Tag: 3BL

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., July 10, 2023 /3BL/ – Black & Veatch, a global leader in liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure solutions – in collaboration with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) of South Korea – announced today it has been awarded a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract for the Ksi Lisims LNG nearshore floating production facility in northwest Canada.

The Ksi Lisims LNG project represents the next generation of LNG export design, re-inventing the industry for environmentally sensitive and greenhouse-gas constrained development situations.

Developed jointly by Western LNG, the Nisga’a Nation and Rockies LNG, the project will be one of the most significant Indigenous-led infrastructure projects in Canadian history. Ksi Lisims (pronounced “s’lisims”) will be hosted by the Nisga’a Nation on their wholly-owned treaty land.

The project will use a floating LNG design that improves the project economics, minimizes land impacts and reduces construction-related risk. With commercial operations anticipated to begin in 2028, Ksi Lisims LNG will be designed to produce up to 12 million metric tons of LNG per year for export to overseas markets.

Once completed, Ksi Lisims LNG will have among the world’s lowest unit carbon emissions rates of any large-scale LNG export projects globally, providing global energy markets with low-carbon, reliable LNG that will help meet growing energy needs and reduce the need for base-load coal plant construction. Through connection with British Columbia’s renewable hydroelectric grid and use of innovative design features, the project’s greenhouse gas emissions will be 90 percent lower than conventional LNG facilities. Combined with a credible offset management plan, the project expects to be net zero by 2030.

“The Ksi Lisims LNG project team is delighted to be working with the world’s pre-eminent experts in floating LNG engineering and design,” said Davis Thames, president and CEO of Western LNG. “As global leaders in FLNG engineering and construction, we understand that Black & Veatch and Samsung Heavy Industries undertake extensive analysis and carefully choose each project they work with. This agreement demonstrates their confidence in the fundamentals of our project and our prospects for success. We couldn’t be more pleased to be working with them both.”

“We are excited and look forward to further developing our relationship with the Ksi Lisims LNG owners team,” added Javid Talib, vice president and managing director in Black & Veatch’s energy resources industries business. “We see this FEED award as an important step as we move towards working together on the engineering and construction of this world-class project.”

Eva Clayton, president of the Nisga’a Lisims government, said the Ksi Lisims LNG project “will be the heartbeat of our Nation’s economy. It’s our best chance to build prosperity and a positive future for our people. After nearly 10 years of planning work, we’re thrilled to see the project advance into FEED.”

“The opportunity to work on this game-changing LNG facility is attracting the best and brightest team in the LNG field,” added Charlotte Raggett, president and CEO of Rockies LNG. “Canada is stepping up to offer the world’s most reliable, low-risk and low-emission natural gas. We’re happy to have Black & Veatch and SHI join us in getting this important clean energy resource to the markets that need it most.”

Editor’s Notes: 

For more information about Black & Veatch’s LNG solutions, click here.

About Black & Veatch 
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2022 were US$4.3 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

About the Ksi Lisims LNG developers

The Nisga’a Nation is a self-governing, modern treaty Nation with significant, defined control of and rights over their lands. They are a founding member of Canada’s First Nations Climate Initiative. For more information about the Nisga’a Nation, visit https://www.nisgaanation.ca.

Rockies LNG Partners is a partnership of Canadian natural gas producers, formed to advance LNG market access opportunities on the west coast of British Columbia. Rockies LNG’s partners are committed to responsible development of Canadian natural gas resources. To learning more, visit http://www.rockieslng.com.

Based in Houston and Vancouver, Western LNG is an experienced developer and operator of LNG and related energy infrastructure facilities. For more details, visit www.westernlng.com.

For more information, visit: www.ksilisimslng.com or email: info@ksilisimslng.com

Media Contact Information:

JIM SUHR | +1 913-458-6995 P | SuhrJ@BV.com 
24-HOUR MEDIA CONTACT | Media@bv.com

NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO, April 27, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Paramount Global and Salesforce, the global leader in CRM, announced the launch of Paramount’s new diversity reporting platform, which will give the company a more holistic view of the makeup of its production workforce, including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, BET, CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, and others.

