Today, EMC published our ninth annual sustainability Report: Connections.
Sustainability programs are now fairly commonplace at most large, global companies. People expect corporations to be mindful of environmental impacts, support communities, and contribute towards a healthier world. For consumer businesses, it can be easy to see the impacts—packaging from recycled materials, locally-sourced ingredients, chemical-free products—but for B2B companies, the connection between business and sustainability can be less obvious.
This year’s report is all about bringing those connections to the forefront.
EMC is a technology company. Our products and solutions modernize the data centers of our customers. And our customers are changing the world—healthcare solutions, public education services, precision agriculture, and cultural preservation. For example, in 2015, we collaborated with IDEA Public Schools, a network of public schools in Texas servicing low-income families, to identify ways Big Data could add value to the schools. After a successful Big Data Vision workshop, the EMC team was able to launch a set of dashboard tools to help teachers and administrators better forecast student performance, assess risk and provide recommendations.
EMC is also a people company. We understand that our company has an impact on the lives of our employees, the people within our supply chain, our customers, and those living in the communities in which we do business. Our people are also our greatest asset, and allow us to create positive impact. For example, Global Impact Corp, EMC’s skill-based volunteer program, is designed to enable EMC employees to leverage their professional skills and expertise to build capacity in Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) around the world.
This year’s report not only features examples of these customer and employee impacts, but also highlights the interdependence between sustainability and EMC’s business. To prepare, we spoke to executives from different corners of EMC about our business, assessed the risks and opportunities for the IT industry writ large, examined the broader trends in the world around us, and identified where EMC has the greatest potential to make a difference. We have restructured our report to shed light on the connections between our programs and our value chain, our sustainability priorities and our business strategy, and our company and our world.
The ability to create a positive impact does not have to be contained within the four walls of a company. By understanding our commonalities, and mapping our priorities with a world view, we all have the opportunity to change the world.
