NW Natural Holdings Issues 2020 Environmental, Social and Governance Report

PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–NW Natural Holding Company has released its second annual Environmental, Social and Governance  Report outlining the company’s progress in 2020 on safety, carbon reduction, diversity, community engagement and governance goals.

“Our core values of integrity, safety, caring, service ethic, and environmental stewardship guided our decisions in 2020, as they always have,” said David H. Anderson, NW Natural president and CEO.

“Even in the face of unprecedented challenges, we continued to look ahead and execute on key long-term priorities: aggressively pursuing renewable supplies for our gas utility customers; working to protect the health and safety of our employees and customers; providing safe, clean, reliable water through our growing water and wastewater utility business; and taking actions to advance social justice in our workplace and our wider community.”

The ESG report, posted online, incorporates disclosures recommended for the industry by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).

Highlights from the report include the following:

  • Continued to operate one of the tightest, most modern natural gas systems in the nation
  • Led the industry with one of the lowest number of leaks per mile of distribution pipeline among U.S. natural gas utilities
  • Performed safety inspections on the natural gas transmission system at nearly three times the rate required by federal and state regulations
  • Launched an employee safety initiative that reduced workplace injuries to the lowest number in more than a decade
  • Saved more than 379,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent and remained on track to meet or exceed NW Natural’s voluntary carbon savings goal of 30% savings from our own operations and customers’ use of our product by 2035, based on 2015 emissions levels
  • Secured our first renewable natural gas investment under landmark Oregon Senate Bill 98
  • Moved our Portland headquarters and operations center into a new LEED Core and Shell Gold certified building that reduces energy use and waste
  • Continued our focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, and increased the percentage of employees that self-identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC) by nearly 75% since 2000
  • Issued customers a record $17 million in bill credits related to revenue sharing
  • Contributed nearly $1 million to community organizations through the NW Natural Corporate Philanthropy Fund, and provided a 100% company match for two employee-giving campaigns that raised $350,000 for local nonprofits
  • Provided safe, clean, reliable, affordable water and wastewater service for NW Natural Water customers, and invested in critical infrastructure and improvements
  • Achieved 100% participation in Code of Ethics and compliance training among active NW Natural and NW Natural Gas Storage employees, and rolled out training to NW Natural Water employees in 2021

“This work is not easy and there are no shortcuts, but each year we set goals, make strides and move closer to achieving our vision. I hope this ESG report, through stories and statistics, conveys the commitment and passion we bring to serving our communities and customers every day,” said Anderson. “NW Natural has been a trusted energy provider, a key employer and an innovative community ally for 160 years, and we plan to continue this legacy with passion and principle.”

ABOUT NW NATURAL HOLDINGS

Northwest Natural Holding Company, (NYSE: NWN) (NW Natural Holdings), is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and through its subsidiaries has been doing business for over 160 years in the Pacific Northwest. It owns NW Natural Gas Company (NW Natural), NW Natural Water Company (NW Natural Water), and other business interests.

NW Natural is a local distribution company that currently provides natural gas service to approximately 2.5 million people in more than 140 communities through more than 770,000 meters in Oregon and Southwest Washington, with one of the most modern pipeline systems in the nation. NW Natural consistently leads the industry with high J.D. Power & Associates customer satisfaction scores. NW Natural owns and operates 20 Bcf of underground gas storage capacity in Oregon.

NW Natural Water provides water distribution and wastewater services to communities throughout the Pacific Northwest and Texas. NW Natural Water currently serves approximately 63,000 people through about 26,000 connections. Learn more about our water business at nwnaturalwater.com.

Additional information is available at nwnaturalholdings.com.