Author: sHq_LoGiNz

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

In honor of Childhood Cancer and Sickle Cell Awareness Month in September, we spoke with Georgia teenager Charlaye, who deals with the challenges of sickle cell disease every day, and her family, knowing that spreading awareness makes all the difference.

“It’s important to educate yourself on illnesses that you can’t see, like sickle cell disease, because you never know what anybody is going through,” Charlaye said.

Helping patients like Charlaye is part of Aflac’s philanthropic mission of supporting pediatric cancer and blood disorders research and treatment. Throughout the last 30 years, Aflac has raised more than $191 million for the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the largest pediatric sickle cell program in America.

Aflac was founded in 1955 on the concept of helping people in their time of need. As a pioneer of the cancer insurance industry in the United States, the company has intentionally aligned its business with where we give back to the community, most specifically, through our primary philanthropic cause, childhood cancer and blood disorders.

“We realized everyone in some way, shape or form has been touched by cancer or blood disorders,” said Buffy Swinehart, senior manager of Aflac’s Corporate Responsibility program. “We also learned that pediatric cancer and blood disorders, specifically, are severely underfunded.”

To further this work, Aflac has created and delivered more than 40,000 My Special Aflac Ducks^® since the program began in 2018. My Special Aflac Duck is a cuddly, comforting robotic companion given free of charge to children ages 3 and up diagnosed with pediatric cancer or sickle cell disease. The duck has been scientifically proven to provide relief from stress and anxiety through innovative technology that helps children prepare for medical procedures, communicate their feelings, practice distraction techniques and more.

Charlaye’s story and the great work by medical professionals to treat and research children’s cancer and blood disorders was told through a video featured on Aflac.com/BridgeToBrighter, and aired on television stations across the nation as part of the company’s 2025 September campaign, honoring the children and families experiencing these challenges.

Learn more about Aflac’s work in September and each month throughout the year at Aflac.com/BridgeToBrighter.

Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. In New York, Aflac coverage is underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of New York. 

Aflac | WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999

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EXP 10/26

 

2024 FedEx Founders Fund

The FedEx Founder’s Fund Award, established in 2023 to honor Frederick W. Smith’s legacy of service, is the most prestigious recognition in the FedEx Cares program. This global award provides grants to nonprofits selected by employees with the highest global volunteer hours.

1st Place – Carol Cope
Carol logged over 1,500 volunteer hours at eight nonprofits last year, motivated by community connections and gratitude from those she helps. Her service spans marathons, festivals, and cancer awareness events.

2nd Place – Daniel Russell
Daniel serves as a Scoutmaster for a local Boy Scout troop and has helped 70 young men achieve Eagle Scout rank. He also volunteers at FedEx Cares events, carrying on a tradition of volunteering he began in high school.

3rd Place – Scott O’Mary
Scott supports about 50 Boy Scouts in the Plano area, focusing on developing youth leaders. This cause is important to Scott, who views it as way to pay it forward for opportunities he had as a youth.

“FedEx Cares is a great way to build teams and to get to know my co-workers outside of the work environment. “ 
– Scott O’Mary

AMEA Region Top Volunteer – Dwayne van Zyl
Dwayne serves on a sea rescue crew, promoting water safety in a region with nearly 1,500 annual drownings. He and his 10-year-old daughter educate underresourced communities about water safety.

“The FedEx Cares platform allows me to have a career in FedEx but give back to the communities I live and work in. I see this as a huge value add in my work life and personal life.”
– Dwayne van Zyl

Europe Region Top Volunteer – Steve Miller
Steve dedicates weekends to woodland management, helping transform his community from coal dependence to national forest. He spends most weekends during the autumn and winter months practicing woodland management activities.

The Americas Region Top Volunteer – Rose Vallee
Rose has worked for FedEx for nearly 35 years and helps others in her community through her love of cooking and preparing hot meals every week. For the last seven years, she has prepared 150 weekly meals for the homeless through Meals with Meaning.

Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program.

By Carrie Browen

The global digital transformation is reshaping the automotive industry, and at the center of this shift is the software-defined vehicle (SDV). While the concept is not entirely new, it has rapidly gained momentum and is redefining how vehicles are designed, built, and experienced.

