World Environment Center Names Dr. Neil C. Hawkins as Interim President & CEO

The World Environment Center (WEC) announced today that Dr. Neil Hawkins, President of Michigan Sustainability Associates and Research Advisor/Instructor at Harvard, has been appointed interim president and CEO of WEC.

With over three decades in the field, Dr. Hawkins brings extensive experience and expertise from roles such as Chief Sustainability Officer and Corporate Vice President of Environment, Health, and Safety at The Dow Chemical Company. He has also led initiatives like the breakthrough valuing nature partnership with The Nature Conservancy, integrating sustainability at the core of business strategies, and driving environmental and social action.

While serving as Interim CEO, Dr. Hawkins will continue his role as a Research Advisor and Instructor at Harvard University in the Master of Sustainability Program, underlining his commitment to bridging academia while bolstering business sustainability efforts. With his multifaceted experiences, from international environmental treaties to advising corporate leaders, Neil is uniquely positioned to help propel WEC forward.

“It is a great honor to be asked to serve as Interim CEO of World Environment Center. I have great respect for the organization from my prior long-term Board membership and from seeing its great progress with Glenn at the helm. I will support the Board, staff, and members while the Board conducts its process for identifying a permanent CEO.” Hawkins said.

WEC extends many thanks to outgoing president and CEO, Glenn Prickett, for his dedicated leadership and welcomes Dr. Hawkins, believing that his insights will help amplify WEC’s role in advancing a sustainable future through corporate business practices.

About the World Environment Center

WEC is an influential global non-profit organization that fosters sustainable development through business practices. With its member-driven agenda and a legacy dating back to its founding by the United Nations in 1974, WEC accelerates sustainability solutions through innovation, thought leadership, and public-private partnerships. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with regional offices in China, El Salvador, and Germany, WEC collaborates with various stakeholders to drive tangible change.

Learn more about WEC programs here.

For further information, please contact info@wec.org.

World Environment Center Announces CEO Transition

Glenn Prickett to leave WEC in September for new role at Gulf of Maine Research Institute

Washington, DC, June 15, 2023 – The World Environment Center announced today that President & CEO Glenn Prickett will step down in September to take a new role the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

“I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together at WEC,” said Prickett. “While I am sad to leave the staff team, I am confident that the organization will continue to drive positive change in the world of business and sustainability.”

Since Prickett joined WEC in 2019, even during the global pandemic, the organization bolstered the climate and sustainability initiatives of its global member companies and built the capacity of small entrepreneurs in the green and blue economies in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. WEC awarded its annual Gold Medal Award for Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development to Ford Motor Company, Microsoft, AB InBev, and Jacobs.

WEC’s Board of Directors, under the leadership of Chair Emilio Tenuta, Ecolab’s Chief Sustainability Officer, and Vice Chair Eunice Heath, CRH’s Chief Sustainability Officer, has formed a search committee to select the next CEO of WEC.

“We are grateful for Glenn’s service and dedication to WEC,” said Tenuta. “He built the team and put the organization on a path to real impact at a challenging time. We look forward to selecting a talented leader to continue the work and lead WEC to even greater impact.”

Prickett will serve as WEC’s CEO through the end of August. He will support the WEC board as they search for the next CEO and work closely with WEC’s staff, members, and partners to ensure the health and forward momentum of the organization’s programs after his departure.

In September, Prickett and his family will move to Portland, Maine where he will be CEO of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), a non-governmental organization that develops collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges.

“I am excited to take on a new challenge with GMRI,” said Prickett. “The Gulf of Maine is a rapidly warming ocean ecosystem, and GMRI’s work to find effective solutions for climate change and sustainable development has much to offer the world. I know the WEC team will drive our mission forward with unwavering dedication. I look forward to seeing WEC’s growth and impact in the years ahead!”

Contact: Smitha Konduri | Press@wec.org

World Environment Center to recognize Jacobs as the 2023 WEC Gold Medal Awardee for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development

The World Environment Center is pleased to announce that its 39^th Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development will be awarded to Jacobs. The Gold Medal Award will be presented to Jacobs at an in-person ceremony at Washington, DC’s Planet Word on Wednesday, May 17, 2023.

The Gold Medal Award is presented annually to a global company that has integrated sustainability into its business practices, created ground-breaking solutions to critical environmental and social challenges, and demonstrated global leadership to accelerate progress toward a sustainable future. An independent Gold Medal Jury comprised of recognized sustainability experts selects the Gold Medalist through a global competition among nominated companies invited to apply for the Award.

The Gold Medal Jury selected Jacobs this year in recognition of Jacobs’ initiatives that integrate sustainability across their organization and client solutions. The Jury recognized Jacobs for its sustainable business strategy PlanBeyond 2.0 which integrates the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals across the entire organization that has led to the creation of corporate strategies, programs, and partnerships that deliver positive impact globally.

