Ethical fall of the manufacturer Ozmpic. Trump's “fire and sword” did his job
The year 2025 was so far a turbulent period for the most valuable company of Denmark, a producer, among others drugs associated with slimming Ozmpic and Wegova. Not only the share price decreases. The respected strategy of social responsibility and ethical of the pharmaceutical giant is distributed. Standards built for decades, care for climate and social integrity now show visible signs of decay.
Values are erosion because Novo Nordisk seems to adapt to new political trends in the United States, where Donald Trump has gained power and created an anti-ESG reality unknown (Environment, Social and Governance-environment, society and management) for the business world.
ESG goals have been guidelines for responsible enterprises for years, especially for Novo Nordisk. However, social responsibility [firmy z siedzibą na] Novo Alle 1 in Bagsvaerd is wobble.
It is threatened with an ethical breakdown, and many media question whether Novo Nordisk still realizes its statutory goal, which is socially, environmentally and economically balanced activities – a three -tree model from which Novo Nordisk is known and famous.
Imbalance
The difference between Novo Nordisk now and earlier it is that money is currently earned at the expense of the climate – before it was more balanced – “The Novo Nordisk Way” [ang. w stylu Novo Nordisk] – Although of course this road was overrated.
The carbon dioxide emission of the company increased in 2024 by alarming 23 percent. Compared to the previous year, while the profit increased by 25 percent.
The imbalance between climate issues and economic results is just what is noticeable in the last financial statements, in which three basic rules went in different directions.
Novo Nordisk also announced that ambitious initiatives for diversity and integration in the workplace no longer apply to subsidiaries in the United States – the company's largest market, where Trump threatens with fire and sword if the minorities are prioritized to compensate for systemic racism.
Novo Nordisk explains that changes in [amerykańskich] regulations make it illegal. However, this claim is rejected by many American lawyers. But regardless of the regulations – why does Novo Nordisk not fight more fiercely for its identity?
Contrary to the rules
The company's lobbying in the US has also taken a new turn. Novo Nordisk donated the money of the Republican organization of ultra -conservative state prosecutors – known for counteracting the laws of abortion, climate initiatives and programs for diversity.
This does not match the rules of Novo Nordisk contained in The Novo Nordisk Way and casts a shadow on a balanced reputation of the company, while its money is affected by huge sums of dollars.
From 2021, the company publishes information about where taxes in the world and how – including information about activities in tax haven. However, in the financial statements for 2024 this information has disappeared.
Transparency is no longer a priority, and order in your own home has been adapted to the circumstances. The company has enough problems.
Global media publicity has increased. Unfortunately for Novo Nordisk, the attention is negative. This shows the search in the GDELT analytical tool, which measures the volume and tons of global media publicity.
The crisis at the highest level
At the end [jeszcze jedna informacja]but of course no less important. Quite the opposite! President of the Management Board of Novo Nordisk, Norwegian oil tycoon and former general director of Statoilhydro, currently Equinor, Helge Lund, found himself in a stalemate in connection with the most important task he has to perform: employment of the general director and providing the appropriate management team.
Helge Lund is the chairman of the Novo Nordisk board committee, which assesses the results of the management.
However, the main shareholder did not agree with this decision. The Novo Nordisk Foundation forced the release of general director Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, skipping Helge Lund.
This is an unusual and unknown behavior at the highest decision -making level in (formerly) a modern company. Perhaps this also explains the inept procedure regarding dismissal towards public opinion – this was not completely in line with the rules.
The crisis between the highest level management, management and owners testify to deeper structural problems – a broken management structure and the collapse of communication paths.
Helge Lund in 2015
Gross conflict of interest
This is not the first time the Norwegian oil tycoon heading the company does not have the support of the owners. He is also the president of the BP oil giant, who at the beginning of this year withdrew from his climate ambitions.
This caused that 25 percent Shareholders at the General Meeting of BP voted against the re -election of Helge Lund for the president. There is a clear distrust here. Norwegian opponents included Danske Bank and Danica and Sampension pension funds, which have shares in BP – and Novo Nordisk.
If the conflict of interests represented by Helge Lund was not noticed before the crisis of Novo Nordisk – on the one hand, the great BP oil deposits in the United States controlled by the United States of the Gulf of the Mexican, and on the other hand the identity of Novo Nordisk as a global leader in the field of social responsibility – this should be clear for everyone now.
If adult businessmen from Bagsvaerd do not soon respect the record in the company's statute on conducting activities “in an economic, environmentally and social way”, Novo Nordisk will be going to an ethical catastrophe that can entail many other companies.
Novo Nordisk, once praised for her social responsibility and balancing profits with concern for the climate and people, seems to undergo short -term interests and political pressure on the part of the extreme right in the USA.
