Meritage Homes Releases 2024 Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility Report
Meritage Homes Corporation , widely recognized as the fifth-largest homebuilder in the United States, has announced the publication of its 2024 Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Report (the “2024 Report”). The report, previously released under the name Environmental, Social and Governance Report, reflects the Company’s broadened approach to sustainability and its strong emphasis on responsibility to all stakeholders, including customers, employees, shareholders, and the communities where Meritage operates.
By renaming the report, Meritage signals a deeper alignment of its business strategy, culture, and values with the pressing needs of the global community. The 2024 Report highlights significant achievements in energy efficiency, climate-related disclosures, workplace culture, and philanthropy, reinforcing Meritage’s commitment to advancing responsible growth in the homebuilding sector.
A Renewed Commitment to Sustainability and Responsibility
For Meritage, sustainability is more than a regulatory requirement or marketing narrative—it is a defining principle of how the company designs, builds, and delivers homes. With increasing demand for affordable housing that does not compromise environmental stewardship, Meritage has continued to innovate and embed efficiency and responsibility into every stage of its operations.
Chief Executive Officer Phillippe Lord emphasized this dual commitment:
“Through our ongoing innovation and focus on operational efficiencies, Meritage delivers both sustainability and affordability to our homebuyers. We build homes that meet customer needs while advancing our broader commitment to corporate responsibility and positioning our business for long-term growth. This approach reflects our brand promise of delivering a Life.Built.Better.® not just for our customers, but also our employees, realtors, vendor partners, shareholders and the communities in which we live and operate.”
Lord’s remarks underscore a philosophy that combines affordability with innovation, proving that environmentally responsible practices can coexist with customer value and shareholder returns.
Evolving the Report: From ESG to Corporate Responsibility
One of the key changes in 2024 is the evolution of the report’s name. Chief Financial Officer Hilla Sferruzza explained the reasoning:
“Building on our commitment to integrity and transparency, we have updated this year’s report name to Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, which we believe best reflects the foundation of our strategy, relationships and actions each and every day. Further, to better capture our core values and all of our people-focused initiatives in the workplace, we have also revised our use of the term ‘DEI’ to Inclusion, Culture and Belonging.”
By moving away from a technical ESG label to a broader, values-driven framework, Meritage highlights its belief that responsibility is about people and culture as much as it is about metrics and compliance. The shift from “DEI” (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) to Inclusion, Culture, and Belonging represents a meaningful step toward prioritizing employee well-being and workplace identity.
Highlights from the 2024 Repor
The 2024 Report provides both measurable achievements and cultural milestones that reinforce Meritage’s role as a leader in sustainable homebuilding. Some of the most notable highlights include:
1. Energy Efficiency Leadership
- Delivered over 15,500 ENERGY STAR® certified homes in 2024.
- Achieved an average HERS Index score of 49, a notable year-over-year improvement, meaning Meritage homes are 51% more energy-efficient than a typical home built in 2006.
- These metrics reaffirm Meritage’s leadership in sustainable construction and its ability to deliver homes that minimize energy use, reduce utility bills, and contribute to broader emissions reduction efforts.
2. Climate and Emissions Transparency
- Enhanced the accuracy of the Company’s greenhouse gas accounting inventory across scopes 1–3 by adopting best-practice calculation methodologies.
- By refining emissions data and reporting, Meritage strengthens its transparency and provides investors and regulators with a clearer understanding of its environmental impact.
3. Workplace Recognition and Culture
- For the second consecutive year, Meritage achieved Great Place to Work® Certified status, demonstrating its dedication to cultivating a positive and inclusive workplace.
- Introduced the Meritage Cares Assistance Fund, an employer-sponsored relief program offering tax-advantaged financial support to eligible employees facing hardship.
4. Philanthropy and Community Engagement
- Celebrated ten years of charitable giving through Meritage Cares, the Company’s foundation dedicated to causes chosen by employees.
- Over the past decade, Meritage Cares has become a cornerstone of the Company’s commitment to giving back, aligning corporate resources with employee passions to maximize social impact.
Building Homes, Building Communities
The 2024 Report paints a holistic picture of Meritage’s operations. Beyond just building homes, the Company is building stronger, more resilient communities. With affordability and sustainability at the center of its value proposition, Meritage addresses pressing challenges in the U.S. housing market.
The emphasis on energy efficiency ensures that homebuyers not only purchase a place to live but also gain long-term savings on utility costs, a crucial factor amid rising energy prices. At the same time, corporate programs like the Meritage Cares Assistance Fund highlight the Company’s recognition of the importance of supporting its workforce during times of need.
Alignment with Global Frameworks
Meritage continues to align its disclosures with globally recognized standards, including:
- Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)
- Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
- United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs)
- Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
These frameworks provide stakeholders with transparency and comparability, ensuring that Meritage’s progress is measured against rigorous global benchmarks.
As Meritage reflects on its 2024 progress, the Company is setting its sights on the future. With the U.S. housing sector facing evolving challenges—ranging from climate risks to affordability concerns—Meritage’s strategy positions it to meet both consumer expectations and regulatory demands.
The Company’s deliberate integration of energy efficiency, workplace culture, and community engagement ensures that sustainability is not treated as a side initiative, but rather as a core element of long-term growth.
By embedding responsibility into its DNA, Meritage continues to prove that corporate responsibility and profitability are not mutually exclusive. Instead, they are interdependent drivers of success in a competitive and changing marketplace.
The publication of the 2024 Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Report reaffirms Meritage Homes’ leadership in sustainable homebuilding and corporate citizenship. With measurable gains in energy efficiency, a culture that prioritizes belonging, and a decade-long track record of philanthropy, Meritage stands as an example of how a homebuilder can deliver more than just homes—it can deliver a vision for a sustainable future.
As the Company continues to innovate, adapt, and grow, its brand promise of Life.Built.Better.® resonates louder than ever, extending not only to its customers but to its employees, shareholders, and the communities it serves.
