Tag: 3BL

By Amy Andrews

Ask for help, keep learning, build a network and be open to new perspectives.

These are some of the career tips Regions leaders recently shared with students at University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Collat School of Business.

Highlighting their diverse experience at and outside of Regions, the leaders of Regions Technology, Operations, Digital and Data group provided soon-to-be UAB graduates with a view into the trajectory of their careers, the challenges new technologies like AI pose in the workplace, and the advice they wish others would have shared with them before joining the workforce.

It’s okay to ask for help and don’t think you have to have it all figured out.

Dan Massey, Chief Enterprise Operations and Technology Officer

Say yes to opportunities, even the ones that might seem overwhelming, uncomfortable, maybe even a little scary – those are the ones to explore.

Regan Liggins, head of Enterprise Operations & Technology Risk

The proximity of UAB to Regions Headquarters makes Regions a contender for UAB students when looking for that first job after graduation – and the students seized on the moment to ask the leaders what it’s like to work at Regions and why should they consider Regions as an employer?

Regions is like the Goldilocks of companies—it’s just the right size that you can specialize in your area of expertise, but still have projects and opportunities to do other things that interest you.

Melissa Dabb, head of Cloud and Infrastructure

I get to see the impact I’m making with our associates through mentoring and developing them to be their best.

Nathan Davis, head of Technology – Enterprise Systems and Services

It’s all about the people. I was recruited from another company and the people have made the move to Regions a career highlight.

Manav Misra, Chief Data and Analytics Officer

Serving the community is central to Regions’ mission of making life better for its customers and the neighborhoods where we live and work. Through the Regions Institute of Financial Education at UAB and the partnership with the Collat School of Business, Regions is honored to bring experience and expertise to help students, faculty and the greater UAB community.

Steering well-informed strategic decisions with a near-real-time view of the environmental, social, and governance performance of the manufacturing site.

Challenge: Accelerating the Shift to Sustainability

Climate change is one of humanity’s biggest threats, and global enterprises are now working closely with governments and regulatory authorities to accelerate the shift to sustainability. Alongside environmental improvements, it is also crucial for businesses to implement healthy social and governance frameworks—helping to promote greater workplace safety, diversity, and inclusion.

Lenovo is committed to achieving Net-Zero emissions by 2050 and our sustainability efforts start with our own manufacturing and supply chain. To help achieve this goal, Lenovo has developed an innovative ESG management system called Lenovo ESG Navigator that helps monitor key ESG metrics at the factory site and deliver near-real-time insights on GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and energy use.

This article explores how the Lenovo ESG management platform is helping Lenovo monitor ESG performance across the value chain—and how businesses across all sectors can leverage a data-driven ESG performance management system.

Challenge: Striving for ESG Excellence

Committed to building a sustainable global economy, promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and being a responsible corporate citizen, Lenovo has launched bold targets to improve its performance against key ESG metrics.

In particular, Lenovo is committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 with emission targets validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), an independent climate action group for the private sector.

Rico Liu, Sr. Manager, GSC Global Manufacturing at Lenovo, explains: “To help measure our progress toward Net-Zero, our goal is to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions by 50% by 2030. For Scope 3 GHG emissions, we are targeting reductions of 25% per tonne-km of transported product in upstream transportation and distribution, reductions of 35% on average from the use of sold products, and reductions of 66.5% per million US$ gross profit within the same timeframe.”

Challenge: Gathering Fine-Grained Insights

Hundreds of different factors contribute to the overall sustainability of Lenovo’s operations. However, measuring the impact of sustainability initiatives at the manufacturing site presented some tough challenges.

Previously, Lenovo used manual processes to track practically all ESG metrics at its manufacturing sites. For example, employees used spreadsheets to track data on everything from energy usage on the factory floor to occupational health and safety, incident reporting, and workplace risk mitigation measures.

Rico Liu says: “What can be measured, improves—but without the right tools, it’s impossible to keep track of all manufacturing-related ESG variables in a company of Lenovo’s size. To solve that challenge, we embarked on an ambitious project to digitize our manufacturing site and monitor ESG data points.”

