Author: sHq_LoGiNz

Originally published on Guiding Stars Health & Nutrition News. 
By Kitty Broihier

The amount of muscle on your body matters—for everyone. Whether you’re an athlete, on a weight loss journey, or enjoying your 8^th decade of life (or more!), having adequate muscle is important for your health. Read on for details about what muscle does in the body, and how you can help preserve your precious muscle.

What Muscles Do

When someone says the word “muscle,” most of us think of things like our biceps. You know, the muscles we can easily see working for us. But many of the roughly 600 muscles we have in our bodies are hard to see. And the work they do is largely invisible to us. The majority of our muscles are skeletal muscles. They allow us to make voluntary movements like exercising, cooking, or turning the pages of a book. The other two categories of muscle are cardiac muscles and smooth muscles. These muscles perform involuntary movements that are controlled by the nervous system, like pumping blood and eliminating waste. The work of the muscles also impacts a number of body systems, including the respiratory, urinary, digestive, and reproductive systems. And this isn’t all that muscles do for us.

Muscle and Metabolism

One of muscle’s most important roles is its contribution to metabolism. All muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning it requires energy in the form of calories from the food we eat. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn, even while at rest (that’s your resting metabolic rate). Conversely, losing muscle—especially with age—can lower energy expenditure. Over time, this shift may make it easier to gain weight—even if dietary intake remains the same.

How Muscle Helps Regulate Blood Sugar

When we eat, insulin releases in response to the normal increase in circulating blood glucose (from the breakdown of food). Skeletal muscle is essential for glucose regulation, since it’s responsible for clearing 80% of post-meal glucose. When muscle mass reduces, this process becomes less efficient, which may contribute to insulin resistance over time. Maintaining muscle mass can help improve insulin sensitivity and support blood sugar control. It’s an important strategy for addressing pre-diabetes and managing type 2 diabetes as well.

The Link Between Muscle and Longevity   

Muscle is a key contributor to long-term health outcomes and longevity. Research on the exact mechanisms involved is ongoing. But there are several aspects of muscle functions that likely support its role in helping us live better, for longer. One is that muscle mass and strength help people stay active. This allows them to enjoy the benefits of exercise, such as increased cardio fitness and endurance, greater mobility, and less risk of injury (more on that below). During periods of illness or physical stress, muscle also serves as a storage site for amino acids, which help us with recovery.

Muscle Improves Functional Fitness and Injury Prevention

Muscle is essential for maintaining the ability to perform everyday tasks. Standing up from a chair, climbing stairs, carrying groceries, or lifting a child or grandchild. All of these activities rely on adequate muscle strength. Unfortunately, starting at midlife, our muscle mass and strength naturally begin to decrease. And it picks up dramatically around age 65 or so, when sarcopenia becomes more noticeable. Sarcopenia is associated with increased risk of falls, osteoporosis, and frailty. Doing our best to preserve the muscle we have is important for maintaining mobility, stability, and overall quality of life. 

How to Preserve Your Muscle

It doesn’t require major lifestyle changes or extreme amounts of exercise to support muscle maintenance. In fact, research consistently points to two primary strategies: adequate protein intake and regular resistance-based activity—two things we talk about regularly in this blog. Just doing one of these things and not the other, however, can limit your progress. Plan to take steps toward both strategies for true muscle support. In addition, staying hydrated helps your muscles function at their best, so don’t forget to drink plenty of water. (Click here to see how Guiding Stars can point you to some healthy beverage choices.)  

Prioritize Protein. Protein provides the amino acids needed to repair and maintain muscle, and of course, to build more muscle. However, protein isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing. The amount you need depends on several factors, including your age, gender, weight, activity level, health status, and medications. General recommendations range from 0.8–1.2g/kg body weight/day for most adults, often on the higher end (1.2g/kg) for older adults. Regular exercisers may benefit from even higher amounts, up to around 1.5g/kg body weight or more, depending on the type of activity, intensity, and frequency.

Keep in mind that weight loss can negatively impact muscle mass. Consult with your physician or a Registered Dietitian about your protein needs if you are trying to manage your weight or taking a GLP-1 agonist medication. Other recommendations: Distribute your protein intake across your meals (aim for 20-30g per meal). And don’t get stuck on just one type of protein—enjoy both plant-based and animal sources.

