Dell Technologies is announcing that it will complete or exceed over 75% of the goals outlined in its 2020 Legacy of Good plan ahead of schedule. These achievements demonstrate how the company has scaled sustainability, empowered people and established technology as an accelerator for positive customer and societal outcomes for years to come.
A roadmap for progress
The 2020 Legacy of Good plan set a strong foundation for Dell Technologies’ new 2030 social impact vision, Progress Made Real , which focuses in on three key areas: advancing sustainability, cultivating inclusion, and transforming lives with technology. Foundational to the vision is a commitment to upholding strong ethics and privacy. This new vision accelerates a path toward 2030 in an effort to begin tackling the greatest challenges facing Dell Technologies’ business and the world over the next decade. The company plans to release specific goals over the coming year and will continue to demonstrate transparent reporting practices.
Advancing Sustainability
Dell Technologies believes business plays a critical role in protecting and enriching our planet together with our customers, suppliers and communities. Looking toward 2030, the company will continue to accelerate the circular economy, reduce the impact of Dell’s operations, support customers’ efforts to reduce environmental impacts, and champion the many people who build our products.
- After a successful e-waste tracker pilot in partnership with Basel Action Network (BAN), Dell Technologies now makes global tracking technologies part of its existing electronics disposition partner audit program. The pilot program revealed some vulnerabilities in the downstream recycling process, which helped Dell Technologies to quickly take corrective action to address the operational gap.
- Dell recently launched a process to use recycled material, Polyvinyl Butyral (rPVB), from car windshields to create the protective, waterproof lining of Dell laptop bags and backpacks. The company is also using an innovative method of solution dyeing for these backpacks, which results in 90% less wastewater and 29% less energy, while generating 62% fewer CO2 emissions compared to typical piece-dyeing. The first bags and backpacks with rPVB began shipping in February and are forecasted to avoid approximately 74,000 pounds of landfill waste per month.
- Additionally, in partnership with suppliers Seagate and Teleplan (a storage device recycling/recovery specialist), Dell identified a new closed-loop process to recover the rare earth magnets from recovered enterprise equipment. The magnets are reformed for reuse in new hard-disk drives. In the initial pilot program, we are using the reformed magnets in 25,000 Seagate hard drives for our Dell Latitude 5000 series laptop. Reusing rare earth metals helps us avoid the need to mine the earth, which can cause environmental damage and health concerns for local communities.
Cultivating Inclusion
In the midst of a talent shortage, closing the diversity gap is critical to meeting future talent needs and for reflecting new perspectives of a global customer base. Dell Technologies is actively building on several non-traditional hiring program pilots to broaden the company’s talent pipeline. Pilots include:
- The neurodiversity hiring program provides training and possible full-time career opportunities for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In partnership with HMEA, The Arc of the Capital Area and Neurodiverisity in the Workplace, Dell Technologies’ program removes barriers that may limit an individual from showcasing their true abilities and potential during the typical job interview process. The pilot expanded from Massachusetts to Texas in April, 2019.
- Re-entry programs like Dell Career Restart offer a re-entry experience for individuals who have been out of the workforce for a year or more, and leverages their previous career experience in a supportive environment. The company launched pilots in the U.S. and India.
- Skilling and re-skilling programs include Dell Technologies’ partnership with Northeastern University’s Align Program, which enables students from diverse backgrounds to transition into a technology career through intensive coursework to earn a master’s degree in computer science. Project Immersion provides undergraduates at Minority Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges & Universities with skills for the digital future. Additionally, Dell Technologies’ distance education Laboratory for People with Disabilities (LE@D) online learning platform, teaches technology-based vocational skills to individuals with motor, hearing or other disabilities in Brazil.
Dell Technologies is also committed to addressing systemic challenges with diversity and inclusion. The company advocates for inclusive public policies and is a member of strategic coalitions like CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, and was also a founding member of the Reboot Representation Tech Coalition.
Transforming Lives with Technology
Harnessing the power of technology enables limitless possibilities for advancing human progress and solving complex societal challenges. Dell Technologies is committed to applying its portfolio and partnerships to create a future capable of fully realizing human potential.
- Dell Technologies continued to expand its solar learning labs to help bridge the educational gap in areas that lack access to consistent energy and technology in partnership with Computer Aid International. These labs are created by transforming shipping containers into classrooms with Dell Wyse Thin Client workstations managed by an air-cooled PowerEdge server for up to 20 students. With solar panels to generate electricity, the container can be deployed in remote locations. Dell Technologies has already funded 18 labs in six countries around the world. Microsoft has recently joined in this collaborative effort, awarding Computer Aid with a Technology for Social Impact grant to further provide technology access through the solar learning labs.
- To fight pediatric cancer, Dell Technologies’ donated $30 million dollars over 6 years to Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) through a partnership designed to use technology solutions and employee volunteerism. Through Dell’s technology, TGen increased computational hours by almost 4x, allowing researchers and doctors to identify treatments faster, by turning a patient’s vast DNA and RNA sequencing data into insights.
Upholding Ethics & Privacy
Ethics and privacy play a critical role in establishing a strong foundation for positive social impact. In this time of rapid innovation, big data, an evolving regulatory environment, and increasing expectations from both our team members and customers, our leadership in ethics and privacy is vital to what sets Dell Technologies apart. Our commitment to continually push to higher ethics and privacy standards will be a guidepost for Progress Made Real work.
