CDO Sustainability Strategy Kicks Off at Bayer

Clinical Development Operations (CDO) in Bayer Pharma Research and Development aims to maximize our contribution to Bayer’s ambitious societal and ecological sustainability targets. The “CDO Sustainability Strategy” kicked off in July, when our leadership team met for an online workshop to collectively identify focus areas and determine where CDO can have the most impact to make a difference. CDO is already contributing to Bayer’s sustainability goals; this official strategy will put a more formal process in place. We seek to grow sustainability leaders and engage employees. The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership promotes rewiring leadership and the Harvard Business Review demonstrates the benefits of employee engagement; each factor is essential for positive outcomes.

Having an Impact on Global Sustainable Development

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future”.

Bayer's 3 business divisions Crop Science, Consumer Health, and Pharmaceuticals will have most impact on 7 of the 17 SDGs. In CDO, we can use these 7 SDGs to identify where we can make an impact:

•  No Poverty
• Zero Hunger
• Good Health and Well-Being
• Gender Equality
• Clean Water and Sanitation
• Climate Action
• Life on Land

“This is a remarkable year for innovation and digital transformation at Bayer - both are critical to progress in sustainability. The CDO organization continues to identify more innovative ways of working while enhancing the clinical trial experience for the patient, and as a result we will broaden our patient population and enhance sustainability in Pharma R&D.” -Christian Rommel, Head of Bayer Pharma R&D

Sustainability Focus Areas for CDO

1)   Continue to Broaden Access to Clinical Trials: Put patients' needs and safety first by adopting innovative approaches to clinical trials by driving change through patient-centric solutions.

Learn More: Diversity in Clinical Trials: Diminishing Barriers to Participation | LinkedIn , Published on 07 July 2021

2)   Reduce the Environmental Impact of Our Face-to-Face Meetings: Develop guidelines to ensure decision makers know when it makes sense to conduct a face-to-face, virtual or hybrid meeting, making sure meetings have value for participants while reducing associated carbon emissions.

Learn More: Gaining the Most out of Going Viral | LinkedIn, Published on 14 January 2021

3)   Ensure Continued Engagement with Sustainability in Our Day-to-Day Work: Establish a CDO Sustainability Network that will be led by our Sustainability Champion Carly Santer with support from the CDO Training, Change and Communication group. By the end of 2021, all CDO employees will have the opportunity take part in a sustainability engagement session, where they will discuss and identify how their teams can contribute to Bayer’s sustainability commitments. The CDO Sustainability Network will help contribute to these sessions by inspiring and motivating employees to help maximize CDO’s contribution to Bayer’s sustainability targets.

Learn More: Bayer recognizes ‘Sustainability Champions’ that help pioneer efforts across a global landscape | LinkedIn, Published on 24 February 2021

“I am excited to be advocating sustainability in CDO and I look forward to working with the sustainability network. Sustainability Champions don’t have to be experts, they just need a passion to make a difference.”  -Carly Santer, Quality and Compliance Senior Manager & Sustainability Champion

We are all in this together!

Contributing to sustainable development is becoming a priority for businesses all over the world. At Bayer, we are guided by our vision “Health for All, Hunger for None”, promoting inclusive growth and a responsible use of resources. Bayer is a global company with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture - each division will play their part in achieving our vision. We are launching our sustainability strategy to help people and the planet thrive.

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About Bayer CDO

Clinical Development Operations (CDO) is the operational driver of Bayer Pharma’s Research & Development organization. The CDO group consists of 1800+ industry experts. CDO strives to put patients' needs and safety first by adopting cutting edge approaches to clinical trials. We are focused on modernized advancements and automation technology. These are the building blocks behind “Science for a Better Life.” 

Our goal is to improve the science behind generating quality data, delivering efficient clinical trials, and finding innovative talent. And CDO, through the science, is taking large steps toward Bayer’s vision of “Health for all, Hunger for none”.

Follow us at #BayerCDO

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