Statement from the senior decision maker of the organization (e.g., CEO, chair or equivalent senior position) about the relevance of sustainability to the organization and its strategy.

View our CEO message.

Description of key impacts, risks and opportunities.

View our priority issues.

Name of the organization.

Biogen Idec

Primary brands, products and/or services.

View our product pipeline.

Operational structure of the organization, including main divisions, operating companies, subsidiaries and joint ventures.

View our organizational structure and partnerships.

Location of the organization’s headquarters.

Our company is headquartered in Weston, Mass.

Number of countries where the organization operates, and names of countries with either major operations or that are specifically relevant to the sustainability issues covered in the report.

View our organizational structure.

Nature of ownership and legal form.

Biogen Idec is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol BIIB.

Markets served (including geographic breakdown, sectors served and types of customers/beneficiaries).

Read our corporate overview and see where we operate.

Scale of the reporting organization.

This information is provided through our Key Performance Indicators.

Significant changes during the reporting period regarding size, structure or ownership.

There were no significant changes to Biogen Idec's size, structure or ownership in 2011.

Awards received in the reporting period.

Biogen Idec is included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index. Additionally, Biogen Idec was listed on several rankings, including Newsweek's 2011 Green Rankings, S&P 500's Top 10 Clean Capitalism Ranking, Science 2011 Top Employers, Great Place to Work 2011 and Carolina Parenting "N.C. Family-Friendly 50 Companies," among others.

Reporting period (e.g., fiscal/calendar year) for information provided.

View the reporting period.

Date of most recent report (if any).

2010

Reporting cycle (annual, biannual, etc.).

Annual

Contact point for questions regarding the report or its contents.

Please provide comments to patrick.hoy@biogenidec.com.

Process for defining report content.

View our process for defining our priority issues.

Boundary of the report (e.g., countries, subsidiaries, leased facilities, joint ventures, suppliers).

View our report boundaries.

State any specific limitations on the scope or boundary of the report.

The report includes impacts associated with our owned and operated facilities. It does not include impacts of our vendors or partners. Our environmental data includes our main locations (Weston, Mass., Cambridge, Mass., Research Triangle Park, N.C., and San Diego, Calif. (Jan.-June 2011) in the United States and Hillerød, Denmark).

Basis for reporting on joint ventures, subsidiaries, leased facilities, outsourced operations, and other entities that can significantly affect comparability from period to period and/or between organizations.

View About This Report. For additional information, please see our 2011 10-K.

Data measurement techniques and the bases of calculations, including assumptions and techniques underlying estimations applied to the compilation of the Indicators and other information in the report.

Biogen Idec used numerous data measurement techniques in responding to the GRI Indicator Protocols.

Explanation of the effect of any restatements of information provided in earlier reports, and the reasons for such restatement (e.g., mergers/acquisitions, change of base years/periods, nature of business, measurement methods).

In 2011, we moved our environmental data to a new, more structured data tracking and collection platform and, in the process, consolidated our existing reporting platforms. As a result, we have made minor adjustments to several of our environmental data points – all changes have been captured in our list of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Additionally, in our 2011 report, we included new KPIs that are normalized to annual revenue. These indicators factor in revenue growth when measuring our environmental performance and show that we are able to increase our output without proportionally increasing our environmental burden. View our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the scope, boundary, or measurement methods applied in the report.

In 2010, we moved our corporate headquarters to Weston, Mass. Our environmental data now includes data from our new campus, as well as business travel (air and fleet).

Table identifying the location of the Standard Disclosures in the report.

This is the table of Standard Disclosures. Click here to go to the top of the page.

Policy and current practice with regard to seeking external assurance for the report. If not included in the assurance report accompanying the sustainability report, explain the scope and basis of any external assurance provided. Also explain the relationship between the reporting organization and the assurance provider(s).

Trucost has externally validated 2011 data for water use, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions for fleet and travel, and solid waste.

