9.3 Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) forms an integral part of Bayer’s philosophy and strategy as a business enterprise. The company regards itself as part of society and therefore considers it its duty to behave as a responsible corporate citizen. Bayer’s CSR commitment is exemplified by numerous projects in many parts of the world, some of which the company has been organizing or supporting for years. In 2009 the Bayer Group provided funding of some €44 million for these activities, focusing on the fields of education and research, environment and nature, health and social needs, and sports and culture. Bayer’s diverse activities in the area of sports and culture accounted for about half of CSR spending, followed by expenditures to promote health, education and environmental protection. We continuously develop the scope of our projects and/or extend them to additional countries.

We firmly believe that a sustainable CSR commitment in these areas can make an important contribution to the viability of society while at the same time improving the conditions for our business activity and promoting our economic success in the long term.

Education and research

Bayer traditionally places great importance on support for education and research. As an inventor company, we are particularly dependent on recruiting people with excellent scientific skills.

In 2009 the Bayer Science & Education Foundation provided financial support for outstanding scientists, high-achieving university students and dedicated school students. It also sponsored innovative teaching programs in schools. The €50,000 Hansen Family Award in 2009 went to Professor Patrick Cramer for his research into the molecular mechanisms of gene transcription, which may help in discovering new disease therapies and improving biotechnological processes. In 2009 the Foundation also presented the newly established “Bayer Early Excellence in Science Award” to three young scientists, who received €10,000 each. The recipients were Dr. Jürgen Groll of RWTH Aachen University, Germany, for the “Materials” field, Dr. Noriyuki Nishimura from the University of California, San Diego, United States, in the “Biology” category, and Dr. Tobias Ritter of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, for “Chemicals.”

The Bayer Science & Education Foundation granted scholarships totaling €151,000 in 2009 to 34 gifted and ambitious students to assist them with specific study projects in the fields of natural sciences and medicine. The Foundation also provided a total of some €491,000 in funding for 51 new programs at schools and other educational institutions in communities near our sites to help make science education more innovative and attractive. Under the Bayer Climate Program, it also awarded seven scholarships in 2009 to school students participating in an international sustainability seminar in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. In 2009 Brazil joined the list of countries participating in Bayer’s educational program “Making Science Make Sense,” which means schoolchildren in 12 countries are now benefiting from the commitment of Bayer employees who volunteer their time in schools and elsewhere to demonstrate experiments that illustrate the fascination and the benefits of science.

Environment and nature

Protecting the environment and nature has long been of major importance to Bayer. As a company with international production operations, we consider the judicious use of natural resources to be an important part of our social responsibility, along with environmental protection and nature conservation. In 2009 Bayer ceremonially presented Professor Eberhard Jochem of the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research in Karlsruhe, Germany, with the inaugural Bayer Climate Award for his achievements in the field of energy efficiency. This accolade – the first international award for fundamental research in the climate sciences – will now be presented every two years by the Bayer Science & Education Foundation under the Bayer Climate Program.

In 2009 Bayer and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) again organized about a dozen environmental projects for children and young people as part of their global partnership for environmental education. These activities centered on the International Children’s and Youth Conference on the Environment in Daejeon, South Korea, which was attended by 600 participants from some 100 countries. Thanks to particularly strong interest from China, the annual children’s painting competition run jointly by Bayer and UNEP received a record 2.4 million entries from 89 countries. Also within the scope of this partnership, Bayer organized the interdisciplinary scientific forum “Eco-Minds” in Auckland, New Zealand, in which students from nine countries in the Asia/Pacific region participated.

Bayer’s “Young Environmental Envoys” program was expanded to include Chile, now the 19th participating country. In 2009 Bayer provided total funding of €1.2 million for projects implemented under the UNEP partnership.

Bayer launched a special environmental protection program in China entitled “Seeding for Green.” Through this program, the company supports young people who are committed to environmental protection with the aim of boosting environmental awareness among the population. The program includes an environmental media award and a children’s book about global warming.

Health and social needs

Bayer displays an active commitment to improving social conditions and health care in many regions of the world with the dual aim of promoting social stability in the communities near its sites and helping to solve global health challenges.

In 2009 the company agreed to provide the World Health Organization (WHO) with 400,000 tablets of its active ingredient nifurtimox annually free of charge, the objective being to develop a new therapy to tackle African sleeping sickness.

In addition we launched a unique project in Uganda in cooperation with the German Foundation for World Population (DSW) as part of our family planning program. A special “Youth Truck” is employed to reach out directly to teenagers to provide them with information on basic matters of sexual and health education and contraception. The program also involves parents and teachers. In addition, we are collaborating with organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to make contraceptives available free of charge to women who require them.

The Bayer Cares Foundation supported 42 charitable projects in the vicinities of the company’s sites in Germany – and for the first time also in Latin America – with total funding of about €104,000. In this way the foundation rewarded employee and citizen volunteerism as a central feature of an active community.

In 2009 the Foundation initiated the Aspirin Social Prize to promote innovative support and consultation projects in the health care field in Germany. With this prize the Bayer Cares Foundation aims to honor specific efforts, bring social work in the health care sector to the attention of a wider public and strengthen social innovation in this area. The prize is worth €30,000 and will be awarded annually starting in 2010.

Sports and culture

Bayer has sponsored sports for over 100 years. This commitment is based on support for a wide variety of clubs in the areas of recreational, youth and disabled sports.

Bayer has also served as a patron of the arts for more than a century. The extensive program of events organized by Bayer Arts & Culture and our support for a range of clubs and societies make a significant contribution to cultural life and enhance the attractiveness of our corporate locations.