Tag: 3BL

Garrett Quinn, group chief sustainability officer at Smurfit Kappa Group, one of the leading providers of paper-based packaging, and Robert Eccles, a leading authority on sustainability, join co-host Andie Wood on the latest ESG Talk episode. Listen in as they explore the intricacies of navigating sustainability and financial performance, achieving sustainability targets, and Smurfit Kappa’s journey with implementing the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures.

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ESG Talk is brought to you by Workiva, the world’s only unified platform for financial reporting, ESG, audit, and risk. Learn more at workiva.com.

Authored by Joel M. Laubenstein, Donald N. Bernards 

Explore the groundbreaking impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) highlighted at Baker Tilly’s 2024 DevelUP conference. In an article with The Bond Buyer, Baker Tilly’s Don Bernards and Joel Laubenstein share insights on how the IRA has revolutionized tax credits, creating unprecedented opportunities. With over 70 separate tax credits and options to transfer them, the IRA opens doors to project funding and innovation. Read more to see what panelists across several organizations had to say at the April event.

To learn more visit Baker Tilly’s multifamily housing page.

Tapestry congratulates Eric Chavous, Senior Manager and Counsel at Tapestry on his acceptance into the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s 2024 Sources of Success™ Program. A highly competitive professional development program that accepts about 30 attorneys from legal departments and law firms across the U.S. each year, MCCA’s Sources of Success Program is designed to help mid-career attorneys excel as leaders within their organizations. Each year, the curriculum evolves to address the needs of the cohort to excel as leaders within their own organizations.

Tapestry is proud that Eric has been recognized and selected to be a part of this esteemed program, and we look forward to seeing him reach even further heights.

We connected with Eric, and he shared a little about his experience at Tapestry:

Q: Can you share your role, how long you’ve been at Tapestry and a few details about what your team oversees? I am Sr. Manager, Counsel and have worked at Tapestry for a little over three years. I started as an independent contractor and was converted to full-time nearly three years ago. Currently, I support both the Contracts team that oversees all agreements entered across Tapestry and its brands in NA, and the Intellectual Property team responsible for managing Tapestry’s global IP portfolio and clearing designs, artwork, and names for brand design and merchandise teams.

Q: What is your proudest moment/achievement at Tapestry? I am blessed to be able to truthfully say I have had numerous proud moments at Tapestry. The moment that sticks out the most at this time is the opportunity I had to give a presentation on NFTs to our Executive Committee with one of my colleagues. Not many lawyers at my career level can claim they have personally presented to the entire Executive Committee of a multi-billion dollar public company.

Q: What words would you use to describe our culture? Innovative. Fast. Inclusive.

 

Learn more about Tapestry and how we support our people to achieve their professional goals here.

Well-being offerings are not just a benefit for employees – they’re an expectation. In fact, in a recent study, 9 out of 10 employees said that well-being offerings impacted their decision-making when selecting an employer.

But how can companies differentiate between offering well-being programs that simply meet expectations and well-being programs that are meaningful and effective? The answer may be how embedded well-being is in a company’s culture.

In an interview with Lynn Castrataro, vice president, Total Rewards, for Trane Technologies, we explored how this approach can help employees truly thrive.

What differentiates well-being offerings at Trane Technologies?

Lynn: In the last five years, wellness programs have developed tremendously because runaway healthcare inflation outpaced regular inflation. Companies have also realized health is not just physical; it is also about social and emotional well-being.

We have focused on “total health” from the beginning. Physical, mental and financial wellness have been pillars of our well-being portfolio for more than a decade – it is who we are, how we manage the company and how we treat our people every single day.

I’m proud to say that today, holistic well-being is completely embedded in our culture. In fact, we have organically grown a network of nearly 300 team members who volunteer as wellness champions to share health and wellness information with their local teams, and our executive leaders sponsor well-being programs for team members around the world.

All this took time, care and thought to build, and it will continue to take the same time and care to sustain.

How is the company evolving offerings for the future?

Lynn: While our emphasis on total health never changes, we know employees’ needs evolve. That’s why we conduct listening sessions with team members all around the world to understand what they need to be able to thrive within their families and their communities. These conversations help us create offerings that matter to them – whether it’s financial saving opportunities, family-building support or mental health care.