Governance structure of the organization, including committees under the highest governing body responsible for specific tasks, such as setting strategy or organizational oversight.

View our Governance Structure and Approach.

Indicate whether the chair of the highest governance body is also an executive officer (and, if so, his/her function within the organization’s management and the reasons for this arrangement.)

The chairman of the board is not an executive officer and is independent.

For organizations that have a unitary board structure, state the number of members of the highest governance body that are independent and/or non-executive members.

All of our directors and nominees for director, other than Dr. Scangos, our chief executive officer, satisfy the independence requirements of The NASDAQ Stock Market. Our board is composed of 12 directors, three of whom are women.

Mechanisms for shareholders and employees to provide recommendations or direction to the highest governance body. Identify topics related to economic, environmental, and social performance raised through these mechanisms during the reporting period.

View mechanisms for providing information to our Board of Directors.

Linkage between compensation for members of the highest governance body, senior managers, and executives (including departure arrangements), and the organization's performance (including social and environmental performance).

View page 19 of our 2011 Notice and Proxy.

Processes in place for the highest governance body to ensure conflicts of interest are avoided.

View processes to avoid conflicts of interest on page 23 in our Code of Business Conduct.

Process for determining the composition, qualifications, and expertise of the members of the highest governance body and its committees, including any consideration of gender and other indicators of diversity.

The Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for leading the search for qualified board members as detailed in our Corporate Governance Committee Charter.

Internally developed statements of mission and values, codes of conduct, and principles relevant to economic, environmental and social topics.

Our Code of Business Conduct and Sustainability Policy outline such values and principles. View our Code of Business Conduct and Sustainability Policy.

Procedures of the highest governance body for overseeing the organization’s identifications and management of economic, environmental and social performance, including relevant risks and opportunities and adherence or compliance with internationally agreed standards, codes of conduct and principles.

View our Management Approach and Governance Structure.

Processes for evaluating the highest governance body’s own performance, particularly with respect to economic, environmental and social performance.

Our process for evaluating director qualification standards are described in our 2011 Proxy Statement beginning on page 19.

Explanation of whether and how the precautionary approach or principle is addressed by the organization.

Biogen Idec applies the precautionary approach in ensuring the safety of patients. This includes terminating products in development if the safety profile is found to be too risky.

Externally developed economic, environmental and social charters, principles or other initiatives to which the organization subscribes or endorses.

The external charters, principles and other initiatives to which Biogen Idec subscribes are delineated in our Code of Business Conduct.

Memberships in associations (such as industry associations) and/or national/international advocacy organizations.

View an illustrative list of our memberships.

List of stakeholder groups engaged by the organization.

View our stakeholders and process for identifying and engaging with them.

Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom to engage.

View our stakeholders and process for identifying and engaging with them.

Approaches to stakeholder engagement, including frequency of engagement by type and by stakeholder group.

View our stakeholders and process for identifying and engaging with them.

Key topics and concerns that have been raised through stakeholder engagement, and how the organization has responded to those key topics and concerns, including through its reporting.

View our process for defining our priority issues.

Management Approach

We employ robust corporate governance practices to manage our economic performance and growth strategy. We detail our performance and highlight our future growth strategy in our 2011 Annual Report. Additional information can be found in our 2011 Proxy Statement.

Direct economic value generated and distributed, including revenues, operating costs, employee compensation, donations and other community investments, retained earnings, and payments to capital providers and governments.

Certain components of this indicator are included in our list of Key Performance Indicators (including operating results and community giving); for the remainder, please view our 2011 10-K.

Financial implications and other risks and opportunities for the organization’s activities due to climate change.

We have identified a number of potential risks associated with climate change, including:

• Physical risk to property and employees, including increased droughts, hurricane severity, power or communications failures and flooding, which could affect our operations.
• Operating and financial risks, including extreme weather events and rising seas, that could disrupt transportation of goods/services/employees and physically impact our R&D and manufacturing sites. We could also be impacted financially if sectors we source from become subject to greenhouse gas regulations.

