New Policy Brief from the NDC Partnership Guides Countries Toward Tripling Renewable Energy

The NDC Partnership released a new policy brief today to support policymakers to take steps to integrate renewable energy into national climate pledges.

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The NDC Partnership mobilized 14 country governments and leading institutions, to release a new policy brief supporting countries’ efforts to triple renewable energy capacity.

The policy brief, “Tripling Renewables: Powering Climate Action Across Sectors,” outlines key actions countries can take to strengthen renewable energy planning in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), or climate pledges, due this this year.

H.E. Mr. Ole Thonke, NDC Partnership Co-Chair representative, Climate Ambassador, Denmark: “Building on the Global Stocktake and the new NDCs it will be crucial to demonstrate that the global community is delivering on the Paris Agreement. Tripling renewable energy capacity is fundamental to achieving this goal. For most countries, renewables are the cheapest way to generate electricity today and therefore the strongest business case. I hope the guidance in this brief helps to overcome the remaining barriers and accelerate renewable energy deployment — especially in developing countries — paving the way for a more sustainable future.”

Pablo Vieira, Global Director, NDC Partnership: “Tripling renewable energy capacity is both achievable and essential for climate-resilient development. The next round of NDCs offers an opportunity to incorporate a broader range of technologies, innovations and solutions that expand the use of renewables not only for mitigation but also for adaptation — ensuring that successful models are financed, shared and scaled to meet diverse local needs.”

The use of renewable energy had become more mainstream thanks to technological advancements, cost competitiveness and supportive national policies. In 2023, renewable energy accounted for one-third of global power generation86% of new energy capacity and added roughly USD 320 billion to the global economy — or 10% of global GDP. Increasingly, countries are integrating renewable energy into their climate pledges, with over 65% of countries setting specific, measurable targets in the last round of NDCs submitted in 2020.

Despite these trends, significant gaps remain between countries’ national energy plans and the targets included in their NDC commitments — and clean energy deployment remains uneven. The next round of NDCs are an opportunity for countries to incorporate renewable energy targets into national climate and development plans, advancing mitigation and adaptation. The policy brief offers six considerations for national policymakers for accelerating renewable energy deployment across diverse geographies.

The guidance builds on country experiences in renewable energy deployment and shares replicable lessons from previous NDC submissions, addressing key systemic barriers, such as access to finance. The considerations include:

  1. Aligning national energy plans with NDCs, ensuring they are equally ambitious
  2. Establishing collaboration mechanisms to bring renewable energy into sectoral planning
  3. Assessing sectoral value chains and stakeholders to identify pathways for renewable energy to underpin economy-wide climate action
  4. Developing roadmaps that outline technology and financing needs for integrating renewable energy across key sectors
  5. Raising public awareness and participation of subnational governments in designing renewable energy strategies
  6. Supporting innovation and fostering new technologies and business models

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SOURCE NDC Partnership

PSALM Capital Partners with Tropion Sports Partners, Join Blue Owl Home Court for Investment in the NBA

MIAMI, June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — PSALM Capital is excited to join Tropion Sports Partners and Blue Owl’s Home Court Fund for investment into the NBA. This represents a significant opportunity for PSALM Capital clients to diversify their investment portfolio with a premier sports asset.

Tropion Sports Partners has launched a partnership to invest into the NBA alongside Blue Owl Capital and the Blue Owl Home Court Fund. Tropion is planning multiple investment tranches, having recently completed a ˜$25 million investment.

Tropion, a global sports investment platform, is led by Philadelphia-based entrepreneur Joseph Greco. Greco is also a minority owner of Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Philadelphia Union and the founder and former chairman of PSC Info Group/RevSpring and Experity Ventures. Tropion’s group of investors includes current and former professional athletes and well-known entrepreneurs, business leaders, and financial professionals. 

“We believe the NBA is positioned to capitalize on its significant global popularity and will continue to grow meaningfully over the next decade in a variety of ways. We are excited to bring access to this opportunity to our elite network of investors in partnership with Blue Owl Capital,” said Greco.

Blue Owl Capital is a leading alternative asset manager with $273 billion in assets under management. Formed in 2020, the Home Court Fund provides institutional capital and private equity solutions to the NBA ecosystem to support long-term growth of the league and improve market liquidity, and currently has investments in the Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, and Sacramento Kings.

PSALM Capital LLC is a registered investment adviser. This article is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where PSALM Capital LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by PSALM Capital LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.

