Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are an important part of our employee experience at nVent. They help employees make connections across the company, drive our culture of inclusion and facilitate many of our volunteer efforts. But the impact of ERGs is not limited to the development of those who participate in them—ERGs are a crucial piece of our continuous improvement mindset as well.  

The leadership teams of our ERGs have unique opportunities to identify areas for improvement in our business and take action to drive positive change in their focus areas. For instance, our Grass Roots ERG, focused on environmental sustainability, is playing a crucial role in helping us meet our Planet pillar ESG goals.  

By 2030, we have made the commitment to reduce our Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 50% and reach 25% renewable energy consumption. Using natural resources responsibly is integral to how we operate. Throughout 2022, Grass Roots has been partnering with the Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) team at nVent to conduct ESG Facility Assessments at nVent sites specifically designed to drive progress toward our goals. Grass Roots, EHS and facility leadership teams collaborate to find improvement opportunities and execute programs to meet those goals.  

One of these programs is an organic waste separation program at our Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, location. Compost bins were placed in each kitchen area throughout the facility, are collected by cleaning providers and transported to a composting facility by a local vendor. Instead of going to a landfill, this waste will now be turned into rich, nutrient dense soils that can be used to grow plants.  

Members of Grass Roots also helped to drive a material use improvement within nVent’s Thermal Management segment by coming up with a plan to replace the reels used to package nVent heat trace cables with reels made from recycled plastics. Grass Roots also hosted a plastic free challenge for members, encouraging them to find alternatives to single-use plastics in their everyday lives, and led a zero emissions day, where members replaced more than 11,000 miles of travel with green alternatives like public transportation, walking and biking.  

Grass Roots was nVent’s first ERG, but it is now one of eight ERGs improving employee experience and driving business improvements at nVent. As we innovate for our customers to help build a more sustainable and electrified world, our ERGs will continue to be empowered to find opportunities to improve the way we do business.