DPR Austin office interior view
Who We Are

2023 Global Social Responsibility Annual Report

Building a Better Tomorrow

Global Social Responsibility (GSR) is a simple concept. We are responsible for the collective wellbeing of people and our planet. We all play a part in making our world a healthier, safer place for our friends, loved ones, partners and teammates.

GSR is also complex. Carrying out these responsibilities requires skilled coordination, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment. At DPR, we are committed and focused on what we call our four pillars of GSR: People, Partners, Planet, Philanthropy.

Through our 2023 annual report, you will learn more about the journey we are on and our desire to be integral and indispensable and make a distinctive impact. These are the strategic investments and efforts we are making to encourage positive change, and the goals we have set to enable even more growth as we build towards a better tomorrow.

construction site in progress
A Message from Leadership

What does it mean to be integral and indispensable?

For DPR, it means being a strong global citizen that has an outsized impact on the people and communities around us. It means that the people who are part of the DPR family, from our employees to their families, to our partners and customers, positively influence the world we live in. It means we give back in enough ways to be woven into the fabric of our communities, making a distinctive impact on the future.

A Company

On a Mission

We are on a mission to be most admired. We want to be recognized year after year for progressive and influential people practices. We want to be integral and indispensable to the communities in which we work and live. We want to transform the industry through quality and innovation that builds a better tomorrow.

To be the organization we want to be requires us to continuously think and act differently.

  • We are committed to building an industry-wide culture where individuals feel valued, respected, accepted, and able to build thriving careers. That means we model behaviors, use language, and create interactions that promote inclusivity and belonging for our people and diverse suppliers.
  • Climate change is real, and we must fight to protect our planet. Our path to regeneration is a roadmap for DPR’s vision to reduce carbon emissions and help build a more sustainable future.
  • Building possibilities for the under-resourced through facility construction/renovation, operational support, and career education and guidance for youth is our way of supporting the futures of our communities. We combine our unique skills and resources with careful selection of nonprofit partners to create genuine social change.

We are on a journey. Real change does not happen overnight. It happens over the course of time with thousands of individual actions that combined together to make a difference. Setting goals, measuring progress, and being transparent are key to upholding our commitments to our people, partners, planet, and communities. Like our customers and partners, we seek to change the world. But simply stating our intentions isn’t enough.

DPR’s inaugural Global Social Responsibility Annual Report is our way of communicating where we are at today (2023) and the steps we are taking to build a better, healthier tomorrow.

Ever forward,

George Pfeffer headshot

George Pfeffer, CEO

Cari Williams headshot

Cari Williams, Global Social Responsibility Leader

Frameworks for Impact

Keeping Score

In 2023, DPR shared the frameworks and strategies we are using to hold ourselves accountable and measure our progress towards making a distinct impact. Those include:

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of integrated calls to action and a blueprint to achieve a better future for all. We joined governments and businesses worldwide in adopting the SDGs as a global framework and aligning to them through efforts, including: quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequities, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action.

JUST label founded by the International Living Future Institute

DPR is the largest company and only general contractor to have voluntarily participated in the updated JUST 2.0 label. Joining a number of companies across industries, we share our JUST 2.0 label to provide analysis and insight into the company across six categories: diversity and inclusion, equity, employee health, employee benefits, stewardship, and purchasing and supply chain.

Contractor’s Commitment to Sustainable Building Practices by BuildingGreen

The Contractor’s Commitment is another way the industry has started assessing what it means to be a green contractor. Created by contractors for contractors, it’s a commitment and way to apply a yardstick to sustainability practices and measure progress on carbon reduction, jobsite wellness, waste management, water management and material selection.

GSR 2023 Highlights
2023 GSR Highlight

Construction Inclusion Week Launch

As a founding member of Construction Inclusion Week (CIW), DPR champions diversity, equity and inclusion through education, awareness, and training. Changing an industry takes conscious, collaborative work, and a deep commitment.

It’s that demonstrated commitment that has helped inspire an industry to join together every October to focus on boosting workplace culture and taking action to drive change. In 2023, the third annual CIW grew to more than 5,000 U.S. contractors and affiliate firms. Evolving from sustaining DEI in individual organizations to an industry wide effort, CIW included participation in every U.S. state as well as globally, including Europe, Asia, Canada and India.

DPR helped CIW achieve a 501(c)6 nonprofit status and create content and resources that enable firms to scale and sustain their own inclusion journey. Content concentrates on five daily themes each year:

  • Commitment & Accountability
  • Belonging
  • Supplier Diversity
  • Workplace Culture
  • Community Engagement

“Inclusion drives better decisions and better outcomes. We need to come together and make use of our collective journeys in order to create a future where all people can thrive.”

Jody Quinton
DPR Leadership Team Member

“If you don’t have inclusion, you lose the opportunity to catch a great idea, to get something that is from a perspective of someone who is perhaps underserved.”

Jose Garza
EHS

“While we’re focused on these five days, these concepts should be applied year-round. We want to engage deeply in conversations and would like everyone to make inclusion a part of each and every day.”

Cari Williams
Global Social Responsibility

2023 GSR Highlight

Pillar Talk Webinars

DPR’s journey is one where we listen and learn together. Throughout 2023, we hosted an internal monthly, companywide webinar, Pillar Talk, to highlight the four Pillars of GSR (People, Partners, Planet, Philanthropy). Each month, employees tuned in to listen and learn from the lived experiences of their teammates, as well as industry and community partners.

We realize that these conversations are only the first step toward building a true sense of belonging, environmental stewardship, supplier and community engagement. It has, however, made a difference according to our employees. Following are some comments captured during our 2023 Pillar Talks:

By Pillar 2023 Outcomes
Dig In

2023 Outcomes by Pillar

At DPR, being integral and indispensable is threaded into everything we do. Take a deeper dive into the 2023 outcomes and impact we’re making around DPR’s Four Pillars of GSR:

In 2023, we created a more diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment through launching employee resource groups, HBCU involvement and more. 

We're maximizing opportunities for diverse businesses. In 2023, we set the foundation from which to build a future supply chain that exemplifies inclusive engagement, collaboration and commerce.

With our Path to Regeneration launched in 2023, we have new performance metrics to track our progress toward building a healthier environment for people and the planet.

2023 was a big year in building possibilities for the under-resourced. We provided $1.3 million in volunteer renovations for nonprofit partners.