Month: September 2025

Trane Technologies’ circularity practices focus on optimizing resource life. Through processes like sustainable design, resource sharing, reuse, refurbishment and recycling, we reduce our carbon footprint at every step of our value chain.

A pivotal stage of the circularity cycle occurs when equipment is already in the field, performing critical work, day after day. Our remanufacture and repair programs are key levers in that cycle, bringing used products or components back to a like-new condition. These service offerings breathe new life into customer assets, preserving their embedded value by eliminating the need to manufacture and buy new components and cutting carbon at a fraction of the cost.

Circularity in action: Remanufacturing to support decarbonization and business growth

Our remanufacturing and repair operations started almost 50 years ago. They now reach around the world. We restore used parts through a careful process, including disassembly, cleaning, repairing, testing and reassembly. In 2024 alone, our Global Aftermarket teams remanufactured more than 10,000 total components, including compressors, motors, controllers, electronic components, starters and more.

Reducing the need for new units decreases reliance on raw materials and new parts, lowers operating costs for our customers and helps reduce vulnerability to supply chain disruptions. Remanufacturing also improves component availability and reduces customer lead times. As part of the service offering, a remanufactured compressor ships within 24 hours, cutting customer downtime and enhancing after-sales service value to our customers.

Our Thermo King business operates a similar remanufacturing and repair program in the Netherlands, offering remanufactured parts for truck, trailer and marine refrigeration. Through extensive reverse logistics and regional partnerships, the program offers remanufactured alternatives for a wide range of components across our parts portfolio, with new options being regularly added.

While supporting our decarbonization strategy, the program also generates business value. Today, many customers expect manufacturers to have a remanufacturing option. Of Thermo King’s global parts revenue, more than 10% is generated by remanufactured parts. And in 2022, when the industry faced a shortage of digital controllers across climate control systems, refurbished alternatives offered a solution for these hard-to-find parts.

With this increasing demand, our businesses have been able to bolster procurement capabilities and turn circularity into a competitive edge for sustainable businesses.

Circularity and environmental stewardship

Our remanufacture and repair efforts underscore a simple truth: the most sustainable (and cost-effective) product is often the one already in use. By preserving high-value components, we advance resource efficiency, reduce new manufacturing demand and create local skilled jobs, all essential components of a sustainable and resilient business model.

Remanufacturing and repair programs like these also support our key decarbonization strategies, playing a direct role in achieving our 2030 Design Systems for Circularity Sustainability Commitments; our Gigaton Challenge to reduce one billion metric tons of carbon emissions from our customers’ footprint; and our commitment to reduce embodied carbon in our products by 40%.

These efforts illustrate how Trane Technologies turns circularity into action, leveraging decarbonization technologies and forward-thinking strategies to support sustainable solutions for our customers. As we improve circularity efforts across our value chain, we create real value. This shows why decarbonization matters for people, profit and the planet.

Learn more about how embracing circularity can drive business value in our series on this topic.

Explore careers that make an impact at Trane Technologies.

By Sandra Cipriani, Product Manager

In high-stakes applications like EV battery development, even minor measurement drift can lead to major consequences. Calibration isn’t just a checkbox—it’s your assurance of accuracy, safety, and compliance.

Battery testers are the backbone of your validation process. But without regular calibration, their precision can quietly degrade—putting your product quality, regulatory standing, and customer trust at risk. With KeysightCare, calibration becomes more than maintenance—it becomes a strategic safeguard. In this post, we’ll explore why calibration matters, what’s at stake when it’s skipped, and how proactive service through KeysightCare can keep your test data—and your reputation—rock solid.

Batteries have become ubiquitous — and essential — to our daily lives. A day doesn’t go by when I’m not dependent on several devices that run on increasingly smaller, more efficient, and more powerful electronic batteries, from wearables, to smartphones, to electrical vehicles and so much more. They enable portability and flexibility in our lives, while also playing key roles in contributing to a cleaner energy future.

These days, battery performance can make or break commercial success of an electronic product. As such, test has become critical to ensure batteries perform as expected “in the field.” And with test, the age-old question always comes up: do I really need to calibrate my battery test equipment? Today, I’m speaking to Christopher and Jeff, both working in the Service Delivery Organization of Keysight, to explore the if, and why, of battery test calibration.

Sandra: Good morning, Christopher and Jeff. Thank you so much for joining me.

