Tag: 3BL

KeyBank held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for its new, full-service, state-of-the-art branch in Schenectady, NY. The new Altamont Avenue branch is located at 1703 Altamont Avenue and several leaders from KeyBank and Schenectady attended the celebration.

As part of the grand opening, the KeyBank Foundation donated $20,000 to the Medical Care Program at Bethesda House of Schenectady. This grant will help Bethesda House continue to offer in-house medical and psychiatric care for guests and residents. The KeyBank Foundation also made a $25,000 donation to Girls Inc.to support the “Eureka!” program at the University of Albany. This grant will support this free and unique five-year program that provides girls with a gentle introduction to STEM, personal development, sports, mentorship, and career exploration.

“This new branch is yet another way KeyBank is investing in the Capital Region. We look forward to meeting and working more closely with our new neighbors, clients and community partners,” said Fran O’Rourke, KeyBank Capital Region Market President. “We are excited about the opportunity this new branch provides for us to deepen the strong relationships we have in the Capital Region.”

In addition to high-touch banking services, this new state-of-the-art branch offers full-service banking capabilities, digital video screens and a client hospitality area that can double as an area for financial seminars and group presentations with clients and the public, as well as a drive-up teller line, ATM and free parking. Longtime banker Kevin Eberz is branch manager at the new location.

“KeyBank’s new Altamont Avenue branch is uniquely designed to give our clients a more personal banking experience, with even better access to a full suite of products and services,” said Eberz. “We are excited to bring this more consultative approach to Schenectady and demonstrate our commitment to helping our clients move forward on their financial journey.”

In addition to helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals, the new Altamont Avenue branch is also serving clients seeking to develop and grow businesses in the area.

As part of the opening of this new branch, KeyBank consolidated its branches located at 3083 Carman Road in Rotterdam and 1708 Broadway in Schenectady into the new location on Altamont Avenue.

Since 2017, KeyBank has made more than $1.14 billion in investments in the Capital Region, supporting affordable housing and community development projects; small business and home lending to low-to-moderate income individuals and communities, and transformative philanthropy.

ABOUT KEYBANK

KeyBank’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $195 billion at June 30, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.

CFMA #230908-2237430

In just a few days 3BL will join hundreds of prominent brands and industry leaders for SB’23 San Diego, a vibrant and action-packed 4-day event boasting an array of keynote speakers, immersive breakouts, hands-on workshops, and special events.

As we set forth on this exciting journey, attendees can navigate SB’23 with ease using 3BL’s Field Guide to Sustainable Brands. In alignment with Sustainable Brands’ theme of gaining new insights and turning ideas into action, our field guide also offers powerful environmental, social, governance (ESG) communication strategies to take your content to new heights.

Check it out here. 

As conversations flow through the three days, we invite attendees to take a moment to unwind and join us for 3BL’s Sundowners & S’mores on October 18 from 6:45 to 8:30 pm. Expect an evening of interesting conversation, live music and lively entertainment. Kick back with your favorite libation courtesy of Trixie, a 1950s campervan turned rolling bar, and forge meaningful connections with fellow SB’23 attendees. We’ll be serving up street tacos, ensalada and tropical s’mores that transport your taste buds straight to paradise. LA DJ Ace Reider will bring the good vibes as he spins tunes throughout the night. Need we say more?

We are also excited to connect with attendees during the conference’s Activating Brand Purpose track. Charlie Wilkie, Chief Business Officer of 3BL and Mary Mazzoni, Managing Editor of TriplePundit, will be your guides throughout these breakout sessions. Over the two days, a stellar lineup of senior leaders will break down how to define, articulate, embed and activate purpose into your organization.

If you’re feeling lost during SB’23, swing by 3BL’s basecamp in the Innovation Expo to re-orient yourself. Our team is happy to discuss the content shared at SB’23 and kickstart the conversation on how to take your organization’s ESG communication to new heights.

We hope to see you there!

In Bartow, Fla., there’s a buzz around Hines Energy Complex. Not from the hum of machinery, but from a new kind of solar array. Instead of sprawling over fields, 1,872 solar panels float effortlessly on a 1,200-acre pond, creating clean power as the pond keeps the power plant cool.

“It’s an efficient use of space,” said Don Keyes, Duke Energy construction supervisor. “No need for land, no offsetting crops. We’re just making smart use of what we’ve got. And solar is growing like crazy. If there was ever a time to ask where to put all this stuff, it’s now.”

