At a ceremony in Brussels in April 2004, Novo Nordisk was given the award for the best European Sustainability Report 2003. The European Sustainability Awards are given by the national associations of state-chartered accountants in 15 countries.

The award scheme has existed since 1996, and this is the sixth time that Novo Nordisk takes home the award.

Fig.: Richard Howitt, Member of the European Parliament, presented the European Sustainability Reporting Award to Lise Kingo (right), Executive Vice President, Corporate Stakeholder Relations, and Susanne Stormer, editor of Novo Nordisks Sustainability Report

In her acceptance speech, Lise Kingo, Executive Vice President, Corporate Stakeholder Relations, explained Novo Nordisks reporting approach as a way to demonstrate how the company holds itself accountable to its stakeholders.

To Novo Nordisk, reporting has been an extremely helpful tool which helps us earn not just the markets trust, but societal trust in a wider sense. It is also like a mirror of our sustainability work. These are the ingredients: A vision, a set of ambitious targets, management commitment, stakeholder engagement, a structure for gathering and analysing the data, and a determination across the organisation to pursue the targets and to deliver on promises. And finally, the drive to keep pushing the envelope, to continually re-invent the reporting framework, and to never be satisfied, even if it may be the best sustainability report in Europe, said Lise Kingo.

In their voting, the award committee highlighted this innovative approach which enables Novo Nordisk to stay in the lead. Once again, Novo Nordisk has managed to renew and develop its style of reporting to such a degree that it will influence other sustainability reports in the coming years, it said.

To see the winning report, visit theSustainability Report 2003.

For more information about the European Sustainability Report, visit www.accaglobal.com/news