Texan by Nature is excited to recognize Cirrus Logic as a 2023 TxN 20 honoree for their leadership in conservation and sustainability. Cirrus Logic’s commitment to conservation, their projects, programs, best practices, and lessons learned are an example and inspiration for us all.

Honoree Industry and Size: Technology; Mid-size

Company Overview
Cirrus Logic is a leader in low-power, high-precision mixed-signal processing solutions that create innovative user experiences for the world’s top mobile and consumer applications. As a fabless semiconductor company, we outsource the manufacturing of our products, which allows us to focus resources on research and development. Cirrus Logic is based in Austin, Texas, and has offices in other parts of the U.S., U.K., and Asia.

Cirrus Logic Environmental Action Network (CLEAN) is an employee resource group that advances environmental stewardship.

What is Cirrus Logic’s conservation and sustainability mission and why is it important to your culture?
Cirrus Logic strives to have a positive impact on people and the planet through a variety of conservation and sustainability initiatives both within the company and in the communities where we operate. For example, we regularly evaluate our environmental impact and take actions to reduce the carbon footprint associated with our facilities and business operations through renewable energy procurement, energy-efficient practices, and waste diversion. We believe that providing avenues for employees to create positive impacts will inspire them at work and lead to a more engaged workforce – both of which are important to our corporate culture. 

How is conservation and sustainability a part of the Cirrus Logic business strategy?
Cirrus Logic recognizes our responsibility to embed conservation and sustainability policies and practices across the business. We believe that actions relating to conservation and sustainability complement our business strategy and will contribute to the company’s success while also delivering near- and long-term value for our shareholders, customers, employees, and communities. For example, we can create lasting value for our stakeholders by building an ethical and sustainable supply chain that is resilient to business, regulatory, and environmental risks.

CLEAN organizes regular cleanup of Shoal Creek for both employees and interns.

What are Cirrus Logic’s short and long-term goals as they relate to conservation and sustainability?
In the short term, Cirrus Logic aims to embed conservation and sustainability considerations across various functions within the company so that we are continually improving as an organization. For example, we have developed an environmental management system that will enable us to design energy-efficient signal processing solutions, meet compliance obligations and minimize impacts on the environment, and constantly improve our sustainability performance. 

In the long term, Cirrus Logic has set a target of reducing Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions for all operations by 90 percent by FY30, compared to the FY21 baseline. To date, we have achieved 72 percent of our target.

“Cirrus Logic believes that being a good corporate citizen can positively impact our business while creating long-term value for our shareholders, employees, customers, and the local communities where we live and work. I am delighted with the progress the company made this year with respect to our environmental efforts. With an outstanding corporate culture and commitment to enriching our communities, I am excited to lead the company as we build on this momentum in the coming years.”

– John Forsyth, President and CEO

Who at Cirrus Logic is leading your conservation and sustainability efforts and what are some examples of employee engagement in conservation and sustainability?
Cirrus Logic’s conservation and sustainability efforts are led by a cross-functional environmental, social, governance (ESG) team that includes a Vice President from Investor Relations and Facilities, a Senior Assistant General Counsel from Legal, and a Manager from Quality. The team was instrumental in establishing Cirrus Logic’s ESG program beginning in 2018.

Cirrus Logic’s ESG team reports progress twice annually to the Board of Directors, who is responsible for overseeing the ESG program. Guidance for the ESG program is provided by an executive steering committee comprised of the CEO and members of the leadership team representing finance, global operations, human resources, and legal. The committee reviews the program’s direction, addresses potential barriers, and supports the identification of ESG risks and opportunities throughout the year.

The Cirrus Logic Environmental Action Network (CLEAN) is an employee resource group (ERG) that aims to assist employees, their families, and communities make a real difference across a range of sustainability areas where we live and work. Since its launch in FY22, the ERG has grown its membership to 16 percent of our employee base worldwide. In FY23, CLEAN organized several conservation and sustainability events in the countries and regions where we operate. In Austin, CLEAN participated in a cleanup of Shoal Creek with Shoal Creek Conservancy and partnered with Treefolks for a sapling planting program.

What conservation and sustainability programs and projects does Cirrus Logic lead and participate in?
In FY23, Cirrus Logic and its employees contributed a total of $1.586 million in philanthropic and charitable cash donations, benefiting approximately 390 non-profit organizations worldwide across various sectors, including environmental conservation, the arts, social causes, STEM education, and workforce diversity initiatives. For example, we supported Shoal Creek Conservancy to conduct regular cleanups of Shoal Creek and sponsored the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians to provide affordable healthcare access for Austin musicians. 

As part of our commitment to reducing waste, we donated 280 computers to both Code2College, a U.S. nonprofit organization supporting historically underserved students in pursuing STEM careers, and The Edinburgh Remakery, a Scottish environmental social enterprise that refurbishes electronics for communities in need. In addition, CLEAN organized a global e-waste drive to facilitate employees who want to recycle their consumer electronics.

How do you see the future of conservation and sustainability evolving, and what role will Cirrus Logic play in that progress?
Companies increasingly view conservation and sustainability as integral to long term risk mitigation strategies. Customers are also expecting companies to become more efficient in energy and water usage and to improve the sustainability performance of their supply chains. Cirrus Logic will continue to work with stakeholders to achieve these goals by implementing policies that support environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing processes, reducing emissions in our business operations, creating an inclusive, positive, and safe work environment, as well as positively impacting our communities.

How does Cirrus Logic quantify investment and return on conservation and sustainability?
Within Cirrus Logic, we believe that investment in conservation and sustainability initiatives will generate long-term value to the company and our stakeholders by increasing operational efficiency while reducing costs. For example, by focusing on energy efficiency through LED lighting, smart controls, and energy-efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, we can reduce our facilities’ energy footprint, carbon emissions, and operational costs. 

For external conservation and sustainability initiatives, Cirrus Logic is currently reviewing our approach to ensure that they remain strategic and relevant to our overall long-term strategy while maintaining fiscal discipline.

What is the one lesson that Cirrus Logic has learned from your conservation and sustainability efforts that others can take back and think about applying within their own space?
Conservation and sustainability efforts are inherently interdisciplinary and require internal stakeholders to work closely together towards a common goal. One lesson that we learned is the importance of building a team that can work effectively both horizontally and vertically across the company to garner buy in from key stakeholders. For example, the ESG team worked across the legal, business, operation, and supply chain teams to assure management that our emission reduction goal for FY30 was cost-effective and achievable.

Why is Texas an important home or base of operations for Cirrus Logic?
Since 1998, Cirrus Logic has based its global business in Austin, Texas. A majority of our global workforce is based here and considers Texas home. As a technology hub, Austin also provides us with the ecosystem and skilled talent that enables Cirrus Logic to prosper over the long term. Texas is thus an important home base for our company and we are committed to maintaining our community engagement locally.

 Learn more about Cirrus Logic’s conservation and sustainability efforts here