ESG Leaders Recognized At 2023 SEAL Business Sustainability Awards

SEAL Awards today announced the winners of the 2023 SEAL Business Sustainability Awards, honoring their leadership, innovation, and commitment to sustainable business practices.

SAN DIEGO, May 16, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- 2023 SEAL Sustainability Award honorees ranged from well-recognized brands (like Cisco, Disney, GE, Honeywell, Kroger, Mastercard, Procter & Gamble, Samsung, Southwest Airlines,T-Mobile, and Under Armour) to high-growth start-ups and scale-ups (like Flowspace and PATH).

"Granularity was the theme of the 2023 sustainability awards. Across all industries and geographies, companies are going deep and granular - into materials, chemistry, processes, R&D, and more - to generate sustainability improvements," commented Matt Harney, Chairperson and Founder of SEAL Awards. "Corporate ESG leadership - like our 2023 honorees have demonstrated - is absolutely needed to address our climate crisis."

The event featured four distinct sustainability award categories:

SEAL ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE AWARD
This award honors specific environmental and sustainability initiatives.

The Environmental Initiative Award winners were:

• Ameresco
• American Tire Distributors
• Asahi Europe & International
• ASELSAN A.S.
• Bay Ecotarium
• Concentrix
• CyrusOne
• doTERRA
• Edifecs
• Ergobaby
• Flowspace
• Fresh Del Monte
• Gen Digital Inc
• General Electric
• GFL Environmental Inc.
• GreenTrees
• Henkel
• Innolux Corporation
• Mastercard
• Merchants Fleet
• NuGen Packaging
• Nutrien
• PaintCare
• Procter & Gamble
• Prose
• PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited
• Quilted Northern Ultra Soft and Strong® with Paper Packaging
• Saint-Gobain North America
• Samsung Electronics America
• Sappi North America
• Saudi Aramco
• SEAQUAL INITIATIVE
• SOFPD SAUDI ARAMCO
• Southwest Airlines
• T-Mobile, USA
• The Kroger Co.
• The Walt Disney World Resort
• United Development Company
• Vertical Bridge

SEAL SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION AWARD
This award recognizes innovations that represent game-changing ideas that bring us to a more sustainable future.

The Sustainable Innovation Award winners were:

• Aclara Resources Inc.
• Aligned Data Centers
• Boomerang Water
• Building Transparency
• Camston Wrather
• CPKC
• Capgemini
• The Dow Chemical Company (two awards for LuxSensetm and EVOWASHtm)
• Honeywell
• Lattice Semiconductor
• Nohbo
• Nth Cycle
• Orbital Sidekick (OSK)
• Ranpak
• Reseat, Inc.
• Resolute Forest Products
• Sodexo
• TES - Sustainable Technology Solutions
• Under Armour, Inc.
• von Holzhausen

SEAL SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT AWARD
The SEAL Sustainable Product Award honors innovative and impactful products that are literally "purpose-built" for a sustainable future

The Sustainable Product Award winners were:

• Agilent
• Arcadyan Technology Corporation
• Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Denis Asia Pacific Pte Ltd (Ayam Brand)
• DOW
• Ecore International
• Ergobaby
• GDB Paint & Coatings
• General Electric
• Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company
• Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp., Ltd
• International Business Machines Corporation
• Jackery Inc
• PATH
• Valmont Industries
• WSP

SEAL SUSTAINABLE SERVICE AWARD
The SEAL Sustainable Service Award recognizes innovative services that set a new standard for sustainability.

The Sustainable Service Award winners were:

• ABM Industries Inc.
• Breakthrough
• CoreZero
• Crothall Healthcare
• Flex
• Green Impact
• HRS Group
• Natural Capital Exchange (NCX)
• RoadRunner Recycling
• SLB - Celsius Energy
• Versiv Solutions
• Wolters Kluwer Enablon

The 2023 award entry fees were contributed to SEAL's Impact Campaigns, Environmental Journalism Award, and Environmental Research Grant programs.

