Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Ethics and Governance
• Service and Innovation
• Empowering Employees
• Promoting Community Growth
• Protecting the Environment
• Partnering with Communities

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (specific figures not provided, but a graph showing reduction is mentioned)
• Recycled more than 25,000 tons of paper, saving $1.25 million in waste removal costs
• Recycled telecommunications materials (specific figures provided, but reasons for drop in 2003 are mentioned)

Social Achievements

• Introduced a new wireless phone with speech recognition technology for visually impaired customers
• Launched VZ-LIFE (Life Initiatives for Employees) program to help employees manage work-life balance
• Invested more than $500 million in employee development over three years
• Donated more than 1,000 wireless phones and other equipment to emergency responders after Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne
• Donated more than 1.5 million minutes of free wireless airtime to hurricane victims
• Supported military reservists and their families under Emergency Military Leave Policy
• Invested more than $58 million in the African-American community since 2000
• Provided $1.2 million grant to establish literacy and technology centers at 10 public schools in Puerto Rico

Governance Achievements

• Created an ethics office headed by an executive responsible for compliance
• Published a comprehensive Code of Business Conduct
• Operated a confidential VZ Ethics Line
• Published guidelines for suppliers on ethical business conduct
• Strong, active and independent board of directors

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Maintaining high customer service levels despite increasing customer expectations and competition
• Decreased percentage of African-American and Hispanic vendors among diverse suppliers
• Environmental impact of large fleet of vehicles, numerous buildings, and directory printing

Mitigation Strategies

• Investing in advanced technology, employee training, and business restructuring to improve service
• Launching a pilot program to work with advocacy groups to identify and prescreen minority vendors
• Implementing corporate environmental policy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase recycling rates
• Creating Team Energy to improve energy efficiency of Verizon buildings
• Implementing paperless billing services to reduce paper use and waste

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Guidelines for suppliers on ethical business conduct
• Objectives for greater spending with Minority, Women, Persons with Disabilities and Veteran-owned Business Enterprises (MWDVBEs)

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• FiOS service (fiber-to-the-premises network)
• VoiceWing (VoIP broadband phone service)
• LG VX4500 wireless phone with speech recognition technology

Awards & Recognition

• Energy Star Award for Corporate Commitment
• Disability Rights Advocates’ 2004 Eagle Award
• American Association of People with Disabilities’ 2003 Justice for All Award
• Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves 2003 “Homefront” Award
• National Society of Black Engineers 2004 Golden Torch Award for Corporate Community Service
• National Coalition for Literacy 2004 Literacy Leadership Award
• Verizon Wireless named 2004 Workplace Model of Excellence by Leading National Maternal and Child Health Coalition

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Ethics and Governance
• Service and Innovation
• Empowering Employees
• Promoting Community Growth
• Protecting the Environment
• Partnering with Communities

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced CO2 emissions by over 115,000 metric tons in 2005 through energy conservation efforts; Recycled over 98,000 tons of material, including over 35,000 tons of paper and cardboard; Purchased more than 177,000 tons of recycled content products worth more than $83 million.

Social Achievements

• Launched partnerships to provide affordable internet access to low-income communities; Created more than 8,100 new jobs related to fiber network deployment; Supported literacy programs with $13.6 million in contributions; Collected more than 850,000 used cell phones through HopeLine program, donating proceeds to support victims of domestic violence.

Governance Achievements

• Revised Verizon’s Code of Business Conduct to make it shorter, simpler, and more user-friendly; Strengthened processes to verify customers’ identity; Created a Corporate Responsibility and Workplace Culture Council to foster a culture that delivers sustainable shareholder and stakeholder value.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Increasing healthcare costs (over 30% cumulative increase in the last four years); Growing energy use due to increased network capacity; Managing environmental impact of operating a large global business.

Mitigation Strategies

• Implemented various energy efficiency programs, including micro turbines, Hypalon roofing, and fuel cells; Implemented waste minimization and recycling programs; Developed comprehensive environmental and safety policy; Engaged in national efforts to improve healthcare quality and care.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier diversity program; Purchasing of recycled content products; Collaboration with suppliers to develop hardware and software for network deployment.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products and services

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• FiOS Internet Service and FiOS TV

Awards & Recognition

• U.S. EPA WasteWise Very Large Business Partner of the Year; Montgomery County, MD Recycling Awareness Week Award; Westchester County Recycling Awards; American Business Award for Corporate Social Responsibility; Quills Corporate Literacy Award; Numerous other awards for diversity initiatives and employee programs.

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Ethics and Governance
• Service and Innovation
• Empowering Employees
• Promoting Community Growth
• Protecting the Environment
• Partnering with Communities

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced greenhouse-gas emissions by 334,000 metric tons through energy conservation, waste prevention, and recycling efforts.
• Conserved more than 70,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases.
• Reduced electricity use by 24 million kilowatt hours and CO2 emissions by almost 18,000 metric tons by powering down obsolete equipment in more than 400 facilities.
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 44,000 metric tons through conservation programs at existing buildings and targeted programs at high-consumption facilities.
• Recycled more than 24,000 tons of paper and cardboard, 48,000 tons of telecommunications equipment, and 29 tons of batteries.
• Partnered with Enova Systems to create a hybrid van for FiOS technicians.

