In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the intersection of environmental sustainability and technology is more critical than ever. A recent survey by Gartner^® highlights this shift: “64 percent of CEOs said they view environmental sustainability as a growth opportunity.”¹ I believe this perspective is further bolstered by the inclusion of sustainable technology in the Gartner Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2024 ² report, which, in my opinion, signals a clear readiness among executives to weave sustainability into the fabric of their organizations.

The role of IT in achieving sustainability goals

As organizations across all industries aim to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and achieve carbon neutrality, IT leaders are finding themselves at the forefront of this transformative journey. Digital transformation initiatives that focused on accelerating business outcomes are now being realigned to incorporate sustainability goals, enhancing organizational resilience and setting a foundation for sustainable growth.

Around the globe, governments are steering the shift towards sustainability through a mix of initiatives, including the implementation of carbon taxes, voluntary schemes, and rigorous regulations. This shift is further accelerated by the expanding mandate for detailed corporate sustainability disclosures.

The evolving regulatory framework, highlighted by new directives from entities like the European Union and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is significantly influencing corporate strategies. In particular, the SEC’s pending revision of its climate-related disclosure rules introduces heightened levels of transparency, compelling organizations to meticulously report their direct (scope 1) and indirect (scope 2) GHG emissions in relevant operational areas.

The challenges ahead

Despite the clear mandate, IT leaders face several challenges integrating sustainability into their strategies. These include a scarcity of expertise in sustainable IT implementation, complexities associated with hybrid cloud environments, inefficiencies across IT lifecycles, controlling the energy demands of advanced language models in generative AI, and coordinating myriad supplier relationships.

As the surge in the Internet of Things (IoT) devices and advancements in generative AI exert unprecedented stress on data centers across the globe, research from McKinsey & Company shows that the connected devices that employees use every day—laptops, tablets, smartphones, and printers—generate 1.5 to 2 times more carbon globally than data centers.

And those devices are expected to reach 55.7 billion by 2025. While the sheer volume alone demands a critical examination of the environmental impact of technology, a Capgemini report highlights the current disconnect in the perceived responsibility. It found that a staggering 89 percent of companies recycle less than 10 percent of their IT hardware, and globally, only 43 percent of executives are aware of their organization’s IT footprint.

Tackling these issues requires a comprehensive strategy that includes concrete actions to address environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, energy consumption, and sustainable practices, alongside organization-wide adherence to regulations. With the growing demand for computing resources to support evolving technologies like generative artificial intelligence (AI), the environmental footprint of technological advancements can no longer be overlooked.

While generative AI is credited with improving process efficiency, it also has some GHG concerns of its own. A recent joint study by Hugging Face AI and Carnegie Mellon found a stark difference in the energy usage of generative AI for imagery and text. MIT Technology Review explains it this way, “Generating 1,000 images with a powerful AI model … is responsible for roughly as much carbon dioxide as driving … 4.1 miles in an average gasoline-powered car. [The] least carbon-intensive text generation model … was responsible for as much CO₂ as driving 0.0006 miles in a similar vehicle.” And yet, PwC’s 2023 Emerging Tech Survey found that just 22 percent of business leaders were concerned about sustainability impact when citing issues with deploying generative AI.

A call to action for IT leaders

IT leaders play a key role in advancing sustainability within their organizations. While there’s a gap between aspirations and realization, this presents a unique opportunity rather than a barrier.

SustainableIT.org highlights that many IT organizations have yet to fully embrace ESG mandates, frequently due to implementation hurdles and the absence of standardized carbon footprint evaluation frameworks. However, this scenario offers IT leaders a chance to step up, utilizing their distinct skills and connections to spearhead meaningful sustainable transformation.

Through such proactive leadership, IT departments can transform from being seen as part of the problem to becoming an integral part of the solution, driving forward not only the sustainability agenda but also reinforcing an organization’s commitment to social responsibility and ethical governance. In doing so, IT leaders contribute to the global effort to combat climate change while also enhancing their organization’s reputation, attracting and retaining talent, and potentially realizing significant cost savings through more efficient resource use.

Five steps towards sustainable IT

• Define clear sustainability targets: Start by setting specific, measurable, and ambitious sustainability goals that align with broader standards. Identify critical areas for improvement and commit to ongoing progress in reducing your IT footprint.
• Engage with suppliers for sustainability: Work closely with your suppliers to ensure they adopt environmentally responsible practices and materials. This collaborative approach amplifies your sustainability impact and encourages a shift towards greener industry practices.
• Leverage technology for efficiency: Use automation and other technological innovations to streamline operations, reducing energy use and waste. Optimizing processes and embracing cloud solutions can also help significantly reduce your energy consumption.
• Advocate for sustainable policies: Actively support policies and regulations that encourage sustainability in the tech industry. Engage in dialogues, participate in forums, and advocate for green practices to help shape a more sustainable regulatory environment.
• Cultivate a culture of sustainability: Educate and inspire your team to adopt sustainable practices. Offer training, encourage innovative ideas for sustainability, and recognize efforts to meet your environmental goals, fostering a workplace that values green initiatives.

