A Closer Look at the Recently Launched Social Sustainability Programmes

In alignment with Trinidad and Tobago's National Development Plan and COVID-19 Roadmap to Recovery, the Heritage Here We Grow Agri-preneur Training & Capacity Development programme was established to promote sustainable agricultural practices within the communities in which the Company operates.

As a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the programme reinforces Heritage’s commitment to developing sustainable communities. The project also supports the mindset that the economic diversification necessary to secure the well-being of future generations is a collective responsibility.

Through the Here We Grow venture, Heritage continues to foster strong and meaningful relationships with various stakeholders in the Company's operating communities, including residents, elected officials, suppliers and schools, who will in turn become advocates for better, stronger and more resilient communities.

The Heritage Outreach to Maximise Environmental Excellence (HOMEE) programme is the Company’s most recent social sustainability project. Designed to improve environmental awareness and address sustainable development issues in Heritage operating communities, the programme provides a further opportunity to foster community engagement and share key components of Heritage's environmental philosophy with schools, youth, and community groups.

HOMEE also provides a platform for Heritage to introduce key elements of its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy to community stakeholders, by supporting activities that drive environmental change and help protect our planet.

This year, within its operating communities, Heritage will host a series of projects under the HOMEE banner, including an upcycling art competition for primary schools, and an environmental photo and essay competition for secondary schools. Through the theme “One Earth – Our Home”, both competitions are designed to spotlight the three major environmental issues we currently face: climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. These competitions allow students to highlight their creative talents while expressing their views on such critical topics.

HOMEE also encompasses an environmental awareness component, facilitated by Heritage's Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) staff, from which schools and community groups within the educational districts of St. Patrick, Victoria and South-East will benefit. It is expected that the beneficiaries of this programme will become environmental advocates for their communities.

• To align with Heritage’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) thrust, specifically the environmental component of the Company’s ESG strategy.

• To help tell the Heritage story and underscore the Company’s commitment to both the environment and the sustainable development of its operating communities.

• To echo the Heritage INSPIRE Values, the collective environmental needs of neighbouring communities, and those of the ever-evolving local and international landscape.

• To forge relationships with a broad crosssection of the communities and national stakeholders interested in the environment.

The Heritage Information Technology Training (HITT) programme is the Company’s latest technologybased social sustainability programme. Aimed at improving information technology awareness and addressing the digital divide issues that impact people within its operating communities, HITT provides an opportunity for Heritage to engage community stakeholders, including schools, seniors, young adults and adolescents, and provide knowledge in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

In 2023, HITT will partner with the National Energy Skills Centre (NESC) to equip learners between ages seven and 65 with essential Information Technology (IT) skills. In keeping with the UN Sustainability Goals, the programme aims to empower future leaders and build participants' capacity by delivering quality digital literacy training well beyond basic ICT skills. Upon successful completion of the programme, the NESC will present everyone who takes part with a certificate of participation.

• To improve digital literacy and competencies amongst stakeholders through quality education programmes.

• To reduce the digital divide within Heritage's neighbouring communities by increasing participants' life skills training in IT.

• To align with Heritage's INSPIRE Values, the innovation needs of the ever-evolving digital landscape, and the collective ICT needs of the communities in which Heritage operates.

• To provide an opportunity to forge relationships with a wide array of community stakeholders, including students, parents, schools and youth groups, as well as public and private agencies.