Tag: 3BL

DAVIDSON, N.C., December 14, 2023 /3BL/ – Trane® – by Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator, has been awarded the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Generation 4 (Gen4) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) energy savings performance contract (ESPC). This government-wide vehicle allows Federal agencies to leverage private capital and utility cost savings to reduce energy consumption, decarbonize, and enhance the resilience of Federal facilities. Trane has held a DOE IDIQ contract for 25 years.

Trane is one of 20 DOE IDIQ contractors who can compete for individual ESPC programs to accelerate the deployment of third-party capital in support of efforts to achieve the ambitious goals of Executive Order 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability.

The Gen4 contract carries a $5B contract ceiling over 10 years. On the previous contracts, Trane has executed several ESPC projects at Federal Facilities, resulting in a:

total energy savings of nearly $350 million;total fuel savings of 15,062,285 MBTU, or the annual energy use of 394 homes*;total water savings of 1,472,309 kGals of water, the equivalent of 3,004 Olympic swimming pools; and anaverage consumer baseline energy consumption reduction of 32.2%.

“Trane is ready to deepen our longstanding relationships and expand to additional Federal agencies to help them accelerate their transition to clean energy and assure their missions,” said Jody Wilkens, Vice President, Federal, Trane. “This most recent IDIQ clears the way for projects through the end of the decade and further supports Trane Technologies’ 2030 Sustainability Commitments.”

To learn more about the energy efficiency solutions offered by Trane, visit our blog at: https://www.trane.com/commercial/north-america/us/en/about-us/newsroom/blogs/trane-awarded-new-department-of-energy-contract.html.

*Calculated using the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator 

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About Trane 
Trane – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator – creates comfortable, energy efficient indoor environments for commercial and residential applications. For more information, please visit www.trane.com or www.tranetechnologies.com.

About Trane Technologies 
Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane® and Thermo King®, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation. Visit tranetechnologies.com.

DAVIDSON, N.C., December 14, 2023 /3BL/ – Trane® – by Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator, has been awarded the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Generation 4 (Gen4) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) energy savings performance contract (ESPC). This government-wide vehicle allows Federal agencies to leverage private capital and utility cost savings to reduce energy consumption, decarbonize, and enhance the resilience of Federal facilities. Trane has held a DOE IDIQ contract for 25 years.

Trane is one of 20 DOE IDIQ contractors who can compete for individual ESPC programs to accelerate the deployment of third-party capital in support of efforts to achieve the ambitious goals of Executive Order 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability.

The Gen4 contract carries a $5B contract ceiling over 10 years. On the previous contracts, Trane has executed several ESPC projects at Federal Facilities, resulting in a:

total energy savings of nearly $350 million;total fuel savings of 15,062,285 MBTU, or the annual energy use of 394 homes*;total water savings of 1,472,309 kGals of water, the equivalent of 3,004 Olympic swimming pools; and anaverage consumer baseline energy consumption reduction of 32.2%.

“Trane is ready to deepen our longstanding relationships and expand to additional Federal agencies to help them accelerate their transition to clean energy and assure their missions,” said Jody Wilkens, Vice President, Federal, Trane. “This most recent IDIQ clears the way for projects through the end of the decade and further supports Trane Technologies’ 2030 Sustainability Commitments.”

To learn more about the energy efficiency solutions offered by Trane, visit our blog at: https://www.trane.com/commercial/north-america/us/en/about-us/newsroom/blogs/trane-awarded-new-department-of-energy-contract.html.

*Calculated using the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator 

# # #

About Trane 
Trane – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator – creates comfortable, energy efficient indoor environments for commercial and residential applications. For more information, please visit www.trane.com or www.tranetechnologies.com.

About Trane Technologies 
Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane® and Thermo King®, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation. Visit tranetechnologies.com.

New collaboration encourages sustainable and environmentally friendly practices in the construction and building sector to enhance citizens’ quality of life

MILAN, December 13, 2023 /3BL/ – The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority for driving market transformation toward healthy buildings, organizations and communities, today announces a new collaboration with the Green Building Council Italia (GBC Italia), a part of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), representing the world’s largest organization for the sustainable construction market. The collaboration aims to promote awareness and implementation of health and well-being standards in built environments (homes, offices, public buildings, etc.) in Italy.

With an increasing awareness of the importance of protecting public health and well-being within cities and communities, IWBI has chosen to enhance its engagement in Italy alongside SIMA and GBC Italia.