Solution: Lenovo powers Lenovo

Working with stakeholders from across the business, Lenovo created an innovative ESG management platform: Lenovo ESG Navigator. This integrated solution replaces the traditional manual management of ESG metrics with a flexible, transparent, and highly automated approach and captures data across the value chain—all from a single point of control.

To put these new capabilities to the test, Lenovo deployed the ESG Navigator to support Lenovo’s Tianjin Smart Campus (TJSC)—our state-of-the-art, AI-accelerated manufacturing facility in China. Using Internet-of-things (IoT) devices, we capture and process thousands of data points every hour, offering unprecedented visibility into the environmental performance of the facility.

“We need to collect 12 months of data to certify the campus under the Zero Carbon Factory Standardization developed by the China Electronics Standardization Institute [CESI],” says Rico Liu. “Using our new ESG management platform, producing the reports that CESI requires will be easy.”

Result: Making Data-Driven Decisions

Lenovo now uses the ESG Navigator to capture more than 250,000 data points across the manufacturing site and deliver dashboard reports for 228 KPIs. It also helps simulate a 3D model of the facility that showcases all the different data points. So far, we have deployed the platform at two manufacturing sites, including TJSC.

Yujiao Liu, DT Business Process Design Analyst, GSC Smart Manufacturing at Lenovo, confirms: “Our decision-makers now have access to ESG insights in minutes. Lenovo ESG Navigator has also accelerated reporting ensuring data accuracy, enabling management teams to steer decisions based on up-to-date information about what’s happening on the factory floor.”

Rico Liu adds: “The combination of automated data collection at our manufacturing sites and dynamic dashboard reports has significantly reduced the manual work involved in ESG analytics. Using IoT devices to collect environmental data on electricity and water consumption and on indoor air quality data helps eliminate the risk of human error, all of which improves the accuracy of our sustainability reports.”

Result: Innovations at Tianjin Smart Campus

Based on internal testing, we have seen the below-estimated results at our Lenovo Tianjin Smart Campus.

Use of clean energy such as solar.More than 32,000 square meters of distributed photovoltaic power generation panels will be laid on top of the three main buildings, with a total annual power generation of about 5 million kWh, which can meet the annual electricity demand of the park exhibition centre.More than 25% energy savings with the help of compressor waste heat recovery systems.Save 5% of fresh water every year through the park’s rainwater storage system.Use of reclaimed water is further reducing the site’s use of fresh water.

Result: Managing All Aspects of ESG in Manufacturing

For Lenovo, all aspects of ESG are crucial—and Lenovo ESG Navigator has been designed to deliver a near-real-time view of social and governance metrics, too.

For example, the platform enables us to track potential social and governance risks in areas such as occupational health and safety, sanitation, building security, and more, from a single dashboard. Employees can log information on potential risks, helping to ensure that all hazards are assessed and remediated promptly.

To support this objective, Lenovo stakeholders can configure the ESG Navigator to send automated alerts. In addition to reminding managers to investigate potential hazards, alerts can help the company manage recurring ESG-related activities. For example, users can track upcoming health and safety assessments and receive reminders via email as the date approaches.

Result: Delivering Global Impact

Lenovo is now implementing the ESG Navigator and other sustainability initiatives around the world, beginning with our major manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico.

Leandro Sardela, Western Operations Director at Lenovo, elaborates: “We produce a large mixture of products in Mexico, which places complex demands on our manufacturing operations. Using Advanced Production Scheduling [APS] solutions developed by Lenovo, we’re dramatically reducing the time taken to create production schedules. By replacing manual scheduling with an intelligent, centralized APS solution, we can orchestrate people, equipment, and materials to balance our production lines and minimize environmental impacts.”

Monterrey site results:

47% more units per person per hour with 22% smaller teams.56% to 73% boost in number of products that pass quality control on first inspection.

Result: Targeting Sustainability Success

As Lenovo races ahead on its journey to net-zero emissions, the company is confident that the management platform, ESG Navigator, will be a key enabler of sustainability success.

