Tag: 3BL

PORTLAND, Ore., July 7, 2026 /3BL/ – Leading a global movement toward responsible technology, the Global Electronics Council^® (GEC) today proudly unveiled the winners of the 2026 EPEAT^® Purchaser Awards. This year’s honorees have demonstrated the extraordinary power of intentional procurement, making collective purchasing decisions that eliminated 224,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, an impact equivalent to removing roughly 48,000 passenger cars from the road for an entire year.

The annual EPEAT Purchaser Awards celebrate visionary institutions that actively prioritize EPEAT registered products. In doing so, these organizations do more than meet internal sustainability milestones; they fundamentally shift the market toward responsible electronic supply chains. Highlighting the intersection of institutional mission and environmental stewardship, this year’s cohort features the University of California, Santa Barbara, showcasing how educational institutions are uniquely positioned to champion social and environmental responsibility.

Showcasing the immense power of university procurement to drive systemic environmental change, the University of California, Santa Barbara stands out as a premier honoree this year.

“As institutions of higher education, we have a responsibility not only to teach sustainability but also to practice it. Institutional procurement can account for a significant share of supply chain emissions, making sustainable purchasing one of our strongest tools for reducing environmental impact” explained Jen Bowser, Sustainable Procurement Program Manager. “Receiving the 2026 EPEAT Purchaser Award recognizes the collective efforts of staff, faculty, and students across UC Santa Barbara to make sustainability part of everyday decision-making and reflects our commitment to purchasing electronics that support both our campus community and the future of our planet.”

The awards also spotlighted global leadership in the public sector, honoring the Scottish Government for an incredible eighth consecutive year. Their enduring commitment underscores how national procurement frameworks can actively build a sustainable future.

“These frameworks continue to support Scotland’s Net Zero ambitions through the circular economy and environmental best practice,” said Calum Elliot, Deputy Director, National Collaborative Procurement Division. “We can only achieve this with the support of our wider public sector colleagues, and our gratitude goes to them, our suppliers, and the Global Electronics Council for helping us move towards our sustainability goals.”

By collectively purchasing more than 1.5 million EPEAT registered products, the 2026 award winners did not just protect the planet—they also demonstrated that responsible procurement is smart business, securing an estimated $43 million in operational savings over the lifecycles of the products. Beyond massive greenhouse gas reductions, this year’s winners achieved remarkable conservation milestones across the board, collectively reducing:

• 978 gigawatt-hours of energy, enough to power 80,500 average US households for a year.
• 20,400 metric tons of solid waste, matching the annual waste output of 11,000 US households.
• 2.25 billion liters of water, saving enough water to fill 903 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

“This year’s winners demonstrate that when leadership and sustainability converge, the environmental dividends are immense,” remarked Bob Mitchell, CEO of the Global Electronics Council. “EPEAT is proud to empower these trailblazers with the tools they need to confidently advance their impact goals, protect vital resources, and lead the global marketplace toward a more responsible future.”

By choosing EPEAT registered products, the 2026 award winners are doing more than reducing their own footprint—they are establishing a bold blueprint for institutions worldwide. The Global Electronics Council applauds these pioneers and invites organizations everywhere to join this vital movement, leverage their purchasing power, and help accelerate the transition to a sustainable, circular economy.

To learn more about the EPEAT Purchaser Awards and view the full list of 2026 recipients, visit: globalelectronicscouncil.org/epeat-purchaser-awards.

 

Global Electronics Council

The Global Electronics Council (GEC) envisions a world with only sustainable electronic technology that enhances the well-being of people and planet. Our mission is to accelerate the transformation of markets toward prioritizing the most sustainable electronic products and services.

As stewards of the EPEAT ecolabel, we set global standards for electronics that empower brands, their value chains and their buyers to achieve ambitious sustainability goals. Through our thought leadership, advocacy, and EPEAT ecolabel, GEC is helping to reshape the electronics industry into a driving force for environmental preservation and global well-being.

 

Our EPEAT Ecolabel

We are stewards of the EPEAT ecolabel – the definitive global standard to drive change across the technology sector from extraction to end of life. EPEAT enables manufacturers to follow strict third party verified standards while providing transparency for buyers.

Since its launch in 2006, procurement professionals have reported purchases of over 3.2 billion EPEAT products, generating cost savings exceeding 39 billion USD and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 370 million metric tonnes.

 

Media Contact

Erik Fessler

Senior Manager, Global Communications

Global Electronics Council

Direct Line: +1 (971) 380-4088

U.S. Eastern Time Zone

efessler@gec.org

At Henkel, our pioneers are driven by an unwavering spirit to explore, create, and transform possibilities into progress and improve life for generations to come. Learn their stories.

