From social injustice to the global COVID-19 pandemic, SJI’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts are supported by the core values of our Collective Ambition—safety, service, inclusion and community. Thanks to a steadfast commitment to those values, we emerged from 2020 not only as more resilient, but also a more inclusive company.
Under the leadership of our Diversity and Inclusion Council, we confronted the racial and social injustice that continues to divide and harm so many of our communities. We launched powerful Listening Sessions, providing our employees with the opportunity to openly discuss their feelings and experiences. We continued to reinforce and strengthen One SJI and our efforts to build a stronger, more inclusive culture—one where everyone feels empowered to “bring your whole self to work.”
On March 13, 2020, we made the extremely difficult decision to shut down our offices and move to a remote, work from home posture. More than a year later, our 1,100 plus employees continue to show tremendous resilience and dedication to exceptional service. From our first responders and field personnel, to our Customer Experience team, to all of our corporate support functions, across every department and every level, SJI teams came together to ensure that critical energy was delivered safely and without interruption to the more than 700,000 homes, businesses, schools and hospitals that depend on us.
To help customers in financial distress, we utilized every channel available to inform them about energy assistance programs and we provided direct assistance through community partnerships. Among the efforts to support those in need across our communities, our organization and employees made significant contributions to several local and national organizations. Our investments during 2020 totaled nearly $750,000 in financial support, over $100,000 in employee giving and many employee volunteer hours of service. In this report, you will learn more about the contributions made by SJI and our employees that provided resources at a time of extraordinary need.
Over the past decade, we’ve made critical investments in modernizing our infrastructure to ensure that our system is safe, reliable and resilient. In fact, in 2020 alone, SJI invested roughly $135 million to replace vintage bare steel and cast-iron mains and services. We also continued to focus on storm-hardening measures around our vulnerable coastal communities.
Moving forward, we’ll also be investing in innovative technologies that will enable our utilities to deliver cleaner-burning, lower-carbon energy. From Renewable Natural Gas to Energy Efficiency measures to Smart Meters to Green Hydrogen, SJI will play a vital role in achieving the long-term energy and environmental goals established by our State’s leaders.
SJI also took significant strides to address climate change in 2020. Through the guidance of our newly-formed Clean Energy and Sustainability team, we outlined strategies to enhance our energy efficiency efforts and to meet our goals of reducing carbon emissions from our operations by 70% by the year 2030 as an effort to mitigate our climate risk. Furthermore, through a new series of sustainability initiatives, I am proud to say that SJI is on course to achieve 100% carbon reduction by 2040 and significantly reduce the fossil fuel consumption of our 700,000+ utility customers.
This is our 12th year producing this report, and this year we are enhancing our disclosures to include alignment with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) standards. We also continue to report in alignment with the Edison Electric Institute (EEI)-American Gas Association (AGA) ESG/Sustainability Reporting Template. These measures highlight our commitment to the environmental, social and governance priorities that matter most to our investors and stakeholders.
While operating two New Jersey gas utilities in separate parts of the State, we refer to ourselves as One SJI. We are determined to deliver safe, reliable, affordable clean energy for a better today and tomorrow, and to be a company where employees are proud to work and make an impact in the communities we serve. As we continue to transform our business for the future, we promise to maintain our commitment to sustainability, reinforcing the foundation for continued business growth and innovation and a clean energy future for our region.
Finally, I want to thank the Board, the Leadership team and all of our more than 1,100 dedicated employees for your steadfast commitment to our customers, our communities and each other. Throughout the year, you have led with purpose, operated with excellence, reinforced our values and built the foundation of a modern 21st Century infrastructure company- delivering the clean energy of the future.
Michael J. Renna
President & CEO
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