Contact: info@psalm.capital

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SOURCE PSALM Capital

Complimentary Webinar: Know Your SFI Standards – Chain of Custody and Fiber Sourcing

Complimentary Webinar

Know Your SFI Standards – Chain of Custody and Fiber Sourcing

Thursday, June 12 | 12:00PM ET, 9:00AM PT

What are the key differences and similarities between the Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s (SFI’s) Chain of Custody and Fiber Sourcing standards, and what do companies need to know, to decide what certification they need to meet their sustainability goals?

Join us for an in-depth conversation between Spencer Jones from SCS Global Services and SFI’s Annie Perkins and Zac Wagman about these standards.

Key points to be discussed: 

  • Overview of Chain of Custody and Fiber Sourcing: Their core purpose, benefits, and requirements for certification
  • Introduction to the Certified Sourcing label and how companies can use it

The 45-minute panel discussion will be followed by a 15-minute Q&A session.

Speakers:

  • Annie Perkins, Senior Director, Green Building and Supply Chain, SFI
  • Zac Wagman, Senior Manager, Market Access, SFI
  • Spencer Jones, Sales Executive, SCS Global Services (moderator)  

Register Here

For inquiries, contact:

Madhumita Mohan

Marketing Manager, Natural Resources, SCS Global Services

mmohan@scsglobalservices.com

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La Fenice Pizza: How Two Founders Turned a Pandemic Idea Into a Pizza Powerhouse

Originally published on GoDaddy Resource Library

By Mark McCaffrey, Chief Financial Officer for GoDaddy

At GoDaddy, few things inspire us more than learning directly from the entrepreneurs we are here to support. I had the chance to meet with Leo Lopez and Lamont Chapell, the San Jose-based founders and owners of the mobile catering company, La Fenice Pizza. Leo and Lamont brought one of their mobile pizza ovens to our Santa Clara, California office and served up fresh, wood-fired pies to GoDaddy employees while they shared the story behind their business.

The story of La Fenice Pizza began during the pandemic — Leo and Lamont were working at a pizzeria when they realized, “We could do this ourselves.” So, they invested in a professional oven — a big purchase that marked the point of no return — and started hosting pop-up events at wineries and breweries in the Bay Area.

Named after the Italian theater La Fenice, a symbol of resilience, La Fenice Pizza embodies perseverance and creativity. Their journey did not begin with an overnight success — Leo shared how they sold only two pizzas at their first pop-up event. Trusting in themselves to build something meaningful was the scariest and most exciting part of the process.

Fast forward five years, La Fenice Pizza has grown into a thriving business specializing in private event catering. Every year brought new growth, loyal staff members and strong community ties (where they are known locally as “the pizza guys”).

Between bites of pizza, we talked about the realities of running a mobile business and the tools that keep them moving. One such tool included GoDaddy Conversations, which makes it easy for them to keep up with customer messages from various channels while they are on the go.

For Leo and Lamont, entrepreneurship has meant more than just business success — it’s about ownership, freedom and making their families proud. They are excited to expand the business and have a goal to open a brick-and-mortar location this year, adding a physical home base to complement their mobile operation.

I love meeting customers like Leo and Lamont. Conversations like these give us such valuable insight into life as an entrepreneur — the courage to get started, the determination to keep going, and, importantly, the ways we can support with tools and guidance at every stage.

These two entrepreneurs embody the grit and drive we so often recognize in the small business owners we are proud to support. We can’t wait to follow what’s next for La Fenice Pizza.

To every entrepreneur chasing their dream: keep trusting yourself, building and know that every great leap starts with a little faith (and maybe even some delicious wood-fired pizza).

Cheers,

Mark

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AMID 45% INCREASE IN COM ED’S POWER PRICE, CUB CALLS ON UTILITY TO WORK WITH CUSTOMERS TO KEEP THEM SAFE, COOL, CONNECTED THIS SUMMER

CHICAGO, June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — With Commonwealth Edison customers facing a 45 percent increase in the price of power, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) on Wednesday called on Illinois’ largest electric utility to work with people struggling to afford their bills this summer so they can keep their electricity on and protect themselves from dangerous heat.

“This will be a difficult summer for far too many customers, and we urge ComEd to do everything possible to work with people so they stay safe, cool and connected this summer,” CUB Executive Director Sarah Moskowitz said. She called for ComEd to offer consumer-friendly payment plans that give customers a longer time to pay off their debt. 

ComEd’s summer “price to compare”— the rate customers should compare with alternative supplier offers—is: 10.028 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from June through September.

