The natural gas provider is recognized for corporate citizenship three years in a row
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive year, Spire is named one of "America's Most Responsible Companies" by Newsweek, recognizing the company for a strong performance in three areas — environment, social and corporate governance.
In the new rankings, unveiled Dec. 2 by Newsweek, Spire is listed among the top 500 companies across 14 industries in the United States. The energy provider is also one of only 10 companies ranked in Missouri.
"At Spire, our focus is on taking good care of our people, our planet, and the customers and communities we serve," said Suzanne Sitherwood, Spire president and chief executive officer. "We are grateful to be recognized by Newsweek as we advance our environmental commitment to becoming a carbon neutral company by 2050 and as we support the communities we serve through initiatives like Spire's 'Day for Good.'"
The Newsweek annual rankings are developed by the market and data research firm Statista. After screening 2,000 public companies headquartered in the U.S., Statista conducted independent surveys among 11,000 U.S. residents and examined key performance indicators from public reports. In Spire's case, that data comes from their 2019 and 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report.
Highlights of the company's efforts include:
- As part of Spire's commitment to the environment and the communities it serves, in early 2020, Spire became one of the first natural gas companies to commit to being carbon neutral by midcentury.
In support of that commitment, through pipeline upgrades, Spire is on track to reduce methane emissions by more than 46% since 2005, and projects a nearly 57% reduction by 2025.
Building on that momentum, in 2021, Spire joined the ONE Future Coalition, a group of 50 energy companies voluntarily working together to reduce methane emissions to 1% or less by 2025.
- Spire continued to support communities through dozens of organizations and initiatives across Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas and Wyoming, investing nearly $6 million in 2020 and more than 5,000 hours of community service. For example:
- Spire has a decades-long partnership with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri in pursuit of a shared passion to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible for young girls and communities.
"Through the generosity of Spire, we launched a large trail restoration project at our 83-acre Camp Fiddlecreek, located in Labadie, Missouri," said Bonnie Barczykowski, CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. "This project will enhance the trail experience for all skill levels and offer an ADA accessible trail that is easily navigable by explorers of varying experience level and ability."
- Spire also has multiple projects in support of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens during a time when communities nationwide have looked to gardens and green spaces for refuge and comfort.
"Spire's support of this urban oasis in the heart of central Alabama continues to make a tremendous impact," said Tom Underwood, executive Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens executive director. "In addition to its corporate support of our efforts to safeguard Alabama's native plants, Spire has provided hardworking volunteers for much-needed garden-maintenance projects as well as for important fundraisers like our Fall Plant Sale, which educates the public."
- 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. So far in 2021, Spire employees have logged more than 7,500 volunteer hours across the communities they serve. In 2021:
- Teams of Spire employees, in partnership with Missouri River Relief, removed trash and flood debris on the banks of the Missouri River, just downstream of Kansas City.
"We've been impressed to see the projects that Spire employees have been helping with in the region," said Steve Schnarr, Missouri River Relief executive director. "A lot of junk gets washed into the river below this big city, and we had our work cut out for us. These folks jumped right in and filled several boats with trash. It was a super positive way to start our 200-mile Big Muddy Clean Sweep cleanup effort which Spire also helped sponsor."
- Spire employees built fences, decks, and replaced the roof on a boathouse to help improve Camp Chandler, the YMCA of Greater Montgomery's (Alabama) Summer Camp at Lake Jordan.
"We are grateful for the work Spire employees have performed at Camp Chandler over the years," said Scot Patterson, Camp Chandler executive director. It is wonderful that a company would allow some of its employees to have a volunteer workday to help the community in which they work and live. Their efforts have helped us save around $10,000."
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:
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SOURCE Spire Inc.