Dell Releases Ambitious Plan for Corporate Responsibility Goals through 2020; Will Drive Collaboration to Develop Industry Assessment for “Ripple Effect” of IT on the Planet and Society

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Oct. 15, 2013 /3BL Media/ – Dell today announced its 2020 Legacy of Good plan, a long-term corporate responsibility framework designed to aggregate and accelerate the ways that Dell and its IT solutions help customers, Dell team members and communities make lasting contributions to the planet and society. 

The 2020 Legacy of Good plan is divided into three areas – the Environment, People, which includes Dell’s 100,000-plus team members worldwide, and Communities.  Adding intentional value to each of these areas in the coming years complements the company’s overarching purpose – to provide technology that enables people everywhere to grow, thrive and reach their full potential.

No industry-standard of measurement currently exists to fully assess how IT-industry customers, which includes the world’s largest private and public-sector enterprises, are using IT to become more socially responsible by deploying efficient and sustainable solutions. Ultimately, a firm understanding of the full-spectrum impact of technology across IT companies and the customers’ environments will enable Dell – and others in the industry – to identify areas of opportunity for innovation and optimization.

Dell also will work with industry stakeholders, including suppliers, partners and competitors, to develop a method for  more accurately assessing the “net positive” impact of IT on society, including the ways IT customers use and benefit from increasingly environmentally-sustainable and efficient IT solutions. 

The Environment
Dell’s 2020 environmental aspirations focus on three areas: reducing the environmental impact of company operations – and enabling customers to do the same; driving social and environmental responsibility in the industry and supply chain, and promoting technology’s role in addressing environmental challenges.

The plan outlines 12 ambitious goals tied to its environmental agenda, each to be achieved by 2020, including:

• Reducing the energy intensity of our product portfolio by 80 percent, making Dell the first IT company to commit to make a portfolio-wide energy goal. 
• Using 50 million pounds of sustainable materials, such as recycled plastic, in products, and recovering 2 billion pounds of used electronics. This will make Dell the only company in the industry to set a long-term goal on the use of recycled-content plastics.
• Ensuring waste-free packaging, with materials like wheat straw, mushrooms and bamboo, which are sustainably sourced and 100% recyclable or compostable.
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent from its facilities and logistics operations. 

People
Dell recognizes that team members are the cornerstone of its corporate responsibility leadership. Every 2020 goal depends on the engagement and support of a global workforce built on strong teams and enduring relationships.

The Legacy of Good Plan outlines ways the company will foster inspirational leadership, promote a supportive culture and give team members a voice in shaping the company’s direction, including:

• Increasing eligible team member participation in flexible work programs to 50 percent.
• Increasing university hiring to a rate of 25 percent of external hire.
• Achieving 75 percent favorable responses, or higher, in team member satisfaction annual surveys.

Communities
From consumers to multinational organizations, customers consistently indicate that Dell’s CSR leadership contributes to their loyalty to the company. Reflecting the company’s commitment to growing that loyalty in the coming years, the 2020 Legacy of Good plan highlights ways Dell intends to make a positive impact on communities by applying technology, expertise, funding and volunteerism to solving real societal issues, including:

• Committing to engage 75 percent of team members in community-service initiatives.
• Applying education technology and expertise to projects that reach 3 million young people.

Quotes
“Dell has taken an approach all companies need to follow: it is critical to set time-bound goals to address environmental impacts not only in company operations, but also throughout its supply chain and through customers' technology use.  We hope Dell's portfolio-wide energy goal will catalyze companies within its sector and beyond to do the same.” – Mindy Lubber, President of Ceres     

”This plan is ambitious and bold, but so are the Dell team members who will ensure we achieve each goal.  They are the thousands of researchers, engineers, experts and employee volunteers who have enabled us to become the first company to provide free electronics recycling and an industry leader in energy efficiency and sustainable packaging. Now, their collective expertise and entrepreneurial spirit will help us develop ways to expand and measure the ripple effect of IT on the planet and society.” – Trisa Thompson, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility, Dell  

“Customers consistently tell us that sustainability leadership contributes to their decision to do business with Dell. In fact, more than 75 percent of our requests-for-proposal include a CSR element. But customers also tell us they lack a means to capture and demonstrate how their own smart IT strategies often lower overall costs and energy use while benefitting the environment.  With this plan, we are committing to work across the industry to enable customers, and the industry more broadly, to assess the ripple effect of sustainable IT strategies like electronic medical records and virtualized desktops.” – David Lear, Executive Director of Sustainability, Dell

Additional Resources:
Download the plan in full and read Michael Dell’s thoughts about the plan’s vision at dell.com/2020.

Previous Corporate Responsibility reports, infographics, videos, case studies and additional information on Dell’s corporate responsibility programs are available at dell.com/poweringthepossible.

About Dell
Dell delivers innovative products and services that make the best technology accessible to anyone – helping them realize their full potential. This same philosophy extends to Dell’s commitment to put technology and expertise to work where it can do the most good for people and the planet. The 2020 Legacy of Good Plan embeds this commitment strategically in the business, accelerating successful and sustainable customer outcomes while leaving a legacy of good through 2020 and beyond. For more information, visit dell.com/2020.

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