GRI Index
WM is committed to consistent and meaningful public disclosure and discussion of our sustainability progress through the use of voluntary sustainability reporting standards and frameworks. This document is guided by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, an independent international organization that provides global common language to communicate and disclose on sustainability. WM has reported the information cited in the GRI Content Index with reference to the GRI Standards, GRI 1: Foundation 2021 for the reporting period of January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.
2024 GRI Report
About WM
WM is North America’s leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions. Previously known as Waste Management and based in Houston, Texas, WM is driven by commitments to put people first and achieve success with integrity. The company, through its subsidiaries, provides collection, recycling, and disposal services to millions of residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. With innovative infrastructure and capabilities in recycling, organics, and renewable energy, WM provides environmental solutions to and collaborates with its customers in helping them pursue their sustainability goals. WM has the largest disposal network and collection fleet in North America, is the largest recycler of post-consumer materials, and is the leader in beneficial use of landfill gas, with a growing network of renewable natural gas plants and the most landfill gas-toelectricity plants in North America. WM’s fleet includes over 12,000 natural gas trucks – the largest heavy-duty natural gas truck fleet in the industry in North America. To learn more about WM and the company’s sustainability progress and solutions, visit Sustainability.WM.com.
Legal Notice
Many of the assumptions, standards, methodologies, metrics and measurements used in preparing this report continue to evolve and are based on management assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time of preparation, but they should not be considered guarantees. There are inherent uncertainties in providing such information, due to the complexity and novelty of many methodologies established for collecting, measuring, and analyzing sustainability-related data.
| Disclosure Number | Disclosure Title | 2024 Response |
|---|---|---|
| The Organization and its Reporting Practices | ||
| Disclosure Number: 2-1 | Disclosure Title: Organizational details | Response: 2023 Form 10-K, pp. 3-9 |
| Disclosure Number: 2-2 | Disclosure Title: Entities included in the organization’s sustainability reporting | Response: 2023 Form 10-K, p. 3 |
| Disclosure Number: 2-3 | Disclosure Title: Reporting period, frequency and contact point | Response: Unless otherwise noted, our 2024 Sustainability Report captures performance that took place from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023. |
| Disclosure Number: 2-4 | Disclosure Title: Restatements of information | Response: 2023 Form 10-K, p. 1 |
| Disclosure Number: 2-5 | Disclosure Title: External assurance | Response: Sustainability Disclosures > Assurance |
| Activities and Workers | ||
| Disclosure Number: 2-6 | Disclosure Title: Activities, value chain and other business relationships | Response: 2023 Form 10-K, pp. 3-9 Suppliers | WM Supplier Code of Conduct |
| Disclosure Number: 2-7 | Disclosure Title: Employees | Response: 2023 Form 10-K, pp. 9-10 2024 Sustainability Report > Being an Employer of Choice Sustainability Data Center > Workforce > Employees |
| Governance | ||
| Disclosure Number: 2-8 | Disclosure Title: Workers who are not employees | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Supply Chain Suppliers | WM Supplier Code of Conduct |
| Disclosure Number: 2-9 | Disclosure Title: Governance structure and composition | Response: 2024 Sustainability Report > A Strong Governing Framework Sustainability Data Center > Board of Directors Sustainability A-Z > Corporate Governance 2024 Proxy Statement, pp. 4-5 WM Leadership Team WM Board of Directors TCFD Climate Brief |
| Disclosure Number: 2-10 | Disclosure Title: Nomination and selection of the highest governance body | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Corporate Governance Nominating and Governance Committee Charter 2024 Proxy Statement, p. 4, 17-28 |
| Disclosure Number: 2-11 | Disclosure Title: Chair of the highest governance body | Response: WM Board of Directors 2024 Proxy Statement, p. 4 |
| Disclosure Number: 2-12 | Disclosure Title: Role of the highest governance body in overseeing the management of impacts | Response: 2024 Sustainability Report > A Strong Governing Framework 2024 Proxy Statement, pp. 5-8 WM Leadership Team Sustainability A-Z > Corporate Governance TCFD Climate Brief |
| Disclosure Number: 2-13 | Disclosure Title: Delegation of responsibility for managing impacts | Response: 2024 Sustainability Report > A Message From Our CEO & CSO 2024 Proxy Statement, pp. 6-8 WM Leadership Team WM Sustainability Sustainability A-Z > Corporate Governance TCFD Climate Brief |
| Disclosure Number: 2-14 | Disclosure Title: Role of the highest governance body in sustainability reporting | Response: 2024 Sustainability Report > A Strong Governing Framework 2024 Proxy Statement, pp. 5-8 TCFD Climate Brief CDP Response |
| Disclosure Number: 2-15 | Disclosure Title: Conflicts of interest | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Corporate Governance 2024 Proxy Statement, pp. 13-14 Code of Conduct |