JianBiao Yin, Sr. Manager, DT Strategic Business Process Design, GSC at Lenovo, says: “Although our global rollout of the ESG management platform is just beginning, we’re certain that the solution is going to play an important role in supporting our global business as we move towards the 2050 emissions target.”

+250k ESG data points tracked3D carbon data visualization of your entire facility100% energy and environment data monitoring using IoT devicesNear-real-time carbon data visibility

To find out how your business could draw on Lenovo’s experience and leverage solutions like the ESG Navigator to make more data-driven decisions in managing manufacturing footprint, visit Lenovo.com or speak to your Lenovo contact.

Learn more about how Lenovo Powers Lenovo, from supply chain innovation to AI-powered transformation.

Download a PDF of the full story.

Universalizing digital access to healthcare and pharmacy products is an integral component of Walgreens Boots Alliance’s strategy to increase healthcare access, particularly in medically underserved communities. Building on the efforts to serve our patients virtually during the pandemic, we have expanded several tools to deliver care to our communities. You can learn more about our digital healthcare access programs in our 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance Report.

The Walgreens app has over 94 million lifetime downloads. Users can set pill reminders, refill by scanning prescriptions, combine family orders and chat with a real-time, 24/7 pharmacist while eliminating the need to run to the pharmacy for in-person consultations and prescription pickup, thanks to the option for same-day prescription delivery. Approximately 113 million members of the myWalgreens loyalty program receive additional savings on their orders.

The Boots Health Hub, a digital services platform serving Boots UK, gives customers visiting boots.com access to over 80 healthcare services, including healthcare tests, COVID-19 services, vaccinations, prescriptions, Livi’s online general practitioner consultations and the Boots Online Doctor service. Boots Online Doctor, a virtual service for more than 45 common healthcare conditions, provides quick access to advice and prescription-only medicine without having to see a general practitioner.

To improve cardiovascular health awareness, Alliance Healthcare Germany continued its collaboration with the German Hypertension Association to provide online training and education for its teams.

In February 2022, Boots became the first retailer in the UK and the Republic of Ireland to offer Recite Me technology in its online store, making it more accessible for the more than 13 million people in the UK and the Republic of Ireland who experience barriers when shopping online. The Recite Me assistive toolbar includes screen reading functionality, multiple reading aids and an on-demand live translation feature that boasts over 100 languages, including 35 in text-to-speech. These features give website visitors the ability to manage how they view and interact with content to suit their individual needs.

Benavides pharmacies in Mexico hosted eight online health forums over the course of 2023, providing free access to expert information on diabetes, chronic pain, sexual health and healthy motherhood.

In alignment with its commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility, WBA continues to leverage digital innovations to bridge gaps in service provision, particularly in underserved communities. For further insights into these initiatives and their impact, interested parties are encouraged to explore the comprehensive details outlined in the 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report.

A record number of shareholder proposals, three noteworthy commitments, an early majority vote, and already 56 withdrawn in return for commitment; 2024 proxy season spotlights the staying power of climate-related proposals and growing investor interest in biodiversity loss, just transition, and increasing transparency in the financial services sector. 

A new analysis by the sustainability nonprofit Ceres indicates investor-driven climate action interest in the 2024 proxy season remains strong. With hundreds of climate proposals filed, a noteworthy majority vote recorded earlier than usual, and important commitments from three leading financial institutions, the 2024 season is off to an encouraging start.

To date, shareholders have filed 263 climate-related resolutions, according to tracking by Ceres – a record number of proposals filed for a single proxy season, and more are expected. In 2023, there was a record 259 climate-related resolutions filed.

Early majority vote in 2024 Proxy Season 

Among the most notable developments so far is a majority vote of 57% at Jack in the Box Inc. on a resolution asking for scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions disclosure and target setting filed by The Accountability Board that came in early March – a positive sign that many shareholders support climate action by relevant companies.

“A majority vote at this early stage in the season is one indication of a promising outlook for the 2024 proxy season,” said Rob Berridge, senior director of shareholder engagement at Ceres. “It’s clear that investors are continuing to rally behind key climate-related shareholder proposals, reflecting the sustained commitment to informed, responsible investment stewardship practices and driving corporate action in the face of the rapidly intensifying climate change and nature loss.”

