Last year, we took a huge step forward in our commitment to sustainability by publishing our first annual Corporate Sustainability Report, pledging to move beyond promises and into tangible action, guided by our triple bottom line of sustainability imperatives: Planet, People, and Prosperity. This year, we are proud to share that we’ve continued to build on that progress. In our latest Corporate Sustainability Report (FY2023), you'll see examples of how we're taking responsibility for our planet, empowering our people, and contributing to a prosperous future for all.
While we still encourage you to read the full report, we wanted to briefly share a few of the main highlights about which we’re particularly excited:
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Recognizing that awareness precedes action, we meticulously calculated the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for every ClarkDietrich manufacturing facility and office. This study serves as a pivotal tool, guiding us in making informed decisions on strategically reducing our impacts while aligning with our sustainability imperatives.
Armed with this data, we can identify and tackle the "hot spots" driving our GHG emissions, paving the way for substantial reductions in the months and years ahead. This data-driven approach allows us to focus resources strategically and maximize our positive contribution to the global sustainability landscape. By reporting emission intensities annually, we plan to show progress or regression in future reports based on this year’s baseline calculations.
Low Embodied Carbon EPD
If you didn’t already see the news, we recently finalized an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) specifically for our Low Embodied Carbon cold-formed steel framing products. This marks a substantial leap forward for ClarkDietrich in asserting our position as a sustainable industry leader, providing building products that meet the evolving demands for sustainability within the construction sector. Through strategic sourcing, we’re able to supply cold-formed steel framing products with a third-party-certified EPD showcasing a 30% reduction in embodied carbon compared to our standard EPD.
Sustainability Council
True sustainability starts from within, which is why we’ve established the ClarkDietrich Sustainability Council. This dedicated group of over 40 employees nationwide represents diverse roles and voices, and they will work collaboratively to integrate sustainable principles into our operations, foster stakeholder engagement, and champion key sustainability issues relevant to our industry.
The Sustainability Council drives our commitment toward sustainable practices and facilitates the formal identification of stakeholders and material topics, which will be re-evaluated annually.
Identifying stakeholders improves our ability to engage with and respond to them effectively. As a result of the Sustainability Council’s work, our Top 10 identified stakeholders are (in no particular order) architects/engineers/specifiers, distributors, community, suppliers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government, owners/investors, contractors, employees, and building occupants & owners.
Identifying material topics—topics that represent the most significant impacts on the economy, environment, and people—allows us to focus our efforts on areas of greatest significance and impact. Our highest priority identified material topics for the current reporting period include waste management and recycling programs, greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption, hazardous chemicals/chemicals of concern, occupational health and safety, and more.
We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done, and we know that this is still just the beginning. We're equipping ourselves with the knowledge to continually improve and are empowering our partners to do the same. By harnessing collective ingenuity and a shared commitment to sustainable building practices, we can transform the built environment—together.
Read about our renewed efforts to make a positive impact @ www.clarkdietrich.com/support/sustainability