Note: This rate includes the supply price and a transmission charge. The increase impacts the supply section, which makes up about a half to two-thirds of ComEd bills. ComEd does not profit off supply—they pass those costs onto customers with no markup. A new, non-summer supply rate, which has yet to be announced, will take effect Oct. 1. The price of electricity is expected to be elevated at least through next May.

ComEd has estimated the increase will cost customers an average of 10 to 15 percent, or $10.60 more per month, over the next year. The spike is connected to an increase in the price for reserve power, also called “capacity.” CUB argues that capacity costs have skyrocketed largely because of policy problems with the power grid operator for northern Illinois, PJM Interconnection, which runs an auction that determines the price of capacity.

CUB has tips to help Illinois consumers get through the expensive summer at CUBHelpCenter.com, including: 

  • Use energy efficiency to soften the blow of the price spike. Simple actions can help, such as weatherizing windows and doors and turning off unnecessary lights. Don’t take risks that keep your home too hot–efficiency is about eliminating waste but staying safe and cool this summer.
  • Stay in contact with your utility. Consumers who are struggling should contact their utilities to inquire about payment plans and learn about energy efficiency programs.
  • Consider programs to help ease costs. ComEd’s Peak Time Savings program gives customers the opportunity to earn bill credits by reducing electricity usage during high-demand periods, typically summer afternoons. Also, Illinois’ community solar program offers customers the benefits of solar power without having to install panels on their homes. All offers currently guarantee savings compared to ComEd’s supply price. CUB’s resource, SolarInTheCommunity.com, can help you carefully shop for offers.
  • Beware of rip-offs. Since 2015, Illinois consumers have lost about $1.8 billion to alternative electricity suppliers. These suppliers are impacted by the same market conditions that are causing utility prices to increase, so it’s likely, even in this expensive market, that ComEd is your best bet. One exception: If your community has negotiated a power deal with a supplier, it’s possible the price is lower than ComEd’s supply rate. Confirm the price and find out when the offer expires.

While the price spike is bad news, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) is providing some relief.  Illinois’ landmark energy law requires a line item on ComEd bills called the Carbon Free Energy Resource Adjustment (CFERA) to subsidize energy generated by nuclear power plants in Illinois. But consumer advocates pushed for a provision that changes the charge to a credit when energy prices go above a certain level. The credit can change each month, but it’s expected to be on bills for the next year. In June it’s a 1.7 cents per kWh credit.

For more than 40 years the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) has been Illinois’ leading nonprofit utility watchdog group. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, CUB has helped save consumers more than $20 billion by blocking rate hikes and securing refunds. For more information, call CUB’s Consumer Hotline, at 1-800-669-5556, or visit CUB’s website, www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org.

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SOURCE Citizens Utility Board

3M Works To Support Skilled Trades Through Community Partnerships and Training

Originallly published on 3M News Center

The SkillsUSA National Signing Day at St. Paul College in St. Paul, Minnesota, set out to generate some of the same excitement for collegiate athletes when they sign their letter of intent to play for a team.

Instead of signing on to a sports team, however, dozens of students signed letters of intent for job offers, apprenticeships, or advanced technical training. They were cheered on by their instructors, fellow students and friends. The event highlighted the importance of skilled career paths that are essential to America’s future.

Amy Vega, who signed a letter of intent to attend St. Paul College’s culinary arts program, said the signing day made her feel like she was “really committing to the program.”

“I think today was pretty special,” Amy said. “It’s awesome that we’re doing this and I’m happy and proud to do it. I feel like it’s important to have people who want to work in these industries.”

Beyond the excitement of events like SkillsUSA Signing Day, there’s real urgency behind the effort to get more students to consider a career in the skilled trades, including those in advanced manufacturing. 

The National Association of Manufacturers reports that the skilled trades gap could result in 2.1 million unfilled manufacturing jobs by 2030. 

Original research conducted by 3M in partnership with Morning Consult, found that three-quarters of those surveyed view manufacturing jobs as having a positive impact on the economy. Respect for those who work manufacturing jobs is high at 78%, and 78% also support the creation of more training opportunities to fill those jobs.

3M’s commitment to helping close that coming gap includes efforts to interest students in considering those careers as early as middle and high school.

Since 2017, its Manufacturing and Academic Partnerships (MAP) program has supported as many as 5,000 students in building the necessary skills for the future of manufacturing work. It’s a hyper-local approach to meet the needs of communities where 3M manufacturing sites are located.

