Tag: 3BL

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

No one knew it at the time, but when Kenny Tanaka’s parents invited him and his preschool classmates to tour the family farm, it set off a series of events that would ultimately reshape the business.

“When I was younger, my dad was selling almost everything wholesale and at a roadside stand, which was a big thing back then, and was having a tough time,” said Kenny, now the fourth generation to help run the business. “He eventually lost the roadside stand, and out of necessity began holding tours like my preschool class had done. Now agritourism is more than 50 percent of our revenue.

Today, Tanaka Farms, in Irvine, California, offers a full calendar of activities, including school field trips, pumpkin patch tours, story time events, a petting zoo, a holiday light festival and more.

Tanaka Farms was started in Southern California by Kenny’s great grandfather, Takeo. Kenny’s grandfather, George, and father, Glenn, also worked in the business before Kenny.

Today, Tanaka Farms grows and sells about 60 vegetables and fruits.

“Strawberries are our most popular item,” Kenny said. “One of our most popular tours is to take people around on a wagon ride where they pick one or two vegetables in the field and then they pick strawberries. Kids and parents love it.”

Community service

Tanaka Farms has long been involved in the community.

Glenn started the Orange Coast Optimists (OCO) more than 30 years ago to provide children with opportunities to play baseball and basketball.

Glenn also created the Helping Farms Feed Families nonprofit to help local farms get extra produce into food banks. When an earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan in 2011, destroying thousands of farms, the family launched a Walk the Farm fundraiser to benefit Japanese farmers.

“During the pandemic, we used Helping Farms Feed Families to raise money to buy food from farmers who were struggling and distributed it to families in need,” Kenny said.

In August, Tanaka Farms was given a Community Service Award by the organizers of Nisei Week, which is held in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles and is one of the largest Japanese American celebrations in the United States.

“My dad is really involved in the Japanese community,” Kenny said. “We try to give back where we can.

Longtime bank client

Tanaka Farms and the Tanaka family were longtime Union Bank customers – dating back to at least 2005 — and became U.S. Bank customers earlier this year following the U.S. Bank acquisition of MUFG Union Bank toward the end of last year.

“The main reason we stayed with Union Bank so long was the relationships we had,” Kenny said. “We go to different events in the community and would always see the Union Bank people there.”

With Union Bank being part of MUFG, which is headquartered in Tokyo, it had deep ties to the Japanese American community. U.S. Bank has publicly committed to continuing to serve Japanese American customers, which the Tanaka family appreciated.

In mid September, U.S. Bank CEO Andy Cecere and other leaders held a special reception for Japanese American clients and led a walking tour through Little Tokyo.

“We were a little concerned when we heard U.S. Bank was buying Union Bank and wondered if the people we had relationships with were going to leave,” Kenny said. “But U.S. Bank reinforced that they were going to keep a lot of the people we know, and the switchover was almost seamless. We still go to the same branch, it’s just called U.S. Bank now, and a lot of the same people are working there.”

Tina Koo, who manages the branch where the Tanakas bank and joined U.S. Bank from Union Bank, said she’s always happy to see people from Tanaka Farms come in.

“Everybody around here knows about Tanaka Farms and has been on their tour,” Koo said. “It’s a big name in Orange County because it’s right in our back yard.”

While Kenny’s parents didn’t think he’d end up working at the farm when he was little and the business was struggling, Kenny feels more optimistic about his three children, ages 2, 6 and 7.

“As long as everything stays the way it is,” he said, “I think there should be room for them if they want to be involved.”

SAN DIEGO, October 18, 2023 /3BL/ – 3BL has named Qualcomm Incorporated to its annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking, recognizing outstanding environmental, social and governance (ESG) transparency and performance among the 1,000 largest U.S. public companies.

This year, Qualcomm ranked #1 in the Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment industry, and #9 overall.

“For Qualcomm, corporate responsibility is part of everything we do.,” said Angela Baker, VP of Corporate Responsibility and Chief Sustainability Officer, Qualcomm Incorporated. “From our daily operations to our stakeholder engagements, our commitment to corporate responsibility allows us to set goals that contribute to the long-term success of our business and our bottom line, while managing our social and environmental impacts. We are proud of this recognition from 3BL.”