BMC: Our sustainable IT journey

At BMC, we’re on a path towards sustainability, aiming to become a net-zero enterprise by 2030. Through a holistic approach that addresses emission inefficiencies across the business, BMC is advancing its own sustainability agenda and empowering our customers to do the same. By offering expertise in sustainable transformation, operational efficiency solutions, and visibility into workload optimization, BMC is at the forefront of driving sustainable change in the IT sector and beyond.

Conclusion

For IT leaders, the call to action is clear: sustainability must be integrated into the heart of IT strategy and operations. By setting clear goals, adopting green practices, collaborating with suppliers, optimizing operations, and advocating for supportive policies, IT leaders can drive their organizations towards a more sustainable and prosperous future. The path forward requires a collective effort and a transformative approach, but the rewards are immense—for the planet, for people, and for prosperity.

¹Gartner Podcast, Why All Executives Should Focus on Sustainable Technology to Drive Growth, October 17, 2023. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

² Gartner Article, Gartner Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2024, Ava McCartney, October 16, 2023.

During the month of March, we celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. “Inspire inclusion” is the International Women’s Day theme for 2024, and in honor of that, we surveyed members of the BMC Women in Technology and Business (WiT&B) employee resource group (ERG) about inclusion and mentorship. Establishing ERGs is a powerful way to foster open discussions and promote inclusion by creating safe spaces for employees to have open, authentic conversations, and the WiT&B ERG has had a significant impact on its members.

For Brianna Steensen, who manages the BMC Champion Academy sales training organization, it’s been integral to building a stronger and broader network. “I’ve made great connections with female leaders and have been able to tap their time and expertise for my program,” she shares. She also appreciates the support that comes with that, specifically, “seeing female leaders like myself being supported and promoted by others in the organization. Recognition for hard work goes a long way, even if it’s on a call or in an email.”

Gina Fevrier, a senior program manager in the Beta program at BMC, highlights communication as key ingredient of inclusion. “Inclusion, for me, means being listened to and being asked for my input during meetings. It’s about being invited to meetings, including lunch and extracurricular activities, and not feeling left out due to my gender,” she explains. “It’s being given opportunities to lead and participate in special projects. It’s being asked for my feedback on team, organizational, and corporate initiatives.”

Fevrier also appreciates the inclusion that the WiT&B ERG affords her as a remote worker. “I’ve liked our live webinars with internal and external speakers, like Carla Harris, who talk about their real-life experiences in their careers,” she says.

“I loved our book club, where a smaller group of us met on a monthly basis to talk about the books’ themes and how they relate to our lives. These smaller, non-recorded groups are really helpful to people like me who work from home and miss out on the “water cooler” and lunch conversations in the office. I like being kept up to date on women’s work issues and opportunities.”

Deepak Chopra, a senior manager of product development at BMC, says the ERG has helped broaden his understanding and awareness about issues related to inclusion, and where he can help foster discussions. “Inclusion is including anyone and everyone in [the] mainstream, everywhere, which can be home, community, workplace, etc. There is no reason not to follow inclusion,” he shares.

“I started becoming more vigilant towards inclusivity and making sure I remain supportive and help in this area. [Through the ERG I have] learned lots of best practices, which I am implementing in my day-to-day life.”

ERGs give their members a safe space for genuine dialogue, and Rebecca Beatty, a senior solution engineer at BMC, says that’s the very definition of inclusion for her. “Inclusion in the workplace means that I get to show up to work as my authentic self and be comfortable with it,” she explains. “[I have a] community of coworkers who I know I can reach out to for mentoring or advice, as well as [gain] access to information and meet new people.”

Sheila Mullen, a global strategic account manager at BMC, shares that inclusivity spans everything from elevating your presence where key business decisions are made to sharing and learning from diverse views, including, “celebrating our differences and actively learning about people who are different from you.”

She adds that the ERG helped her grow personally and professionally. “No matter what is going on in my world, every time I join a WiT&B call, I am energized, inspired, and in awe of the talented women at BMC. I leave the call knowing anything is possible,” she says. “Participating has allowed me to advocate for myself, be a sphere of influence in my piece of BMC, and positively support the promotion of women in the workplace.”

Rosie Huth, a global alliances manager at BMC, says inclusion is about “collaboration and mutual respect for your professional counterparts.” “No one has to prove why they should have a seat at the table because we are already here together,” she shares. “[With the ERG], I have built a community with professionals that span region, departments, and roles, which, by default, helps to foster a rich sense of inclusion across traditional silos.”

