Month: February 2024

Eastman

KINGSPORT, Tenn., February 8, 2024 /3BL/ – Eastman (NYSE: EMN) proudly announced that it received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Eastman joins the ranks of 545 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.

“Eastman is a global material innovation company, but more importantly, we’re a people company,” said Julie McAlindon, Senior Vice President, Regions and Chief Supply Chain Officer, and executive champion of Eastman’s Equality resource group. “We care deeply about improving the quality of life for our team members and those who live in the communities in which we operate. This award is a recognition of the incredible efforts of our global team and our Equality Eastman Resource Group and exemplifies our commitment to I&D and our LGBTQ+ team members and allies.” 

“For well over two decades, businesses have played an important role in furthering LGBTQ+ equality by centering employee needs and voices when it comes to workplace inclusion. While there is much more work to be done, year-over-year growth in CEI participation is evidence of a business community that recognizes the responsibility and value in upholding equity and inclusion,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, Human Rights Campaign senior director of Workplace Equality. “Our goal at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is to work in a spirit of partnership with companies, providing educational resources and leading benchmarking, and collaborating on ways for businesses to support the LGBTQ+ community at a time when we face unprecedented legislative attacks, heightened anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and physical violence. The CEI is an ever-evolving tool – a blueprint that companies can use to show up more effectively in supporting their LGBTQ+ employees and their families.”  

The results of the 2023-2024 CEI showcase how U.S.-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+ friendly workplace policies in the U.S. and abroad. The first year of the CEI included 319 participants, and the 2023-2024 CEI now includes 1,384 participants; further demonstrating the tremendous trajectory of the CEI, a record-breaking 1,340 businesses have non-discrimination protections specific to gender identity, up from just 17 in 2002. These critical non-discrimination protections cover 21 million employees in the U.S. and around the globe.  Eastman’s efforts in satisfying all the CEI’s criteria earned a score of 100 and the designation as recipient of the Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion.

The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 20 million U.S. workers and an additional 18 million outside of the U.S. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.

The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

Non-discrimination policies across business entities; Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families; Supporting an inclusive culture; and, Corporate social responsibility.

The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.
 

About the Human Rights Campaign Foundation
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.

About Eastman
Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company’s innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive and diverse company, Eastman employs approximately 14,500 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2022 revenue of approximately $10.6 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA.
 

Media contact
Candy Eslinger
423-229-3439
candyeslinger@eastman.com

SHANGHAI, February 8, 2024 /3BL/ – Otis Worldwide (NYSE: OTIS), the vertical transportation pioneer and industry leader, has achieved Gold-level TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) zero waste certification for all five of its manufacturing facilities in China. This underscores the company’s strong commitment to sustainability throughout its global network and makes Otis the first elevator company in China to earn a TRUE Gold rating.

Administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), TRUE certification confirms that more than 90% of waste is diverted from landfills, incineration and the environment.

As part of its global Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) goals, Otis has committed to achieve 100% factory eligibility for zero-waste-to-landfill certification by 2025.

“We are dedicated to delivering on our company’s global ESG goals to create value for our colleagues, communities, customers and shareholders – and our planet as a whole,” said Sally Loh, Otis China President. “It would not have been possible for us to achieve this important environmental milestone without every member of our team embracing zero-waste goals and championing China’s growing green economy.”

To meet the requirements of the global TRUE standard, Otis factories in Tianjin (2), Hangzhou, Chongqing and Jiaxing have adopted industry-leading sustainable waste management practices, optimized processes to promote resource efficiency, and developed closed-loop systems that recycle waste materials for reuse. 

Otis has put environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP) strategies in place and worked with upstream suppliers to eliminate non-recyclable packaging and introduce other waste-management improvements. Otis factories in China have been switching to paperless work practices, reusing pallets and containers for material handling, and composting kitchen waste for onsite vegetable gardens. 

The Otis facility in Florence, South Carolina was the first in the global elevator industry to be TRUE-certified in late 2022. All three Otis manufacturing plants in Spain received a local zero-waste-to-landfill certification in 2023. 

About Otis

Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, we move 2.3 billion people a day and maintain approximately 2.3 million customer units worldwide – the industry’s largest Service portfolio. You’ll find us in the world’s most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 71,000 people strong, including 42,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook @OtisElevatorCo.

SEATTLE, February 8, 2024 /3BL/ —YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish has received a $240,000 grant from KeyBank to support YWCA’s Pathways for Women, an emergency shelter in Lynnwood, WA serving unhoused adult women and women with children under 18. Pathways for Women operates 13 units and offers 45-day emergency housing plus intensive services and is the only shelter in South Snohomish County open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. This grant will support its Child Advocacy Program and deliver critical resources for families experiencing homelessness.

The Child Advocacy Program is part of the wrap-around services delivered by YWCA to help residents achieve and maintain long-term stability. It provides the youth who live at Pathways for Women with specialized support to enhance their academic success, such as homework assistance and liaising with the school. It also assists unhoused mothers with benefits such as childcare planning, individualized guidance to navigate school systems, and support for their child’s regular attendance at school.

This grant will enable the Child Advocacy Program to expand its focus by helping youth improve their overall well-being and heal from trauma, while broadening its reach to serve the children and parents living at three additional YWCA housing sites in the Lynnwood area.

“It’s of critical importance to help our most vulnerable neighbors as they navigate their next steps,” said Matt Hill, KeyBank’s Market President and Commercial Banking Sales Leader for the Seattle Cascades. “We are proud to support the YWCA as they provide the stability and safety that can help reduce the long-term impacts of trauma experienced by the children served and break the intergenerational cycle of poverty through increased educational opportunities and school engagement.”