The Software-Defined Vehicle: More Than Just a Buzzword

Think of SDVs as smartphones on wheels: always connected, ready for the next update, and full of apps and features!

A software-defined vehicle is one whose features and functions are primarily based on software. The transition from traditional vehicles to SDVs involves decoupling software from hardware and establishing a layered, zonal architecture, creating vehicles that are safer, more intelligent, connected, and field upgradable. This enables continuous improvements via over-the-air (OTA) updates, real-time data integration, and a more personalized, intelligent driving experience — a car that feels more like a smartphone than a heavy machine.

From Hardware to Software: The New Automotive Paradigm
Traditionally, vehicles have been hardware-centric machines. Innovation was driven by mechanical engineering, with software playing a supporting role, often locked into individual Electronic Control Units (ECU) with limited flexibility.

The SDV flips this model. Today, most vehicle functions, from infotainment to driving dynamics, are enabled, controlled, and continuously updated through software. This is made possible by a modular and zonal architecture that decouples software from hardware.

In essence, a software-defined vehicle is characterized by:

• A zonal architecture with centralized computing, typically featuring one or two high-performance computers (HPCs) that replace the large number of traditional ECUs. Zonal gateways complement this setup by integrating multiple physical and virtual ECUs at the edge.
• Modular software stacks  allowing for faster innovation on scalable and flexible platforms enabling new features to be added over time.
• Extended connectivity including 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi 7, UWB and planning for NTN and 6G enabling always connected and broadband access.
• OTA updates  delivering new features and bug fixes and security updates that will improve the user experience.
• Cloud backend integration  enabling real-time data and services with the large amount of data gathered.
• New sets of functions and features, including AI, are transforming the car into a digital experience space.

This transformation not only drives technological progress, but it also unlocks entirely new business models and ecosystems. Automakers and partners can create ongoing revenue streams, build new customer touchpoints, and extend the vehicle lifecycle far beyond the point of sale.

The Race Is On
SDVs are no longer a futuristic concept, they’re already here. Leading original equipment manufacturers (OEM) are investing heavily in software platforms, cloud infrastructure, and next-generation vehicle architecture as well as embedded AI computing capabilities. At the same time, new companies are entering the automotive space with bold ambitions and fresh perspectives. The result is a race to redefine what a vehicle is and what it can become.

The SDV is not just a new type of car. It represents a fundamental shift in how we think about mobility, innovation, and customer engagement. For those ready to lead, the opportunities are vast.

In the next article of our SDV Blog Series, we’ll take a closer look at the architectural transformation behind SDVs, and how the shift from domain-based to zonal and service-oriented architectures is enabling the future of SDVs.

Originally published in Principal Financial Group 2024 Sustainability Report

Improving operational environmental performance

We remain committed to integrating responsible energy, water, and waste management practices into our business operations through efficient and sustainable solutions and improvements.

Our approach

Energy-efficient technologies and access to renewable energy sources help us meet our broader goals and further reduce our impact on the environment.

We’re mindful of our water consumption and recycling efforts. We’ve formulated action plans to improve our performance.

We’ve also established a system and policy modeled after ISO14001 and designed to:

• Reduce energy use and GHG emissions
• Improve water efficiency
• Reduce waste to landfill
• Increase employee awareness

We don’t consume significant amounts of energy and water or produce significant amounts of waste. But we’ll continue to routinely measure these areas of our operations to better understand our impact on the environment.

Our actions and performance in 2024

Energy consumption and renewable energy¹

From 2023 to 2024, we reduced energy consumption by 19.2% globally and by 19.6% in the U.S.

On a global level, 41.3% of energy came from renewable sources in 2024.

In the U.S., approximately 47.6% of total energy consumption came from renewable sources—a total of 25,986.7MWh (or megawatt-hour).

We continue to try and find optimizations to operate our offices more efficiently. In 2024, we optimized lighting and heating schedules and completed a LED lighting retrofit for a parking lot that contributed to reductions.

Additionally, warmer weather in 2024 reduced the amount of heating days, particularly at our headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa.