Include Resistance Training. Resistance training stimulates muscle protein synthesis and helps maintain (or increase) muscle mass and strength over time. No gym membership is needed and you don’t need a lot of equipment. You can perform resistance exercises using your own body weight, or with a few hand weights or an exercise band. Moderate resistance training 2-3 times a week is often sufficient, and it’s never too late to start!

About Guiding Stars

Guiding Stars is an objective, evidence-based, nutrition guidance program that evaluates foods and beverages to make nutritious choices simple. Products that meet transparent nutrition criteria earn a 1, 2, or 3 star rating for good, better, and best nutrition. Guiding Stars can be found in more than 2,000 grocery stores, in Circana’ Attribute Marketplace, and through the Guiding Stars Food Finder app.

*Image by Freepik

Author of the beloved book Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer joins us this week for a wide-ranging and eye-opening exploration of Indigenous knowledge, academic science, and what their dialogue means for biomimicry and the humans striving to practice it.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Key Takeaways

• Caesarstone added 68 porcelain models to its EPD-certified portfolio in 2026, bringing the total to 139 certified models.
• Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) provide transparent, third-party-verified insights into a product’s environmental impact across its full lifecycle. 
• The expansion reflects growing demand among architects, designers and homeowners for credible sustainability data and responsible materials.
• The company’s sustainability strategy focuses on recycled materials, renewable energy, carbon reduction, water conservation and waste reduction.
• By expanding its EPD coverage, Caesarstone continues advancing transparency and helping shape the future of sustainable surface design.
• Additional EPDs are expected for more Caesarstone ICON™ models in the coming months. Stay tuned.

As more people consider how to make their homes more sustainable – minimizing environmental impact, supporting healthier living, and conserving resources – the demand for responsibly made home products continues to rise. While green building has long been embraced in the commercial sector (with more than 200,000 LEED-certified buildings worldwide as of 2022), many homeowners still struggle to understand which products are truly sustainable and what environmental labels really mean. The architect and design community faces similar challenges: although some professionals specialize in green building, many others are eager to integrate sustainable materials into their work but are unsure where to begin or which certifications to trust.

At Caesarstone, sustainability is intricately woven into our product development. As part of our long-standing commitment to transparency, we conduct and publish Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) across multiple product lines. These third-party-verified reports help us – and our customers – gain clearer insight into the environmental impacts of our surfaces and guide our continued innovation in low-impact, high-performance materials.

What is an EPD?

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a Type III declaration that quantifies environmental information on the life cycle of a product, including its impact on climate change, ozone depletion, land use, water use, and more. While EPDs are primarily used as business-to-business guidelines, they can also benefit consumers who are interested in learning more details about a certain product’s environmental impacts. Over 400 companies around the world have published EPDs on a wide variety of products, from construction and furniture products, to textiles, food and beverages. 

To complete an EPD, a company must conduct a lifecycle assessment (LCA) of a product in accordance with international methodologies and standards of ISO 14040, ISO44:2006, 14020:2000, ISO 14025:2006, the International EPD System, ECO Platform rules EN 5804:2012+A2:2019/AC:2021, and specific Product Category Rules (PCRs). A cradle-to-grave LCA includes the environmental impacts associated with all stages of the product lifecycle, from raw material extraction to manufacturing and distribution, including end-of-use product disposal. 

According to Architectural Digest, EPD is one of the “15 Sustainability Terms You Need to Know” in 2021. 

How are EPDs Useful?

EPDs can help companies improve their sustainability efforts by pointing to the exact areas in the product’s lifecycle with the biggest environmental impacts. In addition, EPDs can educate architects & designers on the environmental impacts of a product, helping them guide their customers via credible knowledge. 

“EPDs signal a manufacturer’s commitment to measuring and reducing the environmental impact of its products and services, and to report these impacts in a hyper-transparent way.” – EPD International 

Caesarstone’s EPD

At Caesarstone, we take pride in setting new standards in innovation and craftsmanship, and to continue to lead industry trends – all while pursing our devotion to environmentally responsible design and production. 

