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SAN CARLOS, Calif., June 28, 2023 /3BL/ – Oportun (Nasdaq: OPRT), a mission-driven fintech, today published its 2022 Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability Report. 

“Oportun is committed to sustainably driving positive social impact and long-term value for our stakeholders, and we are proud to share this update on our approach to sustainability,” said Raul Vazquez, Oportun’s CEO. “As we report on our progress in 2022, we also recognize how much more work we still have to do as we continue to address the biggest challenges facing U.S. consumers.” 

Highlights of the report include: 

Helping more than 1.1 million people begin building a credit scoreMore than $1,800 average annual savings set aside by members and $8.9+ billion cumulatively savedCompleting our first-ever SOC 2 Type II audit providing additional independent assurance of our infrastructure standards and data privacy and information programThe majority of Oportun leadership, including the Oportun Board of Directors, self-report as women or members of a historically underrepresented group Saving 14.85 million pages of loan documents and 3,034 trees through electronic processingReducing 6,737pounds of CO2 emissions from e-waste and recycling initiatives

Click here to view the full report.

For more information about Oportun, visit Oportun.com.

About Oportun
Oportun (Nasdaq: OPRT) is a mission-driven fintech that puts its 1.9 million members’ financial goals within reach.  With intelligent borrowing, savings, budgeting, and spending capabilities, Oportun empowers members with the confidence to build a better financial future. Since inception, Oportun has provided more than $16.0 billion in responsible and affordable credit, saved its members more than $2.4 billion in interest and fees, and helped our members save an average of more than $1,800 annually. For more information, visit Oportun.com.

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Investor Contact 
Dorian Hare
(650) 590-4323
ir@oportun.com

Media Contact
Usher Lieberman
(650) 769-9414
usher.lieberman@oportun.com

The KeyBank Foundation is investing $250,000 in GreenForce Training to support workforce development efforts in East Buffalo. This donation from the KeyBank Foundation represents the first private investment in GreenForce Training, a job opportunity agency that will help recruit and train workers for Viridi, a start-up manufacturer that designs and builds fail-safe battery systems that will redefine energy storage, and power the transition to renewable energy. GreenForce Training is contributing to the economic health and resilience of the communities where it operates by helping people attain, navigate and sustain successful careers.

Funds from the KeyBank Foundation will help collaborative efforts by GreenForce Training and Viridi to train and hire 100 people for entry level positions, helping individuals establish a path to economic independence and spur additional neighborhood investment. Viridi expects to employ approximately 500 people on their 42-acre campus by 2024.

“The KeyBank Foundation understands the importance of investing in people and communities, and we are so thankful that they see and support the significant impact GreenForce Training and Viridi can make in East Buffalo,” said GreenForce Training Executive Director Jeffrey M. Conrad. “Education and employment are transformational for an individual, their family and the community, and GreenForce Training is committed to impacting each through our work. We are developing the workforce of the future right here in East Buffalo and it’s very exciting.”

“Greenforce Training and Viridi are bringing hope and opportunity to East Buffalo by providing the community with jobs and the potential to grow in the emerging, developing field of green energy,” said Michael McMahon, KeyBank Buffalo Market President. “We are proud to invest in and support the work they are doing that is helping revitalize the area and encouraging others to come to this neighborhood and grow.”

GreenForce Training and Viridi’s headquarters are located on East Delavan Avenue in the 14215 zip-code. According to the US Census Bureau in 2020, 29.5% of residents in 14215 lived under the poverty line, which is more than double the New York State and Buffalo-Cheektowaga rate. The median household income in this area is $37,436 and the per capita income is just $21,571. Viridi is working to bring jobs and opportunities back to this community. GreenForce Training is focused on providing a pathway for residents to access those jobs. To date, GreenForce Training has received over 550 job applications and over 82% of those applicants reside from the four zip codes surrounding Viridi’s plant. Viridi’s 180-day retention rate among those recruited and trained through GreenForce Training is 95% and the production workforce is 88% people of color, which is 8 times higher than national averages.

Since 2017, KeyBank has made more than $1.2 billion in community investments in Buffalo and Western New York, supporting affordable housing and community development projects; small business and home lending to low-to-moderate income individuals and communities, and transformative philanthropy.

Learn more about KeyBank’s commitment to helping clients and communities thrive 
 See KeyBank’s latest Environmental, Social and Governance Report

by Sagar Tandon, Partner, Beyond Animal

Climate change is one of the biggest threats facing our planet today. With greenhouse gas emissions continuing to rise, it is imperative that we find innovative solutions to reduce emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. One promising solution is the development of alternative proteins, which could offer a significant and untapped opportunity for climate financing.