In this story, you will discover:

• Growing What Lasts: What beekeeping and environmental engineering have in common and how those skills led him to Henkel
• Leading by Example: How L.D. approaches his role as part teacher, part coach, and part trainer
• Future? Ready!: How L.D. helps prepare the next generation to build a better future

Introducing L.D. Pierce

L.D. Pierce, Senior Manager Environmental and Sustainability, Henkel Consumer Brands in the Americas, supports factories and warehouses in ensuring environmental compliance and advancing sustainability efforts. From helping teams drive lasting sustainability progress at Henkel to beekeeping, he brings the same commitment to sustainability to every part of his life.

L.D. shares what inspires him to be a pioneer for good

Growing What Lasts

After 15 years as a beekeeper, L.D. Pierce understands that caring for pollinators is about more than honey; it’s a way of protecting the biodiversity of the planet and resources we rely on today while working to improve them for the future. L.D. cares for 70 beehives and has planted acres of natural prairie grasses and flowers to help provide nectar and pollen for his bees. The key to his success over the years is knowing that the work requires patience, steady attention and a commitment to building the right conditions over time because healthy systems take time to form.

That same sense of patience and care shapes the way he thinks about environmental work across Henkel sites too. Early in his career, L.D. learned that meaningful outcomes in sustainability do not happen overnight.

“A lot of the things that I wanted to do with my career in environmental engineering, I would never see the results because it’ll take 50, maybe 75 years, for those things to take root and become standard in the world,” he says.

That steady perspective is partly what drew him to Henkel. When L.D. interviewed for his role, he was struck by the depth of information the company shared publicly about sustainability. He quickly realized he had found a company that shared his commitment to doing the right thing and understood the seriousness of the work it would take to see results. Henkel’s clear sense of purpose and willingness to invest in initiatives whose full impact may not be seen for years, made a lasting impression.

We are not doing sustainability for profit. We’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do. That commitment, from the highest level of the company to the factory floor, speaks volumes. It makes me proud to be here.

L.D. Pierce, Senior Manager Environmental and Sustainability, Henkel Consumer Brands in the Americas

Leading by Example

That same sense of purpose and passion for environmental work inspired L.D.’s daughter to also pursue environmental engineering. She began her career at Henkel in a role at the Bowling Green, KY factory—applying without telling her father. Her path reflected more than a shared profession. It showed how a commitment to caring for the environment can be passed from one generation to the next and the importance of establishing your career at a company that shares your values.

Motivating those around him is also how L.D. shows up at Henkel. He focuses on guiding teams and helping people build the confidence, knowledge and capability to move forward. “You can’t teach someone to do their job by doing it for them,” he says. “I really work to be a support function of coach, a trainer, a teacher to the factories.”

One example L.D. points to is his support of the Dial® brand’s GreenCircle certifications at Henkel’s West Hazleton, PA site, partnering with manufacturing, innovation, sales and marketing teams to help validate sustainable production practices for a select range of Dial® soaps. For L.D., the certification demonstrates the kind of collaboration and follow-through that sustainability efforts require daily.

Future? Ready!

As Henkel celebrates its 150th anniversary, the company looks back with pride and looks ahead with confidence to continue to reimagine and shape the future. L.D. takes that to heart ensuring sustainability is built into his work and life every day and helping the next generation carry it forward.

L.D. does that as an adjunct professor at The University of Toledo, teaching environmental engineering. He draws on his real industry experience to connect lectures to the practical challenges students may face in their careers.

If we don’t pass on our knowledge to the next generation, they won’t be able to grow, innovate and learn from everything we’ve done. It’s really about preparing people to be better than us in the future.

L.D. Pierce, Senior Manager Environmental and Sustainability, Henkel Consumer Brands in the Americas

For L.D., teaching is one more reminder that meaningful progress happens over time. The changes set in motion today, whether at the farm, at Henkel or in the classroom, may take years to fully take hold. That is exactly the point: creating something now that future generations can take further.

Originally published on GoDaddy Resource Library

TEMPE, Ariz., July 7, 2026 /3BL/ – GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY) recently revealed its 2026 list of America’s Most Entrepreneurial Cities, with San Antonio, Texas, claiming the top spot. For the first time since launching the annual list, GoDaddy partnered with Zillow (Nasdaq: Z, ZG) to spotlight housing data for each market.

The rankings reveal a continued shift: small business growth isn’t concentrated in a handful of expected hubs. It’s taking hold in cities of every size, from major metros to places that rarely make these lists. Building on last year’s finding that size doesn’t determine entrepreneurial success, the 2026 data shows that pattern deepening, with an even more geographically diverse mix rising to prominence. Factors driving entrepreneurship often include real estate costs, talent migration, tax incentives, and remote work flexibility.

