Month: March 2023

Originally published on Built From Scratch

Ashley Harris comes from a family of veterans. When she graduated from high school, she wanted to honor their legacy by enlisting in the U.S. Army. After eight years of service as a combat medic, she began her transition to civilian life with the help of The Home Depot Foundation’s Path to Pro program.  

Ashley says the Foundation’s mission to fill the skilled labor gap and diversify the skilled trades industry is both important and “extremely necessary.” Now working as an Industrial Electrical Apprentice, she’s sharing her story in hopes of inspiring other women to pursue this kind of career. Her goal is to own her own company and employ other veterans looking to make a similar transition.  

The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation are committed to educating more people in the skilled trades and helping them find careers in the home improvement industry through our Path to Pro program.

Since the program’s inception, the Foundation’s trades-focused partnerships have trained more than 29,000 participants and introduced more than 126,000 people to the skilled trades. Learn more at PathtoPro.com.

Keep up with all the latest Home Depot news! Subscribe to our bi-weekly news update and get the top Built from Scratch stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Keysight has long prioritized the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). For decades, that prioritization has shone through in our leadership, hiring decisions, and commitment to ensuring every employee feels respected, valued, and appreciated in the workplace.

Keysight’s goal is two-fold: to cultivate an environment where all employees experience equality in opportunities, contributions, and rewards and, furthermore, to lead other organizations toward a more connected, innovative, and equitable society.

Today, the company is proud to announce that they achieved a significant milestone in their DEI leadership journey. Keysight joins 483 other companies headquartered in over 45 countries and regions as a member of the prestigious 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI).

About the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index

Bloomberg believes it has “never been more critical for a company to demonstrate its commitment to solving for gender inequality” and is adamant that transparency regarding gender-related business practices is a crucial element in driving large-scale, lasting change worldwide. To support these efforts, Bloomberg “developed an index to track the performance of those companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation, and transparency.”

This rigorous index is backed by a framework that “defines a set of metrics used to determine a company’s progress towards equal representation of gender throughout the levels of the organization, commitment to gender equality goals, policies in place to reduce the impact of familial stresses and responsibilities on the workplace, and progress towards positive impact on women outside of the employee base.”

Companies reporting their data through the Bloomberg Gender Reporting Framework are scored on both level of disclosure and across five pillars of data excellence: leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, anti-sexual harassment policies, and external brand.

Keysight’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts earn a spot on Bloomberg’s prestigious index

Companies included in the index are not ranked; however, we can share that Keysight’s results were above average for its overall GEI score, well above average in the pillars of equal pay and gender pay parity, and inclusive culture, and 100% on its disclosure score.

Keysight led the way in gender equity via tactics like equal pay for equal work and led by example in its commitment to transparency.

While the average gender pay gap among 2023 GEI members is 17%, Keysight reports a worldwide gender pay parity ratio of nearly 1:1, representing almost no gender pay gap at all.

“We believe transparency is key to building an equitable work environment, “said Ingrid Estrada, Chief People, and Administrative Officer. “Through proactive disclosure, we keep our stakeholders apprised of Keysight’s progress and hold ourselves accountable for demonstrating continuous improvement, which is core to our values.”

Keysight celebrates being recognized as a company setting an example for its peers and refocuses on gender equity goals, and continues to identify opportunities for improvement. In FY23, the company again set goals to improve the representation of women and underrepresented minorities (U.S. only) and increase the number of new hires identifying as women and underrepresented minorities (U.S. only).

Keysight’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion fuels our mission

As Keysight and its diverse workforce continue the mission of accelerating innovation to connect and secure the world, we thank Bloomberg for underscoring the importance of diversity and transparency today and in the future of work and for providing a detailed framework for reference as the company strives to foster an environment that is more inclusive, more respectful, and more empowering to every employee. We especially thank Keysight employees who dedicate their time and energy to advancing the company’s DEI initiatives and improving the world at large.

Learn more about the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index or Keysight’s commitment to four DEI pillars — advancing STEM, assembling a diverse team, fostering inclusion for everyone, and creating a place to thrive — in the most recent annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion report.