The nearly 1 megawatt (MW)-array will generate enough zero-carbon electricity, on average, to power about 100 homes. It’s not Duke Energy’s largest solar installation in Florida. But it is the first one that floats.

Also unique, said Project Manager Shayna White, is the type of solar panels used to construct it.

Traditional (monofacial) solar panels capture sunlight on one side, while the rest is reflected away. Floating in Bartow’s cooling pond are bifacial solar panels that absorb light from both sides, which can produce 10%-20% more power than their single-sided counterparts.

“We’re looking at all sorts of creative ways to be more sustainable,” White said, “and reliably meet customer energy needs.”

Floating solar, or “floatovoltaics,” is used extensively in Asia but has yet to make a big splash in the U.S. where it makes up about 2% of all solar installations.

Understanding its potential for expansion is the goal of Duke Energy’s Vision Florida program, which explores emerging clean energy technologies like microgrids, battery energy storage and now, floating solar.

“We’re shaping the energy future with cleaner, smarter solutions that our customers value,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “That means looking for ways to manage costs while making strategic investments to expand renewables and cut emissions without compromising reliability.”

Electricians mounted the bifacial solar panels on buoyant structures, aptly named “floaters,” that are durable enough to withstand the Florida wind and weather. It was assembled on land, floated into position in segments, and anchored to the bottom of the pond by cables.

It’s a clever system, Keyes said of a lattice-like structure that’s firmly in place, but also flexible enough to adjust to water movements. And every other row of panels is a walkway for crews to do electrical maintenance or inspections.

“The electricity it generates will power customers in the Bartow area,” White said. “And it gives us an opportunity to assess how efficient this technology is. That’s a big part of this pilot project, understanding the benefits of floating solar as compared to land-mounted solar.”

Like solar farms on land, floating panels generate electricity from the sun’s rays. But the bodies of water that these farms rest on also help to cool the panels, which research shows can make them up to 15% more efficient.

Conversely, by shading water that would otherwise be exposed to sunlight, floating arrays help reduce water evaporation and limit algae growth. Make that 2 acres of shade at the floating array in Bartow. And the resident alligators? They carry on, unperturbed, beneath this new canopy.

“Alligators, fish, even the birds – we’re not just engineering for people,” White said. “We’re considering every living thing that calls this place home.”

The pilot is Duke Energy’s second floating solar project. The company collaborated with the U.S. Army in 2022 to build (what was then) the largest floating solar installation in the Southeast. Paired with a 2-MW battery energy storage system, the 1.1-MW array supplies power to Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, in Fayetteville, N.C.

Companywide, Duke Energy has a total of 7,500 MW of solar connected to its grid, enough to power about 750,000 homes. And that continues to grow.

By 2024, Duke Energy will have about 1,450 MW of solar power in the Sunshine state to serve customers in west-central Florida and the Panhandle.

“We believe solar will play a significant role,” Seixas said, “in how we deliver more diverse, affordable clean energy to our Florida customers, now and into the future.”

Expanding solar and other renewables is an essential step on Duke Energy’s path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. As will improvements to energy infrastructure, strategic investments that support the growth of renewables while maintaining reliability and affordability for customers.

Ensuring customers have the power they need has been central to Keyes’ 38 years with Duke Energy. From building and maintaining power lines to the frontlines of renewable energy, his journey reflects the broader trajectory of the industry.

“Seeing where technology will lead us,” he said, “it’s nothing short of fascinating.”

View original content here.

Whirlpool Corporation was recently named to the 2023 Seramount Top Companies for Executive Women list. The award recognizes the company for its inclusive hiring practices and significant progress in culture and commitment. Seramount’s list identifies the top workplaces for women advancing through the corporate ranks. It celebrates companies that champion women’s advancement, with a focus on succession planning, profit-and-loss roles, gender pay parity, support programs, and flexibility programs.

“We champion the advancement of women by taking meaningful action to embed inclusion and belonging throughout our organization,” said Carey Martin, executive vice president and chief human resource officer. “We have continuously worked to create a culture where every person is welcome, respected, valued and heard and are proud of the recognition received by Seramount again this year.”

For 111 years, Whirlpool Corp. has been committed to supporting its employees, who embody the company’s dedication to improve life at home. CEO and Chairman Marc Bitzer became a Catalyst CEO Champion for Change signatory in 2018, pledging to increase the Whirlpool Corp.’s female representation in executive and senior level positions and ensure accelerated inclusion of women, including women of color, in senior roles. Representation of women at the most senior levels has increased overall as a result of this focus.

