WILMINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) today announced the publication of its 2021 Corporate Citizenship Report. The 2021 report demonstrates Charles River’s priorities and commitments across its key Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) areas of focus: Leadership, People, Communities, and Environment.
“Charles River is at a unique inflection point in our 75-year history, and supporting business practices that are environmentally sustainable, socially conscious, and aligned with sound corporate governance practices is critical to our future,” said Jim Foster, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Charles River. “This ethos is embedded in our culture and extends across our entire organization. At the core of our commitment to corporate citizenship is to ‘be the difference,’ as we work together to create positive impact for our stakeholders—our clients and partners, our people, our communities, and our planet.”
The report highlights Charles River’s significant strides in progressing the Company’s ESG efforts, as well as new milestones and accomplishments:
Leadership
Charles River established formal accountability and guidance for its corporate citizenship priorities and programs in 2021, incorporating oversight responsibility within the Board of Directors. It also created a formal ESG Governance Council leadership team council to drive results throughout the company at every level, from the Boardroom to every site location. Additionally, in September 2021, Charles River launched its first Annual Healthcare Collaboration Report, which identified the perceptions of 1,500 U.S. adults on healthcare’s strengths and weaknesses, general knowledge of drug and vaccine development, and key future priorities for the healthcare industry in the U.S.
People
In 2021, Charles River launched global Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to foster belonging, provide career development opportunities, build ally engagement, and support its communities. At the end of 2021, the seven ERGs included more than 800 employees across the globe. The company also launched a new enterprise learning management system – talentHUB learning – part of a multi-year strategy to centralize, capture, and further integrate learning for employees in the coming years.
Communities
Committing to providing a healthier future for all, Charles River invests and serves the communities through both time and philanthropic giving, focusing on three areas: Health Outcomes; Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Education; and Thriving Communities. Through this commitment, Charles River aims to champion disease education and awareness, inspire the next generation of scientists, and increase access to basic human services. In response to the continued challenges local communities faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, Charles River implemented a special donation campaign in the summer of 2021, supporting 196 community organizations within its geographies of business, including schools, food banks, and homeless shelters.
Environment
Working toward previously announced environmental goals, Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions decreased on an absolute basis by 25% from 2018 to 2021, driven by renewable electricity use and energy conservation measures. Sustainability capital projects totaling approximately $4.5 million were approved and funded in 2021 under the Sustainability Capital Fund, which will reduce and avoid annual Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by ~3.2%. Charles River entered into Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (vPPAs) for both North America (solar) and Europe (wind) that will supply all facilities in those regions with 100% renewable electricity beginning in 2023, building upon the more than one third of current renewable electricity.
The 2021 Corporate Citizenship Report was prepared in accordance with both the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, and includes the results of the company's materiality assessment completed in 2020. The GRI materiality assessment process – conducted by an independent third-party advisor – identified, mapped, and prioritized ESG issues, risks, and opportunities to further evolve corporate citizenship efforts.
Visit the Corporate Citizenship section of Charles River’s website to read the 2021 Corporate Citizenship Report in its entirety and learn more about the Company’s ESG disclosures.
About Charles River
Charles River provides essential products and services to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, government agencies and leading academic institutions around the globe accelerate their research and drug development efforts. Our dedicated employees are focused on providing clients with exactly what they need to improve and expedite the discovery, early-stage development and safe manufacture of new therapies for the patients who need them. To learn more about our unique portfolio and breadth of services, visit www.criver.com.
