Month: July 2024

Over 50 percent of the nation’s drinking water originates from forests and timberland owners play an important role in protecting water quality. The role of water quality BMPs is to conserve and protect water quality by minimizing sediment through the filtering ability of natural vegetation and erosion control measures adjacent to water bodies. BMPs include practices such as leaving streamside management zones (SMZs) during harvest, properly designing and constructing logging roads, and using logging methods and equipment that protect water quality.

SMZs are unharvested or lightly harvested buffers that run along the length of streams and are designed to capture runoff and sediment. The SMZs provide significant other benefits, including stabilizing the banks of streams and acting as a source of food for aquatic organisms. By retaining trees alongside the streams, SMZs also shade the water’s surface from direct sunlight and significantly reduce radiative heating, keeping streams cool and clear, a particularly important objective in northern regions where cold-water fisheries are present. Riparian areas are important habitats for wildlife species and SMZs can provide wildlife with favorable habitat and travel corridors.

In addition to SMZs, proper design and construction of logging roads and use of logging methods and equipment that protect water quality are key components of our BMP implementation program in our Environmental Management System. Objectives include preventing surface water from flowing directly into a stream, keeping debris away from drainage zones, and minimizing sediment. Sediment is minimized for harvesting operations through BMPs that are designed to disconnect surface flow in areas where equipment may have exposed soil. Disconnecting is accomplished by building small earthen diversions or placing treetops or “slash” where water may flow, moving it off exposed soils, slowing the runoff, and causing the water to filter into the forest floor, which traps sediment.

Road construction, reconstruction, and maintenance can be a source of sediment that negatively impacts water quality and fisheries’ habitats. Our roads are designed to avoid or minimize stream crossings and to cross streams at right angles. If roads cross streams, we implement BMPs on all crossings to minimize stream sediment. Permanent stream crossings use bridges or culverts and are designed to protect the approaches to crossings from erosion. Proper road drainage is ensured using dips, bridges, and culverts, with an objective to disperse water away from the road and promote filtration into the soil.

The effectiveness of water quality BMPs implemented during harvesting, road building and site preparation has been the focus of numerous scientific studies. The results repeatedly show that the BMPs protect water quality and provide for healthy aquatic habitats supporting fish, aquatic insects, and mussels and clean water for human use and consumption.

Thirty years ago, we established the Mica Creek Experimental Watershed – an area southeast of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, comprising the 6,672-acre catchments of Mica Creek, a tributary of the St. Joe River. We created this “living laboratory” for one main reason: to conduct a multi-decade study of the effects of contemporary water quality BMPs on stream quality. Conclusions to date show that forest management that adheres to Idaho Forest Practices Act BMPs has little to no adverse effect on streams or aquatic life.

Over 50 percent of the nation’s drinking water originates from forests and timberland owners play an important role in protecting water quality. The role of water quality BMPs is to conserve and protect water quality by minimizing sediment through the filtering ability of natural vegetation and erosion control measures adjacent to water bodies. BMPs include practices such as leaving streamside management zones (SMZs) during harvest, properly designing and constructing logging roads, and using logging methods and equipment that protect water quality.

SMZs are unharvested or lightly harvested buffers that run along the length of streams and are designed to capture runoff and sediment. The SMZs provide significant other benefits, including stabilizing the banks of streams and acting as a source of food for aquatic organisms. By retaining trees alongside the streams, SMZs also shade the water’s surface from direct sunlight and significantly reduce radiative heating, keeping streams cool and clear, a particularly important objective in northern regions where cold-water fisheries are present. Riparian areas are important habitats for wildlife species and SMZs can provide wildlife with favorable habitat and travel corridors.

In addition to SMZs, proper design and construction of logging roads and use of logging methods and equipment that protect water quality are key components of our BMP implementation program in our Environmental Management System. Objectives include preventing surface water from flowing directly into a stream, keeping debris away from drainage zones, and minimizing sediment. Sediment is minimized for harvesting operations through BMPs that are designed to disconnect surface flow in areas where equipment may have exposed soil. Disconnecting is accomplished by building small earthen diversions or placing treetops or “slash” where water may flow, moving it off exposed soils, slowing the runoff, and causing the water to filter into the forest floor, which traps sediment.