Our first EPD was released in October 2023, providing environmental data for numerous colors, such as the Airy Concrete countertop (Model 4044) from our indoor collection, over a lifetime of 75 years. In 2024, we conducted additional life cycle assessments for our portfolio, leading to 71 EPD-certified models at the end of 2024. 

Now, in 2026, we are taking another major step forward with the addition of 68 porcelain models to our EPD-certified portfolio — one of the company’s most substantial sustainability expansions to date. The new certifications significantly broaden the environmental transparency of our porcelain offering, a category that has seen rapid growth as designers increasingly seek durable, versatile and low-maintenance surfacing solutions for both interior and exterior applications. 

From countertops and backsplashes to flooring, wall cladding and furniture applications, porcelain has become an increasingly important material in contemporary design. By adding 68 porcelain models to our EPD program, we are helping specifiers make more informed decisions across a wider range of projects and applications. The move also aligns with the broader industry shift toward measurable sustainability standards and transparent material reporting.

In terms of transparency, 2026 has been an exciting year for Caesarstone Porcelain, but there’s more news on the horizon, as we look forward to additional EPDs that will officially be granted to more Caesarstone ICON™ models in the coming months.

What’s Measured?

Our EPD updates signify an important step in our sustainability vision and adds to our library of accreditations and product certifications. (For a full list of Caesarstone accreditations, including LEED, Declare, Red List Declaration, SCS, GREENGUARD Gold, etc., please see LINK).

The EPD provides comprehensive details across the product life cycle, with inputs and outputs measured across the various stages. These include:

• Product stage – extraction & transportation of raw materials and the manufacturing process
• Construction stage – transport to customers and installation
• Use stage – daily maintenance with soap and water
• End of life – transportation to disposal, and disposal 

The EPD discusses the product’s environmental impact across 16 categories. A range of indicators were evaluated across the entire product lifecycle, such as fossil fuel used and freshwater consumed. Specific environmental impacts were quantified, including those for climate change, land use, resource use, such as minerals and metals, and more. 

Supporting Transparency 

For Caesarstone, conducting EPDs delivers several benefits. First, we are committed to transparency. It is crucial for us to voluntarily disclose product information, making it available to our customers and industry partners. Therefore, we are dedicated to conducting rigorous product analysis based on internationally recognized methodologies, and obtaining third party certification that demonstrates our efforts and commitments. 

Second, we stand by an ambitious sustainability vision. Throughout the development and manufacturing process, we constantly work to reduce the environmental impacts of both our products and operations. At Caesarstone, we are focused on five environmental areas:

1. Increasing the recycled material content in our products
2. Expanding our use of renewable energy sources
3. Reducing our carbon footprint
4. Reducing our water usage
5. Reducing our waste

Since publishing our initial EPD in 2023, we have acknowledged its importance in helping us further identify and quantify our environmental impacts, across the entire product lifecycle. 

In an industry where performance, beauty and environmental responsibility increasingly go hand in hand, expanding EPD coverage is more than a certification milestone — it is a signal of where the future of surface design is heading. We are proud to forge a path towards a more sustainable future, and look forward to introducing additional EPD-certified models in the future. 

NEW YORK, June 8, 2026 /3BL/ – For thirty years, Idealist has served the social-impact sector in myriad ways. In 2026, the anniversary of idealist.org’s launch, the nonprofit will feature thirty stories of impact and invite community members to share their own stories. Idealist will also launch a “$30 for 30” campaign, encouraging the community to give in support of the organization’s next thirty years.

idealist.org, founded in 1996, serves millions of people looking for ways to build a better world, through full-time jobs, internships, volunteerism, and connecting with neighbors to address local problems.

Before Google and Wikipedia, there was Idealist. The site came to life on one old computer and with no full-time staff with the mission of using this newfangled thing called the ‘internet’ to connect people who wanted to build a better world. In this 30th anniversary year, Idealist will pull the curtain back on the job seekers, volunteers, organizations, and staff members who’ve made an impact through this pioneering website. The nonprofit will also launch a fundraising initiative—$30 for 30—in support of the next thirty years, inviting the community to be a part of building what comes next at Idealist, for the next generation of people who want to build a better world.