In the opening stretch of the 2024 proxy season, New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS) withdrew its resolutions with both JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup, and Investors for Paris Compliance withdrew a similar proposal at National Bank of Canada in return for the banks’ commitment to disclose their clean energy financing ratio. This figure reflects the proportion of the institution’s financing of low carbon energy projects compared to fossil fuel financing. The New York City Comptroller’s office filed similar proposals with four additional major banks, making this new type of proposal an important development to monitor.

Already, a total of 56 Ceres-tracked proposals have been withdrawn in return for a commitment, continuing a trend that demonstrates the shared value of dialogue between investors and companies. For comparison, in 2023, 83 proposals were withdrawn due to a commitment, and in 2022, 116 were.

2024 proxy season trends in shareholder-driven climate action 

As in recent years, proposals relating to greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and/or climate transition plans are the leading category (when combined) this year, making up 28% of the tracked resolutions. Investors filed 60 proposals concerning lobbying and political spending activities, revealing ongoing concerns about whether a portfolio company’s corporate advocacy aligns with climate objectives.

The burgeoning biodiversity-related proposals category highlights investors’ heightened concerns about the risks of nature and biodiversity loss, further demonstrated by the nearly 200 investors participating in the Nature Action 100 initiative. Engagement efforts are also evident in water-related proposals, citing the Corporate Expectations for Valuing Water from the Valuing Water Finance Initiative to urge companies to evaluate and disclose water risk in their supply chains.

Another emerging trend spotlights investors’ growing interest in addressing the risks related to human rights and robust workforce development within the context of a clean energy transition. These Just Transition and environmental justice proposals grew to 21, from 16 last year.

Climate-related resolutions filed by topic (as of March 25, 2024) 

The consumer goods sector saw the highest number (72) of climate-related proposals filed this year, followed by financials (59), industrials (40) and energy (26).

The large number of proposals filed with financial services companies reflects growing momentum on the heels of last year’s proxy season. Shareholder engagement with banks is critical because, as key players in the broader economy, banks face a variety of climate-related impacts and play an important role in reducing systemic financial risks.

Meanwhile, investors continue to engage Climate Action 100+ focus companies through dialogues and, when necessary, shareholder proposals. Launched in 2017, Climate Action 100+ is an investor-led effort to ensure the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters reduce emissions, improve governance, and strengthen climate-related financial disclosures. Key flagged shareholder votes providing information to the market about company responsiveness to investor engagement and the goals of the initiative are anticipated later this spring.

As the 2024 proxy season unfolds, early analysis demonstrates that responsible investors continue to recognize climate risk is financial risk and that it is in their business interest to engage with companies, including through filing and voting on shareholder proposals.

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.

Media Contact: Vivian Melody, vmelody@ceres.org, 617-247-0700 ext. 353

Nasdaq

In this episode of ESG Trendsetters, we learn about Applied Materials. Founded in 1967, Applied Materials is a leader in designing and manufacturing the machines that make semiconductors, which can be found in virtually all digital devices. Applied Materials also provides equipment used to produce flat panel displays for TVs, IT, and mobile products.  

The semiconductor industry is growing, and the products people use every day are highly dependent on semiconductors, according to Chris Librie, Senior Director of ESG at Applied Materials. “The average electric vehicle contains about 6,000 semiconductors in it, which astounds even me. The point is you can’t have renewable and clean energy and the transmission of power without semiconductors.” As we witness the rise of AI and autonomous vehicles, Librie believes that the semiconductor industry could double in size by 2030, potentially crossing the trillion-dollar mark. Given this, he explains that “one of the challenges of that growth is that if we don’t take action and reduce our footprint, it could quadruple in that same time period. For us, this isn’t tolerable given the current situation the planet is in.” 

Librie joins Mike Stiller, New Initiatives for Capital Access Platforms at Nasdaq, to discuss prioritizing sustainability in a long-established industry, and how the organization is determining its ESG goals and developing a net-zero playbook. 