“To produce the best content for a diverse global audience, it’s imperative that the teams both in front of and behind the camera and those who are creating content, reflect our audiences. We often say, ‘what gets measured gets done,’ and this data will help us create a baseline for diversity targets, continue to improve representation, make informed long-term diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments in a measurable way, and hold ourselves accountable,” said Bob Bakish, President and CEO, Paramount Global.

“While there is no finish line when it comes to equality, every company can make progress in creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce and ecosystem by seeing and acting on their data,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce. “We’re incredibly excited to support Bob Bakish and his amazing team on their creation of a new software platform that advances equality across Paramount and the entertainment industry.”

Paramount has been publishing diversity data of its full-time U.S. employees for some time. And while there have been efforts to track diversity across domestic primetime productions because there was no uniform method of obtaining access to production suppliers’ diversity statistics, the process of standardizing, consolidating, and understanding the data from these various sources was challenging and time intensive.

The use of Salesforce’s platform represents the next step in Paramount’s efforts to measure diversity within its production suppliers, which include writers, directors, vendors, contractors, and roles like wardrobe stylists, production assistants, makeup artists, stunt workers, and extras.

To address this challenge, Paramount created a new reporting platform that offers a single dashboard to display diversity statistics of its production suppliers across brands with an eye towards safeguarding the privacy and security of the information. This dashboard and overall framework are designed so that other media organizations and industries can adopt them at their discretion. The platform will also further its Content for Change initiative, which is focused on using data-driven insights to transform its creative ecosystem – from content and creative supply chain to culture.

Paramount’s Human Resources organization, technology and social impact teams, and Office of Global Inclusion collaborated for several months to plan their framework and created the platform using Salesforce’s low-code developer tools in just four weeks. Having already reduced the process of calculating and visualizing metrics from at least two days of manual work to seconds, Paramount is also planning to further automate parts of the reporting process using features including Salesforce Flow. Today, it’s the responsibility of the industry to leverage workforce diversity information as a basis for taking meaningful action. The new diversity reporting platform is fundamental to building a data-driven culture within Paramount and driving systemic change across the industry.

About Paramount: 
Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic studios, networks and streaming services, Paramount’s portfolio of consumer brands includes CBS, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. Paramount delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, the company provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution, and advertising solutions. For more information about Paramount, please visit www.paramount.com and follow @ParamountCo on social platforms.

About Content for Change: 
Paramount’s Content for Change is a global company-wide, cross-brand initiative that seeks to harness the power of content to counteract racism, bias, stereotypes, and all forms of hate. Informed and inspired by BET’s groundbreaking campaign, Content for Change applies scientific research, rigor, and data to transform the entire creative ecosystem across three pillars – the content the company produces, the creative supply chain that powers it, and the culture that underpins everything Paramount does. For more information, go to www.contentforchange.paramount.com

About Salesforce: 
Salesforce empowers companies of every size and industry to connect with their customers in a whole new way with the power of AI, data and CRM. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com.

WALTHAM, Mass. and SYRACUSE, N.Y., July 10, 2023 /3BL/ – Electric field force crews maintain the infrastructure that powers our daily lives, often working through some of the most severe weather conditions to respond to service interruptions. On July 10, National Grid is proud to recognize National Lineworker Appreciation Day and celebrate the dedicated individuals who are keeping customers connected and readying the grid for an electrified future.

Thousands of National Grid field workers design, build, maintain, and repair the overhead and underground electricity lines and substations that deliver power to nearly 3 million people. This workforce oversees transmission and distribution lines across more than 28,000 square miles in Massachusetts and Upstate New York.

Over the last year, several major weather events significantly impacted National Grid’s service area, resulting in damage to the power system and widespread outages. Crews were prepared on the front lines during each instance — working nights, weekends, and even holidays alongside public safety officials to assess conditions, repair equipment, and restore service to customers as quickly as possible.