“The footprint of American entrepreneurship is shifting deeper into non-traditional places,” said Alexandra Rosen, GoDaddy’s small business economist. “The idea that you need to be in a major coastal city to build something has evolved. Whether it’s a traditional storefront with a digital presence or an online side hustle, entrepreneurs are sustaining momentum and showing there’s growing opportunity in every part of the country.”

What Zillow’s Housing Insights Say About the Most Entrepreneurial Cities 
The GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab created the 2026 list by determining the cities with the highest rate of business growth during the previous calendar year.

Zillow’s data, including this year’s home values, rent prices, and Market Heat Index, adds housing-market context for each breakout hub. For every Most Entrepreneurial City, Zillow details whether home values and rents sit above or below national averages, and whether a market favors buyers or sellers via the Market Heat Index.

“A thriving local economy and a thriving housing market tend to go hand in hand,” says Zillow Chief Economist Mischa Fisher, “When housing is attainable and plentiful, entrepreneurs feel more confident putting down roots and businesses find it easier to attract and keep talent. The pandemic fundamentally changed where people want to live and work, and new energy flowed to markets outside of the traditional hotspots. The map of economic opportunity has been redrawn along with it.”

 *Zillow data provides insight into the housing market trends for these cities, however it did not factor into the rankings of the cities. The Most Entrepreneurial Cities list was determined by GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab data.

Key Findings and Market Trends

San Antonio Emerges as the Nation’s Top Entrepreneurial Hub
San Antonio’s first-place ranking shows strong momentum and the highest rate of small business growth at 11% year over year. For every small business added in the San Antonio area, five new jobs are created, driving economic benefits for the surrounding community. Zillow data shows the city maintains a highly stable housing foundation, featuring a balanced Market Heat Index score of 50, representing a neutral housing market, favoring neither buyers nor sellers, with below-average home and rent values.

The Great Migration South: Founders Planting Roots in the Sun Belt 
Texas, Florida, and New Mexico accounted for half of the cities on the list, underscoring continued entrepreneurial momentum across the Sun Belt. This region attracts founders with financial incentives, including no state personal income taxes in Florida and Texas. Past research has found that migration from other states and countries drives higher rates of new small businesses in the area. Zillow data, however, reveals founders across these two states are navigating very different housing environments. San Antonio, El Paso, and Albuquerque are below the national average for home values, making cost of living more affordable, while Miami and Tampa are above the national average for rent.

One small business founder in Miami, Florida, Anik Sahai, co-founder of Ethics Lab with Michael Gomez, a youth-focused organization shaping conversations around AI ethics, shared what he appreciates about this region. “South Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is built on a culture of collaboration and forward-looking innovation. For young builders, it provides a unique environment where you can connect across industries, find mentorship, and turn complex, real-world problems into scalable AI solutions. It is an incredible place to build.”

The Surprising Standouts
Some cities in the top 10 demand a second look. Washington, D.C. – a city synonymous with big government – earned a top 10 spot on the strength of new business formations, while in New York it’s the Bronx, not Manhattan, leading the way. Zillow’s data shows the trend spans every kind of housing market, underscoring that there’s no wrong place to start a business.

To learn more about the 2026 Most Entrepreneurial Cities, including additional city data, comprehensive interactive maps, Zillow housing insights, or to get more information on GoDaddy’s Small Business Research Lab, visit announcements.godaddy/3bl-us-mec2026.

About GoDaddy
GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar, helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start, grow, and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a website and logo, sell their products and services and accept payments. GoDaddy Airo®, the company’s AI-powered experience, makes growing a small business faster and easier by helping them to get their idea online in minutes, drive traffic and boost sales. GoDaddy’s expert guides are available 24/7 to provide assistance. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com.

About GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab
The GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab analyzes more than 20 million online businesses with a digital presence, defined by a unique domain and active website. Most of these businesses employ fewer than ten people, classifying them as microbusinesses. Since 2019, the program has surveyed more than 70,000 entrepreneurs, making it a leading source of data and insights on microbusiness trends. To learn more, visit us.godaddy/research.

About Zillow Group

Zillow Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate to make home a reality for more and more people.

As the most visited real estate app and website in the United States, Zillow connects hundreds of millions of consumers with innovative technology, trusted agents and loan officers, and seamless digital solutions. With industry-leading tools and resources, Zillow supercharges real estate professionals so they can grow their businesses and deliver exceptional client experiences. For renters and housing providers, Zillow offers not only a robust marketplace but a set of end-to-end products and services to streamline applications, leases, payments and more.

Zillow’s ecosystem spans the entire home journey — from dreaming and shopping to renting, buying, selling and financing.

