Air Products Earns Highest Rating Possible for 6th Year in a Row on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2022 Corporate Equality Index

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Jan. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the sixth consecutive year, Air Products (NYSE:APD) has earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation's 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation's foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.  

"Striving to build a workplace where every employee knows they belong and matter is part of our higher purpose," said Victoria Brifo, senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Air Products. "As a company that operates around the globe, we know our diversity makes us stronger and helps produce better, more innovative solutions for our customers. We are pleased to again receive this recognition from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, but recognize there is always more work to be done."

The results of the 2022 CEI showcase how U.S.-based companies are not only promoting LGBTQ+-friendly and inclusive workplace policies in the U.S. but also in workplaces abroad for the 56 percent of CEI-rated companies with global operations. Air Products' efforts in promoting a LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace earned a 100 percent ranking and the designation as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.

"When the Human Rights Campaign Foundation created the Corporate Equality Index 20 years ago, we dreamed that LGBTQ+ workers—from the factory floor to corporate headquarters, in big cities and small towns—could have access to the policies and benefits needed to thrive and live life authentically," said Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign senior vice president of Programs, Research and Training. "We are proud that the Corporate Equality Index paved the way to that reality for countless LGBTQ+ workers in America and abroad. But there is still more to do, which is why we are raising the bar yet again to create more equitable workplaces and a better tomorrow for LGBTQ+ workers everywhere. Congratulations to Air Products for achieving the title of 'Best Places to work for LGBTQ+ equality' and working to advance inclusion in the workplace."

The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 20 million U.S. workers and an additional 18 million abroad. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine's 500 largest publicly-traded businesses, The American Lawyer magazine's top 200 revenue-grossing law firms and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses. The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

• non-discrimination policies across business entities;
• equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families;
• supporting an inclusive culture; and
• corporate social responsibility.

To continue its efforts to build a more inclusive workplace, Air Products recently announced a new goal to further increase the percentage of U.S. minorities in professional and managerial roles to 30 percent by 2025, up from a current level of more than 20 percent. Air Products also had announced a goal to achieve at least 28 percent female representation in its professional and managerial population globally by 2025, up from a 25 percent baseline.

Also in 2021, Air Products joined the HRC's Business Coalition for the Equality Act, a group of leading U.S. employers that support the Equality Act, federal legislation that would provide the same basic protections to LGBTQ+ people as are provided to other protected groups under federal law.

Air Products' inclusion on the HRC's "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality" list is the latest recognition for its efforts to build the most diverse industrial gas company workforce in the world. Air Products was also awarded a gold medal rating for its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance from EcoVadis, a multinational CSR ratings agency, for the fifth year in a row, and named to the 100 Best Corporate Citizens List, published by 3BL Media, for the 10^th consecutive year.

Additional details on Air Products' diversity and inclusion efforts can be found at airproducts.com/diversity.

About Air Products

Air Products (NYSE:APD) is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for over 80 years. Focused on serving energy, environment and emerging markets, the Company provides essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemical, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food and beverage. Air Products is also the global leader in the supply of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment. The Company develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world's largest industrial gas projects, including: gasification projects that sustainably convert abundant natural resources into syngas for the production of high-value power, fuels and chemicals; carbon capture projects; and world-scale low- and zero-carbon hydrogen projects supporting global transportation and the energy transition.

The Company had fiscal 2021 sales of $10.3 billion from operations in over 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of about $65 billion. More than 20,000 passionate, talented and committed employees from diverse backgrounds are driven by Air Products' higher purpose to create innovative solutions that benefit the environment, enhance sustainability and address the challenges facing customers, communities, and the world. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

About The Human Rights Campaign Foundation

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the HRC, America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public's understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.

SOURCE Air Products