As a utility company whose job it is to protect and provide natural resources for communities across the nation, Earth Day holds a special meaning to many of us at Essential.
Essential announced a number of sustainability commitments over the last 14 months, and we released our 2019 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report in late 2020. And since Earth Day supports efforts made toward protecting the environment, there’s no better time to provide updates on our sustainability progress:
- We are pleased to report that we have successfully achieved a 3% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as of December 2020, which is on track for our 2035 goal to reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 60% from our 2019 baseline. This 60% reduction is roughly equivalent to removing 76,000 cars from the road each year.
- We are also on schedule to achieve 100% wind power through Green-e Renewable Energy Certificates for our Aqua operations in Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania by early 2022. Switching to renewable energy options throughout our footprint will help drive the progress toward our emissions reduction target.
Our obligation to uphold these ESG initiatives drives us to continue exploring sustainable and productive approaches to business. We’re confident that our environmental commitments coupled with our team’s passion for providing exceptional service and resources to our customers puts us on a constructive path for advancement.
Achieving these ESG goals – to sustain and better the environment – is nothing short of a team effort. But as we all know, to make an even greater impact in our communities, we must also support local organizations who are working passionately toward similar sustainability goals. This is why the Essential Foundation donated to two sustainability nonprofits this year: the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund, which funds grants to improve the quality and quantity of water in the Schuylkill River, and TreeVitalize, which provides grants to communities to increase tree cover in Pennsylvania. Aqua’s Pennsylvania operations have been partnered with TreeVitalize for more than 15 years and have restored about 1,000 acres with native species by planting over 170,000 trees and shrubs.
Together, we make a difference every day and I want to thank every Essential employee for their commitment to sustainability and passion for upholding Essential’s values.
Please stay tuned for a further expanded and updated ESG report this summer, which for the first time will include Peoples’ operations!
