Intel Continues Decade-Long CSR Reporting Run

Silicon Valley titan Intel has long pushed boundaries in technology and innovation, and the same goes for its efforts in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arena.  Last week the world’s largest semiconductor maker by revenue released its annual CSR report, a task it has completed faithfully since 2001.

This year’s report covers the issues Intel has faced through 2010, particularly in employee engagement, transparency, and supply chain management.  Intel has already accomplished much on the environmental front. Years ago, its offices went paperless before most of us could even wrap our heads around what a “paperless office” was.

Intel has pushed not only to improve its employees’ skill sets, but to encourage them to be constructive citizens outside of the office.  At a time when companies respond to a challenging economy by cutting employee training programs, Intel invested at least US$256 million in employee training last year.  As the saying goes, healthy employees are happy employees, so to that end, 56 percent of Intel’s workforce participated in a wellness program.  Once the left the office, Intel outside worked quite well, with almost half of its employees volunteered in their communities last year for a total of over 1 million hours.

As for its supply chain, Intel promises that 2011 will be a busy year.  The company aims to complete a minimum of 50 on-site, third party supplier audits; and conduct a minimum of 10 on-site smelter reviews; require its top suppliers to provide environmental data on carbon, water, and waste issues.  The semiconductor industry consumes vast sums of water, and droughts in Taiwan briefly left its capital markets jittery last month--hence Intel is wise to push its suppliers to be mindful of their water stewardship.

In the past few years, Intel’s stakeholders have requested increased disclosure about its political contributions.  The company responded by posting its policies on corporate political spending as well as guidelines for its senior management and board of directors.  Intel also explains its decision to remain a member of the US Chamber of Commerce despite that organization’s public statements on issues related to climate change.  Finally, Intel explains the structure of its 30-year-old political action committee (PAC).

Just as old and new media can work well together, so can old Silicon Valley and social media.  Intel has embraced social media as a channel through which to communicate to its stakeholders; join the #csr hash tag culture and its communications team is consistently tweeting away.  You can read the entire report or executive summary to learn more.

Leon Kaye is the Editor of GreenGoPost.com and contributes to The Guardian Sustainable Business; you can follow him on Twitter.