Road construction, reconstruction, and maintenance can be a source of sediment that negatively impacts water quality and fisheries’ habitats. Our roads are designed to avoid or minimize stream crossings and to cross streams at right angles. If roads cross streams, we implement BMPs on all crossings to minimize stream sediment. Permanent stream crossings use bridges or culverts and are designed to protect the approaches to crossings from erosion. Proper road drainage is ensured using dips, bridges, and culverts, with an objective to disperse water away from the road and promote filtration into the soil.

The effectiveness of water quality BMPs implemented during harvesting, road building and site preparation has been the focus of numerous scientific studies. The results repeatedly show that the BMPs protect water quality and provide for healthy aquatic habitats supporting fish, aquatic insects, and mussels and clean water for human use and consumption.

Thirty years ago, we established the Mica Creek Experimental Watershed – an area southeast of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, comprising the 6,672-acre catchments of Mica Creek, a tributary of the St. Joe River. We created this “living laboratory” for one main reason: to conduct a multi-decade study of the effects of contemporary water quality BMPs on stream quality. Conclusions to date show that forest management that adheres to Idaho Forest Practices Act BMPs has little to no adverse effect on streams or aquatic life.

by Jonathan Wood, Chief Technology Officer

OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY

I came to Cummins because of the opportunity to work on innovative products
that exceed customers’ expectations and lessen our impact on the environment. Three decades later, we’ve made tremendous strides on both fronts and have an exciting future ahead of us.

As Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at Cummins, I get to live out my purpose and passion every day, seeing how our engineering and environmental expertise seamlessly intersects with our commitment to sustainability. That is because the company’s approach to sustainability is grounded in our mission of “making people’s lives better by powering a more prosperous world.”

A more prosperous world goes beyond a financial component to include a world with clean and sustainable air and water, and strong, vibrant communities. 

A LEGACY OF INNOVATION WITH IMPACT

Cummins has a long history of setting ambitious sustainability goals and leading our industry in those efforts. We intend to honor and further that legacy. Our sustainability goals are put into action by PLANET 2050, our environmental sustainability strategy, which seeks to ensure we do our part to address climate change and air emissions, use natural resources in
the most sustainable way and make communities better because we are there. PLANET 2050 includes quantifiable goals for 2030 along with visionary, longer-term aspirations for 2050. We annually report progress against these 2030 goals — to reduce absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from facilities and operations by 50% and reduce scope 3 absolute lifetime GHG emissions from newly sold products by 25% — as well as the other seven goals.

DECARBONIZING FOR THE FUTURE

The biggest impact we can make to meet our bold sustainability goals is by continuing to execute our product decarbonization strategy, called Destination Zero. This strategy is a customer-driven, multi- solution approach that advances engine-based solutions now while innovating for the future by developing new zero-emissions solutions for the diverse applications we serve.

Over the past several years, we have acted to increase the understanding and management of the complicated factors impacting climate-related matters while also showing meaningful outcomes that demonstrate our commitment to addressing them. Our industry is heavily impacted by external pacing factors, such as customer adoption of new technologies, stronger GHG-reducing regulations, broader availability of lower-carbon fuels and infrastructure buildout. Those factors are progressing slower than anticipated when we established the goals.

Given the impact of those highly influential pacing factors and increased growth in engine volumes, the 2023 emissions increased from the baseline. However, the company has made progress in decreasing GHG per unit from the prior year. Despite the challenges associated with slower adoption rates of lower- carbon technology solutions, we remain resolute
that our Destination Zero strategy is the right one. By continuing to advance cleaner engine-based solutions and not waiting until 2035 to go to market with fully zero-emissions solutions, we estimate a cumulative carbon reduction impact of greater than 1.4 gigatons — the equivalent of removing all trucks globally from the road for three years.

I invite you to read about our key product launches and partnerships throughout this year’s report, particularly those in our innovation story. They are evidence of our strategy in action.