Each of the members also shared how mentorship relationships have been instrumental for them. “I have an incredible mentor at BMC! She is someone who listens, gives great advice, and continuously advocates for me,” says Steensen. “We’ve had crucial conversations about career trajectory and paths, which have helped shaped my own professional goals.”

Fevrier has had a mentor for two and a half years and been a mentor for two years, and both have been enriching experiences. “My mentor has helped me affirm my value at this time of my career where I’ve had some self-doubts, and she helped me rebuild my self-confidence. She has helped me with networking across the company, which has led to new opportunities at BMC that match my skills and interests,” she explains.

“As a mentor, I’ve been there to listen and provide career guidance. My mentee knows that she has a safe place to talk about her concerns. There have even been moments of reverse mentoring, which I’ve really appreciated. My mentee has been someone I could rely on for confidential discussions about any work issues and career advice.”

Chopra is also on both sides of mentoring, explaining. “I am mentoring individuals for their personal and professional growth, including their career and helping them in their day to day life.”

Beatty benefitted from mentoring earlier in her career, sharing. “[Years ago], I had the opportunity to complete a leadership training academy at a previous employer and be mentored by my then manager, who was also the only female leader in my organization.”

Mullen is both a mentor and mentee and she loves it. “I have mentored several women. I love to see them grow and progress in their careers. I have been mentored and supported by some amazing professionals in my career. Each one added to my professional toolbox. I am the woman I am today because of each of their gifts. I am truly fortunate and grateful,” she says.

“[As a mentee], I learned that I did not want to be a leader or manager, in a see-try-learn way, where I found out that my strong skillset and what motivated the best version of me was in the weeds working with customers versus leading a team of people who do that. I feel very fortune to have a supportive mentor willing to grow with me and help me figure out which direction I wanted to go, even if it wasn’t the same path they were on.”

Huth has enjoyed being a mentor, particularly for women transitioning into the tech sector. “I have had the absolute pleasure of mentoring professionals at BMC [to whom] I can transfer my knowledge, insights, and experiences,” she explains. “Especially where they have come from non-tech backgrounds or veterans. It has been a joy to help them recognize they have a fresh perspective to business discussions and the industry because it’s not all they have known. They don’t have to unlearn anything and their resiliency to adapt is what is most valuable.”

If you’re looking for ways to expand inclusion across your business, and build employee resource groups, check out our DEI blog series on these topics and more, and to learn more about International Women’s Day, visit www.internationalwomensday.com.

BMC is committed to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices that create a more sustainable future. We are guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and believe that our business success is intrinsically linked to the well-being of our planet and people.

We have a long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability, and we take concrete steps to reduce our environmental impact. We are also actively engaged with several organizations that promote environmental responsibility, including:

• EcoVadis: We are proud to participate in EcoVadis’ annual sustainability assessment, consistently achieving a gold rating.
• Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP): For the past three years, we have participated in the CDP’s annual climate change disclosures, demonstrating our transparency and commitment to measuring and reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi): We submitted our 2023 GHG reduction goals for validation by SBTi, with the aim of exceeding their GHG reduction mandate of 50 percent by 2030.
• ISO 14001 certification: We maintain ISO 14001 certification, an internationally recognized standard for environmental management systems. This certification demonstrates our commitment to continuously improving our environmental performance and reducing our impact on the planet.

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we are actively working towards achieving certification in two additional ISO standards, ISO 45001 to manage occupation health and safety risks, and ISO 50001, which will ensure our current energy management system aligns with the ISO global standard for energy consumption, carbon footprint reduction, and overall energy efficiency.

BMC is on track to achieving our net-zero target by 2030 and continues to demonstrate that commitment through partnerships with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Reforest’Action, One Tree Planted, GreenThumb, Vashundara, Seabin Project, Ocean Conservancy Project, and TeamSeas.

You can read more about our commitments to ESG and environmental sustainability in the 2023 BMC Corporate Citizenship and ESG Impact Report.

The holiday season brings with it a spirit of joy, gratitude, and generosity. In the corporate world, this festive atmosphere provides an opportunity for organizations to embrace corporate citizenship, recognizing the importance of giving back to communities in need. Here at BMC, we strive to think globally and act locally, serving the communities where we live and work around the world. Our annual “Season of Giving” program embodies this ethos, extending warm holiday wishes to our clients and making a meaningful impact by funding 100,000 meals worldwide through the GlobalGiving platform.

Corporate citizenship encapsulates the idea that businesses have a responsibility to contribute positively to society. In the current landscape, consumers and employees increasingly favor companies with a strong sense of social responsibility.

While the Season of Giving showcases our commitment to philanthropy and encourages a culture of compassion within our organization, it is also intricately woven into the fabric of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 global goals serve as a blueprint for a better and more sustainable future, addressing a wide range of challenges from poverty and hunger to climate action and equality.

