BD Ranks Among Top 25 U.S. Companies in Newsweek's 2010 Green Rankings; Receives EPA Green Power Leadership Award; Named to Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for Fifth Consecutive Year

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, today announced that it has ranked among the top 25 companies in Newsweek's second annual "Green Rankings" of the 500 largest U.S. corporations based on environmental performance, policies and reputation. BD ranked 24th overall and second in the Healthcare sector.  

BD has also received a 2010 Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  BD was one of only ten organizations nationwide to receive a Leadership Award in the Green Power Purchase Award category.  The annual awards recognize EPA Green Power Partners for their commitment and contribution to helping advance the development of the nation's voluntary green power market. According to the EPA, BD's current green power purchase of nearly 201 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of nearly 28,000 passenger vehicles per year, or is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 17,000 average American homes annually.

"As part of BD's long-term vision for sustainability, we seek to ensure that our business decisions are consistent with our desire to improve the environmental, health and social well being of our associates, the people we serve and the communities where we operate," said Edward J. Ludwig, BD Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "While we are reducing the environmental footprint of our operations, we are also incorporating sustainability into our product development and research and development processes."

"Purchasing green power helps our organization become more sustainable, while also sending a message to others across the U.S. that supporting clean sources of electricity is a sound business decision and an important choice to fight climate change," said Glenn Barbi, BD Vice President, Global Sustainability.

Additionally, BD has been selected as a component of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) and the DJSI North America Index for the fifth and sixth consecutive years, respectively. Dow Jones Sustainability Index assessments examine corporate economic, environmental and social performance, with a strong focus on long-term shareholder value.  Inclusion in the DJSI World Index puts BD in the top 10 percent of companies in the healthcare sector assessed for sustainability leadership.

To produce the 2010 Green Rankings, Newsweek collaborated with MSCI ESG Research; Trucost; CorporateRegister.com; and ASAP Media. To view the full list, please visit www.newsweek.com/green.

The EPA Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with purchased electricity use. The Partnership currently has nearly 1,300 Partner organizations voluntarily purchasing billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. For additional information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.

Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. To learn more, please visit www.sustainability-index.com.

To learn more about BD's commitment to environmental stewardship, and to access BD's 2009 Sustainability Report, please visit http://www.bd.com/sustainability.

About BD

BD, a leading global medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents, is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world.  BD is focused on improving drug therapy, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases, and advancing research and discovery of new drugs and vaccines.  The Company's capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world's most pressing diseases.  Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs approximately 29,000 associates in more than 50 countries throughout the world.  The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public.  For more information, please visit www.bd.com.

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)