“Rain or shine, our skilled field force consistently delivers for customers in their moments of need,” said Brian Gemmell, Chief Operating Officer for New York Electric, National Grid. “Crews this year were especially up to the challenge, working around the clock before, during, and after some of the most destructive winter storms we’ve ever experienced. Today and every day, we celebrate the committed individuals who maintain our electric systems and navigate emergency situations with care and precision.”

Among these severe weather events was Winter Storm Elliot, a historic Christmas week “bomb cyclone” that brought hurricane-force winds to much of the Northeast. The company mobilized more than 5,000 personnel to respond to over 365,000 affected customers across its service area, including parts of Western New York that experienced more than 50 inches of heavy, wet snow. In Massachusetts, crews replaced nearly two miles of distribution lines and 120 distribution poles, all while restoring power by 95% in 33 hours.

As a result of the company’s exceptional performance during weather events spanning November 2022 to March 2023, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) recognized National Grid in June with five Emergency and Response Awards — two for Massachusetts and three for Upstate New York. Since 2002, National Grid has received a total of 48 EEI awards.

Empowering the Electric Workforce of the Future

National Grid is focused on creating a smarter, stronger energy system to accelerate economy-wide electrification. To enable the clean energy transition in the U.S. Northeast, the company continues to strengthen local partnerships and invest in the next generation of clean energy leaders — providing career exploration opportunities, hands-on training, and an equitable path to employment, including:

Supporting and hiring graduates from the Line Worker Certification Program at Hudson Valley Community College in New York’s Capital Region.Serving middle school students up to work-ready adults through four new Workforce Development academies in Massachusetts.Awarding underrepresented high school and college students seeking meaningful careers in energy with its “Charging Our Future” Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Engineering Scholarship Program.

As National Grid works to help Massachusetts and New York achieve critical climate targets, infrastructure projects in renewable generation, transmission, and storage will spur more in-demand jobs. The company’s Workforce Development strategy aims to build a sustainable pipeline of diverse talent to develop and operate a net-zero future for all.

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our fossil-free vision. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.

Media Contacts

Emily Demarest 
Massachusetts 
(781) 907-3980 
Email

Originally published in GoDaddy’s 2022 Sustainability Report

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In 2022, we joined the United Nations Global Compact, committing to supporting its Ten Principles and to reporting our progress toward the SDGs annually. We are proud of the progress we made toward the six SDGs where we believe our company has the greatest opportunity for impact:

SDG 5: Gender Equality: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Our culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is core to our business. GoDaddy was among the first companies to announce and publish our pay parity results, and we’re proud to achieve gender pay parity (global) for the eighth year in a row and ethnicity pay parity (in the U.S.) for the sixth year in a row. We disclose detailed information on our gender diversity progress in our annual Sustainability Report and our 2022 Diversity and Pay Parity Annual Report1.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.

We believe that GoDaddy’s products and services enable digital microbusinesses to thrive, thereby supporting local and regional economic growth globally. We aim to operate our data centers that fuel our products and services as sustainably as possible by streamlining and consolidating operations to reduce our overall energy usage. We are also working to procure renewable energy, where possible, to cover our data center operations.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: Reduce inequality within and among countries.

We believe that inclusive entrepreneurship helps fuel local economies globally, increases generational wealth, decreases wealth gaps and ultimately improves lives. We work to serve diverse entrepreneurs no matter their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, location or other experience or identity. Through Empower by GoDaddy, our signature social impact program, we help equip entrepreneurs in underserved communities with tools, resources and networks to accelerate their business journeys. In 2022, the program provided more than 9,700 learning engagements to entrepreneurs around the world.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Our corporate governance framework lays the foundation for effective oversight and management accountability. Our commitment to conducting business with honesty and integrity is captured in our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which goes hand in hand with our Do the Right Thing (DTRT) trainings. We also offer an ethics helpline where anyone can report any violations of company policies, our code or the law.

GoDaddy takes an unsparing stance when it comes to hosting Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). We do not allow content that sexually exploits or endangers minors. To help protect children, we use a number of tools and systems to prevent or rapidly detect and remove illegal CSAM from our platforms. Additional information on our response to online CSAM can be found on our GoDaddy Engineering Blog.

Visit the 2022 Sustainability Report to read our complete Frameworks and Metrics Appendix.