The foremost goal we contribute to is SDG 2: Zero Hunger. By funding 100,000 meals through GlobalGiving, an online platform connecting donors with grassroots projects around the world, we are providing meals to those in need and addressing hunger and food insecurity, an issue that affects 1.3 billion individuals, on a global scale. The Season of Giving directly supports the aim of achieving food security and improved nutrition and contributes to the broader agenda of sustainable development.

Our commitment also aligns with SDG 1: No Poverty, as we recognize the integral link between hunger and poverty. By addressing immediate nutritional needs, we contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty and creating pathways to economic empowerment for individuals and communities.

Our corporate citizenship initiatives also touch upon other SDGs, such as SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, by promoting access to nutritious meals; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, by supporting initiatives that create employment opportunities in the food supply chain; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, by collaborating with organizations like GlobalGiving to amplify our impact.

The importance of giving back as an organization also fosters a sense of purpose and unity among employees, instilling pride in being part of a company that prioritizes social impact. While engaging in philanthropic endeavors does help strengthen the corporate brand, more importantly, it also creates a positive work environment, attracting and retaining talent that appreciate a sense of community and shared values, and it’s an investment in our collective future.

As organizations, we have a unique opportunity to channel the collective goodwill of the season into initiatives that address pressing societal issues. In addition to the Season of Giving program, BMC employees give back in other ways during the holidays—volunteering their time, donating to local charities, and organizing workplace giving campaigns. We also encourage our employees to give back by signing up to be virtual literacy tutors for Joy Education Foundation, and our multilingual employees to become humanitarian aid worker translators on the Tarjimly App. On a one-to-one level, we promote sending a text or card of gratitude to someone who has made a difference in their life or day.

Corporate citizenship is a commitment to making a positive impact on the world. We hope that our Season of Giving exemplifies this commitment by aligning holiday greetings with honoring our clients and providing meals to those in need. As businesses, let us recognize the importance of giving back, not only during the holidays but throughout the year, ensuring that our corporate success contributes to the well-being of the global community we serve.

Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the United Nations (UN) Women HeForShe Summit in New York, accompanied by BMC Chief Financial Officer Marc Rothman. At the Summit, UN Women unveiled the powerful theme of #RespectfullyDisruptive, calling for a collective disruption of global inequalities. This theme emphasizes the urgent need to challenge the status quo and chart a new course toward gender equality, with men as active partners in this journey.

The significance of male allies like Marc in propelling gender equality forward cannot be overstated. In a world grappling with complex challenges, their involvement is crucial. As Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, puts it, “We must challenge the portrayal of toxic masculinity and promote positive male role models who champion gender equality.”

The power of respectful disruption

Respectful disruption translates into tangible actions that contribute to transforming gender equality into a reality. These actions include active allyship, concrete commitments to advance gender balance, intensifying efforts towards gender parity, standing up against biased attitudes and behaviors, countering gender discrimination, implementing Women’s Empowerment Principles, closing the gender pay gap, advocating for more women in leadership positions, and designing workplace policies that foster equality and inclusion.

Targets of respectful disruption

The call for respectful disruption addresses critical fronts that include:

• Gender social norms: These norms perpetuate biases against gender, hindering individual progress and potential.
• Struggle: Harmful models of masculinity oversimplify the image of men, restricting their ability to embrace their full range of emotions and roles.
• Gender pay gap: The persistence of unequal pay for work of equal value perpetuates economic disparities.
• Violence against women: Violence remains a pervasive issue, affecting the lives of countless women globally.
• Active allyship: Taking proactive steps to bolster gender equality initiatives.

Why gender parity and female leadership matter

While women are making inroads into corporate leadership, there’s still much to do. According to McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2023 study, “Since 2015, the number of women in the C-suite has increased from 17 to 28 percent, and the representation of women at the vice president and senior vice president levels has also improved significantly,” but “women—and especially women of color—have remained underrepresented across the corporate pipeline.”

Organizations that prioritize gender parity and female leadership consistently outperform their competitors. Studies show that diverse teams lead to higher innovation, increased profitability, and improved decision-making. Women Count 2022, a UK study of Financial Times Stock Exchange companies by The Pipeline, a diversity consultancy, revealed that corporations that have over 25 percent of women on their executive committees realized a profit margin of 16 percent—more than 10 times higher than those without any female board members. The study suggests that those in the latter category could be forfeiting billions of dollars of revenue with that exclusion.

UN Women HeForShe is championing thriving communities

Research from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reinforces the notion that when women thrive, communities thrive. According to their findings, gender equality is associated with improved economic performance, enhanced competitiveness, and increased social progress. Beyond economic indicators, thriving communities benefit from greater innovation, resilience, and overall well-being when women are actively engaged and empowered.