Over the years, I’ve heard so many people say: “I paid a lot of money for my battery tester; I expect it to be in specification for the life of the equipment.” Do you agree? Is the need to calibrate inversely proportional to the quality of test equipment?

Christopher: Thank you for having me, Sandra. This is a topic that’s near and dear to my heart, and that I talk to a lot of customers about. The short answer is no. Calibration should never be seen as optional, nor should it be viewed as a reflection of the quality of test equipment. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

It’s a fact of life that all electronic test equipment must be calibrated. Typically done annually, calibration is necessary to ensure that the equipment continues to provide the performance specifications that you require—and the performance you paid for when you made your equipment investment. As time progresses, all test equipment will slowly drift out of specification. Calibration with adjustments and optimizations, returns it to operating within its specifications.

In fact, it’s the highest-performance equipment that is the most critical to keep calibrated, especially because you paid a lot of money to get that performance, so it’s critical to maintain it.

Sandra: And is it specifically important for battery test?

Jeff: Most definitely! Your battery tester contains a charger (source), discharger (load), voltmeter to measure battery voltage, and an ammeter to measure battery current. For your battery tester, power source control must be carefully maintained, for example, to ensure a charger doesn’t overcharge a battery. Likewise, your battery tester is used where accurate measurement is needed, such as to report on the measured capacity of a battery. By following the calibration schedule for your testers, you can ensure your equipment performs at the desired peak performance.

Sandra: And what’s the downside if someone decides not to calibrate, or let’s too much time lapse?

Christopher: Once the calibration period expires, you can’t rely on the battery tester to provide its stated performance as this performance is neither guaranteed nor specified past the calibration interval. You are therefore risking your equipment drifting out of spec. This drift will mean that voltage sources might no longer source the voltage to the required accuracy, resulting in the wrong voltage output. Likewise, drift will cause measurements to have additional error such that you can’t trust the readings.  Ultimately, you won’t be able to have confidence in the results, or worse, you might damage your battery under test.

Sandra: Can you say more about electronic drift – why and how it happens?

Jeff: Sure, put simply, electronics drift due to time and stresses of operation. While the test equipment was in perfect calibration when it left the factory, components inside will drift over time due to many factors, including mechanical shock (like dropping the instrument or roughly moving the system) or heat cycling (as the equipment heats up and cools down during normal operation). The purpose of performing calibration at set intervals is to ensure the battery tester is returned to its best calibrated state  before  it drifts out of specification.

Sandra: So how does drift specifically impact battery test?

Christopher: If we look at a battery voltage measurement as an example, say we want to measure the open circuit voltage (OCV) of a lithium-ion cell. The cell has an OCV of 3.5000V. This is the true OCV. Now we want to measure the OCV using the battery tester. Take a look at the table in Figure 1 (above) that shows how to determine the measurement error.

The issue is that without calibration, it’s possible to introduce even greater measurement error. If you were relying on this voltage measurement of OCV to terminate a charge step when measuring capacity, the capacity determination would be wrong because you stopped the charge step either too soon or too late due to the wide error in the OCV measurement. The voltage error then propagates into other measurements. Figure 2 (above) illustrates this point and shows how the measurement specification compares to the true or actual OCV.

For example, if the out-of-calibration measurement is +/- (0.7% of measurement + 8 mV), the error on the true 3.5000 V OCV jumps up from +/- 3.74 mV when in calibration to +/- 10.45 mV when out of calibration, resulting in a measurement that could be anywhere in the range of 3.48955 to 3.51045 V.

Sandra: That is a very significant deviation. So how do you recommend battery test equipment be calibrated?

Christopher: For large testers, the calibration service will likely be performed in your test facility, as it may not be feasible to move the testers. On-site calibration services can be pricey, so for benchtop battery testers, it may be more cost-effective to return the equipment to a qualified service center.

We caution about self-calibration. It is similar to deciding to fix your own car. Do you have the time, skills, and resources needed? If so, fixing your car is more cost-effective than having a mechanic fix the car. But if you don’t know how to make the repair, or need to buy a set of expensive tools, or simply don’t have the time, then maybe it’s better to let the mechanic do it.

Sandra: Christopher and Jeff, thank you so much for your time and expertise. As you know, Keysight offers certified, award-winning calibration services, including KeysightCare Enhanced support plans to take the work out of remembering when and how to calibrate. I’ll include the information below for our readers. Thanks again for sharing your experiences with us. Are you ready to discuss your calibration options?