Social Achievements

• Launched the “Partnership for a Child-Safe Internet” to promote online safety for children.
• Verizon Foundation made a $150,000 grant to the Crimes Against Children Research Center.
• Provided free call-forwarding service to customers displaced by wildfires.
• Offered free telephone calls for Iraq-based U.S. Armed Forces personnel on major holidays.
• Donated prepaid calling cards to U.S. troops and their families.
• Launched V CAST Music and V CAST Mobile TV.
• Improved accessibility for customers with disabilities.
• Introduced a library of on-demand programming on FiOS TV.
• Created enhanced captioning on FiOS TV.
• Offered a Spanish-language online shopping experience and online account management tool.
• Provided priority service for national security and other officials.
• Supported the goals of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to increase the use of technology in healthcare.
• Merged Verizon Marco Polo and the Verizon Literacy Network into Thinkfinity.org.
• HopeLine program collected more than 900,000 cell phones, providing free phones and service to domestic violence victims and raising $1.27 million for the cause.

Governance Achievements

• Modified the Code of Conduct to reinforce customer privacy, prohibit gifts and entertainment, strengthen whistle-blower protection, and improve financial disclosures.
• Developed a training program called CR 360 to help managers consider Verizon values and stakeholder feedback in business decisions.
• Implemented majority voting for election of directors, election of a presiding director, and restrictions on the number of directorships held by board members and executives.
• Posted political contributions online along with guidelines for political giving.
• Enhanced and implemented a supplier code of conduct to promote ethical standards among suppliers worldwide.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Pretexting (fraudulent assumption of identity to gain access to calling records).
• Rising health-care costs.
• Shortage of skilled broadband technicians.
• Need to improve customer satisfaction with FiOS service.
• Need to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Mitigation Strategies

• Strengthened procedures for authenticating customer identity and notifying customers of account access.
• Introduced Verizon HealthZone, an online resource for health information.
• Established the Broadband Institute to train broadband technicians.
• Implemented new processes to reduce customer complaints and provide employees with necessary tools and knowledge.
• Implemented energy-saving initiatives, including powering down obsolete equipment, conservation programs, capital improvements, and trialing alternative energy sources (fuel cells, micro-turbines, biodiesel).

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Enhanced Supplier Code of Conduct
• Supplier diversity program

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Hybrid-electric service vans

Awards & Recognition

• WasteWise Very Large Business Partner of the Year
• Top 50 Companies for Diversity
• Health & Wellness Trailblazer
• Top Supporter of Historically Black Colleges
• America’s Most Shareholder-Friendly Companies
• One of the Best Places to Launch a Career

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Ethics and Governance
• Service and Innovation
• Empowering Employees
• Protecting the Environment
• Partnering with Communities

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced CO2 intensity from 66.5 metric tons of emissions per million dollars of revenue to 64.4 metric tons per million dollars of revenue.
• Reduced our fleet’s fuel consumption by 1 million gallons in 2008 by cutting vehicle idling.
• Applied energy efficiency measures in our buildings, reducing energy usage by 16.5 million kilowatts.
• Collected more than 1.1 million cell phones for refurbishing, donation and recycling.
• New telecom network equipment is now 20% more energy efficient.

Social Achievements

• Expanded outreach about domestic violence prevention by holding our third national summit, launching Safety Net training, and rolling out of SafeWork training.
• Boosted employee volunteer participation by 25% to 608,000 total hours.
• Awarded 51 grants tied to measurable improvements in literacy: grants used to train 2,552 teachers and instruct more than 15,000 students.
• Increased employee participation in on-site health and wellness initiatives by 19%.
• Doubled employees’ utilization of HealthZone in number of registrations, health risk assessments and set-up of personal health records.

Governance Achievements

• Listened to the views of leading SRI firms; delivered information on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) activities to Calvert Group, Dow Jones, Goldman Sachs Investment Research, and EIRIS.
• Conducted reputation survey; identified top reputation risks; integrated the information into our financial risk/audit process.
• Developed new “Guiding Principles for Content on Verizon Networks”.
• Adopted Verizon Human Rights Statement (May 2009).

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Concerns about the potential health effects of using cellular phones.
• Questions about related health and safety issues regarding wireless services and devices.
• Managing the environmental impact of wireless devices from manufacture and use through disposal.
• Helping people access the content they want, avoid the content they don’t want, and stay safe online.
• High energy costs associated with cooling telecommunications equipment.

Mitigation Strategies

• Implementing best practices and encouraging others to follow regarding wireless safety.
• Issuing new “Content Policy for Verizon Networks” covering TV, wireless and Internet services.
• Providing customers with parental controls for internet, cell phones and FiOS TV.
• Developing energy-consumption standards and a measurement process for new telecommunications equipment.
• Creating a Verizon-wide energy conservation/greenhouse gas emission strategy.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Invited 20 suppliers to join an audit to assess labor, ethics, health, safety and environmental activity.

