Corporate Responsibility
ReGenerate implements a robust environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program to ensure that we follow best practices to improve our communities and benefit our stakeholders. Through this program, we take actions to promote environmental sustainability and ensure that our worksites are safe, healthy, ethical and inclusive.
Health & Safety
ReGenerate’s greatest responsibility is to the health and safety of the personnel, suppliers, customers and neighbors at its facilities. To that end, we set goals and expectations and continuously monitor our performance. A strong health and safety program is an integral part of ongoing operational excellence. We aim to foster a safety culture that empowers personnel, commits appropriate resources to encourage that culture, and establishes the expectation that all personnel take an active role.
Comprehensive Safety Program
The health and safety programs at our facilities comprise of personnel training, procedures as outlined in a safety manual, risk assessments for all jobs, behavior-based observations, “stop work” authority, facility-based safety committees, orientation of personnel, monthly and annual inspections, quarterly safety improvement projects, and an incentive compensation program tied to safety performance.
Employee Well-Being
Our employees are our most important asset. For this reason, we seek to foster a work environment that supports our employees’ wellbeing. We offer a variety of programs to support employee wellness, including an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), a fitness reimbursement program, paid time off, an educational assistance for professional growth, and a 401k match program. These programs enable our employees to make choices that support their physical, mental and financial well-being.
Cybersecurity
Another form of safety that we take very seriously is cybersecurity – the security of the technology and equipment that control our facilities. The workforce at each of our facilities is well-trained to identify and prevent cyber incursions, and each facility has robust technical measures in place to detect and prevent such incursions.
Environmental Sustainability
ReGenerate’s bioenergy facilities use sustainably sourced, local fuel. Bioenergy promotes environmental sustainability by ensuring the continued viability of forestland for generations to come and displacing the use of energy from fossil fuels.
Sustainable Forestry
The health and safety programs at our facilities comprise of personnel training, procedures as outlined in a safety manual, risk assessments for all. The forest residues used at ReGenerate’s facilities are sustainably harvested. In the regions in which our facilities are located, forest growth exceeds tree mortality and removals, which results in increased forest inventory. Sustainably managed forests are examined on a landscape basis, meaning that the total volume of trees will increase, even while some trees are harvested. If there is an economic return for timberland owners, there is a greater likelihood that the land will remain as forests and not be converted to another use.
Regulatory Compliance
We are committed to ensuring that our facilities meet or surpass stringent regulatory requirements and our facilities work collaboratively with federal, state and local regulators to implement best practices. Our facilities use state-of-the-art emissions control technology and continuous emission monitoring systems. The highly qualified engineers, environmental managers and consultants at each of our facilities ensure that the facility’s operating practices and equipment meet the high expectations set by our regulators and ourselves.
Environmental Goals
Each of our facilities sets quarterly and annual environmental goals for air quality and other parameters as part of its compliance program, which covers air emissions management, water quality, material storage and handling, and compliance training. Environmental managers maintain compliance calendars for each facility and ensure that information is reported in an accurate and timely fashion to regulatory agencies. The facilities also perform contractor orientations when contractors arrive on-site to review safety and environmental compliance expectations.
Community Engagement
ReGenerate supports its local communities in many ways
Emergency Response Plans
We make efforts to remain prepared for emergencies at all times with an emergency response plan. Each facility’s plan includes a program to respond to regional weather events that result in downed trees and branches that require removal for public safety.
Facility Tours
We educate community members on the benefits of bioenergy, inviting school groups and members of the public for facility tours.
Local Economic Activity
Our suppliers provide fuel from forest or agricultural residue, making use of a natural resource that would be left to decay or sent to a landfill. This creates additional revenue streams for local loggers, mills and farms, creating economic benefit to local businesses and reducing a region’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. At select facilities, we also operate a program that assists logger-suppliers in acquiring state-of-the-art fuel harvesting equipment.
Stakeholder Engagement
We implement stakeholder engagement activities to maintain connections with local, state and federal officials and nongovernmental organizations (for example, regional and state chambers of commerce, local economic development agencies and trade organizations). We are active members of many community and business organizations.
Resources to Non-Profits
We provide financial and volunteer resources to local non-profit organizations, including youth recreation organizations, food banks and community foundations.
Creating State and Local Revenues
We pay significant sales tax, property taxes and payments in lieu of taxes that contribute to a number of rural municipalities, generating additional revenues to provide services to their citizens.
Ethical, Respectful & Inclusive
Worksites
As part of our robust corporate responsibility program, we set expectations to ensure respectful and ethical environments for the personnel, suppliers and contractors at each of our facilities. We also believe that forced labor in any of its forms has no place in our operations or supply chains.
The employee handbooks for our facilities provide information on corporate policies, including a code of ethical business conduct and expectations regarding equal opportunity and mutual respect, antiharassment, and processes to report concerns. We are proud of the compensation and benefits program offered to the personnel at our facilities. The personnel at each of our facilities receive extensive training, as well as performance management processes and opportunities for advancement.
Our facilities celebrate group achievements and personnel are compensated well for their efforts. Facility personnel also enjoy a strong benefits program, including health, dental and vision insurance, an employee assistance program and reimbursement for fitness expenses. We are committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). We have established goals for increasing DEI. Relevant staff members have participated in diversity-related training events and we have held focus group discussions related to DEI.
