Better Health for All
60
The company's core business is dedicated to providing dialysis products and services for individuals with chronic kidney failure, along with related medical supplies and other healthcare services for end-stage renal disease patients. This specialization means its entire portfolio delivers revolutionary health benefits, as these are life-sustaining treatments that fundamentally transform global health paradigms for this patient group. Consequently, the company generates zero revenue from products with negative health impacts, as its business model is exclusively designed to maximize health benefits for these conditions.
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity
0
Fresenius Medical Care provided 22.5% of its dialysis treatments in the U.S. to patients in rural, small town, or micropolitan areas in October 2019.
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As a healthcare company, it does not offer consumer lending or financial products, resulting in a score of 0 for KPIs related to financial services, fees, debt, or financial literacy.
Fair Pay & Worker Respect
0
The Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) was 14.38 in 2024.
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, with no work-related fatalities reported in 2024.
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The company has faced labor law violations revealed by inspections in the Philippines
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, legal challenges regarding collective bargaining in Colombia
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, and a class-action lawsuit for systematic wage theft.
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The National Labor Relations Board is investigating allegations of unfair labor practices and retaliatory actions against union activities
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, with some cases resulting in formal complaints.
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In 2023, 74% of global employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements.
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The CEO pay ratio was 61:1 in 2024.
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The gender pay gap was 14.3% in 2024
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, indicating women earned 85.7% of men's pay. The employee engagement score was 56% in 2024.
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The voluntary employee turnover rate was 15.9% in 2024.
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In 2024, 5% of the workforce was on non-permanent or non-guaranteed hours contracts.
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Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
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In the U.S., the company directed approximately €183 million ($190 million) of its annual spend to diverse suppliers, representing about 2.4% of its total global spend of €7.6 billion.
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The Global Supplier Code of Conduct, which outlines ethical principles, is integrated into supplier contracts.
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For conflict minerals (tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold), the company updated its Responsible Minerals Sourcing Policy in 2022
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and performed due diligence.
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However, it was unable to definitively ascertain whether these minerals financed or benefited armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or adjoining countries in 2022.
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The company reports limited primary information beyond tier-one suppliers
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and states no concrete risk of forced labor or child labor has been identified in its value chain.
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Honest & Fair Business
-10
In 2024, only 33% of employees were trained on the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, significantly missing the 90% annual target.
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The company operates a comprehensive whistleblower policy with a 24/7 anonymous hotline, available globally in over 30 languages, and an independent department investigates reports.
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Feedback on outcomes is provided within three months, or six months in justified cases.
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In 2024, 2,835 reports were received.
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In December 2023, the FDA issued a warning letter regarding non-compliance with design validation procedures for hemodialysis machines.
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The company previously admitted to paying bribes to officials in multiple countries from 2007 to 2016, resulting in a $231 million settlement in March 2019 for Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations.
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Its Compliance Management System design was reviewed by a law firm and found effectively anchored and appropriately designed, and its 2024 Sustainability Statement was audited by PwC.
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Kind to Animals
-30
The company does not perform any in-house animal studies.
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Animal testing is only conducted by third-party research institutes when legally obliged to obtain approval for new products and treatments.
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These tests must comply with applicable legislation, be approved by an ethics committee, and ensure animals are treated respectfully with minimized pain and stress.
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The company commits to using alternatives to animal trials wherever scientifically valid and acceptable to regulators, and its contract research organizations (CROs) follow the 3Rs principle (Reduce, Replace, Refine).
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However, the explicit statement that animal testing is *only* used when legally prescribed indicates that non-animal methods are applied only where legally mandated, and traditional animal assays dominate for required approvals. The company has no animal husbandry or captive operations under its direct control.
No War, No Weapons
-30
Fresenius Medical Care continued its operations in Russia despite the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, indicating ongoing sales to a sanctioned regime.
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This also highlights the absence of a comprehensive conflict-zone divestment policy, as the company maintained its presence in an active war zone, although it does have a Responsible Minerals Sourcing Policy. In 2024, 63.23% of smelters used by suppliers were conformant with the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process.