Responsible Procurement

• Increased spending with diverse suppliers nearly 13% to $3.5 billion.
• New standards requiring broadband and video equipment suppliers to improve energy efficiency by 20%.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Not disclosed

Transition Risks

• Not disclosed

Opportunities

• Using broadband technology to address energy issues.

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: Null

Certifications: Null

Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Energy-efficient telecommunications equipment
• TelePresence service

Awards & Recognition

• NEA Foundation’s Inaugural Award for Philanthropy in Public Education
• Frost & Sullivan’s 2008 Green Excellence of the Year Award
• Energy Star Award
• Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award
• Best Workplaces for Commuters

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Ethics & Governance
• Partnering with Communities
• Empowering Employees
• Protecting the Environment
• Service & Innovation

Environmental Achievements

• Improved carbon-intensity efficiency year-over-year by 15% in 2011
• Increased the number of alternative-fuel vehicles in the fleet to more than 1,900 (5% of the fleet)
• Launched three “green” mobile devices and a lineup of “green” accessories
• Earned LEED certification for 32 Verizon buildings
• Converted more than 325,000 residential customer accounts to paper-free billing

Social Achievements

• Thinkfinity results: Increased traffic by 36% (4.6 million visits), attracting 22% more visitors (3.3 million total visitors). Established Thinkfinity Community social network, enrolling 14,500 members. Trained 42,100 educators, increasing the number of schools with a Thinkfinity-trained educator by 27% (1,732 schools). Expanded Thinkfinity after-school program to 25 new sites.
• Employees accounted for 733,806 volunteer hours, up 4.4% from 2009.
• Increased spending with diverse suppliers by 1.6% to approximately $3.8 billion.
• Launched the “VZWeb” portal, improving access to business strategy communications and commonly used resources.
• Administered a worldwide employee survey; 23 of the 30 survey items earned a favorability score of 70% or higher

Governance Achievements

• Updated the content of our privacy policy, providing additional information to consumers about Verizon’s advertising practices.
• Completed the rollout of the updated Code of Conduct. Trained all employees in the company on their responsibilities to manage our business ethically and lawfully.
• Achieved 100% participation from Verizon managers selected for compliance training.
• Received first-ever placement on the NASDAQ Sustainability Index

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Health care gaps for people of color and women
• Need to simplify processes and eliminate bureaucracy
• Unintended risks of broadband and mobile technologies (cyberbullying, data theft, distracted driving)
• Significant environmental footprint from global operations

Mitigation Strategies

• Targeted on-site preventive care and early detection initiatives in key locations with diverse employees
• Advanced legislative initiatives focusing on cost containment and accelerated deployment of health information technology
• Offered online safety tools for families and advanced encryption for businesses and government
• Implemented comprehensive plan to increase energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact, focusing on people, products, and processes

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Energy-efficient FiOS set-top boxes
• CITRUS carbon-free smartphone
• Green mobile devices (Samsung Intensity II, LG Cosmos Touch)
• Green accessories

Awards & Recognition

• Better Business Bureau’s International Torch Award for Marketplace Excellence
• Ranked among top 20 U.S. companies in Most Trusted Companies for Privacy
• Scholastic Administrator magazine’s Best in Tech website for professional development
• Anti-Defamation League’s Americanism Award
• CR magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens list
• LATINA Style Magazine’s Latina Style 50 list
• Training magazine’s Training Top 125
• Asian Business Association of Los Angeles’ Corporate Leadership Award
• Working Mother magazine’s 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers
• CIO 100 award
• InformationWeek magazine’s top 10 technology innovators
• Mexican American Bar Foundation’s Corporate Diversity Award
• National Business Group on Health’s Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles
• MBA Magazine’s Top 50 Companies for Diverse Managers
• DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity
• Clean Vehicle Education Foundation’s National Achievement Award
• Maplecroft Climate Innovation Index
• FTSE4Good Index, Ethibel Sustainability Index and Calvert Large Cap Value Fund
• Groundbreaker Award at the Clean Economy Summit
• Newsweek’s North American Green rankings and Global 100 list
• NASDAQ Global Sustainability Index
• Dow Jones Sustainability North American Index
• Top 12 Green IT Vendors by Computerworld
• Alliance for Workplace Excellence’s EcoLeadership Award

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Ethics and Governance
• Empowering Employees
• Community Impact
• Accessibility
• Digital Safety
• Education
• Energy Management
• Health Care
• Sustainability

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced carbon intensity by 17.45% in 2011
• Added 667 alternative-fuel vehicles to the fleet
• Saved more than 6 million gallons of fuel in 2011 (13% reduction)
• Saved the equivalent of 58,000 tons of carbon dioxide through energy-efficient FiOS TV set-top boxes
• Installed solar panels in Port Washington and Garden City, New York