Zillow Group’s affiliates, subsidiaries and brands include Zillow®, Zillow Premier Agent®, Zillow Home Loans®, Zillow Rentals®, Zillow® New Construction, Trulia®, StreetEasy®, Out East®, HotPads®, Follow Up Boss®, ShowingTime®, dotloop® and Zillow® Closing.

All marks herein are owned by MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/). © 2026 MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate.

The Ray is moving beyond research to deploy real-time technology that makes transportation systems more responsive, durable, and safe. One of their most impactful collaborations is with Pi-lit®, a leader in roadway safety solutions with 13 years of experience developing US-made products. Together, they are converting passive highway hardware into a Roadway Ground Truth platform that alerts agencies to incidents in real time.

The Challenge: Silent Infrastructure

Safety hardware such as guardrails, crash cushions, and cable barriers is critical for protecting drivers in crashes. However, maintaining these assets across thousands of miles is a massive operational challenge. Historically, there has been no formal reporting mechanism for the status of these assets; DOTs often wouldn’t know a barrier was damaged until a manual inspection or a third-party report. This lack of visibility can lead to dangerous situations in which a previously damaged crash cushion fails to provide adequate protection during a subsequent incident.

The Solution: Pi-lit® Impact Detection System (IDS™)

To bridge this information gap, The Ray partnered with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to deploy the Pi-lit® Impact Detection System (IDS™).

How it Works: The IDS™ consists of smart, cellular-connected sensors that mount directly onto critical signage, guardrails, and cable barriers.

Real-Time Alerts: Within 60 seconds of a vehicle impact, the system sends automated SMS and email alerts to maintenance crews.

Precision Data: These alerts provide the exact location and time of unreported hits, ensuring critical hardware is repaired immediately.

Smart Features: The sensors even record their initial orientation; if a sign falls over due to an impact, the system alerts the team that the sign is no longer providing vital information to motorists.

Impact on The Ray Highway and Beyond

Following a successful one-year pilot, GDOT is expanding the Pi-lit® system across Metro Atlanta, North Georgia, and the Georgia Coast. This expansion helps GDOT investigate how smart guardrails can enhance safety on winding roads, congested corridors, and coastal highways.

Beyond immediate safety, the partnership provides several operational benefits:

Reduced Response Times: Maintenance and emergency response teams can be mobilized faster, often integrated with CCTV cameras to enhance situational awareness.

Revenue Recovery: By documenting the exact time of impact, agencies can better identify responsible parties and recover costs for damaged infrastructure—up to $15,000 per event.

Post-Storm Assessment: The sensors are even being used to help GDOT assess roadway debris after severe storms by detecting impacts on or near the pavement.

A Vision for Connected Safety

The Ray’s partnership with Pi-lit® is built on a shared vision to accelerate road safety improvements. By enabling infrastructure to see beyond its physical presence and communicate directly with agencies and, eventually, connected vehicles, they are creating a future in which every journey is protected by a layer of connected intelligence.

Together, The Ray and Pi-lit® are ensuring that highways are no longer just passive paths, but active participants in safeguarding every driver on the road.

Key Takeaways

• SBTi’s Corporate Net-Zero Standard Version 2.0, released in June 2026, is the most significant revision of the framework since its 2021 debut.
• The headline changes—a best-efforts framework, greater Scope 3 flexibility, tighter links between targets and governance, and a stronger emphasis on implementation and continuous improvement—all point in a single direction.
• That direction is the one practitioners have understood for years: setting a target was never the hard part. Delivering against it is.
• Companies with validated targets do not need to resubmit under Version 2.0. The work is decarbonization and demonstrable progress, not re-validation.
• For companies still weighing science-based targets, Version 2.0 reinforces an important reality: Success depends far more on the quality of your decarbonization plan than on the ambition of your target.

The Challenge Evolves: SBTi Released Version 2.0

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) released Version 2.0 of its Corporate Net-Zero Standard on June 11, 2026, the first full revision since the Standard launched in 2021.

The technical changes have drawn most of the attention, and understandably so. Version 2.0 introduces a best-efforts framework, new approaches to Scope 3, sharper expectations around governance and transition planning, and a more structured treatment of carbon removals and ongoing emissions responsibility.

After 15 years spent quantifying emissions, setting targets, and building the pathways to hit them, I’d argue the more important story sits underneath the technical detail.

Over the past decade, companies have become very good at making commitments. More than 11,000 companies and financial institutions have validated science-based targets, with thousands more committed to doing so. The underlying aim has not changed: aligning corporate emissions reductions with a 1.5°C pathway, consistent with the Paris Agreement. The scale of adoption is genuinely remarkable.

Achieving those targets is a fundamentally harder problem—and the one that actually determines whether any of this matters.

