Month: March 2023

As published in Qualcomm’s 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report

At Qualcomm, purposeful innovation is at the heart of everything we do. It guides our goals and decisions as we take on some of the world’s biggest challenges, using technology to positively impact society. We pursue this through three strategic focus areas:

Empowering Digital Transformation: We believe technology can transform industries, businesses, communities and individual lives. We invent solutions that are foundational to the advancement of the global wireless ecosystem, improving how we work, live and, ultimately, thrive.Acting Responsibly: We invest in our people, strive to always behave with integrity and implement governance standards that uphold our Company values. We are committed to responsible business practices, from prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion, to protecting privacy, to providing leading development programs and fostering an ethical culture.Operating Sustainably: We aim to maintain safe, healthy and productive working conditions and conserve natural resources. Our environmental efforts center on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, optimizing energy consumption, managing water use and minimizing waste throughout our operations and the communities in which we work.

Paired with the ingenuity and dedication of our people, these focus areas guide Qualcomm’s approach to address future challenges, making the impossible inevitable.

Learn more in Qualcomm’s 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report

HORSHAM, Penn., March 1, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Sofidel launched its Language Learning Program to help employees improve vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and reading skills, all based on their personal interests and professional goals.

The Language Learning Program is free and accessible to all Sofidel employees and includes useful tools like daily exercises, educational videos, articles and specific tools to help team members who want to improve their grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation for various languages, including English, Spanish, German, French and Italian.

“Sofidel is proud to have a diverse team of employees who come from different backgrounds and speak various languages,” said Linda Bonfanti, Training Manager, Sofidel. “Our Language Learning Program offers classes in English, Spanish, German, French and Italian.”

This program is unique in that it offers tools for language learners at all levels. Each student can log in using their personal device at any time to practice daily exercises and get help from virtual teachers on pronunciation and grammar. To further enhance language learning, the program offers classes for up to nine people, anywhere in the world, to gain a deeper understanding of a particular language with others at their level.

“Our goal was to create a program that helps all our employees overcome language barriers and expand their knowledge in business and personal settings, which is exactly what this program offers,” added Bonfanti.

This initiative is one among many other to enhance free services useful for Sofidel employees.

About The Sofidel Group

The Sofidel Group, a privately held company owned by the Stefani and Lazzareschi families, is a world leader in the manufacture of paper for hygienic and domestic use. Founded in 1966, the Group has subsidiaries in 12 countries – Italy, Spain, the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Romania, and the USA – with more than 6,400 employees. A member of the UN Global Compact and the international WWF Climate Savers program, the Sofidel Group considers sustainability a strategic imperative and is committed to promoting sustainable development. For more information, visit www.sofidel.com.

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Media Contact:

Brianna Fitzpatrick 
Mulberry Marketing Communications 
bfitzpatrick@mulberrymc.com

Our workforce is made up of more than 38,000 people in communities across 10 countries. Our Vision 2030 goal, and our first-ever diversity targets, embrace our global culture and commit us to build on it.

Our diversity and inclusion strategy, with initiatives across our employee attraction, retention and engagement programs, is driving our efforts to create a culture where all individuals are valued, engaged and contributing to our success.

Diversity and inclusion inform our community engagement strategy as well. Our Vision 2030 target challenges us to improve the lives of 100 million people by 2030 through initiatives that address unmet basic needs. We engage our employees and partners across our four signature areas — education, hunger, health and wellness and disaster relief — to deliver on our promise.

Vision 2030

Goal: Promote employee well-being by providing safe, caring and inclusive workplaces; and strengthen the resilience of our communities

TARGET:

0

Achieve zero injuries for employees and contractors

Continued focus on building a resilient safety culture through programs such as LIFE (Life-changing Injury and Fatality Elimination) which is our commitment to eliminate life-changing inuries in our workplace

TARGET:

30%

100 Million Achieve 30% overall representation of women and 50% women in salaried positions. Implement regional diversity plans, including 30% minority representation in U.S. salaried positions

35% women in salaried positions globally
22% minority representation in U.S. salaried positions
17% overall representation of women globally

TARGET:

100 Million

Improve the lives of 100 million people in our communities

Contributed to community literacy through the Rally to Read 100 campaign, reaching first-graders in 415 schools across International Paper’s business footprint

Provided 7.9 million meals through our partnership with Feeding America

Donated 17,000 co-branded, customized boxes from our Graneros box plant in Chile to CRUZ ROJA (Red Cross), a humanitarian aid organization

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a leading global supplier of renewable fiber-based products. We produce corrugated packaging products that protect and promote goods, and enable worldwide commerce, and pulp for diapers, tissue and other personal care products that promote health and wellness. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 38,000 colleagues globally. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2021 were $19.4 billion. See how we’re building a better future for people, the planet, and our company at internationalpaper.com/Vision-2030.