About This Report 
Unless otherwise noted, the GoDaddy 2022 Sustainability Report outlines our environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies, activities, progress, metrics and performance for the fiscal year that ended on December 31, 2022. This report references the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and includes select Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standards metrics for the Internet Media and Services sector.

GoDaddy is committed to regular, transparent communication about our sustainability progress, and to that end, we will share updates on an ongoing basis through our website and will continue to publish an annual Sustainability Report.

To learn more, please read our 2022 Sustainability Report.

1We define achievement of pay parity as pay that is equal to, or a few cents on either side of, a dollar. Please read our 2022 Diversity and Pay Parity Annual Report for more information.

BETHESDA, Md., July 10, 2023 /3BL/ – WHC (Wildlife Habitat Council) is proud to announce the appointment of Anna Willingshofer as the organization’s new Chief Science and Innovation Officer. Anna will be leading cutting-edge strategic initiatives to advance nature conservation through science-based solutions.

Anna has over 15 years of experience in the areas of biodiversity, climate change and infrastructure. Anna boasts an impressive professional background, having collaborated with prominent organizations such as The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ). Her invaluable contributions have played a pivotal role in accomplishing noteworthy achievements like the Global Biodiversity Framework, as well as leading groundbreaking projects across Latin America, the Caribbean, and beyond. She holds a master’s degree in International Relations, specializing in Climate and Renewable Energy Finance, from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.

“Now more than ever, it’s important for different sectors to unite and take decisive action towards making a lasting impact on nature. Partnering with the private sector is key to making a significant difference in conservation efforts. Innovative solutions can be invested in to ensure a positive outcome for biodiversity that will benefit future generations. This is a unique opportunity to make a lasting difference, and I’m honored to be a part of WHC’s mission to bring businesses and biodiversity together” said Anna.

“Anna’s arrival at WHC comes at the most opportune time as we build on our over 3 decades of experience to respond to the need for business to work smart and fast towards global nature goals,” said Margaret O’Gorman, President of WHC. “Anna’s breadth of experience at the various intersections of business, nature and policy will make her a valuable addition to our team.”

About WHC:

WHC has been working at the nexus of business and nature for 35 years. It is the only international NGO focused exclusively on enabling private sector action for nature. WHC builds strategies and frameworks that connect corporate ambition for nature to robust action on corporate lands. WHC works with mostly Fortune 500 corporations, traversing value chains, jurisdictions and geographies. It seeks to integrate nature, especially biodiversity, with climate, equity and engagement to support sustainable ecosystems and healthy communities. WHC’s corporate members represent some of the leading national and multinational corporations seeking to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. These efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 certified programs across 47 states and 28 countries.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 10, 2023 /3BL/ – To keep students engaged in learning while on summer break, Discovery Education and select partners have created free dynamic digital resources for students and caregivers to use at home. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place.

The following selection of family activities that connect families to engaging learning experiences anywhere learning is taking place:

Build the Change: Take the power of play beyond the classroom with collaborative activities that inspire students and families to learn through play by solving creative challenges as a team while exploring their own local environments with these activities from Build the Change, a program by the LEGO Group’s sustainability team.

Conservation Station: Explore the unexpected connections at the heart of the energy-water nexus and discover how to conserve water and energy with engaging at home activities from Conservation Station: Creating a More Resourceful World—an educational initiative with Itron.

Pathway to Financial Success in Schools: Nationally recognized with the Jump$tart Coalition’s 2021 Innovation Award, Pathway to Financial Success in Schools is a personal finance education resource with Discover Financial Services. These family resources are easy-to-use resources to help families conduct very important conversations with your teens. Students can take the learning further with 40 self-paced modules that turn what they learn into practice.

Science at Home: 3M’s Science at Home video series is a collection of simple, watch-then-do science experiments that feature 3M scientists and special guests using common household items to reinforce core scientific principles and make STEM learning more accessible. Through these at home activities, STEM solution seekers can experience scientific phenomenon through creative and fun projects that range from engineering with marshmallows, to chemistry with baking soda.

