Author: sHq_LoGiNz

The two largest companies that provide advice to institutional investors on how to vote their corporate proxies are fighting back against a Texas law that would limit their ability to advise clients on environmental, social and governance practices. Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), which advises about 2,000 clients for more than 51,000 shareholder meetings, and Glass Lewis, with than 1,300 clients, both filed suit in July to block Texas Senate Bill 2337 that was scheduled to take effect on September 1.

In our Top Stories for the issue, the law firm Gibson Dunn reports that on August 29, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas entered a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the new Texas law until a trial is held, which is set for February 2, 2026.

According to Gibson Dunn, SB 2337 “will impose extensive public and directed disclosure obligations on proxy advisory firms when their recommendations or services are based on non-financial factors, which include environmental, social and governance (ESG) and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) considerations, diverge from company management’s recommendations, or provide conflicting advice across clients.”

In their lawsuits, ISS and Glass Lewis argued that SB 2337 is unconstitutional since it would violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the US Constitution by “forcing the proxy advisors to state that recommendations inconsistent with management or incorporating ESG/DEI are not in shareholders’ financial interest.”

Reuters reported in July that the proxy advisors said the new law was an attempt “to force proxy advisers to broadcast Texas’ preferred viewpoints when their own differed, including on hot-button issues that a Republican state legislator perceived as having a ‘hard left bent.’”

The State of Texas, under the leadership of Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate, has been at the forefront of Republican efforts to attack ESG and DEI programs at corporations, schools and in government. The state passed a law in 2023 banning DEI offices at public universities and colleges and this year passed a law, which is being challenged by the ACLU, to ban DEI programs in K-12 schools.

In our other Top Stories, Reuters and NPR report that state attorney generals and leading environmental and scientific groups are pushing back against the proposal by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to invalidate the 2009 Endangerment Finding — which underlies regulations for controlling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Reuters reported that Arizona Attorney General Chris Mayes said, “the EPA is proposing to bury its head in the sand and ignore the mounting costs of climate change for all Americans.”

NPR reports that in August, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Union of Concerned Scientists filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA alleging that the government’s report used to support its proposed repeal of the Endangerment Finding was unlawful since it was created in secret. Public comments regarding the proposed EPA repeal of the Endangerment Finding can be submitted through September 15, with instructions available here.

The G&A team will be closely following the legal battles in Texas and in Washington and are available to answer questions about the impact on your ESG and sustainability programs. For more information contact us at: info@ga-institute.com.

This is just the introduction of G&A’s Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue.

Join a global community of purpose-driven industry leaders that are meeting today’s challenges with bold vision and collaboration. Exchange ideas and explore solutions that will help your brand lead in today’s evolving marketplace – delivering value for business, society, and the planet.

SAN DIEGO, September 8, 2025 /3BL/ – Sustainable Brands (SB) has officially launched the full program for SB’25 San Diego, taking place October 13-16, 2025 at the Town & Country Resort.

In a time of global uncertainty, SB’25 will convene brands that continue to lead with purpose. This year’s theme – Adapt and Accelerate – calls on leaders to turn disruption into innovation and challenges into progress to drive good growth that benefitsbusiness, people, and the planet. From marketing to drive consumer behavior change to advancements in materials science and demonstrating ROI and impact, the conference program offers actionable insights to build clarity, credibility, and cross-functional momentum around sustainable business transformation.

Register before Sept. 14 for the last chance to save and be part of the community that’s still doing the work – together.

Program Highlights Include:

• Trevor Shah, Head of Sustainability, L’Oréal Professionnel Paris, sharing the company’s innovative focus on product performance to deliver sustainability impact
• Daniel Aronson, Founder and CEO, Valutus, leading an in-depth workshop on the ROI of sustainability to include coaching from renowned experts in governance and sustainability performance metrics
• James Reeves, Director of Sustainability Strategy, and Brian Bautsch, Director of North American Safety Strategy, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., outlining a dynamic cross-functional internal engagement initiative to embed sustainability and safety into the rhythm of daily work throughout offices and manufacturing plants.
• Yuki Kabe, Technical Advisory Specialist and Maureen Malia, Circular Economy, Sustainability, and Advocacy Manager, Braskem exploring how bio-based resins are helping shift industries away from fossil-based materials

SB’25 is designed to create space for peer-to-peer exchange. The program includes curated experiences like Birds of a Feather dinners, Campfire Conversations, and sunrise sessions that foster honest dialogue backed by data, leadership, and collective insight.

