Our Commitment to the Future: Sustainability

At Sempra Energy, we work to reduce the amount of water we need in our operations, particularly in places where access to an adequate supply of fresh water may be a concern. 

We design our power generation facilities to use the least amount of water possible and we work closely with local water districts on initiatives to encourage our customers to conserve water.

We withdraw billions of gallons of salt water to re-gasify liquid natural gas (LNG), returning most of this water to the source. Fresh water represents just two percent of our total water withdrawal.

Our corporate sustainability report has information on our water-related performance data and goals.

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Thousands of suppliers provide the parts, services, and equipment we need to operate our businesses. They also provide much of the electricity and natural gas we deliver to our customers. 

We expect our suppliers to act with integrity (they are subject to anti-corruption review), comply with applicable laws and regulations, achieve strong health and safety performance, respect employee rights and minimize impact on the environment. 

We identify suppliers that are key to our operations and regularly assess their ability to supply us with critical goods or services, particularly in times of crisis. 

Our corporate sustainability report describes our supply chain performance and goals.

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Climate change affects our business and the communities we serve. To minimize emissions, we:

• Build and operate natural gas and LNG infrastructure – a cleaner alternative to fuel oil or coal.
• Purchase renewable energy from other producers – and deliver it to our customers.
• Improve the efficiency of our energy infrastructure sources – including natural  gas pipelines and storage facilities.
• Encourage customer energy efficiency.
• Develop clean transportation infrastructure.
• Integrate new sustainable technologies into our operations —battery storage, advanced meters, smart devices and others.

Since 2006, we have publicly disclosed our greenhouse gas emissions to CDP, an organization that publishes the greenhouse gas emissions of major corporations. 

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Sempra Energy’s operations have an impact on the environment that goes beyond greenhouse gas emissions and water use. Construction and operation of energy infrastructure can generate waste. Energy infrastructure can affect nearby plants and animals. To reduce our impact and continue to grow our business, we:

• Reduce and properly dispose of all waste,
• Create and implement programs to protect wildlife during the planning, construction and operation of energy facilities; and
• Encourage our customers, suppliers, business partners, and other 
  stakeholders to make decisions or operational changes that reduce their environmental impact.

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Access to energy is fundamental. Without it, businesses can’t operate, markets can’t function, and food cannot be stored, transported or prepared. Every day, 40 million people rely on Sempra Energy to meet their energy needs. 

Public agencies such as the California Public Utilities Commission make the rules that determine how our energy utilities may operate, including what rates they may charge. These regulatory agencies try to balance the growing needs and demands of utility customers with the utilities’ obligation to earn a reasonable rate of return.

Our utility businesses provide their customers with reliable electricity and natural gas service. When service interruptions occur, they identify the location or source of the outage and work to restore service quickly and safely. Vehicle crashes, equipment failure, and construction activity are some common causes of power outages and natural gas service disruptions.

Our utilities improve reliability by upgrading operations and equipment, preparing for potential disasters, and anticipating and working to meet future market demand. 

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Our business is part of the fabric of the community. Our role goes beyond providing reliable energy. We must also respond to a wide range of customer needs. By engaging with customers, we have the opportunity to build trust and protect our company’s reputation in good times and bad.

Customer Input

We compile and analyze customer data from call centers and surveys. We send letters and e-mails and distribute door hangers. We interact with customers via social media channels and respond to inquiries from traditional media outlets. We also convene community forums, information sessions and advisory councils to get advice and guidance of key community members.

In all our interactions, we work to demonstrate to our customers that we are worthy of their trust.

Public Safety

At Sempra Energy, our top priority is safety. Nothing is more important to us than keeping our employees and customers safe. We educate our customers about energy safety. We inspect, replace and improve electric and natural gas equipment, including poles, transformers, pipes and wires. And we work to protect our systems from cyber or physical attacks.

Corporate and Foundation Giving

At Sempra Energy, we are committed to being a good corporate citizen. We invest our time, talent and resources, and work with community and business leaders to help improve the quality of life for our customers and neighbors. For more information on our corporate and foundation giving, please see the Corporate Giving  section of this site.

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Sempra Energy businesses must comply with laws and regulations, and demonstrate respect for the communities they serve.

At Sempra Energy, we work to maintain the highest standards of business conduct. We expect our directors, officers, employees and suppliers to comply with all laws, rules, policies and regulations, and to act ethically at all times.

Appropriate training, oversight and management systems protect our company from unnecessary risk, optimize performance, and help us make informed and ethical decisions. From audit services and safety information management, to employment training and performance, to our corporate compliance group and anti-corruption systems, we have a wide range of processes and programs in place to support our strong ethical standards.

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Each day, our 20,000 employees make the decisions and fulfill the responsibilities that enable us to deliver power to 40 million consumers. When our employees are trained, challenged and empowered to take the initiative, our business thrives.

We are not satisfied unless each employee and contractor returns home safely after every workday. We strive to foster a culture of safety where each individual feels empowered and accountable for their own safety as well as the safety of their co-workers. A wide range of safety-related policies and programs help us accomplish this.

Employee engagement is a combination of satisfaction, advocacy, loyalty and pride. Every other year, our employees are asked to complete a survey to assess their engagement. To maintain employee confidentiality, the survey is administered by a third party. Employees and company leaders review aggregated results and then make changes to improve working conditions and job satisfaction.

Explore the ways we value and support our workforce in the Careers section.

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Ethical behavior is at the heart of the Sempra Energy culture – it is core to who we are and what we believe in. We expect our board members, officers and employees to demonstrate that commitment with actions, not just words. Our stakeholders – customers, regulators and community leaders – share in this expectation.

Our Code of Business Conduct covers a wide range of topics, including safety; discrimination and harassment-free workplace; confidentiality and privacy; environmental protection; charitable activities; political participation; anti-trust, anti-corruption and bribery; fair competition; conflicts of interest; information management; and securities trading. Our commitment to responsible and ethical behavior is further detailed in a range of other corporate policies, many of which are posted in the policies section of this website.

When stakeholders believe that our company is well managed and that we will do what we say, we build trust and have the opportunity to gain approval to construct, operate and enhance our energy infrastructure – and to continue to grow.

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The energy industry is in the midst of a period of rapid change. To continue to meet the needs of our shareholders, customers and employees, we must adapt to new threats and new opportunities:

• Improvements in sustainable energy  technology (more efficient solar panels, better batteries and smarter appliances);
• The increased availability of natural gas; 
• Changing emissions requirements; 
• Growing physical and cybersecurity threats; and 
• A rise in climate change-related concerns.

Our people will lead the way, analyzing new challenges – and implementing creative solutions.

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