STEM Forward with Olympic Swimmer Katie Ledecky: Join Katie Ledecky, 3-time Olympian, 7-time Olympic Gold medal swimmer, proud STEM advocate and Team Panasonic athlete, for an immersive deep dive into game-changing technology that powers society and enhances our lives. The Winning with STEM Virtual Field Trip created in partnership with Panasonic transports students to five Innovation Centers across America with the accompanying family activity that connects STEM principles to everyday life. 

Working in Harmony: Inspire collaborative learning experiences through Country Music. Celebrate the power of STEAM with easy-to-use activities designed to bring the whole family together by creating a backyard light show and music production. These activities are from Working in Harmony, a partnership with the Country Music Association.

“At Discovery Education, we’re committed to preparing learners for tomorrow by creating innovative learning experiences connected to today’s world. That means keeping learning alive, and exciting, during the summer,” said Amy Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Social Impact at Discovery Education. “These partners have stepped up to ensure all students can continue learning.”

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources—which can be purchased with federal stimulus funds—and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.

###

About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

Contacts 
Grace Maliska 
Discovery Education 
gmaliska@discoveryed.com

The energy sector finds itself at a pivotal moment as the world strives to address the urgent challenges of climate change and achieve a more sustainable future. Reducing carbon emissions and ensuring a secure and affordable energy supply will require transitioning from fossil fuel-based energy systems to net-zero carbon sources. To do this, oil, gas, and energy companies must simultaneously reduce costs from existing operations and invest in new business models to lead the sustainable energy transition.

SAP helps oil, gas, and energy companies make this transition, providing them with innovative solutions that can optimize legacy energy sources, integrate low- and no-carbon alternatives, enhance energy network resilience, and unlock growth opportunities through reinvented business models.

In a recent webinar, “Sustainable Energy Transition for a Low Carbon Future,” hosted by the Oil & Gas Journal, Benjamin Beberness, vice president and global head of Oil, Gas, and Energy at SAP, shared his insights alongside other industry professionals. Together, they shed light on how businesses in the energy sector are taking action to redefine the future of energy and drive the sustainable energy transition ahead.

Transitioning to Net-Zero Carbon Energy Sources

To facilitate the energy sector’s successful transition to sustainable sources, close cooperation between technology companies and energy companies is paramount. Together, they can identify economically viable and efficient methods to deliver an optimal energy mix during this transitional period. By working in tandem, they can harness appropriate digital technologies to drive profitable operations that prioritize both the well-being of individuals and the preservation of our planet. This collaboration involves gaining comprehensive knowledge of regional regulations, staying abreast of evolving business requirements, and effectively monitoring and reporting day-to-day operations.

For example, with its unique digital twin on a blockchain, the GreenToken by SAP solution helps businesses gain material sourcing transparency and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data across their supply chains.

Implementing Intelligent Asset Management

Intelligent asset management plays a critical role in supporting the sustainability objectives of oil, gas, and energy companies. Industry leaders are adopting digital technologies and proven solutions to enhance their manufacturing processes, embracing cleaner fuel alternatives, and exploring optimization opportunities across their global operations.

Research from McKinsey found that a 10% increase in production efficiency can lead to a 4% reduction in emission intensity, reinforcing the focus on running assets efficiently to minimize environmental impact. To determine the need for asset replacement, businesses assess factors such as vibration, heat issues, and asset life span, considering cost, safety, and ESG criteria. Integrating ESG information into asset management strategies has become an increasingly significant priority for companies.

With SAP Asset Performance Management, channel the power advanced machine learning and analytics to help optimize asset health, performance, and risk.

Changing Business Models for Diversification

Business leaders in the energy sector understand the growing urgency to diversify their offerings, from providing services at electric vehicle charging stations to implementing low-carbon technologies in new maintenance and operations projects. Recognizing the importance of adaptability, these companies seek flexible technology platforms to revitalize their operations, expand their retail presence, and venture into renewable energy markets. Technological advancements help companies diversify offerings, accelerating the transition towards renewable energy sources.

Technology solutions, such as SAP E-Mobility, can support the transition to renewable energy sources by providing companies with the capabilities needed to build, run, and manage electric vehicle charging networks all on one platform.

