Reaches 50% carbon emissions reduction target; reiterates commitment to supporting underserved financial services needs of educators
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Horace Mann Educators Corporation (NYSE:HMN) today announced its 2022 Corporate Social Responsibility reporting is available at csr.horacemann.com.
“As a mission-centric organization, helping educators achieve a lifetime of financial success is not just what we do — it’s who we are,” Horace Mann President & CEO Marita Zuraitis said in her annual message. “Our company strives to be a responsible corporate citizen and have a positive effect on all our stakeholders.”
In 2022, Horace Mann achieved its goal to cut Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon emissions in half — far ahead of its initial target of 2030. The carbon-reduction initiative, which began in 2019, included installing a new, more efficient HVAC system; adding LED lighting and lighting motion sensors; and replacing single-pane windows at its 230,000-foot Springfield facility with double-pane insulated glass. The company also invested in renewable energy by installing more than 500 solar panels at its headquarters location.
“As an insurance and financial services company, Horace Mann has a relatively modest carbon footprint,” Zuraitis said. “However, we believe it’s important to do our part to contribute to a larger environmental benefit. We will continue the work to minimize our carbon footprint, and plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
Horace Mann reports its corporate social responsibility progress against the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB) models. In 2022, the company expanded the information it makes publicly available in the areas of business ethics, human capital management, data security and privacy, and responsible product offerings. These include:
- Implementing a more transparent process for updating the company-wide Privacy Policy that governs the use of customer information.
- Sharing self-identified demographic information of our current employees and new hires to provide a foundation for the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
- Publishing standalone Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Bribery/Anti-Corruption policies to codify expectations of ethical behavior.
The Horace Mann Educators Corporation and Horace Mann Educators Foundation contributed nearly $1 million to charitable causes in 2022. The company supported classroom crowdfunding organization DonorsChoose with a $500,000 sponsorship, and the Foundation donated $425,000 to support educator projects, employees’ charitable giving matches, and grants that support communities where employees live and work. The Foundation supported projects and initiatives in each community Horace Mann has a significant office presence: Dallas; Madison, Wisc.; Cherry Hill, N.J.; and its headquarters location of Springfield, Ill.
“Supporting educators is more important now than ever, considering the negative impact the current U.S. teacher shortage is having on student learning and educator morale,” Zuraitis said. “Through Horace Mann’s solutions and resources, such as educator financial wellness workshops, complimentary Student Loan Solutions management accounts and support for classroom projects through DonorsChoose, we are a partner to the underserved educational community. Helping educators achieve lifelong financial success and working with school districts to offer more robust benefit packages are ways we can help strengthen educator retention nationwide.”
About Horace Mann
Horace Mann Educators Corporation is the largest financial services company focused on helping America’s educators and others who serve the community achieve lifelong financial success. The company offers individual and group insurance and financial solutions tailored to the needs of the educator community. Founded by Educators for Educators® in 1945, the company is headquartered in Springfield, Illinois. For more information, visit horacemann.com.
Contacts
Media:
Michelle Eccles
Public Relations Manager
217.788.5394
michelle.eccles@horacemann.com
Investors:
Heather J. Wietzel
Vice President, Investor Relations and Enterprise Communications
217.788.5144
investorrelations@horacemann.com