Month: April 2023

Originally published on NRG Energy Insights

Earth Month is a time that reminds us of the importance that nature and the great outdoors have in our lives. Whether it’s climbing mountains or cultivating an oasis in our backyards, a sense of well-being comes from stepping outside and enjoying a beautiful day.

We are excited to share the inspiring ways some of our people “invest in the planet.”

Marty Sidor, Director, Regulatory Compliance

A member of our regulatory compliance team, Marty and his wife have been avid gardeners for 40 years. Beginning as a way to economically feed the family, the Sidors’ Garden has continued to evolve and expand over the years — now encompassing three large, raised beds of organic vegetables — and has inspired a family tradition with each of Marty’s children and grandchildren dedicated to growing and caring for their own family gardens.

What inspired you to start gardening?

I was inspired by my grandma who relied on her garden to survive back in Europe and brought her passion with her when she moved to the United States. As the oldest grandson, I was always the person to dig and plant her garden in the Chicago area. I learned from her early about the need to care for the limited land we have, and it is a value my wife and I wanted to pass on to our kids.

Why do you feel growing your food is so important?

With the produce we grow, we maintain a healthy and varied diet on a budget. We grow about 12-15 different veggies each year and store what we can by canning or freezing. It’s satisfying to eat home-grown roasted green chiles or frozen okra in mid-winter meals. Late last summer, my wife made and froze 50 stuffed Italian peppers that make a quick dinner on busy days.

Beyond that, we have also had the opportunity to share the fruits of our labor — with our neighbors and co-workers — as well as donate to the local food bank, which accepts garden-grown food in the summer. For us, gardening is more than a personal passion project; it’s been a way to connect with those in our neighborhood and community, and we hope we have inspired others to give growing their own food a try.

What does “invest in the planet” mean to you?

My grandma made sure I understood that we are short-term stewards of the land we work on and need to tend it so those who follow can find success on the same plot of land. We try to minimize our footprint on the planet by composting our kitchen scraps with leaves and yard waste to build up the soil for next year, allowing us to control what goes into the garden beds.

We also take advantage of what some may call “debris” for positive use. We grow shiitake mushrooms by inoculating fresh-cut oak limbs that were trimmed in our neighborhood. Using this debris to grow food instead of grinding it into mulch or burning it as firewood is a better path to long-term sustainability. These efforts are how we invest in our personal health and the long-term health of the planet.

Robbie Kerbak, Product Manager, Goal Zero

Carrying everything he needed on his back, Robbie has traveled around much of the United States — and a fair part of the world — to combine his passions for hiking and making a difference. Whether it’s challenging himself to hike the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails or joining humanitarian trips to Bolivia and Nepal, Robbie has passion and appreciation for immersing himself in nature.

What was your experience hiking the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails like?

For some background, the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail are long-distance hiking trails. The Appalachian Trail is on the East Coast of the United States and is close to 2,190 miles, running from northern Georgia into Maine. The Pacific Crest Trail is located on the West Coast of the United States and goes from the Mexican border in Southern California to the Canadian border in northern Washington and spans 2,650 miles.

In the past 10 years, I have hiked both trails. To cover that distance took 4-5 months, hiking 20-30 miles a day every day. We carried everything on our backs including stove, clothes, and food, and just camped outside on the trail along the way as we walked through some of the most remote wilderness in the United States.

It was a memorable experience and a time I remember with fondness.

I know you have also been involved with several of Goal Zero’s humanitarian trips. How was that experience?

I have had the opportunity to take part in two of Goal Zero’s humanitarian trips. First, in 2016, I was able to join a trip to Nepal, specifically to a remote region near Mount Everest. During the trip to Nepal, our group hiked from the lower foothill region up toward a Mount Everest base camp. Along the way, we installed solar panels, batteries, and lights for some clinics, a dentist, an office, and schools. In some areas, we installed some water filtration systems to help combat water pollution issues.