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Wednesday, March 8th at 1 PM ET / 12 PM CT / 11 MT / 11 PT

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March 1, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The pandemic has had a dramatic effect on people’s expectations about work. Couple that with the multi-generational workforce – Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers – and hiring, engaging, and retaining staff has never been trickier. More people than ever are interested in working for organizations with purpose, which provides a unique competitive advantage for non-profits.

Attend our 30-minute webinar on Wednesday, March 8, at 1 pm ET / 10 am PT, to learn how to attract, hire and engage talent for your nonprofit in this new world of work.

Register now to join this free webinar—and bring a friend! We always appreciate your support in spreading the word about Taproot. 

After attending the webinar, you can apply what you learned to your own nonprofit’s HR strategy with the help of a Taproot volunteer! Sign up on Taproot Plus.

 

Access this webinar and the Taproot Plus pro bono platform are completely free of cost for nonprofits, public schools, and fiscally social good organizations in the US, UK, EU, Canada, and India. Select Taproot Plus services are also accessible to US-based small businesses.   

Originally published on Built from Scratch

For the first time, The Home Depot appears as No. 64 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) National Top 100 List of the largest green power users from the Green Power Partnership.

The Home Depot is using nearly 225 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, which represents 8% of the company’s total power needs. The Home Depot is also No. 8 on the EPA’s Top 30 Retail List and No. 36 on EPA’s list of Green Power Partners from the Fortune 500. This choice to use green power helps advance the voluntary market for green power, as well as the development of those sources.  

“We are proud to be recognized by the EPA for our green power use,” says Ron Jarvis, chief sustainability officer at The Home Depot. “By making the choice to use green power, the company reduces its emissions footprint, while also sending a message to others across the nation that using green power is smart business.” 

By moving the needle in the voluntary green power market, The Home Depot and other Green Power Partners are helping to reduce the negative health impacts of air emissions, including those related to ozone, fine particles, acid rain and regional haze. 

“This list of the largest users of green power across the nation is proof that good business practices can also benefit the environment,” says James Critchfield, program manager of EPA’s Green Power Partnership. “EPA applauds the leading organizations in the Green Power Partnership’s Top Partner Rankings for their notable commitment to expanding their use of green power and protecting the environment.” 

According to the U.S. EPA, The Home Depot’s green power use of nearly 225 million kWh is equivalent to the annual electricity use of more than 21,000 average American homes. To learn more about the company’s commitment to sustainability, visit the 2022 ESG Report.

Keep up with all the latest Home Depot news! Subscribe to our bi-weekly news update and get the top Built from Scratch stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Originally published in Southern Company’s 2021 Corporate Responsibility Executive Summary Report

Southern Company is focused on having the right people with the right skills who are trained to perform their jobs safely and ethically to meet current and future business requirements. This focus is exemplified through Our Values and our Code of Ethics. We uphold our values, ethics and human capital beliefs in all we do and remain cognizant of what they mean to our workforce’s culture and well-being.

Our uncompromising values and ethics are key to our sustained successPeople are the power behind a safe workplaceOur people are central to all we do

Spotlight: Safety First – Southern Company’s No. 1 Value

Safety First is a pledge to our employees, customers, contractors and communities that our actions will contribute to a safe environment for everyone. Our system has long had a commitment to completing every job, every day, safely. We are dedicated to continuous safety improvement to advance our safety culture.

As part of our focus on continuous improvement, in 2018 we recognized that our “Target Zero” safety initiative to pursue zero workplace injuries, set with the best of intentions, had unintended consequences – a hesitance to report minor incidents and near-misses. While we continue to measure rates of recordable injuries, lost-time rate and days away, we have modified a portion of our compensation goals to focus on serious injuries rather than total injuries. We have come to recognize that lessons learned from reporting all incidents provide the best opportunities to build trust, apply human performance principles and advance our safety program. Better understanding the precursors of potentially serious incidents helps us identify and implement the critical controls necessary to prevent serious injuries. We hone and build on our safety culture by engaging all employees in our solutions, continuing to share and build on learnings, and contributing to continuous process improvement to enhance safety. Our programs and processes resulted in a reduction to serious injuries and the best safety performance in our history in 2021.