Driving Continuous Innovation

ESG regulations present businesses with an opportunity to reduce their ecological impact while fostering innovation to help them achieve their sustainability goals. By keeping core operations clean and scalable, companies can focus on sustainability, foster a culture of innovation, and differentiate themselves from competitors. This approach involves establishing a dedicated optimization office and leveraging technologies like automation, optimization, and artificial intelligence (AI). Facilitating intrapreneurship and engaging employees and the wider community allows for the translation of high-level sustainability objectives into practical solutions for day-to-day operations. Access to sustainability-related data is also essential, with digital solutions and technology playing a key role in collecting and analyzing data to drive sustainability goals. Implementing tools such as a green ledger system helps businesses track emissions and adapt to new regulations while inspiring collaboration and innovation.

Industry cloud solutions from SAP sit on top of SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), a platform built with flexibility and choice in mind, so that its users can accelerate innovation and unlock business potential.

Identifying Key Performance Indicators for Sustainable Energy

Businesses need to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) for sustainable energy. While revenue remains a significant KPI across industries, energy companies strive to achieve a balance between financial stability and emission reduction, ensuring the satisfaction of employees and shareholders alike. Crucial KPIs include the percentage of energy produced from renewable sources and embodied carbon, which refers to emissions throughout the entire lifecycle of raw material extraction, production, transportation, and construction, as well as measures around decarbonizing operations, improving building efficiency, and prioritizing safety and environmental policies in infrastructure development.

With SAP Sustainability Control Tower, businesses can improve their sustainability performance by monitoring progress and gaining actionable insights from dependable sustainability data.

Realizing the Significance of Sustainable Procurement

Sustainable procurement plays a central role in any sustainability strategy. Companies proactively seek out suppliers that adhere to sustainable practices, so they can reduce scope 3 emissions, implement robust measurement systems, promote supplier diversity, and improve communication, driving a transformative shift in procurement practices. Companies, from corporate-level initiatives to individual buyers, prioritize compliance with regulatory requirements, including due diligence laws and SEC reporting. Sustainable procurement practices are seamlessly integrated into supplier risk management and qualification platforms, ensuring a comprehensive approach to sustainable sourcing.

Monitor the production, supply, and use of your energy sources across the entire supply chain with technology solutions like Flexinergy by Evolution Energy, available on SAP Store.

By leveraging intelligent asset management solutions, facilitating business model diversification, driving continuous innovation, identifying KPIs, and promoting sustainable procurement, oil, gas, and energy businesses can channel the power of industry-specific solutions to ensure a secure, affordable, and sustainable future for energy.

Learn more about how innovative solutions from SAP and our partners help oil, gas, and energy businesses fuel profitable operations while also protecting people and the planet.

3BL is delighted to announce the release of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens Methodology document for 2023. The methodology provides a comprehensive overview of the factors considered in evaluating corporate citizenship, and it is now available for your review.

We encourage all Russell 1000 companies to carefully examine the methodology document to gain insights into the criteria and metrics utilized in determining the ranking. By understanding the evaluation framework companies can maximize their position and interested parties can learn how 3BL evaluates these companies for their performance and transparency on key issues.

Furthermore, 3BL is pleased to announce that the Data Verification period has commenced today and will continue until July 21st. All Russell 1000 companies are strongly encouraged to seize this opportunity to verify the accuracy and completeness of their data, ensuring a fair and transparent assessment of their corporate citizenship practices. Participation in the data verification process is crucial to maximizing companies’ positions in this year’s ranking and is available at no cost.

To access your data and receive guidance throughout the verification process, please reach out to the dedicated ESG Helpdesk at ESGHelpdesk@ISS-ESG.com. Their team is ready to assist you and address any queries or concerns you may have.

About 3BL:

3BL’s unrivaled distribution platform distributes sustainability and corporate responsibility content from hundreds of leading purpose-driven brands to a global audience of stakeholders including investors, media, policymakers, corporate leaders, consumers, employees, job seekers and ratings & rankings agencies. For more information, please visit www.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 factors across 7 categories: Climate Change, Employees, Environment, Stakeholders & Society, Human Rights, Governance and ESG Performance.