The question facing companies now is not whether to set a target, but how to reduce emissions in practice: through initiatives that are technically viable, operationally realistic, and financially defensible. The difficulty is doing all three at once, inside real capital-planning cycles, against competing priorities, while navigating the countless variables that influence implementation.

The destination has not changed. What Version 2.0 changes is where the effort is directed.

What Changed in SBTi’s Corporate Net-Zero Standard Version 2.0?

A few updates stand out.

First, the best-efforts framework. Version 2.0 acknowledges what everyone doing this work already knew: Companies do not control every variable in their own decarbonization. Firms are still expected to set ambitious targets, deploy the levers available to them, and show progress. But the Standard now treats implementation and transparency as the measure of credibility, rather than reducing target achievement to a binary pass or fail. It would be easy to read “best-efforts” as a softening of sorts, but it is not. It is a maturation of the framework to match how decarbonization actually unfolds, while shifting the burden onto demonstrable effort and disclosure.

Second, real flexibility on Scope 3. Companies now have more workable pathways to address value-chain emissions, such as supplier and customer alignment, activity-pool and category-specific approaches, and a more honest treatment of emissions they can influence but not command. Anyone who has built a Scope 3 inventory understands why this matters: Influencing thousands of suppliers and customers is a categorically different problem than cutting your own energy use.

Third, a sharper focus on near-term accountability—through periodic (five-year) review cycles, annual progress reporting, and end-of-cycle assessments. Long-term ambition still matters, but the Standard now places more weight on measurable progress in the near term than on distant commitments.

Version 2.0 also formalizes separate Scope 1 and Scope 2 targets, tightens expectations around governance and transition planning, and—for larger companies—moves assurance from good practice toward requirement. Taken together, the changes push in one direction: toward the realities companies face when they move from ambition to implementation.

Setting a Target vs. Delivering on It

The most important theme in SBTi’s Corporate Net-Zero Standard Version 2.0 is the recognition that a target, however ambitious, is only a starting point.

Emissions reductions are achieved through operational, procurement, capital, and change-management decisions made across a business. In practice, this includes energy efficiency, equipment upgrades, facility optimization, fuel switching, electrification, renewable procurement, supplier engagement, process improvements, and so on. Targets set direction and create accountability. Decisions and implementation determine whether the target is met.

Most projects require capital up front and return their value later as lower operating costs, as well as (sometimes) less obvious benefits in operational resilience and energy security, to name a couple. In many organizations, the capital cost and the operational savings sit in different budgets entirely—a classic split-incentive problem, and one that has nothing to do with sustainability and everything to do with how the business is structured. Solving it is often less about engineering than about who owns the budget line.

No two companies decarbonize the same way. Most draw from the same finite set of levers; what differs is the marginal abatement cost and emissions value of each one, which varies by industry, asset lifecycles, energy profile, growth plans, and value-chain structure, among other factors. A lever that is decisive for one company is marginal for another. Version 2.0 does not remove that complexity but it acknowledges it, and that acknowledgment may be the most consequential thing about the update.

The Business Case for Decarbonization

A point that gets lost in the implementation conversation is co-benefits. Many of the actions that reduce emissions are good business on their own terms.

The same levers noted above—efficiency, optimization, electrification, on-site generation, supplier engagement—routinely lower operating costs, improve energy security, and strengthen resilience while cutting emissions. As energy price volatility, load growth, grid constraints, and extreme weather intensify, those co-benefits should stop being incidental and start being rationale for project approval and funding.

The framing follows the audience, but the heart of the message remains the same. A facility optimization project reduces emissions, lowers utility spend, and improves performance; on-site solar advances a climate goal and cuts grid dependence; an equipment upgrade improves efficiency, output, and resilience at once. Whether a company frames the work as sustainability, resilience, cost, or risk, the underlying actions tend to serve all of them. That is why Version 2.0’s emphasis on implementation matters: it moves the conversation onto the operational and financial decisions that actually determine the outcome.

What Companies Should Do Now

So, what should you actually do about SBTi Version 2.0?

• If you already have validated targets: Your targets remain valid through their current cycle; there is no requirement to resubmit under Version 2.0. Direct the effort toward implementation, progress tracking, and preparing for your next review and renewal.
• If you have committed but are not yet validated: Get familiar with Version 2.0 and the transition timeline. Version 2.0 becomes effective February 1, 2027; companies can submit under either Version 1.3.1 or Version 2.0 through January 31, 2028, after which Version 2.0 is mandatory. Depending on timing, you may still validate under the current framework—but whichever version you use, put as much rigor into the implementation plan as into the target itself. Validation is a milestone, not the finish line.

