Tag: 3BL

That’s a wrap on the 19th Annual MK5K benefiting the Mary Kay Ash Foundation. This year’s event raised more than $320,000 in support of the Foundation’s two-fold mission, finding cures for cancers affecting women and ending domestic violence. Participants had the option to run or walk in-person at the MK5K and One-Mile Fun Run at Mary Kay’s global headquarters in Addison, Texas, or log 13 miles in 13 days virtually in their hometown through the MK5K My Way Virtual Challenge. This year’s in-person and virtual events reached more than 21,000 miles logged by participants through movement activities like running, walking, biking, swimming, and more.

Thank you to the generous in-kind and monetary sponsors, local community partners, independent sales force members and the public for fundraising, creating teams, and showing up bright and early to the in-person event and running for a great cause! All event proceeds directly benefit the women served through domestic violence shelter grants, programs and services, as well as cancer research grants and support for women affected by a cancer diagnosis.

Each year, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation awards over $1 million in grants to fund cancer research efforts in innovative, translational research and clinical trials to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancers predominantly affecting women. The Foundation also awards over $1 million annually to domestic violence shelters providing lifesaving, emergency shelter and services to women and their families seeking a life free from abuse across the United States.

A special thank you to our generous Diamond level sponsors for the 19th Annual MK5K including: Mary Kay Inc., Buchanan Technologies, ProPay, Greenberg Traurig, Beauty Manufacturing Solutions Corp (BMSC) and Dentons Global Advisors.

Fundraising for the Mary Kay Ash Foundation MK5K continues throughout the month of October in celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Donations can be made at www.marykayashfoundation.org/donate.

NEW YORK, October 19, 2023 – Environmental program funding had the highest growth rate of 51% because, according to Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose® (CECP) Giving in Numbers™: 2023 Edition, companies may be increasingly demonstrating the alignment of their community investment priorities with their corporate environmental goals and reporting more publicly on it, as well. The number of companies using Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) metrics in their quarterly earnings calls increased by 4 percentage points, to 58% in that same time frame. The report chronicles the prioritization of societal investment at the world’s largest companies, with a focus on social, environmental, and civic employee engagement initiatives, between 2020-2022.

The median total community investment, which includes both cash and non-cash contributions, across companies in 2022 was US$28.4 million. Environment, Community and Economic Development, and Civic and Public Affairs also experienced significant growth at 54%, 21%, and 15%, respectively. Environment experienced the most growth in this period, which may attest to companies’ growing sense of urgency to address the threat of climate change and other environmental changes. Interestingly, an October 2023 CECP Pulse Survey of 112 respondents found 66% of surveyed companies believe they should go forward with ESG practices, with 37% sharing planning widely to communicate its importance.

Total community investments were 14% lower in 2022 than in 2020, and disaster relief decreased 39%, reflecting a decline of COVID-19-related community investment spending. But between 2021 and 2022, there was a slight increase in spending of 1%, yet with a slower growth rate than was seen annually pre-pandemic, which was 3% 2018-19.

CECP’s Giving in Numbers™ is the premier industry survey and research, providing standard-setting criteria in a go-to guide that has defined the field and advanced the movement. Over 22 years, CECP has created the largest and most historical data set on trends in the industry, shared by more than 600 multi-billion-dollar companies, representing more than $439 billion in total community investments over that time span. The report is embraced by professionals across all sectors globally to understand how corporations invest in society, with topics ranging from cash and in-kind/product, employee volunteerism and giving, and impact measurement. Additional key findings include:

A matched set of companies showed that there was an 88% increase in non-cash donations between 2018 and 2020, driving much of the COVID-19 total community investment balloon, followed by a subsequent drop in non-cash of 58% amongst those same companies between 2020 and 2022. The difference between 2020 and 2022 is also in part because the U.S. dollar did not have as much purchasing power in 2022 as it did in 2020, as evidenced by the increase in the Consumer Price Index. This also impacts grant recipients, whose grant budgets had to stretch further in 2022 than they did in previous years.Between 2018 and 2022, there were fluctuations in how community investments were funded: median direct cash donations direct from the corporation grew by 8%, while foundation cash grew by 30%, indicating an increasing reliance on foundations as vehicles for grant distribution. Comparatively, median non-cash decreased by 20% in that same period. While non-cash grew significantly in response to the events of 2020, that growth was not sustained: median non-cash spending in 2022 dipped below the median of 2018.The program areas that continued to receive the most funding were Health and Social Services and Community and Economic Development at 20%, but there was a shift in 2023 by industry, with Consumer Discretionary allocating the highest average percentage to Community and Economic Development.Investors remain an important stakeholder when considering societal investment strategies, particularly for companies to align their reporting with those of the Global Reporting Initiative or International Financial Reporting Standards. And accordingly, 83% of companies reported considering the investor perspective when reporting social KPIs in their annual reports, an increase from 79% in 2020.In 2022, 49% of companies allocated some of their community investment budget to STEM education, with a median of US$1.37 million and the average percentage of total community investments for STEM at 6%. As the world becomes more reliant on technology, companies are investing in their future workforce, improving the quantity and quality of their prospective employee pipeline.In 2022, slightly more than two-thirds of companies reported making cash and non-cash community investments to international end-recipients. With effects of the pandemic on business operations and travel subsiding, companies may have become more willing to disburse donations to organizations located abroad.Total matching gifts declined 4% between 2020 and 2022 but were 16% higher in 2022 than in 2018. This could represent employee giving decreasing over the last couple of years possibly due to rising inflation, but still is well above what it was in the past.

“Findings from CECP’s Giving in Numbers report show an increase in total community investments and demonstrates that companies’ are still strongly committed to investing in the communities where they work,” said Daryl Brewster, CEO, CECP. “Being purpose driven and investing in local communities is not only a socially responsible act, but also a smart business strategy that can create a win-win, benefiting both the company and the community it serves.”

Last year was a time of rebuilding, with many companies and organizations revisiting their social impact strategies following a peak in giving for the pandemic and racial equity. Given these changes, Giving in Numbers™ provides insights into how companies are learning how to be efficient and strategic, such as more closely aligning their community investment priorities with their environmental goals. For example, the Climate Change Investment Initiative (2c2i) is a joint commitment between Exelon Corporation and its philanthropic arm, Exelon Foundation, to invest in and cultivate innovative start-ups focused on advancing climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency efforts.

Key insights from the Giving in Numbers Survey of 2022 data were released at the CECP Summit in May 2023. CECP-affiliated companies access custom analysis of the data at no additional cost through CECP’s secure online portal or by contacting CECP.

Note to Editors: the report author is available for comment and a more in-depth look at the community investment data collected from 222 of the world’s largest companies.

###

About Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP)

Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose® (CECP) is a trusted advisor to companies on their corporate purpose journeys to build long-term sustainable value. Working with CEOs and leaders in corporate responsibility, sustainability, foundations, investor relations, finance, legal, and communications, CECP shares actionable insights with its CEO-led coalition to address stakeholder needs. 

Founded in 1999 by actor and philanthropist Paul Newman and other business leaders, CECP is a movement of more than 200 of the world’s largest companies that represent $8.7 trillion in revenues, $47 billion in total community investment, 15.1 million employees, 16 million hours of employee engagement, and $34.1 trillion in assets under management. CECP helps companies transform their strategy by providing research, benchmarking, strategy, convening, and communications in the areas of societal/community investment, employee engagement, environmental social governance/sustainable business, diversity equity inclusion, and telling the story.

For more information, visit http://cecp.co.

NEW YORK, October 19, 2023 – Environmental program funding had the highest growth rate of 51% because, according to Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose® (CECP) Giving in Numbers™: 2023 Edition, companies may be increasingly demonstrating the alignment of their community investment priorities with their corporate environmental goals and reporting more publicly on it, as well. The number of companies using Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) metrics in their quarterly earnings calls increased by 4 percentage points, to 58% in that same time frame. The report chronicles the prioritization of societal investment at the world’s largest companies, with a focus on social, environmental, and civic employee engagement initiatives, between 2020-2022.

The median total community investment, which includes both cash and non-cash contributions, across companies in 2022 was US$28.4 million. Environment, Community and Economic Development, and Civic and Public Affairs also experienced significant growth at 54%, 21%, and 15%, respectively. Environment experienced the most growth in this period, which may attest to companies’ growing sense of urgency to address the threat of climate change and other environmental changes. Interestingly, an October 2023 CECP Pulse Survey of 112 respondents found 66% of surveyed companies believe they should go forward with ESG practices, with 37% sharing planning widely to communicate its importance.

