Our commitment to sustainability
HERMES PHARMA acknowledges that the pharmaceutical industry has a critical role to play in creating a sustainable, livable future. For us, sustainability is not just another short-term initiative, but a long-term responsibility. Every decision we make is guided by a long-term perspective on how our actions will impact society and the environment.
To systematically address our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) priorities, we conducted a Double Materiality Analysis to identify the sustainability and ESG areas most significant to our organization and stakeholders. Based on this, we structured our ESG efforts around four key strategic themes: people, environment, sustainable procurement, and governance.
“We are convinced that the decisions we make today that are not in line with our commitment to sustainability will lead to higher costs in the future. Therefore, it is our goal not only to produce innovative and health-promoting products, but also to ensure they are based on sustainable, long-term viable solutions.”
Dr. Jürgen Ott, CEO HERMES PHARMA
People
We offer our employees long-term job security and career development, supported by initiatives such as our employee education program.
That’s why our employees stay with us for 13 years on average.
a. Working together
We put people at the heart of our organization, creating an environment where they can flourish. By maintaining a supportive atmosphere, we foster strong relationships, trust, and a sense of belonging.
b. Employer
To us, an attractive employer offers meaningful work, appreciation, strong management, and clear development opportunities. We aim to craft a workplace that motivates and empowers employees to contribute effectively to company growth.
c. Employee development
Our employees’ expertise and commitment form the basis of our corporate performance. To nurture these skills, we maintain a positive working environment that encourages continuous development and provide an in-depth employee education program.
d. Health & safety
Employee well-being is HERMES PHARMA’s priority. Beyond strictly adhering to legal requirements, we implement Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality (HSEQ) measures across all locations, receiving an AUVA certification for a safe and healthy work environment at one of our sites.
Environment
We support the European Green Deal, and use renewable energy across all our locations. We also actively monitor our emissions to reduce our greenhouse gas generation wherever possible, with decarbonization being a key strategic goal.
a. Optimized energy & emissions
As part of our ISO 50001 certified energy system, we incorporate 600 kWp solar panels to generate electricity for manufacturing. Each year, we calculate our CO₂ emissions across the entire value chain and implement measures to reduce them.
b. Less water consumption
We use water primarily for cleaning during production. To ensure its responsible usage, we only source water from non-water-stressed areas and implement strict guidelines to reduce the amount of pharmaceutically active ingredient residues in our wastewater.
c. Reduced materials
We minimize the amount of APIs, nutrients, excipients, packaging, and transportation we use. By using materials efficiently and avoiding overproduction, we strive to keep waste to a minimum.
d. Sustainable products
Using our research and development expertise, we create sustainable products for our customers, such as our more sustainable primary and secondary packaging. We focus on lower-emission raw materials and incorporate circular economy principles into our production.
Procurement
As a member of the United Nations Global Compact, we are committed to protecting human rights across our value chain. We have established long-term partnerships with our suppliers and expect them to comply with essential environmental and social standards while maintaining high quality and reliable delivery.
a. Transparency
To maintain transparency across the supply chain, we’re implementing a risk management system to identify and analyze any human rights and environmental risks across all main procured materials and services.
b. Human rights
As a United Nations Global Compact member, HERMES Group is committed to maintaining human rights, occupational safety, environmental protection, and anti-corruption.
These rights and duties are communicated to all our employees and suppliers through our Code of Conduct.
c. Environmental & social standards
Ecological and social considerations are fundamental to our supplier management processes. We require all our suppliers to complete mandatory self-assessment questionnaires to help us evaluate how well they align with our values and expectations. The questionnaires allow us to determine supplier compliance with our social and ecological criteria and ensure that they are not only meeting regulatory requirements, but also actively contributing to a more sustainable and socially responsible value chain.
Governance
Responsible entrepreneurship begins with compliance. We ensure that all our actions align with applicable laws and regulations. As part of the Johannes Burges Family Foundation, we have economic independence, shielding us from shareholder pressures, short-term profit-taking, hostile takeovers, and asset stripping.
a. Compliance, ethics, and trust
Corporate responsibility, adherence to our values, and integrity are core to our culture. We aim for success while strictly complying with laws and regulations, countering risks of corruption and unjust enrichment through robust ethical practices.
b. Sustainable business model
Being part of the Johannes Burges Family Foundation protects our economic independence. Collaborating with our customers, we develop solutions addressing global patient and consumer needs, prioritizing user-friendliness and sustainability.
c. Product safety and quality
Patients rely on high-quality products, as they guarantee the efficacy and safety of pharmaceuticals. We understand that product quality is the foundation of our customers’ trust in us. As such, we are committed to continuous improvement of our products and services. We adhere to GMP for pharmaceutical products, international standards for food safety (such as HACCP and US-CFR), and ISO 13485 for medical devices, ensuring that all our products consistently meet high safety and quality standards.
Our commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices has been recognized by EcoVadis since 2019, with HERMES PHARMA having received several EcoVadis silver medals.