Social Achievements

• Employees volunteered over 674,000 hours to more than 7,000 community organizations
• Verizon Foundation awarded $66 million in grants
• HopeLine collected over 1 million no-longer-used wireless phones
• HopeLine awarded $4.2 million in cash grants to domestic violence prevention programs
• Launched Be SAFE, a behavior-based safety initiative, resulting in a 20% decrease in OSHA recordable case rates

Governance Achievements

• Administered Conflict of Interest Questionnaire to leadership and Supply Chain Services
• Updated privacy policy to reflect new products, services, and uses of information
• Executive compensation tied to promoting supplier diversity

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Increasing awareness of Verizon's CR programs
• Improving communication about corporate responsibility
• Ensuring that Verizon's CR record stands out from competitors
• Addressing conflict minerals in the supply chain

Mitigation Strategies

• Engaging an independent research organization (PSB) to conduct stakeholder polls and provide recommendations
• Incorporating PSB's recommendations into corporate responsibility communications plans
• Working with suppliers and organizations to improve transparency of minerals supply chain
• Participating in the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA)

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• Requirements for increased energy efficiency of network equipment

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Motorola Citrus (carbon-free smartphone)
• ENERGY STAR®-certified FiOS TV set-top boxes

Awards & Recognition

• #1 ranking in telecommunications sector in Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies
• CR magazine's 100 Best Corporate Citizens
• G.I. Jobs Top 100 Military-Friendly Employers
• DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity
• Working Mother's 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers
• Training Magazine's Training Top 125
• Computerworld's Best Places to Work in IT
• Dow Jones Sustainability North American Index
• Newsweek's North American Green rankings
• FTSE4Good Index
• Ethibel EXCELLENCE Investment Register
• Calvert Large Cap Value Fund
• Maplecroft Climate Innovation Index
• New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Recycling Award
• Groundbreaker Award at the Clean Economy Summit

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Energy Management
• Healthcare
• Education
• Sustainability
• Community Impact
• Employee Empowerment
• Accessibility
• Online Safety

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced carbon intensity by 10% in 2012, bringing the cumulative reduction to more than 37% since 2009.
• Increased the data on its network by 50% while only increasing electricity usage by 2%.
• 100% of eligible retail stores received ENERGY STAR certification.
• 131 retail stores earned LEED status.

Social Achievements

• Launched mHealth platform (planned for 2013) to improve chronic disease management.
• Partnered with Children's Health Fund to equip mobile medical units with 4G LTE technology, improving access to care for disadvantaged children.
• Launched Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program, training over 100 teachers and reaching over 6,400 students.
• Verizon Innovative App Challenge received 471 entries from student teams.
• Expanded Thinkfinity community to over 64,000 members.
• Provided over $65 million in grants to domestic violence prevention organizations since 2000.
• Increased employee participation in Foundation social cause areas by 60%.

Governance Achievements

• Administered Code of Conduct training to all active employees.
• Administered Conflict of Interest Questionnaire to leadership team and Supply Chain Services organization.
• Extended diversity policy to cover gender identity and expression.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Market for alternative fuel vehicles did not develop as fast as anticipated.
• Need to improve access to healthcare services for underserved communities.

Mitigation Strategies

• Reset goal for alternative-fueled vehicles in its fleet, focusing on fuel-saving technologies in conventional vehicles.
• Developed a framework to measure the impact of its health partnerships on improving access for underserved communities.
• Established a strategy for reducing carbon emissions in its supply chain, surveying 229 suppliers.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 200 suppliers provided data on sustainability in their supply chain.

Responsible Procurement

• Set efficiency standards for network equipment purchased from suppliers.
• Established a strategy for reducing carbon emissions in its supply chain.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• mHealth platform
• NetworkFleet
• Verizon Universal Identity
• Smart Medical Alert Bracelets

Awards & Recognition

• Fortune magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies (No. 1 in telecommunications)
• CR magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens
• ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year (Verizon Wireless)
• Newsweek’s U.S. Green rankings
• Training magazine’s Training Top 125 (No. 1)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Education
• Healthcare
• Energy Management
• Sustainability
• Community Service
• Employee Experience
• Governance
• Product Responsibility
• Supply Chain

Environmental Achievements

• Installed 22MW of solar and fuel cell energy, eliminating 20,000 metric tons of CO2.
• Reduced carbon intensity by 40.03% over 2009 baseline by the end of 2013.
• Achieved a 37% device recycling rate by the end of 2014.
• Recycled 42.5 million pounds of Verizon Wireline assets.

Social Achievements

• Verizon Innovative Learning Schools (VILS) program improved student math test scores by an average of 6.97%.
• Launched Verizon Mobile Learning Academy, training 98 teachers and administrators.
• Verizon Innovative App Challenge resulted in 16 apps placed on Google Play and the App Store, with at least 22,900 downloads.
• Supported ConnectEd initiative with a pledge of up to $100 million.
• Improved appointment adherence rates in Miami Children's Health Fund programs to 77% from 40%.

Governance Achievements

• 100% of leadership team and Supply Chain Services organization completed the Conflict of Interest Questionnaire (COIQ).
• All Verizon-branded accessory packaging used materials from certified sustainably managed forests or had a minimum of 30% recycled content.
• Issued regular communications about key elements of the Code of Conduct.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• High cost of energy for low-income households.
• Need to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining economic growth.
• Addressing the digital divide in education.
• Managing chronic diseases in underserved populations.

