Responsibility
Ethical operations
We’re constantly reviewing patients’ medical needs, developing our products directly in response to these. As well as using the latest science and research insights, we establish relationships of trust with local communities to immerse ourselves in their everyday ophthalmological healthcare needs. We work hard to ensure there’s a stable supply of treatments available to meet patients’ needs.
We respect human rights in all our business activities and seek to contribute to a prejudice-free society. Through our membership of the United Nations Global Compact (UNCG) we practise the ten key principles in human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. That includes giving our employees the best opportunities to develop and offering a safe and comfortable working environment. We work towards the highest professional standards of fair practice in working with our business partners and strive to minimise incidents of non-compliance.
Environmental conservation matters to us. We reduce our environmental impact through global warming countermeasures, managing our use of chemicals, reducing waste and working to maintain biodiversity.
The rate of change of three important measures of environmental impact showed strong change from FY2014 to FY2018 (Source: Santen Annual Report 2019):
Per unit of consolidated revenue
| FY2014 | FY2018 | Rate of change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO2 emissions (tonne/billion yen) | 214 | 146 | -32% |
| Volume of waste for final disposal (tonne/billion yen) | 0.3 | 1.1 | +366% |
| Water usage (thousand m3/billion yen) | 3.2 | 2.4 | -25% |
Charity and corporate giving
Worldwide, we support:
- the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) Foundation’s “teaching the teachers” work training ophthalmologists in developing countries
- the Glaucoma Research Foundation, the European Glaucoma Society (training course for residents) and the Eye Foundation (Stiftung Auge) of the German Ophthalmological Society (several programmes to improve patients’ health)
- organisations, including Helen Keller International, which work in developing countries to improve eye care and blindness prevention
- Help International, a non-profit medical aid organisation working in Guatemala
- research institutions including universities, academic societies and specialist research groups as well as not-for-profit organisations such as the Glaucoma Research Society
- corneal transplant programmes
- guide dog development programmes
- activity support groups for the visually impaired
- sports programmes for people with visual impairments, including partnering with the NPO Japan Blind Football Association and Blind Tennis Association Poland
- awareness-raising activities for early detection of glaucoma, through the World Glaucoma Association and World Glaucoma Patients Association
- disaster assistance in communities including Italian earthquake victims
- during 2018 Santen has been supporting OneDollarGlasses through our 10,000 Hours volunteering programme
- local ophthalmology charities and initiatives across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) by raising €98,913 through our 10,000 Hours programme during the COVID-19 pandemic
- healthcare professionals and healthcare organisations by supplying free slit lamp shields during the COVID-19 pandemic
Santen’s 2018 financial year donations and contributions amounted to €5.1 million, equivalent to 1.3% of consolidated core operating profits.