“When I meet someone at a meeting or conference, or even in the lobby of a hotel, and they find out where I work, I’m almost always told that they love Idealist,” said Idealist’s Founder and Executive Director Ami Dar. “I never take for granted the power that this site holds to help people move from intention to action, whether it’s around jobs, volunteering, or taking local action. I couldn’t be more proud of this global platform with endless possibilities, and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store.”

To learn more, please visit Idealist’s 30th anniversary hub.

About Idealist

For 30 years, Idealist has worked to bridge the gap between intention and action by connecting organizations and people who want to do good. With the 2025 merger with VolunteerMatch, Idealist has connected 200,000+ organizations with tens of millions of people. Over the years, the combined organizations facilitated posting of over a million jobs and over a million volunteer opportunities. Additionally, Idealist empowers businesses to make a difference through volunteering via API technology and other means. Find out more at idealist.org and on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Media Contact

Kevin Kennedy media@idealist.org

Originally published on CVS Health Company Newsroom

Key points

• Debbie Kim, a Health Coach nurse on the Social Risk Factors team, helps Medicare members overcome both clinical and social barriers to care.
• Through patient listening, care coordination and problem solving, she uncovers deeper needs and connects members to resources that improve health and reduce costs.
• By meeting members where they are, Debbie builds trust and helps people take meaningful steps toward better health.

Debbie Kim, RN, spends much of her day on the phone — but to her, each call is far more than a conversation. It’s a chance to help someone move forward and access the care they need.

As a Health Coach nurse on the Social Risk Factors team, Debbie supports Medicare members who are often navigating complex health needs alongside everyday challenges. Based in the greater Philadelphia area, she works with members nationwide from her home office.

Many are overwhelmed, unsure where to turn, or running into obstacles that make even basic care feel out of reach. Through each call, Debbie listens, problem solves and strives to remove not only clinical challenges but also the social and economic factors that can stand in the way of receiving the care they need.

“Listening is often the first and most important step,” she says. “Once you understand what’s really going on, you can start to make progress.”

Meeting Medicare members where they are

Debbie didn’t always imagine herself in a virtual role. After years of providing hands-on care in hospital settings, she joined CVS Health curious about how nursing could evolve. What she found was a different but equally meaningful way to support patients — one where small, consistent steps can truly change a person’s health journey.

Today, progress doesn’t always come from a procedure or prescription. Sometimes, it begins with a simple conversation — and a willingness to meet each person in the moment.

Removing barriers to care

Many of the people Debbie speaks with are juggling chronic conditions while also facing issues like transportation, affordability or limited access to resources. A call that begins as a routine check-in about a lab test or medication often reveals a deeper story.

“We might be calling about something like an A1C test,” she explains. “But if someone can’t get to the appointment, that’s the real barrier we need to solve first.”

Education is often the starting point. Many members don’t fully understand their benefits, and the health care system can feel unmanageable. Debbie takes time to explain why screenings matter, what options are available and how to navigate their coverage.

From there, she helps coordinate care and connect members to solutions — identifying lower-cost medications, facilitating use of a preferred pharmacy, or linking them to community resources for housing, food or getting to appointments.

“It sometimes feels like there’s no limit to what we can do,” she says.

Simplifying access to care

Her work also challenges a common misconception.

“People sometimes think we’re simply a call center,” Debbie says. “But every call represents a real person with a unique situation. For many members, that call is their most direct and simplest connection to care — and often the first step in improving access to care.”

And that connection can have a profound impact.

One call that changed everything

Debbie recalls a member who was frustrated and worried after believing his medication assistance had been discontinued. After talking with him, she discovered the issue was simply a missed renewal — something she quickly helped resolve. But the conversation didn’t end there.

By reviewing his situation more closely, Debbie identified an opportunity to switch him to a preferred pharmacy — reducing his medication costs from hundreds of dollars to zero. She extended the same support to his wife, who shared the same plan.

The relief was immediate.

“He told me, ‘I am so happy and blessed — you saved my life and my wife’s life,’” Debbie recalls. “That all came from one call.”

Moments like that reinforce why her work matters — and why patience and empathy are essential to it.

