Waters unveiled its advancements in minimizing the environmental footprint and boosting long-term stakeholder advantages, emphasizing solid governance and proficient oversight within their 2024 report.
“Our commitment lies in delivering value to our shareholders while positively influencing the world,” stated Dr. Udit Batra, president and CEO of Waters Corporation. “We’re making commendable strides in lessening our environmental footprint, notably by boosting renewable energy acquisition and surpassing our greenhouse gas reduction target ahead of time.”
Adding to this, the Waters Student Academy has continued its efforts in advancing STEM education in underrepresented areas, paving the way for a more diverse future workforce. Robust governance is fundamental to our practices, and it’s an honor to be acknowledged as the 2024 Public Company Board of the Year by the National Association of Corporate Directors, New England Chapter,” Dr. Batra further added.
The updated report outlines the sustainability objectives launched in 2022. Environmentally, it aims to trim Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 36% using a 2016 benchmark, surpassing the intended 35% target considerably ahead of schedule. Waters achieved a 50% reduction in landfill waste from a 2019 baseline, meeting the 2025 aim in advance, paving the way toward zero landfill waste by 2030. It reduced water use intensity in its operations by 29% from a 2019 base through various infrastructure and manufacturing enhancements across its global sites. The corporation remains dedicated to instituting science-based emission reduction targets in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for a 1.5°C future.
Socially, the corporation improved candidate diversity in recruitment by 6% over the 2022 baseline, with 77% of candidate pools having diverse representation. The University Pathways Programme was introduced, supporting students’ education and career development prospects, thus creating a diversified talent acquisition channel.
In terms of Governance, Waters was honored as the 2024 Public Company Board of the Year by the National Association of Corporate Directors, New England Chapter. It nurtured robust Board engagement in enterprise risk management and continued aligning its reporting with industry standards, such as the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
Since 2023, Waters’ endeavours in environmental, social, and governance areas have been recognized with 14 awards, including Barron’s 2024 100 Most Sustainable Companies (US); My Green Lab Accountability, Consistency, and Transparency (ACT) Labels; Dow Jones Sustainability Index; Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index; Public Company Board of the Year by the National Association of Corporate Directors, New England Chapter; and US News & World Report – Best Companies to Work For 2023-2024.