3M’s MAP program equips schools with cutting-edge mechatronics equipment, enabling students to explore skilled trades and manufacturing careers. In collaboration with the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3), the company also ensures instructors are trained in the latest technologies, providing students with pathways to scholarships and essential skills for future success.

3M recently made new investments in classrooms in Red Wing, Minnesota; Menomonie, Wisconsin; and Indianapolis. The 3M MAP program includes community partnerships with GPS Ed, FESTO, NC3 and Heart of America.

Heart of America, a non-profit organization that transforms learning spaces, worked with 3M to design and build the “Future Makers Lab by 3M” at Red Wing High School and Menomonie High School.

“Heart of America knows how important career readiness is to a student’s education, and spaces like these lead the way in getting young people ready to get a good job with a sustainable income,” said Jill Hardy Heath, President and CEO, Heart of America. “Partners like 3M see the value in bringing engineering, robotics, and mechatronics into high schools—and we love that it inspires kids to dream big!”

Michael Stroik, 3M’s vice president of community impact, says the company is excited to play a role in developing the next generation of skilled workers.

“We’re uniquely positioned to share what the future of work looks like in manufacturing,” said Stroik. “We share the technology, provide scholarships, and offer support for instructors to get professional development in the world of mechatronics, training, and curriculum development.”

Another way 3M is encouraging students to consider jobs in the skilled trades is through 3M’s Safety Roadshow, which features a 90-foot semitrailer equipped with hands-on training experiences in robotics and personal protective equipment (PPE) from its Personal Safety Division. This spring, the truck visited schools in Alabama, Arkansas, and Missouri, and there are stops planned in Minnesota, Indiana, Kentucky and Texas throughout 2025.

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Global Prairie Tops the B Corp Charts With New Certification

KANSAS CITY, Mo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Global Prairie, a 100% employee-owned Benefit Corporation, is proud to announce that, with its most recent recertification as a B Corp, it has become the highest rated B Corp in the world, achieving a remarkable B Impact Score of 192.9. This achievement places Global Prairie at the top of nearly 10,000 B Corps worldwide, a community of businesses meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. B Corp Cer

General Recycled’s Patented Aramid Recycling Technology Earns Industry Acclaim at NAUMD Conference

Monterey Textiles’ Eco-Fyre® Wins Innovation Award for Sustainability with Support from GR’s Closed-Loop System

VANCOUVER, BC, June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — General Recycled® (GR) is proud to announce that its patented aramid recycling technology played a pivotal role in the development of Monterey Textiles’ new Eco-Fyre® fabric, which was honored with the Innovation Award for Sustainability at the 2025 Network Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors (NAUMD) annual conference.

“Monterey’s success with Eco-Fyre® underscores the value and potential of our patented recycling process,” said Ted Parker, President of General Recycled. “Partnering with Monterey and Filspec to bring this sustainable solution to market has been incredibly rewarding. This recognition highlights the growing industry demand for circular, closed-loop innovations in flame-resistant textiles.”

Eco-Fyre® is a breakthrough recycled aramid fabric engineered for demanding applications in the oil and gas industry. Enabled by GR’s proprietary recycling process, the fabric is created by transforming end-of-life aramid garments into high-quality recycled fiber, yarn, and certified flame-resistant fabric. The result is a true closed-loop system that significantly reduces textile waste and extends the lifecycle of critical PPE materials.

“We’re proud to welcome Eco-Fyre® into our expanding portfolio of recycled aramid products,” said Dave Kasper, Vice President of Sales & Product Development at General Recycled. “The teams at Monterey Textiles and Filspec, led by Randy Williams, have done outstanding work bringing another product to market!”

About General Recycled
General Recycled® (GR) is a leader in sustainable textile innovation, specializing in advanced recycling technologies for high-performance fabrics. GR’s patented processes enable industries to reduce waste and adopt circular economy solutions—without sacrificing quality, performance, or safety.

Media Contact:
Dave Kasper
Vice President, Sales & Product Development
General Recycled®
604-807-7279
396195@email4pr.com 
www.generalrecycled.com

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SOURCE General Recycled

Griffith Foods Recognized as a 2025 Best Managed Company

ALSIP, Ill., June 4, 2025 /3BL/ – Griffith Foods is proud to announce it has been selected as a 2025 Best Managed Company, making it the fourth year in a row to earn this designation. Now in its sixth year, the award, sponsored by Deloitte* Private and The Wall Street Journal, recognizes outstanding U.S. private companies.

