Sustainability & social impact operating model
Sound management and oversight of ESG-related risks and opportunities are considered to be a strategic component of businesses that are successful over the long term, helping enhance shareholder value as well as delivering benefits to all of our stakeholders. Read more about our sustainability and social impact governance and operating model.
Our approach to sustainability and social impact1
At Bristol Myers Squibb, our vision is to transform the lives of patients through science. We understand that the future of our people, our communities and our planet are inextricably linked. As a leading biopharma company, our passion for making an impact extends beyond the discovery, development and delivery of innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. We believe that driving long-term business value is at the heart of living our purpose, being leaders and difference-makers for generations to come. Through our sustainability & social impact (SSI) strategy we seek to mobilize our capabilities and resources to positively impact the communities where we live, work and serve.
We are firmly committed to uncompromising quality, integrity, compliance and ethics in everything we do. As we work to transform patients’ lives through science, we operate with effective governance and the highest ethical standards to deliver our mission. These values have been central to who we are, what we do and how we do it since our company was founded in 1858.
Our SSI strategy is meaningfully tied to our company’s business strategy and directly interrelated to our business risks and opportunities. Accordingly, our governance model links core business considerations with our SSI framework and ensures engagement and alignment from ww5’ most senior leaders, with core support from key functional areas. This strategy is also tightly integrated into our enterprise risk management (ERM) program as described below. Led by our Board Chair and CEO, our SSI efforts are overseen by the Board of Directors (Board).
- In 2025, we evolved from ESG to sustainability & social impact to more accurately articulate the strategic purpose and focus of our work. We continue to use ESG to encompass environment, social and governance as it relates to disclosures, frameworks and reporting across these three dimensions.
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Principles of Integrity
We are committed to quality, integrity and ethics in everything we do
We operate with effective governance and the highest ethical standards, and we seek transparency and dialogue with our stakeholders to improve our understanding of their needs.We lead with our value of inclusion
We believe that a high-performing and engaged global workforce is essential to delivering the best possible outcomes for our patients.We seek to advance patient health around the world
We believe in long-term sustainable solutions to address health inequities globally and locally. We are allocating specific resources and developing new pathways and models to expand access to patients in low-, middle- and high-income countries.We honor our longstanding belief in environmental sustainability
We understand our responsibility to create a maximum positive impact while minimizing our environmental footprint. We leverage sustainability to drive innovation, build resiliency and manage nonfinancial risks.The ww5 commitment, summarized below, has long been a fundamental element of our corporate culture. It sets forth the interests and expectations that we consider alongside our stakeholders and is the foundation on which our commitment was built. Ultimately, it’s our formal commitment to conscientious citizenship. It supports social responsibility, environmental protection and economic progress and guides us toward policies and practices that fully embody the responsibility and integrity required of our enterprise.
Our commitment
To our patients, employees, global communities, shareholders, environment and other stakeholders, we have a longstanding commitment to act on our belief that the priceless ingredient of every product is the integrity of its maker. We operate with effective governance and high standards of ethical behavior. We seek transparency and dialogue with our stakeholders to improve our understanding of their needs. We take our commitment to economic, social and environmental sustainability seriously, and extend this expectation to our partners and suppliers.
As a responsible corporate citizen, we seek to actively improve the health of the communities where we live, work and serve. We strive to improve access for all patients and continue to evolve our business to best meet the needs of our patients. Equitable access to innovative medicines benefits patients and society, while ensuring ww5 continues to transform patients’ lives through science. We unite as one ww5, believing that the varied experiences and perspectives of all our employees help to bring out our best ideas, drive innovation and achieve transformative business results.
At the direction of our Executive Leadership Team, our sustainability and social impact practice is part of the Corporate Affairs function, and this team works closely with our Sustainability and Social Impact Council, a cross-functional management committee comprising senior executives and subject matter experts. As the primary governance body for these matters, the Council reports to the company’s Executive Leadership Team and the Board of Directors and its Board Committees. Our sustainability and social impact strategy is fully aligned with our corporate strategy and was established following a formal assessment of priority issues.
Sustainability and Social Impact Council Charter Purpose
The purpose2 of the Sustainability and Social Impact Council (“SSI Council” or “Council”) is to support Bristol Myers Squibb’s ongoing commitment to corporate responsibility and help ensure the appropriate actions are taken to uphold that commitment by:
- Identifying and prioritizing SSI-related risks and opportunities
- Supporting our ongoing commitment to environmental and social impact
- Helping ensure actions are taken to uphold our commitment to patients, people and the planet
The Council’s role in supporting responsible corporate behavior across the enterprise seeks to help position Bristol Myers Squibb for better risk management, support long-term valuation and maintain the company’s social license to operate.
Composition
The SSI Council shall include employees that the Chair deems capable of fulfilling the required roles and responsibilities of the Council. The Chair may decide to change Council members at any time.
Committee members include representatives of the following areas:
- Business Insights and Analytics
- Compliance and Ethics
- Corporate & Government Affairs
- Corporate Legal
- Corporate Strategy and Business Development
- Cybersecurity
- Engineering and Facilities
- Global Product Development & Supply
- Environmental Sustainability
- Finance
- Health Equity
- People & Culture
- Investor Relations
- Information Technology
- Value, Access, Pricing, and Patient Services
- Product Quality
- Research and Development
- Regulatory
2. Note that all responsibilities relating to the SSI Council are inclusive of both voluntary and regulatory ESG reporting.
Meetings
The Council shall meet at least quarterly and on occasion when necessary.
Attendance will be taken, and Council members are expected to be present at meetings throughout each calendar year (or to send a proxy in their absence).