Posts

Company Expands Commitment to Furthering the Legal, Ethical, and Humane Treatment of Animals Across its Supply Chain

MIAMI, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH) (the “Company”), a leading global cruise company which operates Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, announced today that it has expanded its commitment to responsible sourcing practices including the legal, ethical and humane treatment of animals within its supply chain. In support of the Company’s global sustainability program, Sail & Sustain, the Company strengthened its efforts with new standards and goals to promote animal welfare and sustainable sourcing across four key areas: chicken, eggs, pork and seafood.

“We are pleased to strengthen our commitment to animal welfare and responsible sourcing with concrete goals around chicken, eggs, pork and seafood. We recognize our responsibility to be good corporate citizens and our unique position to drive a positive impact across our supply chain,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “We do not plan to stop here, and we will continue to engage with our diverse suppliers worldwide to promote and encourage sustainable practices including animal welfare.”

Animal welfare is important to the Company and its stakeholders, and the Company encourages its suppliers to implement procedures to prevent the mistreatment of animals. Current goals are outlined below:

• 100% target for chicken purchased from suppliers in the U.S. and Canada who meet GAP standards by 2024: The Company is currently phasing in updated purchasing policies for chicken using standards from the Global Animal Partnership (GAP). These standards define humane treatment for chicken housing and processing. By 2024, we plan to have all chicken purchased in the U.S. and Canada sourced from suppliers who meet GAP standards.
• 100% target for cage-free eggs from U.S. suppliers by end of 2025: For laying hens, cage-free confinement systems are considered to be more humane as they allow greater freedom of movement and space to express more natural behaviors than conventional methods. That’s why the Company continues to identify and encourage U.S.-based suppliers to use cage-free environments for their hens.
• 100% target for gestation crate-free pork by 2025: The Company is actively engaging with its suppliers to source only pork products that have been raised without the use of gestation crates.
• 100% certified sustainable seafood by 2025: The Company has made strong progress to purchase all seafood from certified sustainable sources. More than half of its worldwide seafood purchases was certified by a recognized certification authority, such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), or the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), in 2019.

“Our strong and diverse supply chain, consisting of nearly 20,000 global suppliers, form the underpinnings of our day-to-day operations,” said Carl Robie, executive vice president of supply chain and logistics of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “It’s a natural step for us to align all levels of our business with our global sustainability program, Sail & Sustain, and we are pleased to not only formally define our Animal Welfare Commitment but also outline our overall Responsible Sourcing Mission Statement. Through these initiatives, we can ensure responsible sourcing practices will remain deeply rooted across our entire organization.”

The Company is working with suppliers to increase availability of cage-free eggs, GAP-certified chicken, gestation crate-free pork and certified sustainable seafood. In the event the supply needed to reach these goals is not available, the Company will continue to work with our supplier partners to continue expanding product availability to meet demand. The Company plans to provide progress updates against these goals in its annual Environmental, Social & Governance report.

Please view more details on the Company’s Animal Welfare goals and roadmap, Animal Welfare Commitment and Responsible Sourcing Mission Statement here.

About Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH) is a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands. With a combined fleet of 28 ships with approximately 60,000 berths, these brands offer itineraries to approximately 500 destinations worldwide. The Company has nine additional ships scheduled for delivery through 2027, comprising approximately 24,000 berths.