Mitigation Strategies

• Smart Solutions for Affordable Housing program with Pecan Street Inc.
• Verizon Innovative Learning Schools (VILS) program.
• Telemedicine programs for managing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
• Text message programs for managing asthma, diabetes, and smoking cessation.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 35 JAC audits completed in 2014

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• EcoVadis supplier evaluations
• Joint Audit Cooperation (JAC) participation

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: Greenhouse Gas Protocol, U.S. EPA 2008 Climate Leaders Greenhouse Gas Reporting Protocol, The Climate Registry 2008 General Reporting Protocol

Certifications: LEED, ENERGY STAR

Third-party Assurance: Ernst & Young

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• VelaSense suite of applications

Awards & Recognition

• ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year
• Working Mother 100 Best Companies
• DiversityInc Top 50 Companies
• Diversity MBA Top Companies
• Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index
• Latina Style Top Companies

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Education
• Healthcare
• Domestic Violence Prevention
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Climate Change Mitigation
• Product Responsibility
• Supply Chain Sustainability
• Employee Experience
• Governance
• Human Rights

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced carbon intensity by roughly 40 percent since 2009 through data center improvements, copper-to-fiber migrations, and green energy investments.
• Installed 6,780 new economizers, bringing the total in use to 17,387 units, reducing electrical consumption by an estimated 112 million kilowatt-hours and CO₂e emissions by 77,000 metric tons.
• Recycled 98,360,751 pounds of combined batteries, paper, cardboard, telecommunications equipment and other items.
• Recycled 40.7 million pounds of Verizon e-waste in 2015.

Social Achievements

• Expanded Verizon Innovative Learning Schools (VILS) program to 13 more middle schools, providing tablets and internet access to nearly 9,000 students and teachers.
• Launched Minority Male Makers program to help young minority men succeed in STEM fields.
• Launched programs using mobile technology to improve health outcomes for patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic conditions.
• Collected nearly 700,000 mobile phones through the HopeLine Program and donated nearly $7 million in cash grants to nonprofits supporting domestic violence prevention initiatives.

Governance Achievements

• 100% of the active leadership team and Supply Chain Services organization completed Conflict of Interest Questionnaires.
• All active employees completed updated Code of Conduct training.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Growing network requires increasing energy consumption, posing a challenge to carbon emission reduction goals.
• Meeting stakeholder expectations regarding environmental and social responsibility.
• Ensuring supply chain sustainability and ethical practices.
• Balancing work-life demands for employees.

Mitigation Strategies

• Investing in energy-efficient technologies and green energy sources.
• Implementing robust ethics and compliance programs.
• Conducting environmental assessments and audits of suppliers.
• Offering flexible work arrangements and employee wellness programs.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 61 JAC audits completed in 2015; 77% of mobile device accessory suppliers assessed.

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• Environmental assessments
• EcoVadis platform for supplier sustainability measurement
• Conflict minerals policy

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI G4 Guidelines

Third-party Assurance: Ernst & Young (for 2014 Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions)

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Energy-efficient set-top boxes
• Products with Underwriters Laboratory Environment (ULE) certification

Awards & Recognition

• ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence
• Working Mother 100 Best Companies
• DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity
• Military Times Best for Vets: Employers
• G.I. Jobs Top 25 Military-Friendly Companies

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Shared Success
• Product Responsibility
• Environment
• The V Team
• Supply Chain
• Governance

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced carbon intensity by 54% through the first quarter of 2016 (vs. 2009 baseline), exceeding the 50% goal by 2020.
• Added 24MW of green energy to operations.
• Recycled 28.8 million pounds of Verizon materials in 2016, surpassing the goal to recycle 90 million pounds by year-end 2016.
• 4% reduction in operational water use by year-end 2015 (vs. 2014 baseline).

Social Achievements

• Verizon Innovative Learning reached more than 200,000 students in 2016.
• HopeLine collected 573,445 phones and donated $8 million in cash grants to nonprofits working to prevent domestic violence.
• Employees served 242,540 volunteer hours and donated $9.4 million to schools and nonprofits.
• Invested $237 million in learning and development for employees; employees completed 24 million hours of training.

Governance Achievements

• Maintained a comprehensive ethics and compliance program, including ongoing educational communications, mandatory training, and readily accessible tools.
• Completed 69 JAC supplier audits in 2016.
• Purchased $4.85 billion in goods and services from diverse suppliers in 2016.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Preparing students for jobs in a 21st-century digital economy.
• Addressing domestic violence.
• Minimizing environmental impact.
• Ensuring equal access to products and services for customers in rural areas and those with disabilities.
• Managing risks associated with technology use.

