Hollywood isn’t the only industry with an award season. Sustainability rankings also are rolling in, and Williams again leads the energy industry with achievements worthy of a standing ovation.
Notably, Williams has been named for the fifth consecutive year to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI) and for the fourth consecutive year to DJSI World Index. Also, Williams received the top score in the 2024 Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) in the North America Oil & Gas Storage & Transportation industry and received upgraded scores from MSCI and Sustainalytics.
“These achievements reflect our industry-leading sustainable business practices, while meeting growing demand for clean, affordable and reliable energy. This recognition belongs to every person in our company who contributes daily to making their work safe, efficient, impactful and sustainable,” said Zach Keith, director of ESG for Williams.
Learn more in this Q&A with Keith.
What are sustainability rankings and why do they matter to Williams?
Sustainability ratings and rankings evaluate and compare organizations, institutions or countries based on their performance in areas related to environmental, social and governance criteria.
Environmental factors include air emissions, water protections and biodiversity, while social metrics encompass topics such as safety, employee engagement and development, and community investment. Governance involves broad-ranging topics like risk oversight, board makeup and structure, cybersecurity and supply chain management.
These rankings help measure how well entities are addressing sustainability challenges, managing risks and opportunities, and contributing to sustainable development goals.
For Williams, sustainability rankings enhance the company’s reputation and investor and customer confidence, showing stakeholders that our company is committed to responsible and sustainable business practices leading to reliable service and long-term value creation.
Can you detail a few ways Williams is putting sustainability into action?
Sure, there are many actions we are taking every day, but here are a few highlights. I also encourage you to read more in our latest Sustainability Report.
Williams has set and made great progress towards goals for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including a 30% reduction in carbon intensity by 2028 as the company grows, and an ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Additionally, we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and high-performing workplace and our 10 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are enabling meaningful employee engagement by spurring collaboration, fostering mentoring and through grass roots community activities across field and office geographies. Williams also has advanced several professional and technical development programs in recent years to help each employee reach their potential and pursue their career aspirations.
We are engaging stakeholders at every level in the communities in which we live and work. In 2024, we contributed $13.1 million to thousands of organizations across the United States, and employees volunteered at 92 nonprofits in 19 states during Williams Volunteer Week.
Also, we continue a strong focus on corporate governance by maintaining clear expectations for selecting an effective board, conducting robust shareholder communications and designing employee compensation programs that reward achieving impactful results in the right way and incentivize long-term shareholder value.
What are you most proud of?
As a company, we’ve worked diligently over the years to increase our scores relative to our previous performance as we become more transparent and expand our depth in sustainability knowledge and efforts. And we’ve made great strides to ensure the quality and accuracy of the data we’re reporting. Of course, we are also energized by the competition with our peers as we think about what it means for Williams to be the best in how we show up for our communities and customers.
Williams’ achievements could not have been reached without the efforts of our thousands of employees putting sustainability goals into action. From operational improvements to community engagement, the dedication and hard work of each and every person is integral to Williams’ success. I am most proud of the conversions and ideas that spring up daily around the business from people feeling ownership for our sustainability goals.