Month: July 2024

SCS Global Services is ringing in the summer season with the launch of a highly anticipated new water stewardship standard and certification service (see below), based on input from key industry stakeholders and our many years of water certification and verification work. In this edition, we also feature several new customer stories highlighting their environmental and social responsibility success stories and a new eBook that can support food companies on your food safety journey. Read on for details.

New Water Stewardship Certification and Webinar

In the wake of the publication of the Certification Standard for Water Stewardship and Resiliency (SCS-116) by SCS Standards, SCS Global Services announces a new certification program to showcase and support water stewardship actions for organizations of all sizes. Certification helps organizations gain deep understanding of site-specific water data, pursue continuous improvement, and increase consumer awareness of your water stewardship achievements with transparent on-product claims. Above all, certification highlights organizational achievements and provides a framework to help organizations consider the uncertainty and ever-changing conditions of your water supply.

Details of the certification program will be presented in an upcoming webinar on July 17. Companies that want to demonstrate leadership in water stewardship are encouraged to attend. Those unfamiliar with water stewardship practices can benefit from watching the recording of our latest webinar, Benchmarking Water Stewardship in a Shifting Global Regulatory Landscape here.

EUDR Support Services

The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) goal is to help mitigate forest and biodiversity loss and prevent land degradation. For global companies producing and importing the seven commodities impacted by the regulation – soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee and rubber, and their derived products – into EU countries, EUDR might lead to significant logistical, reporting, and financial challenges. SCS Global Services and SCS Consulting Services have teamed up to offer a portfolio of solutions for those affected by EUDR, including:

Comprehensive compliance and due diligence integrity assessmentsEUDR consulting servicesTraining servicesSupport services relating to existing certification schemes

For more information, watch Navigating the European Deforestation Regulation, an insightful webinar unpacking the EUDR Regulation and answering your questions about how EUDR may affect you or click here to get EUDR Support.

SCS Global Heat Reduction Initiative

The fight against global warming is a sprint and a marathon at the same time. In the long run, we must get to net zero on carbon dioxide (CO2). But we also have an increasingly pressing short term goal: drastically reduce emissions of methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and other supercharged, short-lived climate pollutants that are causing 45% of all global warming.

The Global Heat Reduction Initiative (GHR), launched recently by SCS Global Services, is focused on that sprint. Through a groundbreaking climate registry, the most comprehensive footprinting program available, and tailored advisory services all peer-reviewed and backed by the latest IPCC science, GHR helps organizations of all kinds determine their full footprints, achieve their climate and SDG goals in a cost-effective manner, and contribute quantifiably to near-term reductions of excess atmospheric heat.

To learn more, visit www.heatreduction.com or read GHR’s whitepaper “The Missing Link in Effective Climate Action.”

SCS Consulting Announces Carbon Footprint Accounting Software

This month SCS Consulting Services announced a partnership with leading carbon footprint accounting platform developer, Workiva Carbon (formerly Sustain.Life). As a comprehensive carbon management solution for organizations of all sizes, Workiva Carbon’s suite of tools are now available to SCS clients seeking to simplify their carbon measurement, management, and reporting functions. Customers now have an easy entry-point to calculate their annual carbon footprint, track changes over time, and report results in line with CDP, ISSB, and ESRS standards, which underpin new global climate regulations.

SCS Consulting will integrate the Workiva Carbon technology into existing services supporting clients with their emissions reduction strategy, including setting Science-Based Targets, providing a more sophisticated method of supplier engagement, and tracking progress over time against their climate transition plans. Learn more!

Case Study: Pompeian Olive Oil’s Move to Sustainably Grown Certification

Sustainability looks different across the planet depending on the industry, business, and local environment. But for Pompeian, one of the world’s leading suppliers of olive oil, the choice was clear: SCS Sustainably Grown® Certification offered the most rigorous agricultural framework to elevate the company’s sustainability performance.

Pompeian collaborated first with growers at Sunrise Olive Ranch in California to implement Sustainably Grown Certification. In the process, Pompeian set new standards of accountability, transparency, and sustainability while building resilience in the olive groves and increasing productivity. In our new case study, we explore Pompeian’s efforts to achieve the Sustainably Grown Certification – a commitment that highlights the company’s role in promoting sustainable agricultural practices within the olive oil industry. Pompeian leadership hopes this certification will set a benchmark for other producers, encouraging the broader adoption of sustainable farming methods in the olive oil industry. Download the case study here.

eBook: Food Safety Labeling Compliance

Over the past four decades working within the food and agriculture sector, SCS has helped thousands of organizations better manage their food safety and labeling initiatives. In this eBook, Understanding the Top 10 Food Safety Labeling Compliance Issues, we detail some of the major pitfalls that regularly complicate businesses’ labeling operations. We also offer recommendations for achieving food safety labeling compliance and discuss some of the major regulatory themes emerging in 2024 that could impact your company. Download eBook.

Case Study: Food Is Medicine Coalition

Grounded in the latest nutrition and medical science, the Food Is Medicine Coalition (FIMC) is a national collective of non-profit organizations across the United States that has provided medically tailored meal (MTM) and tailored grocery (MTG) services for almost 40 years. As a coalition of leading MTM service providers, FIMC realized the importance of defining their foundational intervention. FIMC partnered with SCS Standards to identify and measure the specific, yet diverse functions, customized services, and components of care offered through FIMC agencies. A new case study from SCS Standards tells the story of this remarkable collaboration, which resulted in the FIMC Medically Tailored Meal Intervention Accreditation Criteria and Requirements (ACR). View case study here.