Total community investments were 14% lower in 2022 than in 2020, and disaster relief decreased 39%, reflecting a decline of COVID-19-related community investment spending. But between 2021 and 2022, there was a slight increase in spending of 1%, yet with a slower growth rate than was seen annually pre-pandemic, which was 3% 2018-19.

CECP’s Giving in Numbers™ is the premier industry survey and research, providing standard-setting criteria in a go-to guide that has defined the field and advanced the movement. Over 22 years, CECP has created the largest and most historical data set on trends in the industry, shared by more than 600 multi-billion-dollar companies, representing more than $439 billion in total community investments over that time span. The report is embraced by professionals across all sectors globally to understand how corporations invest in society, with topics ranging from cash and in-kind/product, employee volunteerism and giving, and impact measurement. Additional key findings include:

A matched set of companies showed that there was an 88% increase in non-cash donations between 2018 and 2020, driving much of the COVID-19 total community investment balloon, followed by a subsequent drop in non-cash of 58% amongst those same companies between 2020 and 2022. The difference between 2020 and 2022 is also in part because the U.S. dollar did not have as much purchasing power in 2022 as it did in 2020, as evidenced by the increase in the Consumer Price Index. This also impacts grant recipients, whose grant budgets had to stretch further in 2022 than they did in previous years.Between 2018 and 2022, there were fluctuations in how community investments were funded: median direct cash donations direct from the corporation grew by 8%, while foundation cash grew by 30%, indicating an increasing reliance on foundations as vehicles for grant distribution. Comparatively, median non-cash decreased by 20% in that same period. While non-cash grew significantly in response to the events of 2020, that growth was not sustained: median non-cash spending in 2022 dipped below the median of 2018.The program areas that continued to receive the most funding were Health and Social Services and Community and Economic Development at 20%, but there was a shift in 2023 by industry, with Consumer Discretionary allocating the highest average percentage to Community and Economic Development.Investors remain an important stakeholder when considering societal investment strategies, particularly for companies to align their reporting with those of the Global Reporting Initiative or International Financial Reporting Standards. And accordingly, 83% of companies reported considering the investor perspective when reporting social KPIs in their annual reports, an increase from 79% in 2020.In 2022, 49% of companies allocated some of their community investment budget to STEM education, with a median of US$1.37 million and the average percentage of total community investments for STEM at 6%. As the world becomes more reliant on technology, companies are investing in their future workforce, improving the quantity and quality of their prospective employee pipeline.In 2022, slightly more than two-thirds of companies reported making cash and non-cash community investments to international end-recipients. With effects of the pandemic on business operations and travel subsiding, companies may have become more willing to disburse donations to organizations located abroad.Total matching gifts declined 4% between 2020 and 2022 but were 16% higher in 2022 than in 2018. This could represent employee giving decreasing over the last couple of years possibly due to rising inflation, but still is well above what it was in the past.

“Findings from CECP’s Giving in Numbers report show an increase in total community investments and demonstrates that companies’ are still strongly committed to investing in the communities where they work,” said Daryl Brewster, CEO, CECP. “Being purpose driven and investing in local communities is not only a socially responsible act, but also a smart business strategy that can create a win-win, benefiting both the company and the community it serves.”

Last year was a time of rebuilding, with many companies and organizations revisiting their social impact strategies following a peak in giving for the pandemic and racial equity. Given these changes, Giving in Numbers™ provides insights into how companies are learning how to be efficient and strategic, such as more closely aligning their community investment priorities with their environmental goals. For example, the Climate Change Investment Initiative (2c2i) is a joint commitment between Exelon Corporation and its philanthropic arm, Exelon Foundation, to invest in and cultivate innovative start-ups focused on advancing climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resiliency efforts.

Key insights from the Giving in Numbers Survey of 2022 data were released at the CECP Summit in May 2023. CECP-affiliated companies access custom analysis of the data at no additional cost through CECP’s secure online portal or by contacting CECP.

Note to Editors: the report author is available for comment and a more in-depth look at the community investment data collected from 222 of the world’s largest companies.

###

About Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP)

Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose® (CECP) is a trusted advisor to companies on their corporate purpose journeys to build long-term sustainable value. Working with CEOs and leaders in corporate responsibility, sustainability, foundations, investor relations, finance, legal, and communications, CECP shares actionable insights with its CEO-led coalition to address stakeholder needs. 