One area we have evolved in the last five years is equity. We looked at the full landscape, making sure we are being inclusive and our programs reflect our diversity and inclusion strategy. Our goal is to have the right offerings to attract a truly diverse population, no matter the gender, race or sexual orientation.

(Read more about how Trane Technologies expanded benefits to include domestic partners and their dependent children regardless of gender identity in our 2023 ESG Report).

With increasing awareness on Mental Health, what are the greatest employee demands/trends regarding mental health support and services? How is Trane Technologies responding?

Lynn: We’ve long offered an Employee Assistance Program for employees and their families, even if they’re not enrolled in our company benefits, so they can access support anywhere, any time of day. 

Two years ago, we also realized there was an opportunity to start an enterprise discussion around mental health to foster an inclusive environment and break down barriers or misperceptions. Since then, we shared stories from team members around the world – which inspired countless others to step forward and talk openly about their own well-being. 

More recently, managers and employees have been asking for help to recognize when their colleagues are struggling. We partnered with the American Psychiatric Association Foundation’s (APAF) Center for Workplace Mental Health to customize and launch a training program for our employees globally. The training explains what distress signs to look for, how to engage and how to know when to escalate a concern. The fact that managers and employees asked for this training is indicative of our uplifting culture – our people really care about each other and their overall well-being.

What are some other ways the company’s programs have positively impacted people?

Lynn: We are always listening to our global team members and seeking unique ways to help them thrive financially, physically, socially and mentally:

Our Helping Hand Fund helps employees impacted by natural disaster and other personal hardships. Since 2017, the Helping Hand Fund has provided nearly $4.5 million in critical relief funding to almost 3,000 employees around the world.Over the past two years, we’ve been listening, learning and testing childcare solutions in our U.S. manufacturing plants to address the accessibility and affordability concerns of working parents.This year, we also launched a Student Debt Program, which treats your monthly student loan payment like a retirement contribution and provides a match that goes into your 401(k) after the end of the plan year.

One of the promises we make to our employees is to help them thrive at work and at home. We know the programs employees need to thrive will vary based on where they are on their own journey. But one thing is universal: when employees feel cared for by their company, that care is extended to their team members, peers, communities and customers. That “cycle of care” is why well-being is such a critical part of our uplifting, engaging and inclusive culture – and one of the ways we will continue to drive it forward for the future. 

Like we always say: when we dare to care, we boldly go. 

Learn about all the ways that Trane Technologies is helping team members thrive – read the company’s 2023 ESG Report. 

Las Vegas Sands

On May 22, the United Nations observes International Day for Biological Diversity 2024, which calls for respecting, protecting and repairing the planet’s biological wealth. Created in 1993, one of the UN’s current goals for this observance is to draw attention to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a historic agreement signed in December 2022 that sets goals and concrete measures to stop and reverse the loss of nature by 2050.

The UN estimates that three-quarters of the land-based environment and about 66% of the marine environment have been significantly altered by human actions. Additionally, one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction. While preserving biodiversity is critical to protecting the environment and natural habitats, these efforts also have a direct impact on humans, as fish provide 20% of animal protein to nearly three billion people and over 80% of the human diet is provided by plants.

Preserving biodiversity is a priority for the Sands ECO360 global sustainability program, which has spearheaded initiatives in this area as part of water stewardship, sustainable sourcing and nature conservation initiatives. Sands currently is coalescing these efforts under a coordinated biodiversity strategy that focuses on three areas: deforestation prevention, ocean health and nature conservation.

“Defining a unified biodiversity strategy is a top priority for our 2021-2025 planning and reporting cycle, and our efforts have centered on gaining a deeper understanding of the impacts of our direct operations and supply chain to further advance meaningful opportunities to protect the natural world,” Katarina Tesarova, senior vice president and chief sustainability officer, said.

“Because protecting the natural world is an essential facet of our environmental goals, we are building on our foundational initiatives by exploring new ways to make impact and defining the metrics on which we measure our performance.”

Preventing Deforestation

Over the past year, Sands has sought to increase its understanding of ways to prevent deforestation and define its efforts in this area by tapping a trusted partner to help guide its work.

