Sustainability plans show the future
Toro released its 2023 sustainability impact report recently titled “Change how the world works.” In this report, the company laid out its goals for 2025 and beyond, while also reporting on recent progress it has made toward those goals. CEO Richard Olson wrote, in the intro to this report, that Toro sees “an opportunity to strengthen our position as a market leader in positive change. We will continue to do things better for the good of our customers, investors, and the planet, by approaching resource management thoughtfully, and creating innovative solutions for our ever-changing world.”
As is true for most companies releasing such reports, the goal setting and accomplishment tracking is not all about environmental. For Toro, the report features environmental highlights while also accounting for efforts around diversity and inclusion, and more.
Looking back
Toro pointed to 2023 accomplishments around products, people, process, governance and more, with these highlights:
- 6.7% of fiscal 2023 total adjusted motorized net sales are battery and hybrid powered products
- 14.9% increase in racially and ethnically diverse leaders in the U.S. and 2.5% increase of women in leadership positions globally since 2021
- 7.9% decrease in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions since 2019 baseline
- 48% of our team have been with the company for more than five years
- $1.8M+ donated to philanthropic activities
- 10,000+ volunteer hours reported
Looking ahead
Toro used its sustainability report to share goals for 2025 around three key ideas:
- Products: Increase battery and hybrid product sales to at least 20% of total adjusted net sales (motorized product sales).
- People: Increase the number of women and racial and ethnic minorities in leadership positions by at least 20% compared to fiscal year 2021.
- Process: Reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 15% as compared to fiscal year 2019.
Sustainability and ESG reports have gained a lot of attention – both favorable and critical – over the last few years. Even those who might view these reports critically should read and pay attention to the details inside. If you are a dealer carrying Toro products, or a pro contractor who currently uses or plans on using these products, this report gives you insight into the future.
For dealers and professional users of other products, look for published sustainability or ESG reports. We have links to several below, including manufacturers, national retailers, and landscape companies.