Grounded in purpose

Outside of work, Debbie finds balance in time with her husband and four children, often enjoying family bike rides together. She also turns to her faith for quiet reflection — a source of strength and perspective that helps her stay grounded when members are experiencing stress or uncertainty.

If her role had a soundtrack, she says it would be “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers — a reminder that no one has to handle challenges alone. The message reflects how she supports members and how her team works together, relying on one another and the broader network of resources to deliver care.

“That’s what I hope members feel,” she says. “That they have someone they can reach out to, someone who’s there to help.”

For Debbie, every call is an opening to be that someone — to offer guidance, build trust and help members take one step closer to better health and well-being.

As the world’s biggest sporting event prepares to descend on North America this summer, Lenovo Foundation is working to ensure the moment translates into something lasting for students far beyond the stadium.

The U.S. Soccer Foundation and Discovery Education announced a new multi-year partnership, with support from Lenovo Foundation, to bring soccer-based learning experiences into middle school classrooms nationwide through Soccer for Success: Goals for Life. 

The collaboration pairs the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s three decades of youth development expertise with Discovery Education’s standards-aligned digital instruction, which reaches more than 45% of U.S. K-12 schools, delivering free, ready-to-use resources that build durable skills, deepen STEM engagement, and connect classroom learning to real-world careers.

“We view sports as a catalyst for inclusion and education,” shares Calvin J. Crosslin, Lenovo Foundation President and Chief Inclusion Officer of Lenovo. “We are thrilled with the opportunity to support the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the Virtual Field Trip and its free access to educators on the Discovery Education platform. Sport is a proven global democratizer and will enable greater engagement and skilling for students – in STEM areas and in life.”

A virtual field trip to Soccer City USA

The partnership launches with “Beyond the Goal: A Virtual Field Trip to Soccer City USA”, designed for grades 6–8 and filmed on location at Providence Park, home of the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns, and at Parkrose Middle School in Portland, Oregon.

Students go behind the scenes of professional soccer to explore communication, leadership, resilience, decision-making, and engineering in action, hearing directly from players, coaches, and experts in nutrition and sports analytics. The experience connects the game they love to academic concepts and future career paths they may not have considered.

“The U.S. Soccer Foundation has always believed that soccer is more than a game. It is a vehicle for youth development, community building, and expanding opportunity for young people,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President & CEO, U.S. Soccer Foundation. “This partnership with Discovery Education gives us a powerful new avenue to deliver on that mission, expand our reach in schools and provide students in classrooms across the country with content that is as inspiring as it is educational. At a time when the world’s eyes are turning toward soccer in North America, we want every young person to have access to the learning and life skills that will help them thrive on and off the field.”

The Virtual Field Trip is available now through the Discovery Education Experience platform and a free public microsite, alongside an Educator Guide and classroom materials developed to middle school Health, 3D Science, and ELA standards.

Sport as a catalyst for STEM and inclusion

For Lenovo Foundation, the partnership advances a core part of its mission: expanding access to technology and STEM education for the communities that need it most. It also builds on Lenovo’s role as the Official FIFA Technology Partner of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™, extending the company’s involvement in the tournament beyond the pitch and into the classrooms where the next generation of innovators, engineers, and leaders is being shaped.

“At Discovery Education, we help educators bring students’ excitement about the world around them into instruction that matters, and soccer’s biggest moment in North America gives us a powerful opportunity to do exactly that,” said Catherine Dunlop, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Discovery Education. “The U.S. Soccer Foundation shares our commitment to powering progress for young people, and together we’re delivering high-quality, no-cost learning experiences that engage students with remarkable access behind the scenes of professional soccer.”

SWORDS, Ireland, June 8, 2026 /3BL/ – Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator, is advancing sustainable and energy-efficient solutions for buildings, industry and the cold chain while continuing to strengthen its own operations. Through electrification, digital innovation and circular strategies, the company is helping customers improve efficiency, reduce emissions, lower operating costs and build resilience.

In its newly released 2025 Sustainability Report, Scaling Sustainability, Trane Technologies outlines continued progress toward its 2030 Sustainability Commitments, highlighting measurable gains across emissions, energy, circularity, workforce development and community impact.