Then just last year, I was able to go on another trip to Bolivia. Hiking to a remote area in the jungle, the communities we went to help had been unknown until about 15 to 20 years ago. Given their need to quickly adapt to a very different world, they were looking for resources that could help them learn and assimilate. To meet their needs, we provided computer labs and installed lights, solar panels, and batteries so that they could run a variety of equipment. These tools would allow the community to reach out to the wider world, tell their story, and regain some ownership and power over the jungle they live in.

What are some of your most memorable moments from these experiences?

One thing I took away from these hikes is how therapeutic the experience was. During a major hike, when all you are focusing on is the next step, it’s crazy how fast all of the stresses of life melt away. For me, adding nature into the experience — whether it’s hiking, fishing, or some other activity — seems to trigger a meditative state and truly helps me reset.

From my humanitarian trips, the most memorable moments were when I was engaging with 13 to 16-year-old kids in Bolivia, who had never experienced a touch screen, a smartphone, or a laptop. Providing and setting up laptops in the village, we got to watch, in real-time, as these kids experienced modern technology for the first time and connected the dots about everything they now had access to. Learning about each kid’s interests, we helped personalize these laptops to be the best tools for them, and getting to watch them learn and explore was such a powerful moment.

What inspired your love for the outdoors?

I’ve always enjoyed backpacking and hiking. I grew up in rural Wyoming spending tons of time outside in nature and exploring the remote areas around where I lived. My passion for the outdoors progressed as I grew up, and I started taking backpacking trips for a few nights then week-long trips until I was inspired by conversations with friends to challenge myself and tackle these long trails.

These trips have become a passion and a bit of an obsession, and I can’t help but continue to try new trails both in the U.S. and abroad.

What does “invest in the planet” mean to you?

The word investment speaks volumes. Investing in our planet, to me, means that whatever you take out also needs to be put back in. It is important to be conscious of the impact that we all have every day on the planet and those around us. Take the time to think about what you can do to reduce your footprint or help others around you. Invest by making a social or environmental impact.

Pat Hammond, Senior Director, Communications

From bustling marine life to a perfect place for swimming and boating, Pat has always seen Galveston Bay as another home. Enjoyed by generations of her family, when given the opportunity to join the Galveston Bay Foundation as a Board member, she was ready to help conserve the place that was dear to her heart and the community.

What inspired you to get involved with the Galveston Bay Foundation?

My family has a home that’s been in our family now for four generations — my grandparents, my parents, me, and now my children — on East Galveston Bay that holds a lot of memories for all of us.

I learned to swim in Galveston Bay. I’ve been fishing on it since I was old enough to hold a cane pole. I have incredibly fond memories of being on my father’s boat while he used a shrimp net to trawl for live bait. When he brought in the net, I watched as marine life spilled into a bucket at the back of the boat.

Being at the Bay is kind of a family tradition. It’s a really strong connection for me and taking part in conserving it seems only right. So, I was honored to join the foundation as a Board member.

What is the Galveston Bay Foundation’s mission? What is your role in the organization?

The Galveston Bay Foundation is a conservation organization that is working hard to preserve and conserve the Bay for generations to come. Focused on education, water protection, and land conservation, among other things the nonprofit works to ensure that the Bay stays brimming with vitality and contributes to the community in every possible way. They plant marsh grass to try to preserve the coastline and Bay from erosion; their land conservation program helps folks get conservation easements; they work with school children to educate them about local marine life; and they do so much more.

What does “invest in the planet” mean to you?

I mean, the planet is a really big thing. I’m not sure that I can wrap my arms around the planet. What I can wrap my arms around is what’s happening in my yard, in my space, in my city, in my sphere. For me, investing in the planet means putting time, effort, donations, or however, you choose to contribute, towards your home and Galveston Bay feels like home to me.

Getting Involved

For those looking to get involved in their communities — or just in their backyards — we asked our avid nature lovers to give some advice on how to get started.