TALENT, TECHNOLOGY AND TOOLS

As CTO, my team and I are ultimately responsible for tracking toward and achieving the company’s environmental goals, driven by the work our technical and environmental experts do day in and day out and realized by the collective actions of all employees. Our environmental initiatives are critical to our long- term success and the future of our planet, and it takes the right portfolio of talent, technology and tools to get there.

ASSESSING OUR PROGRESS

In the environmental section, you will see a transparent assessment of the progress we made in 2023. I want to call out a few key highlights:

The company completed 24 onsite solar projects to increase use of renewable energy. The completed projects reduce over 14,486 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) annually. We now have
66 global sites with solar arrays.We announced a memorandum of understanding with Chevron U.S.A. Inc. to leverage complementary positioning in hydrogen, natural gas and other lower- carbon fuel value chains with plans to improve access to fuel and infrastructure for customers, helping grow the availability of alternative and renewable fuels while reducing emissions.Through partnerships with global nonprofits, including The Nature Conservancy, Water.org and WaterAid, Cummins Water Works ended 2023 having helped more than 1.2 million people and generated approximately 6.9 billion gallons in annual water benefits since its 2021 launch. In 2023, the program’s annual water benefits far surpassed the company’s global water consumption of 972.3 million gallons.For a deeper understanding of these goals, please review the full Environment section.

Read the full 2023-2024 Cummins Sustainability Progress Report 

by Jonathan Wood, Chief Technology Officer

OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY

I came to Cummins because of the opportunity to work on innovative products
that exceed customers’ expectations and lessen our impact on the environment. Three decades later, we’ve made tremendous strides on both fronts and have an exciting future ahead of us.

As Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at Cummins, I get to live out my purpose and passion every day, seeing how our engineering and environmental expertise seamlessly intersects with our commitment to sustainability. That is because the company’s approach to sustainability is grounded in our mission of “making people’s lives better by powering a more prosperous world.”

A more prosperous world goes beyond a financial component to include a world with clean and sustainable air and water, and strong, vibrant communities. 

A LEGACY OF INNOVATION WITH IMPACT

Cummins has a long history of setting ambitious sustainability goals and leading our industry in those efforts. We intend to honor and further that legacy. Our sustainability goals are put into action by PLANET 2050, our environmental sustainability strategy, which seeks to ensure we do our part to address climate change and air emissions, use natural resources in
the most sustainable way and make communities better because we are there. PLANET 2050 includes quantifiable goals for 2030 along with visionary, longer-term aspirations for 2050. We annually report progress against these 2030 goals — to reduce absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from facilities and operations by 50% and reduce scope 3 absolute lifetime GHG emissions from newly sold products by 25% — as well as the other seven goals.

DECARBONIZING FOR THE FUTURE

The biggest impact we can make to meet our bold sustainability goals is by continuing to execute our product decarbonization strategy, called Destination Zero. This strategy is a customer-driven, multi- solution approach that advances engine-based solutions now while innovating for the future by developing new zero-emissions solutions for the diverse applications we serve.

Over the past several years, we have acted to increase the understanding and management of the complicated factors impacting climate-related matters while also showing meaningful outcomes that demonstrate our commitment to addressing them. Our industry is heavily impacted by external pacing factors, such as customer adoption of new technologies, stronger GHG-reducing regulations, broader availability of lower-carbon fuels and infrastructure buildout. Those factors are progressing slower than anticipated when we established the goals.

Given the impact of those highly influential pacing factors and increased growth in engine volumes, the 2023 emissions increased from the baseline. However, the company has made progress in decreasing GHG per unit from the prior year. Despite the challenges associated with slower adoption rates of lower- carbon technology solutions, we remain resolute
that our Destination Zero strategy is the right one. By continuing to advance cleaner engine-based solutions and not waiting until 2035 to go to market with fully zero-emissions solutions, we estimate a cumulative carbon reduction impact of greater than 1.4 gigatons — the equivalent of removing all trucks globally from the road for three years.

I invite you to read about our key product launches and partnerships throughout this year’s report, particularly those in our innovation story. They are evidence of our strategy in action.