Coverage of the organization’s defined benefit plan obligations.

In the United States, we do not have any defined benefit plan obligations. Outside of the United States, we make government-mandated pension contributions.

Policy, practices, and proportion of spending on locally based suppliers at significant locations of operation.

We choose our suppliers based on quality, delivery, service, diversity, reputation and price. We are committed to sourcing from diverse and locally owned small businesses. However, we do not track our spend with locally based suppliers. For many aspects of our operations, FDA regulations require us to utilize current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) and current Good Laboratory Practices (cGLP) certified suppliers. Given that our operations and procurement needs are highly specialized, it can be challenging to find cGMP/cGLP-certified suppliers that meet our business needs from a capability and cost perspective, and also qualify in the various subcategories of small businesses. However, we aim to identify and work with as many certified suppliers in these subcategories as possible. For more information, please see Supplier Diversity.

Development and impact of infrastructure investments and services provided primarily for public benefit through commercial, in-kind or pro bono engagement.

Read about our ActiveAccess^TM program and philanthropic commitments.

Management Approach

Biogen Idec is committed to operating our business sustainably. The Biogen Idec Corporate Sustainability Council, headed by our CEO, is responsible for setting the sustainability vision and strategy for our organization, which includes our environmental strategy. Additionally, we maintain an Environmental, Health and Safety organization, governed by our Environmental, Health and Safety Policy. We provide regular trainings to members of this group based upon their functional responsibilities. Performance is monitored and managed using our Environmental Management System. The system allows us to track trends, identify issues and create and ensure implementation of corrective and preventative action plans to improve performance.

All suppliers are subject to our Code of Business Conduct, which cites the specific policies above. Additionally, we are working to improve the environmental performance of our supply chain through the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative.

Beyond this, Biogen Idec has established a risk-weighted environmental index for our environmental footprint. We set a goal of reducing our overall footprint by 15 percent by 2015, compared to our 2006 baseline.

Materials used by weight or volume.

Biogen Idec does not track materials used by weight or volume.

Percentage of materials used that are recycled input materials.

Due to the nature of our business, we do not use any materials that are recycled input materials.

Direct energy consumption by primary energy source.

Total energy intensity, which includes direct and indirect, is featured in our list of Key Performance Indicators.

Indirect energy consumption by primary source.

Total energy intensity, which includes direct and indirect, is featured in our list of Key Performance Indicators.

Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements.

We provide several examples of initiatives that have led to energy savings. We also provide a list of energy-related projects to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

Initiatives to provide energy-efficient or renewable energy based on products and services, and reductions in energy requirements as a result of these initiatives.

We provide several examples of initiatives that have led to energy savings. We also purchase Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to offset the impact of our Weston headquarters. In 2011, we purchased 4,014,403 kilowatt hours (kWh).

Total water withdrawal by source.

All of our water is drawn from municipal sources. View our total water use information in our list of Key Performance Indicators.

Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water.

All of our water is drawn from municipal sources. We do not believe we significantly affect any water sources, but continue to work to reduce our water consumption. We also provide a list of water-related projects to the CDP.

Percentage and total volume of water recycled and reused.

View this information in our list of Key Performance Indicators.

Location and size of land owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas.

This indicator is not material to our business. View our priority issues. 

Description of significant impacts of activities, products and services on biodiversity in protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas.

This indicator is not material to our business. View our priority issues.

Habitats protected or restored.

This indicator is not material to our business. View our priority issues.

Strategies, current actions and future plans for managing impacts on biodiversity.

This indicator is not material to our business. View our priority issues.

Number of IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations, by level of extinction risk.

This indicator is not material to our business. View our priority issues.

Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight.

View this information in our list of Key Performance Indicators.

Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight.

View this information in our list of Key Performance Indicators.

Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved.

