SAN DIEGO, April 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sempra Energy
(NYSE: SRE) has been named to Forbes' "America's Best Employers for
Diversity" list for 2021, marking the third consecutive year that
the company has been recognized. Sempra Energy ranked
79th out of 500 companies this year, up from
328th last year, and was the second highest-ranking
employer in the utility industry.
"At the Sempra family of companies, we are committed to building
a high-performance culture that advances the interest of all of our
stakeholders," said Karen Sedgwick,
senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Sempra
Energy. "Consistent with that commitment, we believe that advancing
diversity and inclusion helps to shape an innovative workforce,
where employees are encouraged and empowered to be their authentic
selves. This is critical to elevating performance and allowing us
to partner responsibly with our communities as we look to build
North America's premier energy
infrastructure company."
Promoting a High-Performance Culture Across the
Company
Sempra Energy's focus on building a high-performance culture
across its family of companies is underpinned by its long history
of promoting safety, advancing workforce training and development,
and fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives
and backgrounds are embraced. The Sempra Energy family of companies
offer a variety of programs to enhance diversity and inclusivity in
the workplace, including 16 employee councils, mentorship programs,
trainings and an annual Diversity & Inclusion Summit.
Understanding that a commitment to diversity and inclusion starts
at the top, Sempra Energy is a founding member of the CEO Action
for Diversity & Inclusion initiative and a member of the
Paradigm for Parity coalition, which promotes gender parity in the
workplace.
The company has held dozens of enterprise-wide and
department-level conversations and engaged thousands of employees
at all levels to actively participate in discussions on the impacts
of racism. The feedback from these conversations provided a
framework for Sempra Energy's Racial Equity Action Plan which has
been integrated into leadership and company goals. The company also
introduced a virtual summit series offering monthly webinars on a
variety of topics aimed at advancing the company's overall
performance, including topics such as increasing cultural
competency, celebrating diversity, and sustaining personal
connections that are critical for an inclusive and engaging
workforce.
Advancing Economic Opportunity and Well-Being Within
Communities
Sempra Energy serves the basic energy needs of more than 36
million consumers, and with that commitment to service comes
opportunities to invest in and promote economic opportunity and
well-being within the communities it serves. In 2020, Sempra Energy
and the Sempra Energy Foundation launched a giving campaign focused
on social justice across communities the company serves, raising
more than $700,000 in employee
donations and company matches. This campaign was part of a larger
set of community investments totaling over $17 million that directly benefitted people of
color, immigrants, women- and minority-owned small businesses, the
LGBTQ community and other underrepresented populations, including
the company's commitment to a number of STEM programs that work
with schools and nonprofits to advance the mentorship of young
women who are seeking careers in science, technology, engineering
and math.
Additionally, the Sempra Energy family of companies has programs
dedicated to advancing supplier opportunities for businesses owned
by women, minorities, service-disabled veterans, and members of the
LGBTQ community. In 2020, both of the company's California utilities, San Diego Gas &
Electric and Southern California Gas Co., purchased a total of more
than $1.7 billion in goods and
services from diverse suppliers, marking the eight consecutive year
that each company's supplier diversity spending exceeded 40%,
surpassing the California Public Utilities Commission's goal of
21.5%. In Texas, Oncor's supplier
diversity accounted for nearly $335
million or 12% of its procurement spend, and the company
issued $450 million in sustainable
bonds with proceeds designated for investments in or expenditures
with women- and minority-owned business suppliers.
Recognizing Leading Diversity Practices
Forbes' ranking was determined from an independent survey of
50,000 employees working for major companies in the U.S.
Respondents were asked about their employers' diversity practices
related to age, gender equality, ethnicity, disability, sexual
orientation equality and general diversity. The ranking also
considered diversity among board and executive teams, as well as
the most proactive diversity and inclusion initiatives.
About Sempra Energy
Sempra Energy's mission is to be North
America's premier energy infrastructure company. The Sempra
Energy family of companies have more than 19,000 talented employees
who deliver energy with purpose to over 36 million consumers. With
more than $66 billion in total assets
at the end of 2020, the San
Diego-based company is the owner of one of the largest
energy networks in North America
serving some of the world's leading economies. The company is
helping to advance the global energy transition by enabling the
delivery of lower-carbon energy solutions in each market it serves,
including California, Texas, Mexico
and the LNG export market. Sempra Energy is consistently recognized
as a leader in sustainable business practices and for its
long-standing commitment to building a high-performing culture
including safety, workforce development and training, and diversity
and inclusion. Sempra Energy is the only North American utility
sector company included on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
and was also named one of the "World's Most Admired Companies" for
2021 by Fortune Magazine. For additional information about Sempra
Energy, please visit Sempra Energy's website at sempra.com and on
Twitter @SempraEnergy.
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SOURCE Sempra Energy