TALENT, TECHNOLOGY AND TOOLS

As CTO, my team and I are ultimately responsible for tracking toward and achieving the company’s environmental goals, driven by the work our technical and environmental experts do day in and day out and realized by the collective actions of all employees. Our environmental initiatives are critical to our long- term success and the future of our planet, and it takes the right portfolio of talent, technology and tools to get there.

ASSESSING OUR PROGRESS

In the environmental section, you will see a transparent assessment of the progress we made in 2023. I want to call out a few key highlights:

The company completed 24 onsite solar projects to increase use of renewable energy. The completed projects reduce over 14,486 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) annually. We now have
66 global sites with solar arrays.We announced a memorandum of understanding with Chevron U.S.A. Inc. to leverage complementary positioning in hydrogen, natural gas and other lower- carbon fuel value chains with plans to improve access to fuel and infrastructure for customers, helping grow the availability of alternative and renewable fuels while reducing emissions.Through partnerships with global nonprofits, including The Nature Conservancy, Water.org and WaterAid, Cummins Water Works ended 2023 having helped more than 1.2 million people and generated approximately 6.9 billion gallons in annual water benefits since its 2021 launch. In 2023, the program’s annual water benefits far surpassed the company’s global water consumption of 972.3 million gallons.For a deeper understanding of these goals, please review the full Environment section.

Read the full 2023-2024 Cummins Sustainability Progress Report 

Leidos has partnered with the American Red Cross for nearly eight years through blood donation drives, disaster relief, board leadership, kit building for homeless veterans and more. Leidos also launched blood drives at our Columbia, Maryland, and Reston, Virginia headquarters starting in October 2015.  World Blood Donor Day, celebrated on June 14th, serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood. 

A Legacy of Blood Donation

After launching in Columbia and Reston, blood drives became a key engagement tradition for our employees. San Diego employees have worked with the San Diego Blood Bank, and we’ve offered virtual “Sleeves-Up Drives” for extra convenience. 

Core to our commitment to inclusion, we partnered with the African American Leidos Network (AALN) ERG to sponsor a sickle-cell anemia drive in September of 2022. One hundred thousand people in the U.S. are living with sickle cell disease, most of whom are African American or of African descent.  The disease affects 1 out of every 365 African American babies born in this country. Partnering with AALN brought attention to the urgent need for blood donors who are Black. 

In April of this year, the Red Cross and the Leidos Pride ERG hosted an informational webinar to walk through the history of the FDA guidelines of blood donation, how the FDA has made changes to the latest set of guidelines and what that means for the LGBTQ+ community. The goal is to shed light on the stigma of blood donation within the community and offer answers to decades old questions around the topic. 

Paris Davis, Principal Proposal Coordinator Lead, and a regular donor, stated that “knowing that my blood donations, especially as a CEK-negative donor, can help people with sickle cell disease manage their condition is incredibly rewarding. Donating blood is a simple act that can have a big impact on someone’s life.”  

Convenient and Critical

Since 2016, Leidos has hosted 31 blood drives for more than one thousand donors including 171 first time donors and collected 926 units of blood at GHQ.  Hosting blood drives at GHQ has made it easier for Leidos employees and local community residents, to give. 

Beyond convenience, Leidos employees are motivated by the inherent value of blood donation. With nearly 30,000 units of blood needed each day, the American Red Cross is continually in need of donors. One pint of blood can save up to three lives. Even during a global pandemic, Leidos committed to diminishing the national blood crisis, collecting 278 units from 2020-2021.

“It is such an easy way to do something bigger than yourself for someone else,” said Deputy General Counsel, Erica Bomsey.  She recalled the aftermath of 9/11, when the desire to help overwhelmed donation centers. “It is a small act that can have a big impact. Having [blood drives] outside the office door makes it so easy! That small act is magnified into a large act when there are so many of us that can do so at once.”

Blood donation is one of the most direct and personally significant forms of giving that we can participate in as members of our local and international communities. 

Making a Difference, One Donation at a Time

Not only is donating blood so important, but the process is very quick, only taking about 20 minutes for the physical donation. For perspective, if just 1% more of all Americans would donate, blood shortages “would disappear for the foreseeable future.” 

