SAS, a global leader in data and artificial intelligence (AI), remains steadfast in its commitment to social responsibility and innovation. Recognizing the crucial role of sustainability and corporate citizenship, SAS continues to integrate these principles into its business and climate strategy. The company believes in using trustworthy technology to improve the world, offering innovative solutions to its customers. As a longstanding advocate for clean energy and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, SAS actively assists its clients in their green business initiatives and sustainability efforts. SAS leverages its own software to optimize company operations across its global offices.
“As a leader in social responsibility, we understand that the power of reliable data can guide more accurate decisions, paving the way for a more sustainable and responsible future,” stated SAS CEO Jim Goodnight. “We actively seek opportunities to support our communities and customers in their endeavors to implement environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives.”
SAS’s commitment to environmental leadership is evident in its decades-long pursuit of a green strategy. As a champion of the Paris Climate Accord, the company has consistently evolved its environmental initiatives and sustainable business model. SAS collaborates with its employees, suppliers, and customers to minimize its environmental footprint. This collaboration manifests in programs focused on energy conservation, emissions management, pollution mitigation, water conservation, green building, and various other initiatives. SAS’s renowned AI expertise and powerful software solutions enable smarter and more efficient operations for both the company and its clients. These insights and tools empower customers to implement robust business strategies.
In 2023, SAS achieved notable environmental milestones:
* Reduction of absolute emissions across all scopes by 44% compared to the 2018 baseline and 4.1% from the previous year.
* Validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for SAS’s 2030 target of 52.6% emission reduction and its 2050 net-zero emission reduction goals.
* Increase of the 2030 reduction target from 50% to 52.6% during SBTi target revalidation.
* Reduction of scope 2 emissions by 6.3% from the previous year.
* Diverting 69% of operational waste and 100% of construction waste from landfills globally.
* Increase in emissions data collected directly from suppliers by 43% (based on spend).
* Generation of 3.3 million kilowatt-hours of clean, renewable energy from rooftop and ground-mounted solar systems.
* Initiation of ISO 50001 Energy Management System certification for the company’s headquarters.
* Earning limited assurance to the ISO 14064-3 standard for SAS’s 2023 calendar year scope 1 and scope 2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission inventories.
SAS’s vision of creating a brighter future extends beyond assisting customers with innovative solutions; it also encompasses tackling society’s most pressing challenges. The company’s unwavering commitment to bold questioning, resilience, and data-driven decision-making fuels the creation of opportunities for positive change.
Building upon its renowned supportive workplace culture and employee philosophy, SAS prioritizes how it can inspire progress and positively affect social issues and communities. The company actively engages in efforts ranging from responsible innovation practices and projects to social innovation through corporate philanthropy and education initiatives. The SAS Data Ethics Practice (DEP) is a cross-functional team dedicated to leading a globally coordinated effort. The DEP assists employees and customers in deploying data-driven systems that promote human well-being, agency, and equity.
SAS actively supports the Data for Good movement, encouraging the use of data in meaningful ways to address humanitarian concerns related to poverty, health, human rights, education, and the environment. The DEP continues to expand its efforts, striving to bring trustworthy AI to customers and pursue new Data for Good initiatives.
Contributing to meaningful work is a cornerstone of SAS’s award-winning workplace culture. This culture is dedicated to recognizing employees as valuable contributors while prioritizing their well-being. This company philosophy has garnered decades of recognition through numerous accolades and awards for SAS’s supportive and inclusive reputation.
SAS is dedicated to investing in the global community through its philanthropic philosophy, which emphasizes supporting data literacy and education initiatives for all. This commitment is evident in SAS’s efforts to develop and provide accessible resources for data literacy. In 2023, over 290,000 educators and learners benefited from free SAS software offerings. SAS also launched its second free data literacy e-learning course, Data Literacy in Practice. The first course, Data Literacy Essentials, has been activated over 22,000 times in nearly 80 countries by over 600 colleges and universities and 3,500 nonacademic organizations.
Additionally, over 20,000 students globally joined SAS Skill Builder for Students, a free online portal that provides all the resources students need to launch their analytics careers. Over 2,000 educators worldwide joined the SAS Educator Portal in 2023, taking advantage of free instructional materials and e-learning designed to facilitate the seamless integration of analytics into the classroom.
For higher education and adult learners, SAS has established over 50 new partnerships with college and university programs worldwide. Learn more about SAS’s commitment to sustainability and read the latest SAS Corporate Social Responsibility report to delve deeper into the company’s initiatives.