About Jeff Massaro:
Jeff is a dedicated Field Service Engineer specializing in battery testing at the Keysight Huntsville office. His career began with an impressive eight-year tenure in the Navy, where he honed his skills working on Radar and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) applications before transitioning to the calibration lab.

In 1990, Jeff joined Hewlett-Packard at the Atlanta service center, where he focused on oscilloscopes and provided on-site calibration services for customers. His expertise and commitment led him to the field service organization, and in 1995, he relocated to Austin. There, he supported customers with Electric Magnetic Test (EMT) and semiconductor test equipment, further solidifying his reputation as Senior Field Service Engineer.

About Christopher Morton:
Christopher Morton is the EMEAI Business & Operating Manager in the Keysight Solution Service Delivery Organization. He began his career in 2000 as a graduate at Agilent, where he worked as a Test Technician and later as a Manufacturing Engineer on the 8960 Wireless Communication Test Set. In 2005, he transitioned into a Field Service Engineer role, focusing on In-Circuit and End-of-Line Functional Test solutions. Over the years, Christopher developed a strong foundation in the commercial aspects of the business, which led to his progression into management. He now leads the onsite Solution Service Delivery Organisation for Keysight across the EMEAI region.

Originally published by Sustainability Magazine

Subaru is putting sustainability at the heart of its messaging, spotlighting hybrid and electric models such as the Forester Hybrid and the Trailseeker EV.

These vehicles are marketed not just as eco-friendly options but as capable companions for exploration.

By combining advanced powertrains with rugged design, Subaru presents a compelling option for drivers wanting to reduce their environmental impact without compromising on performance or adventure-readiness.

Read more here on Sustainabilitymag.com

Tapping into different voices, perspectives, and experiences helps businesses solve problems, reveals new opportunities to grow, and encourages contributions that better support people and communities. At Henkel North America, diversity is a path to progress, innovation, and impact. Our employees and partners are united by our purpose: Pioneers at heart for the good of generations. They collaborate to tackle challenges, find solutions and open new perspectives – allowing us to deliver products, services, and innovations that enrich and improve everyday life.

We invite you to “meet” our pioneers in our series, “Pioneers for Good.”

Introducing Jonathan Espinosa

Jonathan Espinosa, Supply Chain Finance Controller for Henkel North America, embodies how love and courage can ignite meaningful change. This attitude has not only helped him shift challenges into growth opportunities but also encourage others to live authentically.

Beginning his career as an operational controller for Henkel in Mexico in 2016, Jonathan moved to the US in 2023 to work for the supply chain organization. Jonathan’s career is a testament to his deep commitment to embracing every challenge with fortitude.

“Every position I have held has challenged me either personally or professionally and each experience has led me to growth,” said Jonathan.

Fostering Community in the Workplace

Jonathan looks for ways to create opportunities for employees to bond and foster unity. In Mexico, he organized events such an open mic format where employees could express ideas and share experiences in a safe space.

When Jonathan transferred to a new role in the US, he brought his spirit of love and authenticity along with his quest to do his part in building the culture of belonging at Henkel. He joined the PRIDE Employee Resource Group (ERG) to collaborate with his new colleagues in creating opportunities for connection.

For Jonathan, ERGs help Henkel to build inclusive communities that empower employees to bring their full authentic selves to work. The ERG network at Henkel thrives on collaboration, offering members and allies a chance to connect across communities.

With Jonathan’s leadership, the ERG has organized simple events such as cupcakes and conversation on Valentine’s Day as well as larger scale events including employee participation in the NYC Pride parade to celebrate the power of love and inclusion.

Through his time working with Henkel’s PRIDE ERG and exposure to other ERGs, Jonathan has developed a deeper appreciation for Henkel’s larger network of resource groups. Although not a formal member of UNIDOS, Henkel’s Hispanic/Latinx ERG, Jonathan shares his Hispanic heritage and celebrates the group’s mission while continuing to spread his message of love and courage.

“Diversity is an asset, not a liability. When you show who you truly are, you activate the power of diversity to strengthen relationships and build community in the workplace. You should never be afraid or ashamed of who you are.”

Jonathan Espinosa, Supply Chain Finance Controller for Henkel North America

Leading With Love, Allows Unity to Follow

At the heart of Jonathan’s advocacy is a simple message: love is the antidote.

This philosophy aligns with Henkel’s sentiment of “Love Unites All”, a notion that Jonathan also carries with him in his day-to-day life. By leading with love, Jonathan is able to advocate for his community, live true to himself, and encourage others around him to do the same.