For more information, visit the SB’25 Program Page. Discounts are available for groups of 3+, SMBs, NGOs, and educational institutions. 

Sponsorship, Exhibit, and Partnership opportunities are also available for those looking to sharing their solutions with leading brands. For more information about sponsoring SB’25 San Diego, email inquiries to engage@sustainablebrands.com or visit the event website. For general press inquiries and credential requests, please visit our Media Center

About Sustainable Brands Sustainable Brands®, a female-founded Public Benefit Corporation, is the premier global community of brand innovators who are reshaping the future of commerce worldwide. Since 2006, our mission has been to inspire, engage and equip today’s business and brand leaders to prosper for the near and long term by leading the way to the future we want for all people for all time. Digitally published news articles and issues-focused conversations, a robust e-learning library and internationally known conferences and regional events, along with peer-to-peer membership groups, unique market intelligence, tools and services all facilitate community education and transformative action throughout the year.

Tata Consultancy Services, through its Tech4HOPE pro bono consulting and services initiative, recently contributed to efforts of the Sports Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) to make stronger connections to its members and global stakeholders. The project, for which TCS donated approximately USD $210,000 worth of IT consulting and services, enabled SIGA to improve its ability to establish, manage and protect its most critical relationships using a new, made-to-order customer relationship management (CRM) tool.

For TCS, a top sponsor of some of the world’s most prestigious marathons, the project aligned deeply with both its technology consulting capabilities as well as its values and passions.

Based in Geneva, Switzerland, SIGA is the world’s leading organization for sport integrity. Its mission is to provide global leadership, promote good governance, and safeguard the integrity of sport through a set of universal standards established by an independent, neutral, and global body. To help SIGA effectively execute its goals, the TCS project team designed their contribution in three parts. They began with a thorough assessment of SIGA’s operational priorities, recommended Salesforce CRM as a solution, and set to work customizing it to meet the organization’s needs.

The Challenge

With staff, members, and committed supporters located around the world, SIGA identified the need for a more streamlined and integrated approach to managing stakeholder information. To improve coordination and efficiency, SIGA adopted a CRM system that centralizes key data and supports its global teams in Geneva, Washington, D.C., Lisbon, and São Paulo. This requested tool was aimed at enabling enhanced communication, stakeholder engagement and improving the effectiveness of SIGA on multiple levels.

The TCS Volunteer Team

Next, the TCS’ Tech4HOPE team assembled a group of volunteers to develop a tailor-made CRM solution. This group of 16 highly qualified technical CRM architects from around the world were led by two technical leaders based in India. Over a period of nine months, the global team programmed the custom tool to address needs ranging from data collection and storage to event planning and sponsor management. As a result of these efforts, SIGA will be able to advance its positive influence in a way that will best serve its members while facilitating good governance and data integrity across a more inclusive, accessible, and diverse range of outputs.

“SIGA warmly acknowledges the outstanding support provided by the TCS team and the efficient, highly professional way in which the process was conducted. The CRM tool developed through this collaboration directly responds to our operational needs and enhances our ability to manage complex and demanding projects more effectively. These positive changes have ensured we are able to enhance our impact, while being more efficient with our time and resources – all of which combine to better serve the SIGA members, our wider stakeholder network and sport as an industry,” said Iain Lindsay, SIGA’s Global COO. “A particular note of recognition must go to the contribution of Haley Price, Head of Sports, Sustainability and Innovation for North America at TCS, who serves as a member of the SIGA Council and brings invaluable insight to our shared mission.”

From TCS’ perspective, the partnership and project were a perfect match. TCS began sponsoring marathons in 2008 with a simple purpose—to celebrate running’s positive health impacts and the human connection they foster. Today, the company partners with 14 of the world’s most prestigious marathons and running events. Importantly, TCS understands that the qualities needed to run a marathon—focus, determination, perseverance and increasingly, technology—are also required to run a successful, long-lasting business.

“TCS believes sport can contribute to greater futures as participants and fans increasingly hold sporting events to higher ethical standards,” said Michelle Taylor, Global Head, Sports Sponsorship. “Our partnership with SIGA is aligned with our conviction to be a true transformation partner for our clients, our communities, and the ecosystems we live and work within. We share SIGA’s commitment to making sporting events around the world more sustainable, responsible, and inclusive.”

