The company’s newly adopted Human Rights Policy, gains in Environmental and Social goals, and a commitment to Diversity and Inclusion are among the highlights of the report.
SOURCE: 3BL Alerts
DESCRIPTION:
SJW Group (NYSE: SJW), among the largest investor-owned water and wastewater utility companies in the U.S., announced the release of its 2020 Sustainability Report, Coast to Coast. It is SJW Group’s first report that includes Connecticut Water Service, Inc., which was acquired in 2019. The report includes all SJW Group’s water and wastewater utility operations in California, Connecticut, Maine and Texas. The organization’s newly adopted Human Rights Policy is among the highlights of the report.
In addition, Institutional Shareholder Services’ (ISS) review of the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) activities resulted in significant improvements in year-over-year Environmental and Social scores. The best rating in the ISS scale is a 1, and 10 is the lowest. The company’s overall Environmental score moved from 7 to 5 and the overall Social score from 8 to 4 in 2020. The Governance rating remained best in class at a 1 in 2020. The company is recognized with Prime status by ISS ESG. Prime status is awarded to companies with an ESG performance above the sector-specific Prime threshold.
“We are proud of our continuing achievements shared in our 2020 Sustainability Report,” stated Eric W. Thornburg, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of SJW Group. Thornburg added, “The commitment of our employees, management, and Board to sustainability excellence reflects our longstanding commitments and mirrors SJW Group’s core values of serving customers, communities, and employees while protecting the environment. Among the specific achievements in 2020 that we are most proud of is the adoption by our Board of a Human Rights Policy that firmly states that human rights are fundamental rights, freedoms, and standards of treatment to which all people are entitled.”
The report highlights the company’s focus on:
- Employee health and safety
- Environmental stewardship
- Customer assistance programs
- Supplier diversity
- Social responsibility
- Infrastructure investments
The company’s nearly 50% female representation on its Board of Directors has also been recognized by Women on Boards 2020 as a “Winning” company for achieving gender parity.
In 2021, SJW Group plans to build on the solid ESG foundation outlined in its 2020 report, developing a long-term sustainability plan and focusing on greenhouse gas emissions with a baseline survey of current emissions levels.
SJW Group’s 2020 Corporate Sustainability Report and the Human Rights Policy can be found at www.sjwgroup.com.
Contact:
Liann Walborsky
Director of Corporate Communications
(408) 918-7247
KEYWORDS: SJW Group, Human Rights, ReportAlert, water, ESG