Our commitment is to Safety First. We work hard every day to live up to this core element of Our Values and to sustain a culture in which our employees are empowered to contribute to making us better.

Demographics and Transparency

To demonstrate our commitment to human capital and all it encompasses, it is essential to transparently share information about our workforce demographics and data. In 2021, 27,300 employees worked at Southern Company.

Of those employees in 2021, the following is representative:

27,300 Total Headcount (99.8% full-time employees)

25% Women

29% People of Color

32% Employees Covered by Union Agreements

58% Underrepresented Groups as % of New Hires

58% Promotions to People of Color and Women

45 yrs. Average Age

15 yrs. Average Tenure

7.7% Low Turnover Rate (Majority retirements)

Beginning with the 2020 reporting year, Southern Company committed to disclose annually an aggregate summary of workforce data each Southern Company subsidiary submits to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) through Form EEO-1.

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We are excited to invite you to join us at The Power of Communications: Driving Business Results, which we are hosting in New York on Thursday, March 16 and Friday, March 17 at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. Communicators representing a wide variety of industries and perspectives will be gathering for two action-packed days of programming centered on some of the most pressing issues confronting the profession today, with topics ranging from the disruptive potential of AI, breaking through with distracted audiences, and navigating both an unpredictable economy and the continuing transition to remote and hybrid work. 
 

[ Register now ] 
USE CODE 3BLVIP AND SAVE $500 
 

We’re especially looking forward to hearing from 3BL Media’s Dave Armon when he takes the stage with Tapestry’s Jackie Albano for the following timely discussion: 
 

The Future of Sustainability in the Corporate Narrative 
Increasingly, consumers in America expect companies to be taking actions on critical topics of sustainability with research quantifying 60% to 70% identifying that as a priority. Sustainability, in the minds of the consumer, means environmental issues ranging from emissions and pollution to energy use and sourcing. It also involves social issues such as labor conditions, equitable pay, and DEI initiatives. The “corporate narrative” needs to engage other stakeholders beyond just their customers, especially when expectations diverge. Increasing pressure from investor activists is surfacing on environmental investments, and boards are also now playing defense against criticism of greenwashing. 

As these tensions continue to grow, how do communications leaders shape the corporate narrative to not only stay future-focused but also positively address the expectations of multiple stakeholders? 

Jackie Albano, Director, ESG Communications, Tapestry 

Moderator: Dave Armon, Chief Executive Officer, 3BL Media 
 

To learn what other leading brands like Citi, CVS Health, Etsy, Lockheed Martin, and Microsoft will be contributing to the conversation, you can review the rest of our agenda here. 

This special event is designed as an opportunity to examine the latest best practices during this pivotal moment for the communications function and to expand and enrich our professional networks along the way. 

We hope to see you there! 

The Conference Board Programming Team

Register Now

Originally published on Forbes.com

At the recent SAP.iO Foundries Sustainable Agriculture Latin America Demo Day, three startups presented solutions that can help farmers improve the quality of their crops, optimize farming strategies through personalization, and improve biological capital by managing soil more efficiently. These tactics can all play a role in successfully feeding 9 billion people for the next decades.

“All parties involved in developing these innovative solutions – the startups, the SAP.iO Foundry teams, venture capitalists and the teams responsible for SAP Solutions for Agribusiness and Commodity Management – agree that collaboration is the one key element for success in such endeavors,” said Kange Kaneene, VP SAP.iO Foundries North and Latin America, Caribbean. “Only by working together can the big issues of the day be solved.”

Watch the video here

Continue reading here

Cummins

March 1, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The importance of the trucking industry plays in our daily lives has been on full display during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as vital as the machines moving goods are the highly skilled professionals maintaining the technology keeping these vehicles on the road.

Cummins Advocating for Racial Equity (CARE), a U.S. strategic community initiative, supported the Cummins TEC team as they selected Indianapolis, and other U.S. cities to expand Cummins TEC. The aim of the expansion is to improve pathways for Black youth into prosperous careers in the identified cities.

Cummins partnered with the Indianapolis Public School (IPS) system’s Arsenal Technical High School, local business, government , education and community leaders to launch Cummins TEC: Technical Education for Communities in Indianapolis.

“Cummins TEC seeks to transform lives through technical vocational education by training disadvantaged youth in employable skills to gain good jobs,” said Tracy Embree, Vice President and President, Cummins Distribution segment. “Businesses around the world are experiencing critical shortages of skilled technical workers; there are also significant gaps in soft skills such as problem-solving, analytical ability and the proper attitudes and belief systems necessary for job success, and Cummins Tec wants to expose and train youth to fill these gaps.”