Some of the activities under this collaboration include:

Collaboration to support the diffusion of existing standards and protocols to market segments through the common value proposition that associates health, well-being and sustainability.GBC Italia will continue to raise awareness about WELL educational and training modules to industry professionals, and promote the WELL Accredited Professional credential (WELL AP) within Italy. Registrants for the WELL AP exam have the opportunity to learn about healthy building practices as they prepare to pursue the WELL AP credential, which designates expertise in WELL and a commitment to advancing human health and well-being in buildings, organizations and communities.Joint events and conferences: Organizing joint conferences and events to promote best practices in the sustainable construction and citizens’ well-being sector.Common advocacy: Collaboration to support policies and regulations favorable to sustainable construction and occupational well-being in government entities and institutions.

In April of 2022, Alessandro Miani, MD, former President of the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA) and Professor, University of Milan, joined the IWBI Governance Council. Professor Miani supports the mission of IWBI through a strategic advisory role focused on helping uphold the integrity of IWBI’s certification and rating frameworks and helping accelerate market transformation at a global scale. In this capacity, Alessandro Miani is in a position to speak with Italian institutions and stakeholders to advance the adoption and recognition of WELL.

Professor Miani will promote IWBI’s mission and programs in Italy, bringing his extensive experience and expertise to lead efforts in promoting higher health and well-being standards in Italian city buildings.

“We are excited to initiate this collaboration with the Green Building Council Italia. The goal is not only to raise awareness but also to actively collaborate with institutions, companies, the construction industry, and citizens to integrate sustainable construction practices that promote the health and well-being of those living and working in buildings,” declares Alessandro Miani.

“The challenges associated with a changing climate, including significant impacts to public health, require a multifaceted approach and a deep commitment to collaboration,” said Ann Marie Aguilar, IWBI’s Senior Vice President, EMEA region. “To help support the global real estate sector and address these evolving vulnerabilities in our buildings, we are proud to join forces with GBC Italia and SIMA as we look for opportunities to engage the wider industry on ways to drive solutions advancing both human and planetary health.”

“The well-being of citizens is increasingly central for GBC Italia. This strategic partnership with IWBI represents a fundamental step to strengthen our country’s commitment to sustainability, combining the expertise of GBC Italia with the well-being-centered approach of the International WELL Building Institute,” comments Fabrizio Capaccioli, President of GBC Italia. “This collaboration underscores the crucial role of the built environment in the health and well-being of people.”

Specifically, IWBI develops and administers the WELL Standard, the world’s leading roadmap for creating and certifying spaces that advance health and well-being. The WELL ecosystem includes certification through the WELL Building Standard and the WELL Community Standard pilot, along with ratings that are targeted subsets of strategies from the WELL Standard, and which focus on thematic, goal-focused achievements that demonstrate an organization’s commitment to health and well-being.

GBC Italia is committed to transforming the Italian construction and real estate market, thanks to the promotion of a third-party certification system through proprietary protocols, whose parameters establish precise criteria for the design and construction of healthy, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly buildings.

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About Green Building Council Italia

It’s a nonprofit association whose members include the most competitive companies and the most qualified Italian associations and professional communities operating in the sustainable construction segment. GBC Italia is part of World GBC, a network of national GBCs which is present in more than 70 countries, representing the largest international organization in the world active for the sustainable construction market. GBC Italia promotes a process of transformation of the Italian construction market through the promotion of the third-party certification system and its own certification protocols (the GBC systems) expressly developed for the specificities of the Italian market, whose parameters establish precise criteria for the design and construction of healthy, energy-efficient buildings with low environmental impact.

About SIMA

The Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA) is a no-profit scientific organization aimed at promoting multidisciplinary independent researches and studies in the field of environmental determinants of health and climate change. SIMA involves experts from different fields (Medicine, Engineering, Biology, Chemisty/Biovhemistry, Phisics, Circular Economy etc.) and has delegations in several European countries as well as in United States, where the Organization established fruitful collaborations with the most prestigious Universities. SIMA actively cooperates with the European Commission, the World Health Organization, OSCE, and is leader in communicating the results of scientific publications to the general public.

