HALO
At a Glance
Industry
Industrial Goods and Manufacturing
Project Types
Commercial Energy Efficiency, Data Analysis, Engagement and Behavior Change, Sustainability and Energy Management Strategy
Year
2019
Location
Sterling, IL
Summary
Erich Nolan worked with HALO to propose a global sustainability strategy and prepare an inaugural Environmental Social and Governance report.
Goals
HALO Branded Solutions is a global product sourcing and marketing firm. HALO is one of the leading promotional products distribution companies in the U.S., with facilities and offices throughout the country. The company saw a significant increase in requests from existing customers, potential customers, and investors about HALO’s framework for assessing the impact of their sustainability initiatives. HALO enlisted EDF Climate Corps fellow Erich Nolan to help formalize their corporate sustainability strategy and prepare their first comprehensive Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report.
Solutions
To develop a sustainability strategy Erich Nolan worked with HALO executives and staff to design a materiality assessment and distribute materiality surveys to key stakeholder groups. The survey results were analyzed to help clarify which environmental, social, governance and economic issues were most material to HALO’s operations and where the company should focus its efforts.
The team then formulated a three stage roll out strategy, including short-term and long-term efforts. To launch the first stage, the team collected utility and waste data from several of its facilities to establish a 2018 baseline including Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions. Nolan then visited several facilities across the country to better understand how the sustainability strategy would impact operations. Turning his attention to the ESG reporting framework, Nolan partnered with HALO Marketing and Communication team to draft the company’s first ESG report.
Potential Impact
Based on Nolan’s recommendations HALO has created a solid foundation for its corporate sustainability program. HALO now has a sustainability roadmap and material priorities to drive short- and long-term business and sustainability initiatives. With Nolan’s help the company now has tracking tools in place to evaluate its energy efficiency, carbon emissions, and waste generation, and can use those tools to prioritize improvement opportunities.
HALO has drafted its first ESG report, opening the door to communicate its vision, metrics, benefits and challenges. The company now has the staff and data management infrastructure in place to manage its new sustainability program and pursue expanded efforts in evaluating its entire value chain. The benefits of this type of reporting include enhanced reputation, emissions reductions, new marketing opportunities and a more resilient value chain.