TCS employee volunteers on the SIGA CRM project believe in SIGA’s mission and the values it shares with TCS. The group enjoyed the comprehensive nature of the work, which spanned corporate social responsibility, marketing, sales, digital commerce, and customer service interactions. The final CRM tool, launched in May 2025, is expected to increase efficiency and help SIGA better manage content, contacts, and sales, while increasing productivity and strengthening customer relationships.

For more information on the TCS Tech4HOPE program, contact northamerica.csr@tcs.com.

To achieve net-zero carbon by 2050, Saint-Gobain North America must reach key milestones by 2030. In our latest episode of Journey to 2030, see how Saint-Gobain and Chryso are working to create a world with more sustainable concrete.

With concrete alone contributing approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions, how is Chryso working to decarbonize concrete? Lisa Barnard shows us how we’re reducing environmental impact without sacrificing strength, durability, or quality.

About Journey to 2030

With approximately 37% of CO₂ emissions coming from the built environment, we have a responsibility as the leader of light and sustainable construction to move towards net-zero carbon by 2050. But before we can get there, Saint-Gobain has milestones we’re trying to achieve by 2030. 

Join us on our Journey to 2030 and watch the entire video series on YouTube.

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group, celebrating its 360th anniversary in 2025, remains more committed than ever to its purpose “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€46.6 billion in sales in 2024
More than 161,000 employees, locations in 80 countries
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050

Originally published on Essity Newsroom

Hygiene and health company Essity has, for the sixth consecutive year, been acknowledged for its leadership in sustainability by the global non-profit environmental organization CDP. Essity has been recognized on CDP’s 2024 Supplier Engagement Leaderboard list for its efforts in involving suppliers in climate change initiatives.

To combat climate change and reduce Essity’s total emissions, the company is committed to cascading environmental actions throughout the entire supply chain. Achieving Essity’s net zero ambition by 2050 is dependent on close collaboration and engagement with suppliers. 
Essity is dedicated to fostering strong partnerships to collectively reduce Scope 3 related carbon emissions, including sourced key raw materials, by 35% by 2030. For 2024, Essity reported Scope 3 emissions reduction of 21%.

“Our approach to supplier collaboration is built on clear expectations, robust support, and the fostering of innovation. We communicate our environmental targets, provide the necessary tools and training, and encourage new solutions to reduce emissions. Open communication and strong partnerships ensure our suppliers are fully engaged and committed to our shared climate action mission”, says Jessica Nordlinder, VP Global Procurement, Essity.

CDP’s annual environmental data collection is widely acknowledged as the premier independent standard for evaluating companies’ environmental practices. The Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA) by CDP evaluates companies based on their governance, targets, Scope 3 emissions, and value chain performance.

More information on CDP: Turning Transparency to Action

For additional information please contact: Karl Stoltz, Public Relations Director, +46 709 426 338, karl.stoltz@essity.com

About Essity 
Essity is a global, leading hygiene and health company. Every day, our products, solutions and services are used by a billion people around the world. Our purpose is to break barriers to well-being for the benefit of consumers, patients, caregivers, customers and society. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands such as Actimove, Cutimed, JOBST, Knix, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Modibodi, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, TOM Organic and Zewa. In 2024, Essity had net sales of approximately SEK 146bn (EUR 13bn) and employed 36,000 people. The company’s headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. More information at essity.com.
 

Read the 2025 Wesco Sustainability Report here

Wesco strives to meet our 2030 goals to reduce our environmental impact. We are working with customers and suppliers as well as the communities in which we operate to reassess and recalibrate certain programs and processes in order to advance us further towards achieving our goals.

To advance us towards our emissions goal, we now include energy efficiency requirements in new building leases. For the buildings we own, we implement various initiatives to improve our energy efficiency. These efforts plus investing in renewable energy solutions with our utility providers will improve our emissions. Wesco improved waste and recycling data accuracy in 2024 and addressed data gaps from 2023. Future efforts will focus on reducing waste to meet our 2030 goal.

To achieve this goal, we intend to: implement waste reduction initiatives at high-impact sites; expand employee training on sustainable practices; partner with vendors to optimize recycling streams; and continuously monitor and refine data for better insights.

Our Global Sustainability Policy sets the foundation for our efforts. Elements of the policy are aligned with key provisions of the ISO 14001:2015 environmental management standards. The policy outlines accountability, direct program responsibilities, key performance indicators and other metrics to track progress and is conducted by the sustainability and environmental compliance team, who report progress to senior management monthly. We implement the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle to promote continuous improvement in our energy and environmental management efforts.

