Dell’s FY24 ESG Report Outlines Progress with ESG Initiatives

Dell’s FY24 ESG Report outlines the company’s progress and commitments on the sustainability front across four key pillars: Advancing Sustainability, Cultivating Inclusion, Transforming Lives, and Upholding Trust. I finally had an opportunity to take a dive into the report, which outlines Dell’s ongoing efforts to create positive business, social, and environmental impact on behalf of the organization itself as well as its customers and partners and share some of the highlights here.

Dell’s FY24 ESG Report: Progress on Advancing Sustainability

Dell has set ambitious climate action goals, aiming to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across scopes 1, 2, and 3 by 2050. In Dell’s FY24 ESG Report, the company outlined its key progress on the sustainability front, which includes:

• Reducing scopes 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40.6% toward the company’s 2030 goal of 50% reduction (getting closer!)

• Sourcing 61.5% of electricity from renewable sources, progressing toward Dell’s goal of 75% by 2030 and 100% by 2040 targets

• Reducing scope 3 GHG emissions from the use of sold products by 22.9%, on track for Dell’s 30% reduction goal by 2030

Dell’s Circular Economy Initiatives Continue to Move Forward

Circular innovation in design and manufacturing, the integration of sustainable materials and services, and continually working to reduce e-waste are all areas of focus. Dell’s FY24 ESG Report demonstrated the company is making strides in those circular economy initiatives, including:

• Dell reports that 14.1% of product content is now made from recycled, renewable, or reduced carbon emissions material, working toward over 50% by 2030. We’ve got a long way to go in the period of just six years to reach that goal, but we are seeing some progress from Dell on this front.

• Not surprisingly, Dell reports that a whopping 96.4% of today’s packaging is made from recycled or renewable material, nearing the company’s goal of 100% by 2030. That’s impressive.

• Dell reported recovering over 1.3 billion kg of used electronics since 2007

In addition to the foregoing, Dell claims to be the first in the industry to ship certified 50% recycled content steel in displays, along with using over 43 million kg of sustainable materials in products.

Dell has also received the platinum 2023 medal from EcoVadis, scoring in the top 1% of assessed companies. This is no small accomplishment, as EcoVadis is the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings , and has created a global network of over 130,000+ rated companies.

Dell’s Commitment to an Inclusive Workforce

Dell has long been a champion of diversity and inclusion as a business imperative. More importantly, speaking as someone who works with the team at Dell on a regular basis, it’s obvious that they are walking the walk on the DEI front, and not just talking the talk. In this year’s FY24 ESG Report, Dell shared that:

• 35% of Dell Technologies’ global workforce and 29.1% of global people leaders identify as women, and the company is aiming for 50% and 40% respectively by 2030. There’s every indication Dell should be able to reach those goals within the next six years, which is great to see.

• 16.1% of Dell Technologies’ U.S. workforce and 12.6% of Dell’s U.S.-based people leaders identify as Black/African American or Hispanic/Latino, working towards 25% and 15% by 2030. Again, there’s every reason to believe we’ll see Dell hit those goals by 2030, at which time they’ll likely adjust them up.

Also of note, Dell has also received a top score (100%) by the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index , recognizing the company as a leader in LGBTQ+ inclusion. Dell is one of 30 companies that have achieved triple certification status from the HRC.

Dell has adopted the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and is a signatory to the UN Global Compact . The company has established a Human Rights Policy and formed a Human Rights Advisory Committee to ensure accountability across its operations and value chain.

Dell emphasizes creating an inclusive environment, increasing representation, holding themselves accountable, and leading by example in the industry. In what can easily be described as a challenging time in the domestic political arena as it relates to all things diversity, equity, and inclusion, and when corporate DEI initiatives are often being cast aside, it is inspiring to see tech giants like Dell lean even more deeply into DEI and continue to double down on its commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion. More of that, please!