Alternative proteins, which include plant-based proteins, cultured meat, and fermentation-based have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture drastically. Animal agriculture is responsible for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, with estimates ranging from 14.5% to 51% of all emissions. By developing alternative proteins, we could significantly reduce these emissions and help to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The numbers speak for themselves. According to a report from RethinkX, a think tank focused on technology-driven disruption, alternative proteins could capture up to 10% of the global meat market by 2035.

Read Sagar full article featuring Biodiversity and Animal Agriculture as well as Alternative Proteins as a Climate Financing Opportunity – all here – https://greenmoney.com/the-untapped-climate-opportunity-in-alternative-proteins

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Climate Change Business Journal (CCBJ) and Environmental Business Journal (EBJ) recognized Tetra Tech with six 2022 project merit and business achievement awards in March 2023.

CCBJ and EBJ honored Tetra Tech with awards for outstanding achievement in renewable energy, forest conservation, ocean monitoring, and dam safety. Tetra Tech accepted the awards at the Environmental Industry Summit XXI in San Diego, California, on March 22, 2023.

Expanding our high-end services across the globe

Tetra Tech received the EBJ Business Achievement Gold Medal Award for Large Firms for an exceptionally strong fiscal 2022 that delivered more than 80,000 projects in 125 countries. Recent acquisitions of Enterprise Automation, TIGA, Axiom Data Science, and Piteau Associates further advanced our market-leading positions in digital water, data analytics, platform virtualization, cybersecurity, and sustainable infrastructure.

EBJ also recognized Tetra Tech a Business Achievement Award for Mergers & Acquisitions for acquiring RPS Group, a leading UK-based environmental consulting and project management firm. Tetra Tech recently welcomed 5,000 RPS staff in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America, expanding our expertise in energy transformation, water, and program management. The addition of RPS also advances Tetra Tech’s work providing high-end consulting with an emphasis on advanced data analytics and unique software applications, such as those in water management, ocean analytics, and contaminant modeling.

Developing software for ocean monitoring

EBJ selected Tetra Tech for an Information Technology Award in Ocean Monitoring for its role in designing open-source software with the ability to manage and visualize ocean data. Axiom Data Science, A Tetra Tech Company, played a foundational role in designing and operationalizing the Ocean Observatories Initiative’s (OOI) Data Explorer, the primary gateway for discovering, visualizing, and accessing OOI data. In 2022 our team upgraded the OOI cyberinfrastructure to improve the OOI’s ability to serve ultra-high resolution data streams from next generation ocean instrumentation that spans the ocean floor to the sea surface.

Deploying innovative technology for dam safety

EBJ awarded Tetra Tech a Technology Merit Award in Dam Safety for our work developing innovative technology for monitoring tailings dams in Brazil with the Institute of Mine Seismology. Our work addresses the dangers of dam failures and improves safety in the mining industry. The microseismic technology integrates conventional seismic monitoring and innovative seismic ambient noise interferometry to continuously monitor internal structure changes, using ground motions and seismic wave velocity propagation. To date, our teams have commissioned more than 20 seismic systems and installed more than 180 geophones connected to 50 seismic stations.

Accelerating the clean energy transition

CCBJ awarded Tetra Tech a Project Merit Award in Renewable Energy, recognizing our work helping partner countries meet climate commitments through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported Scaling Up Renewable Energy (SURE) Program. The awards committee highlighted SURE’s efforts in Colombia, which enabled the government to procure 2,170 megawatts (MW) of new wind and solar power to make its power system more resilient to climate change. In 2022 our team helped develop a resilient power system that will lower emissions by about 6,400 million tons of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) per year, reduce diesel subsidies, electrify transport, and power tourism in Colombia’s Providencia Island. With support from Tetra Tech through SURE, the National Fund for Non-Conventional Energy and Energy Efficiency (FENOGE) developed its first Gender and Diversity Policy, which went into effect in May 2022.

Advancing sustainable forest management in Cambodia

CCBJ also recognized Tetra Tech with a Project Merit Award in Forest Conservation for leading the implementation of the U.S. government’s flagship Cambodian environmental project, the USAID Greening Prey Lang (GPL) project. Through USAID GPL, Tetra Tech supported the development of three projects to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) and finalized the first-ever genetic analysis of Asian Elephant populations in Cambodia. The project also provided improved economic benefits to more than 110,000 Cambodians through interventions including support to wildlife-friendly agricultural product value chains and the promotion of 19 ecotourism sites.