Gold Medal Jury Chair Linda Fisher, former Vice President & Chief Sustainability Officer of Dupont, said “on behalf of the Jury, I extend my sincere congratulations to Jacobs for its thoughtful approach to sustainability. Their commitments coupled with a global initiatives & partnerships have a far-reaching and positive sustainability impact around the world.”

In acknowledging receipt of the prestigious global sustainability award, Jacobs Office of Global Climate Response and ESG Senior Vice President Jan Walstrom said, “over the last several years Jacobs has been on a purposeful journey to integrate sustainable principles into the solutions we develop and deliver to respond to our clients’ greatest challenges, including those directly focused on addressing climate challenge. We know we have a pivotal role to play in addressing the climate emergency and channeling our technology-enabled expertise and capabilities toward benefiting people and the planet. We’re honored that our efforts have been recognized by the World Environment Center and are delighted to receive this prestigious Gold Medal Award.”

“We congratulate Jacobs and salute the company’s commitment to sustainable development,” said WEC President & CEO Glenn Prickett. “In these challenging times, we hope that recognizing Jacobs’s leadership with the Gold Medal Award will inspire other companies to aim higher in their commitments to sustainability.”

About the Gold Medal

The World Environment Center’s Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development was established in 1985 to recognize significant industry initiatives in global environmental excellence and sustainable development. Recent recipients of the WEC Gold Medal Award are AB InBev (2022), Microsoft (2021), the Ford Motor Company (2020), Trane Technologies (formerly Ingersoll Rand; 2019), Ecolab, (2018), HP Inc. (2017), Jacobs – formerly CH2M (2016), SC Johnson (2015), Unilever (2013), IBM (2012), Nestlé (2011), and Wal-Mart Stores (2010).

The Gold Medal Jury is independent of WEC and its programs, and is composed of international leaders from academia, government, non-governmental organizations, and retired industry professionals. 

About the World Environment Center

The World Environment Center advances sustainable development through corporate business practices. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in Europe and Latin America, WEC creates business solutions through executive roundtables on key sustainability challenges, builds capacity of small enterprises in emerging markets, and honors industry excellence through its annual Gold Medal Award. WEC is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization. For more information, please visit www.wec.org.

October 2022 – Message from the President and CEO

October 26, 2022

We are thrilled to share our latest update on the work of the World Environment Center.

Our mission, to advance sustainable development through corporate business practices, has never been more urgent. Last month, the UN reported that the Human Development Index, which measures the health, education, and living standards of nations, fell globally for the second year in a row—the first time in 32 years of measurement. The combined effects of pandemic, war in Ukraine, and climate change caused 90 percent of countries to lose ground in one or both of the last two years.

That’s the sobering part of this message. The exciting part is how businesses around the world are rising to the challenges of climate action and sustainable development.

You’ll see in these pages how WEC is helping our member companies strengthen their value chains with sustainability innovation and entrepreneurship through Executive Roundtables.

New members Suzano and Wells Fargo enhance our diversity of experience and perspective. New partnerships with the U.S. Department of State and the Walmart Foundation allow us to support more small businesses in Latin America, especially women entrepreneurs.

New leaders on our Gold Medal Jury will make WEC’s 2023 Gold Medal Award even more prestigious and inspiring, as we continue to celebrate the impact of 2022 Gold Medalist AB InBev.

We are proud to support you in your important work to accelerate sustainable business. Please let us know how we can do even better!

Glenn Prickett is the President and CEO of the World Environment Center. He has spent three decades leading international environmental, natural resource and climate change policy in some of the world’s preeminent NGO’s.

WEC Board Appoints Glenn Prickett President and CEO

Photo credit John O. Nolan on unsplash.com

Glenn Prickett has been appointed President and CEO of the World Environment Center (WEC). Glenn brings three decades of extensive experience leading international environmental, natural resource and climate change policy in some of the world’s preeminent international organizations.

WEC is a global, independent organization that advances sustainable development through the business practices of its member companies, in partnership with governments and civil society. Its member companies are leaders in sustainability implementation around the world. With headquarters in Washington, DC, WEC has offices, programs and capabilities in Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Press release can be found here.

WEC & IfS release new sustainable management guide

Latin American companies are witnessing an increasing demand for systematic management of global challenges such as climate change, access to clean water, waste reduction and decent labor conditions. Not only national legislation is taking these issues up, but companies especially in Europe and the U.S. are increasingly requiring advanced environmental and social sustainability when selecting their suppliers. A team of international experts describes key elements of a management system which makes it easier for companies to implement the growing environmental and social requirements from industry customers, investors, governments and civil society.

The practical guide, written by WEC and other experts from Chile, El Salvador, Germany, Mexico and the US, will help companies developing a sustainability management system to navigate through the international requirements and find ways to implement them. For the first time, a thorough evaluation of the 15 most important frameworks in this respect took place and was benchmarked with the practical experiences of approximately 100 companies from Chile, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, Switzerland and the US. The guide is part of a scientific research project conducted by WEC & Institute for Sustainability (IfS) and financed by the German Environmental Ministry. Partners in the study included the Chilean Sustainability Consultancy APLE as well as the Private Sector´s Commission for Studies on Sustainable Development (CESPEDES).