3BL CONTACT

Brian Letts, VP of ESG Programs: BLetts@3blmedia.com

CLEVELAND, July 10, 2023 /3BL/ — KeyBank’s Key4Women will present “Digital Everything: Forever and For All to See” a free, one-hour virtual event on Wednesday, July 19th, at 12 p.m. eastern standard time.

The webinar will feature Key4Women National Director, Rachael Sampson, with long-time award-winning TV journalist, Catherine Bosley, for a discussion on online image and reputation management. Bosley is known for her down-to-earth style, authenticity, and versatility. Her captivating presentations draw on her own life journey and has appeared on shows like Good Morning American, Inside Edition and Oprah.

During this webinar, Bosley will share her insight and perspective on the importance of making better everyday choices in the digital space. That includes understanding how little room there is for a “what was I thinking” moment before it could become attached to you, your business, your family, etc., forever and for all to see, one mouse click away.

“This is a very timely topic for discussion as the digital world is such a big part of our lives and business,” said Rachael Sampson, Key4Women Leader. “We all need to be aware of our choices and actions, especially online. Key4Women is excited to bring the knowledge and real-life experiences Catherine has to our audience. We will all learn some key takeaways during our hour together.”

The first 50 registrants will receive a copy of Catherine’s book, “Forever and For All to See.” Guests qualify for the book if they are one of the first 50 registrants, attend the webinar, and are not an employee of KeyBank.

For more information, visit key.com/women, or register online by July 18th here.

About KeyBank

KeyCorp’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 $198 billion at March 31, 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 is Member FDIC.

Originally published on NRG Energy Insights

By NRG Editorial Voices

Alongside our power values, our sustainability framework is a cornerstone to the development and evolution of our business. Please enjoy this extended Q&A session with Jeanne-Mey Sun, Vice President of Sustainability, elaborating on our progress, goals, and future at NRG.

Q: As you look back on sustainability at NRG in 2022, what were some of the highlights?

A: 2022 was another year of progress, made possible by collaboration and innovation both internally and externally. Three priorities guided our work. First, we continued to report our sustainability strategy, governance, plans, and progress to our stakeholders as transparently as possible, following the most widely accepted standards. In 2022, we:

Reported International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) metrics for the 7th year¹
 Issued our 2nd annual report on the climate positions of our disclosed membership organizations as a supplement to our 4th annual public policy and political contributions disclosure
 Updated the sustainability data file accompanying this Report to include both 2022 data and additional years of historical data for certain metrics, enabling trend analysis over a longer time horizon
 Updated our list of “Further Reading”, showcasing the many additional NRG publications on sustainability-related topics to guide readers who wish to delve deeper into a particular subject
 Finally, we incorporated our 13th year of sustainability reporting into this broader format Year-in-Review Report. In addition to covering the usual sustainability topics, this Report also describes NRG’s corporate strategy and highlights the tight link to our sustainability strategy.

As always, we welcome your feedback on our reporting and how it can be further improved.

Second, we strengthened our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data gathering, methodology documentation, and reporting processes and controls. I asked NRG’s Internal Audit team to review our current processes and identify improvement opportunities. We then worked closely with the responsible functional groups – Plant Operations, Environmental, Real Estate, and Supply Chain – to address the Internal Audit findings. We also kept our Board’s Audit Committee informed on both the findings and their resolution throughout the process. I am very pleased with both the outcome – more robust GHG emissions reporting processes and controls – and with the collaboration we had across the Company and with our Board. We also continued to obtain third-party assurance of our GHG emissions reporting.

Finally, we continued to engage with many types of stakeholders – investors, customers, industry groups, academia, and government and non-government organizations – who are each working to advance some aspect of the energy transition. Our focus included decarbonization pathways (electrification, carbon capture, use, and storage, hydrogen, and reducing the carbon footprint of the natural gas supply chain), proposed sustainability reporting rules and standards, and the climate-tech start-up ecosystem, which we believe will help us identify technologies and partners that could help both NRG and our customers decarbonize.

