Leading
through
responsibility
Responsibility in focus
At Grünenthal, responsibility means being a responsible corporate citizen; operating our business legally, ethically, respectfully and sustainably.
Responsibility is integrated throughout the company’s strategy. Beyond patient wellbeing, our responsibility goals focus on workforce development, environmental stewardship, and ethical business conduct.
"As one of the world’s leading specialists in the therapeutic area of pain, we continue pushing boundaries to make a positive impact – with and beyond our core business."
Credibility comes from transparency and measurability
That is why we report openly on our progress, seek independent assessment, and continuously improve the way we translate commitments into action.
Accountability: Clear commitments set out in our Responsibility Programme define our direction
Transparency: Regular reporting shows our progress and allows comparison
Independent assessment: External agencies evaluate our performance across environmental, social and governance topics
We set industry‑leading standards
ESG covers environmental, social and governance topics and looks at how companies manage non-financial risks and opportunities.
Our comprehensive and robust ESG approach is continually recognized by leading external rating agencies.
Grünenthal is consistently positioned amongst the top performers in the pharmaceutical industry.
Read more about our ESG ratings: MSCI | Sustainalytics | Ecovadis
How do ESG ratings work?
Grünenthal’s General Counsel, Sebastian Köhler, explains why ESG ratings play an important role in guiding responsible decisions.
"Our strong ESG ratings continue to set standards in the pharmaceutical industry."
What responsibility delivers –
for patients, people and the planet
We have identified the most relevant ESG topics for our business and stakeholders. They define the areas in which Grünenthal has the highest impacts, and they span our entire value chain. We cluster them under our focus areas of Patient, People and Planet.
- Advancing solutions for unmet medical needs through long‑term investment in science
- Strengthening a work environment where people can thrive across countries and cultures
- Reducing the environmental footprint of our operations
These priorities guide how we set strategy, manage risks and make decisions, grounded in ethical business conduct.
Where our responsibility makes a difference
Responsibility, made measurable
invested since 2004 through the EFIC-Grünenthal-Grant, supporting early-career scientists in clinical pain research
countries in which Grünenthal is certified as a Great Place to Work®, reflecting how people experience working here
emission reduction achieved since 2020 for Scope 1 (emissions from our own operations and production) and Scope 2 (emissions associated with purchased energy)
Gabriel Baertschi
Chief Executive Officer,
Chairman of the Corporate Executive Board
"I believe responsibility only matters when it leads to action. That is why we set ambitious goals for 2030: to challenge ourselves as a company, mobilise every team, and continue leading on ESG across our value chain, from research to patients. These goals reflect the standards we set for ourselves and the impact we expect to deliver."
Jan Adams, MD
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO),
Member of the Corporate Executive Board
"Responsibility takes shape where our medicines reach patients. In 2025, we set new targets for the years ahead and we approach them with discipline and focus – from strengthening patient safety, to training business partners on the responsible use of opioids, and expanding access to healthcare. This is how we act responsibly where it matters most."
Uli Brödl, MD
Head of Research & Development,
Chief Scientific Officer,
Member of the Corporate Executive Board
"In research and development, responsibility translates into putting patients’ voices at the heart of how we innovate. By actively involving patient advocacy groups in our clinical programmes, we ensure development reflects real patient needs. Expanding our R&D beyond pain into additional indications, including rare diseases, allows us to address further unmet needs for patients and their families."
Fabian Raschke
Chief Financial Officer,
Member of the Corporate Executive Board
"Responsibility is key to earning the trust of those who invest in us. Our strong track record in ESG and ethical business conduct, reflected in consistently high ratings, gives investors confidence and supports attractive financing. This enables us to invest in innovation, pursue growth opportunities and, ultimately, improve outcomes for patients."
Victor Barbosa
Head Global Operations,
Member of the Executive Board Team
"We deliver responsible operations with measurable impact: cutting emissions across our network, reducing Scope 3 emissions through supplier engagement, and preventing pollution, while maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, and supply reliability."