In 2023, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore engaged the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a non-governmental organization that works to preserve wilderness and reduce human impact on the environment, to review its procurement activity and evaluate its supply chain for deforestation hot spots created by commodities such as beef, palm oil, timber, coffee and cocoa. The assessment is increasing understanding of potential biodiversity impacts and dependencies.

As part of the three-year engagement, WWF will produce a report to guide the industry and support Marina Bay Sands on training and policy implementation related to report findings.

WWF’s findings also will help Sands further refine its global procurement strategies to prevent deforestation. The company already aims to procure coffee and tea from agricultural sources that use sustainable growing techniques, protect local forests and waterways, and work in harmony with biodiversity. Sands also currently sources organic textile and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified paper goods.

Protecting Ocean Health

With more than 200 restaurants spanning its resorts, food and beverage service is a key focus area for Sands’ biodiversity initiatives. One of its leading strategies to protect ocean health is sustainable seafood procurement, which includes promoting sustainable sourcing to chefs and eliminating or reducing certain types of seafood from company-owned restaurants and food service operations.

For example, Sands has established internal policies to eliminate sourcing of shark fin and restrict offering of bluefin tuna in its restaurants and catering operations. The company also targets sourcing of seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).

Furthering the company’s priority on sustainable seafood sourcing, Marina Bay Sands has invested more than $400,000 since 2017 in WWF’s efforts to strengthen Singapore’s seafood supply chain resiliency and champion responsible seafood production in the Asia-Pacific region.

The resort has underwritten the participation of nine farms and one fishery in WWF’s aquaculture and fishery improvement programs, with Sankina Aquaculture becoming the first shrimp farm in Malaysia to receive ASC certification. In Macao, Sands China has been a member of the Hong Kong Sustainable Seafood Coalition (HKSSC) since 2020, participating in the HKSSC working group with the goal of increasing sustainable seafood availability and improving traceability.

Conserving Natural Ecosystems

Sands takes proactive steps to preserve natural resources and habitats in its regions, often working in partnership with local organizations that champion nature and biodiversity protection. In Macao, Sands China has worked extensively with the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) to restore mangrove forests in local waterways due to their importance in protecting coastal ecosystems as part of the Drop by Drop Project. In 2023, USJ planted approximately 800 seedlings to support biodiversity and benefit water quality.

Sands’ resorts also take steps to ensure its buildings do not interfere with the habitats of native species. Marina Bay Sands has implemented a policy to re-home bees that make hives in areas surrounding the resort. Sands China takes steps to ensure its resorts are free of high-intensity skyward lasers and building floodlights to reduce the impact of lighting pollution, since the area is located along the East Asian Australasian migratory bird flyway zone.

To learn more about Sands’ environmental priorities and performance, read the company’s latest ESG Report: https://www.sands.com/resources/reports/.

CooperCompanies (“Cooper”) (Nasdaq: COO) today released its 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report showcasing progress on enhancing the health and wellness of people around the world while protecting the planet and serving its communities.

CooperCompanies made significant investments in learning and development programs for global employees, maintained its commitment to protect the planet, and continued making its leading healthcare solutions more accessible in underserved communities.

“We are most innovative when we leverage synergies across our ESG priorities,” said Al White, President and CEO of CooperCompanies. “We believe in the importance of sustainability and are pursuing a future in which everything we create mutually reinforces the wellbeing of people and planet.”

The 2023 ESG Report includes expanded and updated ESG performance data and highlights the Company’s efforts to drive positive change for people and the planet. The report is aligned with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standards, a leading framework that identifies important ESG topics most relevant to investors.

Key highlights from the report:

People + Planet
We enhance the health and wellness of people around the world, while doing our part to protect the planet and serve our communities.

