Steelcase Recognized for Achievements in Sustainability
Annual Corporate Sustainability Report and Industry Awards Show Environmental, Social Progress
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, November 12, 2014 – Steelcase Inc.(NYSE:SCS) today released its 2014 Corporate Sustainability Report, which recounts the company’s sustainability promise and the resulting social, environmental and economic global performance indicators. Additionally, the company has been recognized by additional third-party organizations to celebrate its achievements in promoting sustainable business practices and fostering a workplace of inclusion.
“For us, being a sustainable business means more than just recycling programs and internal footprint reductions,” said Jim Keane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Steelcase Inc. “It’s about operating in a way that strives to provide value to the many stakeholders we serve. Our CSR report reflects our promises, intentional actions, and measured results that help our employees, customers, partners, and communities in a variety of ways.”
The 2014 Steelcase Corporate Sustainability Report provides a view into the company’s qualitative reporting and quantifiable progress – including refined metrics within the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Index. It also expands on how the company is working to scale its positive impact not only from within, but also for the company’s customers, partners and communities around the world.
Highlights from the report include:
Assisted customers with end of use strategies that diverted 50 million pounds of unused furniture from the landfill in the US last year and reclaimed over 26,000 workstations in Europe over the last six years
Achieved U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum® certification for the new Steelcase Innovation Center – earning 88 points making it the highest rated LEED for Commercial Interiors project certified in Michigan to date – and among the top 30 in the world
Expanded renewable energy investments to 100% of global electricity use and initiated a one-of-a-kind supplier program to promote investment in renewables by offering suppliers Steelcase’s discounted rate
A 20% increase in total giving by Steelcase and the Steelcase Foundation, donating a combined $6.5 million to communities and organizations
Engaged with global communities through a growing employee volunteer program – with thousands of donated hours and the roll out of programs to incentivize employee volunteerism
Provided employees with engaging work environments and access to employee wellbeing programs – part of the reason for an 8% increase in employee retention and a 2 to 3 fold improvement in self-reported scores from employee wellbeing pilot programs
Continued progress to reduce environmental footprint by 25% by 2020 – significant progress made in waste reduction strategies with a 22% decrease since 2010
Leaders outside of Steelcase have recognized the progress the company has made:
Steelcase’s director of global environmental sustainability, Angela Nahikian, was named to GB&D Magazine’s Most Powerful Women in Sustainability honorable mention – a designation that put Steelcase in the same company as Nike, 3M, MillerCoors, Coca-Cola, Google, and Ernst & Young to name a few.
The U.S. EPA awarded Steelcase a Green Power Leadership Award, which recognizes the leading actions of organizations that significantly advance the development of green power sources.
The company received a perfect score of 100 in the 2015 Corporate Equality Index, the national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees from the Human Rights Campaign
The company was named one of Fortune magazine’s 2014 “World’s Most Admired Companies” in the Home Equipment and Furnishings industry sector. Steelcase’s highest scores came in the Innovation, Social Responsibility, Quality of Management and Quality of Products/Services categories.
The Michigan Business & Professional Association named Steelcase among the Best and Brightest Sustainable Companies in Michigan for the fourth year in a row.
For more information on the 2014 Steelcase Sustainability Report and the company’s promise to the future, please visit csr.steelcase.com.
About Steelcase Inc.
For over 100 years, Steelcase Inc. has helped create great experiences for the world’s leading organizations, across industries. We demonstrate this through our family of brands – including Steelcase®, Coalesse®, Designtex®, Details®, PolyVision® and Turnstone®. Together, they offer a comprehensive portfolio of architecture, furniture and technology products and services designed to unlock human promise and support social, economic and environmental sustainability. We are globally accessible through a network of channels, including over 800 dealer locations. Steelcase is a global, industry-leading and publicly traded company with fiscal 2014 revenue of $3.0 billion.
Contact
Laura Van Slyke
616.262.3091
lvanslyk@steelcase.com