Learn more about the CCBJ Business Achievement Awards and EBJ Business Achievement Awards.

Today, Whirlpool Corporation is hosting a “Day of Impact” employee volunteer day of service to make improvements to Broadway Park in Benton Harbor. The selection of Broadway Park and revitalization planning was done with the City of Benton Harbor and other local organizations.

The event is a continuation of the revitalization of city parks that started at Union Park in 2021 in support of Benton Harbor’s master plan for city improvements. The initiative began as part of Whirlpool Corporation’s commemoration of Juneteenth and its Racial Equality Pledge commitment to support positive and lasting impact in Benton Harbor.

“We’re pleased to be able to work hand-in-hand with Benton Harbor leaders to support the city’s master plan and collaborate with local organizations on this important initiative,” said Marc Bitzer, chairman and CEO, Whirlpool Corp. “It’s great to see many of our employees give their time today, especially for the positive benefits this park will provide for the youth and the residents in our local community.”

This year, Whirlpool Corp. is also collaborating with the local community organization Neighbors Organizing Against Racism (NOAR) in volunteering to revitalize Broadway Park. NOAR started the initiative to rename Broadway Park after June Woods, a former slave who moved to Benton Harbor around 1870 and became a respected community leader and entrepreneur. As a tree farmer who owned his own business, he planted many of the city’s trees. Last year, Benton Harbor’s City Commission approved the renaming of Broadway Park to June Woods Memorial Park, and the park will be rededicated with its new name this year.

“Our organization saw an opportunity to share the story of June Woods more broadly and couldn’t think of a better way to honor his contributions to our community, tell his story and celebrate his legacy by dedicating a park to him,” said Trenton Bowens, President, Neighbors Against Racism. “Our organization welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with Whirlpool and to share input in creating the vision, planning and working together to revitalize this park before we rededicate it as the June Woods Memorial Park in August.”

Some highlights of the work being done in Broadway Park include:

June Woods memorial monument installedNew 40×50 turf fieldRepaired playground equipment with rubber mulch in playground areaNewly added and expanded sidewalks

“City Parks and green spaces are crucial to the health, wellness and feeling of community for our city residents, especially our youth, and are an important step in continuing to beautify Benton Harbor,” said Ellis Mitchell, city manager, Benton Harbor.

More than 120 Whirlpool and NOAR volunteers participated in this day of service and work on Broadway park is expected to be completed this summer.

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The launch by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) of its first standards (S1 General and S2 Climate-related Disclosures) is a “significant milestone” in the realization of a strengthened global corporate reporting system, in which disclosure on impacts and sustainability-related risks and opportunities are on an equal footing.

As set out in the MoU between GRI and the IFRS Foundation, both organizations committed to working together to ensure complementary and interoperable standards. This agreement recognizes the need for globally consistent sustainability data, through corporate reporting that meets the information needs of all stakeholders.

As a next step in the GRI-ISSB collaboration, technical mapping of the two sets of standards is under development, alongside examples of how to use the standards together, and a digital taxonomy to streamline the exercise of reporting.

Eelco van der Enden, CEO of GRI said:

“I congratulate the ISSB on reaching this significant milestone. I believe the new IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards will have an important role in ensuring that the risks and opportunities related to sustainability issues are firmly anchored in the decision-making of investors.

Our respective standards have distinct yet complementary purposes; with GRI ensuring transparency on an organizations’ impacts on people and planet, while the ISSB is focused on supporting efficient and resilient capital markets. Taken together, I believe our standards can provide the complete picture on sustainability impacts and performance.”

Carol Adams, Chair of the GRI Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB) said:

“I welcome publication of the IFRS S1 and S2 Standards, which will help provide insights into sustainability-related risks and opportunities of reporting organizations. The GSSB recognizes that such insights are helpful for markets to allocate funding towards sustainable outcomes. We are working on an amendment within the Universal Standards to show how reporting on impacts using the GRI Standards informs IFRS-S disclosure on risks and opportunities. 

The GSSB is engaging with the ISSB to develop questions and answers regarding the use of both sets of Standards, and to align our work programs. This will allow a double materiality perspective that meets the needs of reporters and other information users.”