With many of Applied Materials’ customers having net-zero commitments, this drives the organization to do what it needs to do to not only distinguish itself, but for overall customer satisfaction, relationship building, and promoting deeper discussions needed for better ESG actions. 

Librie acknowledges that organizations looking to improve their ESG practices and programs may benefit from insights and data coming from a wide range of companies and industries. He shares, “One of the key things in building an ESG program is to see what others are doing. Having access to information from notable ESG and sustainability leaders, but more importantly, customers and competitors, helps us see what everyone is doing and what is important to them.” 

Having been involved in ESG and sustainability for 15 years, Librie understands the evolution of the sustainability narrative and recognizes how ESG has become central to Applied Materials’ business strategy. Librie also believes that it has brought the organization’s employees together and credits connectivity as the “conductor” of their achievements. “In terms of net-zero, it involves every part of the organization,” he says. “We need to have our supply chain, product design, customer service, and sales and R&D working together. It’s really a comprehensive effort.” 

Over the last 12 to 18 months, Applied Materials has focused on getting clear about its ESG objectives each fiscal year, which involves looking at the pioneering aspects of net-zero, leading the company to take advantage of new innovations and make the most impact they can—particularly with nature-based solutions. “The assumption is that there will always be emissions. So, we have to work hard to reduce as much as we can all the way up to 2040 and beyond,” shares Librie.  

For issuers looking to tell their best ESG story, Librie’s advises focus on the governance aspect in ESG. “My advice would be to spend the time in creating those teams and continue creating that connectivity within your organization.” Applied Materials has at least 100 employees across the organization solely dedicated to ESG. These subject matter experts work on different aspects, such as reporting, finetuning the company’s 2030 goals, and revising the net-zero playbook.  

In addition, Applied Materials has set up an ESG leadership council responsible for the different ESG and sustainability milestones the organization is trying to accomplish. Some leadership council members focus on climate strategy, while others focus on measuring carbon footprint and making sure the organization’s ESG data is assured. Collectively, they pay close attention to renewable energy and the financial discussions that come along with it to help reach their goal of getting to 100% renewable energy globally by 2030. 

By The Black & Veatch Insights Group

Known in the water treatment world as the “Father of BNR” – biological nutrient removal – Dr. James Barnard recently retired from Black & Veatch after a long, distinguished career as an expert in his field. Over the years, his numerous contributions included developing cutting-edge technologies to improve water quality and reduce pollution. The biological process he designed for removing nitrogen and phosphorus from used water facilities now are applied around the world. In this Q&A, Dr. Barnard shares his insights and reflections on his career, his accomplishments, and the future of water treatment technology.

What inspired you to focus your career on nutrient removal?

After finishing my Ph.D. at Vanderbilt in 1971, I returned to the National Water Research Institute in Pretoria (South Africa). The discovery of rich gold deposits more than a century ago resulted in a population of more than 12 million around Johannesburg on the continental divide and Pretoria only 35 miles to the north. This large population concentration at a high altitude where water was pumped from long distances to the emerging cities and while effluents were treated to high standards and returned to the reservoirs that also served as water supply, water treatment standards did not include nitrogen and phosphorus removal. This was causing severe eutrophication (i.e. algae growth oxygen depletion). When observing the green pea-soup overflowing one of these reservoirs, I decided to pursue biological means of removing these nutrients. At the time, practices like chemical treatment and stripping and ammonia were the standard. Biological treatment was still only lab scale.

What has been your proudest moment/accomplishment in your career?

This is difficult to say, but two moments stand out. The first is that the city of Johannesburg decided to apply the four-stage process that I developed in the laboratory for the 750,000 PE Goudkoppies Plant; the second was my discovery of biological phosphorus removal in a pilot plant, which Johannesburg also adopted during the construction of the plant. Many were to follow, such as receiving the Water Environment Federation Camp Award, the gold medal of the South African Academy of Science and Arts, the International Water Association Medal (handed over by Princess Anne), and other recognitions.

What excites you about where the industry is headed?

