The Corning Sustainability Network (CSN) is a vibrant, employee-driven group dedicated to advancing sustainability within Corning Incorporated. Since its inception in 2021, CSN has earned the enthusiastic backing of Corning's CEO and sustainability leaders. The network's mission is to foster ongoing progress across Corning’s businesses, enhancing their social and environmental impact through a grassroots, collaborative approach.
The Corning Sustainability Network
The Corning Sustainability Network
A culture of sustainability
A culture of sustainability
Networks are better when we learn from each other
CSN has catalyzed a significant cultural shift within Corning – from pockets of individual contributions to a well-organized, impactful movement. CSN organizes global virtual events to educate employees on critical topics such as circularity, emissions, modern slavery, and other issues pertinent to the company and its markets. Educating the network helps spread best practices and fosters a supportive environment where mentorship thrives.
Support for green ideas
Support for green ideas
CSN works toward sustainable progress in Corning’s operations
The Corning Sustainability Network organizes an annual sustainability competition called “The Greenhouse,” providing Corning employees with the opportunity to present sustainability-focused project ideas directly to company leadership for potential funding and implementation. In 2024, two standout projects were chosen: one aimed at developing a process to reuse acetone, and another focused on achieving a zero-landfill waste goal by collaborating with subcontractors specializing in advanced waste processing.
Pictured: Employees gathered donations for a professional clothing drive for local college students in need of interview and job attire.
A thriving community
A thriving community
CSN employees band together for volunteerism
Since its founding in 2021, the CSN and its members have contributed countless volunteer hours toward promoting sustainability. In 2024 alone, CSN members organized 85 events across 24 Corning sites in eight countries. These events engaged over 13,000 participants and led to the collection of 2,700 kg of waste, the planting of 107 plants and trees, and the installation of 11 bird boxes, three squirrel-feeding stations, and four insect hotels, among other notable accomplishments.
Pictured: Two Corning employees in Kennebunk, Maine, gather bottles for recycling
Pictured: Members track their employee emissions through a CSN-run commuter app.
A measurable impact
A measurable impact
The network’s advocacy has led to tangible initiatives, such as promoting and developing an app to track alternative commuting mileage and quantify employee emissions reductions, cultivating fresh produce from campus gardens to support each other, and composting at Corning sites. These initiatives highlight the measurable impact of CSN’s efforts, driving real and positive change in Corning’s global operations and exemplifying the power of collective action and peer-to-peer mentorship in creating a sustainable future.