Case IH, a brand of CNH, attended this year’s AgroBrasília, a fair held at the Ivaldo Censi Technological Park, in the federal capital.

The brand presented, together with its dealership in the Pivot region, machines and solutions designed for the region’s producers.

Among the highlights was Case IH’s latest release, the Axial-Flow Series 160 Automation. With 60% of the machinery renewed, the new grain harvester highlights the Automation System and factory connectivity. Through machine learning and artificial intelligence resources, the entire operation has been reduced to four harvesting modes that provide simplicity and productivity in the operation. With 12 sensors that collect data from the industrial system and then self-regulate, the machine automatically controls 90% of the operations, being able to perform up to 1,800 daily interventions during the harvesting operation, a number that the operator would not be able to perform alone.

Another innovation presented at the fair was the Case IH Spraying Drone. This pre-launch was presented during Agrishow and is imported and distributed in Brazil by the brand. As a solution to complement Case IH’s spraying portfolio, the drone will be offered in two models, 30 liters and 70 liters – the latter the highest capacity currently available on the market.

And those who visited the Case IH booth at AgroBrasília were also able to see the Farmall, Puma, Magnum AFS Connect and Steiger AFS Connect tractors; the Fast Riser 6100 planter; the Patriot 250 sprayer; and the Axial-Flow Series 250 Automation harvester.

CINCINNATI, July 11, 2024 /3BL/ – The Fifth Third Bank Financial Empowerment Mobile, commonly known as the eBus, brings financial access, social services and education directly into communities across the Bank’s 11-state footprint, especially in underserved areas. Since the eBus began its 2024 tour on May 3, it has traveled nearly 3,000 miles, visited 18 communities and served nearly 1,100 community members.

“At Fifth Third, we believe that financial empowerment is an important first step in helping to transform lives and communities,” said Kala Gibson, chief corporate responsibility officer. “Fifth Third’s eBus delivers financial tools and resources to communities that may not have easy access to such resources. This is part of our commitment to build strong communities and to keep customers at the center of everything we do.”

For 2024, the eBus has been reimagined to offer enhanced experiences including immediate checking account opening, face-to-face consultation pods for private conversations, and access to credit counseling and community social service agencies. Fifth Third has partnered with community organizations to bring the eBus to areas that may not have access to not only financial education resources, but statewide and national financial wellness resources as well.

Since early May, the eBus has traveled to more than a dozen communities across Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. The eBus will return to Ohio in early August for a statewide tour, with stops planned across the Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Cleveland regions.

The increased offerings of the eBus include the services of SpringFour, a leading financial health fintech, that connects visitors to more than 24,000 free local, statewide and national financial wellness resources from nonprofit and government agencies.

Through its digital self-service financial wellness solution, community members can access support in 14 categories including food savings, rental resources, childcare, employment services, small business support and more:

Visitors enter their zip code and search for assistance in the specific category where assistance is required.SpringFour provides instant, localized results for human and social services organizations.Through the collaboration, the Bank and SpringFour will provide tablets on the eBus for visitors to access the service or give instructions for use on personal mobile devices.

About SpringFour

Founded in 2005, SpringFour is the first-of-its-kind, leading financial health fintech that empowers banks, credit unions, fintech lenders, employers, mortgage servicers, nonprofits, and organizations across all industries to connect consumers with vetted, local nonprofit and government financial health resources. Trusted by more than 40 leading organizations including Capital One, BMO, M&T Bank, Fifth Third, OppFi, KeyBank, Avant, Enova, Oportun, Mission Lane, and more, SpringFour’s product suite includes an innovative contact center tool, digital self-service products, and APIs that increase payment performance, add brand value, strengthen customer relationships, drive ESG and social impact, support consumer financial health, and improve bottom lines. SpringFour has received many prestigious awards including American Banker’s Most Influential Women in Fintech, Inc. Magazine’s Female Founders 250, Real Leaders’ Top Impact Companies, Fast Company’s Brands that Matter, Finovate’s Innovator of the Year, and more. SpringFour is a Certified B Corporation and WBE. To learn how SpringFour can benefit your organization, visit www.springfour.com.

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third is a bank that’s as long on innovation as it is on history. Since 1858, we’ve been helping individuals, families, businesses and communities grow through smart financial services that improve lives. Our list of firsts is extensive, and it’s one that continues to expand as we explore the intersection of tech-driven innovation, dedicated people and focused community impact. Fifth Third is one of the few U.S.-based banks to have been named among Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies® for several years. With a commitment to taking care of our customers, employees, communities and shareholders, our goal is not only to be the nation’s highest performing regional bank, but to be the bank people most value and trust.

Fifth Third Bank, National Association is a federally chartered institution. Fifth Third Bancorp is the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Deposit and credit products provided by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

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CONTACTS

Amanda Nageleisen (Media Relations) 
amanda.nageleisen@53.com | 
Matt Curoe (Investor Relations) 
matt.curoe@53.com | 513-534-2345