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FTSE4Good Adds Agility to Ethical Investing Index
[ November 26, 2020 // Gary G Burrows ]Agility, a leading global logistics provider, has been added to the FTSE4Good Index Series, a resource used by investors to identify companies around the world with strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.
Agility’s addition to the FTSE4Good Indices comes as the company is intensifying efforts to green the supply chain, strengthen labor protections, improve its safety record, and provide humanitarian relief to those affected by natural disasters, conflict, and the pandemic.
FTSE4Good was developed by FTSE Russell, which provides benchmarks used by investors to analyze and measure markets, sectors, companies and asset classes. Agility outperformed the transportation services sector average in FTSE4Good’s independent assessment of its ESG record.
Tarek Sultan, Agility Vice Chairman, said: “Agility’s addition to the FTSE4Good series is important independent validation of the commitment Agility has made to serve the interests of communities, customers, employees, investors, small business owners and vulnerable populations. It also demonstrates that ethical investors looking for responsible, sustainable companies have real opportunities in high-growth emerging markets.”
EcoVadis, an independent organization that evaluates and rates corporate sustainability programs, has also ranked Agility in the top 10% of all companies and the top 4% of the logistics industry for overall sustainability performance.
Agility is investing in green supply chain technologies through its corporate ventures team. Agility is committed to the development of commercial trucks powered by revolutionary hybrid technology through its investment in Hyliion. The company has also invested in digital-trucking and road freight optimization platforms that help in tackling the issue of trucks traveling empty on the back haul. Agility has also invested in TVP Solar, a renewable thermal energy company, whose technology powers Agility’s corporate headquarters in Kuwait’s harsh desert climate.
Agility has pledged to lower its CO2 emissions footprint 25% by 2025. It is a member of the Sustainable Air Freight Alliance, as well as the ocean freight industry’s Clean Cargo Working Group, which strives to cut emissions associated with ocean cargo, and is working directly with Maersk and other carriers to slash emissions from shipments booked by Agility customers.
Agility’s sustainability experts deploy carbon reporting tools and proprietary transportation optimization technology to lower CO2 emissions from customers’ ocean and air shipments. The company’s Integrated Supply Chain Solutions (ISCS) team designs lower-emissions supply chains and other solutions that improve efficiency and reduce overall environmental impact.
In Africa, India and the Middle East, Agility warehouses and Agility Logistics Parks incorporate features that maximize use of local building materials and sharply reduce energy consumption, water usage and waste. In Kuwait, Singapore, Spain, Abu Dhabi and other locations, Agility offices and facilities are cooled, heated and powered by solar and other renewable energy sources. Agility has also adopted business practices such as double-trailer trucking in Abu Dhabi that decrease environmental impact.
Agility has invested in the development of fair labor practices, monitoring and transparency, and has committed to third-party human rights audits in all its emerging market operations. The company has an extensive fair labor training program for management and for employees, and empowers employees to raise concerns directly or anonymously via a third-party hotline.
Agility has a long track record of investing in community projects in 80+ countries around the world, including helping tens of thousands of children to access education both online and offline. Agility and its employees have funded schools, education initiatives and vocational training across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
The company also supports the UN World Food Program through its partnership with the Logistics Emergency Team, which donates logistics experience and services during major humanitarian crises. Through this partnership and others, Agility has donated logistics in support of more than 45 major humanitarian operations in the last decade, in countries ranging from Peru to Nepal. Agility also partners with UNHCR to support 12,000 refugees across two community refugee centers in Malaysia.
Through its #keepcargomoving initiative, Agility has responded to the global COVID-19 pandemic by donating warehouse space, freight services, personal protection equipment (PPE), and supply chain management expertise to government agencies and international institutions in several countries.