March 9, 2023 /3BL Media/ – In a new case study, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) analyzes how Kipster, a Netherlands-based egg producer, has successfully expanded into the US market while maintaining a focus on carbon neutrality, animal welfare, and using surplus food for animal feed. The company has expanded to demonstrate the possibility of its circular business model for animal protein being both viable and profitable in the US, despite differing regulations, operating norms, and consumer cultures.

A circular business model is designed to provide a product that, from source to end-of-life, has a net-zero or net-positive impact on the planet. This can be accomplished through efficiency, reusing or creating value from what would traditionally be considered waste, avoiding virgin material inputs, and/or negating carbon and other resource use.

“There’s definitely some skepticism that a truly circular business model for animal protein can work in the US at a large scale. But Kipster has risen to the challenge and is working to prove that it can be done,” said Katherine Devine, director of business case development with WWF’s Markets Institute. “Importantly, the company has also opened up the doors to show exactly how they are working through these challenges. That kind of transparency is exactly what we need to propel the entire industry forward to a more sustainable future.”

Kipster debuted a first-of-its-kind farm in the Netherlands in 2017, with a circular, carbon-neutral, animal-friendly egg production model. In 2021, the company expanded production into the US, reaching select markets in 2022, with additional markets planned for 2023. WWF’s case study details how Kipster’s practices differ from conventional egg production—including feed sources, animal environments, and raising roosters for meat—and how it has replicated that model in the US.

Sandra Vijn, Kipster’s managing director for the US, added: “At Kipster, we’re guided by core beliefs that farm animals should contribute to a sustainable and healthy food system; humans must respect the emotions and instincts of farm animals; and that crops should be grown for human food, not for animal feed. We’re proof that a business can operate successfully without compromising our principles.”

Read the case study here: Kipster’s Journey toward US Expansion

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Media Contact:

Lorin Hancock, Lorin.Hancock@wwfus.org

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About World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working for 60 years in nearly 100 countries to help people and nature thrive. With the support of 1.3 million members in the United States and more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment, and combat the climate crisis. Visit worldwildlife.org to learn more; follow @WWFNews on Twitter to keep up with the latest conservation news; and sign up for our newsletter and news alerts here.

Originally published on Morgan Stanley Insights

Climate change and gender equity are both top-of-mind sustainability topics for investors. More than 80% of asset owners surveyed currently invest to combat climate change or plan to do so, while close to half are investing, or planning to, in gender diversity, according to the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing’s latest Sustainable Signals report. 

But many investors may not realize that the issues of climate change and gender equity are highly interconnected. Investors looking to address climate issues holistically, including funding a “just transition” to a low-carbon economy that is fair, inclusive and has decent work opportunities for everyone, should assess and consider targeting solutions at the intersection of climate-related issues and gender equity.

There are three specific areas in which interested investors can help tackle climate change and unlock opportunities for millions of women and girls worldwide:

Water scarcity: In 2020, 1.7 billion people did not have a dedicated, safe water supply.1 This burden is worsening as climate change reduces the amount of available water due to drought, saltwater intrusion and the increasing runoff of pollutants and sediment.2 This has a disproportionate impact on women, who often carry the burden of collecting water for their households, taking them away from education or paid work.3Natural disasters: Women often take on additional caring responsibilities for those affected by natural disasters often catalyzed by a changing climate, increasing the time they spend on unpaid domestic labor.4 In addition, disruption following natural disasters is associated with higher rates of violence against women and girls. Examples include the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2011 Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand, after which there were reports of widespread rape and an increase in intimate partner violence.5Access to electricity: India illustrates one example of the obstacles that women and girls face when they don’t have reliable access to electricity. Grid limitations in India have hampered the transition from coal toward renewable energy sources, and as a result, women and girls are burdened with the collection of solid fuels for heating, lighting and cooking, taking time away from other activities.6 Globally, two million women and children die prematurely each year from illnesses related to indoor air pollution, primarily from cooking with solid fuels.7

How Investors Can Address Climate Change and Gender Equity

By assessing how their investments in climate-related issues might disproportionately affect at-risk female populations, investors have the potential to expand the breadth of their impact. One way for investors to do this is by considering what the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing calls “Scope 3” gender issues for companies, or the impact of a company’s operations on women and girls around the world.