For those interested in gardening or farming, Marty suggests:

We started very small by growing veggies and herbs we liked in coffee cans (remember those?) on the balcony of our first apartment. Grow what you like to eat! Read up on organic gardening; take and save notes about what works, what didn’t, and why; and most importantly, learn from your failures. When you get to taste the product you grew in your garden, you will be ready for the next year and the next adventure.

For those with a passion or a budding interest in hiking, Robbie recommends:

It doesn’t have to be on a massive scale — a huge hike or huge humanitarian project — that takes you across the world. Start small and find something local that inspires you to get involved or get started. In terms of hiking, what has led me to these bigger more extensive trips was finding an activity that I loved, fostering that interest, and before I knew it, I wanted to go and hike thousands of miles. The best place to start is your backyard.

And, lastly for those looking to get involved locally, Pat says:

There are so many ways to get involved in your neighborhood. You can join your Neighborhood Association, get involved with your church group, or look to your workplace to see if they are promoting or advertising volunteer opportunities. Don’t feel pressured to stick to a schedule or a particular cause, make sure what you do fits into your life and is something you enjoy being a part of. There is no right way to get involved or stay involved. Just take a step and see where it leads. You might be surprised about what comes from it.

We hope these stories have inspired you to bring nature into your everyday life. Learn more about how NRG is investing in our planet.

Every year, Make-A-Wish, the organization that grants life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, celebrates World Wish Day® on April 29, the anniversary of the wish that inspired the founding of Make-A-Wish in 1980. As the countdown to World Wish Day continues all throughout April, Make-A-Wish is launching a bold, fundraising-focused campaign titled, “Don’t Wait for Hope. Create it.”

The inspiration for “Don’t Wait for Hope. Create it.” stems from the fact that wish families have been some of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Feelings of fear and isolation have become commonplace for everyone, but they are often felt deepest by the most vulnerable members of the population, including children with critical illnesses. Now more than ever, wishes can bring hope, joy and a sense of normalcy back into the lives of wish kids and their families. “Don’t Wait for Hope. Create it.” empowers individuals and corporations to donate to make life-changing wishes possible for children who are waiting for their wishes to come true.

“With our new campaign, we are focused on conveying urgency and driving action because Make-A-Wish is uniquely qualified to deliver hope to children with critical illnesses and their families at a time when they need it most,” said Richard K. Davis, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. “Through a wish come true, we are able to give wish kids a piece of their childhood back – and every child deserves a childhood.”

Between now and World Wish Day, several Make-A-Wish national sponsors will showcase their support for the wish-granting organization, including Macy’s, Avis, City Electric Supply, FabFitFun, Keebler, Marquis®, Topgolf and WWE.

Learn more and help at wish.org.

About Make-A-Wish 
Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, operating in every community in the United States and in nearly 50 countries worldwide. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 30,000 volunteers across the U.S., Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. Make-A-Wish aims to bring the power of wishing to every child with a critical illness because wish experiences can help improve emotional and physical health. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 500,000 wishes worldwide; more than 340,000 wishes in the U.S. and its territories alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

Anthony Hingle was ready for a new beginning. Sentenced for a felony in 1988, he spent 32 years in the Louisiana State Penitentiary (commonly known as Angola). After a vacated conviction and amended charge, he was released in April 2021 on time already served.

Embracing his second chance, Mr. Hingle found employment at VOTE (Voice of the Experienced), an organization dedicated to advocating and organizing for criminal justice reform. A short commute from his home in New Orleans, the job offered him the promise of reacclimating to society while earning a living wage for his family.

Mr. Hingle and his wife owned two vehicles, but when a minor accident left them without the means to repair his car, they had to make do the best they could with only one. Commuting to his job became much more difficult, a situation that impacted his entire family.

Thinking back on that time, “it was a real strain on the family, being forced to share one car,” Mr. Hingle recalled.

​Mr. Hingle heard from a friend about the Fountain Fund which provides low-interest loans and financial coaching to formerly incarcerated people, helping them build credit and stabilize their finances.