“We believe that unique backgrounds and experiences enable innovation, which is critical to success,” said Kim Kavala, senior director, inclusion and diversity. “We have multiple employee resource groups to further raise awareness for an inclusive culture, including the Whirlpool Women’s Network, which empowers and engages women at all levels within the corporation and community.”

As a result of these ongoing efforts, Whirlpool Corp. is regularly recognized as a leading company and has also received the following recognition in 2023: Forbes’ list of Best Employers for Women in America, Seramount’s Best Companies for Multicultural Women, TIME’s list of World’s Best Companies, Newsweek’s list of World’s Most Trustworthy Companies.

For this list, Seramount evaluates companies on every aspect of women’s advancement, including succession planning, profit-and-loss roles, gender-pay parity, advancement and support programs and work-life programs. The application, based on 2022 data, tracks and examines how many employees have access to programs and policies that promote advancement of women and how many female employees take advantage of them, as well as how companies train managers to help women advance. To be considered, companies must have a minimum of two women on their boards of directors and at least 500 US employees.

View original content here.

Summary

Tapestry congratulates its CEO, Joanne Crevoiserat, for being named one of Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women in business! AS CEO, She leads the Executive Committee and Tapestry’s overall strategic direction, including the Company’s futurespeed plan which rests on five pillars: building lasting customer relationships, fueling fashion innovation and product excellence, delivering compelling omnichannel experiences, powering global growth, and unlocking the power of our people. Ms. Crevoiserat joined Tapestry in 2019 as Chief Financial Officer overseeing the financial management of the company, and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2020. She also serves on the Board of Directors. She joined the Board of the Partnership for New York City in May 2022 and was appointed to the board of General Motors Co. in August 2022. The Fashion Pact appointed her to its Steering Committee in April 2023.

Originally published by Fortune

This year’s list of the Most Powerful Women in business is the most comprehensive on record: a single worldwide list honoring 100 women. The list’s new global scope and bigger scale recognize the nature of top executives’ work—it spans the planet—as well as the near-record number of women who are leading companies on the Fortune 500, the largest in the U.S. by revenue, and the Fortune Global 500, the largest companies in the world.

Joanne Crevoiserat, Tapestry CEO

Crevoiserat is not a limelight-seeking CEO. That makes her an outlier in the fashion world, but the trait has served her well as she’s led the parent company of Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman out of a series of crises, including the abrupt departures of her two immediate predecessors and COVID’s challenge to its business. On her watch, the once flailing Kate Spade has continued its turnaround, while Coach has restored its upscale aura, protecting Tapestry as the post-pandemic luxury boom waned. Crevoiserat’s no-showboating but effective management style will be put to an even bigger test in 2024, when Tapestry is expected to close its $8.5 billion purchase of archrival Capri, owner of Michael Kors and Versace. The deal, if it isn’t blocked by regulators, will merge two equals and turn Tapestry into a $12-billion-a-year luxury powerhouse. Still, Crevoiserat bristles at the suggestion she’s a dealmaker; she sees the acquisition as a means for brand-building, not empire-building.

Continue reading here.

Gen Blog | Community

By Kimberly Bishop, Corporate Responsibility

Every year, International Day of the Girl reminds us that young women everywhere face a unique set of obstacles. From discrimination and gender-based violence in the physical world to cyberbullying and misinformation in the digital one, threats against the rights of young women continue to mount. The need to advocate for them has never been stronger.

At Gen, one way we support young women is by providing the tools they need to stay safe online. For the past several years, Norton, one of our leading Cyber Safety brands, has collaborated with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) to create Surf Smart 2.0. This badge-earning course teaches the basics of online safety and responsible digital decision making to girls between the ages of 5 and 25. The Surf Smart program launched in 2011 and to date has reached more than 600,000 young people across the globe.

