CRO magazine recently named Motorola Inc. to its list of the "100 Best Corporate Citizens." The 2007 ranking marks the second year in a row that Motorola has earned the fourth spot on the list and the fourth time that Motorola has appeared in the top 10.
The annual ranking is based on the evaluation of more than 1,100 of the largest U.S. publicly traded companies in eight key categories: shareholders, community, governance, diversity, employees, environment, human rights and product.
"Corporate responsibility is inherent in everything we do - from our commitment to strong environmental, health and safety practices to our community support and efforts to foster a diverse and engaged workforce," said Maryann Clifford, corporate vice president, who leads Motorola's corporate responsibility efforts. "Being named as one of the country's top corporate citizens is a testament to the work of our employees around the world to uphold such strong standards that benefit both Motorola and our customers."
Analysis by KLD Research & Analytics to develop the ranking noted that Motorola is particularly effective in reporting on social, environmental and economic performance measures, and that the company has taken significant steps to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate contributions to global climate change and air pollution.
Recycling is another priority for the company. Motorola has developed a variety of reuse and recycling programs for mobile phones and accessories. The Race to Recycle program encourages U.S. K-12 students to collect used phones—Motorola or other brands—in exchange for a cash contribution to their schools.
The Motorola Foundation's global support for education-focused initiatives also was scored as a company strength in the list analysis. In 2006, Motorola and the Foundation's charitable giving increased to more than $21 million, with primary focus on math, science, technology and engineering educational programming for both teachers and students. Motorola also became a global partner of (RED), selling a range of phones from which a percentage of profits is donated to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa. The company also continues to promote economic activity in developing countries through greater access to mobile telecommunications.
"The 100 Best distinguish themselves from their peers at other large public companies by embracing higher standards—combining strong financial performance with responsible practices on environmental and social issues," said Michael Connor, publisher and editor of CRO magazine. "We salute the 100 Best for their leadership roles in the field of corporate responsibility."
Motorola has been recognized repeatedly for its corporate responsibility efforts. In addition to being named as one of the country's "100 Best Corporate Citizens," several rating agencies and indices recognized Motorola as a socially responsible investment in 2006. The company also was named one of Fortune magazine's Most Admired companies in 2006 and has received numerous awards for its employment, environment and supplier diversity initiatives.
The 100 Best Corporate Citizens list was developed by Business Ethics magazine, which was incorporated last year into The CRO, a premier membership organization for corporate responsibility officers. CRO magazine will publish the full list in its January-February 2007 issue. More details regarding the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list are available on the CRO Web site.
