Stakeholder Engagement
Learning From You
It is important that we understand the perceptions, concerns and priorities of everyone who touches our business. Stakeholder engagement enables us to listen, learn and exchange ideas on topics that impact our business and industry, as well as on global issues such as public health and sustainability. We also engage with industry trade associations and government agencies and representatives on policy, legislation, regulatory and related matters that have the greatest impact on our business. We may track less material issues but not focus our time and resources on stakeholder engagement for those topics.
In the immediate future (3-5 years), we will be focused on issues that align with our corporate responsibility strategy and commitments defined through five critical areas of our business:
Performance: Achieve financial success with transparency, strong governance and corporate responsibility embedded in our operations
Products: Deliver responsible products made responsibly
People: Promote diversity, opportunity and respectful treatment for everyone who touches our business
Planet: Shrink our environmental footprint while we grow our business
Purpose: Safeguard family well-being, every day
Our corporate responsibility strategy and pillars are based on an extensive review and assessment of all facets of our business, involving the following inputs:
- Materiality assessment to better understand and prioritize our corporate responsibility issues, including strengths and gaps, for the company and our stakeholders
- Global study to gain insights into the perspectives of a broad spectrum of external stakeholders regarding Clorox products, communications and business practices, as well as global trends and issues
- Third-party moderated interviews and surveys with Clorox employees and other stakeholders to understand their perspectives on our corporate responsibility programs and reporting
Based on our recent stakeholder engagement activities, our corporate responsibility commitments are focused on a number of topics and issues, including:
- Innovation (surface disinfection, natural products, sustainable improvement so products): Our business growth platforms are focused on products that provide solutions for public health, more natural/plant-based options and more sustainable products. We have a goal to make sustainability improvements to 25 percent of our product portfolio by 2013.
- Product responsibility (human and environmental safety, ingredient transparency): We are leaders in product ingredient transparency and have voluntarily disclosed active ingredients, as well as preservative and dyes and a palette of fragrance ingredients.
- Environmental sustainability (product and operational): We are working on developing bolder, longer-term goals related to our eco footprint.
- Public health (community and healthcare settings): We recently met with public health experts in Washington D.C. who provided input on focusing our social investment strategy on public health issues based on our expertise on developing disinfecting products. We are continuing to explore partnership opportunities in market where Clorox has operations.
Based on our business and corporate responsibility strategy, our priority stakeholders and approach for engagement are as follows:
- We inform our stockholders about our company strategy, financial performance and business growth objectives through quarterly conference calls, an annual meeting, our annual report and online.
- We conduct an annual employee engagement survey to help gauge how committed our employees are relative to prior years and benchmark companies. We also hold quarterly, global town halls to share company information and invite employees to ask questions and share their thoughts.
- We talk to consumers through in-home studies, focus groups and surveys to better understand how we can continue to deliver high-quality products that address their needs.
- We meet with nongovernment organizations on a variety of issues, including sustainability and product safety.
- We participate in a number of public health organizations because we believe our disinfecting capabilities can help make a positive difference in issues such as infection control.
- We make a positive impact on our communities through The Clorox Company Foundation's support of K-12 education and through employee volunteerism. We also provide financial aid and donate trash bags, bleach and other disinfecting products to help with clean-up efforts and sanitization needs in times of disaster. Learn more.
Clorox is also a member of organizations that are related to our business and priority issues, including:
- Public Health: Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc., Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, American Society for Healthcare and Environmental Services
- Industry: Consumer Specialty Products Association, American Cleaning Institute, Grocery Manufacturers Association
- Environmental Sustainability: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Leaders, Design for Environment and Waste Wise and Smart Way Shipper Programs; Sustainable Packaging Coalition; Natural Products Association
- Diversity/Inclusion: Executive Leadership Council, Hispanic Advisory Council, Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, National Minority Supplier Development Council
- Community: Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, Bay Area Corporate Volunteer Council, Entrepreneur's Foundation, Northern California Grantmakers
