Seagate has launched its annual Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) report for the fiscal year 2023. The 'Sustainable Datasphere: FY2023 ESG Performance Report' marks 18 years of constant evolution of the company in sustaining a responsible datasphere, underscoring its progress in renewable energy usage and towards achieving carbon neutrality.
The company has set an ambitious goal to power its manufacturing and R&D facilities completely with renewable energy by 2030. Interestingly, more than half of the company's total energy consumption in the fiscal year 2023 has been covered by renewable energy. Seagate's facilities based in China, Thailand, and Northern Ireland have already transitioned to drawing 100% of their power from renewable sources. The innovative tech firm reinstated its commitment to achieving total carbon neutrality by 2040.
CEO Dave Mosley expressed, “Seagate is leading the charge in sustainable innovation in data storage, driving a circular economy and addressing key environmental challenges of our time. By collaborating with industry peers, customers, partners, and governments, we can collectively enable circularity and drive positive change.”
In addition to their eco-friendly energy consumption, the report revealed that Seagate has extended the lifespan of around 1.19 million Hard Drives and Solid-State Drives (SSD) through its circularity program in FY2023, preventing over 553 metric tons of electronic waste from entering landfills.
Significant achievements in energy conservation were also highlighted in the report. Operational efficiencies led to a saving of approximately 33,600 megawatt hours of energy. An impressive drop was observed in Scope 2 market-based emissions, decreasing to around 288,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in CY2022 from approximately 749,000 metric tons of CO2e in CY2021. This decrease is attributed to the company's retirement of renewable energy credits. Equally notable were water efficiency initiatives that resulted in the recycling of about 3,700 megaliters of water.
Moving beyond environmental accomplishments, Seagate showcased its commitment to diversity and inclusion. It achieved repeated recognition as a Leader in LGBTQ inclusion and Best Technology Company for Women, and a Military Friendly Employer. The company has also expanded its Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to 29 local chapters, with a membership base of 3,700, catering to veterans, LGBTQ+ communities, coloured professionals, women's leadership networks, and young professionals.
The company demonstrated its commitment to workplace safety by achieving an FY2023 Total Recordable Incident Rate that is merely 14% of the industry average. This is in line with Seagate's continual commitment to employee development, manifested by over 2.5 million learning hours completed by the workforce, ensuring a culture that fosters learning and innovation.
Seagate's commitment to community involvement was also revealed. The company participated in more than 150 community engagements, focusing on youth STEM programs, higher education academic innovation, and creating volunteer opportunities within local communities.