About the International WELL Building Institute 
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world’s leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and WELL ratings and certifications, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL EP, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Equity, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

Media contact:

IWBI – media@wellcertified.com

Gen Blog | Community

By Kim Allman Head of Corporate Responsibility and Public Policy

2023 was a year of firsts for our Social Impact program. We hosted our first ever Global Volunteer Day as Gen, uniting team members around the world in one massive day of service. We debuted new tools to help children and families develop Cyber Safety skills and launched a pioneering guide for LGBTQ+ young people to navigate the digital world safely.

For these and other projects, we’re thrilled to announce two distinguished honors: Gen has been named one of Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies for 2024 and been listed on this year’s Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI).

The DJSI is one of the world’s leading benchmarks for ESG performance. The North American Index utilizes the S&P Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) to evaluate the ESG practices of the largest  600 North American companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index. The resulting list collects the top 20% of these companies based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria, with each receiving a score out of 100. Gen was awarded the high score of 46, landing us on the North America index for the second year in a row.

This is also the second year in a row we’ve appeared on Newsweek’s List of America’s Most Responsible Companies as Gen. Newsweek, along with its partner Statista, surveys the country’s top 2,000 companies’ ESG programs based on 30 KPIs then survey more than 17,000 U.S. residents on their perceptions of the companies’ CSR performance.

Gen’s social impact mission is to bring together our team, passions and technology to support people and communities, making the world a better, safer place. Program highlights that contributed to our high scores include:

Philanthropy: Our Cyber Safety education & training efforts reached more than 2.8 million people in fiscal 2023. Key partnerships between Norton (part of the Gen family of trusted brands) and organizations such as Discovery Education, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and the National PTA helped focus these efforts on children, families, and young people.Environmental Stewardship: We introduced the award-winning Sustainable Home Improvement Program, reducing our Scope 3 emissions and empowering employees to do their part for the planet. 98% of our products are now delivered digitally, and of the few physical products we have, 50% of their paper is FSC-certified.Corporate Governance: We continue to disclose demographic data on both our broad employee base and our Board of Directors. In 2023, women represented 40% of our Board, and 30% of our Directors are members of an underrepresented community.

We’re excited to be named among so many other companies showing the way forward on corporate citizenship and sustainability. We look forward to building on these achievements and reaching new heights in the year to come.

RAHWAY, N.J., December 13, 2023 /3BL/ – Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has earned the top spot on Newsweek’s annual list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, ranking No. 1 overall for the first time and establishing itself as an industry leader for the second consecutive year. Notably, Merck has also received the unique distinction of being the only company on the 2024 list to score 100/100 in corporate governance, which, in addition to disclosures and transparency, comprises economic performance, namely financial stability and innovation capacity. 

“We are honored to be recognized as America’s Most Responsible Company,” said Robert M. Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. “Operating responsibly is at the core of our vision and values and fundamental to how we do business. I’m both pleased and proud to also acknowledge that this recognition is a testament to our long-standing commitment focused on enabling a safe and healthy future for people and communities around the world.” 

To develop its list of America’s Most Responsible Companies 2024, Newsweek partnered with Statista, a global research and data firm, to analyze 1,200 of the largest public companies in the U.S., assessing each company across 30 corporate responsibility key performance indicators. In total, 600 companies were identified as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies 2024. 

Earlier this year, Merck was also named an industry leader on CNBC and JUST Capital’s list of America’s Most JUST Companies and Barron’s list of the 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies. 

Learn more about Merck’s sustainability strategy: https://www.merck.com/company-overview/sustainability/.

About Merck

At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).

International Paper sources the majority of its wood from the U.S. South where an estimated 1.8 million families privately own most of the forestland. Most private landowners’ land is not certified because of the general view that the benefit is not worth the cost and effort. Because of this, IP needed to change our procurement strategy and due diligence to demonstrate alignment with forest certification standards while meeting the expectations of our customers and assuring consumers that active forest management is sustainable.

With this in mind, we created ForSite™ an innovative, first-of-its-kind forest mapping platform that is improving the way IP responsibly sources wood fiber from forests.

ForSite™ is a forest conservation mapping and due-diligence tool that guides our responsible fiber procurement on non-certified forestland in the United States. This system ensures our procurement activities maintain or enhance the environmental values of the forests from which we source.

The implementation of ForSite™ has changed IP’s procurement strategy. We now screen every non-certified tract prior to purchase to determine whether additional due diligence is required before we accept timber from that tract.