Our Environmental Goals

Target:

• Reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 30% for our U.S., Canada and U.K. operations from a 2021 baseline by 2030.
• Reduce landfill waste intensity by 15% across our U.S. and Canadian locations from a 2020 baseline by 2030.

Progress

• Wesco has reduced scope 1 and 2 emissions by 3% or 2,556 total MTCO2e from our 2021 baseline for our U.S., Canada and U.K. operations.
• In 2024, Wesco’s landfill waste intensity increased by 20% from the 2020 baseline. While these results are below our expectations, there has been an increased focus on waste management and tracking, and a 44% increase in overall tons recycled.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• UN Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• UN Goal 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
• UN Goal 12: Responsible Production & Consumption

Energy

Most of the energy we use comes from electricity and natural gas for lighting, heating and cooling our distribution centers, fulfillment centers and sales offices in approximately 50 countries around the world. Our fleet of approximately 1,300 trucks and 1,800 cars used in our distribution and sales activities consume fuel that further contributes to our total energy consumption. Utilizing renewable energy and identifying new energy efficient practices is at the core of our energy use reduction strategy.

Our Facilities

Most of our facility portfolio is leased, which reduces our control over facility energy consumption and adds complexity to meeting our emissions reduction goal. Through business optimization efforts to better serve our customers, we consolidated locations, but we expanded our overall square footage at these locations to support business growth, which offset energy savings. To introduce renewable energy into our facility portfolio, we have implemented a renewable energy certificate program, with planned future evolution to encompass additional procurement strategies. Our initial focus is on verified local projects in the areas where Wesco consumes the most energy. Where possible, we also engage with the owners and agents of the buildings we lease to improve energy efficiency.

Our greatest opportunity to make an impact is during lease negotiations. We now include energy efficiency requirements in new building leases. For the buildings we own, we implement various initiatives to improve our energy efficiency. These include energy audits for buildings, upgrades to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, electrification initiatives and the adoption of renewable energy solutions.

To help inform our efforts, Wesco analyzes facility energy consumption data to determine outliers and areas for improvement. These efforts, along with investing in renewable energy solutions with our utility providers, will help us to reach our 2030 emissions goal.

Renewable Energy in Our Facilities:

• In 2024, Wesco began a renewable energy program to support renewable energy use in our facilities.
• Wesco focused on our top two states by electricity consumption – Illinois and Texas. Wesco invested in locally- generated and Green-e certified renewable energy certificates in these two states. (19,191 MWh total renewable energy)

The company also participates in tax credit and community solar programs in regions we operate in, supporting and promoting the development of renewables.

To learn more, download the 2025 Wesco Sustainability Report here.

About This Report

Unless otherwise stated, this report covers activities, data and initiatives from our fiscal year 2024.

ESG Disclosure and Framework Alignment

The topics covered in this report include those that we have determined to be material for our business and stakeholders as noted on page 10. Wesco aligns with several ESG frameworks and disclosures in support of our commitment to transparency and our fulfillment
of stakeholder needs and expectations. We leverage the following frameworks and standards to provide robust ESG information disclosure:

• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): GRI offers a list of global standards and guidelines around sustainability reporting.
• Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB): SASB provides a comprehensive set of industry-specific disclosure topics and guidelines.
• International Financial Reporting Standards (Climate-related disclosures, IFRS S2) which incorporates the now decommissioned Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD): IFRS provides disclosure recommendations on thematic ESG topics such as governance, strategy, risk management, metrics and targets to provide stakeholders with fuller information surrounding climate risks.
• CDP: Formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, CDP is
  an international organization that helps companies and cities measure and disclose important environmental impact information through an annual questionnaire and rating system.
• United Nations Global Compact (UNGC): UNGC is an initiative that aims to help businesses align their strategies and work toward the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.
• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs): U.N. SDGs provide a shared set of 17 goals toward peace and prosperity for people and planet goals and create a call to action by all countries in a global partnership

We also regularly engage with our investors, employees, customers, regulators, ratings agencies and others on ESG and business issues. Additional information about Wesco can be found in our public financial filings— including our annual report and proxy filings—as well as on the Security and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov or on the Investors page of our website at Wesco.com.

Wesco plans to continue to report annually as we monitor, measure and deepen our ESG initiatives and disclosures.

Wesco endorses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. We have prioritized the following five goals: Good Health and Well Being, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Responsible Consumption and Production.

More information about our SDG aligned initiatives is included throughout this report.

