Symantec Unveils First Corporate Responsibility Report

Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today released its first Corporate Responsibility Report, underscoring Symantec’s leadership in promoting sustainability for the software industry. The fiscal year 2008 report demonstrates the company’s commitment to focus its attention on critical environmental, social and governance issues. Included in the report is a full materiality analysis that defines good governance, online safety, privacy, customer satisfaction, the environment, and workforce issues as Symantec’s top corporate responsibility priorities.

“In today’s operating environment, corporate responsibility is a non-negotiable imperative for businesses,” said John W. Thompson, chairman and chief executive officer, Symantec. “Corporate responsibility is intertwined with Symantec’s overall strategy of securing and managing the world’s information. We are pleased to communicate our achievements to date and are working toward the goals we have set for fiscal year 2009 and beyond.”

Highlights of Symantec’s corporate responsibility performance include:

• Applied Symantec’s own green IT technology to enable data center consolidation—resulting in energy savings of more than 300,000 kWh/month
• Donated more than $16 million in cash and software to schools, nonprofit organizations and local communities
• Provided necessary tools to consumers, businesses and communities to take action against cyberattacks and cybercrime
• Launched a family online safety initiative
• Increased employee volunteerism by more than 230 percent from the previous year through a 25th Anniversary volunteer challenge
• Achieved LEED Gold Certification for new Culver City, Calif. campus
• Established an executive steering committee to champion global diversity and inclusion initiatives
• Adopted the Calvert Women’s Principles™, the first global code of corporate conduct focused exclusively on empowering, advancing and investing in women worldwide
• Appointed a chief privacy officer and formed a cross-functional privacy council
• Continued integration of the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact into company operations

“By sharing the progress Symantec is making toward operating more sustainably and responsibly, we are hoping to encourage other businesses to communicate and share their efforts,” said Cecily Joseph, director, Corporate Responsibility, Symantec. “We also hope to engage with our employees, customers, investors and broader society on the topics relevant to our business and industry so as to build a model for ongoing improvement.”

In addition to developing a more formalized system for tracking and reporting its focused corporate responsibility programs and efforts, Symantec will also spend time on several initiatives for fiscal year 2009 and beyond. One key area of emphasis in the company’s overall Corporate Responsibility program is Symantec’s environmental strategy. The environmental focus will be structured around four key areas that reflect Symantec’s most substantial environmental impacts: Green IT, resource conservation, responsible packaging and transportation. Additional initiative highlights for 2009 and beyond include:

• Reduce CO2 emissions by 15 percent by fiscal year 2012 from a fiscal year 2008 baseline (on a per square foot basis)
• Seek LEED certification for existing buildings and new construction on a worldwide basis
• Continue developing green IT products and services to help customers reduce energy use in their data centers and beyond
• Engage in global public policy activities around privacy and data protection legislation
• Develop and launch compliance and ethics training for senior executives

Symantec convened an external Advisory Council, consisting of industry leaders in ethics, philanthropy, environment, sustainability practice and responsible investment, to help guide and advise on the reporting process. Symantec used the Global Reporting Initiative G3 Guidelines and the United Nations Global Compact principles in developing the report.

Source: Symantec