Better Health for All

Seagate demonstrated a transformative response during a global health crisis by joining the Open COVID Pledge in May 2020, granting free access to its patented technologies to aid in diagnosing, preventing, containing, and treating COVID-19

. The company also contributed storage and computing resources to Folding@home's COVID-19 program and collaborated with Vent-19 to develop affordable ventilators and biomedical devices . Seagate's core data storage products and services have a neutral direct health impact, with no evidence of harmful revenue or direct safety implications for users. Its business model does not involve health-related products requiring price accessibility, specific risk transparency for consumers, or direct engagement with vulnerable populations for health needs. The company does not produce food, engage in preventative health or treatment activities, or have products with addiction potential. Employee health benefits, such as the Health Savings Account, are outside the scope of this value.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Seagate Technology PLC operates primarily within the technology sector, focusing on data storage solutions, not financial services.

The company does not offer lending, deposit services, or consumer credit products. Therefore, the ethical value of 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity,' which assesses financial institutions on aspects like fair pricing, lending practices, and wealth building for underserved populations, is not applicable to Seagate's core business model. The company's initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, such as employee resource groups and leadership development, pertain to internal workplace culture rather than external financial services.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Seagate maintains a Code of Conduct

and a Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers , outlining standards for legal and ethical behavior and compliance. In 2023, the company's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion report indicated an increase in female leadership to 33.6% globally . In 2022, workers at Seagate's non-unionized Derry plant raised concerns that pay increases were not keeping pace with inflation . Seagate has adopted the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) Code of Conduct for its suppliers , conducting training with approximately 58 supplier participants in fiscal year 2024 . The company requires 100% of tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (3TG) in its products to come from certified sources and has mapped all cobalt sources in its supply chain . In 2019, Seagate addressed forced labor allegations at a supplier's facility in Thailand , working with the supplier and international organizations to improve conditions . Historically, in 1993, a Seagate factory in Thailand faced reports of health hazards, including lead emissions and five worker deaths , leading to a strike and the subsequent firing of over 750 workers . The provided articles do not contain specific quantitative data points required to score the company against the defined KPIs for Fair Pay & Worker Respect.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Seagate mandates that 100% of the tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (3TG) in its products come from certified conflict-free sources

. In 2021, the company repaid $1.2 million to 2,000 workers in Malaysia and Thailand as remediation for recruitment fees, indicating a substantiated labor rights issue .

Honest & Fair Business

Seagate agreed to a $300 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in April 2023 for alleged violations of U.S. export controls

, specifically for selling hard disk drives to Huawei without required authorization . The company also operates a 24/7 Ethics Helpline for reporting violations .

Kind to Animals

Seagate Technology PLC's core business as a data storage provider does not typically involve animal-derived products, animal testing, or animal agriculture. The provided articles do not contain specific, measurable data points for any of the KPIs in the 'Kind to Animals' rubric, such as cruelty-free certifications, alternative testing usage, humane certifications for operations, ethical input substitution, animal-related supplier audits, cage-free sourcing, animal testing policies or volume, innovation investment in animal-free technologies, animal agriculture ethics, animal-free R&D collaboration, or public policy engagement on animal welfare. While Seagate partners with conservation groups and provides technology for wildlife monitoring and habitat restoration

, the articles do not provide measurable biodiversity impact metrics or specific funding percentages required by the rubric for the 'wildlife_conservation_impact' KPI.

No War, No Weapons

Seagate Technology PLC settled with the U.S. Department of Commerce for $300 million

due to sales of $1.1 billion worth of hard disk drives to Huawei between August 2020 and September 2021, violating U.S. export control laws. Huawei has reported ties to military activities, indicating a significant breach in ethical red lines compliance. Despite this, Seagate has established policies that explicitly prohibit its products from being used in facilities related to nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons, and certain military end uses. Furthermore, the company requires 100% of its tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (3TG) to come from certified conflict-free sources, a commitment affirmed by an Independent Private Sector Audit for 2022. Seagate also mapped all cobalt sources in its supply chain in 2019 and is working to certify its sourcing.

Planet-Friendly Business

Total Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions were 5.622 million tCO₂e in CY2023.

All 15 Scope 3 categories were assessed, with 12 found relevant. Scope 1 and 2 market-based emissions decreased by 49% from CY2017 to CY2023, and Scope 3 emissions reduced by 33% in CY2023 compared to 2017. Science Based Targets for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions have been approved by the SBTi, with interim targets to reduce emissions by 20% by 2025 and 60% by 2040 from a 2017 baseline. Over 50% of the company's energy consumption was sourced from renewable energy in CY2023. Facilities in Korat and Teparuk (Thailand), Wuxi (China), and Northern Ireland draw 100% of their power from renewable sources. Water withdrawal was 601.49 m³ per $1 million revenue in CY2022, and 3,415 megaliters of water were recycled in CY2023. The non-hazardous waste diversion rate was 88% in FY2024. In FY2024, there were no non-conformances to discharge limits and no significant fines or nonmonetary sanctions for product environmental non-compliance. The company is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. In FY2024, the company continued efforts toward reporting in alignment with the TCFD framework and is targeting compliance with TCFD standards. 11-25% of water withdrawals are from areas with water stress.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Seagate has 3 formal partnerships with local community groups and cultural heritage organizations, including CyArk, Engineering Good in Singapore, and Foyle Women’s Aid in Northern Ireland.

The company provides technology to CyArk for the digital preservation of cultural heritage sites, actively protecting them from loss.

Safe & Smart Tech

Seagate has not experienced any documented data breaches in the past five years, with the last reported incident occurring in March 2016

, which involved the unauthorized disclosure of 2015 W-2 tax forms for several thousand U.S.-based employees due to a phishing attack . The company has a cybersecurity risk management program that includes mandatory cybersecurity awareness training for all employees . Seagate has implemented data security measures such as self-encrypting drives and Instant Secure Erase features , and in 2023, launched the Exos CORVAULT storage solution with Advanced Distributed Autonomic Protection Technology (ADAPT) and autonomous drive regeneration (ADR) to enhance data protection . In December 2020, security researchers identified vulnerabilities in Seagate's storage devices, including a common root password and unsecured firmware updates . In April 2023, Seagate agreed to a $300 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Commerce for violating U.S. export control laws by selling over 7.4 million hard drives to Huawei .

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Seagate diverted 88% of non-hazardous waste and 84% of hazardous waste from disposal in FY2024.

The company shipped 88.82% of its core HDD products using certified sustainably sourced packaging in FY2024. Seagate extended the life of 1.81 million drives in FY2024 through its circularity program, preventing over 837,500 kilograms of e-waste, and was recognized with an award for Most Innovative Sustainability Technology in Data Center Storage. , The company committed to zero landfill disposal of hazardous waste unless technically infeasible, and in FY2024, no hazardous waste was sent to landfills. Seagate had no waste disposal violations or significant fines for product environmental non-compliance in FY2024. The company requires all suppliers to adhere to the RBA Code of Conduct and provides customers with drive disassembly instructions to facilitate recycling.