how companies and governments are driving environmental change. CDP, formerly Carbon Disclosure Project, is a founding member of the We Mean Business Coalition. Please find out more on www.cdp.net.

The methodology and criteria for the Water A List are available on CDP’s website.

About Roche

Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.
Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. Thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Roche has been recognised as the Group Leader in sustainability within the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry nine years in a row by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2016 employed more than 94,000 people worldwide. In 2016, Roche invested CHF 9.9 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 50.6 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com.

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