The 2025 designees are U.S. private companies that have demonstrated excellence in strategic planning and execution, a commitment to their people, as well as maintaining financial performance and governance. Designees drove their businesses forward while remaining dedicated to their people and focusing on their customers. Advanced technology including AI took a center role for most of these companies, to create efficiencies and enhance the quality of products and experiences.

Applicants are evaluated and selected by a panel of external judges focused on assessing hallmarks of excellence in four key areas: strategy, ability to execute, corporate culture and governance/financial performance. They join a global ecosystem of honorees from more than 44 countries recognized by the Best Managed Companies program.

About the Best Managed Companies Program 

The Best Managed Companies program is a mark of excellence for private companies. U.S. designees have revenues of at least $250 million. Hundreds of private companies around the world have competed for this designation in their respective countries through a rigorous and independent process that evaluates four key criteria in their management skills and practices — strategy, execution, culture and governance/financials. U.S. program sponsors are Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal For more information, visit www.usbestmanagedcompanies.com.

About Griffith Foods  

Griffith Foods is the caring, creative product development partner helping food companies meet the evolving needs of consumers while sustaining the planet. As a family business founded in 1919 and headquartered in Alsip, Illinois USA, Griffith Foods is known for true, collaborative innovation guided by their Purpose of “We Blend Care and Creativity to Nourish the World”. The company’s product capabilities range from seasonings and marinades to coating systems and sauces that are better for people and better for the planet. For more information, visit www.griffithfoods.com.

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Milano Cortina 2026 Unveils Olympic and Paralympic Torches for Upcoming Winter Games

International Olympic Committee news

On 14 April, the torches of Milano Cortina 2026 were revealed in two simultaneous events at the Triennale di Milano and at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. The torches were presented by four stars of past Olympic and Paralympic Games: Olympic champion and last torchbearer at Torino 2006 Stefania Belmondo and Paralympic champion Bebe Vio in Milan, as well as Paralympic champion Martina Caironi and Carolina Kostner, bronze medallist at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games, in Osaka.

“I have to say, it’s really beautiful. Kudos to the designer because it’s really wonderful in its simplicity,” said Belmondo after the torch was revealed in Milan.

“The beautiful thing is that for those that carry the torch, it will be effortless, and it has a really elegant style.”

Vio, who won wheelchair fencing gold at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, was equally impressed. “It’s beautiful, really gorgeous,” she said. “I like it because it’s very simple and not extravagant.”

Essential: “Spectacular, gorgeous, and the embodiment of Italian design”

The Milano Cortina 2026 torches, which have been named ‘Essential’ as a tribute to their minimalist design, were developed by Eni, Premium Partner of Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, in collaboration with Versalis, Official Supporter of the Games.

The two versions of the torch — one for the Olympic Winter Games and the other for the Paralympic Winter Games — both feature a reflective, iridescent finish but differ in colour.

The Olympic torch in blue-green hues, the Paralympic torch in bronze tones.

Eni and Versalis entrusted the design development to Studio Carlo Ratti Associati, while Cavagna Group is responsible for the engineering and production of the torches and their components.

“Let’s talk about this torch for a moment: it is spectacular, gorgeous, and the embodiment of Italian design,” Giovanni Malagò, President of Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, said at the torch unveiling event in Milan.

“I thank Carlo Ratti, Cavagna Group and the design philosophy, which I love. Essentiality becomes a style, which is not minimalism — far from it — but certainly not excessive.”

  • Want to become a Milano Cortina 2026 torchbearer? Apply today

Where can you see the torches of Milano Cortina 2026?

The two torches will be showcased at the Italia Pavilion throughout Expo 2025 in Osaka and will also be on display at the Triennale di Milano from May 2025 until the end of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

After the Games, having written a new chapter in Olympic and Paralympic history, the Essential Olympic torch will join the prestigious collection of torches at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, leaving a tangible legacy of innovation and sustainability for future generations.

Worldwide Olympic Partner Coca-Cola has been a proud supporter of the Olympic Torch Relay for more than three decades. Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner Allianz is the Presenting Partner for the Paralympic Torch Relay.

Get your tickets for Milano Cortina 2026 today

Tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026, Olympic Winter Games, which take place from 6-22 February 2026, as well as the Paralympic Winter Games (6-15 March 2026) are now available to the public.

You can start planning your dream experience by checking the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games calendars, then visit the official ticketing platform to purchase your tickets for the Games today.

Visa is the official way to pay and in recognition of Visa’s longstanding partnership with the Paralympic Games

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