Not only does this ensure safe practices for the trees, but by using ForSite™, our fiber buyers are able to make informed decisions based on a variety of factors including rare plant and animal species, priority forest types, soil types, and various water resources. This is how we are safeguarding forests, watersheds and biodiversity.

ForSite™ builds on IP’s stewardship core value by driving more transparency in our fiber sourcing as we facilitate supplier and landowner education to advance forest stewardship in our U.S. fiber supply chain.

Click here to watch a video of ForSite™ in action!

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of planet-friendly packaging, pulp, and other fiber-based products, and one of North America’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa, and Europe. Net sales for 2022 were $21.2 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com.

LAS VEGAS, December 13, 2023 /3BL/ – Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) was again recognized on the Dow Jones Sustainability™ Indices (DJSI), with placement on the DJSI World Index for the fourth consecutive year and the DJSI North America Index for the eighth time. Sands China Ltd., the company’s Asian subsidiary, was named to the DJSI World and DJSI Asia Pacific indices for the second consecutive year.

Sands and Sands China are the only two companies in the Casino and Gaming category listed on DJSI World this year, out of 19 companies invited to participate. Sands is the only company in the Casino and Gaming category listed on DJSI North America, and Sands China is one of only two companies in the Casino and Gaming category listed on DJSI Asia Pacific.

The DJSI World Index comprises global sustainability leaders as identified by S&P Global through the Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). It represents the top 10% of the largest 2,500 companies in the S&P Global BMI based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria. The DJSI North America and DJSI Asia Pacific indices represent the top 20% of the 600 largest North American companies and the top 20% of the 600 largest companies in the Asia Pacific developed region in the S&P Global BMI based on the same criteria.

“Our recognition on this premier global sustainability benchmark, following our recent inclusion as one of Newsweek’s America’s Most Responsible Companies, underscores the impact of our corporate responsibility initiatives and ESG leadership,” Patrick Dumont, president and chief operating officer, said. “We aim to be the employer and partner of choice in our regions, a model corporate citizen working to ensure strength and resiliency of our communities, and the industry leader in environmental sustainability.”

Sands’ DJSI inclusions also reflect the company’s adaptability in aligning efforts and reporting to the major methodology changes and public disclosure expectations made for the CSA this year. The approach is reflective of Sands’ focus on transparency as defined by the major ESG authorities and a dedication to continuously expanding its impact.

With the goal of achieving measured, ongoing progress, Sands also has established 2021-2025 ambitions in the areas of workforce development, Team Member volunteerism and carbon emissions reduction, mapping to its People, Communities and Planet corporate responsibility pillars.

Under the People pillar, Sands aims to invest $200 million in workforce development by 2025. As of 2022, the company had invested $56 million in workforce development initiatives, bringing its cumulative investment to $113 million since 2021, well past the halfway point. Sands is focused on building the workforce of the future by supporting the professional growth of its Team Members, advancing the skills of hospitality industry professionals as well as the local labor pool in its regions, and helping local businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, succeed.

The global Sands Cares community engagement program leads initiatives under the Communities pillar and drives the company’s priorities on hardship relief, education, nonprofit and local business advancement, disaster relief and preparedness, and cultural and natural heritage preservation. In support of these issues, Sands set a 2025 target to contribute 150,000 Team Member volunteer hours by 2025; however, the company surpassed this goal by the end of 2022 because of extensive support for pandemic-related initiatives, along with core Sands Cares volunteer efforts. The new 2025 target will be announced in the company’s next ESG report in spring 2024.

Finally, Sands works to ensure the long-term environmental health of its regions through the Planet pillar, led by the Sands ECO360 global sustainability program. The company’s 2025 environmental ambition is to achieve a 17.5% reduction in carbon emissions. As of 2022, Sands had achieved a 50% reduction in carbon emissions from its 2018 baseline; however, the cumulative decrease reflected continued pandemic-related impact on property visitation. As business returns to more normal levels in 2023, Sands is continuing to aggressively pursue its low-carbon transition initiatives in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy and transportation.

The DJSI, including the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), were launched in 1999 as the pioneering series of global sustainability benchmarks available in the market. The index family is comprised of global, regional and country benchmarks. The S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) is an annual evaluation of companies’ sustainability practices. It covers over 10,000 companies from around the world. The CSA focuses on sustainability criteria that are both industry-specific and financially material and has been doing so since 1999.

