Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Environment
• Social Impact and Responsibility
• Governance and Ethics

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced absolute emissions across all scopes by 2,283.1 T CO2e (44%) over the 2018 base year and 2.5% from the prior year.
• Earned SBTi validation for SAS’ 2030 52.6% and 2050 net-zero emission reduction targets.
• Increased 2030 reduction target from 50% to 52.6% as part of SBTi target revalidation.
• Reduced scope 2 emissions by 6.3% (1,430.2 T CO2e) from the prior year.
• Despite expected post-pandemic increases in business travel, emissions are down 63% (11,175 T CO2e) compared to the 2018 base year.
• Reduced office building carbon use intensity (CUI) from the prior year by 3% – a 62% improvement from the base year (7.8 CO2 pounds/square foot).
• Diverted 69% of operational and 100% of construction waste from landfills globally (601 metric tons).
• Increased emissions data collected directly from suppliers 43% (by spend).
• Achieved 1.25 data center power usage effectiveness (PUE) rate.
• Generated 3.3 million kWh of clean, renewable energy from rooftop and ground-mounted solar systems.
• Initiated ISO 50001 energy management system (EnMS) certification for company headquarters.
• Earned limited assurance to the ISO 14064-3 standard for SAS’ 2023 calendar year scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emission inventories.

Social Achievements

• Launched its inaugural SAS Reach Program – an intentional, five-week, immersive, paid early-ID program for underserved high school seniors.
• The award-winning SAS intern program welcomed over 170 interns from diverse backgrounds in 2023 with the majority being hired into technical roles.
• Expanded its work with Code the Dream in 2023 by bringing on an inaugural cohort of Code the Dream fellows.
• In 2023, SAS announced its inaugural class of HBCU+ Fellows, a program that supports educators at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
• Maintained its perennially low turnover rate while sustaining its worldwide head count.
• Launched its second free data literacy e-learning course, Data Literacy in Practice.

Governance Achievements

• Maintained a strong compliance culture with no substantiated, materially negative incidents with regard to public policy, privacy, corruption, ethics, bribery, anti-competitive actions, antitrust violations or monopoly practices, societal impacts, the environment, labor practices, or employee discrimination or harassment; nor were there any sanctions or fines for noncompliance.
• 100% of concerns reported to SAS Ethics and Compliance were investigated and addressed as needed.
• Implemented a new Distributorship Model, partnering with reputable distributors for SAS’ solution provider partners.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Expected increases to corporate jet travel and business travel due to fewer pandemic restrictions.
• Need for additional actions to achieve 75% emission reduction by 2040 and net-zero ambitions by 2050.
• Need to increase engagement and build capacity with suppliers to cascade impact beyond SAS’ direct operational control.

Mitigation Strategies

• Reduced consumption and cleaner emissions from sourced electricity, reduced supply chain emissions and employee commutes due to flexible work schedules and increased adoption of plug-in electric vehicles.
• Adopting innovative new business models, ramping up investments in clean and renewable projects, transitioning from equipment powered by fossil fuels, annually increasing the percentage of clean energy used across operations, encouraging suppliers to set emissions targets and report progress, partnering with governments, universities, customers, suppliers and innovative organizations to develop solutions to net-zero challenges, applying analytically driven decisioning to ensure emission targets are achieved, and procuring offsets for residual obligations.
• Initiated development of an ESG risk assessment, data collection and education program to increase engagement and build capacity with suppliers, and plans to procure an ESG risk assessment tool to help evaluate suppliers.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Vetting suppliers for ESG-related risks
• Prioritizing local suppliers when appropriate
• Using service level agreements, KPIs, benchmarking, and supplier relationship management
• Conducting anti-corruption and due diligence on suppliers
• Requiring suppliers to disclose conflict minerals
• Requiring adherence to the SAS Business Partner Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes
• Market shifts

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI Standards

Certifications: ISO 27001 (Finland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, UK, Ireland, US), ISO 9001 (Australia, Italy, Spain, UK, Ireland), ISO 14001 (Spain), Cyber Essentials Plus (UK, Ireland), LEED (multiple buildings)

Third-party Assurance: LRQA (limited assurance for scope 1 and 2 GHG emission inventories)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• Goal 13: Climate Action
• Goal 15: Life on Land
• Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

SAS aligns its business practices with these goals through various initiatives detailed in the report.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Not disclosed

Awards & Recognition

• Fast Company: Best Workplaces for Innovators: Social Good
• Newsweek: America’s Greatest Workplaces, America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women, America’s Greatest Workplaces for Parents and Families
• Disability:IN: top score of 100 in the Disability Equality Index
• Human Rights Campaign: top score of 100 in the Corporate Equality Index for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion
• Forbes: America’s Best Employers for Women, America’s Best Employers for Diversity
• CDP performance score of B for supplier engagement and a B rating for climate change
• EcoVadis Silver sustainability recognition