Purpose is what fuels transformation, and it’s more important now than ever. At Steelcase, that purpose drives us to design for the wellbeing of people and the planet — and this year, we’ve made meaningful strides. We’ve doubled the recycled content in our highest-performing task chairs, expanded our Circular by Steelcase services to keep furniture out of landfills and reduced scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 31% since 2019. We’re helping communities thrive through our Better Futures Community initiatives — 186 employee-led partnerships across 35 global locations foster inclusion, deepen local engagement and amplify impact. And we’re advancing our commitment to a net-zero future by transforming what we make, how we make it and how we deliver it — with every step grounded in science, integrity and collective action.

“When we build community and act with intention for both people and the planet, we create spaces where everyone can thrive,” notes Kim Dabbs, VP of Impact for Steelcase. “This impact report reflects our belief that better is always possible — and that progress is powered by collective action.”

Designing Impact With Community

The 2025 Steelcase Impact Report highlights how we advance community wellbeing through inclusive design, local partnerships and employee-led initiatives. Our annual Better Is Possible Design Challenge is one example — bringing together employees, Steelcase dealers and community partners across 15 cities to explore belonging — to create environments where everyone feels seen, heard and valued. Using a human-centered design framework, participants generated ideas that have already led to new partnerships and tangible social impact.

One such partnership emerged in Malaysia’s Belum-Temengor Rainforest. The Steelcase Changemakers team in Kuala Lumpur, our employee-led volunteer group, worked with the Pulau Banding Foundation to support Indigenous communities. What began as a climate-focused workshop evolved into on-the-ground action: fundraising for school uniforms, delivering supplies and planning clean water infrastructure — all rooted in local sustainability traditions.

Inclusion at Steelcase also showed up in bold, visible ways. Our employee-led Pride Business Inclusion Group partnered with Designtex and Steelcase designers to create  Addition Plus, a custom textile inspired by the colors in the Progress Pride flag. Each pattern is unique, symbolizing individuality and supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

We advanced our inclusive design practice with the help of Disability Advocates of Kent County, hosting accessibility learning sessions at our Grand Rapids offices. Employees learned directly from individuals with disabilities, whose feedback is now shaping product development and usability testing — ensuring spaces we create are welcoming to our employees and customers.

Steelcase also extends its impact to sailors aboard U.S. Navy aircraft carriers by providing Orangebox acoustic pods that offer service men and women privacy and a quiet space for rest or doing video calls with family and friends. This initiative was led by Steelcase Salutes, the company’s veteran-focused Business Inclusion Group, reinforcing its commitment to supporting service members and their families both inside and outside the organization.

A Net-Zero Future: Grounded in Action

The 2025 Steelcase Impact Report also reflects the urgency and ambition behind our environmental commitments — especially our pledge to reach net zero by 2050. That means eliminating over 90% of carbon emissions across our value chain, guided by science-based targets. Steelcase was the first in our industry — and remains the only — to publish a transparent, actionable net-zero transition plan.

One of our most significant achievements is doubling the recycled content in our most popular task chairs. As a result, more than 100 parts are no longer made from virgin plastics — reducing the chairs’ embodied carbon by 35% on average, representing meaningful progress on our path to net zero. Additional improvements include simplifying how parts fit together, clearly marking components for disassembly and documenting engineering details to support future remanufacturing. These changes help extend product life, minimize waste and promote circularity — all without compromising performance.

This commitment to net zero extends beyond our products — it’s reshaping how we operate every day across manufacturing, logistics and supply chains. Our Stribro plant in the Czech Republic became the first Steelcase manufacturing facility to cut carbon emissions by 50% from our baseline year, well ahead of our 2030 target across the organization. We achieved this milestone through efficiency upgrades, on-site solar investment and a cleaner electric grid. Across our operations, we’re also rethinking transportation logistics and packaging and reducing waste. And we’re working closely with suppliers to extend our impact. We celebrate the suppliers who achieved 2025 Steelcase Carbon Reduction Leader status, which recognizes suppliers who have committed to set science-based emissions reduction targets.

Because products are our largest source of emissions, we’re designing for circularity — creating furniture that lasts longer, can be repaired or reused, and is easier to disassemble and recycle. Through programs like Circular by Steelcase, we’re helping customers keep products in use longer, reducing waste and creating new opportunities for furniture to be used again through donation or remanufacturing.

In nature, there is no waste – everything continues the circle. By designing with circularity in mind, we’re helping our clients be more sustainable while ensuring a steady flow of resources. It’s not just good for the planet – it’s smart business.

Michael HeldSteelcase Vice President of Global Design

We’re also constantly exploring new materials through initiatives like our Sustainable Materials Summit. There, cross-functional teams reimagined the environmental impact of foam, plastics, metals and wood, surfacing bold ideas that are now being prototyped for future product development.

Whether fostering belonging through inclusive spaces and community partnerships or advancing a net-zero future through bold environmental action, we believe having purpose isn’t just a statement — it’s a strategy that benefits the wellbeing of people and our planet.

Download our 2025 Impact Report to learn more about our work for people and the planet.