Let Key unlock your ESG plan

If your ESG plan is awaiting capital or other resources, we can help. Beginning today.

ESG has become more than a corporate buzz word or ideal concept. Today, investors, customers, and employees are looking to organizations for more than good intentions and a promising strategy. Your stakeholders want proof of action, and soon.

There’s still time to make improvements that result in reportable, realized savings – this year – if you start now. But how? Which of your environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals should come first?

Pick three + savings

You can impact all three of these ESG components with energy efficiency initiatives, plus one more driver: significant, immediate energy cost savings. Energy efficiency projects are not only planet- and people-friendly, they’re relatively easy to measure, manage, and scale. For instance, LED lighting upgrades are fairly simple to install, which enable you to reduce energy costs immediately and report your progress — by year-end.

Meanwhile, you can map out a big-picture plan and hone your strategy to stage initiatives over time. Developing, orchestrating, and optimizing that plan, however, requires capital, expertise, and resources. That’s where we come in.

On average, commercial buildings waste 30% of the energy they consume, and they consume 42% of the nation’s energy.¹ Every day that commercial efficiency projects are delayed means more energy wasted and savings lost.

$2.2 billion

of new energy efficiency, fuel cell, and solar projects have been financed by KEF Clean Energy since its establishment.

Sustainability SOS

If your organization is caught between walking your ESG talk and managing human capital, management capacity, and financial resources, consider working with Key. KeyBank is the number two renewable energy project finance lender in North America.² Additionally, the Key Equipment Finance® Clean Energy team is a recognized leader in providing tailored equipment and lease financing solutions for renewable energy projects.

Since 2010, our Clean Energy team has helped businesses like yours refine and achieve their sustainability goals with energy efficiency projects. We help them create an integrated approach, including resources critical to prioritize and implement their projects. Examples of our success include:

Energy efficiency: Upgraded 32 sites located in 17 different states with high-efficiency LED lights and building management systems. The project reduced total electricity use by 71% and eliminated 138,530 tons of annual CO2 emissions — the equivalent of taking 26,911 cars off the road annually.
Solar: 14.7MW DC solar installation for a major university financed with a $32MM, 15-year Sale Lease-back.
Hydrogen-based fuel cell: Assisted in financing the world’s first commercial ferry, powered entirely by hydrogen fuel cells with zero emissions.
Fuel cell: Financed $100MM+ in fuel cells to power material handling equipment at multiple distribution centers of a leading online retailer.
Microgrid: Provided financing for a renewable energy system (inclusive of rooftop and canopy solar, storage, and EV charging stations) for a turnkey corporate headquarters facility.

Here’s how to turn your ESG goals into achievements:

1	Get an energy audit to establish a baseline for metrics
2	Prioritize the quick hits and measurable returns
3	Seek advice, perhaps starting with your energy company
4	Get bids, including finding out what financing looks like
5	Form a plan
6	Take action
7	Measure, analyze, and report your progress

What’s on your list?

Regardless the size of your organization and facility footprint, we’re here to help. From ESG strategy development to project implementation — or even finding your baseline — we can help you get to the finish line, on target and in time to meet year-end reporting expectations.

Let’s do this in 2024

We know preparing for change is challenging and planning an effective ESG strategy can be daunting — and now imminent. Key has the knowledge and experience to help you invest in a better tomorrow, beginning today.

For more information contact:

Jamie Feltes, Account Manager – Clean Energy, Key Equipment Finance at Jamie_A_Feltes@keybank.com.