The 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking is based on 184 ESG factors in seven pillars: climate change, employee relations, environment, governance, human rights, stakeholders and society, and ESG performance.

Using a methodology developed by 3BL, all Russell 1000 Index companies are researched by ISS ESG, the responsible investment research arm of Institutional Shareholder Services. There is no fee for companies to be included in 100 Best Corporate Citizens.

To compile the ranking, corporate data and information is obtained from publicly available sources only, rather than questionnaires or company submissions. Companies have the option to verify data collected for the ranking at no cost. Data and information used in the 2023 edition of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking was collected between July 2022 to July 2023.

“Achieving the transformational targets in the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals in this decisive decade requires all companies to truly embed ESG issues into the core of their business,” said Dave Armon, CEO of 3BL. “The 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2023 are answering the call by demonstrating the societal and bottom-line value of leadership and transparency around ESG topics. They are setting ambitious goals, outlining robust strategies for achieving them, disclosing data to measure progress, and accounting for all stakeholders in business decisions.”

Clients and third-party organizations continue to recognize Qualcomm globally for its ethics, climate leadership and commitment to be an employer of choice. Qualcomm has collected the following U.S. and global awards:

Forbes, America’s Best Employers for Diversity: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020Forbes, World’s Best Employers: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019Fortune, World’s Most Admired Companies: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index: 2022, 2021Newsweek, America’s Greenest Companies: 2023Newsweek, America’s Most Responsible Companies: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020Newsweek, World’s Most Trustworthy Companies: 2023See full list of awards here:

For access to the complete 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2023 ranking and methodology visit: https://100best.3blmedia.com/

About the 100 Best Corporate Citizens Ranking 
The 100 Best Corporate Citizens debuted in 1999 in Business Ethics Magazine and appeared annually in Corporate Responsibility Magazine for many years. 3BL has managed the ranking since 2018. To compile the ranking, each company in the Russell 1000 Index is ranked according to its transparency and performance on 184 environmental, social and governance factors.

About the 100 Best Corporate Citizens Ranking 
The 100 Best Corporate Citizens debuted in 1999 in Business Ethics Magazine and appeared annually in Corporate Responsibility Magazine for many years. 3BL has managed the ranking since 2018. To compile the ranking, each company in the Russell 1000 Index is ranked according to its transparency and performance on 184 environmental, social and governance factors.

About 3BL 
3BL’s unrivaled distribution platforms and TriplePundit Brand Studio promote the environmental, social, governance (ESG) initiatives of leading companies, private equity firms, nonprofits and NGOs to a global audience. Learn more here. 

About Qualcomm 
Qualcomm is enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected. Our one technology roadmap allows us to efficiently scale the technologies that launched the mobile revolution – including advanced connectivity, high-performance, low-power compute, on-device intelligence and more – to the next generation of connected smart devices across industries. Innovations from Qualcomm and our family of Snapdragon platforms will help enable cloud-edge convergence, transform industries, accelerate the digital economy, and revolutionize how we experience the world, for the greater good.

Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering and research and development functions and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business. Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patented technologies are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated. For more information, visit www.qualcomm.com.

Charlotte, N.C., October 18, 2023 /3BL/ – In recognition of its operational excellence and significant contributions to the local community, DP World Dominicana has been named the recipient of the prestigious 2023 AAPA-CIP Port Industry Award of Excellence in the port infrastructure development category. The award, presented by the Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Latin American Delegation of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), highlights the company’s role in making substantial contributions through comprehensive port development initiatives. 

The award underscores DP World’s dedication to expanding its physical port infrastructure in the Dominican Republic, while making concrete and positive economic impacts on the local community.

“We are tremendously honored to receive the 2023 AAPA-CIP Port Industry Award of Excellence for our outstanding work at DP World Dominicana,” said Morten Johansen, chief operating officer (COO) of DP World Americas and chief executive officer of DP World Dominicana. “This award aligns perfectly with our strategic vision of investing in premium infrastructure assets to further enhance our end-to-end supply chain services. It exemplifies our ongoing commitment to delivering sustainable and efficient solutions to our customers, cementing our role as a driving force in the region.”