Date	Effect
February 1, 2027	Version 2.0 becomes effective
January 31, 2028	Latest date by which companies can submit under Version 1.3.1 (or Version 2.0)
February 1, 2028	Version 2.0 become mandatory

• If you are still considering targets: Version 2.0 makes the point explicit: Evaluate target-setting and decarbonization planning together. The companies that succeed know not only what they intend to achieve, but how—ambition grounded in a pathway they can actually execute.

The Bottom Line on SBTi Version 2.0

SBTi’s Corporate Net-Zero Standard Version 2.0 introduces real technical change, but the larger story is not the methodology. It is that the framework has caught up to what practitioners have long understood: Companies do not control every variable, supply chains are complex, technologies evolve, capital cycles take time, and progress is rarely linear. Version 2.0 makes room for that reality while holding the line on accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.

There is a timing signal worth noting, too. Version 2.0’s demand for demonstrable, evidence-backed progress arrives at the same moment assurance is shifting from a differentiator to an expectation—driven both by the Standard and by regulation such as California’s SB253. In my view, those two trends are going to compound: The pressure to show progress and the pressure to have that progress independently verified are about to become the same pressure.

The goal—meaningful emissions reductions aligned with climate science—has not changed. What is different is the honesty about the journey. Targets set direction; implementation delivers results. SBTi Version 2.0 reflects a more mature understanding of corporate climate action—success is defined not by the ambition of the commitment, but by the ability to turn that commitment into measurable progress.

For years, companies approached supply chain resilience and sustainability as two distinct objectives. One focused on ensuring goods arrived on time and on budget. The other centered on reducing environmental impact.

Today’s business environment is changing that equation.

From geopolitical disruptions and evolving trade patterns to growing customer expectations and climate reporting requirements, organizations are under increasing pressure to build supply chains that are both more resilient and more sustainable. Freight and logistics account for approximately 10% of global energy-related CO₂ emissions, making supply chains one of the biggest opportunities for businesses looking to reduce their environmental footprint while strengthening operational performance.

Recognizing this shift, DP World recently launched EcoRoute, a suite of integrated supply chain solutions designed to help businesses optimize logistics networks, reduce emissions, and improve supply chain resilience. By combining network optimization, lower-carbon transportation, emissions measurement, carbon insetting, and strategic partnerships, EcoRoute helps customers address sustainability without compromising operational performance.

Better Networks Create Better Outcomes

For many organizations, the greatest opportunity to reduce emissions isn’t a single new technology; it’s designing smarter supply chains.

Reducing unnecessary transportation miles, improving modal choices, increasing asset utilization, and integrating logistics services can lower both costs and carbon emissions while making supply chains more resilient to disruption.

DP World has been putting this philosophy into practice across its global network.

The company has built an integrated logistics ecosystem in the Dominican Republic that connects marine terminals, free trade zones, inland logistics, warehousing, and transportation services. By bringing these capabilities together, customers gain greater efficiency, streamline cargo movements, and reduce unnecessary carbon-intensive activities that can occur when logistics services are geographically spread out. The company continues advancing sustainable electrification, habitat restoration, and waste management practices across its Latin American terminal network.

Across Canada, DP World continues investing in terminal electrification and energy efficiency initiatives that reduce operational emissions while enhancing port performance. Both DP World’s Vancouver and Fraser Surrey terminals recently received the 2026 Blue Circle Award from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority for excellence in energy management. Four of the company’s Canadian terminals recently achieved Green Marine recertification, marking their continued success in meeting rigorous performance benchmarks across air emissions, community impacts, waste management, and spill prevention.

These investments reflect a broader industry trend: the most effective sustainability strategies increasingly strengthen business performance at the same time.

Visibility Is Becoming a Business Imperative

Building a lower-emission supply chain starts with understanding where emissions occur.

As organizations face growing expectations around Scope 3 emissions reporting, many are discovering that measuring supply chain emissions can be just as challenging as reducing them. Without reliable data, it becomes difficult to identify opportunities for improvement or demonstrate progress to customers, investors, and regulators.

One of EcoRoute’s core capabilities addresses this challenge through a Carbon Emissions Calculator powered by EcoTransIT World and aligned with ISO 14083. The platform provides end-to-end emissions visibility across transport modes, helping businesses compare logistics options and make more informed operational decisions.

Better data doesn’t just support sustainability reporting, it enables smarter supply chain planning.

Collaboration Drives Lasting Progress

No company can decarbonize global supply chains alone.

Meaningful progress requires collaboration among logistics providers, customers, technology partners and local communities.

Across the Americas and beyond, DP World continues to invest in partnerships that extend sustainability beyond its own operations.

