Environmental compliance, stewardship and biodiversity are important parts of CenterPoint Energy’s overall corporate sustainability approach. Such efforts are guided by our Environmental Policy, which is approved by our Executive Vice President and General Counsel. We have a long history of striving to conduct our businesses in a safe, reliable and environmentally responsible manner.
Our primary environmental focus areas include compliance; air quality; emissions reductions, environmental and sustainability activities and risks, including risks related to climate change; biodiversity, land use and preservation; waste and recycling; and water management.
Governance and Oversight
CenterPoint Energy’s Vice President of Environmental and Corporate Sustainability, who reports directly to the Executive Vice President and General Counsel, has responsibility for oversight of the company’s environmental matters, as well as assessing the company’s sustainability strategy and initiatives.
The Governance, Environmental and Sustainability Committee of our Board of Directors, the full Board or both receive periodic reports from representatives of the Environmental and Corporate Sustainability organization about the company’s environmental matters, including those related to climate change and sustainability, including our Net Zero and carbon emissions reduction goals. The Governance, Environmental and Sustainability Committee is also responsible for overseeing environmental hazards and risk management, as well as the company’s compliance with applicable environmental regulations.
The Audit Committee is also charged with oversight responsibility of sustainability and climate-related disclosures within the financial reporting framework.
Environmental Management System
CenterPoint Energy’s Environmental department collaborates with businesses and functions throughout the company to facilitate and support environmental compliance and best practices. To integrate a comprehensive environmental management approach into our overall business, the Environmental department maintains an internal environmental management system (EMS) that aligns in part with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)14001 standards but is not formally certified by the ISO.
The EMS covers regular compliance reviews of our business operations; a robust set of environmental policies, procedures and controls to minimize environmental impacts and risks; employee training on applicable environmental requirements that align with their roles and responsibilities; and continuous improvement of our projects and performance through a plan-do-check-adjust cycle.
Improving Local Air Quality
Nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), mercury (Hg) and particulate matter (PM) are produced as a result of burning coal to produce electricity. These emissions, if not controlled, can negatively impact local air quality. Since 2001, CenterPoint Energy has invested more than $500 million in emissions control equipment to capture these pollutants and directly improve local air quality. Our planned exit of operating coal generation in accordance with our Net Zero commitment is expected to further reduce these emissions.
Biodiversity and Land Use
Guided by our internal Biodiversity Management Policy, CenterPoint Energy’s biodiversity, conservation and land use initiatives include habitat restoration projects, endangered species conservation activities and native wildlife rescue and release efforts. We work diligently with stakeholders in the conservation community and the public to preserve natural habitat through charitable contributions and volunteerism.