NiSource Earns Spot on Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for 11th Consecutive Year

Rhea-AI Summary

NiSource (NYSE: NI) has been included in the 2024 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the 11th consecutive year. The company, which serves approximately 3.3 million natural gas and 500,000 electric customers across six states, scored above the industry mean in all ESG categories.

NiSource particularly excelled in areas including waste and water management, climate strategy, business ethics, and occupational health and safety. The DJSI, launched in 1999, measures company performance using environmental, social, and governance criteria, comparing peer companies on ESG risks, opportunities, and impacts.

The recognition reflects NiSource's commitment to environmental stewardship and its mission to deliver safe, reliable energy while driving value for customers and supporting economic development in served communities.

MERRILLVILLE, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI), one of the largest fully-regulated utilities in the United States, has been named to the 2024 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI), marking the 11^th consecutive year the company has earned the recognition. The DJSI are float-adjusted market capitalization weighted indices that measure the performance of companies using environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria.

“Receiving this recognition for an 11^th straight year is a testament to our longstanding resolve to be accountable environmental stewards whose mission is to deliver safe, reliable energy that drives value to our customers,” said Melody Birmingham, NiSource’s Executive Vice President and Group President for Utilities. “As a company, our business strategy extends beyond delivering energy. It also purposefully includes an ESG framework that allows NiSource to help drive economic development and inclusion opportunities in the communities we serve.”

The DJSI, including the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, were launched in 1999 as the pioneering series of global sustainability benchmarks available in the market. The index family is comprised of global, regional and country benchmarks. The DJSI highlights companies that fulfill sustainability criteria best within their industry.

DJSI compares peer companies on items measuring performance and management of ESG risks, opportunities and impacts. Company disclosures, media and stakeholder analysis, and modeling approaches are also taken into consideration. NiSource scored above the industry mean in all three ESG categories and specifically outpaced others in key areas such as waste and water management, climate strategy, business ethics and occupational health and safety.

“Sustainability matters to our customers, employees, investors and the communities we serve,” said Kristi Jones, NiSource’s Vice President of Public Affairs and Sustainability. “While we’re proud to be included on the DJSI, we know that there are exciting, innovative opportunities ahead for us to do even more as a company to help firmly establish a bright and sustainable future for the environment and our stakeholders.”

About S&P Dow Jones Indices

S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes helping to define the way investors measure and trade the markets. S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit: www.spglobal.com/spdji.

About NiSource

NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI) is one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States, serving approximately 3.3 million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers across six states through its local Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands. The mission of our approximately 7,400 employees is to deliver safe, reliable energy that drives value to our customers. NiSource is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability - North America Index, has been named as one of TIME Magazine’s World’s Best Companies and is on Forbes list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity. Learn more about NiSource’s record of leadership in sustainability, investments in the communities it serves and how we live our vision to be an innovative and trusted energy partner at www.NiSource.com. NI-F

Forward-Looking Statements

This Press Release contains "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Investors and prospective investors should understand that many factors govern whether any forward-looking statement contained herein will be or can be realized. Any one of those factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements concerning plans, strategies, objectives, and expected performance. Expressions of future goals and expectations and similar expressions, including "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "aims," "seeks," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "targets," "forecast," and "continue," reflecting something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that management believes to be reasonable; however, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations discussed in this Press Release include, among other things: our ability to execute our business plan or growth strategy, including utility infrastructure investments, or business opportunities, such as data center development and related generation sources and transmission capabilities to meet potential load growth; potential incidents and other operating risks associated with our business; our ability to work successfully with our third-party investors; our ability to adapt to, and manage costs related to, advances in technology, including alternative energy sources and changes in laws and regulations; our increased dependency on technology; impacts related to our aging infrastructure; our ability to obtain sufficient insurance coverage and whether such coverage will protect us against significant losses; the success of our electric generation strategy; construction risks and supply risks; fluctuations in demand from residential and commercial customers; fluctuations in the price of energy commodities and related transportation costs or an inability to obtain an adequate, reliable and cost-effective fuel supply to meet customer demand; our ability to attract, retain or re-skill a qualified, diverse workforce and maintain good labor relations; our ability to manage new initiatives and organizational changes; the actions of activist stockholders; the performance and quality of third-party suppliers and service providers; potential cybersecurity attacks or security breaches; increased requirements and costs related to cybersecurity; any damage to our reputation; the impacts of natural disasters, potential terrorist attacks or other catastrophic events; the physical impacts of climate change and the transition to a lower carbon future; our ability to manage the financial and operational risks related to achieving our carbon emission reduction goals, including our Net Zero Goal, including any future associated impact from business opportunities such as data center development as those opportunities evolve; our debt obligations; any changes to our credit rating or the credit rating of certain of our subsidiaries; adverse economic and capital market conditions, including increases in inflation or interest rates, recession, or changes in investor sentiment; economic regulation and the impact of regulatory rate reviews; our ability to obtain expected financial or regulatory outcomes; economic conditions in certain industries; the reliability of customers and suppliers to fulfill their payment and contractual obligations; the ability of our subsidiaries to generate cash; pension funding obligations; potential impairments of goodwill; the outcome of legal and regulatory proceedings, investigations, incidents, claims and litigation; compliance with changes in, or new interpretations of applicable laws, regulations and tariffs; the cost of compliance with environmental laws and regulations and the costs of associated liabilities; changes in tax laws or the interpretation thereof; and other matters set forth in Item 1, "Business," Item 1A, "Risk Factors" and Part II, Item 7, "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and matters set forth in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024, June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2024, some of which risks are beyond our control. In addition, the relative contributions to profitability by each business segment, and the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements relating thereto, may change over time.

All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. We undertake no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any such obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or changes to the future results over time or otherwise, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241223221454/en/

Reginald Fields

media@NiSource.com

Source: NiSource Inc.

FAQ

What significant ESG achievement did NiSource (NI) receive in 2024?

NiSource was included in the 2024 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the 11th consecutive year, demonstrating consistent excellence in environmental, social, and governance performance.

How many customers does NiSource (NI) currently serve?

NiSource serves approximately 3.3 million natural gas customers and 500,000 electric customers across six states through its Columbia Gas and NIPSCO brands.

What specific ESG areas did NiSource (NI) outperform in the 2024 DJSI evaluation?

NiSource outperformed in waste and water management, climate strategy, business ethics, and occupational health and safety, scoring above the industry mean in all ESG categories.

How does the 2024 DJSI recognition impact NiSource's (NI) sustainability credentials?

The recognition reinforces NiSource's position as a sustainability leader and validates its commitment to environmental stewardship, safe energy delivery, and community development.

What is the current scope of NiSource's (NI) workforce?

NiSource employs approximately 7,400 people who are focused on delivering safe, reliable energy to customers.