Cox Enterprises Reduces Carbon, Water and Waste Footprint and Invests $124 Million in Clean Technology

ATLANTA, April 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Enterprises in 2018 continued its long-standing commitment to responsible corporate stewardship through conservation, employee volunteerism, community support, philanthropy and investment in sustainable businesses. Headquartered in Atlanta with $21 billion in annual revenues, Cox Enterprises is a private, family-owned company with more than 55,000 global employees and three major business divisions: Cox Communications, Cox Automotive and Cox Media Group.

The company offset over 9,000 tons of carbon, saved 22.5 million gallons of water and reduced waste to landfill by almost 40,000 tons as part of its goal to send zero waste to landfill by 2024 and become water and carbon neutral by 2044. Other metrics highlighted in Cox Enterprises' 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Report (CoxCSRReport.com) include:

• Cox employees engaged in over 217,000 eco-friendly actions through the company's sustainability platform, including saving at least 2.8 million gallons of water annually through the My Drop Counts Pledge.
• Cox invested more than $124 million in clean technology, including sustainable agriculture through BrightFarms, an innovative startup that produces locally grown, packaged salads. The company builds greenhouse farms near major metropolitan areas and uses 90 percent less water than traditional agriculture and yields 10 times more per acre.
• Cox and its philanthropic arm, The James M. Cox Foundation, collectively gave more than $123 million to their communities through cash, in-kind and public service announcement donations.
• Through Connect2Compete, a Cox Communications initiative aimed at providing broadband access to low income families at a reduced rate, more than 400,000 people have been connected to the internet, helping to narrow the digital divide across America.
• Team Cox, the company's volunteer program, logged more than 47,000 hours of community volunteer service in 2018. Employees also helped each other through the Cox Employee Relief Fund (CERF), which has provided $9 million in assistance to Cox employees and their families since 2005.

The CSR Report, titled "From the Inside Out," emphasizes that global change starts at home through responsible company impacts and employee actions. It reflects Cox's purpose: Empower People Today to Build a Better Future for the Next Generation.

"Social equality and responsible stewardship of the environment are growing problems that cannot be addressed by government alone. Corporations can and should play a role," said Alex Taylor, president and CEO of Cox Enterprises. "They can leverage their employees and resources to make meaningful, immediate change."

He added: "How a company does business is equally as important as what it does as a business. We have a significant impact on people, the communities we operate in and the planet we take resources from. We believe that Cox is different than many companies because we truly care about our people and the world around us."

With the release of the report and a board committee with a more expansive focus on CSR, Cox is exploring how to bridge the gap between philanthropy and profit through investments and new business opportunities in areas such as cleantech, energy services and agriculture.

The company's CSR platform continues to focus on sustainability and diversity, but now also includes the employee experience. Linked to the company purpose of empowerment, this change is fueled by the long-held belief of Cox's shareholders that the company's employees are its most important resource.

In 2018, Cox challenged its leaders to rethink how to reward and develop current employees and how to attract a best-in-class workforce of the future. Through a comprehensive, multi-year initiative called Cox EXLab, the company is reimagining the employee experience across all divisions with a renewed lens on diversity and inclusion and by building on existing programs that benefit employees' health and wellness, financial future and workforce diversity.

"Although the term corporate social responsibility didn't exist when my grandfather founded the company in 1898, many of the principles he embraced can be found at the center of our corporate social responsibility agenda today," said Jim Kennedy, chairman, Cox Enterprises. "He believed we had a responsibility to our communities and our employees and their families. The work we're doing to improve our environmental and social performance is really a continuation of his legacy, which is one that we cherish."

About Cox Enterprises (www.coxenterprises.com)

Cox Enterprises is dedicated to building a better future through our leading communications, automotive services and media companies. Our major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications, Cox Automotive and Cox Media Group. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Cox is a global company with $21 billion in annual revenues and brands that include Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and Cox Homelife. Founded in 1898 by Ohio Governor James M. Cox, the company is a family-owned business committed to its people, communities and the planet. To learn more about Cox, visit coxenterprises.com or follow us on Twitter via @CoxEnterprises and @AlexTaylor_Cox

SOURCE Cox Enterprises