Global Corporate Impact
At SAS, we believe our technology can transform the planet and our communities for the better. Our greatest impact comes from our commitment to innovation, ethical business practices, and the responsible development of technology that improves lives and businesses globally.
Local environmental efforts
SAS Ireland carefully chose its serviced office partner and location as we understand climate change impacts us all.
SAS and Iconic Offices are committed to minimizing energy use and emissions and to develop more approaches for sustainable working.
Joint initiatives in Dublin include:
- Close to public transport hubs
- Bicycle facilities
- Waste reduction, reuse and recycling
- Biophilic designed offices to connect with the natural environment around us
- Locally sourced, environmentally friendly office resources and stationery
- Smart metered office spaces to cut energy, save costs and measure carbon emissions
- Local litter picking events in partnership with other Iconic Offices tenants.
The Dublin-based team has actively supported P-TECH Ireland for a number of years. Students from local schools and colleges undertake a five-week, data science placement to gain data practitioner skills and experience working in a fast-moving, digital environment.
Having undertaken data visualisation software training, the students access, augment and analyse data to investigate real-world issues. Presenting their findings and recommendations contributes to their Leaving Certificate final examination at secondary school level.
SAS partially funds P-TECH Ireland in partnership with the Department of Education, Business in the Community Ireland, A & L Goodbody, Cisco, Deloitte, IBM, Irish Life, Irish Rail, Irish Water, Salesforce and Virgin Media.
Local staff charity fund-raising activities are donated to P-TECH Ireland and Business in the Community Ireland. You can also donate at https://gofund.me/60846fba
Local governance and accreditation information available soon.
CSR from SAS Ireland
Our approach to corporate social responsibility reflects the type of organisation SAS is and what we believe in. For decades, we have developed software that is used to solve economic, social, health and environmental challenges. Our commitment to being socially responsible continues to evolve and grow as we see the power of using data to make important decisions. This page gives an overview of the actions and policies we are actively developing in SAS UK and Ireland, building on the global initiatives from SAS HQ to improve the world in which we all work. Roderick Crawford, Regional Vice President, Northern Europe
Local environmental efforts
At SAS UK and Ireland we believe environmental issues that impact our climate and planet, such as preservation of natural resources, energy efficiency, and effective waste management, are concerns worthy of continuous investigation and diligent action. SAS’ global environmental programme is applied across our UK and Ireland headquarters, where we use electricity from 100% renewable sources, have our own onsite composting/ bio bubble system and maintain beehives.
Cabinet Office: Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP)
The UK Cabinet Office mandated Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) for applicable UK Public Sector Organisations has been completed in accordance with PPN 06/21 and associated guidance and reporting standard for CRPs.
As an essential part of its commitment to education and philanthropy, SAS contributes to charitable initiatives to build stronger foundations for brighter futures. By driving efforts to improve education and society, SAS embraces its role in the greater community.
SAS STEP programme
The skills gap in data and analytics is currently costing UK business £2Bn every year. In response, SAS has launched the SAS STEP programme that leverages SAS educational heritage to equip the unemployed workforce with the vital data and analytics skills they need for in-demand jobs.
The Talent Foundry – SAS UK’s nominated charity
SAS has a proud history of supporting charities and causes in the regions where we operate. SAS UK and Ireland are currently supporting The Talent Foundry, an independent education charity offering a range of fully funded opportunities to schools and colleges across the United Kingdom.
SAS Future Analysts Programme
The SAS Future Analysts programme brings together some of the UK’s largest companies and users of SAS analytics software to improve awareness of the role of analytics in a range of sectors. Working with The Talent Foundry, SAS UK is developing four, two-hour sessions for schools to provide practical experience of data, analytics and their impact on our daily lives. If your organisation would like to participate in the SAS Future Analysts programme, contact nigel.armstead@sas.com
Armed Forces Covenant
SAS UK signed a covenant with the British Armed Forces to help current and former Armed Forces personnel and their families pursue analytics training and employment opportunities. SAS UK has gained the Gold Award under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. SAS actively encourages its customer, partners and suppliers to participate in the Armed Forces Covenant programme.
