The first “Green Innovation Award” was awarded today by a joint initiative of European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association (EDTNA/ERCA) and Fresenius Medical Care at the 42nd EDTNA/ERCA International Conference in Malmö, Sweden. This award pays tribute to innovative ideas, best practices, and procedures that contribute to the promotion and development of environmental protection in hemodialysis treatment.

First prize went to a project from Saudi Arabia. In this pilot project, launched in 2011, overall water consumption was reduced by more than 50% mainly through the use of two reverse osmosis units for waste water. The second-place winner is a Spanish project that achieved significant savings in dialysate and water use by adjusting the dialysate flow to the blood flow rate. This use of technology improved treatment quality and optimized costs, while reducing the burden on the environment.

Eligible for participation were innovative green projects that provide transferrable, measurable and sustainable environmental benefits. An impartial jury, consisting of four experts on environmental matters related to dialysis, nominated the two winning projects, which were honored during a festive award ceremony at the EDTNA/ERCA conference.

Guido Giordana, Director of Business Operation Management NephroCare at Fresenius Medical Care, presented the award. “I feel personally honored to present the very first environmental award in renal care,” he said. “Handing over this award, a personal wish comes true. I am happy to find the environmental impact of dialysis is gaining more and more attention, including at the point of care.”

Jitka Pancirova, EDTNA/ERCA Executive Director, added: “It is of great importance to raise awareness for environmental protection within dialysis. With this we take the responsibility for our environment inherited through life-saving, resource-demanding dialysis treatment. Considering the increasing worldwide prevalence of End Stage Renal Disease, environmental protection is increasingly gaining importance and urgency in hemodialysis.”

With the presentation of the “Green Innovation Award,” both EDTNA/ERCA and Fresenius Medical Care are continuing their dedicated cooperation on environmental protection in dialysis, which started in 2009 with the “Go Green in Dialysis” initiative. This joint effort has already developed and published the “Environmental Guidelines for Dialysis,” which help guide renal professionals to perform environmentally friendly treatments.

<link file:2232 _blank pdf "Initiates file download">Press release</link>

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About EDTNA/ERCA
The European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association (EDTNA/ERCA) was established in 1971 to address the special needs of nurses and other professionals that treat patients suffering from renal failure. Since then, the Association has grown to become one of the most important forums in Europe for the exchange of information and experience for all members of the renal care team who treat patients suffering from renal failure. EDTNA/ERCA has 2300 members from 72 countries. Every year, EDTNA/ERCA organises an International Conference gathering some 3000 delegates and more than 40 exhibitors.

For more information about EDTNA/ERCA, visit the Association’s website at <link www.edtnaerca.org _blank>www.edtnaerca.org.</link>

About Fresenius Medical Care
Fresenius Medical Care is the world's largest integrated provider of products and services for individuals undergoing dialysis because of chronic kidney failure, a condition that affects more than 2.3 million individuals worldwide. Through its network of 3,212 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatments for 264,290 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the world's leading provider of dialysis products such as hemodialysis machines, dialyzers and related disposable products.

For more information about Fresenius Medical Care, visit the Company’s website at <link www.fmc-ag.com>www.fmc-ag.com.</link&gt;

Disclaimer
This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including changes in business, economic and competitive conditions, regulatory reforms, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings, and the availability of financing. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.

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