Mitigation Strategies

• Verizon Innovative Learning initiative.
• HopeLine program.
• Investments in green energy, building improvements, and changes in fleet operations.
• LTE in Rural America program.
• Comprehensive ethics and compliance program, including training and readily accessible resources.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 69 audits in 2016

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI G4 Guidelines

Third-party Assurance: Ernst & Young (2015 Scope 1, 2, 3 emissions, carbon intensity, and water consumption)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17

Many of Verizon’s programs and solutions are contributing to the SDGs.

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Privacy, data security & freedom of expression
• Technology solutions to social issues
• Community investment
• Employees
• Climate change
• Corporate governance
• Supply chain standards
• Appropriate use of digital technology
• Content standards & user controls

Environmental Achievements

• Solutions enabled the avoidance of a minimum of 7.7 million metric tons of CO2e emissions.
• Reduced the amount of printed materials for customer orders by 49 percent, avoiding approximately 354 tons of paper.
• Recycled approximately 77 million pounds of telecommunications equipment, batteries, paper, cardboard and other items.
• Exceeded goal with 70 percent of sourced paper including at least 10 percent post-consumer waste content.
• Reduced PUE to 1.28 in 2017 at Colorado Springs data center.
• Installed 5,654 new economizers, reducing electrical consumption by an estimated 214 million kilowatt hours and CO2e by 148,000 metric tons.

Social Achievements

• Launched a documentary and a national movement to spotlight the digital divide.
• Almost 128,000 students participated in Verizon Innovative Learning initiative.
• Nearly 1,400 V Teamers served as STEM mentors.
• Donated $75 million to disaster recovery and community projects.
• 181,262 volunteer hours by Verizon employees in support of nonprofits.
• $8,596,675 donated by Verizon employees to schools and nonprofits.
• $9,210,117 donated through Verizon’s Matching Gifts program.
• Collected 579,605 phones and converted them into resources to support survivors of domestic violence.
• Gave $7.6 million in cash grants to nonprofits that support domestic violence prevention.

Governance Achievements

• Published Pay Equity Commitment to identify and promote best practices in compensation, hiring, promotion and career development.
• Removed questions seeking current or past salary information from employment applications.
• Maintained a comprehensive ethics and compliance program built on Verizon Code of Conduct.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• Reducing water consumption
• Managing waste
• Ensuring supplier compliance with CSR standards
• Addressing the digital divide
• Supporting disaster recovery
• Maintaining data privacy and security
• Promoting diversity and inclusion

Mitigation Strategies

• Implementing energy efficiency initiatives in data centers and facilities.
• Setting conservation goals and implementing processes to reduce water consumption.
• Implementing recycling programs for e-waste and other materials.
• Using a third-party platform (EcoVadis) to assess supplier corporate responsibility performance.
• Delivering free technology, access, and innovative learning programs to under-resourced schools.
• Donating to disaster relief efforts and providing volunteer support.
• Providing clear and transparent communication about data collection and use.
• Investing in diversity and inclusion initiatives, including mentorship programs and unconscious bias training.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 366 on-site supplier audits completed since 2010 (89 in 2017)

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI

Third-party Assurance: Ernst & Young (for 2016 Scope 1, 2, 3 emissions and water consumption)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 4 (Quality Education)
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

Verizon's technology and resources contribute to SDG 4 by providing under-resourced youth with relevant skills, and to SDG 8 by decoupling economic growth from emissions and promoting resource efficiency.

Awards & Recognition

• 100% score, Disability Equality Index
• 100% rating in the 2018 Corporate Equality Index
• Top Companies for Executive Women
• Maximum rating from Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR)
• Black Enterprise Top 50 Companies for Diversity

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate Change
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Community Investment
• STEM Education
• Supplier Responsibility
• Governance
• Privacy
• Data Security

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced carbon intensity by 28% against 2016 baseline
• Exceeded goal of 50% of sourced paper including 10% post-consumer waste content (achieved 65%)
• Reduced shipping carbon intensity by 15% compared to 2017
• Avoided 8.2 million metric tons of CO2e emissions through customer solutions

Social Achievements

• Verizon Innovative Learning program impacted nearly 1.7 million students since 2012
• More than 200,000 volunteer hours donated by V Teamers
• Donated more than $4.6 million to disaster recovery
• Hired 1,122 veterans
• Expanded required leadership training on unconscious bias

Governance Achievements

• Established Verizon Responsible Business Council
• Launched Business & Human Rights Program
• Maintained a 100% score on the Disability Equality Index and a 100% rating in the Corporate Equality Index

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Reducing carbon intensity further to meet 50% reduction goal by 2025
• Addressing the digital divide
• Ensuring supplier compliance with CSR standards
• Managing environmental risks and improving record-keeping

Mitigation Strategies

• Investing in renewable energy (goal of 50% renewable energy by 2025)
• Implementing energy efficiency initiatives in facilities and logistics
• Using third-party platforms (EcoVadis, Avetta) to assess supplier performance
• Improving reporting and corrective actions for environmental compliance

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 448 key suppliers invited to EcoVadis platform; 2,500+ contractors screened by Avetta; 116 on-site audits by JAC in 2018

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• EcoVadis and Avetta assessments
• Conflict Minerals Statement

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Opportunities

• 5G and Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies for energy efficiency and emissions reduction

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, CDP

Certifications: ISO 14001 (in some markets), OHSAS 18001:2007

Third-party Assurance: Ernst & Young

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 4 (Quality Education)
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
• SDG 13 (Climate Action)

Verizon's technology and initiatives contribute to these goals through STEM education, job creation, and climate action initiatives.