About Sail & Sustain

Sail & Sustain is Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ global sustainability program centered around its commitment to drive a positive impact on society and the environment while delivering on its vision to be the vacation of choice for everyone around the world. This program is structured around five pillars developed through cross-functional collaboration with key internal and external stakeholders. The pillars include: Reducing Environmental Impact, Sailing Safely, Empowering People, Strengthening our Communities and Operating with Integrity and Accountability.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements, estimates or projections contained in this release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this release, including, without limitation, those regarding our business strategy, financial position, results of operations, plans, prospects, actions taken or strategies being considered with respect to our liquidity position, valuation and appraisals of our assets and objectives of management for future operations (including those regarding expected fleet additions, our ability to weather the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, our expectations regarding the impact of Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine, our expectations regarding cruise voyage occupancy, the implementation of and effectiveness of our health and safety protocols, operational position, demand for voyages, plans or goals for our sustainability program, ESG and decarbonization efforts, our expectations for future cash flows and profitability, financing opportunities and extensions, and future cost mitigation and cash conservation efforts and efforts to reduce operating expenses and capital expenditures) are forward-looking statements. Many, but not all, of these statements can be found by looking for words like “expect,” “anticipate,” “goal,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “will,” “may,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “intend,” “future” and similar words. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and may involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. Examples of these risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to the impact of: the spread of epidemics, pandemics and viral outbreaks and specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic, including its effect on the ability or desire of people to travel (including on cruises), which is expected to continue to adversely impact our results, operations, outlook, plans, goals, growth, reputation, cash flows, liquidity, demand for voyages and share price; implementing precautions in coordination with regulators and global public health authorities to protect the health, safety and security of guests, crew and the communities we visit and to comply with regulatory restrictions related to the pandemic; legislation prohibiting companies from verifying vaccination status; our indebtedness and restrictions in the agreements governing our indebtedness that require us to maintain minimum levels of liquidity and be in compliance with maintenance covenants and otherwise limit our flexibility in operating our business, including the significant portion of assets that are collateral under these agreements; our ability to work with lenders and others or otherwise pursue options to defer, renegotiate, refinance or restructure our existing debt profile, near-term debt amortization, newbuild related payments and other obligations and to work with credit card processors to satisfy current or potential future demands for collateral on cash advanced from customers relating to future cruises; our need for additional financing or financing to optimize our balance sheet, which may not be available on favorable terms, or at all, and our outstanding exchangeable notes and any future financing which may be dilutive to existing shareholders; the unavailability of ports of call; future increases in the price of, or major changes or reduction in, commercial airline services; changes involving the tax and environmental regulatory regimes in which we operate, including new regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions; the accuracy of any appraisals of our assets as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise; our success in controlling operating expenses and capital expenditures; trends in, or changes to, future bookings and our ability to take future reservations and receive deposits related thereto; adverse events impacting the security of travel, such as terrorist acts, armed conflict, such as Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine, and threats thereof, acts of piracy, and other international events; adverse incidents involving cruise ships; adverse general economic and related factors, including as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine or otherwise, such as fluctuating or increasing levels of interest rates, inflation, unemployment, underemployment and the volatility of fuel prices, declines in the securities and real estate markets, and perceptions of these conditions that decrease the level of disposable income of consumers or consumer confidence; breaches in data security or other disturbances to our information technology and other networks or our actual or perceived failure to comply with requirements regarding data privacy and protection; changes in fuel prices and the type of fuel we are permitted to use and/or other cruise operating costs; mechanical malfunctions and repairs, delays in our shipbuilding program, maintenance and refurbishments and the consolidation of qualified shipyard facilities; the risks and increased costs associated with operating internationally; our inability to recruit or retain qualified personnel or the loss of key personnel or employee relations issues; our inability to obtain adequate insurance coverage; pending or threatened litigation, investigations and enforcement actions; any further impairment of our trademarks, trade names or goodwill; volatility and disruptions in the global credit and financial markets, which may adversely affect our ability to borrow and could increase our counterparty credit risks, including those under our credit facilities, derivatives, contingent obligations, insurance contracts and new ship progress payment guarantees; our reliance on third parties to provide hotel management services for certain ships and certain other services; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; our expansion into new markets and investments in new markets and land-based destination projects; overcapacity in key markets or globally; and other factors set forth under “Risk Factors” in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Additionally, many of these risks and uncertainties are currently amplified by and will continue to be amplified by, or in the future may be amplified by, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. There may be additional risks that we consider immaterial or which are unknown. The above examples are not exhaustive and new risks emerge from time to time. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates and projections regarding our present and future business strategies and the environment in which we expect to operate in the future. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change of events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement was based, except as required by law.

Investor Relations & Media Contact

Jessica John
(305) 468-2339
InvestorRelations@nclcorp.com

UNIONDALE, N.Y., June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Flushing Financial Corporation (the “Company”) (Nasdaq: FFIC), the parent holding company for Flushing Bank (the “Bank”), today announced it has issued its inaugural Environmental, Social, and Governance Report.

John R. Buran, President, and CEO of Flushing Bank, stated, “This inaugural Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report outlines our ESG strategy which captures our efforts throughout the years, including volunteer hours, community grants, lending support in the form of affordable housing, commercial and small business financing options, and multifamily and not-for-profit lending. We expect that our ESG strategy will continue to evolve as opportunities for new initiatives present themselves. Our goal is to deliver unique and relevant value to our customers, communities, and employees through our commitment to the prosperity and success of the multicultural communities we serve.”
To view, Flushing Bank’s Environment, Social, and Governance Report click here.

About Flushing Financial Corporation

Flushing Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: FFIC) is the holding company for Flushing Bank^®, an FDIC insured, New York State—chartered commercial bank that operates banking offices in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and on Long Island. The Bank has been building relationships with families, business owners, and communities since 1929. Today, it offers the products, services, and conveniences associated with large commercial banks, including a full complement of deposit, loan, equipment finance, and cash management services. Rewarding customers with personalized attention and bankers who can communicate in the languages prevalent within these multicultural markets is what makes the Bank uniquely different. As an Equal Housing Lender and leader in real estate lending, the Bank’s experienced lending teams create mortgage solutions for real estate owners and property managers both within and outside the New York City metropolitan area. The Bank also fosters relationships with consumers nationwide through its online banking division with the iGObanking^® and BankPurely^® brands.

