Honest & Fair Business

GSK incurred a $2.2 billion settlement related to Zantac, alongside multiple fines for misleading marketing, anticompetitive behavior, and bribery.

The company's Controversy Exposure Score (CES) is 88/100, indicating a high level of controversy. It has been flagged for multiple UN Global Compact (UNGC) violations related to anti-corruption. GSK restated 2019-2021 comparative results due to the demerger of its Consumer Healthcare business and revised figures for 2022 and 2023. The company has an Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABAC) Policy that prohibits facilitation payments, includes third-party risk assessment processes, and provides targeted ABAC training to employees in high-risk roles or regions, with 100% completion for this subset in 2024. GSK has a "Speak up" program with integrity lines for anonymous reporting without fear of retaliation, and 86% of employees believe they can and do speak up. The 2024 information underlying the Responsible Business Performance Rating received limited assurance by Deloitte, and 86% of direct high-risk suppliers achieved a minimum EcoVadis score or have an improvement plan. GSK's S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment score is 78.

No War, No Weapons

GSK conducts ongoing monitoring for conflict minerals (3TGs) for its products, with reports publicly available for calendar years 2023 and 2024

, . This constitutes annual human-rights due diligence and an annual review process for partners with conflict-related risks , . For both 2023 and 2024, GSK has no reason to believe that any 3TGs in its products originated in the covered countries or were not from recycled or scrap sources , . Similarly, no suppliers or contract manufacturing organizations indicated that any 3TGs in materials or products provided to GSK in 2023 or 2024 came from the covered countries , . GSK has a public policy on conflict minerals, updated May 2025 , committing to reduce and replace any use of conflict minerals that benefits armed groups, and follows OECD Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains .

Planet-Friendly Business

GSK's total Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions for 2023 were 9,628,595 tCO₂e, representing a 0.84% decline from 2022

, with full Scope 1-3 emissions published annually. The company's net-zero targets for 2045, including an 80% absolute reduction across all scopes by 2030, have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative's Corporate Net-Zero Standard. In 2024, GSK sourced 90% of its electricity from renewable sources. The waste diversion rate for 2024 was 54%. Additionally, 73.3% of GSK's top 30 carbon-emitting suppliers have shared action plans to achieve carbon reductions by 2030. GSK has a formal zero-deforestation policy, with 58% of total spend on its 12 highest priority materials covered by an action plan for sustainable sourcing. In 2024, 4.09% of total water withdrawal was from high water risk sites , with a 5% reduction in water use at these sites from 2023. The company's peat and mangrove protection project in Indonesia includes specific interventions for local communities, such as health and economic support.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

GSK demonstrates a strong commitment to employee training, with 100% of employees and 99% of complementary workers completing mandatory training, which includes "Creating an Inclusive Workplace" in 2024.

The company also provides a "Speak Up" facility in 49 languages for raising concerns and disseminates plain language summaries of trial results for trials starting after January 1, 2023. GSK engages in numerous formal partnerships, with 16 distinct partnerships mentioned in 2024, including with the Medicines Patent Pool and Save the Children. No cultural appropriation incidents have been reported, and FPIC processes are stated as not applicable to company operations. There is no specific tracking of community complaint resolution times, nor specific community representation on governance bodies, cultural preservation funding, or cultural site disruptions. However, GSK's financial reinvestment in local communities is very low. In 2024, £12 million was invested in health system strengthening partnership grants, humanitarian support, and Africa Open Lab, and ViiV Healthcare's Positive Action invested over £13 million in 2024. This totaling £25 million. This represents approximately 0.073% of its 2020 turnover of £34.1 billion. Similarly, cash community investment was £90 million in 2024. which is approximately 0.26% of its 2020 turnover. Furthermore, GSK lacks a formal cultural impact assessment protocol, despite having a "Statement of Reconciliation in Canada" to advance health equity for Indigenous Peoples. There is no specific cultural incident response framework beyond a general commitment to investigate unethical activity.

Safe & Smart Tech

In 2024, GSK demonstrated strong regulatory compliance, with 96% of 104 regulatory inspections at manufacturing sites and local operating companies resulting in no critical findings or official action indicated.

The company received zero warning letters from the US FDA and zero critical findings from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), with only one critical finding from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). GSK also proactively monitors evolving legislation, enhancing technical standards to prepare for global requirements like the EU AI Act, and advocates for sector-specific regulators. For AI ethics, GSK has a comprehensive AI Policy with five principles and a new governance framework. A cross-functional AI Governance Council, sponsored by the Leadership Team, oversees AI strategy, reviews projects, provides guidance, and monitors compliance. A new responsible AI Standard Operating Procedure defines requirements for all AI system development and procurement. GSK integrates AI risk review into existing risk management frameworks, embeds fairness considerations to minimize bias, and maintains human oversight in critical decision-making. The company engages with external experts and funds fellowships at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. GSK also actively engages with policymakers about appropriate regulatory approaches that foster innovation while preserving safety and trust, advocating for sector-specific regulations over blanket approaches.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

GSK reported a waste diversion rate of 54% in 2024.

For packaging, 93% of paper packaging was derived from certified sources or recycled raw materials in 2024, and paper packaging includes over 50% recycled content. The company has defined eco-design principles and applies Sustainable Design Plans to all newly developed or acquired medicines from 2024. Waste reduction initiatives include the 'Complete the Cycle' inhaler recycling program, a 20% plastic reduction in Advil bottles, plastic-free toothbrush packaging, providing manufacturing by-products to other industries, reducing solvent use, and the My Green Lab program with 35 certified labs (21 Platinum or Green). In 2024, 0.2 thousand tonnes of hazardous waste went to landfill out of 18.9 thousand tonnes total. GSK aims for zero operational waste and 100% operational waste circularity by 2030, a 25% environmental impact reduction for products and packaging by 2030, and 10% waste reduction from the supply chain by 2030. It also committed to making over a billion toothpaste tubes recyclable and 100% of product packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. Customer waste education includes a dedicated website and phone line for the inhaler recycling program and e-leaflets for vaccines.