Simon Sharpening Green Focus
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAnother prominent Indiana company is increasing its focus on sustainability. Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group Inc. (NYSE: SPG) says hiring its first director of sustainability is part of a larger goal of implementing green practices across retail properties. The company says efforts include installing electric vehicle charging stations at more than 65 of its shopping centers throughout the country. Columbus-based Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) detailed a comprehensive sustainability plan earlier this year designed to reduce waste, water and energy in its products and plants.
Both companies are on Newsweek's 2014 list of America's Greenest Companies.
You can view the full rankings by clicking here.
June 6, 2014
News Release
COLUMBUS, IND. – Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) today announced that it is ranked #52 among the 500 largest public companies in the United States in Newsweek’s 2014 Green Rankings of businesses and #86 among the largest public companies in the world. In both cases, Cummins ranks far ahead of industry peers.
“This recognition from Newsweek underscores the commitment of our Company and our employees to an important part of our corporate mission – demanding that everything we do leads to a cleaner, healthier, safer environment,” said Tom Linebarger, Cummins Chairman and CEO. “We believe our focus on the environment allows us to deliver economic value to our stakeholders while making a positive impact on communities around the world. Providing efficient and clean power is a win for our Company, a win for our customers, and a win for the environment.”
Last month, Cummins announced its latest and most comprehensive plan to reduce its global environmental footprint, which is detailed in the Company’s 2013-2014 Sustainability Report.
The plan is just the next step for Cummins, which has been working hard to reduce its environmental footprint for decades. Late in the 1990s Cummins began to view its technical expertise as a key competitive advantage to meet increasingly stringent emission regulations. Countries around the world continue to implement stricter air pollution standards, and Cummins is able to deliver products that not only comply with those standards but also provide the renowned power and reliability that customers depend on.
The latest plan to reduce the Company’s environmental footprint came together after nearly two years of study and brings together stakeholders from all corners of the Company to execute a coordinated approach to the environment. Cummins examined its environmental footprint, putting special focus on water, waste and energy and greenhouse gases (GHGs). The plan prioritizes addressing its biggest environmental opportunities – from the materials it buys to the emissions and fuel efficiency of its products, and the Company has already moved forward with setting specific, measureable goals for Cummins’ operations.
About Cummins
Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service diesel and natural gas engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, (USA) Cummins currently employs approximately 48,000 people worldwide and serves customers in approximately 190 countries and territories through a network of approximately 600 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 6,500 dealer locations. Cummins earned $1.48 billion on sales of $17.3 billion in 2013. Press releases can be found on the Web at www.cummins.com or www.cumminsengines.com. Follow Cummins on Twitter at @Cummins and on YouTube at Cummins Inc.
Source: Cummins Inc.
May 16, 2014
News Release
Indianapolis, Ind. — Simon Property Group Inc. (NYSE: SPG), a global leader in retail real estate, announced today that Mona Benisi has been named its Director of Sustainability and will contribute to advancing Simon's goals for implementing sustainable practices and carbon footprint reduction across its retail property portfolio.
Benisi will be responsible for advancing and leading all aspects of Simon's comprehensive sustainability strategy, including the recycling, water management and renewable energy programs, and leading the company's Sustainability Task Force. She will also direct and manage measurement and reporting of critical sustainability metrics, including CDP, the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) and GRI.
Benisi previously served as a consultant in the Corporate Sustainability Office of Siemens Corporation in Munich, Germany, where she played a key role in the development and implementation of the company's sustainability strategy. Earlier in her career, Benisi was a Climate Corps Fellow at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and held a position at The Earth Institute.
“Mona's expertise in building environmental programs and her passion for organizing sustainability efforts are fundamental to achieving Simon's objectives in this important area,” said David Contis, President, Simon Malls. “We are confident that she can further advance Simon's progress in implementing green initiatives to fulfill our long-term goal of continued industry leadership in sustainability and energy efficiency.”
Key components of Simon's ongoing sustainability platform include strategies to further reduce overall energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, expand recycling and enhance water management by incorporating sustainable practices into day-to-day property operations. Shoppers also contribute daily to Simon's sustainability efforts by using recycling receptacles available at all Simon properties, and by utilizing Simon's growing infrastructure of Electric Vehicle charging stations across the U.S.
Benisi holds a B.A. in International Business from Georg-Simon-Ohm University in Nuremberg, Germany and a M.S. in Sustainability Management from Columbia University in New York.
About Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG) is a S&P 100 company and a global leader in the retail real estate industry. We currently own or have an interest in more than 325 retail real estate properties in North America, Asia and Europe comprising approximately 241 million square feet. We are headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employ approximately 5,500 people in the U.S. For more information, visit simon.com.
Source: Simon Property Group Inc.
May 12, 2014
News Release
Columbus, Ind. — Today, Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger outlined the Company's most extensive plan to date for environmental sustainability, including specific goals for reducing waste, water and energy.
A core part of the Company's mission is demanding that everything Cummins does leads to a cleaner, healthier and safer environment, which has also proven to be a business advantage.
Cummins has been working hard to reduce its environmental footprint for years. Late in the 1990's Cummins began to view its technical expertise as a key competitive advantage to meet increasingly stringent regulations. This is playing out around the world as countries continue to implement stricter air pollution standards, and Cummins is able to deliver products that not only comply but also provide the renowned power and reliability that customers depend on.
“Customers depend on us to help them achieve success and improve their bottom line while consumers rely on us to power the trucks, trains and ships that deliver their goods and services,” said Tom Linebarger, Cummins Chairman and CEO. “We also understand we have many stakeholders and we make every effort to deliver economic value to each of them. Equally important is del