| Disclosure Number: 2-16 | Disclosure Title: Communication of critical concerns | Response: 2024 Proxy Statement, p. 2 |
| Disclosure Number: 2-17 | Disclosure Title: Collective knowledge of the highest governance body | Response: 2024 Proxy Statement, p. 18 CDP Response |
| Disclosure Number: 2-18 | Disclosure Title: Evaluation of the performance of the highest governance body | Response: 2024 Proxy Statement, pp. 8, 12-13, 15-16 TCFD Climate Brief CDP Response |
| Disclosure Number: 2-19 | Disclosure Title: Remuneration policies | Response: 2023 Form 10-K, p. 133 2024 Proxy Statement, pp., 32-62 |
| Disclosure Number: 2-20 | Disclosure Title: Process to determine remuneration | Response: 2023 Form 10-K, p. 133 2024 Proxy Statement, pp., 32-62 |
| Disclosure Number: 2-21 | Disclosure Title: Annual total compensation ratio | Response: 2024 Proxy Statement, p., 58 |
| Disclosure Number: 2-22 | Disclosure Title: Statement on sustainable development strategy | Response: 2024 Sustainability Report > A Message From Our CEO & CSO TCFD Climate Brief |
| Disclosure Number: 2-23 | Disclosure Title: Policy commitments | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Public Policy Corporate Governance | WM Compliance & Ethics | WM |
| Disclosure Number: 2-24 | Disclosure Title: Embedding policy commitments | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Public Policy Compliance & Ethics | WM Corporate Governance | WM Participation in the Political Process Policy |
| Disclosure Number: 2-25 | Disclosure Title: Processes to remediate negative impacts | Response: 2024 Sustainability Report > A Strong Governing Framework Code of Conduct Sustainability A-Z > Compliance & Ethics Compliance & Ethics | WM |
| Disclosure Number: 2-26 | Disclosure Title: Mechanisms for seeking advice and raising concerns | Response: Our Integrity Helpline 2024 Sustainability Report > A Strong Governing Framework Code of Conduct, pp. 7-10 Sustainability A-Z > Compliance & Ethics |
| Disclosure Number: 2-27 | Disclosure Title: Compliance with laws and regulations | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Compliance & Ethics Compliance & Ethics | WM |
| Disclosure Number: 2-28 | Disclosure Title: Membership associations | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Public Policy |
| Stakeholder Engagement | ||
| Disclosure Number: 2-29 | Disclosure Title: Approach to stakeholder engagement | Response: 2023 Form 10-K, pp. 14-18, 25 Sustainability A-Z > Public Policy Sustainability A-Z > Reporting and Materiality |
| Disclosure Number: 2-30 | Disclosure Title: Collective bargaining agreements | Response: Sustainability Data Center > Workforce > Labor Relations 2023 Form 10-K, p. 10 |
| Disclosure Number | Disclosure Title | 2024 Response |
|---|---|---|
| Disclosures on Material Topics | ||
| Disclosure Number: 3-1 | Disclosure Title: Process to determine material topics | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Reporting and Materiality |
| Disclosure Number: 3-2 | Disclosure Title: List of material topics | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Reporting and Materiality |
| Disclosure Number | Disclosure Title | 2024 Response |
|---|---|---|
| GRI 201: Economic Performance | ||
| Disclosure Number: 3-3 | Disclosure Title: Management of the material topic - Economic Performance | Response: 2024 Sustainability Report > Business at a glance 2023 Form 10-K pp. 75-78 TCFD Climate Brief |
| Disclosure Number: 201-1 | Disclosure Title: Direct economic value generated and distributed | Response: 2024 Sustainability Report > Business at a glance Sustainability Data Center > Economic Impact 2023 Form 10-K pp. 75-78 |
| Disclosure Number: 201-2 | Disclosure Title: Financial implications and other risks and opportunities due to climate change | Response: 2024 Sustainability Report > Managing Our Climate Impact TCFD Climate Brief Sustainability A-Z > Carbon Footprint Calculation Methodology CDP Response |
| Disclosure Number: 201-3 | Disclosure Title: Defined benefit plan obligations and other retirement plans | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Employee Benefits 2023 Form 10-K, pp. 103-105 |
| GRI 203: Indirect Economic Impacts | ||
| Disclosure Number: 3-3 | Disclosure Title: Management of the material topic - Indirect Economic Impacts | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Employee Benefits Sustainability A-Z > Social Impact |
| Disclosure Number: 203-1 | Disclosure Title: Infrastructure investments and services supported | Response: 2024 Sustainability Report > Communities are Thriving Sustainability Data Center > Community |
| Disclosure Number: 203-2 | Disclosure Title: Significant indirect economic impacts | Response: Sustainability Data Center |
| GRI 205: Anti-corruption | ||
| Disclosure Number: 3-3 | Disclosure Title: Management of the material topic - Anti-corruption | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Compliance & Ethics 2024 Sustainability Report > Behaving Ethically |
| Disclosure Number: 205-2 | Disclosure Title: Communication and training about anti-corruption policies and procedures | Response: Sustainability A-Z > Compliance & Ethics WM Code of Conduct |
| Disclosure Number: 205-3 | Disclosure Title: Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken | Response: Sustainability Data Center > Governance |