ESG Trendsetters: How Dolby Leverages AI To Navigate the ESG Landscape

Jan 3, 2024 9:45 AM ET

Nasdaq

In this episode of ESG Trendsetters, we learn about Dolby, a company with an inspiring goal to create unforgettable experiences through audio and visual technology. The organization’s leading objective is to help unlock unparalleled entertainment in the music, home theater, gaming, and cinema industries.

Steve Vargas, Senior Director and Head of ESG Advisory at Nasdaq, is joined by Natasha Tuck, Director of Sustainability and ESG at Dolby, where they discuss how Dolby is prioritizing environmental sustainability within their operations and supply chain, as well as how ESG has evolved at the organization over the past 12 to 18 months.

Dolby uses Nasdaq Sustainable Lens™, an AI-powered ESG intelligence platform that equips ESG working groups with on-demand, data-driven insights from over 9,000 companies globally. When asked about how the platform is leveraged for ESG at Dolby, Tuck shares that the platform helps her team spend less time conducting manual research.

“Often, we are putting out fires and just constantly reacting. So, my goal is to become more proactive and take back some of that time to do the research, which is now instantaneous with what I can get from Nasdaq Sustainable Lens,” Tuck explains. The tool helps her see what best practices she can apply from the platform, as well as how other companies are navigating the ESG landscape through their own applications.

Reflecting on how Dolby supports ESG as a larger initiative, Tuck speaks to a more hands-on approach and shares it’s a team effort requiring extensive collaboration. Some of Dolby’s teams, like procurement and business travel, have their own sustainability advocates and their ESG-based goals and targets that sit in their functional areas. “We cannot do the work procurement can do, like communicating with our suppliers. We’re set up for success because we have great relationships across these various teams.”

For issuers who are looking to tell their best ESG story, Tuck shares that there is value in taking action and being fully transparent where and when you can. “From my experience, companies are shy to talk about things that don’t seem huge, impactful, or newsworthy, and I disagree [with that],” she explains.

Stakeholders interested in Dolby frequently ask about the organization’s policies and initiatives. Not unlike other companies, Dolby doesn’t always have everything available externally. However, their focus on employee care and satisfaction is a significant part of how they navigate the ESG landscape. Tuck is a supporter of companies disclosing noteworthy internal successes, like prioritizing employees, when it comes to being transparent with stakeholders. “Every action can be incremental towards progress, and it’s important to celebrate the wins along the journey, no matter how big or small.”

Laser-focused on its ESG KPI targets, Dolby implements new technologies like Nasdaq Sustainable Lens to further progress in its ESG initiatives. This progress is important to Dolby, just as it is important to its employees, investors, and other stakeholders.