I am pleased to present GrafTech’s 2019 Sustainability Report. This is our inaugural Report, and we are excited to share with you our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and initiatives. With this Report, we aim to provide our stakeholders and the broader community a better understanding of our sharp focus on and plans for continued improvement of our ESG programs. Further, we want to highlight our dedicated employees who not only work hard for GrafTech, but also dedicate time giving back to our local communities and promoting open and transparent communications with its residents.
GrafTech is deeply committed to promoting and protecting the safety and well-being of our people. We are focused on improving our safety performance by enhancing existing programs and introducing new initiatives that hold all employees—from executives to the plant floor—accountable for keeping everyone safe, every day. Initiatives including our “Hands Off” and Crane Safety programs have helped to reduce our overall injury rate by 50% over the last two years. Our continued focus on safety performance has GrafTech achieving more than a 40% reduction in injuries for the first half of the 2020 compared to 2019. Further, safety is not just about the job itself but an overall focus on physical and mental well-being.
We believe it is important for GrafTech to better understand our ESG impacts and identify areas for particular focus on an ongoing basis, such as employing sound corporate governance practices, promoting diversity in our workforce, and continuing to make tangible progress on our environmental initiatives. As we navigate the unforeseen current crisis of the COVID-19 global pandemic, it has reinforced the importance of emergency scenario planning and the ability of a business to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. As we begin to manage the effects of the pandemic on our company, employees, and communities, we are continuing to find new ways to innovate. Moving forward, we plan to focus on expanding the tracking and monitoring of our sustainability data and setting additional ESG goals for the future.
Though we are proud of our inaugural Sustainability Report, we know that true progress on ESG topic management and performance is more than the Report itself. We have made exciting progress in important ESG components and recognize that further opportunities are within reach. GrafTech is primed to continue on this sustainability journey.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read our Report, and I welcome your questions and comments.
Sincerely,
David J. Rintoul, President & Chief Executive Officer