Additional information on Flushing Bank and Flushing Financial Corporation may be obtained by visiting the Company’s website at FlushingBank.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this Press Release relating to plans, strategies, economic performance and trends, projections of results of specific activities or investments and other statements that are not descriptions of historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking information is inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, which include, but are not limited to, risk factors discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and in other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Forward-looking statements may be identified by terms such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “expects”, “plans”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “predicts”, “forecasts”, “goals”, “potential” or “continue” or similar terms or the negative of these terms. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. The Company has no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

#FB

Contact:
Maria A. Grasso
Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
Flushing Bank
718-961-5400

New Standardized Labeling Program for North America Business

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: HAIN), a leading organic and natural products company providing consumers with “A Healthier Way of Life™”, announces Hain Celestial’s North America business has joined the How2Recycle® label program. How2Recycle is a U.S.- and Canada-based standardized labeling system that enables companies to clearly communicate how to recycle a package, improving the reliability, completeness and transparency of recyclability claims.

As a manufacturer of health and wellness brands with a shared mission “to Inspire Healthier Living for All,” a core principle is understanding how Hain products and operations impact people and our planet, and how to minimize those impacts. In its 2021 Global Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, Hain publicly committed to improve packaging sustainability and announced two goals. The first goal is adding standardized recycling labels to 100% of Hain products by the end of 2025 in order to provide reliable transparent recycling information for consumers. The second goal is to publish a sustainable packaging strategy by 2023.

“In addition to providing transparent recycling labeling for our North American and U.K. consumers, we want to do our part to prevent recycling contamination by keeping non-recyclable packaging out of recycling bins,” said Executive Vice President Kristy Meringolo, general counsel, corporate secretary, chief compliance officer, and executive sponsor of ESG at Hain Celestial. “As we continue to optimize our packaging portfolio, with a focus on more sustainable packaging, we look forward to partnering with How2Recycle to drive awareness, allowing consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions.”

The partnership with How2Recycle is another important step towards Hain achieving one of its ESG objectives, as well as an opportunity for Hain to further support the objectives of its North American retail partners, many of which encourage the use of How2Recycle labels on packaging. Hain has begun the process of adding How2Recycle labels to Alba Botanica sun care products, and will be expanding the label to additional products over the next three years. Hain Daniels, Hain’s U.K. business, is already using the On-Pack Recycling Label, a similar standardized label to transparently communicate the recyclability of its packaging and meet the labeling standards for its UK retail partners.

Over the past three years, Hain has launched several projects to transition to more sustainable packaging formats by removing unnecessary packaging, increasing the percentage of recycled content for plastic and paper packaging, while reducing the amount of virgin plastic in its portfolio. Hain is simultaneously working to develop its first sustainable packaging strategy by collecting packaging data from its suppliers in order to develop a comprehensive baseline and consolidate that data in order to develop meaningful targets.

“The packaging inventory is a crucial first step for developing a portfolio wide packaging strategy that will enable our teams to make more sustainable packaging decisions,” said Senior Vice President of Research and Development Jeff George. “Our goal over time is to develop more sustainable packaging, without compromising quality and functionality for our consumers.”

About The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.
The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: HAIN) is a leading organic and natural products company that has been committed to creating “A Healthier Way of Life™” since 1993. Headquartered in Lake Success, NY, with operations across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Hain represents more than 40 widely known and beloved brands in the health and wellness space, including Celestial Seasonings® tea, Terra® chips, The Greek Gods® yogurt, MaraNatha® nut butters, Garden of Eatin'® snacks and Alba Botanica® personal care products. For more information, visit http://www.hain.com.

Contact:

Robin Shallow, for Hain Celestial
Robin@robincomm.com; m) 914.841-5572

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f3f9c963-0972-4739-addc-0b7efe3a23d1

KYOTO, Japan, June 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nidec Corporation (TSE: 6594; OTC US: NJDCY) (the “Company” or “Nidec”) announced today that it has signed and submitted a commitment letter to the SBTi* to set new climate targets consistent with its plan for achieving carbon neutrality by FY2040. In a similar effort toward this end, the Company is also committed to aligning its corporate reporting with the TCFD** recommendations.

Playing a responsible role in making sustainable changes to the global environment is one of the top items on the Company’s strategic agenda. By pledging itself to a shared international goal of departing from carbon-reliant social landscape, Nidec will take concerted steps to make its operations (Scope 1, 2) go carbon neutral by FY2040 through measures including energy-savings and transition to renewables and low carbon fuels.

* SBTi（Science Based Targets initiative）
The SBTi was founded in 2015 as a partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to drives ambitious climate action in the private sector by enabling companies to set science-based emissions reduction targets.

** TCFD（Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures）
The TCFD was created in 2015 by the G20's Financial Stability Board (FSB) to develop recommendations for companies on information disclosure concerning climate change risks and opportunities in four thematic areas: Governance, Strategy, Risk Management, and Metrics and Targets.

Contact:
	Masahiro Nagayasu
	General Manager
	Investor Relations
	+81-75-935-6140
	ir@nidec.com