“It almost sounded too good to be true and I had a lot of questions,” said Mr. Hingle.

The Fountain Fund: Enabling Life-Changing Opportunities 

Paul Yates, Director of Economic Empowerment at the Fountain Fund is used to that type of skepticism. “Our clients are used to hearing ‘no’ every time they try to better their situation through things like loans,” he explained. “We don’t tell them ‘no’, we advise them on the specific steps they need to take. Many people tell us that it’s the first time someone has believed in them, the first time someone trusted them. You can see the change in their confidence. They’re so used to people saying no. We try to figure out how to get them to yes.”

After meeting with the Fountain Fund, Mr. Hingle was told he would be able to get a loan to repair his car. They offered him 24-month repayment terms with 3% interest, much lower than the typical 17-18% interest a bank would offer, if he could even qualify for a loan.

“After a 32-year sentence, most places say you need at least two years of credit building and I couldn’t qualify,” said Mr. Hingle.

In addition to loans, the Fountain Fund helps loan recipients by reporting their loan payments to the major credit bureaus to help people build credit. They also offer one-on-one financial coaching services and, when clients are ready, assistance with setting up saving accounts and opening credit cards. To date, the Fountain Fund has dispersed more than $1.5 million in small dollar amount loans, with more than $750,000 paid back and supporting additional recipients.

For Mr. Hingle, the Fountain Fund helped set up his loan, ensured he had the ability to repay it, and made it seamless to make payments. With the loan secured, he was able to repair his car, easing his family’s daily stress over their commute and giving precious time back for them to be together.

Expanding access to credit and affordable small dollar loans

Thanks to recent grant funding from the Wells Fargo Foundation and CBA Fund, a CDFI intermediary, the Fountain Fund has been able to expand its credit building loans to New Orleans and other communities.

As part of Wells Fargo’s commitment to opening pathways to financial inclusion, Wells Fargo provided $1.65 million in grant funding to CBA Fund in 2021 to expand access to small dollar consumer loans which can help families reduce debt, build credit and savings, and start building wealth. CBA Fund was able to provide loan capital, capacity building grants and technical assistance to 14 nonprofit leaders, including Foundation Fund, ultimately helping hundreds of consumers like Mr. Hingle access safe and affordable credit to meet their short-term cash needs while helping establish or improve their credit scores.

“[The loan] meant a lot,” he explained. “It took away unnecessary strain and worry around whose turn it would be to be late or how we would get our granddaughter to school. Today, I’m able to start off my day well, knowing I can get to work on time. The Fountain Fund put me back in a situation where I can live my life more freely without having to worry about transportation.”

​For more information about CBA Fund and how it empowers life-changing organizations like the Fountain Fund, visit: https://www.creditbuildersalliance.org/cba-services/cba-fund/

Tensie Whelan, director of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business, returns to ESG Talk. Tensie is joined by Kelly Fisher, head of corporate sustainability at HSBC Bank USA, alongside Workiva’s Mandi McReynolds. The group shares case studies showcasing how companies are driving financial performance with sustainable investments and urges business leaders to reconsider how they measure ESG’s ROI.

Listen Now

Looking for more? Subscribe to the ESG Talk podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, and YouTube. 

Originally published on April 19, 2023

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. /3BL Media/ – ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year LG Electronics USA is helping U.S. consumers make smart energy choices with its newest dishwashers that have earned the coveted ENERGY STAR “Most Efficient 2023” designation due to their leading energy efficiency and cutting-edge technology.

LG dishwashers that received the 2023 ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2023 designation can save homeowners up to $1,9001 and over 100,000 gallons of water (versus hand washing) over a 12-year period, which is the average lifespan of a dishwasher.

ENERGY STAR Most Efficient dishwashers include LG’s new smart top-control unit with one-hour wash-and-dry capability using the QuadWash™ Pro and Dynamic Heat Dry™ features (model LDTH7972S). This innovative combination of technologies delivers a rapid and sparkling clean in just one hour, making this one of the most effective and time-efficient dishwashers on the market.