What excites me is how the latest findings are pointing at the possibility of biological nutrient removal (BNR) leading into producing rapid-settling granular sludge which could double the capacity of existing plants while increasing the rate of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification to also achieve very low total nitrogen levels. Then there is the possibility of combining suspended growth with attached growth to get even better results. Our Applied Research team has had some very promising results and I think Black & Veatch will be leading the industry in the future with this.

What advice do you have for your peers for the future challenges in the industry?

Be curious and, in the biological world, always remember that nothing happens without a reason. Keep asking ‘why.’ That’s what I did. Whenever I saw something happening, I kept asking ‘why’ to understand the underlying reason.

What breakthroughs would you still most like to see?

One is tempted to say being energy neutral, but that depends a lot on the effluent requirement and geography. But recovery of resources should get preference. The energy that can be recovered especially in colder climates is considerable, and the recovery of nitrogen would be rewarding since the energy required to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere is very high. The one thing that I feel we should look at more is resource recovery, especially protein recovery from food waste and then naturally re-use of the final product.

What advice would you give to early-career engineers?

Again, be curious and question everything. Don’t just accept that what’s in the box is final.

Is there a particular moment you recall when you reflected in the moment and felt that you have helped you in Building a World of Difference?

There were a number of such instances, but the most recent is after I heard about the great performance of the upgraded Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. It was such a tight design with everything working so well. The facilities have all but eliminated ammonia and significantly reduced nitrogen in the discharge. Another was when I was honored with a Ph.D. from Iowa State University.

All of us at Black & Veatch would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. James Barnard for sharing his valuable insights and expertise with our team and our clients these past 25 years. His contributions to the field of water treatment and pollution reduction have been immense and have helped transform the industry. His dedication and passion for improving water quality have inspired countless professionals to continue the work of advancing the field. We wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement and know that his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of water treatment experts.

Originally published on about.bnef.com

The electrification of ride-hailing and other point-to-point, on-demand and shared mobility services must be accelerated to maintain Europe’s decarbonization momentum in line with the Paris Agreement, according to BloombergNEF’s (BNEF’s) report ‘Driving the Next Phase of Electric Mobility in Europe’, which was commissioned by Uber.

Road transport currently accounts for around 18% of global CO2 emissions. While significant progress has been made in limiting emissions from the sector, further acceleration is required for the whole transport industry, including ride-hailing and other shared mobility services, to progress towards zero emissions. Ride-hailing is already going electric much quicker than other driver groups. Across Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Madrid, and Paris, nearly 10% of ride-hailing kilometres are now in battery electric vehicles, compared to about 2% in the general population.

The report identifies the key challenges and discusses potential solutions to accelerate the rate of decarbonization in the transport industry. The measures outlined within the report are not solely linked to the on-demand transport industry and have the potential to act as a catalyst for change across the entire mobility ecosystem.

The report lays out four key challenges and opportunities, with a focus on the European market.

Full access to the report:

Driving the Next Phase of Electric Mobility in Europe

About BloombergNEF

BloombergNEF (BNEF) is a strategic research provider covering global commodity markets and the disruptive technologies driving the transition to a low-carbon economy. Our expert coverage assesses pathways for the power, transport, industry, buildings and agriculture sectors to adapt to the energy transition. We help commodity trading, corporate strategy, finance and policy professionals navigate change and generate opportunities.

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NEW YORK, March 26, 2024 /3BL/ – Clarion Partners, LLC has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for the second consecutive year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy.*

Each year, the ENERGY STAR program honors a select group of businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to energy efficiency and the transition to a clean energy economy. ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award winners lead their industries in the production, sale, and adoption of energy-efficient products, homes, buildings, services, and strategies. These efforts have saved more than 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity over the past 30 years.

Clarion Partner’s recognition as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award highlights the Firm’s energy management program, which utilizes data tracking and benchmarking to drive new strategic initiatives. The Firm surveys our properties to review compliance with benchmarking legislation, track important sustainability data, and facilitate the recommendations of efficiency improvements and pursuit of ENERGY STAR certification where applicable. In 2023, Clarion Partners achieved ENERGY STAR certification for 75 properties and implemented 241 energy efficiency projects, including the installation of shadow meters and LED lighting.**

One of the Firm’s projects was the launch of an LED lighting retrofit program to analyze 63 million square feet of assets and identify the best candidates for retrofit opportunities. As of December 2023, 89 retrofit projects had been completed, covering 21 million square feet of industrial warehouses; this initiative is expected to save approximately 9.8 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in energy consumption. In addition, Clarion also piloted enhanced “green” Property Condition Assessments (PCAs) on a select group of assets with the goal of identifying actionable decarbonization opportunities.

