Jim Kennedy’s Legacy of Sustainability

There’s something truly honorable about staying true to one’s personal values and prioritizing integrity in business — even when it may not yet be the popular thing to do. 

That’s what Jim Kennedy, who was then Cox Enterprises’ chairman and CEO, did in 2007 when he successfully translated sustainable practices from his personal life to the company’s business operations. Jim launched Cox Conserves, Cox’s national sustainability program, formalizing our commitment to reducing waste and energy consumption as well as conserving water.

Since 2007, we’ve made meaningful progress in our journey to become a more sustainable company through our operations, partnerships and grants to nonprofits. Cox Conserves’ primary focus areas include energy conservation, water conservation, waste diversion and recycling and community engagement.

“Cox Conserves is a story about taking action and inviting everyone to join us on our sustainability journey,” Jim said. “While the world has seen drastic changes over the last decade, our commitment to sustainability has been unwavering. In fact, it’s grown and will continue to do so.”

For more than a decade, our sustainability program has been instrumental in driving meaningful progress toward environmental change, with $165 million invested in more than 500 sustainability and conservation projects.  

Recently, Cox Enterprises announced the achievement of its ambitious goal to send zero waste to landfill by 2024. Cox is the first U.S.-based, enterprise-wide service company to be verified by GreenCircle Certified as achieving a 92% waste diversion rate. This achievement meets Zero Waste USA’s definition of a zero-waste business.

One of the most remarkable aspects of our 125-year history is that Cox remains a family business. Our founder’s vision and values now span four generations, a rare feat only 3% of family businesses achieve. And a huge part of our company’s story — why and where we are today — is due to the leadership of Jim Kennedy, chairman emeritus of Cox Enterprises and chairman of the James M. Cox Foundation. These are only a few of the significant accomplishments Jim has achieved.  

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