Founded in 1999 by actor and philanthropist Paul Newman and other business leaders, CECP is a movement of more than 200 of the world’s largest companies that represent $8.7 trillion in revenues, $47 billion in total community investment, 15.1 million employees, 16 million hours of employee engagement, and $34.1 trillion in assets under management. CECP helps companies transform their strategy by providing research, benchmarking, strategy, convening, and communications in the areas of societal/community investment, employee engagement, environmental social governance/sustainable business, diversity equity inclusion, and telling the story.

For more information, visit http://cecp.co.

Originally published in Enbridge’s 2022 Sustainability Report

Can you tell us a little about the history of sustainability at Spartan Controls?

Several of our sustainability commitments have roots that span Spartan’s six-decade history. In our first fixed Calgary facility, our founders implemented a specific architectural design aimed at conserving energy and promoting employee interaction by guiding movement throughout the building. Spartan Controls is wholly employee-owned, which builds strong relationships between the company and the people who work here. However, as far as a recognized sustainability program, we’ve been primarily active on the environmental dimension since 1990s.

What’s been the focus of your sustainability program in recent years?

Our sustainability framework has six key pillars: People; Well-Being; Community; Industry & Education; Innovation; and Environment. We have strong commitments in each of these areas, but some are more mature than others. Our safety program (part of the Well-Being pillar) is very well-established and our safety record is something we’ve taken pride in for a long time. At the other end of the spectrum, we’re in the initial stage of gathering comprehensive data about diversity in our supply chain. We’re in the process of surveying our suppliers and analyzing the data.

How has Enbridge’s sustainability program, which includes goals related to its supply chain, shaped Spartan Controls’ practices?

As a supplier, we always do our best to respond to our customers’ needs across the board. Whether it’s in sustainability, quality or service, meeting our customers’ expectations and being aligned with them is at the heart of our business. When our major customers’ sustainability reports come out, we spend plenty of time with them to make sure that our perspectives on materiality are staying aligned—that we understand their projects, their core initiatives, any innovations they’re pursuing.

This year, we submitted information through the EcoVadis platform in order to help Enbridge gain insight into their Scope 3 emissions as well as other issues, such as labor and ethics. We were happy to do this both because we value Enbridge as a customer and also because it was a learning opportunity for us in our own sustainability program.

What was most useful about going through that process? 

We’re in the process of building a more comprehensive picture of our emissions. We’ve been developing and enabling technology to reduce emissions for many years; to date, we’ve helped industry abate more than 20 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent with the products and services we provide—in areas ranging from fuel management to advanced process controls. Until recently, we didn’t have a comprehensive inventory as a baseline. In fall 2022, we published our Scope 1 emissions for the first time, and we’re working on Scope 2. Like Enbridge, we’re beginning to survey our suppliers to understand our Scope 3 emissions. It is interesting to have a window into Enbridge’s process by participating in it.

What stands out for you about working with Enbridge on shared sustainability goals? 

Enbridge is highly collaborative, which makes a huge difference. They’re very willing to engage on the substance of the issues—they don’t just send out surveys and wait. We have real conversations with members of their supply chain and sustainability team about what they’re trying to learn and why. It’s beneficial to have the kind of relationship where we can really engage around the goals we’re trying to achieve, and how we each fit into each other’s work. Generally speaking, it’s nice to be collaborative—but it also makes a big difference in terms of the impact we can achieve together. There are so many companies working on the same questions and challenges.

The more we can work together and share what we’re learning, the faster we can move the dial on our sustainability goals. 

Nannette Ho-Covernton, 
Sustainability Leader

Read more

DUBLIN, October 19, 2023 /3BL/ – Intelligent power management company Eaton (NYSE:ETN) has released its 2022 Global Inclusion and Diversity Transparency report, the third in as many years. The report makes a business case for inclusion and diversity (I&D) at Eaton while detailing the company’s progress in achieving its aspirational goal, which is to be a model of inclusion and diversity in its industry. Highlights include:

More than two-thirds of the board of directors are now either women or U.S. minorities while 57% of the global leadership team is U.S. minorities.Growth in spending with diverse suppliers increased from $698 million to $906 million.As a result of a revised criminal background review process, the number of second chance hires passing post-offer criminal screenings rose from 81.3% to 82.4%. 

