The natural gas provider is one of only
six companies ranked in Missouri.
ST.
LOUIS, Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the
fourth consecutive year, Spire has again been named one of
"America's Most Responsible Companies" by Newsweek,
recognizing the company for a strong performance in three areas —
environment, social responsibilities and corporate governance.
In new rankings released Dec. 7 by
Newsweek, Spire is listed among the top 500 companies across
14 industries in the United
States.
"Our employees show drive, collaboration and compassion each day
to deliver reliable and affordable energy to our customers, while
making a positive impact on the planet and the communities we
serve" said Suzanne Sitherwood,
Spire president and chief executive officer. "We are grateful to
again be mentioned among 'America's Most Responsible Companies' and
are proud of our employees for continually making this recognition
from Newsweek possible."
The Newsweek annual rankings are selected based on
publicly available key performance indicators derived from
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability reports.
In addition, an independent survey was conducted to evaluate
companies' reputations by asking consumers about their perception
of activities related to corporate social responsibility. Among
highlights:
Environmental commitment
Spire continued progress on the path to being a carbon neutral
company by midcentury. Spire is on track to reduce methane
emissions by more than 46% from its core gas utility
distribution system since 2005, and projects a nearly 59% reduction
by 2025 and 73% by 2035.
In FY21, Spire established a dedicated team to lead
environmental commitment efforts and made significant progress in
measuring baseline statistics, creating a baseline for Scope 1
(greenhouse gas emissions released directly from owned or
controlled assets) and Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased
electricity and steam) GHG emissions
Building on that momentum, Spire became a founding member of
Energy Capital Ventures' new fund focused on natural gas
innovation and research in clean energy solutions. Also, Spire
furthered their membership in ONE Future, working to reduce
methane emissions across the natural gas value chain.
Spire Serves
Through its Spire Serves initiative, Spire supported the
communities they serve with more than $5.9
million in support to numerous organizations across
Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Wyoming in fiscal year 2022. For example:
- A contribution to the Truman Heritage Habitat for
Humanity created the Spire Community Kitchen at Truman's new
headquarters and Homeownership and Opportunity Center at the newly
remodeled historic Hiram Young
School in Independence, MO.
The kitchen includes modern gas appliances, providing an
opportunity for new homeowners and others to hone their culinary
skills and cook nutritious meals while experiencing the
convenience, reliability and affordability of natural gas.
"We appreciate all that Spire has done to support Truman
Heritage Habitat for Humanity and the community kitchen
project at Hiram Young
School. Thanks to their funding and employee involvement the
new Spire Community Kitchen will provide a welcoming space for
community meetings and events, as well as classes on how to provide
healthy, affordable meals," said Christina Leakey, president and CEO of
Truman Heritage Habitat for Humanity.
- A donation to Murphy High School in Mobile, Alabama opened the school system's
first "Farm to Table" program and teaching farm in 2022. The
program's mission is to provide students and the surrounding
community with the tools necessary for small-impact farming to
ensure healthy eating and cooking, while eliminating food deserts
in Mobile.
"We are very thankful for this partnership with Spire," said
Mobile County Public Schools
Superintendent Chresal D. Threadgill. "Murphy
High School's Farm to Table program provides real-world learning
experiences for our students, from planting and growing fruits,
vegetables and herbs, to preparing meals in our Culinary Arts
program. Our students are learning skills that will benefit them
long after high school graduation, and the program will be a great
service to our community."
Day for Good
Spire continues to see growth in their "Day for Good"
initiative, giving employees the opportunity to spend a paid day
volunteering at an organization they are passionate about. In
FY2022, Spire employees logged more than 13,000 volunteer hours
across the communities they serve. For example, in 2022:
- Spire spent the summer of 2022 completing a list of projects on
the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. During this time, Spire made
the grounds of the museum safer by ripping out old, rotted decking
throughout the property and replacing and staining it with the
additional of new handrails. Spire also used its equipment to
re-landscape a large hill with a water runoff problem. It was a
chance for the company to step in and help when the museum was
faced with less resources than it had in years past.
"The work Spire completed at The National Museum of Transportation
was exceptional. We do not have the labor, equipment, or
financial resources to undertake the large capital projects that
Spire completed for us in 2022," said Terri
McEachern, executive director with the National Museum
of Transportation, "We are truly grateful."
- Teams of Spire employees, in partnership with the Cahaba
River Society, removed trash from Birmingham's Cahaba River, which is vitally
important to the communities in its watershed. It is the main
drinking water source for the Birmingham Water Works Board service
area, which serves about one-fifth of Alabamians.
"Through Spire's continued support, we have helped maintain a
healthy ecosystem throughout the Cahaba River, a river system
known globally for its biodiversity. Spire volunteers have removed
thousands of pounds of litter and invasive species, which threaten
both this incredible biodiversity and the health of a river used by
one-fifth of Alabamians as drinking water," said
Wil Rainer, Cahaba
River Society field programs director. "The Cahaba
River Society is so grateful for Spire's immeasurable impact.
I look forward to working with the Spire crew every year."
- Spire employees prepped and handed out hundreds of bags of
groceries in partnership with R&R Marketplace, a
non-profit in North St. Louis
County that is transforming an abandoned shopping center
into a development equipped with financial and health care
services, childcare center, and workforce development services.
"The folks at Spire are unmatched when it comes to everyone jumping
in and doing the hard work to serve our neighbors throughout the
St. Louis community," said Gigi
Greenwood MacMullan, Refuge &
Restoration, NPO, vice president of development.
"Volunteers lifted pallets, sorted food, and loaded cars with
groceries in scorching hot temps for hours without a single
complaint and always with a smile. With Spire, we served over 1,500
people in just hours. Spire folks are just built differently — they
have a true heart for service."
For more about the Newsweek rankings and to view the full
list, click here.
About Spire
At Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR), we believe energy exists to help make
people's lives better. It's a simple idea, but one that's at the
heart of our company. Every day we serve 1.7 million homes and
businesses making us the fifth largest publicly traded natural gas
company in the country. We help families and business owners fuel
their daily lives through our gas utilities serving Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. Our natural gas-related businesses
include Spire Marketing, Spire STL Pipeline and Spire Storage. We
are committed to transforming our business through growing
organically, investing in infrastructure, and advancing through
innovation. Learn more at SpireEnergy.com.
Media Contact:
Molly Rose
314-437-5875
Molly.Rose@SpireEnergy.com
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SOURCE Spire Inc.