Better Health for All

AstraZeneca's core business delivers substantial health benefits, impacting over 134 million patient lives annually

and aiming to eliminate cancer as a cause of death . The company provided $4.6 billion in product donations through patient assistance programs in 2024, representing 8.54% of its total revenue. AstraZeneca does not file patents in low-income or least developed countries and offers royalty-free licensing for neglected tropical diseases . Its health equity programs reached 90.493 million people in 2024, and it trained over 156,000 healthcare workers . The company has achieved a 77.5% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions since 2015 and developed respiratory inhalers with 99.9% lower global warming potential . It reported zero material cybersecurity or personal data breaches in 2024 and has comprehensive AI governance frameworks . AstraZeneca makes 506 clinical trial summaries publicly available and prioritizes diversity and transparency in trials . The company demonstrates excellent risk transparency through detailed disclosures and a clinical trial website .

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

AstraZeneca requires all suppliers and partners to adhere to its Global Standard on Expectations of Third Parties and Code of Conduct.

Failure to meet these ethical standards constitutes a material breach of contract, which can lead to immediate termination. The company reported zero incidents of forced or child labour in its 2023 Sustainability Report, maintaining a zero-tolerance policy for such practices and requiring workers to be at least 15 years old or the higher local legal age. In 2023, 3,272 employees received Modern Slavery awareness training.

Kind to Animals

AstraZeneca used 205,757 animals in testing in 2024, with over 97% being rodents or fish and less than 1% dogs and non-human primates.

The company has a Global Bioethics Policy that mandates the application of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement), requires careful consideration and justification for animal research, and prohibits the use of wild-caught non-human primates, Great Apes, pets, or stray animals. This policy applies globally to internal research and third parties, and is overseen by a Council for Science and Animal Welfare (C-SAW) and an Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB). AstraZeneca is actively investing in and developing non-animal alternative methods (NAMs), including organ-on-chip technology, advanced cell models, AI, and has successfully replaced a flu attenuation assay with non-animal alternatives. The company collaborates with academic partners on new models and participates in cross-industry initiatives like the IQ Consortium's IQ MPS Affiliate. AstraZeneca is a signatory to openness agreements on animal research in the UK, Australia/New Zealand, and contributes to the U.S. Animal Research Openness Initiative, also supporting and advocating for the NC3Rs.

No War, No Weapons

AstraZeneca's annual review in 2023 indicated no presence of conflict minerals (tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold) in its portfolio of products.

The company conducts due diligence to determine if it sources these minerals in its manufactured products.

Planet-Friendly Business

AstraZeneca reported total Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions of 6,037,416 tCO2e in 2024.

Its net-zero pathway is verified by the Science-Based Targets Initiative Net Zero Corporate Standard , aligned to a 1.5°C pathway, with a target year of 2045. The company aims for a 98% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2026 and a 50% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030. In 2024, 97% of its electricity was sourced from renewables. Water withdrawn per $1 million revenue was 63.58 m³ in 2024 , with 1.97% of its water consumption sourced from medium and high scarcity areas. The waste diversion rate from landfill was 41% in 2024. In 2024, 46% of suppliers by spend for purchased goods and services and capital goods had science-based targets. AstraZeneca reported zero environmental violations (defined as fines over $10,000) in 2024. Its climate strategy includes scenario analysis for high-emission, low-carbon, and 1.5°C pathways.

Safe & Smart Tech

AstraZeneca is currently under police investigation in China for possible breaches of data privacy laws.

In 2021, sensitive patient data and credentials for an internal server were exposed on GitHub for over a year due to user error , with the company stating it was a limited set of patient data and assessing its regulatory obligations . AstraZeneca has a Data Privacy Global Standard that outlines requirements for processing personal data, aiming to align with and sometimes exceed applicable laws and regulations. Its IT Security Policy includes commitments to security awareness and training , vulnerability and patch management , and the use of appropriate cryptographic safeguards for confidential information . The company also states it implements digital security controls in accordance with all statutory, regulatory, and contractual obligations, aligning with the NIST Cyber Security Framework. Furthermore, AstraZeneca's Global Policy Quality and Regulatory Compliance Policy requires compliance with international codes, standards, and local regulatory requirements.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

In 2024, 96.3% of paper-based product packaging materials were sourced from sustainable sources.

The company has a target to reduce total waste by 10% below the 2015 baseline by 2025, having achieved a 13% reduction by 2024. The total waste recycling rate was 41% in 2024. Numerous waste reduction initiatives include a solvent recovery unit at Avlon, a program for circularity and landfill waste avoidance at Coppell, and transitioning to ePI which saved 30 million sheets of paper in one year. For hazardous waste, the company invested in a solvent recovery unit at Avlon and scaled up F-gas capture at Dunkirk in 2024, with 53 tonnes sent to landfill in 2024. The company reported zero environmental violations and financial penalties related to waste disposal from 2022 to 2024. Additionally, it supports public awareness campaigns for the safe disposal of medicines.