Leen Hofkens
Head Global Human Resources,
Member of the Executive Board Team
"Long‑term success depends on the people who deliver it. Responsibility means creating the conditions for employees to perform, grow and feel safe. The targets we set in 2025 raise standards in fairness, health and safety, and development, so that performance and responsibility go hand-in-hand across the organisation."
Sebastian Köhler
General Counsel,
Member of the Executive Board Team
"Responsible business means understanding risk before it becomes reality. At Grünenthal, we manage risk with a long‑term view; strengthening resilience, safeguarding trust, and enabling the company to act with confidence."
Quentin Le Masne de Chermont
Head Corporate Strategy and Business Development, Member of the Executive Board Team
"Responsibility is a core driver of our strategy and performance. By embedding it in our Group Scorecard, we ensure progress is measured and acted upon at the highest level. It shapes strategic decisions, guides our M&A approach and strengthens how we allocate capital across the business."
"Our responsibility shows in the way we manage risks and make decisions every day – with patients, people and the planet as our clear priorities."
Environment
Protecting our planet
How do our decisions
reduce environmental impact?
Every part of our business leaves an environmental footprint. We aim to reduce this footprint by
- Cutting emissions
- Reducing pollution
- Handling waste responsibly
- Raising standards across our supply chain
We translate ambition into action through science‑based measures, responsible operations and close collaboration with suppliers.
Cutting emissions: What is Scope 1, 2 and 3?
Scope 1: Emissions from direct operations
Scope 2: Emissions associated with purchased energy
Scope 3: Emissions from upstream or downstream transportation
Cutting emissions:
Our climate goals are on track
Limiting global warming to 1.5°C remains a key benchmark for climate action. Our short‑term climate targets align with this goal and have been independently validated.
By 2030, we aim to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 55% compared to 2020. By 2025, we had already reduced emissions by 43%, keeping us firmly on track.
Beyond our own operations, we are working closely with key suppliers responsible for most Scope 3 emissions with an aim for them to have validated, science-based climate targets by 2028.
How do we stay on track?
- Clean energy: 100% renewable electricity at all manufacturing sites since 2024
- Solar power in action: solar panels at several sites – 366 tonnes of CO₂ saved annually in Aachen, roughly the electrity-related emissions of 289 four-person households in Germany
- Less gas: heat pumps reduce fossil fuel use at our sites in Aachen and Mitlödi
Aachens biggest solar plant unveiled – powered by Grünenthal
Reducing pollution and handling waste responsibly
We address pollution risks early, through preventative standards across our operations and supply chain. In 2025, this approach delivered clear results, with no environmental leakages recorded.
Waste reduction and reuse are central, with waste materials replacing fossil fuels where possible. Since 2024, no manufacturing waste has been sent to landfill.
- 84% less water: municipal water use at the Quito site reduced in 2025
- 10% less waste: total manufacturing waste reduced vs. 2023
- 14.6% more recycling: increase in recyclable manufacturing waste vs. 2023
- 40 tonnes saved: annual solvent waste reduction at the API site in Aachen
- Certified improvement: My Green Lab® certification confirms our efforts to reduce energy, water and material use in daily lab work.
Raising standards across our supply chain
A large share of environmental and social impact derives from the supply chain. We manage these risks by responsible sourcing.
ESG criteria inform our sourcing decisions and supplier evaluations. Suppliers in higher-risk regions or industries are prioritized for closer assessment and follow‑up.
- 72% of ESG‑sensitive suppliers ESG risk assessed by the end of 2025
- 0 critical findings identified to date through ESG audits
Supplier engagement on climate action
Most greenhouse gas emissions occur upstream*. Supplier engagement is therefore the main lever for climate action.
We focus on suppliers with the highest emissions. Engagement is tailored, from improving emissions transparency to supporting science‑based targets and decarbonisation measures.
We are in close collaboration with suppliers that are the top contributors of our Scope 3 footprint. Of those suppliers by emissions, 69% have validated science‑based targets or equivalent commitments.
* Upstream emissions are indirect greenhouse gas emissions arising before the company’s own operations, such as from purchased goods and services, capital goods, transport, waste, and business travel.