Q: What are you working on now that excites you most?

A: Three inter-related areas:

First, we continued to support our customers with the achievement of their sustainability goals. As described further in the Customers chapter of this Report, we continue to provide various sustainable products and services for both our residential and business customers:

Renewable electricity including subscriptions customized for specific needs such as electric vehicle charging, integration with rooftop solar and storage systems, and community solar
 Certified carbon offsets and renewable electricity credits allowing customers to compensate for their consumption of natural gas, gasoline, and fossil fuel-fired electricity
 Energy storage and resilience solutions
 Demand-side solutions, including time-of-use plans and demand response programs that reward customers for using less electricity
 Sustainability concierge and advisory services, including support for residential rooftop solar and storage systems, electric vehicle fast charger installation, and bespoke electricity and natural gas supply solutions for business

Second, we recently acquired Vivint Smart Home, whose mission is to help customers create a more connected, energy-efficient, and safer home. Like NRG’s suite of sustainable solutions, Vivint’s portfolio encompasses both supply- and demand-side energy management offerings like rooftop solar (panels, batteries, and inverters), smart lighting, and smart thermostats. Whether used individually or together, these offerings help customers manage their energy consumption and can reduce their carbon footprints in the process. We are eager to integrate Vivint’s portfolio and further expand the platform from which we can offer customers more choices over their energy – its source, type, quantity, and how and when it’s consumed.

Third, we recognize that recent acquisitions – including Direct Energy in 2021 and Vivint Smart Home in 2023 – have broadened NRG’s business activities beyond electricity generation. As such, we are in the process of quantifying our Scope 3 GHG emissions – the emissions that we don’t directly control, both upstream and downstream of NRG in our value chain. We are also quantifying the emissions we help customers avoid through their use of the sustainable products and services we provide them. When complete, this work will encompass both legacy NRG and Vivint sustainable products and services.

Q: What keeps you up at night?

A: Meeting our climate goals² – while also ensuring that the energy we provide to our customers remains both reliable and affordable, the so-called energy trilemma. For several years, these three imperatives were aligned with one another: over 2014-2022, our GHG emissions decreased by 42%, driven by a reduction in power generation and a market-driven shift away from coal-fired toward natural gas-fired generation. In 2022, however, our GHG emissions increased relative to 2021, driven by increased generation, which in turn was driven by power market conditions and weather. In particular, the price of natural gas increased relative to the price of coal in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, making it more economic to generate electricity using coal relative to gas, and thereby increasing emissions.

As a competitive energy provider, NRG competes for its customers every day. As such, we must serve the needs of customers that want to buy electricity, even when it has a relatively high carbon intensity. Moreover, there are rules governing the shutdown of power plants in the market. Even when NRG wishes to retire a fossil fuel-fired plant, we may be prevented from doing so for reliability reasons³. In addition to complying with these market rules, we have a fiduciary duty to preserve and enhance the financial performance of the Company.

We actively monitor various options to reduce the carbon intensity of our operations and the electricity we provide to our customers. Ultimately, I believe that our technology-agnostic approach to decarbonization will ensure that we have access to the lowest-cost solutions when they are economic at scale. In the near-term, we remain committed to offering renewable electricity to those customers that demand it, and as discussed in the Environment chapter, we are aggressively pursuing renewable power purchase agreements with third-party developers so we can bring even more renewable electricity to our customers.

¹Formerly known as Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) metrics.

²NRG’s climate goals are to reduce GHG emissions by 50% by 2025 from the current 2014 base year and to achieve net zero by 2050. These goals encompass our directly controlled emissions (Scope 1), emissions from NRG’s purchased electricity (Scope 2), and emissions from employee business travel (category 6 of Scope 3).

³For example, in 2022 NRG continued to operate the 410 MW Indian River Unit 4 coal-fired plant under a Reliability Must-Run (RMR) agreement with independent system operator PJM. We had previously announced, in June 2021, our intention to shut down this facility. However, PJM identified reliability impacts resulting from the proposed deactivation. The RMR agreement is expected to end no later than December 31, 2026.