“We are committed to ensuring that all employees at Eaton have the opportunity to thrive by providing equitable access to growth and development,” said Nicole Crews, director, Global Inclusion and Diversity, Eaton. “Our culture grows stronger by ‘unleashing’ the proven benefits of I&D—the diverse ideas, experiences and perspectives that challenge our way of thinking and enable us all to flourish.”

Earlier this year, Eaton was named a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion for the third year in a row, earning 100 out of 100 on the 2023 Disability Equality Index (DEI). The company also made Newsweek’s first annual list of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and achieved 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index seven years in a row. For more information on Eaton’s inclusion and diversity journey, talent network and culture, go to life at Eaton and review current openings.

Eaton is an intelligent power management company dedicated to improving the quality of life and protecting the environment for people everywhere. We are guided by our commitment to do business right, to operate sustainably and to help our customers manage power ─ today and well into the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we’re accelerating the planet’s transition to renewable energy, helping to solve the world’s most urgent power management challenges, and doing what’s best for our stakeholders and all of society.

Founded in 1911, Eaton is marking its 100th anniversary of being listed on the New York Stock Exchange. We reported revenues of $20.8 billion in 2022 and serve customers in more than 170 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Drew Horansky
+1 440 523-4306
DrewAHoransky@Eaton.com

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Hello – I’m Stephanie Conzelman, Stakeholder Engagement Director with Land Betterment. We are excited to share the third interview in the series titled, “Meet the ekō Solutions Management Team.” 

This week, I met with Alex Hutcheson, ekō Solutions Technical Team Leader. I am seeing a consistent theme each time I interview a member of the ekō Solutions management team which is, they are doing things that that have not been done before in the shipping container housing market and the more challenging the better.  Alex comes from generations of builders and welders and brings his “can do” attitude to work every day. Alex told me that “Traditional construction has been the same forever, with minimal improvements.  But, here, at ekō Solutions, we are innovating daily.” Did you know that we use 3D printers and robotics to build the shipping container dwellings? Daily, Alex’s team comes up with crazy, out of the box ideas and most often the team is able to figure out how to make these ideas come to life. The full interview can be viewed here.

ekō Solutions, a division of Land Betterment a Certified B Corporation, is rapidly growing and now offers a full array of dwelling solutions for commercial, recreational, residential and crisis recovery using customized up-cycled shipping containers. These sustainable and energy-efficient structures combine contemporary design with practicality.

With growth it is so important to have the right team in place in order to move the Company forward in the smartest possible way. I think at the end of this 5-part video series, which will be spread out over the next several months, you will agree with us, that we have an amazing and capable team ready to bring our innovative up-cycled shipping container dwellings to market.

To learn more about ekō Solutions’ products, visit – ekosolutionsllc.com

About ekō Solutions 
ekō Solutions, a Land Betterment Company, is a sustainable development company utilizing innovative, low-cost, up-cycled shipping container structures to provide durable, high-end solutions to the building marketplace while also maintaining the ability to be utilized in a mobile environment. ekō Solutions uses innovative ecological structures to replace legacy inefficient and ineffective methods of living, growing and working. The sustainable craftsmanship of our up-cycled shipping container structures is what separates us from the alternatives. Our structures are suitable for residential, crisis recovery, commercial and recreation use. For more information visit ekosolutionsllc.com and connect with ekō Solutions on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Land Betterment Corporation 
Land Betterment Corporation, an Indiana Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corporation, is an environmental solutions company focused on fostering a positive impact through up-cycling former coal mining and industrial sites to create sustainable community development and job creation. The Company utilizes a complete solution-based lifecycle program to restore and rehabilitate the environment and revitalize communities in need of change and opportunity. Land Betterment accomplishes this by identifying un-reclaimed, run-down and neglected coal mining and industrial sites, fixing the environment through reclamation and remediation, and then repurposing the land to support a sustainable business that serves the community. Land Betterment firmly believes that with real solutions it is possible for restoration of impacted areas to live side-by-side long term employment, while building sustainable and safe surroundings for communities and our planet. For more information visit landbetterment.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Contacts: 
Mark LaVerghetta 
317.537.0492 ext. 0 
Chief Governance Officer, Corporate Finance 
info@landbetterment.com

Stephanie Conzelman 
207.205.0790 
Stakeholder Engagement Director 
info@landbetterment.com

Zak Owens 
Fleur de Lis Communications 
502.386.5704 
zak@fdlcomms.com

This year, 15 not-for-profits received Baker Tilly Wishes grants from the Baker Tilly Foundation. One of these organizations, Camp Daniel, provides people of all abilities with opportunities for personal and social growth through summer camps, retreats, dances and other events.  