The company’s ongoing collaboration with Boomitra, first established in 2023 and expanded in 2025, supports regenerative agriculture projects that improve soil health while generating high-quality carbon credits. These initiatives create additional opportunities for customers seeking credible ways to address hard-to-abate supply chain emissions while delivering positive environmental and social outcomes.

This collaborative approach is reflected in EcoRoute itself. In addition to lower-carbon logistics and emissions measurement, the solution incorporates carbon insetting programs and strategic partnerships that help customers reduce emissions within their own logistics value chains while supporting broader sustainability goals.

Building Supply Chains for the Future

The future of logistics won’t be defined by choosing between operational performance and sustainability.

It will be shaped by organizations that recognize these priorities are increasingly interconnected.

As customer expectations evolve and supply chain complexity grows, companies that design smarter logistics networks, embrace greater emissions transparency, and collaborate across the value chain will be better positioned to navigate future challenges.

EcoRoute reflects this evolution – bringing together the tools, insights, and partnerships businesses need to strengthen supply chain resilience while advancing their sustainability goals.

Learn more about DP World’s EcoRoute solution and how it’s helping businesses build more resilient, lower-emission supply chains.

Originally published on newsroom.marykay.com

DALLAS, July 7, 2026 /3BL/ – Mary Kay Inc., a global leader in beauty and women’s empowerment is proud to spotlight its commitment to social impact around the world through the Pink Changing Lives^®campaign and the launch of the Special Edition^† Mary Kay^® Blush Stick – a product designed to inspire confidence while making a meaningful difference.

Available in the shades “Kind Spirit” and “Spark Change,” these pocket-sized blush sticks are more than a beauty essential, they are a symbol of beauty with a purpose. Through the Pink Changing Lives^® campaign, each blush stick purchase in participating Mary Kay markets contributes directly to local nonprofit partners, helping fund critical causes that impact women every day around the world.

Did You Know: 

Since 2008, Mary Kay’s multi-faceted Pink Changing Lives^® global program has contributed more than $230 million in monetary and in-kind support to enrich the lives of women and their families. These efforts include advancing cancer research, supporting survivors of domestic violence, and creating opportunities for economic empowerment worldwide. Since its inception, Mary Kay’s Pink Changing Lives cause marketing campaign has been a cornerstone of the company’s social impact program, which has positively contributed to local communities through a total of 18 Limited-Edition products.

“At Mary Kay beauty is bold, confident, and impactful,” said Dr. Lucy Gildea, Chief Brand and Scientific Officer at Mary Kay. “The Pink Changing Lives^® program reflects our heart as a company and our unwavering belief in supporting and uplifting women everywhere. This year’s Special-Edition^† Mary Kay® Blush Stick has a powerful purpose, helping create real change for women and families worldwide with every swipe of the cheek.”

This deep-rooted commitment to social impact has earned Mary Kay worldwide recognition. In 2026, the company ranked among the Top 10 on Forbes’ Best Brands for Social Impact list for the second year in a row, standing at #8 as the only beauty and direct selling brand to achieve this distinction out of 5,500 brands.¹

Inclusive Beauty Innovation That Supports Every Woman

• The 2026 special-edition blush sticks meaningfully complement the recent launch of TimeWise^® 3D Foundation, designed to deliver inclusive, high-performance results for women of all skin tones.
• The newly reformulated TimeWise^® 3D Foundation features 36 skin tone-true shades across both matte and luminous finishes.
• The TimeWise^® 3D Foundation was developed using proprietary IntelliMatch™ Technology, informed by more than 3,000 real skin tone data points. The result is a seamless, natural-looking match that simplifies shade selection.
• Consumers can also take advantage of Mary Kay’s AI-powered Foundation Finder, an award-winning tool that helps identify their ideal shade with confidence.

A Legacy of Enriching Women’s Lives

For more than 60 years, Mary Kay has championed opportunities for women through entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and innovation. Founded in 1963 by Mary Kay Ash, the company was built on a vision of empowering women to define their own success.

Today, that mission continues to guide every product and every initiative – from innovative beauty science to programs like Pink Changing Lives^® – which bring tangible support to women and families across the globe.

***

About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her dream beauty brand in Texas in 1963 with one goal: to enrich women’s lives. That dream has blossomed into a global company with millions of independent sales force members in 40 markets. For over 60 years, the Mary Kay opportunity has empowered women to define their own futures through education, mentorship, advocacy, and innovation. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skincare, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and fragrances. Mary Kay believes in preserving our planet for future generations, protecting women impacted by cancer and domestic abuse, and encouraging youth to follow their dreams. Learn more at marykayglobal.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or follow us on X.

# # #

¹Alan Schwarz, Forbes Staff. (March 17, 2026). “2026 Best Brands for Social Impact.”