The UN Women HeForShe movement, through its commitment to respectful disruption, actively supports the IMF theory that when women thrive, communities flourish. By engaging over three million supporters worldwide, UN Women HeForShe channels resources and advocacy toward programs that uplift and empower women while concurrently mentoring men. These initiatives, funded by UN Women HeForShe, span various sectors, including education, healthcare, economic empowerment, and leadership development. Through targeted investments, the organization drives tangible progress towards creating thriving communities across the globe.

BMC’s commitment to HeForShe

BMC recognizes its critical role in influencing gender equality, especially in the tech sector, and is focused on creating inclusive workplaces where women thrive, without diminishing the role of men. Throughout the year, BMC supports UN Women HeForShe initiatives such as policy advisement, employee training, volunteering, awareness, and our annual Global Move event in October.

During Global Move, BMC uses its influence to fundraise and drive awareness for UN Women HeForShe by encouraging its entire workforce and ecosystem to move, walk, run, or roll for 132 minutes. That time is intentional, driving awareness that throughout the world, gender parity will take 132 years to achieve unless we all work together toward progress, and that equality is achievable through taking action. BMC’s support for UN Women HeForShe seeks to elevate the visibility of women, empower allies of gender equality, inspire women to pursue their goals, celebrate their achievements, and inclusively support those who identify as women in their careers.

Join the movement

We invite you to join us on October 21 for Global Move 2023 as we strive to help eliminate bias and create a more equitable world for women in the workforce and beyond. Every action matters, and together, we can be agents of positive change, respectfully disrupting the norms that perpetuate gender inequality. By doing so, we not only advance the cause of gender equality but also foster a more inclusive, innovative, and prosperous world for all.

 #CSR

September 15^th through October 15^th is the annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which recognizes and honors the LatinE community’s contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive histories. At BMC, many of our LatinE employees are members of the LatinE employee resource group (ERG), one of 10 ERGs at BMC. For Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked members what the month means to them and how their heritage has informed their experiences.

For Fernando Guerrero, Legal Counsel for Mexico and North LATAM at BMC, it has been crucial to identify himself as a Latino. “I have fallen in love with LATAM after realizing all the countries, all the people with whom I can form bonds based on that,” he shares. “[It’s also important to] understand and appreciate the differences between those of us who were born and live in LATAM and those who were born elsewhere but have Latin ancestry. The experience is not the same.”

He adds that finding the BMC LatinE ERG was extremely beneficial. “I live the Hispanic Heritage experience 24/7, and it´s an honor to show it to the company I work for. This group helped me fall in love with BMC. I joined the company in the middle of the pandemic and my manager left two months after she hired me, so I started socializing with people from all over the world through this ERG,” he explains. “It was my balance in the storm, when there was no other way to meet people.”

Jennifer Drai, an IS&T Senior Project Manager at BMC, credits her Hispanic heritage for helping her define her personal and professional identity. “I [have a] deep appreciation for family moments and bonds, the love of community and support, and the hard-working spirit and passion that defines us,” she says.

“To better appreciate the Hispanic culture, it is important for our future generations to learn about the history behind every country, their contributions to the world, and all the struggles they’ve experienced and continue to [face] in order to remain the independent and prosperous nations that they are today.”

“Hispanic/LatinE cultures have, and continue to provide, a myriad of positive contributions to our world from our Mayan, Inca, and Aztec ancestors to our latest heroes, artists, engineers, and influencers that continue to make positive impacts worldwide. BMC’s LatinE ERG has made me feel like there is a little piece of home and family at work. Every time I get to chat and connect with our fellow members, it feels like we already know each other.”

Eric Olmo, Senior VP of People and Spaces at BMC, has a personal experience as an immigrant, arriving in the United States at the age of four. “This has gifted me with the ability to observe being an American from a broader point of view and has made me proud to identify as both an American and a member of the LatinE community. Through my background, I have developed a sense of affinity [for] and understanding of those who have also immigrated to the United States,” he explains.

Olmo says his mother was integral to helping him retain his heritage. “She was very intentional in making sure that I did not lose my native language and tie to the motherland,” he says. “The benefits of being bilingual are invaluable cognitively, as well as providing that central connection to [my] cultural heritage. It also helps me stay connected with my culture and with my family abroad. Maintaining a lifetime strong bond with family is very important to me.”

Natalie Díaz Paldanius, a Communications Consultant at BMC, was raised in the United States and spent her childhood summers visiting Mexico. ”I am very proud of my Mexican background. I am lucky that I grew up going to Mexico almost every summer to reconnect with family members and explore the different regions of a place that means so much to me,” she explains.

“Like many other cultures, the LatinE culture is a genuinely selfless and warm community to all. They always put others first. We are all about connection and supporting one another, whether we have known you for years or just met you yesterday, which is something I’ll never take for granted.”