Jonathan’s ability to use love as an antidote provides courage for the next generation to continue in his path. He aims to help shape a future where more people can be their authentic selves not solely in the workplace but in every facet of life. Jonathan’s journey shows that when individuals are empowered to be themselves, they open doors for those to come.

Jonathan says, “being open and vocal about your identity allows others to feel safe to do so as well.”

See Jonathan and Henkel colleagues celebrating Pride across the globe and sharing the message Love Unites All.

In 2018, Cisco and Destination: Home embarked on a partnership to tackle homelessness in Santa Clara County. While our primary focus was on the development of supportive housing and homelessness prevention, we also saw an opportunity to leverage technology to improve lives. While not a panacea, technology can play a critical role in helping individuals experiencing homelessness access vital resources, and can enhance the efficiency and service delivery of the organizations serving them.

Assessing technology needs in Santa Clara County’s supportive housing system

We began with a technology needs assessment of Santa Clara County’s supportive housing system, which aimed to identify opportunities to leverage data and technology to strengthen the system of care. The findings were insightful: both homeless service providers and people receiving services expressed a need for better communication between staff and clients, as well as the need for systems that allow individuals to access services and manage their own information.

Based on these insights, the assessment recommended the development of a client-facing portal. The envisioned tool would provide secure access for e-signatures, appointment scheduling, document management, and direct communication between clients and providers. This laid the foundation for what would eventually become MyConnectSV.

Building MyConnectSV: A collaborative effort

Building MyConnectSV was not quick. Destination: Home followed a thoughtful and inclusive process to ensure it was done right. Systems-level changes, such as updating policies around electronic releases of information at the County level, were necessary before implementation could begin.

Throughout the design, development and testing process, the Destination: Home team consistently engaged service providers and people with lived experience of homelessness to help create a solution that would truly meet their needs.

The result? A secure, user-friendly platform designed to empower individuals and streamline service delivery.

Key features of MyConnectSV include the ability to:

• Update contact information in real time
• Track upcoming appointments
• Upload and access personal documents
• Access critical resources, such as food and medical care information
• Sign and upload key documents electronically
• Communicate directly with case managers
• Track their position in the housing queue
• Share their location with case managers via a “drop pin” feature

These functionalities save weeks of time, prevent missed opportunities, and expedite the journey to stable housing. For individuals experiencing homelessness, this means staying connected to essential resources and support systems. For service organizations, it means improved outreach and efficiency in delivering care.

The team continues to improve the tool by actively listening to users and incorporating their feedback into ongoing development—ensuring that MyConnectSV evolves to meet the needs of those most impacted.

The broader impact of technology in homeless services

The benefits of technology like MyConnectSV extend beyond time savings. It democratizes access to information, making critical resources available to all, and is both replicable and scalable. In partnering with Clarity by Bitfocus, a platform currently used by over 75 communities across the country, we ensured that this client-facing module could be easily adopted by Bitfocus users across the United States.

What began as a local initiative in Santa Clara County is now a replicable, impactful solution with the potential to make a difference nationwide. And while there’s still much work to be done, this is a reminder of how technology, when designed with empathy and purpose, can truly improve lives.

To learn more, check out Destination: Home’s latest newsletter, Breaking Down Barriers to Housing.

View original content here.

by Will Wiseman, CEO & co-founder of Climatize

It began with a question – What if climate action could be scaled by giving people direct access to invest in the energy transition? That question is what my cofounder and I asked ourselves a few years ago — and it’s how Climatize became a U.S. investment platform focused on renewable energy project offerings.

As of September 2025, more than $10 million has been invested through Climatize, helping to fund 22 renewable energy projects across the country. Our community now includes over 2,400 members. To date, more than $2.4 million has already been returned to investors between principal and interest.

This article goes into what investing in renewable energy projects looks like on the ground. You’ll find stories and videos from the field, a map of every project funded so far, and a closer look at how everyday people are stepping into the energy transition, one project at a time. We’ve seen what’s possible when projects get the support they need.

Our investment platform offers direct investments in vetted renewable energy projects, such as solar arrays, batteries, or EV chargers. Each offering is up to $5 million and is made possible because of the SEC’s Regulation Crowdfunding, a legal framework that unlocks new opportunities for investors at all levels.