In testament to its steadfast commitment to the region, DP World just inaugurated its new air cargo logistics hub located within the Punta Cana Free Trade Zone. The expansion includes a state-of-the-art logistics center and advanced infrastructure platforms designed to facilitate the seamless integration of air, land, and sea cargo operations.

“The establishment of this hub solidifies the Dominican Republic’s pivotal role as a central hub for international freight and logistics. It also propels a dynamic regional commerce strategy, aimed at attracting increased volumes of re-export and import cargo from global sectors spanning commerce, technology, industry, and agriculture,” Johansen said. 

The AAPA-CIP Award, open to both public and private ports, terminals, and port operators from the 35 Member States of the OAS-CIP, received 22 high-caliber applications from 11 countries across North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean. All applicants demonstrated an unwavering commitment to operational excellence, the advancement of local economic conditions, and the cultivation of strategic partnerships with key stakeholders. 

Other notable awardees include Barbados Port Inc., recognized in the “technology and innovation” category, and Santos Port Authority in Brazil, selected for “public-private alliances.” Awardees will be honored during the XXXI AAPA LATAM Convention of Ports, taking place in Barranquilla, Colombia, from December 4-6, 2023.

– END –

DP WORLD AMERICAS MEDIA CONTACT:

Melina Vissat, Head of Communications, North America
M: (+1) 704-605-6159
E: melina.vissat@dpworld.com

ABOUT DP WORLD:

Trade is the lifeblood of the global economy, creating opportunities and improving the quality of life for people around the world. DP World exists to make the world’s trade flow better, changing what’s possible for the customers and communities we serve globally. 

With a dedicated, diverse and professional team of more than 103,000 employees spanning 75 countries on six continents, DP World is pushing trade further and faster towards a seamless supply chain that’s fit for the future. 

We’re rapidly transforming and integrating our businesses — Ports and Terminals, Marine Services, Logistics and Technology – and uniting our global infrastructure with local expertise to create stronger, more efficient end-to-end supply chain solutions that can change the way the world trades.

What’s more, we’re reshaping the future by investing in innovation. From intelligent delivery systems to automated warehouse stacking, we’re at the cutting edge of disruptive technology, pushing the sector towards better ways to trade, minimising disruptions from the factory floor to the customer’s door. 

WE MAKE TRADE FLOW TO CHANGE WHAT’S POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE.

Follow DP World on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The Sofidel Group was founded in Italy in 1966 as a family business operated by Emi Stefani and Giuseppe Lazzareschi. Sofidel is the fifth largest manufacturer of household paper products like toilet tissue and paper towels worldwide. It earns more than $2.5 billion in revenue annually and employs more than 6,500 people.

The company arrived in the United States in 2012 through the acquisition of Cellynne Tissue Company, where it began operation as Sofidel America in three locations: Green Bay, Wisconsin; Haines City, Florida; and Henderson, Nevada. Since 2012 the company remodeled its manufacturing assets in the country: in 2015, the Group had acquired part of the assets of Green Bay Converting Inc., further expanding Sofidel’s presence in the Green Bay area. Presently, the Green Bay plant is the biggest converting site of Sofidel in the United States with over 200 employees. In years the company also expanded its national footprint by adding three more sites in Circleville, Ohio; Inola, Oklahoma and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, adding both, paper manufacturing capacity and converting lines.

Currently the United States is a major market for Sofidel with more than 1,600 employees and represents 25% of the total revenue of the group. Its U.S. headquarters are in the greater Philadelphia area, and the business operates six manufacturing plants across the country.

Sofidel promotes sustainable energy sources and has achieved greater energy efficiency in its plants and processes, including its Green Bay operations. Since 2008, Sofidel has been a member of the WWF Climate Savers program, an initiative that commits to the reduction of climate-altering emissions. As of 2020 Sofidel has reduced its CO2 emissions by 24%, thanks to investments in cogeneration, solar and hydroelectric power plants, biomass power plants, and in general, constant improvement of energy efficiency and company logistics. The organization aims to have 84% of electric energy purchased to come from renewable sources by 2030.