Cummins and its partners including, Allison Transmission, IndyGo, Ivy Tech Community College, EmployIndy, Indiana Department of Workforce Development, Automotive Apprenticeship Group, McAlister Machinery-Caterpillar, Palmer Trucking-Kenworth, Pat O’brien Toyota, Truck Country-Freightliner Trucks, Jasper Engines, and others, have provided equipment and tools to the schools’ Diesel Powered Equipment Technology and Automotive programs to enrich the students’ hands-on learning experience.

The Indianapolis Cummins TEC program will be the fifth located in the United States and will become part of the 26 programs located across the globe.

“Cummins TEC is the first global strategic community program built by Cummins from the ground up. It targets the technical skills gap through local vocational education programs,” said Mary Chandler, Vice President, Community Relations and Corporate Responsibility for Cummins. “The program helps disadvantaged youth around the world secure good jobs through school-based, industry-supported skills training, while delivering a standardized education platform to help school partners develop market-relevant curriculum, teacher training, career guidance and the practical experience needed by students.”

-END

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has today released a major update to the Higg Brand & Retail Module (BRM) to more effectively deliver on industry needs and drive positive impact.The update follows a process of rigorous consultation between the SAC, its members, Apparel Alliance partners Textile Exchange and ZDHC and other industry experts.The result is a tool which will help brands and retailers to better assess their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance along their entire global value chain, in order to improve performance.In order to drive positive impact at scale the tool now has greater alignment with ‘best in class’ frameworks on issues such as biodiversity, or responsible purchasing practices. 

SAN FRANCISCO, AMSTERDAM, and HONG KONG, March 01, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), in collaboration with technology partner Higg, has today released the latest version of the Higg Brand & Retail Module (BRM), one of the five assessment tools in the Higg Index. The Higg BRM is a leading, holistic framework that creates an industry specific method for brands and retailers to evaluate, report on and improve Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance along their global value chains. The SAC has invested in a major update of the tool which will feature a new assessment structure and updated methodology, underpinned by a due diligence approach. The update will encourage brands and retailers to focus on real action, impact and results.

Recent findings from The Industry We Want, in partnership with Fair Wear, the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), have revealed the apparel and footwear industry is not making fast enough progress on purchasing practices, supply chain wages and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In order to drive the scale of transformation needed, brands and retailers need a clear and standardized picture of their environmental and social hotspots, to create a clear roadmap for transformation.

This new version of the assessment has been reorganized across 11 key areas, split across three pillars (environmental impacts, social impacts, governance) to be more relevant to where the industry needs to drive change, faster. The assessment has added biodiversity as a new impact area and now features more in depth questions on water and circularity as key impact areas and levers of change in the tool. The questions have also been revised to align with best in class standards; for example, alignment with best practice guidance on responsible purchasing practices. Additionally, the scoring methodology has been simplified so it can be shared with users openly. The Higg BRM now provides one finite score out of 100, in addition to score breakdowns per pillar and impact area, making it easier to understand, communicate and benchmark against peers.

The assessment has been restructured to provide greater value for different organizations to prioritize our industry’s pressing ESG issues and focusing on impacts and results. Other benefits include the reduction of reporting burden through alignment with relevant frameworks and by eliminating duplication across the entire questionnaire.

The update is based on research by the SAC’s Higg BRM team and is the result of one year of consultations and with over 75 stakeholders including members and industry experts to ensure close alignment with standard assessment protocols. It has been developed in collaboration with members, key partner organizations including Apparel Alliance members Textile Exchange and ZDHC who contributed to the development of specific content on materials, biodiversity, circularity and chemicals. The SAC also engaged STTI and the Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives Working Group of the Common Framework of Responsible Purchasing Practice (CFRPP), represented by Fair Wear, who provided input and feedback on the responsible purchasing practices section of the assessment. SAC members across all territories were also consulted and the SAC hosted three regional roundtables to ensure all geographies were represented.

Jeremy Lardeau, Vice President, Higg Index at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, said: “We are excited to release the latest version of our Higg Brand & Retail Module, which marks a major milestone for the SAC. This update is the result of an incredible level of engagement with experts and stakeholders from across the industry, to whom we are truly grateful for the time and input provided. This process has allowed us to better align with existing industry assessment frameworks, and make sure we are addressing the needs and expectations of our members and the industry at large. Our tools must evolve to continuously improve, and while this update is a step in that direction, we will continue to iterate the BRM as the industry progresses, legislation evolves and we continue to gather insights and feedback from BRM users and other stakeholders.”