“From my passion for building relationships, to my strong work ethic, every aspect of my personality has to do with the culture I was raised in. I believe it is important to be intentional about learning about all cultures, but most especially the culture that you identify with. There is so much richness and depth that the LatinE culture has to offer.”

“It is also important to know about the struggles the LatinE cultures have overcome or still face today. With this knowledge, you can become an informed advocate for your community and help make positive change for future generations through small and big actions.”

We hope you’ll join BMC in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month as we support these global organizations.

• LGBTI Social Alliance of Antioquia is a youth, social, and community-based organization that promotes actions and develops strategies aimed at the recognition of diversity as a common heritage of humanity.
• AFESU in Brazil promotes human dignity through the citizen, educational, and professional formation of socially vulnerable women from childhood to adulthood.
• Gerando Falcões is an organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children, young people, leaders, and favela residents through education and access to work and technologies in Brazil.
• Tarjimly is a crowdsourced translation app staffed by volunteer translators. Our blog post on the organization is here.
• Nutre a un Nino is a non-profit working with poor rural communities in Mexico to foster social, economic, and environmental development in favor of child nutrition.
• HeForShe is a global non-profit mobilizing for gender equality.

The month of July is designated as Plastic Free July, which is a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation to see a world free of plastic waste. That means it’s a fantastic time to consciously focus on being an ally to the environment. But what does that mean exactly?

It takes different shapes and forms, from individual awareness and behavior change to major initiatives, technological interventions, organizational support, and community outreach. One action that’s close to my heart is how Seabin™ is working to positively reduce the impact of plastic waste in water, which is aligned to BMC’s sustainability practices based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

It Starts With Me

As a leader at BMC, and also as a member of my coastal community, I am an ally to the environment through my local volunteerism doing clean ups at my beloved beach in Portugal where I grew up, my personal practices, and my work as a sustainability advocate in the company. During my clean-up work, it’s always astounding to me how many pieces of litter and debris we collect. Even further, it’s alarming how much that amount has increased over time.

That’s why I have changed my behavior to be more conscientious about my personal contributions to plastic and other waste. For example, I avoid purchasing many individual-use products such as wipes and sandwich bags. Instead, I find ways to use materials that are reusable, such as cloths for cleaning or wax paper wraps for packing food.

Additionally, as much as possible, I limit my use of bottled water by consistently carrying a refillable water container so that I can stay hydrated without creating waste. I also watch how often I order take-away food from restaurants, and I bring my own shopping bags to the grocery store. Lastly, I choose to invest in the things I need and will use regularly, making every effort to not overconsume—from only buying the food I need to prevent waste and spoilage to wearing my clothes and accessories longer. I also practice a minimalist aesthetic in my home.

At BMC, the Customer Success Organization that I lead partners with Seabin, an organization dedicated to understanding the human impact on our oceans and waterways and providing education and critical impact data through its technology. You can read more about our partnership in our previous blogs here.

BMC has committed to continuing our partnership with Seabin for two more years, and is already contributing to clean up efforts in Sydney Harbour, Australia and Marina Del Rey, California through the sponsorship of Seabin units that remove litter and debris from the water. As you can see in these first impact reports for Q1 of this year, the results of our two bins are compelling.

Educating Through Data

In addition to capturing waste in marinas and ports, the data yielded from Seabin’s collections support research and behavior change. Seabin compiles an annual report on the impact its bins have had on Sydney Harbour and shares out that data to create awareness around the need to reduce single-use plastic and improve other marine related behaviors. From 2020 to 2022, the bins have filtered 15 billion liters of water and collected more than 100 tons of litter. Every day, 1,101 soft plastic items are captured in Sydney, at an approximate rate of one plastic item every six seconds.

The data also shows how regulatory changes can have a positive impact. In June 2022, a state law was passed in Sydney to ban businesses from giving out lightweight plastic bags. Since the ban, Seabin has measured a 70 percent reduction in plastic shopping bags collected by the 34 Seabin units installed around Sydney Harbour. With more data like this, Seabin can demonstrate the impact of community action.

Seabin also uses the data to determine how debris may have ended up in the water, i.e., from deliberate littering, being blown out of bins by the wind, or garbage falling out of overfilled receptacles, which helps educate the public on how their behavior can make a difference. This awareness can also be used to advise corporations on the merits of designing better, more sustainable, and even biodegradable packaging for consumer goods like candy bar and potato chip wrappers that make up a significant portion of waste captured by Seabin units.

As you can see, there are many ways to be an ally to the environment. I’m proud to work for an organization like BMC that is taking action to help the environment and giving me the opportunity to raise awareness and support Seabin’s mission for cleaner oceans and waterways.

If you’d like to learn more about Seabin, sign up to receive the monthly newsletter.

As a native Texan, Juneteenth holds profound significance in my life. It represents more than just a historical event and a celebration of freedom; it embodies the resilience and the triumphs of African Americans who came before me.