Read the guide in English I Haga clic para leer en español. Read the Study here. Learn about the several examples here in English & Spanish. A summary of the Sustainability Management Frameworks is provided here.

WEC Elects New Board Officers

The World Environment Center’s (WEC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Exequiel Rolón and Lars Murawski to its board of directors.

Exequiel Rolón
Fresnillo, Head of Sustainability (Mexico)

Exequiel Rolón is Sustainability and Community Relation Manager at Fresnillo plc. He oversees sustainability reporting, community engagement, social impact projects and embedding ethics in the organizational culture. He works closely with operations and development projects to gain and maintain the social license to operate. He has work experience in the Canada, Peru, The Dominican Republic and Madagascar. He received his MBA from HEC Montreal and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Lars Murawski
Boehringer Ingelheim, Vice-President EHS & Sustainability (Germany)

Lars is the Corporate Vice-President EHS & Sustainability for Boehringer Ingelheim. He is a process engineer by education, with specialization in wastewater treatment and bio-process engineering. Lars started his professional career at Boehringer Ingelheim in 1997 as a plant & process engineer in Ingelheim before he moved to the company’s chemical site Malgrat der Mar in Spain in 2003. One year later, he became responsible to lead international Business Process Excellence – projects as a Six Sigma Black Belt and he established and steered BPE in the worldwide Chemicals network. Using this experience, he performed an extended business trip to set up BPE in Petersburg site, USA.

In 2008-2009 Lars became project lead to outsource Drug Substances to China and coordinated NCE production in the network. Since then, Lars has held positions of increasing responsibility. Some of which have included: 2014: Corporate Vice-President EHS & Sustainability, 2013: Head of EHS, Projects, and General Services in Vienna, Austria, 2010: Senior Manager for Corporate EHS. Lars also serves on WEC European Supervisory Board.

The World Environment Center is thrilled to have Exequiel and Lars as members of WEC’s board. They bring deep expertise, seasoned judgment, and broad, global experience that will help WEC become even more effective in our mission. You can see the press release here.

Secretary Moniz to Present Ingersoll Rand With WEC’s 2019 Gold Medal Award for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development

Secretary Moniz presents Ingersoll Rand Chairman & CEO Michael W. Lamach the WEC Gold Medal Award in Washington DC

The World Environment Center (WEC) is pleased to announce that its 35th annual Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development will be awarded to Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR). Ingersoll Rand is a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, delivering innovative solutions to customers through the Club Car®, Ingersoll Rand®, Thermo King® and Trane® brands.

Former United States Secretary of Energy Ernest J. Moniz will present Ingersoll Rand’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Michael W. Lamach, the Gold Medal Award on Thursday, May 16, 2019, during the Gold Medal Presentation Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Through a global competition, the independent Gold Medal Jury selected Ingersoll Rand for integrating sustainability into the core of their business. In 2014, Ingersoll Rand announced 2020 Environmental, Social and Governance targets in the area of operations and supply chain, products and services, and people and citizenship. Since then, it has achieved significant milestones and progress largely by engaging its more than 44,000 employees around the globe in sustainable practices, investing in energy efficient products and services and by incorporating renewable energy technology into its operations.

Lori Michelin, World Environment Center President and CEO, said, “Ingersoll Rand innovates where global trends—such as climate change, urbanization and resource scarcity—intersect with buildings, industrial processes and transportation markets. The World Environment Center congratulates Ingersoll Rand on its Gold Medal Award and looks forward to its continuing leadership to strengthen business performance and create a better society.”

In acknowledging receipt of the prestigious global sustainability award, Michael W. Lamach, Ingersoll Rand chairman and CEO, said, “We are honored to be recognized by the World Environment Center for our contributions to a more sustainable world. Sustainability is core to who we are. The passion and commitment of our people around the world and our leading innovation practices keep us at the forefront of addressing global challenges and enhancing quality of life. With next generation sustainability aspirations, we continue to challenge ourselves to find new and better ways to shape the future.”

Preceding the award ceremony, WEC will host an Executive Roundtable, which will focus on “Innovation in the Built Environment.” This event will bring together business leaders, academics and non-profits to discuss trends and solutions to address sustainability in the built environment. There is much opportunity, as buildings account for nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

The World Environment Center’s Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development was established in 1985 to recognize significant industry initiatives in global environmental excellence and sustainable development. Recent recipients of the WEC Gold Medal Award are: Ecolab, (2018), HP Inc. (2017), CH2M (2016), SC Johnson (2015), Unilever (2013), IBM (2012), Nestlé (2011), Wal-Mart Stores (2010), The Coca-Cola Company (2009), and Marks & Spencer (2008).

The Gold Medal Jury is independent of WEC and its programs, and is composed of international leaders from academia, government, non-governmental organizations, and retired industry professionals.

Read the press release here.