Assurance

We did not seek third-party assurance for this report; however, we will consider doing so for future reporting. The information and data contained in this report was vetted by internal subject matter experts on the various ESG topics included in this report.

Contact Us

We welcome feedback on our ESG initiatives and reporting. We invite you to contact us directly via email at Sustainability@Wescodist.com.

Cummins

For Paul, a Level 1 Engineering Field Service Technician at Cummins, a career in diesel mechanics was never a question of if, but when.

Long before joining Cummins, Paul was already familiar with the power and precision of Cummins marine diesel engines—he worked with them during his time in the U.S. Navy. “I’ve always liked working with my hands, taking things apart and putting them back together. Even as a kid, I was into cars, trucks and motorcycles. So when Cummins technicians would come on board to work on our engines, I paid close attention. I knew it was something I wanted to do.”

After separating from the Navy in 2022, Paul settled in San Diego, moving through a few civilian jobs—each one offering a little more opportunity than the last. But it wasn’t until a message from a Cummins recruiter appeared in his LinkedIn inbox that things really began to shift. “My wife and I talked it over,” Paul says. “It was a big move—from California to Louisiana—but we knew it was the right one.”

That leap was made easier by the support he received. “I was genuinely surprised by how many resources Cummins offered to help with my transition and relocation. It made the whole process smoother than I expected.”

Now in the field, Paul supports technicians with diagnosing and servicing marine diesel engines—work that feels both familiar and exciting. “There’s a sense of pride every time we troubleshoot an issue, make the right fix and start the engine up again. When everything works as it’s supposed to, it’s a good feeling.”

Paul is also a member of the Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG), a space he joined to stay connected with fellow veterans across the company. “I think it’s important for veterans to have a community like this.”

He believes veterans bring something invaluable to any workplace—discipline, consistency and experience forged in real-world conditions. “I always joke with people that veterans will show up to work and always show up on time,” he laughs. “But it’s true—we’re reliable, and we’ve developed skills most people take a lifetime to build. Employers who understand that and see our experience as an asset—not a barrier—are the ones we thrive with.”

When asked what advice he’d give to other veterans navigating the transition to civilian life, Paul doesn’t hesitate. “Pick a field you enjoy—something you can see yourself doing long-term. The skills you picked up in the military will serve you well if you apply them to the right environment.”

For Paul, finding his place at Cummins has been more than a job—it’s been a continuation of a calling. “This work feels right. It’s challenging, it’s hands-on and it’s something I believe in.”

Originally published on 3M News Center

As artificial intelligence (AI) workloads surge, U.S. data centers are under immense pressure to grow capacity while minimizing energy demand. A recent analysis from Epoch AI highlights that computational performance per watt in AI supercomputers has increased by 34% every year from 2019 to 2025, driven by innovations in cooling, power delivery, and energy efficient chip design. To sustain this momentum, data centers must optimize every aspect of power and thermal management.

According to a July 2025 report by 174 Power Global, AI workloads could push U.S. data center electricity demands sharply upward—AI alone may soon account for nearly eight percent of national power use and global demand may double by 2030. Flexible, smart energy architectures are vital to meeting this challenge, aligning with national goals to lead the AI era responsibly.

“From the grid to the rack, 3M innovations are designed to help hyperscalers and data center operators build faster, operate more efficiently and adapt to new workloads with confidence,” said Alex An, vice president, 3M Data Center Vertical. “Whether it’s enabling high-bandwidth, low-latency optical interconnects, solving mission-critical thermal challenges, improving the efficiency of power delivery, or improving hot aisle containment, 3M is helping data centers meet their increasing challenges of AI-driven growth by pushing the limits of our materials science, minimizing energy footprints and helping increasing connectivity speeds.”

3M innovations: Efficiency, performance, and sustainability

The 3M Cable Quality Prep System helps customers accelerate their medium voltage cable preparation while embedding performance monitoring – crucial in minimizing installation time and helping customers ensure reliable energy pathways.

3M Sensored Cable Accessories provide real-time data on electrical grid performance, helping data centers detect faults, optimize energy distribution, and reduce their downtime. By integrating sensors into cable accessories, these smart grid solutions can help hyperscalers enhance their predictive maintenance, minimize outages, and improve overall grid resilience.

Optical fiber interconnects can dramatically outpace electrical copper in both power efficiency and performance. Research by Frontiers in Physics shows that optical interconnects can deliver 10 times greater energy efficiency, with improved bandwidth, lower latency, and scalability to 1.6 terabits per second and beyond. They help customers eliminate bottlenecks and enable faster real-time data exchange critical for AI compute environments. As the industry evolves, 3M will address growing AI needs beyond traditional networking with advanced solutions like active copper, dense compute fabrics for GPUs, and co-packaged optics (CPOs), positioning 3M at the forefront of materials science-based innovations.