The GSSB has published a discussion paper on a proposed change to ‘box one’ in GRI 1: Foundation, regarding the relationship between the GRI Standards and other reporting standards – specifically the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).

The GRI-IFRS MoU, signed in March 2022, committed the two organizations to coordinate work programs and standard-setting activities. It recognized two equal and interconnected sustainability reporting approaches, as part of a comprehensive corporate reporting regime:

Sustainability-related financial reporting – publicly disclosing information for investors and capital market participants, on the sustainability-related risks and opportunities for an organization; through the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards.Impact reporting – publicly disclosing to a wide range of stakeholders information on an organization’s most significant impacts on the economy, environment, and people, and how the organization manages these impacts, through the GRI Standards.

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is the independent, international organization that helps businesses and other organizations take responsibility for their impacts, by providing the global common language to report those impacts. The GRI Standards are the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting standards, which are developed through a multi-stakeholder process and provided as a free public good.

Originally published in SEE’s Global Impact Report

At SEE’s manufacturing facility in Madera, CA the machines that turn resin pellets into the company’s famous BUBBLE WRAP® brand original cushioning are now powered by a solar farm situated on 11 acres of company-owned land directly adjacent to the plant.

The 8,975 solar panels, along with a battery storage system, power 98% of the electricity used at the manufacturing facility and produce more than seven gigawatt-hours of energy per year.

SEE® (formerly Sealed Air) partnered with TotalEnergies (formerly SunPower) to develop the 3.5 megawatt ground mount solar project paired with a 770 kilowatt/3,080 kilowatt-hour battery storage system. The project will help reduce SEE’s energy spend by $1 million annually.

Beneath the solar panels, gravel was used instead of turfgrass to conserve water, which is especially important in a state fighting drought conditions.

The solar farm contributes to SEE’s sustainability goals by advancing renewable energy, lessening the energy intensity of operations, and reducing the company’s greenhouse gas emissions. As a clean energy source, the solar project will avoid 3,465 metric tons of carbon dioxide in its first year* and 50,160 metric tons of carbon dioxide over 15 years.

*CO2 equivalencies based on EPA AVERT 2020 California regional distributed PV avoided CO2 rate

Read SEE’s Global Impact Report here.

Learn more about SEE’s ESG efforts here.

Fifth Third’s Rate Drop Protector program allows prospective homebuyers to purchase a home and lock in rates today, knowing that if rates decrease in the future, Fifth Third will waive all applicable lender closing costs on the subsequent refinance transaction.

How it works:

Customers who apply for and purchase a home with an eligible Fifth Third Bank product1 between April 1 and Sept. 30, 2023, are eligible for Rate Drop Protector.If those eligible customers opt to refinance their home between 6 and 24 months from the time of the original purchase closing date, Fifth Third will waive their processing, underwriting, application, origination or commitment fees, which is a savings of up to $1,295.

To learn more, visit Home Mortgage Loans or talk to a mortgage loan officer at your nearest Fifth Third branch. This Rate Drop Protector offer is not a commitment to lend or lock a rate. 

“The Rate Drop Protector is another example of how we keep customers at the center of everything we do. We’re watching out for our customers now and in the future,” Plum said. “We want our customers to be confident that buying a home today is still a smart financial decision and we’ll have their back should rates decrease.”
 

1. Only eligible for the refinance of conforming Fixed 15, 20, and 30 loans, FHA Loans, (Excluding FHA Assumptions) & 30-year VA loans. This cannot be combined with any other fee waiver specials or offers.

By Jessica Wells

Community has always mattered to Amy Strecker, so when she was promoted to president of the Duke Energy Foundation, she was excited to lead the team from Charlotte, N.C., and continue making a difference.

The Foundation invests more than $31 million each year in projects that support nonprofits in the seven states the company serves while focusing on strengthening economies, being resilient to climate change, and addressing justice, equity and inclusion.

“I think the most interesting work we’re doing,” she said, “is going to be at the intersection of these focus areas.”

For example, one of her favorite Foundation collaborations was creating the first lineworker training program at Central Piedmont Community College in Mecklenburg County, N.C., where Duke Energy is headquartered.

Training programs like this one prepare a skilled workforce and creates opportunities for economic mobility.

The company’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 requires upgrades to the electric grid and enough lineworkers to complete them. While the company employs more than 7,700 lineworkers, who build and maintain thousands of miles of power lines and equipment that enables the grid, the participants in the program at Central Piedmont are not required to work or apply for roles at Duke Energy. The program also helps create a pipeline of lineworkers for other utilities as the U.S. energy industry undergoes a massive transformation.

“Here’s where philanthropy can lend some dollars that align well with the company’s business priority on the clean energy future, but it also does so much for the community,” Strecker said. “The best path to economic mobility is great employment – and that is what Duke Energy offers with competitive salaries for our lineworkers that can really transition a family out of poverty and create a great life for someone with an outstanding company.”

Strecker, who has worked for Duke Energy from the Raleigh office in various roles since 2010, was the Foundation’s vice president before her promotion. Despite being new to town, Strecker earned a spot on the Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list of leaders.

Strecker said she was flattered to receive the honor and is enjoying learning about the needs and nonprofits across Duke Energy’s territory and how her team can help.

“I get a lot of energy from being surrounded by interesting people who are trying to make positive changes in their communities,” Strecker said, “and it is a real privilege to be able to represent Duke Energy in these conversations.”

While Strecker said this is her dream job, working at a utility wasn’t her plan.

After graduating from the University of Texas, she started her career as an English teacher in eastern North Carolina with Teach for America. While there, she met her wife, Emmy Coleman, who was a principal at another school. The couple decided to stay in North Carolina, and while Strecker earned her master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she joined Progress Energy, a Duke Energy legacy company, as an intern in corporate communications and the Foundation.

She was on track to become a librarian, but her internship proved corporate philanthropy was a better fit and she could help rural communities like the one where she started her career. Her former students, she said, are never far from her mind.

“I’m thinking, ‘OK, this program sounds like a good idea, but how are my students in these very rural, under-resourced communities going to benefit from this investment? How do we make sure communities that haven’t had the same educational opportunities benefit? How do we make sure that our workforce reflects the communities that we serve?’ All these questions are the lens through which we’re reviewing opportunities to make sure our dollars are well spent in programming that reflects our customers.”

As Foundation president, Strecker is responsible for the company’s employee philanthropy efforts. Employees and retirees volunteer thousands of hours in their communities and donate $10 million per year to nonprofits. She is the executive sponsor for Charlotte-based employee resource groups (ERG), networks that support veterans, women in the workforce and other areas of diversity. Before becoming the sponsor, Strecker was chair of the Business Women’s Network and a member of WeR1, the ERG that supports LGBTQ+ equality.

Supporting employees matters to Strecker. When she met her wife, she remembers not feeling comfortable to be open at her previous job about her relationship. At Duke Energy, she has felt supported by her co-workers and managers and said she hopes by being herself, others will feel empowered to do the same.

“Keeping a secret about an essential part of your life is a burden that I do not wish upon anyone,” Strecker said. “That’s something I really value about Duke Energy – the ability to be my authentic self.”

To her, Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate that authenticity and community and remind others of the importance of inclusion.

“Pride means different things to people, but for me it’s a symbol of being safe and welcomed,” Strecker said. “In the workplace, we’re all just looking for safety, kindness and respect. And you do not have to understand the intricacies of any colleague’s life to treat them well and wish them joy on their journey.”

As she starts her new journey in Charlotte, she’s building her own community as well. She and Coleman are hosting neighborhood gatherings to make friends, volunteering and learning about the city.

“We’re working really intentionally to build a personal community in Charlotte and some deep friendships here, too,” Strecker said. “The Charlotte community has been so welcoming and gracious. I know the operational side of our philanthropic world really well from spending years on this team, but to get to dive deeper into this community and partner with our Duke Energy leaders on our path forward feels really exciting.”

Diversity and inclusion at Duke Energy

To learn more about Duke Energy’s employee resource groups and its commitment to diversity and inclusion: Diversity and Inclusion.

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Meet Barry Palmer, Secretary of the Canvey Bay Watch in the United Kingdom. They are part of a European Beach Care initiative wherein CNH Industrial, through its CASE Construction Equipment brand, works to keep some of the EU’s coastlines clean.

The Beach Care Project raises awareness of the damaging impact plastic has on the marine environment, promotes the preservation of beach ecosystems and organizes beach clean-up operations. The video takes you to France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, showing how the multi-generational project has inspired young children right though to retirees.

Hear from experts, including an ecologist, marine researcher, and coastguard, who explain the environmental, social, touristic, and economic importance of beaches.

This project further demonstrates CNH Industrial’s commitment to sound, progressive environmental stewardship through concrete actions that deliver real results.

Go to to watch the film and discover more about how CNH Industrial is supporting local communities.