Scored 100 on the Human Right Campaign’s 2023 Corporate Equality IndexNamed to the Top 20 Global Inspiring Workplaces and the Top 10 North American Inspiring WorkplacesCooperVision Puerto Rico received the President’s Award for workplace safetyMore than 2,000 employees participate in our employee resource groupsWomen received 49% of management-level promotions and made up 49% of our global workforceLaunched our Generation Sight initiative to bridge myopia management access disparities among children in the U.S. and train the next generation of optometry care providersIn 2023, CooperVision sites in Puerto Rico and Costa Rica achieved LEED Gold certification; 8 of CooperCompanies’ facilities are LEED® or BREEAM® certifiedReceived our first Zero Waste Facility certification at our CooperVision Distribution and Packaging Center in West Henrietta, diverting more than 90% of waste from landfillPrevented 6.9 kilograms of plastic waste from entering the ocean since the start of our partnership with Plastic Bank [1]100% renewable electricity sourcing at all CooperVision facilities in New York and the United Kingdom

Governance
Adherence to high standards of ethics, compliance and accountability provides long-term value for our stakeholders.

Employee engagement is now a KPI for all executives50% Board gender diversityLaunched the Speak Up awareness campaign, highlighting the responsibility of all employees to speak up if they observe or suspect misconductThree ESG organizational bodies, including our Executive Leadership, our ESG Team, and a dedicated ESG Cross-Functional Project Team; the Board of Directors oversees ESG topics

Read more in the Cooper 2023 ESG Report.

About CooperCompanies
CooperCompanies (Nasdaq: COO) is a leading global medical device company focused on improving lives one person at a time. The Company operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision is a trusted leader in the contact lens industry, improving the vision of millions of people every day. CooperSurgical is a leading fertility and women’s health company dedicated to assisting women, babies and families at the healthcare moments that matter most. Headquartered in San Ramon, CA, CooperCompanies (“Cooper”) has a workforce of more than 15,000 with products sold in over 130 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com.

Forward-looking Statements
This media release contains “forward-looking statements,” as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements relating to guidance, plans, prospects, goals, strategies, future actions, events or performance, and other statements, of which are other than statements of historical fact, including all statements, regarding planned ESG programs, and goals, the anticipated impact of ESG activities, and product and technology plans, are forward-looking. To identify these statements, look for words like “believes,” “outlook,” “probable,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seeks,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” or “anticipates,” and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements necessarily depend on assumptions, data, or methods that may be incorrect or imprecise and are subject to risks and uncertainties.

Among the factors that could cause our actual results and future actions to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements are: Adverse changes in the global or regional general business, political, and economic conditions, including the impact of continuing uncertainty and instability of certain countries, man-made or natural disasters that could adversely affect our global markets, and the potential adverse economic impact and related uncertainty caused by these items; the impact of international conflicts and the global response to international conflicts on the global economy, European economy, financial markets, energy markets, currency rates, and our ability to supply product to, or through, affected countries; our substantial and expanding international operations and the challenges of managing an organization spread throughout multiple countries and complying with a variety of legal, compliance, and regulatory requirements; compliance costs and potential liability in connection with U.S., and foreign laws and healthcare regulations pertaining to privacy and security of personal information; a major disruption in the operations of our manufacturing, accounting, and financial reporting, research, and development, distribution facilities or raw material supply chain; disruptions in supplies of raw materials, particularly components used to manufacture our silicone hydrogel lenses; new U.S. and foreign government laws and regulations, and changes in existing laws, regulations, and enforcement guidance, which affect areas of our operations including, but not limited to, those affecting the healthcare industry; new competitors, product innovations or technologies; reduced sales, loss of customers, and costs and expenses related to product recalls and warning letters; failure to receive, or delays in receiving, regulatory approvals or certifications for products; costs and expenses and the risk of an adverse decision, prohibitive injunction or settlement related to product liability, patent infringement, contractual disputes or other litigation; risks related to ESG issues, including those related to climate change and sustainability; and other events described in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the “Business,” “Risk Factors,” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023.

We caution investors that forward-looking statements reflect our analysis only on their stated date. We disclaim any intent to update them except as required by law.

[1] Data from April 15, 2024. For calculation purposes, Plastic Bank uses the measurement of 50 bottles equating to 1kg (2.2 pounds) of plastic.

Contact:
Kim Duncan
CooperCompanies

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Lora Collins is the Asphalt Value Chain Senior Director for Marathon Petroleum. She was recently named to the board of Women of Asphalt, a coalition to lead and inspire women in the asphalt industry. She’s eager to take on a broader role in the asphalt industry, connecting with women across the field.