Selected Sustainability Award Winner Perspectives:

"Ridding the world of plastic waste with technologies that dissolve and leave no trace behind" ? Nohbo Sustainability Team

"Industry leaders are increasingly recognizing the importance of reducing embodied carbon emissions to reverse global warming. Receiving the Sustainable Innovation Award for our cornerstone tool, the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) signals that we are having a positive impact. We will continue to provide the open access data and tools necessary to enable broad and swift action across the building industry in addressing embodied carbon's role in climate change." ? Stacy Smedley, Executive Director of Building Transparency

"At Boomerang Water, we are incredibly proud and humbled to receive the SEAL Award for Sustainable Innovation. Our commitment to sustainability runs deep and drives every decision we make. We are dedicated to doing our part to protect our planet and are grateful for this recognition. Wining the SEAL Award inspires us to continue innovating and finding new ways to promote sustainability in the bottled water industry."

"It is an honor to receive the SEAL Sustainable Innovation Award in recognition of our leading hyperspectral intelligence solution and our work helping the energy industry to meet its sustainability goals. With the successful launch of our new GHOSt constellation in April, we're excited to continue scaling operations across the energy industry and new markets where this technology can offer similar benefits." ? Dan Katz, CEO at Orbital Sidekick (OSK)

"A little bit of forethought can end a lot of waste! We are sincerely honored to be recognized by the SEAL awards and to be included with other amazing brands helping to change our world for the better." ? Brandi Susewitz, CEO and Founder of Reseat, Inc.

"NCX is proud and honored to be acknowledged by SEAL as an innovator increasing participation in the nature-positive economy by connecting forest landowners with opportunities to realize the many values of their forests," said Zack Parisa, co-founder and CEO of NCX. "We are committed to democratizing access to natural capital markets for landowners of all backgrounds, and to helping project developers find the landowner partners they need to succeed in their important work for the climate and the planet."

"We are honored to receive the SEAL Sustainable Product Award for our new product SYL-OFFtm EM-7920NF EMULSION COATING recognizing our commitment to sustainable product development. This new technology enables the inline filmic release coating process while maximizing the production efficiency, maintaining high liner performance and minimizing waste during the coating process." ? Zhihua Liu, R&D Director of Dow Consumer Solutions at Dow

"At Asahi Europe & International, we believe in creating a legacy that we can all be proud of. Putting sustainability at the heart of our business is fundamental to us and this principle underpins our Legacy 2030 work. We appreciate the recognition from the SEAL Awards and will continue to work towards creating meaningful connections with the planet & the people." - Paolo Lanzarotti, CEO of Asahi Europe & International

"New government regulations and financial protocols are driving companies around the world to aggressively deploy automation that helps reduce the carbon emissions tied to business travel. Accordingly, HRS is continuously refining our Green Stay Initiative offering, helping hotels and corporate lodging programs work together to increase awareness of sustainability data and steer volume towards greener properties," said Tobias Ragge, CEO of HRS. "We're grateful to be honored with a second SEAL Award. This recognition serves to remind the travel ecosystem of the opportunity via existing technologies to positively impact travel programs today, while also saving the planet for future generations of travelers."

"Samsung is honored to be recognized with the 2023 SEAL Business Sustainability Awards in the Environmental Initiatives category for our partnership with Siemens and Sterling Ranch in making net zero homes a reality. This collaboration represents our collective commitment to driving meaningful change in the way we build smart and resilient communities that minimize environmental impact. We remain steadfast in our pursuit of innovative solutions that prioritize environmental stewardship, and this recognition is a testament to our ongoing efforts to create a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come."

"We are honored to receive this SEAL Sustainable Product Award for our Battery Health Engine, as a recognition of our commitment to sustainability and innovation in the smartphone industry. By extending the battery life of OPPO smartphones such as Find X5 Series to twice the industry standard, OPPO's Battery Health Engine improves the user experience and reduces environmental pollution from e-waste." said Elvis Zhou, OPPO Overseas CMO, "Through our mission of 'Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World', in addition to product lifecycle management, we are committed to driving sustainability throughout our organization as we work towards our pledge to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050. We believe that all innovations should make a positive impact on people's lives and the environment, and we will continue to drive sustainable development as we inspire our users and the industry towards a greener future."

