The 2013 Steelcase Corporate Sustainability Report Steelcase Corporate Sustainability Report
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THE 2013 STEELCASE CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT STEELCASE CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Clarity of vision. It’s often what makes the difference between good intentions and creating sustainable change. At Steelcase, our sustainability vision is clear: to bring lasting value to our customers, employees, shareholders, partners, communities and the environment. Ambitious, yet fully achievable, we aim to strengthen the economic, social and environmental systems that sustain us all. We aim to strengthen the economic, social and environmental systems that sustain us all. These goals are intricately entwined, providing us with an unwavering sense of purpose, a touchstone to guide our decisions and a benchmark against which to measure our progress. In the coming years, sustainability will become even more integrated into our business, as we redefine fitness in the context of increasing global demands and new performance horizons. Achieving this vision is no small task, but it’s one that humbles and inspires us as we evolve our sustainable enterprise. 2 STEELCASE CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Contents Welcome from the CEO 04 Vision Paired with Action 05 Targets and Performance 06 07 Customers 15 Partners 20 Communities 24 Employees 31 Environment 41 Ourselves 3 STEELCASE CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Welcome from the CEO Sustainability today is at a crossroads. Companies like ours, who aspire to lead the way, are expanding their efforts beyond environmental impacts into meeting global social needs. Our environmental efforts are far from complete but we’ve made dramatic progress and At its heart, sustainability is about people. And so is we’re well on our way to reaching our ambitious goals. our company. Steelcase is built on deep understanding In that respect, we’ve delivered on our promise. of people – how they work, how they create and how they interact with the environments around them. But that’s only part of the picture. We believe it’s We study people, design for them, and work to unlock our responsibility to help strengthen the economic, their promise to create lasting change. Serving humanity environmental and social systems that sustain us. is the red thread that runs through everything we do. That means we’re committed to making sure Steelcase So it makes perfect sense that today our focus is is in good economic health – which it is – but also on further elevating the social side of sustainability - making sure that we’re making a positive contribution wellbeing, human rights, and community involvement. to the greater good of humanity. What we do, how We’re investing in new social initiatives and programs we do it, the decisions we make, the impacts we while not taking our eye off the environmental ball. create, that’s our responsibility to the world. That’s our responsibility to the future as we work to humanize One of the most important things we’ve learned along sustainability. To us, this expanded definition of the way is that sustainability must not be something sustainability is a strategic reset and a glimpse separate – it must be an integral part of our company. at our company’s future. We can’t unravel sustainability from the core of our business because we believe sustainability is central to achieving our mission of unlocking human promise. At its heart, sustainability is about people. And so is our company. Meaningful change happens as a result of collaborative effort. The stories in this report reflect a fraction of the efforts and successes of many different individuals, and we offer our deep thanks to those who share our commitment – our customers, dealers, employees, shareholders, partners and communities. Togeth- er, we’ll continue to forge a path of lasting change through every decision, every deed, every day. I invite you to look at what we’re doing to help us create a more sustainable future where human promise is realized. Thank you, Jim Hackett CEO 4 STEELCASE CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Vision Paired with Action Every day, in every decision, we work hard to deliver on our purpose and create real world results. We know our intentions and actions shape and influence the lives of others, including our customers, employees, shareholders, partners, communities and the environment we all share. We continue to dream big and set high aspirations. As we work to amplify our positive impact, we will rely on the strengths that have led us thus far: translating keen insight into innovative products that unleash human potential. This insight is directed not only toward products and applications, but also toward global sustainability solutions that help our company live up to its responsibilities as a world citizen, now and in the years to come. As we work to amplify our positive impact, we will rely on the strengths that have led us thus far: translating keen insight into innovative products that unleash human potential. VALUES THAT UNITE US Although our company stretches across the globe, there are common ideals that bind and unify us. As you’ll hear us say throughout this report, we believe From Malaysia to Mexico, Grand Rapids to Rosenheim, that people are at the heart of sustainability. Shared we all adhere to values that provide a foundation for values help create a common bond, an expectation our daily decisions and actions. of behavior, mutual respect and trust. We know that some of the most important work we can do is to Act with integrity foster a human-centered culture, from the ways we Tell the truth treat each other to the products we make. That’s why Keep commitments we take our culture very seriously – it’s what makes us Treat people with dignity and respect who we are, and more importantly, who we can become. Promote positive relationships Protect the environment Excel This is where we start – every day, every decision, every deed. These values inform our actions, and guide our business strategy. They are at the heart of how we approach sustainability as an asset of our company that we continue to strengthen. You’ll see these values, and our latest work to nurture and bolster our culture, expressed throughout this report. 5 STEELCASE CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT KEY STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES We’re widening our aperture as we continue to elevate sustainability as a lens for innovation throughout our globally integrated enterprise. Tackling the challenges We believe in: of today and tomorrow demands a global perspective – and as a global company, we’re developing new Transparency and authenticity: When we meet our strategies, programs, policies, and initiatives that allow goals, we’ll stop for a moment to celebrate, but us to leverage our leadership position. quickly move on to the next challenge. When we miss our targets, we diagnose what didn’t work, Our commitment is to: correct our approach, and push toward resolution Strengthen sustainable development in our world- Products and solutions designed to benefit people wide operations and supplier partners, including Actions that further the science and practice of environmental and human health, social responsibility sustainability through collaboration and cooperation and economic prosperity with key partners including customers, suppliers and Ensure operations protect the environment and thought leaders health of our employees, neighbors and customers Socially responsible operations through actions that conserve resources, reduce Collaboration with and increasing expectations waste and promote a closed loop system of our supply chain partners Invest in education and training to increase stakeholder Reporting of global metrics to show our progress engagement as well as employee ownership and and guide our focus for improvement stewardship Our potential to reduce our global environmental Engage with suppliers, dealers, customers, researchers, footprint by another 25 percent by 2020 and environmental agencies Create deeper partnerships and collaboration with all ENGAGING WITH STAKEHOLDERS our stakeholders to form shared priorities and leadership decisions that will create lasting positive impacts We’re setting our sights high as we think about what it means to create holistic value as a globally integrated company operating in a globally connected world. We’ve been on a quest for insights and understanding around sustainability and its impact on and meaning to our stakeholders now and in the future. Beginning in 2011 and continuing into 2012 we have: Embarked on a company-wide corporate social We’re setting our sights high as we and environmental responsibility diagnostic Surveyed our customers and studied their inquiries think about what it means to create to understand their corporate priorities around sustainability holistic value as a globally integrated Hosted workshops to listen to architect and design partners, customers and other thought leaders on company operating in a globally their vision for the future of sustainability Completed an internal culture survey to help us further connected world. understand the expectations of our employees The purpose of all this work is to help Steelcase advance our social and environmental performance to match the expectations of our many stakeholders, In addition, we’ve formalized a Corporate Sustainability shareholders and partners. Steering Committee, a diverse group of dedicated and passionate senior leaders who will be responsible for leveraging business insights, and providing leadership, direction and accountability for a global sustainability experience platform. Read more about this in the Governance section. 6 STEELCASE CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY REPORT Targets and Performance We’re committed to measuring and reporting on Careful measurement is our progress in a transparent and authentic way. key to managing impact This is a snapshot of the information we’re using to measure ourselves against social, environmental and economic domains. We’ll continuously strive to expand our reporting as we begin tracking metrics in areas we haven’t addressed before, refine existing metrics for global accuracy and improve our focus on sustainability and comprehensive progress reporting.