Waste Management 2006 Annual Report Download - page 31

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Waste Management. Communities can recognize the important functions
that a financially strong, environmentally responsible company can perform.
Our messages reach thought leaders and the populace at large, helping
them to understand what we offer and to respond favorably to permitting
landfills. Studies indicate that a 10 percent increase in a company’s
reputation is worth between 1 and 5 percent in market value. As a result
of our advertising campaign, surveys show that overall favorability toward
Waste Management has increased by 14 percent.
We are building strength through our commitment to the environment.
We are working to protect and preserve the world around us in ways that
will continue for generations to come. Our renewable energy programs
represent one of the most attractive options for reducing dependence on
fossil fuels and uncertain sources. In 2006, Waste Management CEO
David Steiner was selected as a member of the newly formed Energy
Security Leadership Council, a group of influential corporate executives
and retired U.S. military personnel, to help define energy policies that
will not only help protect our environment but will also make us a more
secure nation.
Waste Management is also the only U.S. company in the waste and
disposal services sector to be included in the 2006 Dow Jones Sustainability
Index (DJSI), a global index tracking the financial, environmental, and social
performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide.
Only 58 U.S.-based companies are included in the index that assesses issues
such as corporate governance, risk management, branding, climate change,
supply chain standards, and labor practices. Asset managers in 14 countries
follow the DJSI as the benchmark for a variety of sustainability-driven portfolios.
We are building strength through our people. We are developing a workforce
that values the contributions of every employee, because we have seen ample
evidence that a diverse company is a stronger company. We are developing a
workplace that is safer for everyone, and we continue to lead the industry in
safety. Because of that, we’ve seen our risk management costs go down year
over year, while the norm in corporate America is a continual increase in costs.
All this may account for a recent Moody’s report on governance and strength
of management, which showed increased confidence in our company—
based on both our balance sheet and our people.
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