Volunteering
SAS UK and Ireland has a volunteering policy and encourages employees to take up to three half days off work each year to support their communities.
UK Academic Programme
Learning analytics and other in-demand skills can launch countless career opportunities, which is why SAS supports academic initiatives for both students and educators.
Social Impact & Responsibility
SAS inspires progress and positively affects social issues and communities through many company efforts – from responsible innovation practices and projects to social innovation through corporate philanthropy and education initiatives.
- 290,000+ users of free SAS software offerings for teaching and learning analytics and AI.
290,000
- 600 colleges and universities and 33,500 nonacademic organizations across 80 countries accessing free data literacy courses.
34,000+
Governance & Ethics Impact
Committed to trustworthy ethical and compliance standards, SAS has earned its exceptional reputation as an ethical and responsible employer and business partner.
- SAS is a signatory participant of United Nations Global Compact supporting Sustainable Development Goals.
- Responsible innovation collaborations with the Commonwealth AI Consortium, the US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium, EqualAI, AI4ALL and the Business Roundtable.
Letter from the CEO — 2023–2024 CSR Report
Amid rapid change, one thing remains constant: SAS is committed to supporting our customers, helping them adapt and thrive using data and AI. The environment for decision making has become more complicated – with a fluctuating economy, changes in customer behavior, and an ever-evolving data and technology landscape. While addressing these changes and challenges, we are prioritizing our desire to improve the world and environment.
We are applying the same problem-solving mindset required to be resilient during radical changes in business that affect the well-being of people around the world. As a leader in social responsibility, we seek opportunities to help our communities and customers with their efforts to implement environmental, social and governance initiatives. We know that the power of trustworthy data can inspire more accurate decisions and create a more sustainable and responsible future.
At SAS, we understand how our technology can change the world and our communities for the better. We believe in the power of using data for good and have spent decades on socially responsible innovation projects such as protecting the environment, improving health outcomes and addressing unfair biases that may harm vulnerable groups. SAS remains dedicated to applying our expertise and technology in support of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
We are embracing the power of AI and exploring how we can capitalize on technological advances to create positive outcomes for humanity. We will support our customers in using that same technology in their own responsible innovation efforts. As the world changes around us, SAS is prepared to help our customers safely navigate AI to reach new levels of productivity and innovation.
We’ve expanded our Data Ethics Practice to bring trustworthy AI to customers and pursue new data-for-good initiatives, collaborating with groups like EqualAI and the Business Roundtable to help shape the responsible use of AI. SAS is also participating in a national initiative to support the development and deployment of trustworthy and safe AI. Established by the US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, the US Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium will bring together AI creators and users, academics, government and industry researchers, and civil society organizations to meet this mission.
Genuinely believing in and treating people like they matter has always been at the core of SAS’ philosophy. This can be seen through our inclusive and supportive workplace culture, which encourages our employees to be authentic every day. Whether they are working remotely or on-site at our award-winning offices, our culture and workplace atmosphere is recognized year after year by organizations such as Fast Company, Forbes, the American Association of People With Disabilities, and Disability:IN.
The health and happiness of our employees is only part of our sustainability commitment. Our evolving sustainability and conservation efforts at SAS headquarters and our global offices include a 2050 net-zero carbon emissions goal and validated, science-based emission reduction targets. With sustainable initiatives ranging from energy conservation, beehives and solar projects to our green buildings and smart campus technology, we also use our expertise and software to help customers develop smarter operations and green business strategies.
As we look to the future, we remain committed to fostering the next generation of technology leaders. As an analytics leader with roots in academia, SAS continues to expand programs to build the next generation of data experts, preparing them to be advocates for sustainable and inclusive workspaces.
We take our role as a good corporate citizen seriously, knowing we have a responsibility to our employees and their communities. We saw promising progress with our environmental, social and economic impacts in 2023, building on our renowned reputation of service and innovation. As a pioneer and leader in the AI space, I believe we can use our technology and talent responsibly to improve the world and contribute to a more promising future.
Jim Goodnight | CEO of SAS