Webcor is taking steps to elevate its Corporate Social Responsibility efforts to the next level. On April 16, the Webcor ESG program was introduced externally with a press release and an episode of the Webcor at 50 podcast.
The ESG plan -- which stands for Environmental, Social, Governance -- has also been unveiled on a new detailed page on Webcor's external website.
Consumers are demanding companies like Webcor take action to address certain social and environmental challenges we face. Feedback from our people was used to develop our CSR strategy, which is focused on our stakeholder needs and the influence we can have to positively impact our built communities of tomorrow.
ESG programs have grown more prominent in recent years, especially among public companies accountable to shareholders and boards of directors. While Webcor is owned by Obayashi and is not publicly traded, the company's leadership has taken the bold step to emulate the efforts of these companies, which includes Obayashi. (See Obayashi’s 2020 report.)
People, Planet, and Performance are the three categories of Webcor's ESG program. Each category features multiple goals, each of which is bolstered by measurable objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs). According to Webcor President and CEO Jes Pedersen, "Establishing firm targets for each of the elements of our CSR strategy elevates and formalizes this aspect of our approach to being a purposeful company, which is to build solutions and better lives. Our plan shows true transparency and the ability to provide authenticity surrounding the impact we are trying to make. We are being transparent about where we are, even if we aren’t there yet."
In total, the program features 14 ambitious goals, each of which includes measurable targets; there are 35 targets in all. As Chief Operating Officer Matt Rossie noted in the podcast episode, reaching a target does not signal the end of the initiative. "When we achieve one target, we'll set a new one," he says.
Each category has an executive champion who is accountable for ensuring progress is made on each of the category's targets. "The targets are at the heart of the program," says Jenelle Shapiro, sustainability director. "Reporting our progress on each target regularly is a clear demonstration that we're not just talking the talk. It's also a way to hold ourselves accountable since we will know our efforts are being watched."
One target, by way of example -- part of the Waste Management goal in the Planet category -- calls for reducing total waste generated on jobsites by 2 percent annually. The KPI to be measured will be the average total waste diverted per square foot. The target is a 20 percent reduction by 2030.
"By setting these targets, everyone knows exactly what we're aiming to accomplish," Jes says. "That makes it easy to do the research and create a plan to get us there."
Following are the goals associated with each category:
