Tag: 3BL

WICHITA, Kan., March 28, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Koch Industries, Inc. (“Koch”) has earned the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Award for 2023. This is the third consecutive year Koch has earned this award and the fourth overall, maintaining its status in ENERGY STAR’s Sustained Excellence category. ENERGY STAR award winners lead their industries in the production, sale and adoption of energy-efficient products, homes, buildings, services and strategies; it is the highest honor bestowed by the EPA.

Employees across Koch companies work to use fewer resources as they create the life-sustaining essentials and everyday products that help people improve their lives. Koch has maintained a high performance level since joining the ENERGY STAR program in 2015, earning the agency’s ENERGY STAR certification at four facilities in the pulp and paper, refining and fertilizer industries in 2022, a designation reserved for manufacturing facilities in the top 25% of energy efficiency in their sector.

“Being recognized again by the EPA for superior energy performance is an important milestone for Koch,” said Sheryl Corrigan, director of environmental, health and safety at Koch Industries. “Our employees drive, design and implement energy improvement initiatives and projects at our sites, together with our customers, suppliers and community partners. We all win by using fewer resources. Receiving this award is a testament to our employees’ innovations that drive process enhancements, as well as our ongoing investments in new technology.”

Each day at Koch, employees apply Koch’s Stewardship Framework to help them continually improve their performance as they responsibly make the products and provide the services that people value over their alternatives.

Koch is one of the largest U.S. manufacturers and ENERGY STAR partners, and its facilities have successfully reduced energy consumption and associated emissions, compared to both domestic peers and facilities that less efficiently manufacture imported products.

From 2014 to 2021, production-related waste at Koch’s U.S. facilities is down by 250 million pounds (approximately 40%), across its numerous industries, according to the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory report. Of the waste produced and reported to the EPA at Koch facilities in 2021, 90% was recycled, recovered for energy or treated—a total of 369 million pounds.

Koch has invested more than $1.8 billion in energy efficiency projects across its more than 300 U.S.-based facilities throughout the last decade.

This work includes DEPCOM Power, a Koch Engineered Solutions (KES) company, partnering with fellow Koch company Flint Hills Resources to construct a 45-megawatt supplemental solar power plant with more than 100,000 panels for Flint Hills’ Pine Bend refinery in Rosemount, Minnesota. The under-construction facility is believed to be one of the largest of its kind in the United States, increasing the refinery’s efficiency by generating enough energy to power 6,500 homes annually. Together with the facility’s recently completed Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system, 70% of the facility’s power needs will come from highly efficient on-site energy generation.

Integrating stewardship innovation into daily operations across hundreds of manufacturing facilities, employees at Koch company Georgia-Pacific’s (GP) Collaboration and Support Center (CSC) are combining data, artificial intelligence, process control and cloud technology in managing the company’s manufacturing assets and process health. The CSC partners with GP facilities across the country to optimize operations and improve energy management. Its partnership with GP’s cellulose plant in Brunswick, Georgia, uses AI with sensors to monitor energy and operations data to help predict and prevent potential issues before they happen.

To learn more about Koch’s stewardship approach, visit: KOCHind.com/Stewardship. To see more ways Koch employees are practicing environmental stewardship, visit news.KOCHind.com/Collections/Environmental-Stewardship.

About Koch Industries, Inc.

Based in Wichita, Kansas, Koch Industries, Inc. is one of the largest private companies in America, with annual revenues that exceed $125 billion. It owns a diverse group of companies involved in manufacturing, agriculture, pulp and paper, packaging, consumer products, building materials, glass, automotive components, refining, renewable energy, chemicals and polymers, electronics, enterprise software, data analytics, medical products, engineered technology, project services, recycling, supply chain and logistics, global commodities trading, and investments. Since 2003, Koch companies have invested more than $150 billion in growth and improvements. With a presence in about 60 countries, Koch companies employ more than 120,000 people worldwide, with about half of those in the United States. For more news and information, visit www.KOCHind.com.

New analysis published by GRI explores the relationship between due diligence and sustainability reporting, offering insights on the current state-of-play within the global policy landscape.

Corporate sustainability due diligence policies and sustainability reporting draws national and international policies, making the case for harmonization of due diligence rules on a global scale. The paper establishes a clear connection between due diligence and materiality assessment – a key component of corporate reporting – and highlights how GRI reporting unlocks transparency on the due diligence process, in a way that is aligned with international authoritative instruments, including the OECD Guidelines and UN Guiding Principles.

Peter Paul van de Wijs, GRI’s Chief Policy Officer, said:

“There are a growing number of due diligence-related policies around the world, in particular those that set expectations for greater accountability on environmental and social impacts. Organizations must be prepared for this reality. However, there is no widely adopted due diligence disclosure system, making it challenging to track, measure, and compare progress. 

Reporting with the GRI Standards puts impact information on an equal footing with financial reporting and – crucially – addresses impacts throughout the value chain. It also supports companies in aligning their due diligence processes with international expectations, as set by the UN and OECD.”

Key conclusions from the report are:

Due diligence policies set expectations for all corporate behavior, not just on human rights: Topics such as tax, procurement and corruption are likely to be included in due diligence rules.Public reporting is necessary for the effective implementation of due diligence: Disclosure needs to cover a broad range of related areas – such as governance, supply chain impacts and operations – signaling why a widely adopted reporting regime is required.Due diligence considerations are having a growing role in financial decision-making: Impacts identified through the due diligence process can be included within enterprise risk management systems, serving as input for identifying financial risks and opportunities.Cross-border implications of due diligence laws require global harmonization: Wide representation and input is needed in policy development, which should ensure alignment with widely adopted standards and international due diligence approaches.Due diligence requires meaningful stakeholder engagement: Achieving credible due diligence outcomes means first identifying and engaging relevant stakeholders, creating an imperative for this information to be public.Due diligence is not possible without supply chain mapping: Effectively assessing potential impacts linked to a company’s products, including use of raw materials, necessitates transparent and traceable supply chains.

The due diligence and human rights-focused approach – the cornerstone of the GRI Universal Standards – will also form the basis for the current revision of labor-related Topic Standards.

Carrots and Sticks, the flagship publication and online resource from GRI, comprehensively covers non-financial and sustainability reporting provisions, policy, regulation, guidance, frameworks, and standards.

Established in 1997, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is the independent, international organization that helping businesses and other organizations take responsibility for their impacts by providing the global common language to report those impacts. The GRI Standards, the leading global standards for sustainability reporting, are provided as a free public good.

On World Water Day at the 2023 United Nations Water Conference, IBM hosted a side event at the UN headquarters in New York to provide the first formal impact and innovation updates on two on-going projects at the intersection of water and sustainable agriculture in its IBM Sustainability Accelerator is a pro-bono social impact program. The session, “Water Management Innovation for Underserved Populations,” included a high-level discussion with leading water innovation experts on the power and importance of partnerships and initiatives such as the Sustainability Accelerator to speed up and scale nonprofit and governmental organization environmental sustainability initiatives supporting vulnerable populations.

Watch the discussion here

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2023 /3BL Media/ – EarthShare’s newly released platform for giving is making environmental philanthropy easier and more accessible for everyday consumers. That includes YOU.

Our new platform enables users, regardless of income level, to create no-minimum donor-advised funding accounts and directly support vetted environmental nonprofits across a wide range of issue areas. With an emphasis on education and collaboration, users are introduced to local nonprofits in their area as well as to groups throughout the United States whose missions and impact focus areas are aligned with their goals and interest areas.

The platform showcases our deeply vetted Nonprofit Partner network, educational content, volunteer opportunities, tools to easily measure and reduce environmental impact, and it will have the flexibility for donors to recommend grants to any 501(c)(3) organization.

The purpose of this platform? To reimagine how people engage with the environmental movement through collective action at the individual level. To date, leveraging donor-advised funding has been limited to a core few—those with significant amounts of both disposable income and time to give to the planet. That changes today.

You don’t have to be wealthy to do something good for the planet. You just have to care.

Alongside the platform launch, EarthShare also announced the roll-out of its first-ever membership offering for individuals. For $25 a year, people interested in supporting environmental action can become part of a fast-growing community of like-minded individuals, nonprofits, and businesses with the common goal of creating a more just and sustainable planet. This membership includes access to EarthShare’s Giving Platform.

EarthShare CEO Brad Leibov shared, “We envision a world where everyone takes action for our planet. Whether the action is big or small, it is about building a movement of support that is accessible, inclusive, and built for scale. Now more than ever, positive impact will be at the fingertips of anyone who wants to be part of a growing community of dedicated environmental advocates, donors, and those just starting to get involved.”

EarthShare leads this initiative with 35 years of history supporting environmental nonprofits and the critical work they do. Our network of vetted environmental nonprofits includes 500 local, national, and international organizations, from large and well-known nonprofits like The Nature Conservancy and The Sierra Club to smaller grassroots organizations like West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT) and Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice. We are extremely proud of our history, and now it’s time to share our knowledge and resources with others eager to do something positive for the planet.

Is that you?

If you care, EarthShare.

About EarthShare 
For more than three decades, EarthShare has rallied millions of people in support of the planet, resulting in more than $375M mobilized and countless hours of volunteering. Motivated by the urgent threats facing our planet, EarthShare is increasing support for a diverse network of environmental nonprofits by drawing new people and new investment to aid our planet.

Backed by a network of some of the best environmental nonprofits, our issue expertise and partner network exceeds anything on the market, and it’s continuously expanding. We are building the world’s most robust and inclusive environmental network, with the goal to ensure that lesser-known, grassroots, frontline, and BIPOC-led nonprofits see increased visibility and financial support.

Our programs welcome new advocates into the fold, streamlining and enhancing efforts to create positive change by enabling more people to work together for a just and sustainable world. | EarthShare.org 

Contact 
Katelyn Pettit, Content Manager 
Katelyn@earthshare.org

-ENDS-

Originally published in Tapestry’s 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report

Tapestry and its house of iconic brands – kate spade new york, Coach and Stuart Weitzman – recognize their responsibility to respect and uphold human rights throughout it’s entire supply chain. This includes the rights of Tapestry’s own employees as well as those of the workers who make our products. We develop and continue to nurture strong relationships with our supply chain partners through clearly defined standards and expectations, open communication and zero tolerance for human rights violations.

WORKER EMPOWERMENT IN OUR SUPPLY CHAIN 

Our 2025 goals include a commitment to provide 100,00 people working in the factories crafting our products access to empowerment programs by 2025.

To help us reach this goal, we work with BSR’s HERproject, a collaborative initiative that looks to empower low-income women in global supply chains through workplace-based programs. According to BSR, global supply chains are a major employer of women: Women represent an average of 68 percent of the garment workforce, 45 percent of the textile sector workforce, and up to 70 percent of the horticulture workforce. These low-income working women often face significant and specific challenges, such as a low status in the workplace, low skill levels, irregular and excessive hours, harassment, violence, and discrimination. These challenges are reinforced by a lower status in society. HERproject brings together global brands, factories and local NGOs to support programs on health, financial inclusion and gender equality. The initiative uses a data-driven approach to help understand and analyze the impact of its programs, including through baseline and end-line assessment surveys. Its forward-looking model uses a “peer-to-peer methodology” and by doing so, creates a platform for longevity.

HERproject stands with women as they take greater control of their lives, ensuring that they can make and act on choices they value. We firmly believe that women in global supply chains have the potential to be powerful agents for positive change in workplaces and in society. HERproject works to unlock that potential.

In FY2023, Tapestry is planning to launch a financial literacy initiative in tandem with HERproject to further many of these efforts. To date, we have reached 53,000 workers, representing 13 factories in Vietnam, India and Cambodia.

Since 2013, kate spade new york has partnered with Abahizi Rwanda, an independent, employee-owned, B Corp-certified handbag manufacturer based in Masoro, Rwanda. Abahizi Rwanda employs more than 250 women, providing full-time employment, health benefits and a full spectrum life skills program including access to mental health support for all employees. Abahizi Rwanda manufactures high-quality products for the global fashion industry with a social commitment to empower their employees and transform their community. The company embraces social enterprise principles creating economic and social good for all stakeholders.

In April 2021, kate spade new york continued to broaden its impact in the community of Masoro, Rwanda, through their on purpose initiative by partnering with Isooko Community Development, a Rwandan non-profit dedicated to women’s and youth health, education, and economic access. In 2021,kate spade new york contributed $177,000 to Isooko, which in part helped to fund the construction of the Masoro Sport and Learning Center. 

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Applied Materials is honored to once again be included among Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies! Applied is committed to working across the technology ecosystem to drive critical advances that can enable a more inclusive and sustainable world. We are grateful for our employees for upholding our reputational leadership and supporting Applied’s vision to Make Possible® a Better Future.

Former McDonald’s owner Aaron Harris first joined the McFamily in August 1990 and recently retired in 2020. But his daughter, Joy Silmon, is continuing his legacy as a McDonald’s owner in Dallas and Austin, Texas.

 “It’s an honor to carry the torch of my dad’s sacrifice and legacy forward…once the dream of a little boy from the 9th ward of New Orleans… now birthed a reality of generational wealth for our family and our community,” said Joy.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s is the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with nearly 40,000 locations in over 100 countries. Approximately 95% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business owners.

View original content here

As Chief Diversity Officer, Calvin Hilton oversees all aspects of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) strategy at Bread Financial. This year, he’s also one of three Executive Champions for the company’s Operation Feed campaign. What could be more equitable, he asks, than ensuring everyone has access to a necessity?

“If you don’t have your basic needs met, like hunger, it’s hard for you to function in any part of society,” Calvin said. “So, the fact that our company has taken on this vision of helping people who are food insecure has been phenomenal, because it is so basic for everyone.”

Operation Feed is Bread Financial’s second-largest annual fundraising campaign, and as an Executive Champion, Calvin encourages all associates to give of their time and treasure – as they are able – to help stamp out hunger in their communities. Since 2017, he has served as a board member of the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) in Plano, Texas, which directs 95 percent of its resources to hunger relief programs across 13 counties in the Lone Star State.

“We are committed to helping nourish and feed North Texas,” Calvin said. “But it’s hard to tell where people are in terms of food security. Don’t make assumptions based on what you see on the outside. Some people want to look good no matter what, but really, they’re hurting inside.”

According to the NTFB, one in six people in North Texas goes hungry every single day, and one in five children is food insecure. At least once per month, Calvin volunteers his time to help this population, packing and serving meals at the food bank. In February, he helped assemble 12,000 weekend hunger packs for children who normally rely on school breakfasts and lunches for their daily meals.

“It was pretty phenomenal,” he said. “And that’s why I do this – it makes a difference. It changes people’s lives. That week, I knew a child was going to be enjoying a pack we made.”

Learn more about Operation Feed in the Q&A with Calvin below.

What is your personal “why” for participating in Operation Feed?

The thought that a child is going to go home and not know where their next meal is going to come from – or is going to be hungry until next Monday when they go back to school – that’s frightening. If a child doesn’t have a good meal or if they go to school hungry, how do they concentrate and get their work done? Those are things we take for granted, but this is about equity. If they can’t progress at school and if their grades suffer, they have other long-term issues down the road. I will personally participate in any way I can to stamp out hunger for children and their families; that’s just near and dear to my heart.

How does tackling food insecurity support Bread Financial’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts?

We all give off a persona in terms of who we are. My wife ran into a church member at a food bank who we see every Sunday. Hard times had fallen upon this person and his wife, so they were at a food bank trying to get the bare necessities. If you saw them outside the food bank, you would never have suspected anything was wrong. When I think about DE&I and the work we do, when we start to spend a little bit more time with folks and we dig a little deeper, we find there are things people carry with them every day that we don’t see.

Why do you believe it is so difficult to eradicate food insecurity?

As one of the most prosperous countries in the world, we have the ability to stamp hunger out, but there are so many other competing priorities. Also, there is a certain amount of pride to overcome. Think about what it takes as an individual to make that first step into a food pantry and say, “I need help.” In many ways, you have to set aside your pride to get help, and that is really hard.

How would you encourage Bread Financial associates to help fight food insecurity in their communities?

Each of us has a story. Each of us has someone in our life who we care about that is struggling. Take the baby step of trying to help someone do something. Or else, volunteer anywhere! It doesn’t have to be related to Operation Feed. We have multiple opportunities through Bread Financial to go out and make a difference. I look at it this way: We have been blessed at this company to have wonderful careers. We have been given a lot. So, it will make you feel good on the inside to make a difference for somebody else.

Originally published on Built From Scratch

ATLANTA, March 28, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The Home Depot Foundation announced a commitment of up to $200,000 to support immediate disaster relief and long-term recovery efforts in communities impacted by the devastating tornado outbreak across Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.

Less than 24 hours after the storms, the Foundation’s nonprofit partners set up operations to provide immediate support to many of the affected areas. American Red Cross is on the ground providing shelter and distributing meals, while Convoy of Hope and Operation Blessing deliver much-needed supplies, including disaster relief kits, water, meals, hygiene kits and more, to those in need. Team Rubicon, Inspiritus, World Central Kitchen and ToolBank Disaster Services are assessing damage and gathering necessary tools to begin recovery and distribution efforts.

In Monroe County, Mississippi, Team Depot, The Home Depot’s associate volunteer force, is working with first responders and local organizations to distribute essentials and help with debris removal. Dozens more associates will travel to the area in the coming days to help with cleanup and immediate needs.

“Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by these devastating tornadoes that took so many lives and left a trail of destruction across several states,” said Shannon Gerber, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. “With the help of our nonprofit partners, we are providing resources and relief supplies to the affected communities, and we will continue to provide support as needed throughout the recovery process.”

The Homer Fund, Home Depot’s employee assistance program, is providing immediate financial support to every impacted associate in need of safe housing, food and clothing. Associates affected by the storms received emergency funds to cover hotel, food and clothing expenses while displaced. To date, The Homer Fund has granted more than $28.6 million to support associates impacted by natural disasters.

The Home Depot Foundation is committed to supporting communities with natural disaster preparedness, short-term response and long-term recovery.​ In 2022, the Foundation committed more than $7.3 million to disaster response efforts across the country.

Keep up with all the latest Home Depot news! Subscribe to our bi-weekly news update and get the top Built from Scratch stories delivered straight to your inbox.

ATLANTA, March 28, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Today, Truist Foundation announced a $1 million grant to Emory University Goizueta Business School’s Start:ME Accelerator program, the largest gift in the program’s 10-year history. Start:ME is a free, 14-week accelerator training program aimed at supporting small businesses in underserved communities in Atlanta. Delivered by Goizueta’s Business & Society Institute, alongside a coalition of neighborhood partners, the program provides micro-entrepreneurs the tools and connections necessary to build and grow successful businesses.

“Collectively, microbusinesses directly feed into the economic and social vitality of their communities,” said Gareth James, John H. Harland Dean of Goizueta Business School. “When these businesses thrive—generating income, creating jobs, occupying spaces and providing role models—surrounding neighborhoods do as well.”

From mom-and-pop shops to in-home ventures, microbusinesses are individually quite small but collectively create a big impact. According to The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), microbusinesses account for 92 percent of all US businesses and create 41.3 million jobs.

Truist Foundation is a longtime partner of the Start:ME program, serving as the program’s inaugural external seed funder, issuing the first grant to the program’s Clarkston efforts in 2013. This new investment was made as part of Emory University’s 2O36 campaign supporting the university’s mission to serve humanity through knowledge.

“We are proud to partner with Goizueta Business School and support such a transformational program in the Atlanta community,” says Lynette Bell, president of Truist Foundation. “Truist Foundation believes all people and communities should have an equal opportunity to thrive. By strengthening the small business ecosystem in underserved neighborhoods, we can begin to level the playing field and ignite generational wealth for years to come.”

Over the past 10 years, the Start:ME program has served 351 businesses in Clarkston, East Lake, and Atlanta’s Southside in collaboration with The East Lake Foundation, Focused Community Strategies, Friends of Refugees, and Purpose Built Schools Atlanta. In this year’s cohort, 80 percent of the ventures are female-led and 87 percent of the entrepreneurs are people of color. Start:ME focuses on three pillars: business training, mentorship by skilled volunteers, and capital, including $15,000 in seed grants per community cohort.

In addition to providing financial support, Truist teammates offer critical mentorship to participating businesses. Mentors play a hands-on coaching role at each session, pairing up with entrepreneurs based on skill sets, experience, and compatibility.

“Serving as a volunteer mentor for the Start:ME program for the past nine years has provided a unique opportunity to deliver on Truist’s purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities by working directly with people who are building businesses that create jobs and ensure a thriving community,” said Ron Alston, not-for-profit and government banking leader for Truist. “I have learned as much from the entrepreneurs I am mentoring as I have taught, while more deeply connecting with the work being done in the East Lake and Kirkwood communities.”

Mentorship is a critical component of programming. “The relationship between mentors and entrepreneurs is key and often extends beyond the 14-week program,” said Start:ME Director Erin Igleheart. “We want entrepreneurs to have a solid, supportive, constructive network of mentors and peer entrepreneurs to draw upon as they continue to operate their business.”

The multi-year grant supports Start:ME’s existing community programs along with expansion efforts to serve additional micro-entrepreneurs in Atlanta.

Find out how you can support Start:ME and build stronger communities by supporting local entrepreneurs.

Find out more about Truist Foundation and its commitment to inspiring and building better lives and communities.

About Emory University’s Goizueta Business School

Business education has been an integral part of Emory University’s identity since 1919. That kind of longevity and significance does not come without a culture built on success and service. Emory University’s Goizueta Business School offers a unique, community-oriented environment paired with the academic prestige and rigor of a major research institution. Goizueta develops business leaders of today and tomorrow with an undergraduate degree program, Full-time MBA (Two-Year MBA & One-Year MBA), Evening MBA, Executive MBA, full-time and part-time MS in Business Analytics, Master of Analytical Finance, Doctoral degree, and a portfolio of non-degree Emory Executive Education courses. Together, the Goizueta community strives to solve the world’s most pressing business problems. The school is named for the late Roberto C. Goizueta, former Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.

For more information, visit goizueta.emory.edu.

About Truist Foundation

Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. Truist Foundation’s grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses. Learn more at Truist.com/Foundation.