ST. LOUIS, May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes
to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), Ameren Corporation
(NYSE: AEE) has earned the top spot among U.S. utilities, according
to DiversityInc. The organization annually ranks companies based on
the hiring, retention and promotion of women, minorities, people
with disabilities and LGBTQ+ employees.
For the second time, Ameren also was named among the Top 50 of
all types of companies nationwide for ESG (environment, social and
governance) performance, a recognition of the company's strong
sustainability strategy and continued commitments to clean energy
and environmental stewardship, employees and the community. The Top
50 list includes major national brands, such as Walmart, General
Motors, United Airlines and Johnson & Johnson.
"We are proud to be recognized for our commitment to create a
diverse and inclusive workforce, which is one of our core values,"
said Sharon Harvey Davis,
vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at Ameren and the
company's chief diversity officer. "We believe a culture that
values diversity and fosters equity and inclusion is critical to
our ability to fulfill our mission – to power the quality of life
for our customers and in our communities, not only through the
energy we provide but also through volunteerism, philanthropy,
energy assistance and sponsorships."
This marks the 13th consecutive year that Ameren has ranked as
one of the nation's top utilities for DE&I. For the third year
in a row, Ameren was ranked among the Top 10 regional companies for
DE&I, earning the second highest spot this year. Some of the
initiatives that earned Ameren these top honors include:
- Pledging $10 million over the
next five years to nonprofits working for racial equity and
opportunity.
- Holding a DE&I summit with community leaders and Ameren
co-workers and encouraging employees to volunteer with
organizations working toward equity.
- Investing in a robust supplier diversity program, which
resulted in a record $810 million on
projects delivered by women-owned, minority-owned and veteran-owned
companies in 2020.
- Continuing to facilitate several types of diversity training
and mentorship programs, including the Discussions Across
Differences and Be Courageous conversation series, which are
available on Ameren.com.
- Building a more diverse workforce through intentional
recruiting, such as Ameren's Hiring Our Heroes program to hire
veterans and the Bright Return Program to give opportunities to
mid-career professionals to return to a career after voluntarily
leaving the workforce.
- Providing resource groups for women, veterans, minority groups
and LGBTQ+ employees.
"In addition to the diversity and inclusion recognition, being
recognized as a Top 50 company for ESG reinforces that we are on
the right path toward realizing our vision of leading the way to a
sustainable energy future," said Warner
Baxter, chairman, president and chief executive officer
at Ameren. "Our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, our goal
to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and our ongoing
support of our communities are just a few of the ways Ameren is
living our sustainability principles every day. It's all part of
how we provide customers with safe, reliable and affordable energy
today, and transform to a smarter grid and a clean energy
future."
For more information about Ameren's ESG performance, including
its 2021 sustainability report, visit
Ameren.com/Sustainability.
The DiversityInc survey is the most comprehensive, data-driven
D&I analysis of some of the largest U.S. employers. The
assessment collects data across six key areas: Leadership
Accountability, Human Capital Diversity Metrics, Talent Programs,
Workforce Practices, Supplier Diversity, and Philanthropy. To view
the entire Top 50 list and specialty lists, visit
diversityinc.com/top50.
About Ameren Corporation
St.
Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life
for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural
gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren
Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries.
Ameren Illinois provides electric transmission and distribution
service and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Missouri
provides electric generation, transmission and distribution
services, as well as natural gas distribution service. Ameren
Transmission Company of Illinois
operates a rate-regulated electric transmission business in the
Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. For more
information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us on Twitter at
@AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or
LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren.
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SOURCE Ameren Corporation