Tag: Environmental

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Business

Chipotle will hyperlink govt compensation to environmental and variety objectives

Chipotle will link executive compensation to environmental and diversity goals

Brian Niccol, CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Chipotle Mexican Grill said Thursday that executive compensation will now be tied to achieving goals related to the company’s environmental and diversity goals.

The burrito chain is following in the footsteps of Starbucks and McDonald’s, both of which recently announced that performance for racial and gender diversity goals will impact executive compensation plans. Individual investors and large asset managers like BlackRock are increasingly choosing stocks with strong environmental, social and corporate governance in mind, pushing companies to make changes to become a more attractive investment.

“I think the increased focus on ESG performance and investor feedback was definitely the reason we decided to bring this to the public,” said Laurie Schalow, who is chief corporate affairs officer and food safety officer is responsible for sustainability and ESG reporting for Chipotle.

Starting this year, 10% of annual incentives for Chipotle executives will be tied to their progress toward corporate goals.

“It is very important that we are transparent and accountable. We can say a lot of words, but we want to make sure that we have the measures to support this,” said Schalow.

These goals include increasing the pounds of organic, local, or regeneratively grown or cultured foods from the previous year. Last year, Chipotle produced £ 31 million of local products under this umbrella, and a target of £ 37 million has been set by the end of 2021.

The company plans to publish its carbon footprint including all indirect emissions along its value chain by the end of the year faster than the expected publication date in 2025. Schalow announced that the company will announce new sustainability goals based on these findings when the report is released.

Chipotle is also committed to upholding both racial and gender pay equality and promoting more women and people of color above the restaurant level. A training academy has been established with online courses teaching a wide range of skills, from conflict resolution to goal setting, with the aim of helping employees of different backgrounds climb the corporate ladder. As of December 31, the company had almost 88,000 employees.

Chipotle’s shares are up 91% over the past 12 months, equating to a market value of $ 39.6 billion.

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Business

Biden to choose North Carolina environmental regulator to run EPA

Biden to pick North Carolina environmental regulator to run EPA

Michael Regan listens as North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announces that Regan will lead the North Carolina Environmental Quality Department at Executive Manson in Raleigh, NC on January 3, 2017.

Chuck Liddy | AP

President-elect Joe Biden will select Michael Regan, secretary for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, to head the Environmental Protection Agency, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC.

Regan, 44, was Biden’s front runner and, if confirmed, will be the first black to head the agency.

Regan previously worked at the EPA for the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations and was the national program manager responsible for developing programs to improve energy efficiency, air quality and reduce air pollution.

Regan later worked at the Environmental Defense Fund, where he made efforts to contain the effects of climate change and air pollution.

He will play a crucial role in supporting Biden’s aggressive plan to combat global warming and transform the US economy from fossil fuels to clean energy. Regan is also expected to be heavily involved in environmental racism.

“Regan has dedicated his career to environmental work, promoting clean energy, combating climate change and tackling coal ash pollution,” said Abigail Dillen, president of Earthjustice, an environmental law nonprofit. “As the EPA administrator, Regan will play a key role in solving the climate crisis and protecting the health of all communities.”

Biden also intends to appoint Rep. Deb Haaland, DN.M., as his Home Secretary. If this were confirmed, Haaland would be the first Native American to be appointed cabinet secretary. She would oversee the management and conservation of the land’s public land and natural resources, as well as the restoration of land that the Trump administration had opened up for drilling and other construction.

Read more from CNBC environment:
Joe Biden’s climate protection agenda faces an uncertain future in the Senate
Biden will rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. Here’s what happens next

Biden has vowed to reintroduce the U.S. to the Paris Agreement and bring the country to net zero emissions by 2050, though his climate agenda will face immense constraints if Republicans retain control of the Senate.

In the past four years, the Trump administration has dismantled more than 70 key environmental regulations, with nearly 30 in the works.

“Regan will take over the helm of the EPA at perhaps the most critical moment in the agency’s history, and he has to do a lot more than just clean up the toxic mess Trump left behind,” said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biodiversity.

If the GOP retains control of the Senate and hinders climate legislation, Biden’s plans will depend on the EPA to implement regulations to reduce fossil fuel emissions from sites and automobiles.

The Biden government is already planning to put restrictions on oil and gas drilling on public properties, block pipelines across the country and withdraw many of Trump’s executive orders for energy.

Categories
Politics

Xavier Becerra Brings Environmental Justice to Forefront

Xavier Becerra Brings Environmental Justice to Forefront

Esther Portillo, interim executive director of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, one of the groups involved in the fight against San Bernardino, said winning would not mean stopping development. Instead, she said, it would be “to look closely at the environmental impact we are going to have and minimize that impact as much as possible”.

Although jobs are usually the biggest selling point for new developments, a union chapter, Teamsters local 1932, has joined the fight against airport expansion. Randy Korgan, the local’s secretary and treasurer, said, “Well, bring the jobs with you, but make sure you deal with the environmental and community impacts – make sure these people have good benefits that they will be able to live and buy houses in the area. “

The court of appeal for the ninth circuit will hear the airport’s case as early as February.

The attorney general’s involvement in local disputes can upset those who firmly support the development. Steve Brandau, a Fresno district manager, served on the Fresno City Council during some heated dispute over camp expansion plans. “It’s crazy that the AG’s office, Attorney General Becerra, is stepping in and coming down even harder than the local lawyers,” he said. Citing a long-standing conservative refrain, he said that in the long run, such activities “result in business being completely out of state”.

Mr. Mataka acknowledged the friction in Fresno. “They thought we weren’t on our trail,” he said. “Unfortunately, the attorney general is responsible for enforcing California’s Environmental Quality Act. We were on our track. “

Mr Becerra said his office was working carefully with the local government before ever filing a pleading on a case and was looking for ways to compromise. Some churches, he said, don’t understand that their old ways of doing business leave churches underserved. They say, “We did this 20 years ago, why can’t we do it now?” he said.

He cited his experience as a 12-year-old congressman when he argued that he saw the role as a negotiator rather than a fighter. “They’re always looking for voices,” he said, “even across the aisle. I don’t want people to be blind. “