Beyond the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workforce, Dell has clearly focused considerable efforts on developing digital inclusion programs and partnerships. These programs and partnerships are designed to provide community networks and groups with access to basic needs, programs, and resources that foster digital skills, and Dell has an established goal of improving 1 billion lives by 2030.

In its FY24 ESG Report, Dell shared a progress update on its digital inclusion initiatives, which includes the following:

• The company says its digital inclusion and equity programs and partnerships have touched and impacted some 396 million people cumulatively since FY20.

• Dell reports that 51.5% of people directly reached through its digital inclusion initiatives and programs identify as girls, women, or underrepresented groups.

• Dell reports that the company is actively supporting 535 nonprofit partners in their individual digital transformation journeys.

As part of the organization’s digital inclusion initiatives, Dell team members play an outsized role in making great things happen the world over. In this year’s report, Dell shared that 48% of team members have participated in giving or volunteering activities. These activities include community involvement, myriad global partnerships, and a relentless focus on tech innovation designed to spur and drive digital inclusion. It was great to see Cassandra Garber, Dell’s VP of corporate sustainability and ESG, share that Dell’s team members have logged an amazing 949,000 hours of volunteer work in the communities where they live and work.

Inspiring Consumer Trust Matters More Than Ever Today — Especially for Tech Companies

Data privacy and security, software supply chain, zero-trust solutions —?they all play a part in how confident customers feel about the technology partners with whom they choose to work. Dell’s FY24 ESG Report outlined some of the key areas of focus as it relates to its commitment to building consumer trust and to its goal of being “the most trusted technology partner for customers and partners by 2030.”

Some of the progress Dell reported on this front included:

• Development of Project Fort Zero , a flexible, fully configured, end-to-end Advanced Zero Trust solution for public and private sector organizations designed to protect against cyberattacks. Project Fort Zero has been validated by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and can be used to protect customer data anywhere it is: in the field, in remote locations, as well as in on-prem data centers.

• Securing the supply chain by working toward publishing software bills of materials (SBOMs) for all actively sold Dell-designed products by 2025. Supply chain security has never been more important than it is today, and an SBOM ensures that the software supply chain is both known and trusted. Given the rise of software supply chain cyberattacks, this is an important part of both secure development and customer lifecycle management.

• Implementing password-less authentication mechanisms for new products

• Expanding the enhanced Privacy Center to 74 locations globally, giving customers more control over their personal data. In the Privacy Center, customers can view and download their data, customize marketing preferences, delete their data, manage cookies, and learn about data collection and privacy practices which include data security safeguards, limiting access to customer information and deleting that information when it’s not needed, and employing safeguards like encryption when sensitive data is involved.

Conclusion: Commitment to Driving Human Progress, Alongside Protecting People and the Planet

In summary, both CEO Michael Dell and Cassandra Garber, Dell’s VP of corporate sustainability and ESG, have made it clear that the company is committed to creating technology that drives human progress but also considers protecting people and the planet as an imperative, alongside that progress.

Dell’s FY24 ESG Report underscores Dell’s commitment to embedding sustainability and ESG principles throughout its value chain and technology stack. It is clear the company recognizes the importance of partnerships and collaboration in addressing complex challenges like climate change, digital inclusion, and creating inclusive workplaces, and is taking bold steps to effect change and spur progress toward the goals and timelines established.

As Dell looks to the future, particularly with the advent of AI, the company remains focused on leveraging technology to create meaningful impact, build trust, and foster a more sustainable and inclusive world. In this age of AI, it’s important to note that issues like sustainability and trust take on even more importance as we realize the benefits AI can provide also come with increased power generation needs, privacy concerns, and concerns about ethics and responsible AI. All in all, I viewed Dell’s FY24 ESG Report as a testament to Dell’s progress and ongoing commitment to accountability in achieving its ambitious goals for 2030 and beyond.

Image credits: Dell Technologies, Pexels

This article first published on theCUBE Research

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