For example, investments seeking to modernize grid infrastructure have a primary goal of enabling access to reliable and sustainable electricity to more people, while also reducing carbon emissions. But these investments also have the potential to reduce the time women and girls spend collecting solid fuels for the household, therefore providing more opportunities for paid work or education.

Framing a Gender Company’s Footprint
Using a carbon emissions analogy, Scope 1 gender issues are relatively easy to track, but Scope 2 and 3 affect many more women worldwide.

*See chart above

Investors can use this framework above to map a company’s footprint on gender issues, while also identifying opportunities to invest on issues at the intersection of climate and gender, especially in the “Scope 3” category. In addition, institutional investors and self-directed retail investors can follow these best practices to address both gender equity and climate change in their investment strategies:

Seek investments explicitly targeting climate-related issues affecting women.Consider how existing investments in climate change or water solutions may affect women specifically.Screen for gender metrics alongside water- and carbon-intensity metrics, especially for investors following exclusionary investing approaches. Ask companies operating in highly water- and/or carbon-intensive industries to quantify, and then reduce, their operational impact on at-risk female communities.Include gender issues in proxy voting guidelines or cooperate with third parties to raise the issue of gender in climate-related investments. Incorporate gender and climate considerations into investment belief statements or fund prospectuses.

Footnotes

1Progress on Household Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, 2000 – 2020, WHO/Unicef joint monitoring programme. Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, 2000-2020: Five years into the SDGs – UNICEF DATA

2 https://www.epa.gov/arc-x/climate-adaptation-and-source-water-impacts

3 https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-collecting-water-often-colossal-waste-time-women-and-girls

4 World Bank, Gender Dimensions of Disaster Risk and Resilience https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/35202/Gender-Dimensions-of-Disaster-Risk-and-Resilience-Existing-Evidence.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

5 Natural hazards, disasters and violence against women and girls: a global mixed-methods systematic review. BMJ Global Health, May 2021 https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/natural-disasters-increase-triggers-for-violence-against-women-and-girls/

6 Supporting Just Transitions in India, March 2021, Climate Investment Fund Project_Report.pdf (teriin.org)

7 UNDP Linkages Gender and CC Policy Brief 1-WEB.pdf

Disclosures

This material was published on March 7, 2023, and has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any security or other financial instrument, or to participate in any trading strategy. This material does not provide individually tailored investment advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. Securities discussed in this material may not be appropriate for all investors. It should not be assumed that the securities transactions or holdings discussed were or will be profitable. Morgan Stanley recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments and strategies and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor.

This material contains forward-looking statements and there can be no guarantee that they will come to pass.  Past performance is not a guarantee of future results or indicative of future performance.

Information contained in this material is based on data from multiple sources and Morgan Stanley makes no representation as to the accuracy or completeness of data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley.

Morgan Stanley makes every effort to use reliable, comprehensive information, but we make no guarantee that it is accurate or complete. We have no obligation to tell you when opinions or information in this material may change.

Because of their narrow focus, sector investments tend to be more volatile than investments that diversify across many sectors and companies.

The returns on a portfolio consisting primarily of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) aware investments may be lower or higher than a portfolio that is more diversified or where decisions are based solely on investment considerations. Because ESG criteria exclude some investments, investors may not be able to take advantage of the same opportunities or market trends as investors that do not use such criteria. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining financial market.

The guest speakers at the Sustainable Investing Summit are neither employees nor affiliated with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC or Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). Opinions expressed by the guest speakers are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley.

Information contained in the material is based on data from multiple sources and Morgan Stanley makes no representation as to the accuracy or completeness of data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. References to third parties contained herein should not be considered a solicitation on behalf of or an endorsement of those entities by Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information contained on any third-party web site or your use of or inability to use such site, nor do we guarantee its accuracy or completeness. The terms, conditions, and privacy policy of any third-party web site may be different from those applicable to your use of any Morgan Stanley web site. The opinions expressed by the author of an article written by a third party are solely his/her own and do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and data provided by any third-party web site or publication is as of the date of the article when it was written and is subject to change without notice.

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