“Clarion Partner’s goal to improve energy efficiency across our portfolio continues to be the backbone of our sustainability strategy and we are honored to be recognized by ENERGY STAR once again,” said Karen Mahrous, Head of ESG for Clarion Partners. “Working together with our ecosystem of stakeholders, we continue to make progress on our top priorities utilizing ENERGY STAR’s extensive suite of tools and resources.”

Winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners. For a complete list of 2024 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.

* The 2024 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award is issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy, and is valid in perpetuity. Clarion did not pay a fee to apply for this award.

** ENERGY STAR certifications are issued by the U.S. Department of Energy on a rolling basis and are valid for one year. Properties must re-certify to maintain certification standing. These Clarion properties held valid certifications as of December 31, 2023.

About Clarion Partners, LLC

Clarion Partners, LLC, has been a leading real estate investment manager for over 40 years. Headquartered in New York, the firm maintains strategically located offices across the United States and Europe. With $76.6 billion in total real estate and debt assets under management, Clarion Partners offers a broad range of real estate strategies across the risk/return spectrum to approximately 500 institutional investors across the globe. Clarion Partners is an independent subsidiary of Franklin Templeton. More information about the firm is available at www.clarionpartners.com.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is an international investment management firm with subsidiaries that operates as Franklin Templeton serving clients in more than 150 countries. Franklin Templeton’s goal is to help clients achieve better outcomes through expertise in investment management, wealth management, and technology solutions. Thanks to its specialized investment managers, the company has developed expertise in all major asset classes on a global scale – including equities, fixed income, alternative solutions and custom multi-asset solutions. With offices in over 30 countries and over 1,400 investment professionals, the California-based firm has over 75 years of investment experience and $1.6 trillion in assets under management as of January 31, 2024. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs and achieve more than 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR’s impacts can be found at www.energystar.gov/impacts.

Press Contact:

Natalie Evertson

Natalie.Evertson@clarionpartners.com

212-883-2500

Disclaimer 
Nothing herein constitutes an offer or solicitation of any product or service to any person or in any jurisdiction where such offer or solicitation is not authorized or is prohibited by law.

CENTENNIAL, Colo., March 26, 2024 /3BL/ – Arrow Electronics Inc. released its annual Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report today, available at arrow.com/esg.

The report details Arrow’s ESG performance in 2023 and identifies the company’s related goals for 2024 and beyond.

“We understand that, as a technology-centric and supply chain services company, our actions have the potential to help address some of the world’s most pressing environmental, social, and governance challenges,” said Gretchen Zech, chief governance, sustainability, and human resources officer.

“The report underscores our ongoing commitment to serve our stakeholders and further our business objectives as we embed our ESG work across our daily operations.”

About Arrow Electronics

Arrow Electronics guides innovation forward for thousands of leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2023 sales of $33 billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that improve business and daily life. Learn more at arrow.com.

CENTENNIAL, Colo., March 26, 2024 /3BL/ – Arrow Electronics Inc. released its annual Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report today, available at arrow.com/esg.

The report details Arrow’s ESG performance in 2023 and identifies the company’s related goals for 2024 and beyond.

“We understand that, as a technology-centric and supply chain services company, our actions have the potential to help address some of the world’s most pressing environmental, social, and governance challenges,” said Gretchen Zech, chief governance, sustainability, and human resources officer.

“The report underscores our ongoing commitment to serve our stakeholders and further our business objectives as we embed our ESG work across our daily operations.”

About Arrow Electronics

Arrow Electronics guides innovation forward for thousands of leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2023 sales of $33 billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that improve business and daily life. Learn more at arrow.com.