Being there is our promise. To Novo Nordisk, being there is about taking responsibility, acting on our commitments and accounting for our performance. Seeking to ensure business performance that is socially responsible, environmentally sound and economically viable is how we work. Sustainability reporting is one way to show how we build our business on this premise.

The Sustainability Report accounts for Novo Nordisk’s approach to doing business and presents the key issues and dilemmas our company is facing. Six representatives of stakeholders give their views on how to deal with the dilemmas we have framed this year. Read the dilemmas.

In this year’s report, we focus on access to health. Helping to provide health for all is a particular challenge to our industry. It is also an essential building block for global wealth creation, democratic development, eco-balance and social equity.

Novo Nordisk supports the development of global standards for corporate account-ability. The printed report is backed by an internet version which provides an index of the report in accordance with the GRI’s 2002 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines and Novo Nordisk’s response to the Global Compact principles. The internet version also has additional information and the full data set. By the end of March 2004 this will be followed by reports for our largest production sites.

Novo Nordisk’s Sustainability Report 2003 is approved by the company’s Board of Directors and issued together with the Annual Financial Report and the summary, Annual Review. The publications cover the calendar year 2003 and were available in February 2004, prior to the Annual General Meeting in March 2004. The scope is Novo Nordisk A/S. For more information on how information for the report was gathered, selected, prioritized and assured, see Accounting principles.