Since entering the U.S., Sofidel has expanded from serving B2B markets to also serving B2C markets. In 2020, Sofidel continued its commitment to innovation by developing the 100% paper pack Nicky Elite, a toilet tissue paper towel without any plastic packaging (replaced with paper pack) for the consumer market that helps to achieve the 2030 targets of the group to reduce by 50% (compared to 2013 levels) the use of conventional plastic.

Sofidel is committed to growing its business within the U.S. and to the markets in which it operates. With a focus on sustainability and corporate social responsibility, Sofidel is honored to operate a plant in Green Bay and committed to improving the lives of its employees and the community.

About The Sofidel Group

The Sofidel Group, a privately held company owned by the Stefani and Lazzareschi families, is a world leader in the manufacture of paper for hygienic and domestic use. Founded in 1966, the Group has subsidiaries in 12 countries – Italy, Spain, the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Romania, and the USA – with more than 6,400 employees. A member of the UN Global Compact and the international WWF Climate Savers program, the Sofidel Group considers sustainability a strategic imperative and is committed to promoting sustainable development.  For more information, visit  www.sofidel.com. 

Media Contact:

Brianna Fitzpatrick

Mulberry Marketing Communications

bfitzpatrick@mulberrymc.com 

Originally published by Walgreens Boots Alliance

This October, which is National Disability Employment Awareness Month in the U.S., WBA remains steadfast in its commitment to employees who identify as having a disability—and the numbers prove it.

After the close of WBA’s fiscal year on Aug. 31, the company is proud to announce it has achieved its disability representation goal, with 8.4% of WBA’s U.S. team members identifying as having a disability. This is a nearly 3 percentage increase from WBA’s previous fiscal year’s baseline of 5.7%.

“We are proud to be the first and still the only S&P 500 company to set and not only achieve, but exceed, an enterprise-wide standalone disability representation metric tied to an incentive plan,” says Holly May, EVP and global chief human resources officer, WBA. “Our long-standing leadership in this space now includes disability hiring and inclusion programs in every segment of our organization with the introduction of our corporate office focused neurodiversity hiring program, as well as the expansion of our Transitional Work Group program to our microfulfillment centers.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in four adults in the U.S. have some form of disability. WBA is committed to hiring, developing and retaining employees with disabilities across its entire business as it understands the need for greater corporate commitment to this community.

This announcement follows recent news that WBA was named a 2023 Leading Disability Employer by the U.S. National Organization of Disability for a second year in a row. In July, WBA was named Disability:IN’s 2023 Employer of the Year and scored a 100% on the Disability Equality Index.

After more than 16 years of investment and commitment, Walgreens continues to offer an “open door” approach to other Fortune 500 companies through its Walgreens Inclusion University. Organizations can tour Walgreens facilities and see first-hand how they can apply disability hiring and inclusion best practices to their own businesses.

Originally published by Politico

Amber Wellman is leading Chemours through a new phase in the global chemistry giant’s decarbonization and sustainability journey. Wellman started as chief sustainability officer in April and rolled out the company’s sixth sustainability report last month. Chemours is reporting a 30 percent decline in Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions since 2018 — halfway to its 2030 goal.

Beyond the raw numbers, the company has some reputation to win back, too. DuPont spun off its performance chemicals division in 2015 to create Chemours, and both are tied up in courts over legacy “forever chemicals” contamination.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

View the entire, original content here.

Rates include upgrades to make the grid more resilient and shorten the duration of outagesNew programs will give customers more control over energy use, support low-income customersApproval includes performance incentive mechanisms to hold the utility accountable for reliability, encourage renewables and reduce peak system loads

CHARLOTTE, N.C., October 18, 2023 /3BL/ – Duke Energy Progress will implement new rates for North Carolina customers on Oct. 1 as approved by the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC).

Rates for North Carolina customers will remain below the national average, even after Duke Energy Progress completes approximately $6.3 billion in upgrades to make the electric grid more resistant to outages and enable faster power restoration.