The 3M Expanded Beam Optical Interconnect, with significantly reduced dust sensitivity compared to physical contact optical connectors, helps data centers accelerate their hyperscale deployment by reducing cleaning and inspection requirements, which accelerates time to build.

As hyperscalers target zero waste, carbon neutrality, becoming water positive, and operating on 100% renewable energy, 3M is exploring materials to help them support their sustainability goals with products such as biobased floor marking tapes, longer life and recyclable air filters and solutions to help improve water usage efficiencies. The 3M Air Containment Barrier Film provides low-carbon alternative to traditional hot-aisle containment. Effective air management is a cornerstone of efficient data center design, as strategic approaches can help significantly reduce energy overhead associated with cooling, lighting, and airflow. Furthermore, 3M vibration and noise damping solutions are helping hyberscalers mitigate nuisance noise and vibration from servers and racks.

Smart grid integration and demand flexibility

Smart grid integration is helping transform how data centers manage their electricity. Advanced, low-voltage switchboards with real-time sensing and load balancing significantly help improve resilience, reduce waste, and accommodate renewable power sources. Notably, demand response flexibility enables data centers to scale back during peak grid usage, a strategy that some advanced hyperscalers are already implementing in collaboration with local utilities.

Flexible data centers not only help utilities avoid costly grid expansions but also accelerate deployment timelines—a recent report from Energy Innovation shows that demand flexibility can reduce the need for new gas generation or grid upgrades.

Why 3M matters for AI-Ready U.S. infrastructure

• Efficiency from installation to operation: By cutting cable prep time and improving reliability, 3M systems help data centers/hyberscalers reduce their labor and downtime risks.
• Next-Gen connectivity: Copper and optical interconnects help data centers/hyperscalers enable high bandwidth with low power and thermal footprint—key for dense AI workloads.
• Lower carbon solutions: 3M is committed to helping customers support their sustainability goals with innovations like biobased floor marking tapes, longer life and recyclable air filters, and solutions to help improve water usage efficiencies. Air barrier film contributes to hot aisle containment strategies that help data centers/hyperscalers meet their thermal requirements and support energy goals.
• Grid-aware infrastructure: Sensor-enabled cabling integrates seamlessly with smart grid and demand-response regimes, aligning with the U.S. aspiration to lead AI infrastructure efficiently.

As the U.S. competes on the global AI stage, data centers must be fast-built, energy-efficient, reliable, and smart-grid ready. 3M integrated solutions—from cable preparation and monitoring tools to optical interconnects and airflow management—help empower operators to meet their demands while also advancing their sustainability. Our innovations help unlock AI’s full potential with less energy, more speed, and greater resilience.

EMERYVILLE, Calif., September 8, 2025 /3BL/ – SCS Standards and Assurance Systems is pleased to announce that version 2.0 of the SCS-111 Certification Standard for Rigid Core Resilient Flooring is now available for public review. 

The Standard and associated certification label (Assure Certified™) were first introduced by SCS Global Services for the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) in January of 2020. SCS-111 builds upon the well-established FloorScore® program by incorporating additional performance criteria. In addition to evaluating indoor air quality, it includes rigorous testing for rigidity, durability and performance, and low heavy metals and ortho-phthalates content.  SCS-111 provides customers the highest level of confidence in the safety and performance of Rigid Core products, supporting the growth of this rapidly expanding market.

Version 2.0 of SCS-111 has been revised to add a new ASTM testing method, the Test Method for Measurement of the Fracture Resistance of a Modular Resilient Flooring’s Profiled Edge(s) to an Applied Vertical Force. This method is in the process of being finalized.

The public is welcome to comment on the version 2.0 updates to the standard until October 3, 2025. To submit comments, please reach out to standards@scsstandards.org, or please visit www.scsstandards.org/standards/certification-standard-rigid-core-vinyl-flooring.

About SCS Standards and Assurance Systems

SCS Standards and Assurance Systems is an organization committed to the development of standards that advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Standards are developed in alignment with best practices and guidelines provided by internationally recognized bodies to ensure a robust, transparent, and collaborative approach. SCS Standards and Assurance Systems is the official standards development body for Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. For more information, visit www.SCSstandards.org. 

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