AstraZeneca : 28 October 2016 AstraZeneca recognised as world leader for corporate action on climate change

AstraZeneca has been identified as a global leader for its actions and strategies in response to climate change and has been awarded a position on the Climate A List by CDP, the international not-for-profit that drives sustainable economies and represents 827 investors with total assets of US$100 trillion.

Thousands of companies submit annual climate disclosures to CDP for independent assessment against its scoring methodology, covering areas such as emissions reduction activities, long-term strategy, and the identification and management of potential risks and opportunities. AstraZeneca is among 9% of corporations participating in CDP's climate change programme to be awarded a position on the Climate A List, in recognition of its actions to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change, such as committing to source 100% renewable power by 2025 and establishing the natural resources capital fund. The Climate A List, along with the climate scores of all companies publicly taking part in CDP's climate change programme this year, is available on CDP's website.

AstraZeneca is also one of only four FTSE 350 companies to have had its climate change targets approved by the Science Based Targets (SBT) initiative. SBT is a partnership with CDP, the UN Global Compact (UNGC), World Resources Institute (WRI), and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The initiative seeks to create a systematic change in how targets are set, so that companies contribute their fair share of the challenging emissions reduction needed to limit global temperature increase to under two degrees centigrade. The CDP considers targets approved by the SBT initiative to reflect best practice in climate change target setting.

AstraZeneca will be recognised for its achievement at an event in London hosted by CDP on 28 October. AstraZeneca follows the science and does this in an integrated way across its business including its approach to environmental protection. This work is a key element of our broader sustainability agenda - our commitment to implement our strategy, live our values and deliver our bold ambitions in a way that promotes the long-term health of AstraZeneca, our society and the planet.

'I'm proud that AstraZeneca has received significant external recognition for our environmental leadership by adopting a science based climate target. Setting science based targets is the right thing to do and perfectly aligned with our commitment to follow the science. This recognition further highlights the progress we've made, and commit to make in the future, to reduce emissions and mitigate climate change. It sends the message to our customers and investors that we are continuously thinking about the sustainability of our business.' said Katarina Ageborg, Chief Compliance Officer.