About Sands (NYSE: LVS)

Sands is the world’s preeminent developer and operator of world-class integrated resorts. The company’s iconic properties drive valuable leisure and business tourism and deliver significant economic benefits, sustained job creation, financial opportunities for local businesses and community investment to help make its host regions ideal places to live, work and visit.

Sands’ portfolio of properties includes Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and The Venetian Macao, The Plaza Macao, The Londoner Macao, The Parisian Macao and Sands Macao in Macao SAR, China, through majority ownership in Sands China Ltd.

Sands is dedicated to being a leader in corporate responsibility, anchored by the core tenets of serving people, planet and communities. The company’s ESG leadership has led to inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for World and North America. To learn more, visit www.sands.com.

Contacts:

Kristin Koca
Sands
702.923.9142
Kristin.Koca@sands.com

MetLife

NEW YORK /3BL/ – MetLife Foundation announced the 24 non-profit recipients of its two-year, $10 million Accelerating Commitment to Equity Innovation Fund (ACE Innovation Fund). The fund aims to democratize access to capital for non-profit organizations addressing income and wealth inequality in communities that have been historically and systemically disinvested.

Each non-profit recipient was awarded a $250,000 grant to implement or accelerate their proposal. These proposals center on one of the focus areas of the ACE Innovation Fund – financial security and longevity, small business growth and job creation, narrative change, homeownership, affordable housing and community revitalization, and good jobs.

“We are living in a dynamic environment that requires us to address the most pressing issues of today head on, while advancing our work for the future,” said Tia Hodges, President and CEO of MetLife Foundation and Head of Corporate Giving and Employee Volunteerism at MetLife. “Our vision for the ACE Innovation Fund is to address the growing income and wealth divide and instill confidence for the future by investing in the visionary, bold, and forward looking solutions of today’s leaders and non-profits.”

The 2023 ACE Innovation Fund grantees have significant work or plan to implement their proposal in Atlanta, GA; Cary, Durham and Raleigh, NC; Chicago, IL; Newark, NJ; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; or Tampa, FL. The selected grantees are part of a national cohort of actively engaged peers that will network and participate in a community of practice.

The full list of grantees can be viewed on MetLife Foundation’s website, and include:

Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative to accelerate the capacity building and technical assistance programming of business-serving organizations to prepare Black-owned businesses to receive capital in Atlanta, GA.Chicago Community Loan Fund to accelerate efforts to educate and provide low-interest loans to residents of aging buildings to make improvements to the buildings – raising the value of cooperatively operated housing while keeping elderly residents homed in Chicago, IL.La Casa de Don Pedro to implement their healthy homes and community empowerment programs in Newark, NJ, fostering self-sufficiency, empowerment and neighborhood Page 2 of 2 revitalization by bringing together essential local services to enhance affordable housing.MDC, Inc. to implement the coordination of an Integrated Services Delivery Network of community-based organizations in Durham, NC, connecting low-income residents with public benefits, social supports and career training.The Laundromat Project to accelerate programs that build stronger community connections, promote cultural preservation and facilitate generational wealth building for longtime residents of Brooklyn, NY.The New York Women’s Foundation to implement the Bronx Economic Justice Project to advance opportunities within the green economy and develop a cohort of women and gender-expansive individuals focused on advancing economic security in Bronx, NY.

The ACE Innovation Fund recipients will take part in a cohort to measure impact and report on the outcomes of their interventions, with the opportunity to receive up to $150,000 in follow-on funding. MetLife Foundation is partnering with the Urban Institute Racial Equity Analytics Lab to study and measure the impact of each recipient’s interventions and Community Resource Exchange (CRE) to provide capacity building support for grantees and their staff. This wraparound support is integral to the ACE Innovation Fund to put tools, resources and advantages in the hands of the grantees to fully implement or accelerate their programs.

For more information on MetLife Foundation and the ACE Innovation Fund, visit www.MetLife.org.

About MetLife Foundation

At MetLife Foundation, we are committed to driving inclusive economic mobility for underserved and underrepresented communities around the world. We collaborate with nonprofit organizations and provide grants aligned to three strategic focus areas – economic inclusion, financial health and resilient communities – while engaging MetLife employee volunteers to help drive impact. MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 to continue MetLife’s long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Since its inception, MetLife Foundation has contributed over $1 billion to strengthen communities where MetLife has a presence. To learn more about MetLife Foundation, visit www.metlife.org.