"It is a great honor to receive the SEAL Sustainable Innovation Award for our latest innovation LuxSensetm Silicone Leather. LuxSensetm revolutionizes the automotive interior market with an animal-free alternative to genuine leather, while maintaining haptic properties with a lower carbon footprint and meeting the automotive interior specifications. This advances our commitment to offering lower carbon mobility solutions " ? Jeroen Bello, Global Marketing Director Mobility & Transportation at Dow

"At Under Armour, we're committed to using our innovation muscle to address our fiber shed footprint over time. It's an honor that the SEAL Awards have recognized the potential of our new test method, which is advancing our work to mitigate the shed-rate of products long before the associated fibers can enter the environment. We're excited about our method's potential and look forward to continuing to work with partners and peers to address the growing threat that microplastics pose to our planet and society." ? Kyle Blakely, Senior Vice President of Innovation for Under Armour

"Our industry has great potential to help make a dent in the growing microplastics problem. At Under Armour, we believe early intervention is key, and our new test method is a significant milestone in helping us activate on it. We are grateful to be recognized by the SEAL Awards for our innovative approach, which will help us deliver on our goal for 75% of fabric in UA products to be made of low-shed materials by 2030." ? Michael Levine, VP & Chief Sustainability Officer for Under Armour

"That's a great concern to have. Plastic pollution is a significant environmental problem, and the presence of plastic in our rivers, beaches, and oceans has detrimental effects on marine ecosystems and biodiversity. The accumulation of plastic waste in our oceans has led to the formation of microplastics, which are tiny plastic particles that can easily enter the food chain and have potential implications for human health as well. SEAQUAL INITIATIVE is a commendable effort that supports projects aimed at preventing plastic from degrading into the oceans and reducing plastic pollution. Local solutions play a crucial role in addressing this global issue. It is essential for individuals, communities, and organizations to work together to find innovative ways to reduce, recycle, and properly dispose of plastic waste. By taking action and raising awareness, we can contribute to cleaner rivers, beaches, and oceans, protecting marine life and preserving the beauty of our natural environments."

"We are honored and deeply grateful for this recognition of our daily efforts to transform waste into resources and value. This award not only serves as a validation of our mission but inspires us to continue pursuing innovative solutions for achieving Zero Waste. We are proud to stand alongside other esteemed winners and look forward to collaborating with them to keep driving positive change." ? Jean Pierre Azañedo, Founder and CEO of CoreZero

"The electrification of our Montreal gypsum plant, which will be the first zero-carbon gypsum wallboard plant in North America, epitomizes Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed Canada's commitment to sustainability and our pledge to be carbon neutral by 2050," said Julie Bonamy Racine, CEO of CertainTeed Canada. "We are honored to be recognized by the SEAL Sustainability Awards for this important project, as it is a testament to the hard work of our entire team and their dedication to our purpose of Making the World a Better Home."

"Versiv Solutions was launched with the vision of reducing emissions in the natural gas industry to help utility providers meet their environmental goals to be carbon neutral and more sustainable. We're incredibly proud to have our efforts recognized with a SEAL Sustainable Service Award and grateful for our customers and industry partners who made this possible. Our innovative process is revolutionizing the natural gas industry and we are committed to continue supporting these positive advancements among energy providers."

"PTTEP's H.T.M.S. Underwater Learning Site project exemplifies our commitment to environmental progress and sustainability. By repurposing decommissioned battleships into captivating marine lives habitats, we have successfully rejuvenated natural coral reefs and rehabilitated marine ecology and biodiversity. While supporting marine conservation, the site has become the fascinating dive site that promotes local economies through sustainable ecotourism. This initiative showcases our dedication to innovation, stakeholder engagement, long-term impact measurement and our unwavering commitment to a sustainable future." ? Chayong Borisuitsawat, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Sustainable Growth Group at PTTEP

"Crothall Healthcare is excited and honored to be recognized as a SEAL Sustainable Service Award winner! As the leading support services provider in the healthcare industry, we deploy a wide range of sustainability initiatives to clean and disinfect thousands of hospital rooms every day across the US. Crothall uses sustainable products wherever possible to eradicate bacteria and other microorganisms, improving patient safety while reducing hazardous waste. We aim to be carbon neutral by 2030. ? Eric Anderson, Crothall Healthcare National Director of Standards & Innovation"

"Ranpak's mission is to deliver sustainable protective packaging solutions that help improve supply chain performance and costs, reduce environmental impact, and support a variety of growing business needs globally. Since our founding, we have been delivering the highest quality of paper-based packaging while advancing our commitment to sustainability," said Omar Asali, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Ranpak. "We are honored to earn this SEAL Sustainable Innovation Award in recognition of our efforts to provide sustainable and effective solutions to our customers and to their stakeholders around the world."

"Agilent's suite of sustainable analytical lab products and technology are playing a key role in helping energy-intensive labs around the world meet their sustainability goals and successfully transition to a low carbon future. The key to our success has been innovating across our business units to achieve comprehensive and practical solutions that our customers can easily implement to reduce environmental impact while also improving their workflow and overall efficiency." ? Neil Rees, head of Agilent ESG programs

"The 2023 SEAL Sustainable Product Award recognizes innovative products that are purpose-built for a sustainable future. We are proud to receive this award for Cisco UCS X-Series - a computing platform that's revolutionizing data center design, operations, and sustainability - and making it easier for customers to power their digital businesses while meeting their companies' ESG initiatives." ? Jonathan Davidson, EVP & General Manager, Cisco Networking

"We are incredibly honored to receive the Sustainable Product Award from SEAL Awards for our Convert-1P Single-Axis Solar Tracker. For nearly 80 years, we have been on a journey of innovation and continuous improvement. Today, Valmont is positioned to make life better by creating a more sustainable, connected and prosperous world for all. Everything we do conserves resources and improves life ? it's our purpose as a company. We are investing in sustainable solutions and innovative digital transformation within our facilities to reduce our environmental footprint and promote sustainability throughout our supply chain. The Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework guides our strategy and efforts to create value and growth. This award is a testament to our employees' hard work and dedication, who have made sustainability a top priority and have worked tirelessly to implement innovative solutions that protect the planet and benefit our communities." ? Stephen G. Kaniewski, President and Chief Executive Officer at Valmont Industries

"Green Impact is honored to be recognized by SEAL for our innovative ESG consulting services. Green Impact is dedicated to helping our clients reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, track their ESG initiatives, and create material benefits for their stakeholders. We are proud to lead organizations towards a more sustainable future."

"It's a great honor to be awarded the SEAL Environmental Initiatives Award and celebrate the vital, life-sustaining role of trees on our planet and our 20-year mission of scaling conservation and reforestation by putting a price and value on natural capital and linking the biological world to the transactional marketplace. Our mission is critical as the climate crisis is only becoming more pressing. Nature is the most scalable technology for repairing, recalibrating and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and we are committed to taking care of the environment for future generations." ? Chandler Van Voorhis, co-founder and managing partner of GreenTrees

"We are proud to once again receive the SEAL Business Sustainability Award in recognition of our successful efforts to maintain 100% carbon neutrality while doubling our infrastructure portfolio," said Dale Carey, EVP of Strategy and Convergence at Vertical Bridge. "As the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure in the United States, we remain committed, as we have since our founding in 2014, to finding innovative ways to support sustainability and reduce our environmental footprint."

"We are proud of our partnership and collaboration with the U.S. Army and Duke Energy in making Fort Bragg the Southeast's largest floating solar plant and marking Ameresco's first-ever floating PV system installation," said Nicole Bulgarino, Ameresco EVP and General Manager of Federal Solutions. "Ameresco is committed to providing our customers with renewable and energy efficiency solutions that are individualized to suit their most immediate needs. Thank you to The SEAL Awards for recognizing our efforts with Fort Bragg as a prime example of meeting our customers' tailored sustainable endeavors."

"Henkel is honored to receive the 2023 SEAL Environmental Initiative Award for milestone partnerships that support our shift toward renewable-based ingredients in leading consumer brands, including all®, Persil® and Purex®, said Jillaine Dellis, Vice President, Sustainability and Industry Affairs for Henkel. "These collaborations mark a meaningful step on the road to our vision of a regenerative planet through a resource-efficient, climate-friendly business model."

"Flowspace is proud to be contributing to the sustainability impacts of its e-commerce and retail brand customers by minimizing shipment distances and related carbon emissions," said Ben Eachus, co-founder and CEO, Flowspace. "We are honored to receive this recognition from the SEAL Sustainability Awards, and eager to continue to build toward a more sustainable future."

"We are honored that our Customer Sustainability Report has received The SEAL Award for Environmental Initiatives," said Kyle Myers, vice president of Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability for CyrusOne. "Our sustainability initiatives are at the heart of everything we do, and we embrace our responsibility to continually improve and foster innovative ways to reduce the environmental impacts of the data centers we develop and operate. From conserving energy and water to procuring renewable electricity to evaluating zero-carbon alternatives, CyrusOne is committed to becoming climate neutral by 2030."

"We are honored that our Customer Sustainability Report has received The SEAL Award for Environmental Initiatives," said Kyle Myers, vice president of Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability for CyrusOne. "Our sustainability initiatives are at the heart of everything we do, and we embrace our responsibility to continually improve and foster innovative ways to reduce the environmental impacts of the data centers we develop and operate. From conserving energy and water to procuring renewable electricity to evaluating zero-carbon alternatives, CyrusOne is committed to becoming climate neutral by 2030."

"We are delighted to be receiving the SEAL Sustainable Product Award recognizing the commitment of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock to investing in offshore wind energy, building a new offshore vessel in compliance with the highest United Nations sustainability standards for Design, Technology, and Emissions, and ultimately building a sustainable future for the US and our planet. This award reflects the importance of the nascent US Offshore Wind industry in building a sustainable energy mix for the future and helping the US meet its decarbonization and renewable energy goals."

"We are honored to receive the SEAL Sustainable Innovation Award for our Hydrogen Locomotive Program, a globally significant project that positions CPKC at the leading edge of freight sector decarbonization," said Glen Wilson, Assistant Vice President of Environmental Risk at CPKC. "CPKC recognizes that operating sustainably is imperative to our future growth and lasting success. As we look ahead, we remain committed to confronting sustainability challenges, including those created by climate change, and investing in the innovation and practices needed to achieve long-term sustainable growth."

"We are honored to receive the SEAL Sustainable Innovation Award for our new EVOWASH(TM) product line recognizing our commitment to sustainable innovation development. This new technology solves one of the biggest challenges to advance plastics recycling and provides a cost-effective biodegradable washing solution to recyclers." ? Paola Sanabria, Application Technology Leader for Mechanical Recycling at Dow

"WSP is honored to receive the SEAL Sustainable Product Award for the ClimateVue platform. The tools within the ClimateVue suite continue to help our clients understand their exposure to extreme weather and climate risk, take actions to become resilient, and transition to clean energies. Our goal is to make it faster and easier for them to get to actionable decisions. WSP acknowledges the passion and innovation of our staff who were drivers in bringing great ideas to life through the application of technology." ? Shawn Allan, VP of Digital and Technology, WSP USA

"We're honored to be recognized among leading companies dedicated to actualizing a real, measured approach to fighting climate change," said John Teggart, President of Breakthrough. "At Breakthrough, we have an opportunity and innovative solution to support shippers with the smart technology, robust data, and expert support necessary to decarbonize their supply chain. Despite many companies equating decarbonization to higher costs, optimizing cost and carbon simultaneously is achievable. Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in digital and physical systems and services to enable transportation emissions reduction for the world's leading shippers."

"Agilent is extremely pleased to receive this recognition. We are committed to helping our customers meet their sustainability goals and successfully transition to a low-carbon future. Our innovative suite of sustainable lab products and technologies allows our customers to reduce environmental impact while also improving their workflow and overall efficiency." ? Neil Rees, head of Agilent ESG programs

"Sustainability is built into our culture at Lattice. We thank the SEAL Awards for honoring Lattice for our unwavering commitment to bringing our low power leadership to some of the world's most important technology applications. We look forward to further expanding our portfolio with exciting new solutions that enable our customers with more ways to achieve their sustainability and design goals." ? Jim Anderson, President and Chief Executive Officer at Lattice

"Being recognized as the winner of the 2023 Environmental Initiatives Award is a game changer for us and motivation to continue being disruptors in the packaging industry. Having clients who are aligned in our mission for changing the status quo like Semaine Health, has been an honor. We hope this award will bring some much-needed attention to the Nutra/Pharma/OTC industry in mitigating climate change." ? Marta Sylvester, CEO & founder NuGen Packaging

"IBM is once again honored to be recognized by SEAL Awards for its continued commitment to sustainability," said Tina Tarquinio, Vice President, Product Management, IBM zSystems® and LinuxONE. "For decades at IBM, we've been dedicated to improving the energy efficiency of our products, and in turn, helping our clients turn their sustainability ambitions into action. The SEAL Sustainable Product Award for IBM z16TM recognizes this effort. The IBM zSystems and LinuxONE enterprise server portfolio is built for efficiency, resiliency, and scale; with these technologies, clients can address their impact on the environment while maintaining the performance needed to drive business outcomes."

"Southwest Airlines is thrilled to be recognized in the Environmental Initiatives Award category by the SEAL Awards," said Tammy Romo, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Southwest Airlines®. "Achieving our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 requires a strategic mix of advanced long-term planning and near-term action. We recognize sustainable aviation fuel is the most critical lever we have to achieve this goal, which makes initiatives like our investment in SAFFIRE so exciting. For Southwest, this was a first-of-its-kind investment into what we believe could be potentially game-changing technology!"

"Mastercard has dramatically reduced the amount of first-use PVC across its network in recent years and we are determined to go further by making cards more sustainable through our eco-certification program," said Ajay Bhalla, president of Cyber and Intelligence at Mastercard. "We're honored that the judging panel for the Environmental Initiatives Award has recognized this achievement and our determination to put people and planet first."

"Climate action is at the heart of our corporate strategy, reflecting who we are as a global technology company driving energy innovation for a balanced planet," said Mikki Corcoran, VP of Sustainability, SLB. "We are proud that our sustainability leadership has been recognized by SEAL for a second consecutive year."

"Honeywell's Ecofiningtm technology plays a critical role in accelerating the production of sustainable aviation fuel," said Barry Glickman, vice president, general manager, Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions. "For years, we've honed a legacy in SAF production, and we continue to lead with our recent introductions of Ethanol-to-Jet and UOP eFining processing technologies, which can help fuel producers and airlines work toward decarbonizing aviation."

ABOUT THE SEAL AWARDS

SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement & Leadership) Awards is an environmental advocacy organization that honors leadership through our business sustainability awards & environmental journalism awards while funding research and pursuing our own environmental impact campaigns.

The SEAL Awards' core pillars are:

• Business Sustainability Awards - honors the most sustainable companies in the world, like Adidas, AMD, Cisco, and Tide
• Environmental Journalism Awards - representative past winners include journalists from Guardian, New York Times, and Grist
• Impact Campaigns - representative campaigns include "#UpTheCup" and "Eco Rewards"
• Environmental Research Grants

Media Contact

Matthew Harney, SEAL Awards, 5889574277, [email protected]

SOURCE SEAL Awards