Awards & Recognition

• CDP Leadership scoring band
• ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence
• Numerous diversity and inclusion awards

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Governance
• Environment
• Social
• Community

Environmental Achievements

• Achieved a 46% reduction in the carbon intensity of operations against a 2016 baseline in 2018.
• Launched a $1 billion green bond, the first issued by a U.S. telecommunications company.
• Recycled more than 84.8 million pounds of telecommunications equipment, metal, batteries, paper, cardboard and other items in 2019.
• Exceeded goal with 54% of sourced paper including at least 10% post-consumer waste content in 2019.
• Planted 936,351 trees in 2019, including 51,717 in hurricane-impacted areas.
• Achieved an 11% reduction in water usage between 2016-2018.

Social Achievements

• 100% pay equity in salary for women and men globally and in the U.S. with respect to race/ethnicity.
• Launched the third year of the adfellows program, expanding to 34 new adfellows and 17 partners.
• Hired 922 veterans in 2019.
• V Teamers completed more than 3.5 million hours of training in 2019.
• Invested $215.9 million in learning and development initiatives for employees in 2019.

Governance Achievements

• Created a new Chief ESG Officer role and cross-functional team in Q4 2019.
• Integrated Ethics Office with Verizon Compliance organization in 2019.
• Updated Code of Conduct in 2019.
• Women comprised 30% of the Board, and African-American and Hispanic individuals comprised 40% for the 2019-2020 term.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Climate change and its impact on network resilience and operations.
• Robocalls and spam calls.
• Data privacy and security concerns.
• Accessibility challenges for some customers.
• Ensuring responsible supply chain practices.

Mitigation Strategies

• Investing in network infrastructure resilience and renewable energy.
• Providing customers with robocall blocking tools and advocating for industry-wide solutions.
• Implementing strong data privacy and security policies and controls.
• Continuously testing and improving the accessibility of products and services.
• Using third-party assessment tools (EcoVadis, Avetta) to evaluate supplier performance and address weaknesses.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 124 audits completed in 2019 (JAC)

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• EcoVadis assessment tool
• Avetta assessment tool
• Joint Audit Cooperation (JAC) membership

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events
• Natural disasters

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes
• Market shifts

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products and services
• Investment in renewable energy

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, SASB, TCFD, UNGC

Certifications: ISO 14001 (some markets), OHSAS 18001 (some markets), ENERGY STAR, LEED

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 4: Quality education
• SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy
• SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
• SDG 13: Climate action
• SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions

Verizon's initiatives align with these SDGs through programs like Verizon Innovative Learning, investments in renewable energy, carbon abatement efforts, network resilience initiatives, and commitment to ethical business practices.

Awards & Recognition

• ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year (7 consecutive years)
• ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence
• Awards for work with veterans (Best for Vets, Military Friendly™)

Environmental Metrics

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Rise in ransomware attacks (almost 13% increase in 2021)
• Supply chain breaches (responsible for 62% of system intrusion incidents)
• Misconfigured cloud storage (contributing to errors)
• Human element in breaches (82% of breaches involved human error)

Mitigation Strategies

• Recommendations for blocking common ransomware routes (credentials, phishing, exploiting vulnerabilities, botnets)
• Emphasis on improving security awareness programs
• Recommendations for improving password protection
• Recommendations for patching vulnerabilities and improving remediation speed
• Recommendations for improving security behaviors and design

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: VERIS

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate change
• Data protection & privacy
• Digital inclusion
• Diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI)
• Network reliability & resilience
• Talent attraction & retention

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced scope 1 and 2 emissions by 6.3% in 2020 over a 2019 baseline
• Reused or recycled approximately 35.5 million pounds of e-waste in 2021
• Entered into 20 long-term VPPAs for approximately 2.6 GW of anticipated renewable energy capacity
• Verizon solutions enabled the avoidance of over 16 million metric tons of CO2e in 2021

Social Achievements

• Achieved 100% pay equity in salary for women and men globally in 2021
• Achieved 100% pay equity in salary with respect to race/ethnicity in the U.S. in 2021
• Spent $5.5 billion in goods and services with diverse suppliers over the 12 months ended November 30, 2021
• Employee volunteer hours exceeded 1.07 million since 2019

Governance Achievements

• Board of Directors includes four women and five racially or ethnically diverse directors (as of December 31, 2021)
• ESG considerations are integrated into strategic and operational decision-making
• Robust compliance program overseen by the Audit Committee

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Lack of EV models suitable for commercial operations
• Addressing the digital divide (access, affordability, adoption)
• Cybersecurity threats