This year, we’re pleased to report that Surf Smart 2.0 has continued to expand its reach. In the past five months alone, the program has positively impacted more than 5,200 youth in 15 countries, with thousands more expected by the end of 2024. In addition to the lives directly reached, the Surf Smart 2.0 curriculum has been downloaded more than 12,000 times. Some additional highlights from 2023 include:

The latest phase of Surf Smart 2.0 hinges on the Global Advocacy Fund, which teaches young people not only to be responsible digital citizens but also to make the internet a better, more inclusive place. Participants, or “Smart Surfers,” create their own digital advocacy campaigns using the skills they learn through Surf Smart 2.0. Six member organizations have signed on so far, with the first generation of Smart Surfers currently being trained. The program expects to reach 200 young women in 10 countries by the end of 2024.The Surf Smart 2.0 Fund awards grants of up to £8,000 GBP (~USD$9,800) for member organizations to provide the Surf Smart 2.0 curriculum to their members. Sixteen local organizations have participated this year, including five in Europe, four in the Asia Pacific region, one in the Western Hemisphere and six in Africa. WAGGGS estimate these grants will support 200,000 young people worldwide by the end of 2024.Three WAGGGS World Centers in London, Switzerland and India have become hubs for in-person Surf Smart 2.0 training. Volunteer leaders have led sessions for more than 1,200 World Center visitors since April, and a virtual training module is nearing completion. The Centers also train local unit leaders to train their members in digital safety. After attending a training in India, a Pune School teacher and female unit leader reflected, “It was like a wake-up call for me. I knew most of these things before but did not realize cybersecurity was that important.”In July, the Surf Smart 2.0 curriculum went live on Campfire, WAGGGS’ online hub, including background on the program and a Surf Smart Activity Pack. The resources are available to Guides and Scouts anywhere in the world.

This International Day of the Girl, we hope you’ll consider sharing stories of girl changemakers, letting girls lead, investing in organizations tackling inequalities experienced by girls and engaging with government officials to advocate for policies and services that support girls. We look forward to continuing to grow the Surf Smart 2.0 badge program in new communities around the world. For more information on all the ways Gen supports gender equity, check out our 2023 Social Impact Report.

Lisa Morden, vice president of safety, sustainability and occupational health, recently joined the 5th annual Economist Impact ESG and Climate Risk Week for the virtual panel, “The Risks of Handling Climate and Biodiversity in Silos,” where she discussed what Kimberly-Clark is doing to integrate nature and biodiversity into our business strategy.

“The integration of climate, biodiversity and nature more broadly is absolutely fundamental to building resilience in our extended supply chain and value chain. It’s part of how we have to run our business. As a 150-year-old company anchored in the natural resource space, our heritage is rooted in building sustainability into our business model overall,” Lisa said.

The panel also covered topics including how to integrate climate with the broader nature strategy, the role biodiversity can play in risk reduction and the crucial next steps to ensure further integration of climate and biodiversity.

Watch the full panel discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qNvou_SqOs

About Kimberly-Clark 
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people’s most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what’s important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Neve, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 80 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. We are proud to be recognized as one of the world’s most ethical companies by Ethisphere for the fifth year in a row. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company’s 150-year history of innovation, visit kimberly-clark.com.

Women and girls bear the brunt of hunger around the world. They usually eat last and least. For this year’s International Day of the Girl, we’re spotlighting the brave young girls who fight for their rights each day. Action Against Hunger celebrates change-makers and advocates around the world who share dreams for an equal and hunger-free world.

Globally, more than 1 billion adolescent girls and women suffer from malnutrition. In Tanzania, gender inequality prevents many young girls from enjoying the same opportunities as boys in their society. In fact, the country ranked 146th out of 191 on the Gender Inequality Index of 2022, especially due to maternal mortality rates, high adolescent birth rates, and poor secondary education for girls. Part of this is due to early marriages and unplanned pregnancies.

Action Against Hunger works with communities in Tanzania to uplift and empower young girls. Hunger is a persistent problem, especially due to widespread poverty and rising food prices. About 34% of children under five in the country are stunted, and 59% of families cannot afford a nutritious diet.

We know that girls and women who are supported become women who succeed. We aim to empower and teach girls from a young age to stand up for themselves. In Dodoma, Tanzania, our work to fight stigma around menstruation is one vehicle to support girls and help them to succeed. We are building latrines to improve hygiene and sanitation, providing sanitary products, and creating a safe space to build understanding among girls, boys, and the wider community.

Students at Lupeta Primary School in Tanzania’s Mpwapwa District, where Action Against Hunger recently built new toilets and helped adolescents to break the silence around menstruation, shared their feelings on girls’ rights.

