Last week, UCB released our Integrated Annual Report. 2020 was an exceptional year influenced by exceptional circumstances. It tested our resilience as individuals, as communities, and as a company. Still, the COVID-19 pandemic was a disruptor and accelerator of many trends shaping our environment, including the speed of innovation, digital transformation, the role of sustainability and societal value, and the reality of increasing uncertainty. These trends reinforce our purpose at UCB:

We are focused on creating value for patients now and into the future.

At UCB, we want to give people with severe diseases the freedom to live their best lives. We work in a way that is sustainable for the patients who need our solutions, for employees, for wider society, including local communities, for our shareholders, and for the planet. With more than 90 years behind us, we are looking to the future. 

We remain focused on our commitment to patients, their caregivers, and their families as we continuously innovate to bring differentiated solutions with unique outcomes, which helps specific patients achieve their goals and create the best individual experience for them. This also means ensuring access to all who need these solutions in a way which is viable for patients, society, and UCB. To do this, we recognize the importance of creating the right conditions for employees, the communities in which we operate, and all our stakeholders, including our shareholders. We also recognize the essential link between human health and the health of the planet and we are taking action to minimize our environmental footprint. 

We are leveraging our expertise to integrate sustainability into our business approach and improve societal health with a focus on:

• Scientific innovation - We design, develop and deliver differentiated solutions that help specific patients achieve their life goals and contribute to addressing societal health challenges.
• Access to medicines - In the countries where we operate, we are focused on ensuring that all patients who need our medicines have access to them in a way which is viable for patients, society and UCB. In Low- and Medium-Income countries, we develop a social business approach to provide access to quality care and medicines for people with epilepsy.
• Employee health, safety, and wellbeing - We aim to foster a working environment and climate where people are happy, healthy, safe and able to thrive. We do this by creating the right conditions for colleagues to benefit from cutting-edge, impactful programs. We also aim to pay particular attention to colleagues affected by severe diseases, whether as patients or as caregivers.
• Health of the planet - We contribute to the transition towards a low carbon and green economy to protect the planet.

To do this we always build on two foundational areas: 

• Diversity, equity and inclusion across our business - We aim to inspire a culture of inclusion by providing equitable opportunities to all employees, embracing diverse talents and leveraging diversity of thought and experience.
• Ethical principles of transparency, respect, and integrity - We create an environment that drives ethical behavior, thereby protecting the company’s reputation and ensuring sustained business performance.

Read more in the 2020 Integrated Annual Report and be on the look out for stories of our progress in these focus areas of sustainability as our business approach.