Of total U.S. energy usage, 57.2% came from electricity, and approximately 83.1% of electricity consumption came from renewable sources. We continue to benefit from our Des Moines utility provider providing a significant amount of energy from renewable sources and therefore our renewable energy use each year is influenced by their annual production.

Water consumption²

We incorporate responsible water management practices to meet or exceed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) guidelines for water efficiency. We put water reduction measures in place wherever possible. Compared to 2023, we saw a 16.4% decrease in water consumption in 2024. Overall, in the last five years we’ve decreased our water consumption by 46.3%. This reduction can be attributed to an increase in rainfall amount in 2024 in Iowa where our headquarters are located, resulting in a decreased need for irrigation on campus. We also sold two properties we’ve historically occupied and no longer have operational control, which has reduced our usage as well.

• 47.6% of total energy consumption in the U.S. in 2024 from renewable sources
• 83.1% of electricity consumption in the U.S. in 2024 from renewable sources
• 16.4% decrease in water consumption between 2023 and 2024

Waste and recycling³

In 2024, we diverted 69.9% of hazardous and nonhazardous waste produced in U.S. facilities where we measure recycling, donating, and composting efforts, with 100.0% of our hazardous waste being recycled. We continue to make incremental changes in our offices to reduce waste, such as an increase in signage to help employee awareness and education around appropriate waste practices, employee- led environmental initiatives, and a composting program for food service.

This year we also completed a large donation of steel workstation panels, some of which were able to be recycled and contributed to our overall total.

At the end of 2023, we launched a K-Cup recycling program. For the first full year of the program in 2024, Principal successfully diverted 0.8 metric tons of used coffee pods through recycling, and diverted 2.3 tons of used coffee grounds via composting.

Principal® has committed to meet or exceed LEED® guidelines for waste and recycling. Our goal is to maintain a 50% or greater waste diversion rate annually.

In 2024, Principal has increased our average in office occupancy by about 50%. However, even with this increase, we are proud of our efforts to continue to reduce water usage and continue to divert waste in our offices.

Green buildings

We use LEED® certification to ensure efficient and healthy work environments.

Of the Principal owned and occupied portfolio in Des Moines, 89.6% is LEED® certified, as measured by square footage.

We sold one of our LEED certified properties in 2024 and therefore expect our LEED portfolio percentage to decrease next year.

Read more in our Environmental commitment

What’s next

In 2025, we will focus on improvements in operational efficiency to reduce fuel usage, particularly at our buildings with the highest production of gas emissions.

We will continue to make operational adjustments such as optimizing lighting using LED replacements and scheduling/installing sensors to thermostats and lighting controls which will further reduce usage.

We also launched an innovative pilot project at the end of 2024 called Endotherm. In 2025, we will be studying the efficacy of this product and exploring the potential for expansion. The goal is that the Endotherm additive will help our boiler operate over 10% more efficiently, decreasing demand on our natural gas powered water heater that produces warm air at one of our headquarter buildings.

Additionally, we’ll work to increase data accuracy through improved collection, smart metering projects, and added quality control methodologies to inform evaluation of our reduction strategies and key areas to address for future reductions.

To learn more, read the Principal Financial Group 2024 Sustainability Report.

Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Company®. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Principal Securities, Inc., member SIPC and/or independent broker/dealers. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392.

¹2024 greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption values will be verified in Q2 2025, and final figures will be disclosed in the 2025 CDP Climate Questionnaire.

²Waste and water data represent select U.S. offices only.

³Waste and water data represent select U.S. offices only.

by Sarah Adams of Vert Asset Management

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be software, but it is built from hardware: steel, copper, concrete, and energy. Every search query, AI-generated image or digital transaction routes through a data center, the brick-and-mortar to the cloud. These facilities, ranging from modest colocation sites to sprawling hyperscale campuses, run 24/7 to store and process the data behind cloud computing, AI, streaming and more.

The companies that own and operate this infrastructure fall into two groups: hyperscale cloud providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google and Microsoft, and the real estate owners such as real estate investment trusts (REITs) like Digital Realty and Equinix. Hyperscalers are no longer just tenants, and data center REITs are not just landlords. Both the tenant and the landlord are now active energy market makers who are reshaping how power is sourced, scheduled and delivered.