Planting a greener future
Beyond reducing our footprint, we invest in reforestation initiatives that support ecosystems, climate resilience and local communities.
100,000 trees planted by 2025 through our partnership with Impact Hero in Senegal, Kenya and Tanzania
Strong employee engagement: nearly 40,000 trees personally planted by colleagues worldwide since 2021 through #TreesForOurPlanet
While our tree-planting initiative is not part of a formal carbon offsetting scheme, it reflects our ongoing effort to contribute to broader environmental goals.
Social
Investing in our people and society
What makes Grünenthal a place to grow and perform at our best?
It comes down to the conditions people work in – and how we continue to strengthen them.
Fair pay, safe workplaces and social protection set the baseline. Employees are covered by schemes that provide income security during illness, parental leave and retirement.
Upon this foundation, we invest in promoting wellbeing and encouraging a healthy work-life balance, helping employees stay engaged, perform at their best and thrive professionally and personally.
Where applicable, we go further with additional benefits tailored to local needs such as paid leave for young families, daycare centres, health programmes and coaching opportunities.
*Latest Grünenthal MSCI rating October 2025
"Family Starting Time allowed me to take enough time off after the birth and experience many special moments with my family that I might otherwise have missed."
Growing talent
Every employee is a talent. Growth is shaped through regular conversations and personalised development plans that connect individual strengths with organisational needs.
Training, mentoring and hands‑on learning support long‑term careers. Leadership and inclusive leadership programmes strengthen a culture in which people can perform and progress.
Safety, shared by everyone
Health and safety are paramount. A prevention‑first approach, clear standards and continuous training embed safety into everyday work. It is a shared responsibility: people speak up, report near misses and look out for one another.
The results are visible.
Extending our care to communities
Through Grünenthal Gives, employees can take a paid working day each year to volunteer for causes that matter to them.
This gives teams the opportunity to step outside of their daily roles and contribute directly to local communities. Such activities include removing rubbish and rehabilitating local areas and assisting in social programmes.
Grünenthal Gives extends our sense of responsibility beyond the workplace.
Contributing to the well‑being of society
Our Corporate Responsibility Programme defines priorities across the focus areas Patient, People and Planet.
Corporate Citizenship reflects our engagement beyond business operations – supporting society directly through four defined categories.
Together, they address distinct societal needs with a shared purpose: improving quality of life and strengthening communities.
Kelsina at the community‘s new soloar-powered water point, which now provides reliable access to clean and safe water, in Ethiopia
Health and well-being / Environmental protection
Projects that promote the responsible use of natural resources and help to minimise negative impacts on the climate are equally important to us. One example is our support for a water-access initiative in Ethiopia. It provides clean and safe water to enhance health, daily life and prospects for the local population.
Social engagement
We partner with organisations that strengthen communities and create opportunities for people facing difficult circumstances. In the Amazon region, one programme supports indigenous youth through educational and creative activities that build confidence, skills and a connection to their cultural roots.
Emergency relief
€30,000 in emergency aid to the Red Cross to support relief efforts following the severe floods in Spain in 2024
€200,000 to the town of Stolberg and €200,000 to “Aktion Deutschland Hilft” following the 2021 flood disaster in Germany
€400,000 in emergency aid to the Red Cross for humanitarian aid in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, as well as over 1.3 million donated medicine doses following the war in Ukraine in 2022
€50,000 to the NGO Desafío Levantemos to support those affected by the severe forest fires in Chile in 2024
€30,000 to Ação da Cidadania to help those affected by severe storms in Brazil in 2024
€250,000 in emergency aid following the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in 2023
€30,000 to Ação da Cidadania to help those affected by severe storms in Brazil in 2024
€250,000 in emergency aid following the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in 2023
Long‑term commitment through our foundations
Grünenthal has been active in foundation work for more than 25 years.