And for the first time, the NCUC approval covers multiyear rates, along with incentives and penalties to hold the utility accountable for reliability and other performance metrics.

“We’ve made major infrastructure enhancements in recent years to meet our customers’ needs and expectations, and this order will enable even more improvement while limiting annual rate increases and giving customers more cost certainty,” said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president.

Rate changes start Oct. 1

After extensive evaluation since the rate review was requested last October, along with constructive settlements with the NCUC Public Staff and other parties, the NCUC approved a net increase in retail revenues in year one of about $234 million (5.8%), followed by $126 million (3.2%) in year two and $138 million (3.4%) in year three.

Customer bills already reflect an interim rate adjustment implemented June 1. Accounting for that, beginning Oct. 1, 2023, the change from current rates for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month will be an increase of $8.04, from $144.12 to $152.16 per month, followed by a $4.67 increase on Oct. 1, 2024, and a $5.15 increase on Oct. 1, 2025, for a total of $161.98 by late 2025.

According to the Edison Electric Institute, the national monthly average for typical residential customers was $171.67 as of Jan. 1, 2023, before other utilities go through their own rate adjustments.

The full NCUC rate review order can be found here. Duke Energy Progress serves about 1.5 million customers in central and eastern North Carolina and in the Asheville region.

Help for low-income customers

The NCUC ordered Duke Energy Progress to establish a Customer Assistance Program (CAP) that will reduce bills for the utility’s most vulnerable customers through a $42 monthly credit for 12 months. Customers helped by the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) or the Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) – federally funded initiatives for those at or below 130% and 150% of the poverty level, respectively – will be automatically enrolled in CAP once the program launches in January in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Duke Energy will also refer CAP customers to weatherization and energy efficiency services that can help provide long-term solutions to reduce energy usage. As part of a settlement in the rate cases for both Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas (still subject to NCUC approval), Duke Energy shareholders will contribute $10 million for health and safety repairs that would otherwise prevent low-income customers from qualifying for weatherization and other energy efficiency improvements. Duke Energy shareholders are contributing an additional $6 million to the Share the Light Fund in support of North Carolina customers.

New options for all customers

For all customers, Duke Energy Progress has also established new time-of-use rate options and energy efficiency programs to help lower their costs and reduce energy use:

Time-of-Use rates incentivize customers to shift electricity use to periods of low energy demand. Simple examples include running a dishwasher overnight or doing laundry on weekends; options are available for commercial and industrial customers as well. More detail can be found at duke-energy.com/NewRatesNC. 
 A Tariff on Bill program will enable residential customers – owners and renters – to pay for energy efficiency upgrades through their Duke Energy bill. The program will incentivize customers to replace inefficient electric HVAC systems or insulation in a manner that ensures their annual savings are greater than the monthly cost of the upgrades – improving their service while lowering their bill. The program is expected to launch in first quarter 2024.

“Our goal with all of these programs is to help offset the rate increase as much as possible by giving customers more control over their energy use,” said Bowman. “Each of these programs is designed to reduce costs across the entire system, benefiting all customers.”

Holding the utility accountable for reliability, renewables goals

Another first-time aspect of this rate approval is the implementation of performance incentive mechanisms (PIMs). First allowed by North Carolina’s clean energy legislation (HB951), PIMs advance state policy goals through financial incentives and penalties that encourage utility performance in areas of shared interest with customers.

Following settlements with various participants in the rate review process, the NCUC approved three PIMs with annual incentives that grow up to $10 million in potential rewards as well as $10 million in potential penalties for Duke Energy Progress across three areas:

Reliability – holds the utility accountable to maintain expected levels of reliability through graduated penalties that would be distributed to customers if reliability dips below target levels. 
 Renewables Integration and Encouragement – encourages adoption of clean energy resources across three categories: 
 DER Integration – advances net energy metering (NEM) distributed energy resources (DERs), which allow customers to access zero-emissions generation – such as rooftop solar – at their homes and businesses, reducing their electricity consumption from the grid. 
 Large Customer Renewable Program Encouragement – supports large commercial and industrial customers, educational institutions and local governments that have clean energy goals and want access to renewable energy. 
 Utility Scale Interconnection – incentivizes solar and solar-plus-storage interconnections above the estimated annual amounts in Duke Energy’s Carbon Plan. 
 Time-Differentiated and Dynamic Rate Enrollment – encourages the utility to create and gain approval of innovative rate designs and increase customer participation in existing rates that are designed to reduce system peak load.

A new page will be added to Duke Energy’s website later this year to allow monitoring of these PIMs as well as other tracking metrics related to customer service, reliability, electric vehicle integration, and residential customer disconnections and bill averages in relation to federal poverty levels.

Duke Energy Progress

Duke Energy Progress, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.7 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers across a 29,000-square-mile service area in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements, energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2023 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “World’s Best Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact: Bill Norton 
24-hour media line: 800.559.3853

View original content here.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass., October 18, 2023 /3BL/ – 3BL announced today the annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking, recognizing outstanding environmental, social and governance (ESG) transparency and performance among the 1,000 largest U.S. public companies.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise has achieved the top ranking in this year’s ranking, with Accenture, HP Inc., Hasbro & Estee Lauder rounding out the top five.

The 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking is based on 184 ESG factors in seven pillars: climate change, employee relations, environment, governance, human rights, stakeholders and society, and ESG performance.

Using a methodology developed by 3BL, all Russell 1000 Index companies are researched by ISS ESG, the responsible investment research arm of Institutional Shareholder Services. There is no fee for companies to be included in 100 Best Corporate Citizens.

View the 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2023 ranking here.

To compile the ranking, corporate data and information is obtained from publicly available sources only, rather than questionnaires or company submissions. Companies have the option to verify data collected for the ranking at no cost. Data and information used in the 2023 edition of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking was collected between July 2022 to July 2023.

Additionally, 3BL has partnered with InfluenceMap to assess the intensity and orientation of a company’s climate-related lobbying efforts. This screening is a vital step to ensure that all companies listed are, in fact, good corporate citizens, which in our view does not allow for companies to use their influence to lobby against Paris Climate Agreement-aligned policies. For this reason, a “red flag” penalty is assessed if a company is deemed to be lobbying negatively. Taking it a step further, a “green flag” bonus is awarded to recognize firms using their political influence and spending in support of Paris-aligned policies. In 2023, only Adobe, Inc. received the “green flag” bonus.

“U.S. companies play an important role in providing solutions to our greatest societal challenges, including climate and the unfolding humanitarian crises at home and abroad,” said Dave Armon, CEO of 3BL. “The 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2023 are answering the call by demonstrating the value of leadership and transparency around ESG topics. They are setting ambitious goals, outlining robust strategies for achieving them, disclosing data to measure progress, and accounting for all stakeholders in business decisions.”

Click here to access the complete 100 Best Corporate Citizens of 2023 ranking and methodology.

About the 100 Best Corporate Citizens Ranking 
The 100 Best Corporate Citizens debuted in 1999 in Business Ethics Magazine and appeared annually in Corporate Responsibility Magazine for many years. 3BL has managed the ranking since 2018. To compile the ranking, each company in the Russell 1000 Index is ranked according to its transparency and performance on 184 environmental, social and governance factors.

About 3BL 
3BL’s unrivaled distribution platforms and TriplePundit Brand Studio promote the environmental, social, governance (ESG) initiatives of leading companies, private equity firms, nonprofits and NGOs to a global audience. Learn more here.

3BL CONTACT 
Brian Letts of 3BL, BLetts@3blmedia.com or +1.802.789.8257

Entergy Louisiana representatives and City of West Monroe officials recently celebrated the expansion of eco-friendly transportation to the downtown area with the installment of several electric vehicle chargers.

The installment was made possible through an Environmental Initiative grant through Entergy.

“Thank you to Entergy Louisiana for providing funding through its Environmental Initiatives Fund to support the installation of electric vehicle chargers in downtown West Monroe,” said West Monroe Mayor Staci Mitchell. “As the number of electric vehicles increases across the country, we wanted to be ready to receive and serve those visitors and residents in the West Monroe community. Already, we have seen the chargers in use and look forward to installing them at the City’s newly-constructed indoor sports facility which will open later this year.”

“We’re proud to partner with the City of West Monroe in an effort to boost eco-friendly transportation and lower local emissions by equipping the downtown area with electric vehicle chargers,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO.

The newly installed electric vehicle chargers are located in a parking lot at the intersection of Trenton and Wood Streets in downtown West Monroe. These chargers will be accessible for a fee, allowing electric vehicle owners to conveniently power up.

The City of West Monroe’s initiative, in partnership with Entergy Louisiana, is set to make electric vehicle charging more accessible and convenient for residents and visitors, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.

About Entergy Louisiana

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1 million customers in 58 parishes and natural gas service to more than 94,000 customers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Entergy Louisiana is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees.

ReThink HK, Hong Kong’s business event for sustainable development, invited Joyce Tsoi, SAC Director of Collective Action Programs APAC, to moderate the “Rethinking Apparel & Textiles” roundtable session. The goal was to gather industry representatives to explore challenges and identify key solutions and opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration to reduce carbon emissions throughout the value chain, identify and mitigate risks associated with climate change and sustainability issues, and improve ESG performance through responsible and sustainable business practices. The 60+ person audience was made up of government representatives, business leaders, sustainability practitioners, and those responsible for researching and resourcing net-zero and ESG strategies across all business functions – many of which were SAC members. Participating delegates included:

Maggie Chan, Director, Pinnacle Workshop LimitedHailey Liu, Student, The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyLily Lin, Head of Client Solutions Sustainability, Bureau VeritasCheuk Chi Fu, Sustainability Manager, AEOTony Low, Director, MioTechChloe Ng, Student Ambassador, The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyLauren Ng, Volunteer, ReThink HKVanishka Dhameliya, Volunteer, ReThink HKAnand Ramachandran, Head of Sustainability, Hop Lun (Hong Kong) LimitedTrisha Mascarenhas, Business Engagement Manager, APAC, World Business Council for Sustainable DevelopmentVivian Wei, Project Officer, EcoSage LimitedAaron Li, Senior Officer, Esquel GroupAlice Yuan Hing Woo, Product Developer, NikeClara Tse, Research Project Design, The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel Limited,Henry Soo, Managing Director, DataDevelop Consulting LimitedTim Chiu, Senior Vice President, TradeBeyondSophie You, Principal Consultant, RESET CarbonIssac Leung, Senior Professional, Environmental Sustainability, Under ArmourNirav Jethani, Senior Business Development Manager, TopoSunil Mahesh Aidaswani, Sustainability Manager, PGSJulie Wali,Data Analyst, Carrefour Global SourcingVivian Lau, Regional Senior Manager, SDVM, L’OccitaneKate Wendt, VP Strategy, Transformation & Sustainability, REI Co-opMathew Thurston, DVP Sustainability, REI Co-opKathy Chan, Environmental Sustainability Executive, TAL ApparelDemi Tye, Sustainability Officer, Hop Lun (Hong Kong) LimitedTara Kane, Sourcing Director, Studio FuturaFiona Westwood, Director, Eralda Industries LimitedYu To Kwong, Manager, Esquel GroupCandy Luo, Director Sustainability, Under ArmourWendy Chan, Product Development Manager, Vision and Mind Environmental LimitedShawn Li, Sustainability Manager, Fast RetailingGamma Cheung, Manager Product Stewardship, Kontoor BrandsDipjay Sanhcania, Director, Climate & Energy, AdidasPaul Goff, Sustainability Product Owner, H&MJackey Hau, Vice President, China Citic Bank InternationalFengyuan Wang, Senior Sustainability Manager, Hop Lun (Hong Kong) LimitedRyan Meintjes, Responsible Sourcing, Kontoor Asia Trading LimitedWillie Poon, Business Operations Director, Koru Consulting LimitedErika Lee, Carbon & Water Stewardship Manager, C&A Sourcing LimitedJohn Castillo, Sustainability Enthusiast Officer, SalvagedCatherine Chan, Group Safety Manager, HAECO GroupKitty Ko, Trade Commissioner, Consulate General of Canada in Hong KongEva Chen, Sales Assistant, TUV RheinlandDisha Panit, Senior Sustainability Manager, CarrefourWilliam Lin, Senior Social Sustainability Manager, TAL ApparelMoyne Perera, President, MAS HoldingsPatrick Lui, Senior Sourcing Manager, TargetShubham Singh, Senior Sustainability Manager, Product & Supply, Ralph LaurenMandy Lam, Global Head of Supplier Sustainability, REI Co-opRainfall Wu, Executive Director, ESTSLily Lin, Head of Client Solutions, Sustainability, Bureau VeritasMolly Fu, Manager, Sustainability, American EaglePeter Ford, Decarbonization Program Lead, Climate, H&MErika Lee, Carbon & Water Stewardship Manager, C&ASing Bin Lim, Head of Hub Asia, Bluesign Technologies AG