Here’s what they said:

“Every girl has the right to be loved. Some girls are not loved and are always given too many chores after class hours. They do not get time to rest and do homework. Once they go to school without doing their homework, they are punished. And at home, some girls are physically abused. All girls should be loved by her parents and society.” — Anitha, 14 years old

“Every girl has the right to be protected and loved, just like boys.” — Adil, 13 years old

“Every girl has the right to be cared for. And when she’s on her period, she should be cared for and given support and guidance on how to use sanitary pads.” — Lucy, 13 years old

“Every girl has the right to be a leader in her society. They should have the same rights as boys.” — Jaffar, 16 years old

“Every girl has the right to be educated so she can participate in decision-making in her community.” — Loveness, 12 years old

“Every girl has the right to be protected. Young girls deserve protection so that they are safe when walking late at night.” — Shangwei, 11 years old

“Every girl has the right to own property, the same as a boy. Every girl has the right to inherit things like her family’s houses or livestock.” — Beyonce, 12 years old

“Every girl has the right to participate in different sports and games, even those that are typically male-dominated.” — Afrino, 16 years old

“Every girl has the right to paint and have representation in the arts.” — Aizack, 13 years old

t to do any job, like being a pilot, an engineer, or any male-dominated career.” — Clement, 14 years old

Education will help girls learn how to overcome different life challenges and be able to reach their goals.” — Bariki, 17 years old

Every girl has the right to shelter…Girls have the right to be loved, so they don’t become depressed or feel alone. If they are loved, they can spend school hours with friends rather than hiding out alone.” — Suzana, 9 years old

Every girl has the right to be listened to. Girls should have the right to use private toilets, especially when they’re on their period.” — Lulu, 16 years old

Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 28 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 55 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

Read the full story here: “Every girl has a right to be respected” | Action Against Hunger

Watch on YouTube here: In Their Own Words: Tanzanian Girls and Boys on Gender Equality – YouTube

Story by Salome Gregory

Photos by Toby Madden

Consortium focuses on how technology can retrofit existing wells at the end of productive life for geothermal energyFederal, Oklahoma state officials attend ribbon-cutting at one-of-a-kind laboratory with Wells2Watts partnersCalifornia Resources Corporation introduced as newest member alongside existing consortium partners

OKLAHOMA CITY, October 11, 2023 /3BL/ – Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, announced Wednesday the completion of the test well for the geothermal energy consortium Wells2Watts. The geothermal test well, commissioned during a ceremony with partners and government officials present, is now ready to simulate geothermal flow testing to accelerate technology development and commercially scale geothermal as a baseload energy supply.

The test well, located in the Baker Hughes Energy Innovation Center at the Hamm Institute for American Energy, was refurbished in 2023 with the support of Wells2Watts’ consortium partners and technology providers. It will simulate relevant geothermal subsurface environments to test the closed-loop system for several well configurations, validate engineering performance models, and offer scale for field pilot efforts. Initial testing includes GreenFire Energy’s technology, GreenFire’s GreenLoop™, and ICE Thermal Harvesting’s heat-to-power system that uses Organic Rankine Cycle technology as an input.

“Collaborating with other organizations, investing in research and development, and partnering with startups are all critical to making geothermal energy more accessible and affordable,” said Maria Claudia Borras, executive vice president of Oilfield Services and Equipment at Baker Hughes. “The completion of the Wells2Watts geothermal test well is a momentous step in our commitment to delivering new sources of energy to meet the world’s increasing demand.”

Alongside several state and federal government officials in Oklahoma City at the ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, the consortium’s industry partners also welcomed new member California Resources Corporation (CRC), an independent energy and carbon management company committed to energy transition.

“CRC is excited to join the Wells2Watts geothermal energy consortium, and we look forward to collaborating with its members to accelerate technology development and expand geothermal energy in California,” said Francisco Leon, president and chief executive officer of California Resources Corporation. “California has ambitious climate goals, and CRC is committed to providing the state with real solutions to help meet its decarbonization targets and a sustainable, reliable and affordable energy supply.”

Next steps for the consortium this year include identifying a pilot location so that learnings from the test well can be tested in 2024. The pilot project will supply field learnings and help understand scalability through existing oil and gas infrastructure. Future testing could also include advances in the system and testing new working fluids in the well such as supercritical CO2 (sCO2).

Launched in December 2022, the Wells2Watts geothermal consortium focuses on how technology can retrofit a well at the end of its productive life for geothermal energy and renewable electricity production. Largely funded by its industry partners, which in addition to CRC includes Continental Resources, INPEX CORPORATION, and Chesapeake Energy Corporation, the consortium also receives support from technology providers through in-kind materials and labor contributions for construction, testing and piloting purposes. Those providers include Vallourec, GreenFire Energy and ICE Thermal Harvesting.