By fostering convenient donation opportunities, championing inclusivity, and educating employees about the critical need for blood, Leidos empowers its workforce to make a life-saving difference. 

Blood Donation Fast Facts: 

Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Blood is needed by women with complications during pregnancy and childbirth, children with severe anemia, often resulting from malaria or malnutrition, accident victims, surgical and cancer patients.Regular blood donation by a sufficient number of healthy people is needed to ensure that blood will always be available whenever and wherever it is needed.While the need for blood is universal, access to blood is not. Blood shortages are acute in low- and middle-income countries.Approximately 29,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U. S. Only about 3% of age-eligible people donate blood yearly

Leidos has partnered with the American Red Cross for nearly eight years through blood donation drives, disaster relief, board leadership, kit building for homeless veterans and more. Leidos also launched blood drives at our Columbia, Maryland, and Reston, Virginia headquarters starting in October 2015.  World Blood Donor Day, celebrated on June 14th, serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood. 

A Legacy of Blood Donation

After launching in Columbia and Reston, blood drives became a key engagement tradition for our employees. San Diego employees have worked with the San Diego Blood Bank, and we’ve offered virtual “Sleeves-Up Drives” for extra convenience. 

Core to our commitment to inclusion, we partnered with the African American Leidos Network (AALN) ERG to sponsor a sickle-cell anemia drive in September of 2022. One hundred thousand people in the U.S. are living with sickle cell disease, most of whom are African American or of African descent.  The disease affects 1 out of every 365 African American babies born in this country. Partnering with AALN brought attention to the urgent need for blood donors who are Black. 

In April of this year, the Red Cross and the Leidos Pride ERG hosted an informational webinar to walk through the history of the FDA guidelines of blood donation, how the FDA has made changes to the latest set of guidelines and what that means for the LGBTQ+ community. The goal is to shed light on the stigma of blood donation within the community and offer answers to decades old questions around the topic. 

Paris Davis, Principal Proposal Coordinator Lead, and a regular donor, stated that “knowing that my blood donations, especially as a CEK-negative donor, can help people with sickle cell disease manage their condition is incredibly rewarding. Donating blood is a simple act that can have a big impact on someone’s life.”  

Convenient and Critical

Since 2016, Leidos has hosted 31 blood drives for more than one thousand donors including 171 first time donors and collected 926 units of blood at GHQ.  Hosting blood drives at GHQ has made it easier for Leidos employees and local community residents, to give. 

Beyond convenience, Leidos employees are motivated by the inherent value of blood donation. With nearly 30,000 units of blood needed each day, the American Red Cross is continually in need of donors. One pint of blood can save up to three lives. Even during a global pandemic, Leidos committed to diminishing the national blood crisis, collecting 278 units from 2020-2021.

“It is such an easy way to do something bigger than yourself for someone else,” said Deputy General Counsel, Erica Bomsey.  She recalled the aftermath of 9/11, when the desire to help overwhelmed donation centers. “It is a small act that can have a big impact. Having [blood drives] outside the office door makes it so easy! That small act is magnified into a large act when there are so many of us that can do so at once.”

Blood donation is one of the most direct and personally significant forms of giving that we can participate in as members of our local and international communities. 

Making a Difference, One Donation at a Time

Not only is donating blood so important, but the process is very quick, only taking about 20 minutes for the physical donation. For perspective, if just 1% more of all Americans would donate, blood shortages “would disappear for the foreseeable future.” 

By fostering convenient donation opportunities, championing inclusivity, and educating employees about the critical need for blood, Leidos empowers its workforce to make a life-saving difference. 

Blood Donation Fast Facts: 

Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Blood is needed by women with complications during pregnancy and childbirth, children with severe anemia, often resulting from malaria or malnutrition, accident victims, surgical and cancer patients.Regular blood donation by a sufficient number of healthy people is needed to ensure that blood will always be available whenever and wherever it is needed.While the need for blood is universal, access to blood is not. Blood shortages are acute in low- and middle-income countries.Approximately 29,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U. S. Only about 3% of age-eligible people donate blood yearly