After sharing information about the SAC, a global multi-stakeholder nonprofit alliance that represents about 50% of the apparel and textile industry in 36 countries, Tsoi explained that the organization originated in 2009, when Walmart and Patagonia joined forces with other key value chain partners to address a growing problem: Companies were working in silos on proprietary sustainability reporting programs and assessments, which led to an increased number of audits and duplication for supply chain partners. After this initial group convened stakeholders on a pre-competitive basis and developed a common approach to measuring sustainability, it formed the SAC in 2010.

Tsoi explained the SAC’s vision of a global consumer goods industry that gives more than it takes – to the planet and its people. She explored how the SAC’s work is anchored by the Higg Index, a suite of tools that measures social and environmental impact, and that the tools are owned by the SAC and exclusively licensed to Worldly, an impact intelligence platform that spun off from the SAC in 2019. She talked about the SAC’s makeup, which comprises brands and retailers, manufacturers, and affiliates, which include academics, government organizations, and nonprofits, among others. “An important cornerstone of the SAC is equal partnership across the value chain,” Tsoi said. “SAC is a diverse coalition that brings together all corners of the industry for a seat at the table.”

After acknowledging that the fashion industry contributes between four and 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Tsoi shared data that showed the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions have actually increased by 0.87% since 2022. With Fair Wear and the Ethical Trading Initiative, she explained, the SAC partnered on The Industry We Want initiative to develop a set of metrics to measure action across three critical issues: the wage gap, purchasing practices, and GHG emissions; together, these organizations launched the Industry Dashboard, which synthesized feedback from suppliers in 54 countries and was accessed by over 500 stakeholders, and they continue to work towards the development of a clear set of milestones to offer coordinated, industry-wide solutions.

After Tsoi’s initial presentation, the group discussed how collective action can help achieve the goal of reducing 45% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 – and to zero by 2050. She shared information on the SAC’s Decarbonization Program, which this year required all SAC members to set Science Based Targets (SBTs) for GHG reduction, as defined by the nonprofit Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi); as of September 2023, more than half of SAC members have either set or committed to setting SBTs. And she shared the resources that the SAC uses to help assist members on this journey.

Tsoi shared news of partnerships – including the SAC’s partnership on the GIZ PDP Rooftop Solar Project in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Vietnam, which assists brands and manufacturers seeking to conduct feasibility studies and adopt solar rooftop technology in the garment and textile industry. In addition, the SAC’s collaboration with Aii, Textile Exchange, and ZDHC Foundation on the apparel alliance was shared, where the goal is to coordinate tools, programs, and resources that reduce redundancies and drive performance improvements and collective actions to achieve a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Through the round-table discussion, Tsoi highlighted the current climate crisis is arguably the most significant threat of our time, we need to pivot the power of cross-sector collaboration to drive climate action. The power of cross-sector collaboration, when two or more organizations work together across sectors – industry, nonprofit, and government – to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. “Successful collaboration may lead to cross-sector partnerships, in which partners agree to leverage their resources and funding to achieve a common goal,” she said.