Read Will’s full article and check out several impactful videos here– https://greenmoney.com/new_version/investing-in-renewable-energy-a-success-story-of-community-powered-climate-action

======

AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, and OAKLAND, Calif., September 17, 2025 /3BL/ – Cascale today released a new China Country Report: Macroeconomic and Sustainability Analysis, analyzing the energy landscape, workforce and social responsibility, export and consumer goods market trends, and policy, as well as regional insights from its Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM), exclusively available on Worldly. The report sheds light on how China’s textile and apparel sector is navigating sustainability challenges while seizing opportunities to lead the global industry toward a cleaner, more innovative future.

“Cascale’s Higg FEM data is a powerful lens into where the industry is headed,” said Jeremy Lardeau, senior vice president, Higg Index. “China remains a critical player in global textile and apparel manufacturing, and has demonstrated it can lead the way in innovation, new technology adoption and scaling. The opportunity now is to leverage sustainability and innovation not only to meet regulatory and buyer demands but to build long-term competitiveness in a rapidly changing market.”

As the industry’s most widely used environmental assessment tool, the Higg FEM measures factory performance across energy use, emissions, water, wastewater, and chemical management within consumer goods value chains. Recent data analysis shows that while China’s vast manufacturing base faces mounting pressure to decarbonize and improve working conditions, the country is uniquely positioned to transform into a hub of low-carbon, circular, and tech-driven production. These include:

• Green Growth and Renewable Energy: With China’s massive investments in solar, wind, and hydro power, factories can increasingly run on clean electricity, lowering emissions and costs. Higg FEM data shows measurable progress among facilities adopting energy efficiency and renewable power solutions, setting the stage for “low-carbon apparel” as a new competitive advantage.
   
• Circular Economy and Recycling: National initiatives to build a textile recycling system by 2025 align with Higg FEM findings on the growing adoption of water recycling and waste reduction practices. Chinese companies are positioned to pioneer chemical and mechanical recycling solutions that can close material loops and reduce the country’s annual textile waste of more than 20 million tons.
   
• Technological Innovation and Digitalization: The adoption of automation, AI, and smart factory models – already reflected in operational efficiency gains reported in the Higg FEM – offer pathways to increase productivity while reducing waste.
   
• Market Diversification and Domestic Upgrading: As Western demand stabilizes, China’s focus on emerging markets and domestic brand building presents new avenues for growth. The Higg FEM shows that higher-performing facilities are already aligning with global buyers’ sustainability requirements, making them well-placed to capture new business.
   
• Policy Support and Global Collaboration: Chinese factories benefit from policy incentives for green technology adoption and are increasingly engaging with international sustainability frameworks. Cascale’s Higg FEM data provides the transparency and benchmarking needed to align with these initiatives.

Cascale’s analysis suggests that China’s textile and apparel sector is at a pivotal juncture. If the industry embraces renewable energy, recycling, and digital transformation, it can not only reduce environmental impact but also maintain its role as a global leader in textile and apparel production. And opportunities exist: For example, Cascale’s Manufacturer Climate Action Program (MCAP) helps manufacturers (members and non-members) develop and validate Science-Aligned Targets (SATs) to reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions across the consumer goods industry. To date, MCAP has engaged 13 manufacturers in China and four have set validated goals with a collective CO2 reduction potential of over 145,000 tCO2e.

Additionally, although social responsibility is not measured by the Higg FEM, broader analysis included in Cascale’s China Country Report shows rising wages and improved safety standards have lifted living conditions for the country’s estimated 7.8 million textile and apparel workers, but challenges remain around long hours, limited worker representation, and compliance. However, global scrutiny and legislation has spurred greater transparency, traceability, and formalization across supply chains. Chinese manufacturers that act decisively could establish themselves as benchmarks for low-carbon, circular, and socially-responsible production.

“Cascale and its members are committed to Combat Climate Change and Support Decent Work,” said Harsh Saini, interim CEO, Cascale. “Our new China Country Report reveals that pursuing these objectives in tandem – pairing action on decarbonization with that on working conditions – is critical for the industry to sustain competitiveness and meet growing expectations.”

Editors: For more information, please contact cascaleforster@forster.co.uk. 

ABOUT CASCALE

Cascale is the global alliance empowering collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale owns and develops the Higg Index, which is exclusively available on Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform. Cascale unites over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, and NGO/nonprofit affiliates around the globe through one singular vision: To catalyze impact at scale and give back more than we take to the planet and its people. LinkedIn | X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube