For most, the word “sustainability” means a commitment to being more environmentally conscious. While this is true, it’s only a portion of what sustainability means to us at HARMAN. While conserving energy and reducing waste are very important, sustainability is broader and bigger than that – it’s about the long-term well-being of our company, people and communities.
As we celebrate Earth Day today, I would like to highlight HARMAN’s commitment to sustainability and a few activities underway, including a new volunteerism tool launching soon for employees.
Leading by Example - HARMAN Sustainability Council
To engrain sustainability as a conscious part of how we do business, the HARMAN Sustainability Council is a cross functional and departmental group charged with setting short-term and long-term sustainability goals for the company, driving data collection to measure progress within each business area, and educating and inspiring employees to advance HARMAN’s sustainability goals.
When the council was first initiated in 2012, we established a Corporate Energy Challenge to reduce normalized energy usage in five years (2017) by 10 percent and have already made great progress. For example, we conducted third party energy-efficiency assessments at key manufacturing facilities around the world, including identifying energy-saving measures and best practices, which in turn were shared with other facilities to keep everyone working towards the same measures. In addition to these updates around the world, we also prepared our European facilities to be compliant with the European Union’s Energy Efficiency Directive, performing energy audits at all required facilities.
Connecting with Communities through HARMAN Inspired
Launched in 2015, HARMAN Inspired is HARMAN’s global cause initiative that empowers the next generation to realize their possibilities through the power of music, technology and service. As a company founded upon a passion for making music and quality audio, we are supporting music education efforts in public schools around the world. In parallel, as a technology leader, HARMAN is spearheading new STEM programming (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in collaboration with leading nonprofits around the globe. HARMAN connects young people to diverse experiences that inspire them to learn critical STEM skills, foster their creativity and open their eyes to potential careers by combining the power of music and technology with corporate social responsibility activities.
Empowering a Culture of Participation
Leadership and social responsibility are part of our DNA at HARMAN. There are so many examples around the world of employees getting involved in their communities. It’s inspiring to see. Recent activities include the Earth Day Playlist, which featured more than 250 songs curated by employees around the world, and ongoing HARMAN environmental rehabilitation volunteer days. In the coming weeks, HARMAN will introduce a new tool for employees to learn and share ideas on how to conserve energy and our natural resources. Stay tuned for more information.
Thanks to HARMAN’s Sustainability Council, those leading key initiatives such as the Corporate Energy Challenge and HARMAN Inspired, and to our employee volunteers who continue to give their time and expertise. HARMAN’s commitment to sustainability is engrained in our culture and is a responsibility proudly shared around the world 365 days a year.
Caroline Moore is the Senior Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility at HARMAN International