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln declaring that “all persons held as slaves … are, and henceforward shall be free.” However, for more than two years, it was defied and unenforced and African Americans remained enslaved in Texas. On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all slaves were meant to be freed.

For me, Juneteenth is a time to reflect on both the injustices and the triumphs of those who came before me. I give honor to Ms. Opal Lee, who worked for decades to make Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday and to ensure that this part of our history is not forgotten.

In 2021, June 19 was designated a federal holiday in the U.S. to commemorate Juneteenth. I am so proud that my employer, BMC, recognizes the importance of Juneteenth. The company demonstrates its commitment to acknowledging and celebrating this historic event by giving all U.S. employees the day off work so we can reflect and continue to educate ourselves about Juneteenth.

Moreover, ongoing support from BMC for the Juneteenth Legacy Project in Galveston, Texas, exemplifies its commitment to preserving and honoring the history and heritage of Juneteenth. This year, BMC will donate $5,000 to the Juneteenth Legacy Project and 40 computers to the Nia Cultural Center in Galveston, Texas. The company will also join forces with parent company KKR to sponsor a virtual discussion on the documentary The Powerbroker: Whitney Young’s Fight for Civil Rights, which is streaming now on Tubi.

I hope that Juneteenth continues to create opportunities for celebration, education, and conversation. Together, we can all do the work to create a culture and a society that values our history and recognizes the impact that historical events like Juneteenth have on the lives of African Americans today and to continue to pursue an equitable society for generations to come.

Pride Month gives organizations an opportunity to amplify their LGBTQ+ initiatives and authentically demonstrate their ongoing and daily support for their employees, customers, and broader community. I am the captain of the Pride employee resource group (ERG) at BMC, which has members spanning at least 20 of the 38 countries where we do business. I believe ERGs are a powerful way for companies to walk the talk of fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce.

This is my tenth year at BMC, and in that time, we’ve had tremendous progress in our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) awareness and initiatives. Where we are now is a big change from my early days. On my first day, I walked into the office as a very homophobic joke was being told. I’d just moved for the job, and I really did wonder what I had gotten into.

I was here a solid year before I told my fellow employees that I was gay, and I do not think I met another openly gay person for two or three years. It was hard to go into an environment where I felt I couldn’t be truthful about what I did on the weekend, or with whom.

Studies have shown that people who can’t be authentic at work don’t perform as productively. And companies lose out on the individuals who can’t be themselves. If you’re hiding who you are, and feel like you can’t be yourself, you’re not going to give what you can to work because you’re always using some of your brain power and some of your physical ability to mentally rein yourself in.

Changing for the better

It’s been amazing that in the years since that startling first day, I have seen the company transform. It’s been great for my confidence here at BMC to be my authentic and true self—and be recognized and accepted. I’m also thrilled that we went from being in the forties on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index to 95 on the last score. I’d love for us to get to 100.

Part of that growth has come from expanding the diversity of our workforce and beginning discussions with LGBTQ+ recruiters like myGwork, which was launched by a former BMC employee. BMC has also evolved and grown its benefit offerings to be more inclusive. I’m proud that I helped change the company’s family leave coverage language when my husband and I had our daughter.

While adoption, domestic partner, and same-sex spouse benefits were in place, the family leave policy only covered you if you or your spouse were having a baby or adopting a baby. There was no option for surrogacy. So when HR told me verbally that I was absolutely included, the way it was written meant I was left out. I brought it to their attention, and they rewrote the policy to more broadly to say that if you are in any way having a child, you are covered for family leave.

The Pride ERG

Our expanding DEI focus also helped facilitate the creation of 10 ERGs spanning a range of diverse groups. The BMC Pride ERG has become a safe space for LGBTQ+ employees, allies, and their families to come together outside of their day-to-day lives, and sometimes, even their personal environment, where they might not be able to be themselves.

In our ERG, everyone is welcome to share their joy or sadness and just know that there is a group that wants to listen and be helpful. One of our former BMC employees received so much support and encouragement from the group that they are starting their gender transition. This was not something they would have previously disclosed in public, much less at work, and they felt more comfortable sharing it with us first.

We’ve had allies come in who just joined because they want to learn how to be better people to the LGBTQ+ community. We’ve also had parents who represent their children in the community attend meetings for advice on how to do that. The group has grown to be one of my joys at the company. It’s one of the reasons that I continue to love what I do. I love to meet with all of our people every month and just have that little connection point, so we don’t feel alone.

Now, when an employee comes on board at BMC, they immediately learn about the ERGs and feel connected. It doesn’t take them two years to find a member of their community here. That’s an amazing thing. And while we hear a lot now about younger generation, first-time professionals looking for organizations that are more diverse and inclusive, our ERG has actually attracted middle-aged and mid-career workers who may have previously felt shut off but are now empowered to participate and be their true selves.