According to the EPA, LG was the first ENERGY STAR Partner to certify models to the “Version 7” dishwasher specification – models that also meet the new ENERGY STAR Most Efficient criteria. To be eligible for the Most Efficient 2023 designation, products have to meet the recognition criteria outlined by the EPA, along with a cleaning performance floor.2 So far this year, 10 LG models meet the criteria, making LG one of the top listers of ENERGY STAR Most Efficient dishwashers.

Dishwashers that earn this environmental distinction must outperform the federal minimum standard with less than or equal to an annual energy use of 240 kilowatt-hours and water consumption of less than or equal to 3.2 gallons per cycle.3 LG’s new models use only 238 kilowatt-hours-per-year of electricity and only 2.9 gallons of water per cycle. ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2023 LG dishwasher models also meet per-cycle Cleaning Index requirements.4

“As ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, LG is committed to producing energy-efficient products that deliver environmental benefits,” said Victor Jacobia, dishwasher product manager at LG Electronics USA. “With our new ENERGY STAR Most Efficient dishwashers, consumers can have peace of mind knowing they are saving energy, time and money while helping to protect the environment.”

LG’s commitment to ENERGY STAR aligns with the company’s mission to reduce carbon emissions by 2030 from the use of seven major product categories by 20 percent by 2030, while LG intends to expand its cumulative use of recycled plastics in its products to 600,000 tons over the next seven years.

At the same time, LG is working toward carbon neutrality by cutting emissions from operations through various measures such as high efficient buildings, fleet electrification and carbon offset projects. LG Electronics is pursuing a company-wide goal for 100 percent renewable energy in its worldwide operations by 2050.

For more information on LG’s full line of dishwashers and ENERGY STAR certified products, visit LG.com.

EDITOR’S NOTES:

Based on the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2023 Dishwashers Recognition Criteria released September 2022.

1 When using an electric water heater.

2 Product performance must be certified by a certification body recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

3 Determined by the U.S. Department of Energy test procedure 10 CFR 430, Subpart B, Appendix C1.

4 Assessed under the ENERGY STAR Test Method for Determining Residential Dishwasher Cleaning Performance.

About LG Electronics USA

Ten-time ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $68 billion global innovator in technology and manufacturing. In the United States, LG sells a wide range of innovative home appliances, home entertainment products, commercial displays, air conditioning systems, energy solutions and vehicle components. The company’s commitment to environmental sustainability and its “Life’s Good” marketing theme encompass how LG is dedicated to people’s happiness by exceeding expectations today and tomorrow. www.LG.com.

Media Contacts:

LG Electronics USA

JL Lavina
jl.lavina@lge.com
+1 917 386 4213

Devyn Doyle
Devyn.Doyle@lg-one.com
+1 770 653 7239

Originally published in Key’s 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance report

With each wildfire, flood, and extreme storm, it is increasingly clear that our planet is under stress. Given the devastating impacts related to climate change, investors, clients, regulators, public officials, and employees expect the financial services industry to drive climate action.

Key is committed to leveraging our expertise, relationships, market influence, and resources to help address the pressing challenge of climate change. For this reason, we expanded our climate commitments to further minimize the environmental impact of our operations, provide more solutions to our clients, and support environmental equity.

As we continue to build internal knowledge and awareness of climate risks and opportunities, we are taking action. We are pleased to share our progress toward the environmental targets we announced in April 2022:

To date, Key has financed or facilitated $5 billion toward our $38 billion sustainable finance commitment to address climate change and support green initiatives by year-end 2026. 
 Notably, we have reached 36% of our goal to achieve carbon neutral operations across our scope 1 direct emissions and scope 2 indirect emissions1, by year-end 2030. 
 Joined the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) and completed an initial assessment of financed emissions.

To learn more about Key’s ESG efforts, read the 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report here.

1Refer to The Greenhouse Gas Protocol for scope definitions.