ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Nov. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On Nov. 12, Abbott (NYSE: ABT) achieved the highest score out of 84 companies in its industry in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, also called the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). This was the ninth consecutive year that Abbott has secured the top score in the Health Care Equipment & Supplies sector, and the 17^th consecutive year that Abbott has been included on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and North America Index. The DJSI measures the performance of companies using environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria and is considered one of the most prestigious global benchmarks for corporate sustainability.  

Abbott's continued strong performance on the DJSI reflects the company's longstanding commitment to sustainability in health. Abbott's 2030 Sustainability Plan focuses on innovating for greater access to life-changing technologies and breaking down barriers to health equity to reach more people in more places than ever before.

"The emphasis of our 2030 Sustainability Plan is on the priority where we can make the greatest impact and do the most good for the most people: in focusing our future innovation on creating products that are affordable and accessible to more people than ever before," said Robert B. Ford, president and chief executive officer, Abbott. "Using our primary expertise to help the world achieve greater total health at lower total cost is the most meaningful way we can contribute to the long-term sustainability of our society and our planet."

Abbott scored 83 (out of 100) in the 2021 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, achieving the highest industry score in nine of 25 total criteria, including strategy to improve access to drugs or products, health outcome contribution, social reporting, human capital development, information security/cybersecurity & systems availability, marketing practices, materiality, environmental reporting, and occupational health and safety.

Abbott recently released its 2020 Sustainability Report Summary, which shares its high-level global performance in key areas, including innovating for access and affordability, building the workforce of tomorrow, protecting the environment, responsibly applying data to advance care, building a more resilient supply chain, and delivering product quality and safety. For detailed information about our materiality process, policies, management approach, performance and targets for all our environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities, see our full Global Sustainability Report.

For more information on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, please see the S&P Global website and the DJSI news release.

To learn more about Abbott's approach to sustainability and its 2030 Sustainability Plan, please visit www.abbott.com/sustainability.

About Abbott:
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 109,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews.

SOURCE Abbott