The ERG is also an important haven amid the sociopolitical changes impacting regions where some of our employees live and work. It’s a safety net, and I hope we can soon allow employees to participate anonymously in our ERG, if they so choose. I want more of those individuals who feel they can’t be themselves outside of BMC to at least feel they can be themselves inside of BMC.

Make a difference

People often think they don’t know anyone who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, but someone you know definitely is, whether in passing or in close connection. Think of them when you support the community, during Pride, and throughout the year as an ally and champion.

If you’d like more information about Pride activities and how you can be an ally, check out the Human Rights Campaign here in the U.S., and the Humsafar Trust, an organization in India that BMC partners with on LGBTQ+ initiatives. If you’d like to wear your Pride this June, check out our Pride ERG’s new publicly available t-shirt here. Wishing you and yours a Happy Pride!

When I joined BMC, I was excited to learn about the partnership we have with Seabin™ because the ocean has been a consistent part of my life since I was very young. From growing up in Lisbon, Portugal, to moving around the globe, and currently residing in Boston, MA, I have lived within a few miles of the beach for most of my life. I love the water and its diverse ecosystem of plants, animals, and sea life that never cease to fill me with awe.

Sadly, I’ve also observed the significant changes to the many shorelines and waterways that I had previously enjoyed because of the encroaching volumes of trash and other pollutants reducing the water quality and impacting the beauty of those areas. As someone who has participated in ocean clean ups since childhood, including efforts to preserve the beach in Lisbon where I have a home, I’m thrilled to celebrate World Oceans Day by sharing how BMC’s partnership with Seabin is having a positive impact on ocean health.

Year one impact

As part of our Smart City Unit Sponsorship of two Seabins in Sydney Harbor, Australia, from March 2022 through February 2023, our sponsored Seabin units have generated the following impact statistics:

• 491 million liters of water filtered
• 1,685 kgs² estimated total marine litter captured
• 81,124 estimated number of plastic items captured (all plastic items including microplastics)
• 44,362 estimated number of microplastics captured (only microplastics)

These results concretely demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and our adherence to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for building a better and more sustainable future. You can read more about all our activities to give back in our annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

From the start, BMC—especially our Professional Services group—wanted to find a tangible way to improve the health of our oceans and waterways. Our partnership with Seabin gives us the opportunity to directly help the environment through the organization’s technology, its Smart City programs, and the data reporting that displays the quantifiable evidence that we’re making a difference. Even further, the data shows that the Smart City program in Sydney has a Seabin capturing one plastic item per minute.

While it’s disappointing that the volume is so high, during the two years that the program has been active, every Seabin combined has filtered 13.57 billion liters of water, the equivalent of 5,429 Olympic swimming pools. All of the Seabins in the area have captured 100 tons of marine litter and an estimated 4,391,542 of plastic items. It’s very inspiring to be part of an impact that significant.

For our second year as a unit sponsor, we decided to broaden our reach.

Going global

As we received our quarterly impact reports and participated in last year’s World Oceans Day events with Seabin in Australia, we wanted to find a way to have more of a global impact. Through a presentation that Seabin did in July 2022 for our One Earth employee resource group (ERG), we learned that its next Smart City would debut in Los Angeles, CA, in October 2022. We met as a Customer Success leadership team last fall and decided we’d like to go global by expanding our partnership to Los Angeles to align to our reach as a company that serves 86 percent of the Forbes Global 50.

It gives me great pleasure to share that our Seabin went in the water in Los Angeles this March and is already contributing to the new Smart City program location. It has yielded an incredible capture rate in its first few months—filtering 1.009 billion liters and capturing 2.185 tons of marine litter, which includes an estimated 3,396,734 plastic items. Leveraging its own technology and data capture measurements, Seabin has determined that every four seconds, a Seabin in Marina Del Rey collects one plastic item. The data is compelling, and the hope is that it will lead to more mindful human practices around protecting oceans and waterways, from making smarter decisions on the disposal of purchased items to reconsidering purchases based on their impact on the environment.

Seabin CEO and co-founder Pete Ceglinski was recently interviewed on the various aspects of improving ocean health and said that by listening, you can do your part in learning about the various aspects of improving marine environments. He also discussed how Seabin is taking a data-driven approach to helping transform the world’s relationship with consumer goods and preserving the world around us.

This World Oceans Day

This World Oceans Day—June 8, I will be taking time to pay back the water environments that bring so much joy and peace to my life. BMC will be participating in Seabin’s outreach activities, both in-person and leveraging our social platforms and employees, to share the message that we must care for our oceans and waterways not only today, but always. Additionally, our BMC Cares employee volunteer program encourages our global workforce to get involved in cleaning up not just around water, but in all areas, because litter on land often ends up in the water if it is not disposed of properly.

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