Maravillas Rodriguez Zarco, Director, Higg Brand & Retail, at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, said: “The release of the latest version of our Higg Brand & Retail Module is a clear reflection of our mission at the SAC to transform business for exponential impact through groundbreaking tools, collaborative partnerships, and trusted leadership for industry sustainability. From the new assessment structure, to the updated methodology, we are proud of the work we have done to get to this point, we believe the latest version will provide deeper insights and value for brands and retailers and we look forward to continuing supporting them on their sustainability journeys.”

Magnus Dorsch, Head of Corporate Sustainability, About You said: “The launch of the updated Higg BRM marks a major milestone for the SAC, its members, and the industry at large. We are honored to have contributed to the work that went into the development of the new version. Since joining the SAC in January 2021 and adopting the Higg BRM, we have supported our brand partners in aligning on a unified approach towards sustainable practices, helping them understand where they stand regarding their sustainability journeys and how to continue to support them to improve and drive progress. We believe the updated Higg BRM will serve to help us continue calibrating our ESG strategy to ensure consistency in our progress and reporting and look forward to seeing how it continues to evolve to meet the needs of the industry.”

Sarah Needham, Director of Stakeholder Engagement, Textile Exchange said: “It is exciting to see the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s investment to move the Higg Brand & Retail Module in this direction, adding crucial updates including biodiversity as a new impact area and moving to closer alignment with our Materials Benchmark program (formally known as Corporate Fiber and Material Benchmark). We are pleased that as a part of the apparel alliance, we can continue to support on progressing our shared goal of moving the industry towards 45% GHG reduction by 2030 by providing a source for raw materials uptake information, and collaborate to streamline reporting across the fashion, apparel and textile industry.”

Klaas Nuttbohm, ZDHC Implementation Director said: “We are excited for the opportunity to collaborate with the SAC and create greater alignment between the two organizations. The integration of the ZDHC Brands to Zero Assessment (BtZ) into the Higg BRM means a big step forward for both our organizations. This is a major advance for the apparel alliance partners to align the programmes and tools which will lead to the opportunity for our Contributor Brands to benefit from utilizing the BtZ results in the BRM reporting.”

Margreet Vrieling Fair Wear, chair of the Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives Working Group on the CFRPP, said: “We welcome the efforts of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition to seek closer alignment to the Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices, developed by the MSI working group, within its Higg Brand & Retail Module. Identifying and assessing the risks and negative impacts of purchasing practices in the buyer-supplier relationship is key to mitigate negative effects on suppliers and workers. By using the responsible purchasing practices as they have been laid down in the Common Framework as input for the BRM responsible purchasing practices questions, the SAC reinforces the importance of collaboration and convergence to drive progress within our industry.”

Karin Ekberg GmbH, Founder & CEO Leadership & Sustainability said: “The launch of the new BRM module is a great step forward for SAC and its members. It has been a pleasure for us at Leadership & Sustainability to be part of the process to develop the new BRM. As it is now aligned with international ESG standards and expectations, we believe this version will meet market demands, will support brands and retailers to measure and improve their ESG performance as well as communicate their efforts in a transparent and trustworthy manner. Congratulations to the SAC team and all contributing members!”

Brands and retailers can use the Higg BRM to understand their performance in these areas: Environment: climate, water, waste, biodiversity and chemicals; Social: workers, employees, consumers and communities; Governance: structure and management, ethics and behavior.

The updated Higg BRM is now available for brands and retailers to measure and report on their ESG impacts to understand their progress and identify areas for improvement with clarity and transparency. If your organization is interested in using the Higg BRM, please find more information here.

— ENDS –

About the Sustainable Apparel Coalition: 
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is an independent and impact-creating organization that aims to lead the industry toward a shared vision of sustainability based upon a joint approach for measuring, evaluating, and improving performance.

As a non-profit organization, it has members from across the apparel, footwear and textile sector, but exists independently outside any one company so that it can drive progress. The SAC’s collective action efforts bring more than 280 global brands, retailers, manufacturers, NGOs, academics and industry associations together. They represent about half of the apparel and footwear industry along the whole supply chain – from sustainability pioneers to organizations just getting started.

Before the SAC existed, companies worked in a siloed way, using their own programs and measurements that lacked standardization and an ability to drive collective action. In 2009, Walmart and Patagonia identified this as a serious problem. Joining forces, they brought together peers and competitors from across the sector, to develop a universal approach to measuring sustainability performance and founded the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.