Environmental and social aspects

Environmental and social responsibility in how we run our business are among Novozymes’ fundamental values. This is significant to all business activities and is underpinned by a number of targets for environmental and social responsibility.

Novozymes is heavily dependent on being able to attract and retain skilled employees in a labor market characterized by falling unemployment and growing competition, and the company’s reputation is an important parameter in this respect.

Reputation
Novozymes tries to maintain its current reputation through open and transparent communication, both internally and externally. Efforts are also under way to reduce the risk of situations arising which could impair Novozymes’ reputation. The Group business integrity principles are one example of this. To uphold Novozymes’ reputation, we play an active role in making good any damage that we may inadvertently cause, for example to the environment.

Animal testing
Novozymes uses animal testing in connection with the development and approval of products. The use of animal testing is the subject of public debate and as such constitutes a risk to Novozymes’ reputation. The current product portfolio involves relatively few animal tests, but this may change as a result of the development of new business areas. We are continuously trying to reduce the number of animal tests by further refining the methods used and replacing test methods wherever possible.

Business partners
Also in our relations with business partners, we seek to reduce the risk of being associated with environmental and social aspects which could impact negatively on Novozymes’ reputation. This is done partly by asking suppliers of raw materials for enzyme production to perform a self-assessment of their compliance with internationally recognized standards and conventions. Novozymes’ business partners are also informed about our business integrity principles.