Empowering sustainability through collaboration
At ArcBest, sustainability isn’t just about policies or procedures; it’s about orienting the entire organization around responsible business practices and positive change. Steering these efforts is a collaborative team that goes beyond traditional Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) functions. Through a cross-departmental approach, we’re listening, measuring, reporting and making impactful changes on our sustainability journey.
Figuring out what matters most
So many factors contribute to good stewardship, and our sustainability initiatives are grounded in the needs of our employees and customers. Knowing that you’re working for and with a responsible company matters, which is why we listen, learn and evolve based on their insights.
Customers tell us what’s most important when requesting information about our sustainability efforts and metrics. We understand that as our customers set sustainability goals, they are looking for logistics partners who are equally committed to driving positive change in the supply chain. That's why we prioritize transparency and accountability in analysis and reporting and are committed to making a measurable difference on our sustainability journey.
By listening to our customers, we’ve learned that their top concerns are reducing our carbon footprint and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in meaningful ways. Part of the job of the sustainability team is finding ways to measure, record, report and improve on these efforts through an annual sustainability report.
Our people are at the heart of our success, so their feedback also drives sustainability initiatives. We take their input through focus groups and surveys and make changes across the organization. One example of listening in action is the creation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and related panel discussions. Employees expressed the need for inclusivity and community, and by participating in ERGs and panels, employees can build relationships across the company, learn about other cultures and groups and develop leadership skills.
See another example of our employees in action by reading about ArcBest Imagine 2022.
Making changes inside and outside of the company
Based on the feedback from our stakeholders, a cross-departmental team comes together to solve sustainability challenges inside and outside the organization.
Focusing on our people and our communities
The Corporate Social Responsibility Team takes the reins on matters that directly influence our employees and the communities where we live and serve, such as diversity, philanthropy and safety. This team collaborates with organizational leaders and helps guide involvement from various departments across our corporate campuses and service centers, leading our community giving and volunteer programs and groups like the DEI Task Force to execute initiatives that help us grow our people and positively impact the areas where we live and work.
Focusing on the environment, collaboration and communication
The ESG Program Manager guides our environmental sustainability roadmap and overall reporting and communication on our efforts to stakeholders. Through the strategy and coordination of our broader ESG program, we collaborate with customers to help them reach their sustainability goals, drive environmental awareness and conservation/emissions reduction efforts across our organization.
The ESG Program Manager also ensures we’re aligned with the latest reporting and disclosure frameworks to clearly communicate our progress. Because it’s such a broad undertaking, this work requires a group effort.
A committee of representatives from departments like operations, human resources, finance, and sales provides a comprehensive perspective in planning corporate responsibility initiatives for the ESG program. Our Board of Directors' Corporate Governance Committee and executive sponsors oversee these practices, ensuring our sustainability commitment is strategic and aligned with goals.
Making a positive impact extends to the entire company
Our dedicated ESG and CSR teams drive our commitment to sustainability, but it is all our employees who provide everyday logistics solutions that support our customers and keep the global supply chain moving.
Sustainability is woven into every aspect of our company, from the corporate facilities team choosing environmentally friendly vendors to our sales and customer experience teams incorporating it into our deep customer relationships. Our goal is to do business as a force for good and to make sure that every interaction you have with us contributes to positive change.
