Corporate Social Responsibility
Our commitment to our people, suppliers, and the environment
At MAC Clinical Research, we take corporate social responsibility seriously. We keep the patient at the heart of everything we do and enhance this with commitments to driving clinical excellence through engaging in ethical and sustainable business practises.
MAC's Commitment to Business Sustainability
As a Participant of the United Nations Global Compact, we are committed to aligning strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and take actions that advance societal goals.
Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact is a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible business practices and is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world. You can visit our profile on the UN Global Compact website and learn more about our latest sustainability work.
As part of our commitment to society, our people and the environment, MAC Clinical Research completes a thorough assessment of its business sustainability practices every year through EcoVadis, the global standard for business sustainability ratings. The EcoVadis assessment includes 21 sustainability criteria across four core themes: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. In our latest rating, we earned a Bronze medal and scored 66/100, placing MAC in the top 83rd percentile globally and in the Top 35% of companies assessed in the 12 months prior to the medal issue date.
We align with the United Nation’s (UN) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) wherever possible – making the right choices to reduce our impact on the environment.
Our current progress toward the goals that align well with our organisation feature here:
Diversity, Equality, & Inclusion
MAC’s mission is to serve with honesty and integrity, to make an outstanding contribution to human health. We embed our approach to diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) into our corporate mission, vision and values – embracing our differences; providing opportunity within our workforce and supply chain.
We are committed to supporting diversity, equality, and inclusion within our internal workforce as well as through our external suppliers.
MAC is committed to the following DEI goals:
- Aim to provide facilities for the workforce and public that do not discriminate.
- Employ a truly representative workforce.
- Create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and discrimination.
- Work towards diverse supplier selection and contracting – considering businesses which are at least 51% owned and operated by an individual or group that is part of a traditionally underrepresented or underserved group in that country.
- Commit to increasing our spend with small and diverse suppliers.
Gender Equality at MAC
At MAC, we are committed to ensuring that gender equality exists across the company and that all genders have equal access to career and skills development opportunities as standard. We are privileged to have a number of talented men and women working across the company. We are also proud endorsers of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP’s), having adopted the UN Global Compact WEP’s and signed the CEO statement, reaffirming our commitment to these ideals. By integrating these Principles, we empower both men and women across our workplace, marketplace, and communities.
Find out more about the seven principles, subtitled Equality Means Business, here.
Environmental Sustainability
We also recognise the importance of monitoring our environmental impact as a part of being a responsible business.
These results guide policy throughout the company and our supply chain to ensure that our work is environmentally responsible.
We are continuously improving our environmental management system by reviewing and improving internal processes to achieve environmental objectives. We have adopted measures that include:
- Ensuring our suppliers are continuously striving to operate more sustainably and with reduced fuel emissions.
- Reducing our carbon footprint and waste production across all of our facilities through recycling and repurposing as possible.
- Purchasing recycled or re-furbished products and materials where these alternatives are available, economical and suitable.
- Ensuring that our processes are operating with a minimal and achievable environmental impact, by integrating environmental considerations into all of our decisions and processes.
- Minimising the potential environmental impact of our products and services where possible by reducing the use of hazardous materials, implementing energy-saving products and procedures, and considering the environmental impact of corporate travel.
To complement our efforts in this area, MAC has set emissions reduction targets* through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), with levels required to meet the goals of the United Nations Paris Agreement. The targets covering greenhouse gas emissions from MAC’s operations (scopes 1 and 2) are consistent with reductions required to keep warming to 1.5°C, what the latest climate science has told us is needed to prevent the most damaging effects of climate change. The targets have been verified by the SBTi and will be assessed and reported upon annually.
*This target was approved using a streamlined target validation route exclusive to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). https://sciencebasedtargets.org/faqs-for-smes/ MAC Clinical Research commits to reduce scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions 42% by 2030 from a 2022 base year, and to measure and reduce its scope 3 emissions.
Giving Back
Making an outstanding contribution to patients’ health is our mission; putting their needs and wellbeing first is intrinsic to our culture and values. We are proud to support several worthy organisations, including Macmillan Cancer Support, Dementia UK, The Samaritans, The Make-a-Wish Foundation, Mustard Tree, and Daisy Chain.
Each year, MAC employees vote to select a new charity to focus structured fundraising efforts for those 12 months. For 2025, we are proud to announce that our chosen charity partner is Refuge. Refuge is the largest domestic abuse organisation in the UK, providing life-saving support to women and children experiencing domestic violence. Their services include emergency accommodation, community outreach, and emotional and practical support, helping thousands rebuild their lives free from fear.
We are excited to work alongside Refuge and have a range of events and initiatives planned throughout the year to raise vital funds and awareness for this incredible cause. You can learn more about their work at refuge.org.uk.
Governance
We are dedicated to conducting business with quality, integrity, and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations to meet the highest ethical standards, as demonstrated by our commitment to and compliance with monitoring our policies on:
- Fair trading
- Modern slavery
- Diversity, equality, and inclusion
- Sustainable activities
- Anti Bribery and Anti Corruption (ABAC)
- Moral and ethical approach to business conduct
MAC has a zero-tolerance policy towards Money Laundering and is committed to the highest level of openness, integrity and accountability in its dealings within the company and with its clients, third party contractors and suppliers of products/services. MAC has standard operating procedures (SOPs) which its employees and contractors, must adhere to when dealing with monies. In any new collaboration, MAC performs financial due diligence of all new clients and third-party contractors or supplier of products/services.
We hold our workforce and our supply chain to the same standards.