We provide several examples of initiatives that have led to energy savings and green house gas emissions reductions. We also provide a list of energy-related projects to the CDP. Additionally, we purchase RECs to offset the impact of our Weston campus. In 2011, we purchased  4,014,403 kWh.

NOx, SOx and other significant air emissions by type and weight.

We track the release of NOx, SOx and CO from our Cambridge power plant. Data in metric tons for 2011 is as follows:

Total weight of waste by type and disposal method.

View our "Waste to Landfill" data in our list of Key Performance Indicators. All other waste is incinerated at waste-to-energy facilities, composted or recycled. Data in metric tons from 2009-2011 is as follows:

Total number and volume of significant spills.

Biogen Idec did not have any significant spills to report in 2011.

Weight of transported, imported, exported or treated waste deemed hazardous under the terms of the Basel Convention Annex I, II, III, and VIII, and percentage of transported waste shipped internationally.

We produce both chemical and medical waste, all of which is incinerated for waste-to-energy purposes. Total metric tons of waste include 342 in 2009, 205 in 2010 and 130.9 in 2011. We do not ship any waste internationally.

Identity, size, protected status and biodiversity value of water bodies and related habitats significantly affected by the reporting organization’s discharges of water and runoff.

This indicator is not material to our business. View our priority issues.

Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products and services, and extent of impact mitigation.

View this information in our environment section.

Percentage of products sold and their packaging materials that are reclaimed by category.

Our products are primarily biologic medical products. This makes reclamation of our packaging difficult because it typically must be disposed of as biohazardous waste.

Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for noncompliance with environmental laws and regulations.

Biogen Idec did not have any significant fines or non-monetary sanctions to report in 2011.

Management Approach

Biogen Idec follows laws, regulations and international conventions related to labor practices and ensuring decent work, including the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Specific commitments to Respect in the Workplace and Workplace Health and Safety are outlined in our Code of Business Conduct. Employees are responsible for upholding the code. Suppliers are also subject to the code.

If employees identify illegal activity or activity in violation of the Code of Business Conduct, they should report those violations to their management or a representative in the Human Resources, Legal or Compliance organizations, or through the Compliance Hotline. Incidents are investigated and corrective actions are taken as necessary according to company policy.

Our executive vice president of Human Resources is responsible for all aspects of human resources management and oversees our Human Resources department, charged with executing a number of programs related to employment, training and education, and diversity and equal opportunity. Employee Health and Safety is overseen by our Environment, Health and Safety department.

Total workforce by employment type, employment contract, and region, broken down by gender.

In total, Biogen Idec employed 4,971 persons at the end of 2011. Approximately 2% of all Biogen Idec employees work part-time. Of those who work part-time, approximately 55% work in the European Union, 44% work in North America and 1% work in the Asia Pacific Region. Of all of our employees, both full-time and part-time, approximately 70% work in North America, 26% work in the European Union, 3% work in the Asia Pacific Region and 1% work in Latin America. Additionally, 51% of our global workforce are women. For more information, please see our list of Key Performance Indicators.

Benefits provided to full-time employees that are not provided to temporary or part-time employees, by major operations.

Biogen Idec offers a highly competitive benefits and rewards package in each country where we operate; however, not every type of temporary or part-time employment category receives all of these benefits. 

Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Approximately 150 of our 4,971 employees, or 3%, of our staff is under a collective bargaining agreement. All of these employees work in our Hillerød, Denmark, manufacturing facility.

Minimum notice period(s) regarding operational changes, including whether it is specified in collective agreements.

At our Hillerød, Denmark, facility, the minimum notice period is based on seniority and specified in the collective bargaining agreement. Notice periods may vary anywhere from one to six months.

Percentage of total workforce represented in formal joint management-worker health and safety committees that help monitor and advise on occupational health and safety programs.

At our Hillerød, Denmark, facility, we have an Environment, Health and Safety organization that is composed of approximately 10% of our workforce.

Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days, and absenteeism, and number of work-related fatalities by region.

Education, training, counseling, prevention, and risk-control programs in place to assist workforce members, their families, or community members regarding serious diseases.

Biogen Idec offers a range of education, tools, resources and programs to help each employee optimize his or her health, including annual wellness fairs, health-centric ‘Lunch ’n Learns’ and incentives to take a personal health assessment. Individual sites also offer their own programs and host their own events. For example, in Research Triangle Park, N.C., we offer nutrition counseling, a team-based, 10-week weight-loss program, and opportunities for employees to buy locally grown vegetable boxes on site.

Learn more about our Health & Safety programs.

We also provide a range of educational support services to patients using our therapies and their caregivers. Learn about our Patient Services offerings.

Average learning hours per employee is included in our list of Key Performance Indicators. In 2011, average learning hours per employee was 4.4. Additional breakdowns are below:

• Learning Hours for Employees at the Associate Level: 4.7

• Learning Hours for Supervisors-Managers: 3.9

• Learning Hours for Associate Directors-Senior Directors: 4.9

• Learning Hours for VPs and Above: 2.9

• Learning Hours Per Female Employee: 4.7

• Learning Hours Per Male Employee: 3.9

Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development reviews.

All Biogen Idec employees receive a performance and career development review, annually.

Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per category according to gender, age group, minority group membership and other indicators of diversity.

The Board of Directors is composed of three women and nine men.

Return to work and retention rates after parental leave, by gender.

Operations and significant suppliers identified in which the right to exercise freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at significant risk, and actions taken to support these rights.

We have not identified any owned operations where the right to exercise freedom of association and collective bargaining may be at significant risk. We are working to improve the monitoring and enforcement of human rights in our supply chain through participation in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative.

Operations and significant suppliers identified as having significant risk for incidents of child labor, and measures taken to contribute to the elimination of child labor.

We have not identified any owned operations at significant risk for incidents of child labor. We are working to improve the monitoring and enforcement of human rights in our supply chain through participation in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative.

Operations and significant suppliers identified as having significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labor, and measures to contribute to the elimination of forced or compulsory labor.

We have not identified any owned operations at significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labor. We are working to improve the monitoring and enforcement of human rights in our supply chain through participation in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative.

Total number of incidents of violations involving rights of indigenous people and actions taken.

This indicator is not material to our business. View our priority issues.

Percentage and total number of operations that have been subject to human rights reviews and/or impact assessments.

None of our major operations have been subject to human rights reviews. Our major operations are not in areas that are considered to be high risk for human rights-related issues. Our main operations consist of our headquarters in Weston, Mass., and offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and throughout Europe, and an international large-scale production facility in Hillerød, Denmark, and a manufacturing facility in Research Triangle Park, N.C. In addition to the well-established laws and regulations protecting human rights in these countries, all of our operations are subject to our internal Code of Business Conduct , and all of our internal workplace policies, including our policies on Respect in the Workplace and Violence in the Workplace. Additionally, the vast majority of our suppliers are located in the U.S. and Europe. While this reduces many risks related to our supply chain, we understand the need for and importance of proactively monitoring and managing supplier performance. All of our suppliers are subject to our Code of Business Conduct and must meet rigorous compliance standards for quality and comply with applicable external laws and regulations. Additionally, our Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Sourcing group has available several screening tools, including the Political, Economic, Social, and Technological (PEST) analysis for screening for new significant suppliers. To learn more about our how we manage our supply chain for sustainability, please see: Product Manufacturing & Lifecycle.

Number of grievances related to human rights filed, addressed and resolved through formal grievance mechanisms.

No grievances related to human rights were filed in 2011.

Percentage of operations with implemented local community engagement, impact assessments, and development programs.

While our impacts are not overly significant when compared to other industries, we strive to operate our business sustainably. We assess the environmental impacts of our operations and, when feasible, work to minimize our environmental impacts. Learn more about our environmental efforts.