“Families are being hit hard by rising rents and living costs, and the number of women and children experiencing homelessness in Snohomish County has been growing every year,” said Mary Anne Dillon, Executive Director of Snohomish County Programs at YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish. “We’re deeply grateful to KeyBank for their support of families facing homelessness and strengthening YWCA’s work to ensure all women and children in our community can not only survive but thrive.”

About YWCA 
YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish is the region’s oldest and largest organization focused on the needs of women and provides services and advocacy to support stable homes and economic advancement, reduce violence, improve health and promote racial equity and social justice. With programs that serve more than 7,800 people a year, YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. To learn more, please visit our website: ywcaworks.org

About KeyBank 
KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $188 billion at December 31, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

Since 2017, the Curiosity Cube, a shipping container turned mobile science lab from MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has provided a chance for children to explore science in a structured yet flexible environment. After the program’s pause in 2020-2021 due to COVID-19, it is back to sparking curiosity across two continents for the second year in a row.

Across Europe and North America in 2023, the Curiosity Cube reached more than 40,000 students through 259 events in 184 communities. Employee volunteers walked students through three hands-on science experiments focused to spark curiosity in the next generation of scientists.

Spanning 129 North American events from March to November, the tour visited 95 communities in cities, including San Diego, Boston, Cleveland, Toronto and St. Louis. Over 24,000 students experienced interactive programming in the Curiosity Cube. Looking back at the 2023 tour, U.S. Curiosity Cube Lead, Natalie Randolph said, “My favorite part about the recent tour was seeing visitors interact with MilliporeSigma STEM experts who prioritized their time to make a positive impact in their communities.”

On the other side of the world, the European tour visited 11 countries, including Germany, the U.K., Italy, Switzerland and Spain from April to October. Through 130 events, more than 15,800 students conducted experiments centered around the impact of contamination on the planet and everyday life. When asked about the importance of the lessons on contamination, Europe Curiosity Cube Lead, Stefanie Rammer said, “Learning about contamination helped the students gain a better understanding of the world around them. Presenting the topic in a hands-on fashion allowed them to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills. In the case of contamination, they learned about how it impacts the safety of food, germs on hard surfaces and how pollution impacts the environment.”

This program underscores MilliporeSigma’s continued commitment to making science education more equitable as one of many other initiatives, such as Curiosity Labs™. The Curiosity Cube team is developing new experiments and upgrading the Curiosity Cube in advance of its seventh tour, which will kick off in February 2024. More details about the Curiosity Cube’s 2024 tour will be announced soon. In the meantime, learn more at TheCuriosityCube.com and follow on Instagram at @CuriosityCube_MilliporeSigma.

Changing climate patterns and severe weather events are changing the game for global trade and logistics organizations. Rising sea levels are causing elevated tides and storm surges that are rendering coastlines susceptible to inundation – as a result, the industry is being forced to confront complicated economic and operational challenges, not to mention significant cost implications, writes Brian Enright, CEO of DP World Americas, in a recent article for Forbes.

This is “imposing significant costs on governments, corporations, NGOs, regional economies and other stakeholders. In 2019, flooding accrued a hefty price tag of $82 billion for global economies,” Enright notes, citing The Wall Street Journal. This figure starkly outpaces the economic damages from other weather-related events, such as wildfires. And there is potential for these costs to surge past $1.2 trillion annually, as rising waters threaten up to 3% of global GDP by century’s end.

“So, what does this mean for global supply chain networks?” Enright asks. “Efficient end-to-end supply chain logistics play a crucial role in facilitating global trade flow, while technological investments and innovative methodologies offer significant potential in cost reduction and resilience reinforcement.”

“Navigating Global Supply Chains’ Rising Tides” examines the critical intersection between environmental challenges, particularly heightened flood risks, and their profound impact on global trade, logistics, and economic stability. In it, Enright emphasizes the urgency of integrating environmental foresight and technological innovation into supply chain and logistic strategies to mitigate these risks and ensure economic resilience.

Key points from the article include:

Global Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: The article discusses how extreme flood events disrupt global supply chains, exemplified by the 2011 Mississippi River floods and the flooding in Thailand the same year, which caused substantial economic losses and operational disruptions. The 2021 floods in British Columbia, Canada, are also mentioned, showcasing the widespread impact of such events.The Need for Resilient Strategies: Stressing the importance of flood-proofing and prevention strategies, Enright argues that adaptability and preparedness are key to mitigating future risks and ensuring operational continuity. It advocates for investments in proactive risk reduction and the development of resilient supply chain networks.Technology and Innovation: A significant portion of the article is devoted to the role of technology and innovation in combating the challenges posed by climate change and flooding. It mentions the development of evolved cargo storage and racking systems, sophisticated surveillance and predictive analytics tools, intelligent infrastructure, and environmentally responsible transportation investments as examples of how technology can offer solutions.Proactive Measures and Collaboration: In closing, Enright underscores the importance of embracing proactive measures, sustainability, and collaboration to navigate the complexities of climate-induced challenges. It cites the involvement of companies in initiatives like the First Mover Coalition as an example of commitment to risk management and environmental stewardship.

To navigate the future successfully, global trade and logistics organizations will need to adopt an ethos of adaptability and innovation and be willing to rethink strategies in response to the changing climate.

“Navigating Global Supply Chains’ Rising Tides” makes a compelling case for the intertwined nature of trade, logistics, and climate change, urging stakeholders to adopt comprehensive strategies that leverage technology, foresight, and collaboration to safeguard against the escalating threats posed by environmental changes.

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