Silicon Valley Corps lag in sustainability leadership

Silicon Valley Corps lag in sustainability leadership

Good news: 60% of companies studied have a sustainability report, up from 29% in 2016.

Bad news: Only 23% have a reporting strategy focusing on critical areas such as Environment, Ethics, Employees and Supply Chain.

Here is this year’s report on the Center for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) research on Sustainability Reporting Trends in Silicon Valley 2019, a follow-up to 2016’s research. The report finds depressingly limited sustainability leadership from the world’s largest concentration of tech companies.

Disturbingly poor stats:

· 37% of companies analyzed reported on climate change performance

· 23% included the UN Sustainable Development Goals

· 22% were externally assured

· Only 23% displayed a reporting strategy focusing on critical areas: Community, Environment, Ethics, Employees, Supply Chain and Philanthropy.

· Silicon Valley lags significantly behind national average for

o women in the workforce

o setting up comprehensive Sustainability strategies for reducing carbon

o addressing social challenges.

The good news –

· 60% have a sustainability report, up from 29% in 2016.

· Community, Environment, Supply Chain and Philanthropy topics showed an increase in reporting since 2016.

· 98% have an externally generated ESG (environment, social, governance) ratings profile, used by investors to make decisions

· Blockchain applications promise reduced environmental impact and better assurance of human rights and fair work practice advances in certain ESG topics.

Would you like CSE to provide a breakdown by sector, including graphs to illustrate stats?

We can provide expert commentary (interviews, editorials, radio, TV) by award-winning president Nikos Avlonas.

See summary attached. Contact us for the full report and to discuss how we can support your reporting interests.

consulting@cse-net.org, avlonas@cse-net.org