International Business Machines, a high-tech business organization specializing in IT services, including AI and quantum computing, and cloud storage was founded in 1911. It has had a high flying run, with a long period of time selling large, commercial magnetic tape computers from the 1950’s to about the 1980’s and the present to large corporations and governments at vast profits, nowadays has acquired Red Hat to enhance its cloud storage capability, using its AI computers Watson and the IBM debater to service many industries, notably medicine with Watson. They also do data analytics. When you read their 2018 sustainability report, you come away with the feeling that they have all the bases covered regarding sustainability, at that they are not only very sincere in their approach to it, they do it in such an excellent way as to win recognition by the Ethisphere Institute for as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies (IBM,2019). They take sustainability seriously, endeavoring to not only promote the environment, their employees and stakeholders, renewing and recycling energy with a low carbon footprint, they also take their corporate social responsibility to another level by stating that they are taking their highly innovative and caring high-tech attitude as a tool to enhance the whole of the world. That is a key role of a ‘sustainable’ corporation that is a corporate citizen, ideally, or in practice in IBM’s case to take the full weight of their multinational enterprise and throwing in the most humanitarian stance possible. Ultimately, this is an extension and natural next step after one has fully explored the options of low emissions footprint, conservation of energy, economical efficiency, healthful for general stakeholders including employees, and creating rewarding and fulfilling work for their employees.
In IBM’s 2018 sustainability report they outline how they have implemented these things, and gone above and beyond in this respect, keeping up with the forefront of sustainability and corporate social responsibility, as it is more increasingly practiced by many corporations toward their triple bottom line.
Using their technical prowess, IBM has cut their carbon dioxide emissions and met their goals for renewable energy as well (IBM,2019). They also say they enjoy raising the bar at the point of their success. Toward the environment they put their tech to work saving energy, preserving clean water, and helping agriculture get smarter. In 2018, IBM “procured 37.9% of the electricity across our operations from renewable sources (IBM, 2019, p.4).” IBM has made their employees lives more fulfilled and productive by their completion of 24.1 million hours of learning (IBM, 2019). IBM has progressed to recycle plastic with a project called VolCat, where they turn plastic bottles through this volatile catalyst process into pure material that can be used to manufacture new plastic products, eliminating the need for some petroleum-based feedstocks (IBM, 2019).
IBM has a corporate responsibility management system that does everything, including responsible stewardship, social impact, for government and supply chain as well. In the end of the sustainability report there are 3 full pages full of awards and recognition for IBM’s adherence to various sustainable, humanitarian agendas and programs. Though often maligned as technocratic and what is wrong with big business, in actual fact IBM is pulling its multinational weight as a corporate citizen that is truly sustainable.
References
IBM. (2019). IBM 2018 Corporate Responsibility Report. Retrieved from:
Marc Wolsky
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