Grappling with increased energy demand 

Electricity demand from US data centers is rising at a pace not seen in decades. According to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, data center electricity use grew 7% annually between 2014–2018, then more than doubled to 18% annually from 2018–2023, largely driven by cloud expansion and AI-optimized servers. It is estimated that by 2028, AI workloads alone could increase total data center energy use by 20–40% above baseline forecasts.

Hyperscalers and data center REITs include renewables in their procurement strategies for a few reasons. For one, corporate carbon reduction targets are driving procurement at scale. Google has a 24/7 clean power goal and both Digital Realty and Equinix have stated they are looking for 100% renewable energy coverage.

Read the insightful article from Sarah Adams of Vert Asset Mgmt here- https://greenmoney.com/from-energy-hogs-to-rewiring-the-grid-how-big-tech-and-data-centers-are-solving-the-clouds-growing-energy-appetite-with-renewables/

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BERLIN and EMERYVILLE, Calif., October 6, 2025 /3BL/ – LiveEO GmbH, a leading provider of satellite-based infrastructure monitoring solutions and SCS Global Services (SCS), a 40-year sustainability services pioneer and world leader in the field of third-party certification and standards development, announced today a new service offering that combines LiveoEO’s remote sensing and analytics software with SCS’ verification of global supply chains to deliver a comprehensive suite of services enabling streamlined EUDR compliance.

The joint offering solves key organizational pain points for companies required to comply with the EUDR: ensuring data accuracy within the full supply chain, verification of legal production within the country of origin, verification of geolocation data and material segregation, and full regulatory and reporting compliance. The solution is especially valuable for large operators who are required to have independent audits under EUDR, but also provides a strong compliance readiness package for commercial networks outside the EU.

“SCS has decades of experience in verifying data and records on the ground in all EUDR-relevant commodities. We offer complementary certifications in those commodities and bring our subject matter expertise in the stated commodities to bear as we provide gap analyses of risky supply chains, verifications of risk assessments, or fully independent third-party compliance assessments,” notes Vanessa Ellis, Director of EU Program Development at SCS Global Services. “By collaborating with LiveEO, we enable producers, processors, and traders to confidently provide complete and compliant commodities packages, while simplifying the entire EUDR compliance process for EU operators.”

“By combining LiveEO automation with SCS verification, companies can focus on exceptions, not paperwork — accelerating Due Diligence Statement turnaround, lowering compliance effort and cost, and strengthening customer and auditor confidence,” said Sven Przywarra, Co-Founder & CEO at LiveEO. “TradeAware plus SCS Verification equals predictable EU market access, reduced operational drag, and a stronger competitive position—because decisions are backed by analytics they can trust.”

Companies impacted by EUDR can learn more about LiveEO’s TradeAware platform by visiting the LiveEO website, or learn more about SCS Global Service’s EUDR verification services here.

About SCS Global Services:

SCS Global Services is a global leader in third-party environmental and sustainability verification, certification, auditing, testing, and standards development. Its programs span a cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in climate mitigation, green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, consumer products, and more. Headquartered in Emeryville, California and celebrating 40 years in business, SCS has representatives and affiliate offices throughout the Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and Africa. Its broad network of auditors are experts in their fields, and the company is a trusted partner to companies, agencies, and advocacy organizations due to its dedication to quality and professionalism. SCS is a chartered Benefit Corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. SCS is also a Participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business.

About LiveEO

LiveEO GmbH is a technology startup that provides AI-powered solutions for monitoring infrastructure assets via satellite imagery. Its flagship product, Treeline, enhances vegetation management by detecting tree proximity to infrastructure assets, replacing traditional inspection methods such as ground patrols and aerial surveys. TradeAware is LiveEO’s Earth-observation powered compliance platform with proprietary Precision Analytics for superior EUDR risk management.

LiveEO is also developing solutions for industries such as railways and pipelines, positioning itself for significant growth.

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Media Contacts:

LiveEO

Patrick Hollenbeck

Marketing Director

Email

 

SCS Global Services

Tom Ehart

Sr. Director, Corporate Marketing

+1 510.345.4907

Email