Making The World Work Better: ServiceNow’s Commitment To Sustainability & ESG

In the dizzyingly quick-evolving realm of cloud computing, ServiceNow has emerged as a vanguard, reshaping the landscape of today’s workflow through modernization and digitization, especially as “the era of one-size-fits-all cloud solutions is giving way to a more tailored and dynamic approach that combines public and private clouds,” according to Forbes.

Founded in 2004 by Fred Luddy, ServiceNow has witnessed consistent revenue growth, reporting full-year 2022 total revenue as $7.2 billion. 

Nearly 8,000 enterprise customers worldwide – about 85 percent of which are Fortune 500 – rely on ServiceNow’s digital business platform, optimizing productivity, reducing cost, and increasing resilience by streamlining their IT operations. The goal is “Better business outcomes.”

ServiceNow's philosophy revolves around enhancing efficiency, productivity, and innovation by transforming traditional processes. But unlike many other platforms, ServiceNow stresses sustainability.

At the forefront of the company’s ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and Finance Strategy is Edua Lena Dickerson, the Vice President of ESG & Finance Strategy, who joined ServiceNow in 2020 as Chief of Staff to the CFO. Dickerson brought extensive experience at the nexus of finance and sustainable business practices to the company. She previously held posts at prominent sustainability-focused organizations, including YouTube, Google, and Alphabet, where she gained insights into the intersection of finance and ESG goals.

“With the planet at stake,” says Dickerson, “ServiceNow is driving its ESG strategy across the enterprise.” She’s “creating a culture and employee experience focused on short- and long-term action.”

Sustainability Mission, Initiatives & Achievements

ServiceNow's commitment to sustainability is deeply rooted in its mission to “make the world work better for people,” says Dickerson. “Our people strategy is our business strategy. And in the same way, I would say that our sustainability strategy, it's truly a part of our business strategy. It's integrated into everything that we do. Members of our ecosystem are also pushing for this connection to purpose, to making a difference. It matters to our customers, our partners, and our employees. It matters to all of us, and it's very much integrated.”

Dickerson emphasizes that “ESG is everyone's job. Everybody plays a role in it, and everyone should figure out how their role connects back to it." According to Dickerson, ESG not only adds value but also “protects the business base.”

According to Dickerson, this integration aligns with the growing global table stakes for businesses incorporating purpose-driven practices into their finance operations. So, if at first it might seem strange to find a VP of both finance and sustainability under one office, get used to that trend, she predicts.

“I definitely think in the next two to three years, we're going to see more and more finance professionals leaning into the [sustainability] space, whether it be from a controls perspective or an impact perspective, and being able to talk about the value that it's creating. And for us, even additionally, the top line that it's driving.”

Says Dickerson, ServiceNow measures such impact, of course, by how it helps its customers effect impact in their own realms. For example, it’s launched initiatives to empower businesses to measure, analyze, and reduce their carbon footprint, driving sustainable operations. Its platform also includes solutions for managing sustainability reporting, tracking social impact, and promoting ethical supply chain practices.

Governance & Transparency

Dickerson, drawing from her background as “a recovering auditor and accountant” stresses the criticality of governance in the company's – and its customers’ – operations. She emphasizes governance as her “bread and butter, the name of the game when it comes to things." 

Dickerson argues that "Governance is imperative from a transparency and a trust/disclosure perspective.” Thus necessarily, “top of mind for all of us and very inherent in who ServiceNow is."

Necessary because the company responds proactively to the increasing demands from its customers for sustainability initiatives. Says Dickerson, "We get hundreds of requests for information. Our customers have been very clear about how important this is to them." In fact, the client conversations and contract negotiations have significantly aligned around sustainability of late. Among those inquiries the company receives from its stakeholders, “fifty percent of them are about governance,” Dickerson reports.

Its commitment to sustainability is evident in ServiceNow's EcoVadis assessment score for 2023. The company earned a gold badge for its strong management system that addresses sustainability criteria, placing it in the 95+ percentile.

Digital Platform Driving Real-World Sustainability

In addition to accentuating the nexus between finance and sustainability, ServiceNow’s philosophy and strategy highlight the digital platform's focus on sustainable IT, empowering Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to play a vital role in their companies’ respective sustainability journeys. Again, the aim is complete and seamless integration of sustainability among all stakeholders in organizations and their partners. 

Traditional, Hybrid, Multicloud, and Serverless solutions for both public and private clouds require ServiceNow to be "hyper-focused on the empowerment of the CIO and the idea of sustainable IT and the role that that plays,” says Dickerson. “Because most companies, in some way, shape, or form, are becoming tech companies." So, the platform continues to improve its various integration models for risk management, strategic portfolio management, and employee workflows. It’s all about “providing clients with tools to turn ESG goals into measurable actions.”

ServiceNow has set audacious goals, such as reaching 20 million lives by 2030 through social impact initiatives. Dickerson shares, "We think we're going to do just that, and hopefully more." The company aims to connect governance, controls, value creation, and return on investment, infusing them into its ESG-driven perspective, both internally, and for their customers.

As the company continues to further integrate purpose into its operations, it sets an example for businesses aiming to embed sustainability as a core aspect of their strategy. Looking ahead, ServiceNow is poised to drive further innovation in the ESG space, contributing to a future where businesses and sustainability go hand in hand.