Baker Hughes has been a leader in geothermal energy development for over 40 years, bringing reliable heat and power production to over 25 different countries. Wells2Watts will initially focus on closed loop projects with the intent to look at other technologies important to scaling geothermal in regions where geothermal isn’t developed today. The consortium was formed in November 2022 and is part of a collaboration between Baker Hughes’ existing Oilfield Services and Equipment New Energy and Carbon Management business and the Baker Hughes Energy Innovation Center.

About Baker Hughes

Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR) is an energy technology company that provides solutions to energy and industrial customers worldwide. Built on a century of experience and conducting business in over 120 countries, our innovative technologies and services are taking energy forward – making it safer, cleaner and more efficient for people and the planet. Visit us at bakerhughes.com.

For more information, please contact:

Adrienne M. Lynch

+1 713-906-8407

adrienne.lynch@bakerhughes.com

Originally published in International Paper’s 2022 Sustainability
Report

2022 Impact:

Several of our mills successfully reduced their water usage in 2022 and have developed best practices that are useful for our enterprise-wide knowledge sharing. However, in 2022, we did not make significant progress against our enterprise goal of reducing water usage by 25%. The lack of progress was due in part to lower production, resulting from several factors including COVID-19-related supply chain disruptions. It is important to note that our water reduction goal is based on water use per ton, which means that lower production output will have a negative impact on our numbers.

As a result of these challenges, we initiated a process in 2022 to re-evaluate and improve our water stewardship governance and processes. Today, our planned water stewardship activities from 2023 forward are more closely aligned with our manufacturing objectives. Our intention is that our renewed approach will optimize integration of water reduction within our operations and ensure that our water stewardship efforts are more effective and impactful.

Target: 

Reduce our water use by 25% and implement context-based water management plans at all mills 

Our first-ever water use target commits us to reduce operational water use intensity by 25% by 2030, while taking into consideration the broader context of the watersheds where we operate.

Spotlight: 

Two mills, two water use reduction plans

Our containerboard mill in Valliant, Oklahoma has reduced total water use intensity by 19% since 2019. We achieved this reduction through water use education and intentional efforts to fix leaks and valves.

Our Springfield, Oregon containerboard mill successfully exceeded its water reduction goal. Surpassing a planned reduction of 4%, the mill reduced its water consumption by 7.5%. We achieved this through noncapital projects, including eliminating water leaks, cleaning process systems and daily discussions of the mill’s water intake levels against the target to investigate any abnormalities in water usage and troubleshoot increased use if levels are high.

Advancing water stewardship

Water is essential to nearly every process in our mills — pulping, steam generation, papermaking, box making, and more. As such, we can play a key role in conserving and protecting local water resources.

We have analyzed water use and risk at each of our facilities to reduce the amount of water we withdraw, maintain regulatory compliance and improve the long-term sustainability of the water resources we share.

Reducing water use

We’ve addressed water consumption in our operations by:

Conducting comprehensive water risk assessments in our facilities; our in-house method combines relevant internal and third-party data, including the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Aqueduct Baseline Water Stress indicatorRebooted an internal Water Wise campaign throughout our operations to reduce water with more robust facility level data and governance

Watershed protection 

All water issues are local. And every watershed has unique characteristics, threats and opportunities. In each watershed where we operate, we assess its characteristics to address the most important water issues for local communities, other water users and the environment.

We also partner with the World Resources Institute, through its Aqueduct Alliance program, to stay connected to the latest research, tools and best practices across industries.

88% of water used in our mill manufacturing in 2022 was treated after use and returned to the environment

Spotlight: 

Mill Water Champions

At our large manufacturing facilities, an expert team of process engineers and environmental experts identifies opportunities, implements projects and tracks progress on water use reduction. The group shares best practices and lessons through an internal project database and regular meetings.

Looking ahead 

Water stewardship remains a critical focus of our sustainability efforts, and we will continue to implement our Water Wise campaign to implement reductions and raise awareness about the importance of water conservation and responsible use. We will also strive to improve monitoring and reporting of water use, which will allow us to better understand our water footprint and identify areas for improvement.

As part of our commitment to context-based water management, we will develop and implement water management plans that consider the unique environmental, social and economic context of each of our operations. This will help us better manage water resources, minimize our impact on local communities and ensure the long-term sustainability of our operations.

In addition, we will continue to improve our water risk assessment process to identify and address potential water-related risks, such as scarcity or pollution, and develop appropriate mitigation strategies. By taking these steps, we are confident that we can achieve our water stewardship goals and contribute to a more sustainable future.

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.

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