WESTMINSTER, Colo., March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) today released its inaugural combined report covering the calendar year 2021. The report provides stakeholders with a comprehensive overview of how environmental, social and economic sustainability are driving growth across the company's global aluminum packaging and aerospace businesses. The report details Ball's commitment to transparently sharing progress towards its 2030 Sustainability Goals and integrating sustainability into all aspects of its business strategy.   

"While 2021 presented challenges such as the pandemic and supply chain issues, we continued to work together as a global team to drive sustainable innovation and deliver results for shareholders, customers, and our communities," said Dan Fisher, President and CEO-elect, Ball Corporation. "At Ball, sustainability is a business imperative. We remain committed to driving systemic change throughout our company and industry, and the progress made last year is a testament to that."

Ball's sustainability strategy covers the company's entire value chain, focusing on improving product stewardship by supporting customers' goals and developing net zero emission and circular strategies throughout the entire life cycle of its products, and accelerating positive social impact for employees and the communities in which the company operates.

Highlights from the 2021 Ball Corporation Combined Report include:

• Strides on renewable energy, including sourcing 44% of global electricity demand in 2021 from renewables, resulting in the elimination of nearly 409,000 metric tons of GHG emissions year-over-year.
• Year over year reduction of carbon emissions associated with global beverage direct operations by 19%, progress towards the company's 1.5° science-based emissions reduction target.
• Ball earned Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) certification for 35 of its beverage packaging facilities in South America and EMEA. ASI certification enables Ball to create a stronger and more resilient supply chain, while underscoring the company's commitment to source 100% of its aluminum needs from certified sustainable sources by 2030.
• Increased sports and entertainment venue adoption of the Ball Aluminum Cup™, an infinitely recyclable product that provides consumers with an enhanced drinking experience and helps venues meet sustainability goals. For example, Ball Arena eliminated 271,000 plastic cups and bottles in 2021.
• A successful launch of the Ball Aerospace-built Operational Land Imager 2 instrument aboard Landsat 9, the latest in a series of missions between NASA and the United States Geological Society which provide monitoring of key natural and economic resources from orbit.
• More than 60% of the aluminum supplied for Ball's aerosol packaging originated from low carbon sources.
• Increased annual spend with minority- and women-owned business suppliers in the United States by 32% to $138.2 million.
• Contributed $5 million in global support for Ball communities impacted by COVID-19.

In addition to reporting progress toward the company's 2030 sustainability goals, the combined report outlines Ball's role in driving the transition to a circular economy. This builds on the company's 2021 Vision for a Perfect Circle which provides a comprehensive framework for how the industry can achieve an ambitious circular model. This framework calls for 100% collection, extended producer responsibility and improved sorting infrastructure. The Combined Report also includes in-depth updates on Ball initiatives, such as diversity and inclusion, and community.

To learn more, download the full 2021 Ball Corporation Combined Report. For more information on Ball's sustainability efforts, please visit https://www.ball.com/sustainability

About Ball Corporation
Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products for customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ 24,300 people worldwide and reported 2021 net sales of $13.8 billion. For more information, visit www.ball.com, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "believes," and similar expressions typically identify forward-looking statements, which are generally any statements other than statements of historical fact. Such statements are based on current expectations or views of the future and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied. You should therefore not place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements and they should be read in conjunction with, and qualified in their entirety by, the cautionary statements referenced below. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be different are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99 in our Form 10-K, which are available on our website and at www.sec.gov. Additional factors that might affect: a) our packaging segments include product capacity, supply, and demand constraints and fluctuations and changes in consumption patterns; availability/cost of raw materials, equipment, and logistics; competitive packaging, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; footprint adjustments and other manufacturing changes, including the startup of new facilities and lines; failure to achieve synergies, productivity improvements or cost reductions; unfavorable mandatory deposit or packaging laws; customer and supplier consolidation; power and supply chain interruptions; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; inability to pass through increased costs; war, political instability and sanctions, including relating to the situation in Russia and Ukraine and its impact on our supply chain and our ability to operate in Russia and the EMEA region generally; changes in foreign exchange or tax rates; and tariffs, trade actions, or other governmental actions, including business restrictions and shelter-in-place orders in any country or jurisdiction affecting goods produced by us or in our supply chain, including imported raw materials; b) our aerospace segment include funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts; c) the Company as a whole include those listed above plus: the extent to which sustainability-related opportunities arise and can be capitalized upon; changes in senior management, succession, and the ability to attract and retain skilled labor; regulatory actions or issues including those related to tax, ESG reporting, competition, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions or public concerns affecting products filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; technological developments and innovations; the ability to manage cyber threats; litigation; strikes; disease; pandemic; labor cost changes; inflation; rates of return on assets of the Company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; uncertainties surrounding geopolitical events and governmental policies, including policies, orders, and actions related to COVID-19; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and successful or unsuccessful joint ventures, acquisitions and divestitures, and their effects on our operating results and business generally.

SOURCE Ball Corporation