Columbia Gas of Virginia’s parent company, NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America in recognition of the company’s sustainable business practices and performance for the second consecutive year.
“The DJSI recognition confirms Columbia Gas of Virginia’s ongoing effort to help our customers conserve natural gas and reduce energy costs through our WarmWise energy efficiency program, as well as our proactive replacement of aging infrastructure which reduces greenhouse gas emissions as we reduce leaks on our system,” said Columbia Gas of Virginia President, Brent Archer. “The company is also proud to be a leader in natural gas safety by aggressively reducing facility damages to our infrastructure which improves safety for our customers and communities we serve across Virginia.”
The DJSI North America Index and respective subsets track the performance of the top 20 percent of the 600 largest Canadian and United States companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index. In the Multi and Water Utilities category, 14 North American companies were evaluated and four were selected. Since its launch in 1999, NiSource has been named to the DJSI nine times.
Transparent Sustainability Reporting
NiSource issues an annual Sustainability Report that tracks the company’s progress toward building a tradition of customer-focused solutions, environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Information from the annual Sustainability Report is used as part of the DJSI evaluation process.
Performance highlights from NiSource’s latest Sustainability Report included:
- Reliability and access through modern infrastructure: More than $112 million in investments over the past five years to improve the safety and reliability of Virginia’s natural gas infrastructure, as well as the efficiency of customer meter reading using new automated technology.
- Customer savings: Through WarmWise energy efficiency programs customers have saved approximately $5.9 million in energy costs.
- Giving back: In 2014, Columbia Gas of Virginia and employees donated approximately $350,000 to organizations that are working to make a difference in communities across its service territories. Over the past five years the company has donated more than $1.6 million in Virginia.
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: Continued modernization upgrades are resulting in a reduction of greenhouse gas fugitive emissions by as much as 99 percent.
- Supplier diversity record: NiSource companies spent approximately $150 million with diverse suppliers in 2014, exceeding its prior record of $104 million.
- Ethics recognition: For the fourth year in a row, NiSource was designated as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute.
NiSource’s 2014 Sustainability Report and related materials are available at http://www.nisource.com/sustainability. All data presented in the 2014 report includes Columbia Pipeline Group information, which was part of NiSource for all of 2014 and then separated into an independent company on July 1, 2015.
About DJSI Indices
Identified by RobecoSAM, the DJSI evaluates corporations based on a variety of criteria including climate change strategies, energy consumption, human resources development, knowledge management, stakeholder relations and corporate governance. The indices serve as benchmarks for investors who integrate sustainability considerations into their portfolios, and provide an effective engagement platform for companies who want to adopt sustainable best practices. More information about the DJSI is available at http://www.sustainability-indices.com/.
About Columbia Gas of Virginia
Columbia Gas of Virginia delivers safe, reliable and clean natural gas to over 251,000 customers in portions of Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, suburban Richmond, Central Virginia, and the Shenandoah Valley, the Lynchburg region and parts of Western Virginia. With headquarters in Chesterfield County, the company is one of the 7 energy distribution companies of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) serving 3.8 million natural gas and electric customers. Always call 811 before you dig and Dig with CARE. Learn more at www.ColumbiaGasVa.com.
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