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However, the company was unable to definitively ascertain whether conflict minerals financed or benefited armed groups, suggesting potential for occasional non-compliance with humanitarian procurement standards despite having a Supplier Code of Conduct and a Responsible Minerals Sourcing Program aligned with OECD guidance.
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An annual review process is conducted for partners with conflict-related risks in the supply chain, specifically for conflict minerals.
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The company's Human Rights Statement is guided by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and its Global Code of Conduct for Business Partners is inspired by international standards.
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As a healthcare company, there is no evidence of revenue from arms or defense contracts, dual-use technology, military AI, or exposure to controversial weapons, nor is it subject to the Arms Trade Treaty.
Planet-Friendly Business
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In 2024, the company's total Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions (market-based) were 3,680,827 tCO2e, showing a 5.04% decline from 2023.
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The company submitted its commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for near-term and net-zero Scope 1, 2, and 3 targets in January 2024.
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and plans to submit them for validation in 2025.
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The share of renewable sources in total energy consumption was 15% in 2024.
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Water withdrawal per €1 million revenue was 1,819 m3 in 2024.
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, with 21.02% of water withdrawal sourced from extreme/high water risk/stress areas.
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In 2024, 60,722 metric tons of waste were recycled out of a total of 199,407 metric tons, resulting in a diversion rate of 30.45%.
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The proportion of capital expenditure aligned with the EU Sustainable Taxonomy was 0.9% in 2024.
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The company's climate scenario analysis followed the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
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and considered three IPCC scenarios: SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5.
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Respect for Cultures & Communities
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The company has no reported cultural appropriation incidents. It provides grievance mechanisms for employees, patients, and other affected parties, with whistleblower systems available in up to 27 languages
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and telephone reporting in over 30 languages.
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The company demonstrates strong language inclusivity for its whistleblower systems, supporting over 30 languages.
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A guideline for handling compliance incidents was updated in 2024 to include human rights references, and the company is committed to addressing concerns promptly and appropriately. The company engages in general charitable giving, including donating dialysis supplies
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and contributing to emergency funds,
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but without a specific focus on cultural heritage organizations.
Safe & Smart Tech
10
Fresenius Medical Care experienced a data breach in December 2023 affecting approximately 500,000 individuals.
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The company demonstrates strong security training effectiveness, with approximately 94.2% of its over 190,000 employees receiving comprehensive cybersecurity and privacy training, including annual updates and onboarding.
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Encryption implementation is robust, with data in transit and at rest always encrypted using state-of-the-art methods.
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The company holds comprehensive privacy certifications including ISO 27001, 27002, 27017, 27018, and HDS (France) for its cloud operations.
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Fresenius has a formal Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure process, acknowledging reports within 7 business days.
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For AI ethics, the company has formal AI Guidelines (Version 1.0) with governance models deployed throughout the AI system's lifecycle to avoid bias.
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The company states compliance with EU law and GDPR, and adheres to HIPAA and GDPR for its Apollo project.
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,
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Algorithmic transparency is at an industry-standard level, with a stated goal for explainable AI decisions and documented processes, but no quantifiable outcomes. Authentication security also aligns with industry standards, utilizing strong password policies and privileged access solutions, but without specific details on multi-factor authentication availability. Security testing coverage includes regular vulnerability scans and penetration testing, but the scope is not quantified.
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Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
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The company's waste diversion rate was 30.45% in 2024.
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It has achieved a reduction of more than 30% in plastic used in EasyBottle containers for hydration since 2011.
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The company has implemented over 10 distinct waste reduction initiatives, including distributing recycling dumpsters to 1,388 dialysis centers, recycling dialysis machine components, reusing sharps containers, and a German initiative for recycling acid canisters.
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,
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For hazardous waste, 70.69% of the 29,314 tons generated was diverted from disposal.
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Waste audits are carried out at least every two years.
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However, the company currently has no measurable Group waste reduction targets, though one is planned.
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