For Senior Implementation Specialist Krista Goldschmidt, Camp Daniel is a special place that offers unforgettable experiences for her daughter, Kianna. 

Transcript

Voice over: In Wisconsin’s Northwoods, a summer camp is transforming the lives of people with
disabilities, offering them an unforgettable summer experience.

Annissa: At Camp Daniel, we serve people with intellectual and physical disabilities ages 8 to 80. We
have very traditional summer camp programming like swimming, fishing, our nature center. One of our
programs that everyone looks forward to year after year is our annual carnival, where campers can come
out and play different carnival games and then win prizes and points for their teams.

Darin: “You having fun?”

Kianna: “Yes!”

Darin: “Awesome.”

Voice over: Nominating Camp Daniel to receive a $10,000 Baker Tilly Wishes Grant holds a special place
in the heart of team member Krista Goldschmidt.

Krista: My daughter, Kianna Goldschmidt, comes to Camp Daniel. Kianna is a 15-year-old, spunky little
girl. I feel like she has grown quite a bit in terms of her social aspect. She’s been able to be herselfaround
the kids that are here.

Annissa: We have many campers that come to camp that have never stayed away from their parents
before. So, not only are we providing that experience for that camper, but we can provide respite for a
family.

Krista: We’ve always felt that our children have been brought into this world for a very special reason, and
sometimes the mainstream society doesn’t see the value in that.

Annissa: At camp, our goal is to have them leave knowing that they have inherent value, that they have
gifts to offer others, and that they’re important and loved.

Krista: When we come back to pick her up, and she doesn’t want to leave, that to me tells me that this
has been the place that she would love to be at more often. If she could live here, she probably would.

Cummins

Cummins Inc.’s global strategic program to address water security has announced two new grants with The Nature Conservancy and WaterAid to improve water quality in the Mississippi River Basin and implement water, sanitation and hygiene improvements in Nigeria.

“The resources provided by Cummins illustrate the steadfast commitment our company is making to strengthen communities through sustainable water,” said Travis Meek, the global power technology leader’s Corporate Responsibility Director – Environment. “These grants to The Nature Conservancy and WaterAid total almost $2.8 million and are poised to make a substantial impact to many people’s lives.”

Cummins’ efforts to improve the Mississippi River Basin started in 2022 with a large-scale grant to The Nature Conservancy focused on Indiana and the Gulf of Mexico. By expanding resources into Minnesota near Cummins’ plant in Fridley, Minnesota, the project will help improve water quality in that area by reducing nutrient and sediment pollution entering the rivers and streams within the basin. The project will enhance wetland areas that filter and store groundwater, restoring wild rice populations and increasing their abundance to support native tribes.

In total, the project will improve about 25,000 acres of farmland through conservation practices by restoring an estimated 200 wetlands and 20 acres of wild rice, enhancing one mile of river habitat, and constructing and distributing 250 soil health kits, which will be provided to agronomists, farm advisors, and influential farmers.

The initiative is expected to provide water benefits exceeding the annual water consumption at Cummins facilities in the area. These benefits will help Cummins achieve its PLANET 2050 sustainability goal of producing net water benefits that exceed its annual water use in all Cummins regions by 2030. PLANET 2050, the company’s environmental sustainability strategy, establishes nine goals timed to 2030 to reduce Cummins’ environmental footprint.

“Employees from our Fridley facility can volunteer to assemble soil health kits, participate in wild rice seeding in rivers and streams, remove invasive species, participate in native species plantings, and join wetland restoration opportunities,” said Asit Desai, Fridley Plant Manager at Cummins. “We have over 75 employees already signed up to volunteer for events starting in early October. I’m very excited to mobilize our employees to make positive contributions toward improving and preserving our state’s natural resources.”

In Nigeria, Cummins Water Works’ newest partner, WaterAid, envisions a world where everyone, everywhere has safe and sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene. Its mission is to transform lives by improving this access in the world’s poorest communities. About 33% of people in Nigeria lack access to basic drinking water, 55% lack access to basic sanitation, and over 80% lack access to basic hygiene services.

