Novartis

Pharmaceuticals Biotechnology and Life Sciences

Risk Level:

Rating - Caution
Medium Risk

Summary:

Novartis has an Environmental Sustainability Criteria Guide which suppliers have to abide by to do business. Novartis has pledged to vet vendors for LGBTQ policies, makes some religious nonprofits ineligible for donations, and does not protect against viewpoint discrimination. Nonetheless, Novartis does not use corporate funds or other actions to advance ideological causes hostile to freedom of expression. For these reasons, Novartis receives a Medium Risk rating.

Criteria
Risk Level
Rationale
Corporate Weaponization
Criteria

Has denied service to customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level
Rationale

Novartis received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign. Among other requirements, this means the company has pledged to vet vendors based on LGBTQ policies (1). Novartis’s Environmental Sustainability Criteria for Suppliers requires that each “Supplier shall ensure that all products and/or services procured by Novartis should be carbon neutral by 2030” (2).

Criteria

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level
Rationale

Novartis will not match employee donations to religious organizations “unless they furnish services to benefit the general public” (1).

Criteria

Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.

Risk Level
Rationale

Novartis does not protect employees from viewpoint discrimination (1).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy
Criteria

Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

Novartis supports the UN’s LGBTI Standards of Conduct (1). Novartis hosted a Juneteenth program and a day of reflection for employees to speak about diversity and inclusion within the company (2). Novartis publishes “The Novartis in Society Integrated Report” to outline its ESG efforts” (3). This includes its 2030 environmental sustainability strategy, the goal of Net Zero by 2040, and its signature on The Climate Pledge (4)(5)(6). Novartis joined the Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP) that advocates for ESG to policymakers (7).

Criteria

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

Novartis does not donate to ideological groups hostile to freedom of expression (1). The company has not committed to subsidizing abortion expenses for its employees but is said to be “carefully evaluating” how the overturning of Roe v. Wade may impact its associates (2).

Criteria

Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level
Rationale

Novartis donates in a bipartisan manner and has not weaponized its PAC (1).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
February 13, 2023

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