Mitigation Strategies

• Collaborating with manufacturers to spur the manufacture of special-use-case commercial EVs
• Investing in programs to provide technology-focused career training to underserved individuals
• Implementing a comprehensive information security program aligned with NIST Cybersecurity Framework

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 530 key suppliers assessed through EcoVadis (since 2013); 88 audits completed in 2021 through JAC

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• EcoVadis assessments
• Joint Audit Cooperation (JAC) participation

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes, market shifts

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products and services

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: SASB, GRI, TCFD

Certifications: ISO 14001, ISO 45001

Third-party Assurance: Independent limited assurance obtained for select ESG data, including emissions profile

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 4
• Goal 7
• Goal 8
• Goal 13
• Goal 15

Verizon's initiatives contribute to these goals through digital skills training, renewable energy adoption, support for small businesses, climate change mitigation, and tree planting.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Fios router made with post-consumer recycled plastic resin

Awards & Recognition

• ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence (9 consecutive years)
• Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality

Environmental Metrics

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Growth of exploitation of vulnerabilities as a critical path to breaches (180% increase from the previous year), fueled by zero-day exploits like MOVEit.
• Rise in ransomware and extortion breaches (32% of all breaches), with pure extortion attacks increasing to 9%.
• Increased third-party breaches (15%, a 68% increase), largely due to zero-day exploits.
• Growth of breaches involving errors (28%), potentially due to increased data visibility.

Mitigation Strategies

• Revised human element metric to exclude malicious privilege misuse for clearer security awareness training impact.
• Introduction of a new third-party metric to track supply chain interconnection influence.
• Emphasis on selecting vendors with better security track records.
• Recommendations for organizations to prioritize patching of vulnerabilities, especially those in the CISA KEV catalog.
• Advocating for secure-by-design software development and holding software vendors accountable for security outcomes.

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: VERIS

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate change
• Cybersecurity and data privacy
• Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)
• Network resilience
• Regulatory engagement
• Supply chain management
• Digital inclusion
• Employee health and safety
• Labor practices
• Product end-of-life management
• Talent attraction and retention
• Responsible AI

Environmental Achievements

• 23.3% reduction in scopes 1 and 2 emissions and 15.1% reduction in scope 3 emissions (2019-2022)
• ~3.6 GW of anticipated renewable energy under contract as of February 2024
• $6 billion in green bonds issued as of February 2024
• 20+ million trees planted since 2009
• 16% reduction in water usage from 2019 to 2022
• Recycled or reused nearly 79 million pounds of materials, including e-waste, in 2023

Social Achievements

• 100% pay equity in salary for women and men globally and with respect to race/ethnicity in the U.S.
• $173.8 million invested in learning and development initiatives for employees
• 60.3% of U.S.-based workforce composed of women and minorities
• $2.6 billion invested in healthcare benefits and services
• 2.1+ million hours volunteered since 2019
• 7+ million youths provided with digital skills training since 2012
• 45,000+ individuals prepared for jobs of the future since 2019
• 273,000+ small businesses provided with resources to thrive in the digital economy since 2021

Governance Achievements

• 728 key suppliers assessed through EcoVadis since 2013
• $54.3 billion spent with diverse suppliers over the past 10 years
• 100% of employees trained on our Code of Conduct
• Released a set of Responsible AI Principles to guide enterprise-wide efforts to leverage new AI technologies

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Lack of electric vehicle (EV) models suitable for commercial operations
• Accelerating decarbonization throughout our value chain
• Managing climate-related risks and opportunities for our business and our customers
• Managing ESG risks throughout our supply chain, including human rights, labor and environmental issues

Mitigation Strategies

• Multifaceted approach to reducing fleet emissions (hybrid drive systems, electric battery system for generators, optimized vehicle dispatching)
• Strategic supplier engagement and product life cycle management
• Strategic building decarbonization program
• Leveraging CDP’s global disclosure platform to drive emissions reduction in value chain
• Industry collaboration (Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative, Joint Alliance for CSR, MIT Climate & Sustainability Consortium)
• Product life cycle management (teardown lab, life cycle assessment calculator, Circular Supply Chain team)

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 728 key suppliers assessed through EcoVadis since 2013, 150 audits completed in 2023 through JAC

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct
• Sales Agent Standards of Conduct
• Conflict minerals due diligence framework

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather
• Flooding
• Wildfire
• High straight-line wind
• Tornadoes
• Rising sea levels

Transition Risks

• Market and policy changes resulting from the transition to a low-carbon economy
• Climate-related regulation

Opportunities

• Maximizing energy efficiency
• Transitioning to renewable energy
• Developing solutions to help customers transition to a low-carbon economy
• Upgrading and hardening infrastructure

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: SASB, GRI, TCFD, UNGC

Certifications: ISO 14001, ISO 45001

Third-party Assurance: Independent assurance obtained annually for emissions profile and select ESG indicators

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 4
• Goal 7
• Goal 8
• Goal 13
• Goal 15

Initiatives contributing to these goals are described in the report

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Smart building and smart transport solutions
• 5G Home Internet

Awards & Recognition

• ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year (11th consecutive year), Sustained Excellence designation