^†Available while supplies last.

Mary Kay Inc. Corporate Communications
newsroom.marykay.com
972.687.5332 or media@mkcorp.com

Last week, we proudly celebrated the Grand Opening and Building Dedication of Mews at St. Mary in Williamstown, NJ, alongside our amazing colleagues, local leaders, community organizations, development partners, and The Bishop of Camden. Mews at St. Mary is now home to 75 affordable homes for seniors, thoughtfully designed to encourage community, friendship, and support for our aging population. Developed by The Diocese of Camden and The Walters Group, Mews at St. Mary has become a safe space for residents. In addition to the senior-friendly design, this community features an on-site wellness nurse and resident-driven programming.

It was truly inspiring to celebrate this event with everyone. We are incredibly grateful to our colleagues who joined us and represented CVS Health and Aetna at the Grand Opening. We are even more proud of our dedicated group of colleagues that joined us to assemble 75 welcome baskets the day before. These baskets were a labor of love and include items from socks and toothpaste, to jar openers and laundry pods. Spending the afternoon passing out the baskets to each resident was inspiring. It reminded us of why we do this work and how small acts can make a huge impact.

CVS Health‑Aetna is proud to support developments like Mews at St. Mary, which reflect our commitment to strengthening communities and showcasing that Housing is Healthcare. Developments like this remind us of the lasting impact our work has in the neighborhoods where we live and serve. 

 

CONTACT:

Kara Green

kgreen@actionagainsthunger.org

+1 (231) 286-1275

NEW YORK, July 7, 2026 /3BL/ – Action Against Hunger announced today that PharmaBox, developed in partnership with the CMA CGM Foundation, has been named a winner of Fast Company’s 2026 World Changing Ideas Award, recognized for general excellence.

PharmaBox addresses a critical gap in humanitarian response: during crises, the medical supply chain is ill-equipped to handle emergency deployments and extreme temperatures. Built inside 40-foot shipping containers, PharmaBoxes function as mobile pharmacies and medical storage units that are fully compliant with global logistics frameworks. Each unit is solar-powered and temperature-controlled, maintaining conditions between 20°C and 25°C and below 65% humidity, ensuring the integrity of sensitive medications in the most challenging environments.

Designed with longevity and redeployment in mind, each PharmaBox has an operational lifespan of 10 years and the capacity to serve more than 500,000 patients over its lifetime. The first unit was deployed to Bangui, Central African Republic in February 2025, with additional units subsequently sent to Chad and Sudan.

Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards celebrate businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and startups whose innovations address the world’s greatest challenges. PharmaBox was selected from thousands of entries across sectors and recognized in the overall list of winners.is featured in Fast Company’s article on innovations that put humanity and community first. This follows Action Against Hunger’s recognition last year as one of the world’s most innovative companies 2025.

###

Action Against Hunger is a global leader creating a future where every life is well nourished. We innovate to prevent malnutrition and respond to hunger hotspots, working in 59 countries and reaching more than 26 million people each year. Together, we are promoting resilience and working to end hunger for everyone, for good.

AEG’s LA Galaxy and Dignity Health Sports Park teamed up with New Beginnings Outreach CDC and the Gardena Carson Family YMCA to support more than 800 families across the South Bay through a large-scale community distribution event. 

Hosted at DHSP, the initiative provided essential resources to local households while strengthening the reach and capacity of trusted community-based organizations. Highlighting the club’s direct involvement, Galaxy goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski was on-site to volunteer, working alongside staff to hand out supplies. Through the support of community partners, attendees were also provided with NORMS Restaurant meal vouchers and Northgate Market gift cards to help address ongoing grocery and meal needs. New Beginnings Outreach CDC and the YMCA leveraged the venue and operational support to connect with residents and deliver meaningful assistance where it’s needed most. 

Complementing the distribution effort, radio station 102.3 KJLH provided music throughout the event, creating a welcoming atmosphere that underscored the power of community partnerships to deliver both practical support and meaningful connection. 

This effort reflects AEG and LA Galaxy’s ongoing commitment to investing in the communities surrounding DHSP and Galaxy Park. By bringing together corporate resources and local expertise, the partnership aims to expand access to critical support services, reinforce community stability, and foster a stronger sense of connection and belonging. 

The timing of the event aligns with the club’s Soccer Celebration presented by Spectrum, a free, multi-day public event from July 1-7. Together, these efforts highlight a holistic approach to community engagement, pairing direct support with inclusive programming that brings people together and celebrates the vibrancy of the South Bay. 

Through initiatives like this, AEG and LA Galaxy continue to demonstrate how sports and entertainment platforms can be activated to drive meaningful impact, supporting both immediate needs and long-term community wellbeing.