Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting Manager Mike S. supports Republic Services’ Sustainability platform to make the world a better place today and for future generations. Mike has worked in the sustainability field for the past decade and holds the honor of being Republic’s first ESG Reporting Manager. ESG reporting is a growing interest for the Company’s investors and other stakeholders, who want to better understand our impacts.
Mike recently completed Arizona Forward’s Emerging Sustainability Leaders Program and graduated with a class of 22 outstanding individuals from a variety of business sectors with a shared commitment to advance sustainability in their organizations and the community. In the interview below, Mike talks about this great achievement, his role in advancing Republic’s sustainability goals, and more!
Mike, can you tell us what you do at Republic Services and how your role supports our sustainability goals?
I’m our Manager of ESG Reporting. ESG stands for Environmental, Social & Governance, and these topics were first grouped together by investors who want to understand how their investments (like Republic, as a publicly traded company) are performing on these topics. I oversee our ESG reporting, working directly with Republic’s subject matter experts to collect data to tell the world how we perform against our 2030 Sustainability Goals and much more, all of which you can find at RepublicServices.com/Sustainability.
Congratulations on completing Arizona Forward’s Emerging Sustainability Leaders Program! What topics did you explore and what was most exciting for you?
Thank you! The Emerging Sustainability Leaders program is a fantastic way to meet other current and aspiring sustainability professionals and to hear from business, government, and community leaders across the state. Some of my favorite topics we learned about were clean transportation and healthy communities. If you’re interested in sustainability and based in Arizona, I’m happy to discuss the program.
When an employee asks how they can contribute to our sustainability goals, what are your recommendations?
Safety is the first element of our sustainability platform, and we’ll only achieve our related goals if you and all of your coworkers are serious about safety every moment of every day. Another of our goals is related to our Employee Engagement score and everyone in the Company can contribute by coming to work as your best self, supporting your colleagues, and promoting an environment where you and those around you can enjoy coming to work.
What are you most proud of in your career and why?
I’m proud of being able to support so many different people who are experts in the broadest range of topics, coming together towards a common goal of making the world a better place.
What do you love most about working at Republic Services?
I love working for a company that embodies its tagline – Sustainability in Action. We recognize that our unique position in the marketplace allows us to make responsible decisions that are good for the environmental and society, while also being good for business.
