Data is exploding. By 2025, the data growth will reach nearly 180ZB, according to IDC. With data explosion, comes the environmental impact. Most installed data are on HDDs, with carbon emissions occur pre-use. Electronic waste was up 21% in just five years to 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt). Only 17.4% of total e-waste is collected and returned to a circular economy.Gold, silver, copper, platinum and other high-value, recoverable materials valued at US $57 billion — a sum greater than the Gross Domestic Product of most countries – were mostly dumped or burned rather than being collected for treatment and reuse. It is Seagate’s and every business’ responsibility, as collective citizens, to reduce the environmental impact from e-waste contributing to climate change, human health, finite resources and land.
Seagate, a world leader in mass-data storage infrastructure solutions has recognized the gravity of climate change’s impact on the planet, and remain committed in reducing the global carbon footprint.In a recent announcement on Earth Day, Seagate pledged to power its global footprint with 100% renewable energy by 2030, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. Seagate also presented its Fiscal Year 2021 Global Citizenship Annual report (GCAR), sharing progress and milestones achieved within operation and with suppliers and customers, on emission reduction targets, product stewardship, talent enablement, diversity goals, labor standards, fair trade, supply chain, and more.
Seagate has always been a global leader and advocate in sustainable and responsible practices to support their commitment to global corporate citizenship. Build circularity into every product and service that Seagate releases to the data market is a prioritySeagate is applying scale and influence to mobilize customers, supply chain partners, and other technology companies to aid in this effort. Seagate is also modeling data storage’s impact on global warming and focusing on sourcing materials that address finite natural resources and their use, reuse, and substitution in the company’s products. Lastly, Seagate is partnering with the customers to advance their products’ secure erase, refurbish and reuse technologies.
Environment
Seagate recognizes theresponsibility to address the environmental impacts of the data storage industry and believes in the value of integrity and innovation acting as a guiding force to make strong forward progress for the benefit of the planet.
In terms of the impact created so far, Seagate has:
- Energy Conservation: In FY2021, Seagate has saved approximately 23,000 MWh amounting to 14,000 tCO2e of electricity through energy conservation and efficiency initiatives, exceeding the company’s conservation goal of 10,000 MWh for the year.
- Recycling: Continued product circularity partnerships with Dell and Google to recycle components such as voice coil magnet assemblies and materials that use rare earth elements.
- Hazardous Waste: Seagate has decreased the intensity of hazardous waste generated per exabyte (EB) by 17% in FY2021, mostly through recycling, diverting 84% of waste away from landfill.
- Water Recycling: Water recycling increased by more than 9% year-over-year.
Here is a snapshot of advances Seagate has made in FY2021:
Seagate’s diverse, global workforce enables its continued success as a data storage leader. Their value of inclusion underpins policies and practices that are designed to support a safe and respectful workplace by addressing the following:
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Professional development
- Employee engagement
- Employee health, safety, and well-being
In terms of the impact created so far, Seagate has delivered on:
- Women in Leadership: Seagate is taking steps to ensure that women have an equitable voice in leadership. Compared to FY2020, there was a 4% increase in women in the company’s executive positions and a 2.9% increase in women in director positions.
- LGBTQ+ inclusion: Seagate was named as one of the best companies for LGBTQ+ equity by the Human Rights Campaign with a score of 100% from the organization’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index for the third year in a row. These practices allow all employees to engage and share in Seagate’s success.
Governance
Seagate’s corporate governance standards and practices ensure its longevity as a company. Seagate is committed to being responsible to the stakeholders while upholding the highest ethical practices. The following reflects the ongoing commitments to transparency and accountability regarding privacy, security, brand ethics, and compliance.
In terms of the impact created so far, Seagate is dedicated towards ensuring the below norms:
- Ethics: Guided by Seagate’s value of Integrity, Seagate is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of ethics through these ethical and legal commitments under Seagate Trust Centerthat underpin how Seagate tells the brand story.
- Established the Global Compliance and Ethics Council (GCEC) to align Seagate business functions with Seagate’s corporate Compliance and Ethics Program strategy, policies, and procedures. The GCEC determined that there were no significant risks of corruption or non-compliance in FY2021 through ethics risk assessments at Seagate’s seven manufacturing sites.
As a global hardware, software, and services company, Seagate is leading by example to do good. Acting on the company values of Integrity, Innovation, and Inclusion, Seagate is advancing advance sustainable solutions that transparently address critical environmental and social priorities.
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