As a result, diarrheal diseases are the second leading cause of death among children under five, killing about 150,000 children annually. Only 11% of schools, 6% of health facilities, and 4% of markets and motor parks in the country have access to basic water, sanitation, and hygiene.

“Cummins has a significant presence in Nigeria,” said Ifeyinwa Alex-Anene, Project Manager for Cummins TEC: Technical Education for Communities – Cummins West Africa Ltd. “We have a long history of partnering with not-for-profit organizations to support schools, vulnerable homes, and persons across the different locations where we have a presence. By bringing water and sanitation efforts to Lagos and Abuja, we will significantly improve the lives of many people and achieve sustainable impact.”

The partnership between Cummins and WaterAid will contribute to Nigeria’s National Action Plan (NAP) to reverse the national state of emergency related to water, sanitation, and hygiene. This intervention will help state governments make potable water available and accessible, while promoting good hygiene practices in schools and communities. In addition, WaterAid will build capacity to operate and manage the water, sanitation and hygiene facilities after construction, sustainably addressing operations and maintenance. Collectively, these efforts are estimated to affect over 185,000 people, providing water for about 11,000, sanitation for 6,500, and hygiene for 168,000.

SAN ANTONIO, October 19, 2023 /3BL/ – The National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) has been awarded $1 million in grant funding from the Wells Fargo Foundation that will go towards advancing the financial well-being and security of Latino and immigrant communities across the country.

With Wells Fargo’s support, NALCAB is providing capacity-building grants of $35,000 along with customized training and support to 12 organizations to employ financial health curricula that will help individuals and families access financial products, strengthen their credit, increase their savings and income, and reduce debt.

The primary purpose of this award is to provide support to a nationwide network of nonprofits that serve low- and moderate- income (LMI) Latino and immigrant populations with culturally-tailored strategies that help clients achieve their financial goals and build wealth.

“At Wells Fargo we’re committed to investing in solutions that can help people achieve financial stability and greater financial security over time,” said Bonnie Wallace, head of Financial Health Philanthropy. “These grants aim to strengthen the capacity of NALCAB network members so they can expand access to culturally relevant financial coaching, and products that empower Latino and immigrant communities with asset and wealth building opportunities.”

The following organizations were selected by NALCAB for awards through a competitive grant process:

Branches, Inc. (Miami)Common Wealth Charlotte/Buenas Finanzas Carolinas (Charlotte)Conexion Americas (Nashville)Eastmont Community Center (Los Angeles)Enterprising Latinas Inc. (Wimauma, FL)Fifth Avenue Committee, Inc. (Brooklyn)Groundswell Capital (Tucson, AZ)Housing Connect Fund (Salt Lake City, UT)Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corp. (Boston)Rural Development Initiative (Coburg, OR)The Latin American Association (Atlanta)Ventures (Santa Cruz, CA)

About NALCAB The National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) is the hub of a national network of 200+ member organizations that are anchor institutions in geographically and ethnically diverse Latino communities in 46 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. NALCAB supports its member institutions through funding, training, research, and advocacy, enabling them to invest in their communities by building affordable housing, ensuring equitable neighborhood development, supporting small business growth, and providing financial counseling on issues including credit building and homeownership. As a grant maker and US Treasury certified CDFI lender with offices in San Antonio and Washington DC, the NALCAB Network serves hundreds of thousands of low- to moderate-income people, advancing economic equity and inclusivity in the communities we serve.

ALEXANDRIA and CHELTENHAM, October 19, 2023 /3BL/ – The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) and The Copper Mark today announced the launch of the RMI’s Risk Readiness Assessment (RRA) and the RMI’s and Copper Mark’s joint Criteria Guide, version 3.0. The RRA Criteria and Criteria Guide are publicly available to all interested stakeholders. 

The RRA is a set of mineral-agnostic criteria for responsible production, sourcing, processing and recycling of minerals and metals. Version 3.0 of the RRA consists of 33 criteria covering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks, and it defines due diligence requirements and responsible production, sourcing, processing and recycling practices for minerals and metals against which users can assess their performance. 