Grünenthal Foundation for Palliative Care – Enabling people with terminal illnesses to live well for as long as possible and with dignity
Grünenthal Foundation for the Support of Thalidomide-affected people – Improving the quality of life of those affected in their daily lives
Fundación Grunenthal in Ecuador – Supporting low‑income communities in Quito and rural areas
Grünenthal Foundation Spain – Raising awareness and knowledge of chronic pain
Social
Putting patients first
Safety and responsibility across the product life cycle
Safety and quality are built in from the start. Grünenthal sets and applies clear standards across research, manufacturing and everyday practice to ensure safe and reliable pain medication and its responsible use. Quality indicators help us identify risks early and maintain trust in our medicines over time.
99% of employees completed mandatory pharmacovigilance training in 2025
98% of employees in target group1 received (refresher) training on “Grünenthal’s responsible use of opioid-based medicines” in 2025
97% of healthcare professionals in the target group2 received in-person communication about “Grünenthal’s responsible use of opioid-based medicines”
1 employees working in the Commercial business area
2 healthcare professionals included on call plans for promotion
of opioid-based medicines
Patients at the heart of research and development
Our teams continuously refine how we research pain, combining scientific expertise with evolving technologies to better understand what patients experience.
Advanced data analysis helps us identify outcomes that matter to people living with pain, while approaches such as wearable technology provide insight into how treatments affect daily life beyond clinical settings.
By 2030, we aim to further integrate the patient perspective into study design, ensuring research reflects real needs.
Status 2025
Involvement of patient advocacy group in the design of Grünenthal-sponsored clinical development programs, and their recommendations are taken into account.*
Ambition 2030
* except when multiple programs target the same indication, in which case shared patient advocacy input may be applied
Advancing pain research and care through partnerships
Through partnerships and long‑standing initiatives, Grünenthal supports progress in pain research and palliative care across Europe.
EFIC–Grünenthal Grant
Up to €50,000 for early‑career researchers in Europe to pursue innovative pain research and education projects. Established in 2004.
Pain Research Award
Germany’s longest‑running award in pain research (since 1986), with a strong focus on early‑career scientists.
Award for Practical Initiatives in Palliative Care
Recognises innovative, practice‑oriented approaches in palliative care. Awarded since 2008.
‘Societal Impact of Pain’ platform
Raises awareness of the medical, social and economic impact of pain and promotes better pain management. Grünenthal is a main sponsor.
Improving access to medicines for greater health equity
Improving access to medicines is a key part of advancing health equity. Building on years of donating medicines, we reshaped our access strategy in 2025 and began building a dedicated Access to Healthcare programme.
Our goal is straightforward: balancing economic sustainability with social impact, taking step-by-step action to make sure our medicines reach the patients who need them.
Governance
Business conduct
"Our ethical framework creates clarity for our employees to help them make the right decisions and do the right thing."
Doing business the right way
At Grünenthal, doing business the right way means more than meeting legal obligations. It is about making decisions that are ethical, transparent, and responsible. Clear rules, strong oversight, and practical guidance help employees navigate complex situations and act with confidence, especially as digital technologies and artificial intelligence become increasingly relevant to our work.
Strong safeguards: 100% employee participation in anti‑corruption training
Clear rules: Codes of Conduct for employees and business partners
Transparency: EFPIA Transparency Code compliance
Open culture: Strong speak‑up culture, supported by clear escalation channels
Business partners who were active in 2025 and underwent a third-party due diligence
Curious to see where we are heading next?
"Our focus on patients, people and the planet continues to evolve. Clear ambitions for 2030 help sharpen how sustainability and responsible business conduct guide our strategy and everyday decisions."
Imprint.
Contact
Hannah Engels
Global Compliance & Responsibility Officer
Tobias Schäfers
Head of Responsibility and Corporate Citizenship
E-Mail: esg@grunenthal.com
Photo Credits
Grünenthal, Getty Images, Magnific / Freepik Company, Amref Health AfricaSimegn Minilik
Disclaimer
Privacy
Publisher
GRÜNENTHAL PHARMA GMBH & CO. KG
Zieglerstrasse 6
52078 Aachen
Germany
Phone: +49 241 569 0
E-mail: info@grunenthal.com
www.grunenthal.com
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