Sands ESG Report Utilizes Key Performance Metrics to Demonstrate Commitment to Responsible Citizenship
Sands’ Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report summarizes our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen through key performance metrics in the report’s namesake areas.
Measuring and reporting our ESG performance has helped drive results, supporting the management of our utility consumption, ensuring the disciplined execution of efficiency projects and compelling us to explore innovations to our resort operations. Along with the key metrics covered in the ESG Report, Sands is currently in the process of broadening our company disclosures to incorporate an even wider range of metrics.
Our areas of emphasis in environmental performance, all reflected in the report, include energy and climate change, water and waste. Compared with our 2015 baseline, we reduced our direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) emissions by 12.4 percent for resort operations, and 11.4 percent for ferry operations. In the area of water conservation, Sands reduced its water use per square foot by 3.2 percent from the 2015 baseline. And a 25-percent waste diversion rate was aided by new waste diversion programs instituted at our resorts, including recycling programs that help divert more than 27 different types of items from landfills – from recycling coffee grounds and used paper products to donating suite mattresses.
Our social commitment is centered around the key areas of People and Communities. In 2019, we demonstrated our commitment to communities through total global distribution of 200,988 pounds of food, a total of 115 company-led community events and 39,494 Team Member volunteer hours, along with countless more in-kind support. We also utilized our company resources to donate $6.8 million to local charities.
Governance is another important point of emphasis for the ESG report. As part of our commitment to fostering and maintaining an ethical work environment, we require all Team Members to complete training regarding our corporate Code of Conduct and Business Ethics, the importance of anti-corruption and how to prevent the crime of human trafficking at our properties. In 2019, 96 percent of Sands Team Members completed these trainings. Additionally, we conducted a total of 16,862 hours of responsible gaming training, with Sands currently having 327 specially trained Responsible Gaming Ambassadors ready to assist guests with questions or concerns.
Read the full report for more context behind these and other ESG metrics here.