The RRA was created by the RMI in 2017, has been completed by more than 600 mines, smelters, refiners, manufacturers and recyclers, across a broad range of metals, and has provided visibility for hundreds of downstream companies relying on RRA users’ voluntary disclosure of self-assessment results. Following the release of RRA version 3.0, the RMI will align its ESG Standard to the RRA. Currently, the ESG assessment scope is at the facility level, and it will now be expanded to include supply chain risks. The RRA version 3.0 will be effective starting January 1, 2024, for companies interested in completing the RMI’s updated RRA self-assessment offline, and available through the RBA-Online tool from April 1, 2024. 

The RRA Criteria Guide is also used by The Copper Mark to define the requirements its participants have to meet to receive the Copper Mark, Nickel Mark, Zinc Mark or Molybdenum Mark. To date, over 80 sites participate in the Copper Mark Assurance Process, thereby undergoing an independent third-party assessment of their practices at site-level against the RRA Criteria Guide. Starting January 1, 2024, The Copper Mark will require all its new participants to be assessed against the requirements of the RRA Criteria Guide, version 3.0. Current participants that are due for assessment in 2024 will be able to choose between versions 2.0 and 3.0 of the RRA Criteria Guide and, from 2025 onward, all Copper Mark participants will be required to implement version 3.0. 

With the revision, the RMI and The Copper Mark aim to define industry-specific ESG practices grounded in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) and in the OECD 6-step due diligence framework, as well as aligning with the most recent developments in regulations and industry best practices. They require companies to identify, assess, prevent and mitigate risks and adverse impacts associated with company operations and supply chains. By building on those international frameworks, the RRA supports regulatory preparedness in many jurisdictions. 

Version 3.0 of the RRA also recognizes ongoing industry efforts that can be demonstrated via credible standards and globally established protocols and methodologies. 

“Version 3.0 of the Risk Readiness Assessment marks an important milestone in the expansion of the RMI’s suite of tools to support robust ESG due diligence,” said Jennifer Peyser, Executive Director of the RMI. “Multi-stakeholder consultations have made version 3.0 a strong foundation upon which to build the RMI’s company self-assessment tool and an updated ESG Standard to meet international norms and shared expectations of upstream and downstream companies and stakeholders, and to support emerging regulatory requirements.”

“Continuous improvement is one of The Copper Mark’s key principles and version 3.0 of the Risk Readiness Assessment represents this principle by raising the bar on what it means to be a responsible producer,” said Michèle Brülhart, Executive Director of The Copper Mark. “Based on a rigorous two-year revision process including extensive stakeholder consultation, we are excited to launch these updated requirements and work with our participants to implement these onsite.” 

Version 3.0 of the RRA is the outcome of a multi-stakeholder consultation and decision-making process that draws on the recommendations of the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for standard setting. More than 35 civil society and international organizations, numerous metal associations, industry experts and company representatives were engaged in the revision process, either as members of a dedicated technical committee, or in individual dialogue and public consultations. The RMI will continue to promote the uptake of ESG due diligence in the industry, and foster dialogue between upstream and downstream supply chain actors around responsible mineral production practices. 

Stakeholders can view and download the RRA and Criteria Guide here on the RMI website and here on The Copper Mark website. 

For more information, contact the RMI at rmi@responsiblebusiness.org or the Copper Mark at info@coppermark.org. 

About the Responsible Minerals Initiative

The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) is an initiative of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA). The RMI is a multi-industry initiative with nearly 500 member companies. Its members contribute to the development and international uptake of a range of tools and resources focused on minerals supply chain due diligence, including independent third-party audit programs for smelters, Minerals Reporting Templates, supply chain risk assessment tools, Country of Origin data, and guidance documents on responsible sourcing of all minerals/metals. The RMI runs regular workshops on responsible sourcing issues and contributes to policy development with civil society organizations and governments. For more information, visit ResponsibleMineralsInitiative.org 

About The Copper Mark

The Copper Mark is an assurance framework to promote responsible practices and demonstrate the copper industry’s contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Copper Mark uses a rigorous site-level assessment process to independently verify whether individual copper producing sites have responsible production practices. The Copper Mark is built on a genuine commitment to responsible production as we aim to mitigate the environmental and social impact of the copper industry, and positively contribute to sustainable development goals and the green transition. For more information, visit coppermark.org

Media Contacts:

Jarrett Bens, Senior Director of Communications 
Responsible Business Alliance 
Phone: +1 571.858.5721 
jbens@responsiblebusiness.org

Michèle Brülhart, Executive Director 
The Copper Mark 
Phone: +4178235005 
michele.brulhart@coppermark.org