For Media:

Olivia Janicelli

(212) 578-3547

olivia.janicelli@metlife.com

Originally published in Quest Diagnostics Corporate Responsibility Report 2022

2025/2026 Goals

Implement a waste-to-energy strategy to divert from landfills’ waste from several of our laboratory locations by 2025 Reduce or eliminate shipped medical waste from at least 4 of our laboratory locations by installing on-site treatment technology by 2025 

Waste reduction

We have a multi-pronged approach to waste reduction. Our strategies include reducing waste generated and waste sent to landfill.

For several years, we have been committed to reducing our single-use plastic waste and using specimen cups and stool containers containing less plastic. We are proud to share this program reduced our plastic waste in 2022 by another 105 standard tonsWe are committed to reducing the amount of paper waste in our PSCs. During the period 2018–2022, we cut paper waste in our PSCs by approximately 723 tons, including approximately 177 tons in 2022. As we go forward, we estimate that this initiative will enable us to avoid paper waste by approximately 175 tons annuallyOur plans also include decreasing waste to landfill. We began with an audit of several of our California sites to gain a better understanding of disposal of waste streams. We identified waste-to-energy as a potential opportunity to divert waste from landfills and are planning to implement waste-to-energy projects at not less than 4 laboratory locations by 2025Another waste stream opportunity is medical waste. We plan to install on-site treatment technology for medical waste at 4 laboratories within the next 3 years

Water stewardship 

We rely on water for our operations and test processing and are focused on continuously improving water use efficiency and management of water discharges.

Our environmental management system includes consideration of water use and its impact on the environment as a limited natural resourceWe conducted water audits at several of our major laboratories to gather insight into potential water-savings opportunities

Small changes can have a big impact 

Annually, Quest ships over 1.5 million collection supplies orders to over 100,000 clients—totaling over 2.5 million boxes. These collection supplies are needed to properly collect a quality sample for testing in our laboratories. In 2022, we began a box optimization program to bring down the number of boxes we send out. Our innovative software solution, launching in 2023, will trim the number of boxes shipped by an estimated 10% annually. This program is expected to reduce downstream cardboard used by 85 tons. There will also be a reduction in transportation carbon emissions as fewer trips will be needed to deliver the same quantity of supplies.

Read more

Water, a fundamental and precious resource, is at the center of sustainability and crucial to Mary Kay’s manufacturing process. As a global sustainability advocate, Mary Kay is committed to creating and implementing sustainability initiatives related to water at its global manufacturing facility in Lewisville, Texas.

This year, Mary Kay launched an employee Water Steering Committee responsible for identifying and implementing opportunities for water reduction and good water governance. Led by Nichole Jones-Dooley, Plant Manager at Mary Kay’s Richard R. Rogers Manufacturing and R&D Facility, more than half of Mary Kay’s Water Steering Committee members are women!

As Mary Kay implements additional water initiatives, the company continues to make strides in corporate water stewardship. Recent progress includes:

At the end of June 2023, to help us identify possible improvements in water efficiency as well as to monitor the efficacy of our optimizations, Mary Kay installed additional in-line flow water meters to measure water usage in designated areas.In August 2023, Mary Kay implemented an improvement that is projected to save approximately 100,000 gallons per month.Between 2021 and 2023, Mary Kay optimized several manufacturing cleaning processes which resulted in saving a projected 572,000 gallons of water each year based on production forecast.1

“For 60 years, Mary Kay has committed to delivering advanced product technology while maintaining industrial excellence and we are continuing our commitment with the launch of the Water Steering Committee,” said Jones-Dooley. “Water sustainability is not only ethically imperative but a necessity for the well-being of humanity and the planet. By taking collective action to preserve and protect this invaluable resource, we help ensure the ongoing availability of water to meet the needs of the environment and communities around the world.”

The Mary Kay Water Steering Committee’s future actions include:

Continuous monitoring of water usage at our global manufacturing facilities.Working cross-functionally to build a comprehensive water dashboard to gauge water usage at the company’s manufacturing facilities with the goal of identifying additional water stewardship improvements.

As the world grapples with the challenges of water scarcity, pollution, and climate change, women leaders continue to be at the forefront of water stewardship innovation and principles.

For the most recent updates on Mary Kay’s global sustainability strategy, click here.

1 Methodology: These projected water savings are calculated by monitoring the data pulled from our flow meters and forecasting the annual projections based on daily and weekly averages. We will continue to monitor water usage and forecast savings as projections are subject to change based on external factors such as demand.