Dow Jones and Carbon Disclosure Project Recognize AT&T’s Sustainability Efforts

By Beth Shiroishi

Creating a stronger future through sustainable business practices is a goal shared across all aspects of AT&T. And, at a company with large and diverse operations like ours, it takes a strong coordinated effort to successfully manage and measure these efforts.

Over the past several years, we’ve worked hard to create real change and are encouraged by the progress we’ve made as we’ve refined and improved our sustainability efforts. Examples of our initiatives range from implementing an energy scorecard that helps us measure and reduce our energy use at our top 1,000 energy consuming locations, to investing $100 million through our Aspire program with another $250 million planned over five years, which aims to help all students graduate from high school ready for college and careers. This progress is documented in our annual sustainability report, which we presented this year in a first-of-its-kind online interactive format that made our sustainability story more accessible than ever before.

We’re also encouraged and humbled by the fact that our efforts are being recognized by leading external organizations. Earlier this week, we learned that AT&T earned a spot on the Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index, and that we’ve been included for a third consecutive year in the 2012 Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America (DJSI).

These distinctions are especially meaningful to us at AT&T because they reflect the understanding and value of using data to ensure a well-run business. As Paul Simpson, chief executive officer of CDP, notes, this distinction is directly tied to how well companies like AT&T manage and measure their broader climate efforts:

“Companies that make the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index have demonstrated strong internal data management practices for the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.  They are also giving clear consideration to the business issues related to climate change and their exposure to climate-related risks and opportunities.”

I’d like to take this opportunity to extend a genuine and heartfelt “thank you” to my coworkers at AT&T who work hard every day to move our sustainability efforts forward. Data management at a company of our size is no easy feat, so I’d also like to offer a special “congratulations” to those who dedicate their time and energy to helping ensure our data is complete and accurate for submission to Dow Jones and CDP.  

Though earning spots on these indexes is encouraging and reflects positively upon AT&T’s company-wide efforts to create a brighter future, we know that there is always more work to be done, and greater accomplishments to be made. We look forward to continuing our efforts to define and refine best practices for managing and measuring these initiatives, and to creating a more sustainable company while strengthening the communities in which we live and work.