Sustainability at SWS
Siebert Williams Shank strives to be a company that benefits our many stakeholders – our clients, our employees, our partners, and the many communities within which we live and work. As part of our efforts to conduct business in an ethical manner, we have developed an approach to business that seeks to uphold several ESG principles: respect for the individual, business ethics, environmental stewardship, inclusion & diversity, and community involvement. We are committed to incorporating ESG practices throughout our organization and in July 2021, we developed a framework to significantly reduce our carbon footprint and to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
2,599 metric tons
of carbon offset since 2021
That's like taking 565 cars off the road, permanently.
Our Initiatives
Trees New York
In 2021, SWS made a donation to the environmental nonprofit Trees New York, to bring more shade to disadvantaged New York neighborhoods with low canopy cover and high surface temperatures. “We are committed to doing our part to take care of our shared environment,” said DiAnne Calabrisotto, Chief Operating Officer at Siebert Williams. “As a women-and-minority-owned business, it is especially important to us that we include a specific emphasis on local and underserved communities as a key component of our firmwide sustainability plan. “ Through their involvement with Trees New York, which is dedicated to planting and preserving New York City’s urban forest, Siebert Williams will focus on low-income communities with too few trees - where average temperatures can vary by up to 10 degrees due to minimal tree coverage and where the inequitable distribution of shade lends to a lower quality of life, putting inhabitants at greater risk for health issues. Over the last 10 years, Trees New York has planted 6,000 trees in underserved neighborhoods across the city.
Tracking our Emissions
We've partnered with GreenPlaces to conduct annual carbon assessments in order to calculate our footprint, identifying the total emissions our business is responsible for producing, and using (directly and indirectly). Understanding our emissions allows us to be smart about what next steps we take on our climate journey. Through these assessments we are measuring and tracking our Scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions, and we recently completed our 2021 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report in accordance with GHG protocol.
Burnt Mountain Natural Area
This project, which is overseen by The Nature Conservancy, is centered around the conservation and protection of Burnt Mountain Natural Area. Burnt Mountain Natural Area is a 5,408-acre forest plot that will remain “forever wild.” “Forever wild” is the highest available legal protection for land in the United States, meaning that the forest must be protected in its natural condition in perpetuity.
Grid Connected Solar Project
Centered in the Charanka Village in the state of Gujarat, this solar grid project is the first of its kind for India. The solar plant produces 25 megawatts (MW) of electricity and is connected to the Indian electricity grid - meaning the country is diversifying its energy sources and creating a more resilient grid. Through the use of power purchase agreements, nearby residents and workplaces can choose to have their energy sourced from this sustainable energy solution.
Paradigm Cookstoves Project
Launched in 2008, The Paradigm Project is a social enterprise providing products, services and opportunities that address basic human needs in the poorest markets of Africa. In Kenya, Paradigm created EzyLife - a company that distributes locally-appropriate, energy efficient cooking technologies to address the financial and environmental problems arising from open fire cooking and traditional stoves used in poor communities. The local jobs that have been created as a result of this project provide lasting benefits including reduced consumption of natural resources and positive impacts for women and girls. Paradigm became one of the first verified projects in the world in 2019 when its social outcomes were verified by an independent agency. Verifications have counted nearly 300,000 people positively impacted by the program, 6.2 million hours and over $3 million dollars in firewood costs saved.
Run of the River Hydropower
This "Run of the Rivers" project allows energy harvested from flowing water to generate electricity as a renewable energy source. These hydropower plants provide power without causing airborne pollutants and help to displace power generated by harmful fossil fuels.
Refrigerant Reclamation Project
Hudson Technologies is working to reduce the overall environmental impact refrigerants have on our world by reclaiming and reusing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) - the most commonly used refrigerant and a powerful greenhouse gas when released into the atmosphere. Hudson processes used refrigerants to remove oil and water so that they meet specifications for new refrigerant gas, and once restored, they are used in the maintenance of existing and newly manufactured products. By reclaiming, recertifying, and reusing refrigerants - 400,000 lbs to date - this project is reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste, and promoting a more sustainable means of HFC use and management.