Our Commitment to ESG

Environment, Social, and Governance

Corporate Responsibility is Core to Who We Are 

At Dwellworks, our Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives are more than a response to mandated requirements. They represent a way of working consistent with our core values. These values – integrity, teamwork, performance, innovation, and fun – guide us in everything we do, from serving our clients and customers, to collaborating with our associates and suppliers, to engaging with our communities and acting responsibly on the planet we all share. We see ourselves as an integral part of the global mobility ecosystem, and we strive to be a positive force for change within it.

From Our Executive Chairman...

“The conversation about ESG continues to evolve, but our commitment to environmental, social, and governance initiatives remains grounded as it has been from the beginning in our core values and our accountability to stakeholders. Dwellworks has always been closely engaged with our clients, customers, associates, supply chain, and investors, as well as with regulatory agencies, the communities where we work and live, and the world we operate in. It’s how we became the trusted global leader for destination services and a disruptor in global temporary living solutions. And it’s how we’ve earned the accolade we’re most proud of: a Top Workplace for our associates. 

Bob Rosing, Dwellworks Executive Chairman

Bob Rosing

We have been a socially responsible company since before the term went viral. Since 2007, as a customer-focused partner in service to our clients, we have always led with support that recognizes the diversity of the people we move and the need they have to feel comfortably settled in their new destinations. We built our business around a team and a service network that is aware, empathetic, and positively biased to action. Dwellworks associates are empowered to contribute individually and as a team in support of the company’s ESG goals, through leadership of sustainability initiatives, community volunteerism, diversity and inclusion education and advocacy, and engagement with industry peers and projects. We are proud of the culture we have created, where our people care about each other, our customers, and the full ecosystem of our stakeholders.

We invite you to learn more about our ESG initiatives and how they align with our core values. We welcome your feedback and suggestions on how we can improve our performance and make a positive difference in the world.

Environment

One of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to sustainable service is by being an active member of our industry’s Coalition for Greener Mobility, a joint initiative of several global mobility associations, including Worldwide ERC® (WERC), the Canadian Employee Relocation Council (CERC), the European Relocation Association (EuRA), the Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA), the Federation Internationale des Demenageurs Internationaux (FIDI Global Alliance), and the International Association of Movers (IAM).

This coalition aims to raise awareness and promote best practices for reducing the carbon footprint of relocation services.

Plant Propagation at Cleveland Headquarters
                     Propagation Station at the Dwellworks HQ 

We also take concrete actions to reduce our own environmental impact. In 2021, we defined a greenhouse gas reduction goal of 50% fewer Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030 and have had our target independently reviewed and approved by SBTi standards. As we have learned more about our carbon footprint and calculation tools, we are expanding our measurements to include our Scope 3 supply chain, incrementally but continuously.

Through the thoughtful management of our physical footprint, we have reduced our office requirements by 47%, with an estimated related reduction of 62% in GHG emissions.

From increased usage of alternative fuel vehicles in our destination services, to lower utility costs and less food waste in our temporary accommodations supply chain, to the efficient recycling of our office furniture and partnership with eco-aware data centers, we are identifying and acting on ways to reduce carbon emissions while improving our efficiency and the customer experience.

 

Building Sustainable Services

In building our capabilities to track greenhouse gas emissions, train our network in environmentally friendly practices, and source vendors who use sustainable materials and tools, we’re also simplifying our internal operational processes. Waste is the enemy of sustainability, so we are focused on supporting the most effective practices for everything in our service delivery, from how we connect with customers to how we close and bill service programs. We’re using AI to analyze how we can reduce transactional steps and increase personalized engagement. 

Looking at our history of hundreds of thousands of service tasks, our Operational Excellence leaders are identifying the optimized balance between automated support, digital tools, and person-to-person services. Client APIs are key to taking friction out of the service delivery process and to increasing data privacy and security. With less paperwork, smarter use of technology, and optimized use of our talented team, we’re delivering on both a lowered carbon footprint and a sustainable way of working to meet current and future client needs.

 

Our Corporate Housing Sustainability Statistics

Corporate Housing Statistics

Social

Global mobility is a people-centric business. We value the diversity and vibrancy of our associates, our network, our suppliers, and our customers. Our people-first industry requires empathy, respect, and inclusion. We strive to build teams that reflect the diversity of the communities where we live, work, and deliver our services.

We are proud of the diversity across our organization and especially in our leadership ranks - with 75% of our associates identifying as women and 60% of our executive team identifying as women and/or LGTBQ+. Dwellworks has always been a company that trusts its talent, and we fully support our associate-led global Inclusion Committee that has inspired us with training and awareness, cultural education, and cross-border team building.

Dwellworks team in the office

We’ve created white papers to guide our industry on the smart deployment of DEI in destination services. And our team has spoken powerfully on hearing diverse voices and recognizing associate wellbeing in industry forums around the world.

Dwellworks champions accessibility as well. All the properties in our Dwellworks Living corporate housing portfolio are required to meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. With the recent updates of our company websites, we’ve also followed and integrated the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and all of our web content has been upgraded to WCAG 2.1. We’ve taken website colors, buttons, photo descriptions and more into account when building our sites with accessibility for all in mind.

Dawn Brandenburg and Maura Carey

Global Inclusion - Local Connections

Community initiatives at Dwellworks are led by the talent on our team. Founded organically by associate-leaders in 2021 in response to the isolation of the global pandemic, our Inclusion Committee’s purpose has been to keep our associates connected globally, aligned in our service commitment, and aware of each other’s and the company’s culture to bring more collective value to our stakeholders.

Our core values are integrity, teamwork, performance, innovation, and fun, so it’s no surprise the Inclusion Committee’s contributions brought us through the challenges of the past few years. This organically grown team of associates, from APAC, EMEA, and the Americas, works together on an agenda that includes education, advocacy, diversity and inclusion, cultural awareness, and wellness. Our Engagement Committees keep our team connected through activities ranging from holiday parties to 5K fundraising walks, from in-office Olympic games to local community service. Our Committees’ priorities are defined by all-associate feedback, and information on projects is accessible to all through a shared site that captures photos, resources, links, and research. And it’s all done through grassroots cooperation and commitment, not top down ‘command and control.’ That’s the Dwellworks Way. 

Governance

For Dwellworks, ESG begins with Governance. To deliver on expanded expectations and commitments in environmental sustainability and social responsibility, we must first be a well-run company whose governance and operations align with our stakeholder expectations and our own high standards for performance excellence.

We have built an organization that is globally compliant in its policies and practices and embeds ownership and responsibility into our culture and way of working. To reinforce the priority we place on good governance and knowledgeable compliance, we track and confirm that 100% of our associates and active service partners complete annual ethics, compliance, and ESG education.

Other actions we’ve taken on Governance include:

  • Formalized and documented ESG policies, including long standing anti-bribery and corruption policies, anti-human slavery policies, fair employment policies, and comprehensive data privacy and data security policies
  • Filed a comprehensive response to GDPR requirements, which is our global standard for data privacy and practices (among the first in the industry to do so)
  • Established an Enterprise Risk Management Committee (ERMC) with oversight for ESG policies and practices
  • Earned the EcoVadis Bronze Sustainability Rating
  • Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and enrollment in the UN Global Compact and Communication on Progress (COP)
  • Passed annual SOC 2 audit and unqualified validation of business and financial services processes

View our Past ESG Reports Here:

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