In addition, we believe in having strong relationships with our local communities. We support our local communities through grants and volunteering, and we have established local community engagement programs at 100% of our major locations. Further, in 2011, we launched our first annual “Care Deeply Volunteer Day” – a company-wide volunteer day that encourages Biogen Idec employees to give back to their local communities. Nearly 1,100 employees volunteered approximately 3,500 hours, participating in more than 40 volunteer projects in several communities where Biogen Idec has a presence, including Zug, Switzerland; Maidenhead, England; Research Triangle Park (RTP), N.C.; and Greater Boston, Mass. Learn more about our volunteer efforts.

Percentage and total number of business units analyzed for risks related to corruption. 

Periodic risk assessments of the company’s business, including risks associated with corruption, are performed. Such assessments determine the areas and operations to be addressed by Compliance and are used to develop the internal audit plan. Risks associated with corruption are also evaluated in determining the scope of work on individual audit projects, and specific anti-corruption audit procedures are performed as appropriate and necessary.

Percentage of employees trained in organization’s anti-corruption policies and procedures.

In 2010 and early 2011, employees received training on our Code of Business Conduct and have certified that they have read and understand it. The code covers anti-corruption policies. New hires are also required to certify that they have read and understand the code.

Public policy positions and participation in public policy development and lobbying.

Read about our public policy participation and positions.

Total value of financial and in-kind contributions to political parties, politicians and related institutions by country.

Read about our public policy participation.

Total number of legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust and monopoly practices and their outcomes.

View Note 21, Litigation on page F-52 of our 2011 10-K.

Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with laws and regulations.

View Note 21, Litigation on page F-52 of our 2011 10-K.

Operations with significant potential or actual negative impacts on local communities.

In addition to our headquarters in Weston, Mass., our operations consist of offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and throughout Europe, an international large-scale production facility in Hillerød, Denmark, and a manufacturing facility in Research Triangle Park (RTP), N.C. We also have a direct commercial presence in 30 countries worldwide, including 20 countries in Europe, and an extensive distributor network that expands into Latin American, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East. While we have not identified any operations with significant potential or actual negative impacts on local communities, for our major locations, we have several procedures in place to help ensure that the impact of our operations on our local communities remains minimal. These include completing an environmental assessment and developing a comprehensive strategy to address additional traffic congestion that could result from our presence before we enter new communities. In addition, we believe we positively impact the communities in which we live and work through our community programs.

Prevention and mitigation measures implemented in operations with significant potential or actual negative impacts on local communities.

We have not identified any operations with significant potential or actual negative impacts on local communities. However, for our major locations, we have several procedures in place to help ensure that the impact of our operations remains minimal, such as completing an environmental assessment and developing a comprehensive strategy to address additional traffic congestion that could result from our presence before we enter new communities. Additionally, we believe we positively impact the communities in which we live and work through our community programs.

Life cycle stages in which health and safety assessed for improvement, and percentage of significant products and services categories subject to such procedures.

The process for development, manufacture, marketing and disposal of our therapies is highly regulated and includes stringent consideration for human health and safety at each step in the process.

Type of product and service information required by procedures, and percentage of significant products and services subject to such information requirements.

All of our products contain information on the contents and safe use and disposal of the therapies. They do not contain information on how the products are sourced.

Programs for adherence to laws, standards and voluntary codes related to marketing communications, including advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

Biogen Idec complies with relevant laws and regulations. We comply with the Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA), The Code of Practice of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), as well as local laws and codes of marketing practice, such as the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals, and our own policies and procedures.

Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning marketing communications, including advertising, promotion and sponsorship by type of outcomes.

Biogen Idec did not receive any warning letters in 2011.  

 Monetary value of significant fines for non-compliance with laws and regulations concerning the provision and use of products and services.

View Note 21, Litigation on page F-52 of our 2011 10-K.