2021 CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY REPORT I 78 Our annual Corporate Responsibility Report focuses on environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics. Data in this Report are as of December 31, 2021 or covers the period from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, unless otherwise indicated. In some instances, we also provide information as of a date in 2022 to provide more up-to-date information to our stakeholders. When we use the terms “Quest,” “Quest Diagnostics,” “company,” “we,” “us,” or “our” in this Report, we mean Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, unless we state, or the context implies, otherwise. The report does not include companies in which Quest Diagnostics has an investment. The Quest Diagnostics Foundation is a separate entity. This Report is an important source of Quest Diagnostics annual ESG disclosures. For additional and complementary ESG information about Quest Diagnostics, please refer to the disclosures on the Quest Diagnostics Corporate Responsibility website and in our periodic reports and proxy statements filed with US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which also are available on our investor relations webpages . New this year, our Report includes reporting aligned with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) standards. As we navigate the evolving space of ESG frameworks, standards and guidelines, we have prioritized disclosures that allow us to most effectively communicate with our stakeholders. We will continue to evaluate the available frameworks, standards, and guidelines and, in the future, our ESG disclosures may evolve. Materiality, as used in this Report and in our Materiality Assessment process, is different than the definition of materiality applicable to our reports and other filings with the SEC as set forth under the securities or other laws of the United States or other jurisdictions or as may be applicable to our consolidated financial statements. The inclusion of information in this Report should not be construed as a characterization by us that the information is material under the securities laws or material as it relates to our consolidated financial statements. ERM Certification and Verification Services (ERM CVS) conducted independent third-party assurance of year 2021 Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions data. See the Independent Assurance Statement by ERM CVS here . This Report includes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts and can be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “believe,” “will,” “expect,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “plan,” or “continue.” These forward- looking statements are based on our current plans and expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause our plans and expectations, including actual results, to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and measures taken in response, adverse results from pending or future government investigations, lawsuits or private actions, the competitive environment, the complexity of billing, reimbursement and revenue recognition for clinical laboratory testing, changes in government regulations, changing relationships with customers, payers, suppliers or strategic partners, changes in developing standards and certifications, the cost and availability of renewable energy and carbon offset and carbon removal projects, energy attribute certificates and green buildings, the availability and cost of alternatives to current technologies, power and transportation sources and waste treatment and recycling systems, and changes in economic or business conditions and the company’s ability to grow, improve its financial performance and execute on its strategies. A further description of these and other risks and uncertainties can be found in the company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in any of the company’s subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, including those discussed in the “Business,” “Risk Factors,” Cautionary Factors that May Affect Future Results,” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” section of those reports. You are cautioned not to unduly rely on such forward-looking statements when evaluating the information presented in this Report, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Contact us: We welcome your questions or feedback on this Report. Please contact the Quest Diagnostics Corporate Responsibility Team at [email protected] . About this report TABLE OF CONTENTS 2021 OVERVIEW COVID-19 RESPONSE PROMOTING A HEALTHIER WORLD CREATING AN INSPIRING WORKPLACE BUILDING VALUE REFERENCES
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