MORRISTOWN, N.J., Dec. 18,
2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Covanta (NYSE: CVA), a world leader in
sustainable waste and energy solutions, released a performance
update on its Sustainability Report for 2020. This update, which
includes data from the full year 2019, provides an in-depth
analysis of the company's continued progress on its ambitious
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) improvement goals.
"As a society, we are facing some of the greatest environmental
challenges in our history, including global climate change and
record demand on our natural resources. More sustainable waste and
materials management are key parts to solving both of these
challenges," said Derek Veenhof,
Covanta's chief operating officer. "We continue to work toward
solving the complexities that waste poses for the communities and
businesses we serve."
Highlights of company achievements include:
- Diverted 21.6 million tons of waste from landfills –
enough to fill a six-lane highway with garbage trucks, bumper to
bumper, from Los Angeles to
New York City
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 18.8
million metric tons relative to landfilling – equivalent to
pulling nearly 4 million cars off the road
- Recycled over 1 million tons of metal, industrial wastewater
and other resources – enough to produce 3 billion soda cans and
fill 136 Olympic sized swimming pools
- Continued to execute strategic growth plans in the UK –
four new waste-to-energy projects under construction, which will
help enable national self-sufficiency in managing waste and
compliance with landfill diversion targets, in addition to creating
a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy
Covanta's successful performance is driven by its talented and
diverse workforce. Since its very first sustainability report
nearly ten years ago, the company has been focused on building a
respectful and equitable workplace environment that leverages
employees' unique talents, perspectives and experiences regardless
of age, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender.
What started with transparency and reporting expanded to one of the
first corporate targeted Diversity & Inclusion goals in 2015.
Today, progress in this area includes:
- Expanding Employee Resource Groups to include Women of
Covanta: RISE, Early Career Connections, Black Professionals,
Sustainability and LatinX. These employee-led groups aim to foster
a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace aligned with the
organization
- Enhancing our role in external advocacy and research for
diversity, equity and inclusion through the CEO Action for
Diversity & Inclusion™ Racial Equity Fellowship. We've
committed one of our senior leaders to a one-year fellowship to
advance the company's and other like-minded organizations' efforts
to identify, develop and promote scalable and sustainable policies
and corporate best practices to address systemic racism and social
injustice, and to improve societal wellbeing
The ultimate goal of the company is to reflect the diversity of
the communities where it operates and serves. These communities are
not only where Covanta does business. In fact, 48 percent of its
employees live within 10 miles of the facility where they're
employed.
In 2020, the company's continued commitment to these communities
was evidenced by its active support of New Jersey's Environmental Justice
legislation. An early leader in this effort, Covanta has had a
Community Outreach and Environmental Justice Policy since
2011. In the company's environmental performance goal, emissions
reductions in environmental justice communities have been
specifically prioritized, with projects currently in development to
reduce NOx emissions at three facilities.
"Despite the extraordinary year we have all experienced,
Covanta's commitment to sustainability has not wavered," said
Paul Gilman, Ph.D., Covanta's chief
sustainability officer. "As demonstrated from the year's
achievements, our team has pulled ahead to advance the company's
mission even under the most challenging of circumstances. There is
still much more to be done, but our successes in 2020 underscore
our team's dedication to protecting tomorrow, whether that is
through addressing climate change or being a good neighbor. These
efforts are integral in our progress to make meaningful
contributions to a more sustainable society."
The complete report, prepared in accordance with the latest
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting
Standards Board (SASB) guidelines, is available at
http://covanta-csr.com.
About Covanta
Covanta is a world leader in providing sustainable waste and
energy solutions. Annually, Covanta's modern Energy-from-Waste
facilities safely convert approximately 21 million tons of waste
from municipalities and businesses into clean, renewable
electricity to power one million homes and recycle over 500,000
tons of metal. Through a vast network of treatment and recycling
facilities, Covanta also provides comprehensive industrial material
management services to companies seeking solutions to some of
today's most complex environmental challenges.
For more information, visit covanta.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may constitute
"forward-looking" statements as defined in Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act"), Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "PSLRA") or in
releases made by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").
Actual performance and financial results may differ
materially from projections and estimates in forward-looking
statements, as a result of a variety of factors, including risk
factors described in the Company's 10-K, previously filed with the
SEC.
View original
content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/covanta-provides-updates-on-sustainability-performance-301195937.html
SOURCE Covanta Holding Corporation