“We are scaling sustainability by combining climate technology, digital intelligence and engineering excellence to help our customers reduce emissions, lower operating costs and strengthen resilience,” said Dave Regnery, chair and CEO of Trane Technologies. “Our consistently strong financial and sustainability performance reflects the power of our purpose-driven strategy to accelerate customer innovation, drive growth and create long-term value as we challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world.”

In 2025, Trane Technologies invested $348 million in R&D^* and introduced 110 new products and services to help customers decarbonize. The company also delivered strong financial performance, including $21.3 billion in revenue and adjusted EPS growth of 16%^**.

Notable advancements in 2025 toward Trane Technologies’ 2030 Sustainability Commitments include:

• Gigaton Challenge: Reduced 331 million metric tons of CO2e from customers’ carbon footprints since 2019, on track toward the goal to reduce one billion metric tons of carbon emissions by 2030.
• Operational Emissions: Reduced operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 59% since 2019, tracking ahead of the company’s science-based target of a 50% reduction by 2030.
• Renewable Energy: Met 84% of global electricity needs with renewable energy sources in 2025.
• Energy Efficiency: Improved energy intensity by 38% from 2019 baseline, while absolute energy use increased by 1.7% over the same period due to business and production growth.
• Water and Waste: Reduced total global water use by 49% since 2019, including an 8% reduction at water-stressed facilities, and achieved zero waste to landfill at 80% of global sites.
• Circularity: 44% of primary materials (steel, copper, aluminum, plastics and refrigerants) in products contained recycled content in 2025. Revenue from remanufactured products and services reached $282 million, up 31% from 2024.
• Culture and Workforce Development: Achieved an Employee Engagement Index score of 81 out of 100, ranking in the top quartile among benchmarks, with 96% key talent retention. Participation in the Tuition Advancement Program increased 30% from 2024, with nearly 750 employees receiving approximately $3 million in tuition assistance in 2025.
• Volunteerism and Community Impact: Completed 104,000 employee volunteer hours in local communities in 2025, cumulatively reaching 80% of its 500,000-hour goal by 2030, and contributed $20 million in philanthropic giving in 2025.

Trane Technologies also continued investing in the people and capabilities needed to scale climate innovation. In 2025, the company opened the Advanced Technology Training Center (ATTC) in Davidson, North Carolina — the world’s largest and most advanced facility dedicated to training HVAC service and controls technicians — and celebrated the first graduating class of its nationally accredited Technician Apprenticeship Program.

The company’s sustainability performance and company culture were also recognized through leading external benchmarks, including:

• Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices: 15^th consecutive year on North America Index; 5^th consecutive year on World Index.
• Just Capital: ranked 17^th overall, 1^st in Construction & Materials industry, 5^th consecutive year on the list.
• CDP: Climate Score of A for the 4^th consecutive year; Water Score of B.
• EcoVadis: 98^th percentile; Gold Medal; 83 out of 100 advanced overall score.
• InfluenceMap: ranked top 4 globally in Corporate Climate Policy Engagement; highest-rated industrial company in 2025 rankings.
• Ethisphere: recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the 3^rd consecutive year.
• TIME: World’s Most Sustainable Companies, ranked 20^th overall; World’s Best Companies for Sustainable Growth, 2^nd consecutive year.
• FORTUNE: World’s Most Admired Companies, 14^th consecutive year.

Additional methodology and performance details are included in the full 2025 Sustainability Report, available at Trane Technologies Sustainability Reports.

*As reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP

**These are non-GAAP financial measures. Reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures can be found in the Trane Technologies 2025 Annual Report.

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About Trane Technologies
Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane® and Thermo King®, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation. For more on Trane Technologies, visit tranetechnologies.com.

Forward Looking Statement
This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of securities laws, which are statements that are not historical facts, including statements that relate to our 2030 Sustainability Commitments; our pathway to net-zero by 2050; our sustainability targets, goals, commitments and programs and their anticipated impacts; our product and service innovations; and other business plans, initiatives and objectives. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations. Factors that could cause such differences can be found in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as well as our subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and other SEC filings. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect the Company. We assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.