Keep America Beautiful honors Caterpillar for sustainability

Keep America Beautiful honored Caterpillar with its 2015 Vision for America Award Nov. 4 for the company's commitment to sustainability. Pictured, from left: Jay Timmons, president and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers and 2015 Vision for America Award Dinner chairman; Doug Oberhelman, chairman and CEO, Caterpillar Inc., who accepted the Award on behalf of Caterpillar; and Jennifer Jehn, president and CEO, Keep America Beautiful. (Photo by Kate Eisemann)

Keep America Beautiful, a Stamford, Connecticut-based national nonprofit that envisions a country that is a clean, green and beautiful place to live, honored Caterpillar Inc. and its Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman with the 2015 Vision for America Award Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, in New York City.

"Keep America Beautiful and Caterpillar share a vision of a country—and a world—in which people's basic needs are fulfilled in an environmentally sustainable way," says Jennifer M. Jehn, president and CEO, Keep America Beautiful. "Keep America Beautiful commends Caterpillar for its corporate commitment to sustainability and its significant progress toward its aggressive sustainability goals. Sustainability is firmly embedded as a core value at Caterpillar."

Oberhelman attended the annual award dinner to personally accept the Vision for America Award. In addition, Caterpillar hosted a national summit focused on natural infrastructure restoration as a precursor to the Vision for America Award Dinner.

Celebrating its 90th anniversary, Caterpillar, based in Peoria, Illinois, is the world's largest manufacturer of heavy equipment. Caterpillar has a robust corporate sustainability effort focused on preventing waste, reducing resource consumption, and developing better systems through innovation. Caterpillar's 2020 goals for operations and product stewardship signal a dedication to "Making Sustainable Progress Possible," which Oberhelman calls a "cornerstone commitment" of the company.

"I am proud to accept this award from Keep America Beautiful. I'm honored by what this award represents—that Caterpillar is a company our people can be proud to work for," Oberhelman said in accepting the award. "As the world's population increases, demand for resources and infrastructure will increase, too. Sustainable progress to meet these needs and support economic growth will remain absolutely necessary. Caterpillar will continue to lead the world in making this sustainable progress possible. We have the experience, the products and the commitment. Our shorthand description for our sustainability value is: The power of endurance—and that's Caterpillar."

Caterpillar recognizes that sustainable progress represents a balance of environmental stewardship, economic growth and social responsibility, Keep American Beautifiul says in the news release annoucing the award. Working toward aggressive sustainability goals, Caterpillar's progress motivates its employees to continue working toward its vision. For example:
 

• 18 percent of 2014 sales and revenues were derived from products, services and solutions with an improved sustainability benefit;
• from 2006 to 2014, Caterpillar's facilities have reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity by 38 percent. And energy intensity of its operations decreased 28 percent from 2006 to 2014; and
• Caterpillar recycled 90.6 percent of its byproduct materials in 2014.
   

The Vision for America Award Dinner Chairman Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), presented the award to Oberhelman, who served as chairman of the NAM board of directors from 2013 through 2014.

"Caterpillar has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to sustainability and the belief that conservation isn't just good for business, it's good for the world," said Timmons. "Doug knows the best way to lead meaningful change is to lead by example, and indeed many are following his example. Across the country, manufacturers are responding to the challenges and opportunities facing our communities and our environment by adopting sustainable best practices to ensure a healthier, more beautiful America."

The Vision for America Award was presented at a dinner before guests, including senior public officials and business leaders. In addition to paying tribute to the honoree, the dinner raises funds for Keep America Beautiful. Past recipients of the Vision for America Award, which has been awarded annually since 1986, include Wrigley, PepsiCo, Nestlé Waters North America, UPS, Xerox and most recently Dell Inc.