Ethisphere names Avista as one of the 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies for the fifth time

Recognition honors companies demonstrating business integrity through best-in-class ethics, compliance, and governance practices

SPOKANE, Wash., March 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA), a Washington state-based energy company with operations spanning five states, has been recognized by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as one of the 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies.

Avista has been recognized by Ethisphere for five consecutive years since 2020 and is one of only 8 honorees in the Energy and Utilities industry. In 2024, 136 honorees were recognized spanning 20 countries and 44 industries.

“We are honored to be recognized once again as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. This year marks Avista’s 135 years of service to our community. Since our founding in 1889, we have been committed to conducting business with the highest level of integrity and in a manner that is trustworthy, innovative, and collaborative. I am proud of all our employees who work daily to make this possible,” said Avista CEO Dennis Vermillion.

“It’s always inspiring to recognize the World’s Most Ethical Companies. Through the rigorous review process, we see the dedication of these organizations to continually improving their ethics, compliance, and governance practices to the benefit of all stakeholders,” said Erica Salmon Byrne, Ethisphere’s Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair. “Companies that elevate best-in-class cultures of ethics and integrity set a standard for corporate citizenship for their peers and competitors to follow. Congratulations to Avista for achieving this honor and demonstrating that strong ethics is good business.”

Methodology & Scoring
The World's Most Ethical Companies assessment is grounded in Ethisphere's proprietary Ethics Quotient, an extensive questionnaire that requires companies to provide over 240 different proof points on their culture of ethics; environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices; ethics and compliance program; diversity, equity, & inclusion; and initiatives that support a strong value chain. That data undergoes further qualitative analysis by our panel of experts who spend thousands of hours vetting and evaluating each year's group of applicants. This process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify truly best-in-class ethics and compliance practices from organizations across industries and from around the world.