Starting her career in science

Collins graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Ohio Northern University in 1991. She worked in research chemistry roles at Pfizer and Procter & Gamble for 16 years.

“I love data and technology,” said Collins. “I love to understand the full process of how things work. My initial career as a chemist was driven by my curiosity, love of data, and excitement for my research to potentially advance science and impact others.”

After many years as a research chemist, her career hit a crossroads. Her job was eliminated, and she chose to leverage her research and science experience for a different opportunity.

“Halfway through my working career, I literally started a new career,” said Collins. “My natural curiosity and love for learning something new every day really helped me.”

Working for Marathon Petroleum

In 2007, she joined Marathon Petroleum as a propane product manager. Collins has continued to work in various roles in the Marketing organization including brand district sales manager, asphalt technology manager, diesel pricing manager, coordinating staff manager, and wholesale marketing region manager. In October 2017, she began an assignment as asphalt region manager that expanded into her current role as asphalt value chain senior director.

“My natural curiosity and love for learning something new every day really helped me.”

“I’m excited every day to be part of a team that advances knowledge of asphalt production, blending, technology and application,” said Collins. “Working in the asphalt industry is rewarding as Marathon supplies high quality asphalt binder for our customers to construct asphalt pavements critical to U.S. infrastructure and economy.”

Marathon Petroleum is the largest asphalt producer in the U.S. and markets over 130 asphalt products from seven refineries. The company operates a fully integrated asphalt system that uses a mix of transportation methods and a network of 27 terminals across the country to safely store the asphalt for customers to access.

“I’m passionate about our work at Marathon,” said Collins. “Most people don’t know that 94% of all roads in the U.S. are paved with asphalt. Marathon is the largest U.S. producer of the asphalt binder, which is 5% of the pavement mixture. And asphalt is the most recycled product in the world.”

As her experience deepened, Collins became more involved with the asphalt industry. She currently serves on the boards of directors for Women of Asphalt and the Asphalt Institute Collins is also a chairperson for the Asphalt Institute Foundation.

“I’m so thankful for the opportunities I have been given,” said Collins. “I strive to continue learning and growing to support and develop future leaders at the company and champion expertise in the asphalt business.”

SEC education, training and community-building efforts help producers create jobs and expand affordable access to protein, supporting food security, nutrition and economic growth.

With SECs covering the Americas, Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, the centers serve as hubs to share best practices in protein production using soy, with customized areas of focus based on regional needs and priorities. In Asia and Africa, for example, SECs have provided extensive training on industry best practices in aquaculture, helping to support growing regional demand for fish and seafood-based protein. Also in Asia, a separate SEC was established to focus on soy-based protein for food, matching strong regional demand for plant-based options.

The five SECs in place today have served more than 1,300 businesses and more than 2,450 employees in more than 24 countries, since launching in 2019. The SECs are managed by USSEC, with support from USB, American Soybean Association (ASA) and state soy checkoff organizations.

As part of a global initiative to increase access to science and technical education, Chemours’ Washington Works site has awarded scholarships to five local students who will pursue study in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields at universities this fall. The scholarships are part of Chemours’ Future of Chemistry Scholarship program—a campaign to deliver scholarships to talented, high-potential young people who live in communities where the company operates and who will study a STEM-related field in college. Chemours Washington Works plans to invest nearly $1.1M in scholarships through 2030. The 2024 Future of Chemistry Scholarship recipients include George Ankrom, David Cobb, Bobbi Murphy, Andrea Mahr, and Ella Mendenhall.

George Ankrom, a Belleville, West Virginia resident, David Cobb, a Parkersburg native, and Bobbi Murphy, a resident of Davisville, have received two-year technical STEM scholarships in partnership with West Virginia University – Parkersburg. The $7,000 per year scholarships will support George, David, and Bobbi as they pursue the Associates in Applied Sciences: Production Technician Program. Andrea Mahr of Newport and Ella Mendenhall of Rutland, Ohio, will attend Ohio University. Andrea plans to study Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, while Ella intends to pursue an Engineering degree. Both have received four-year, renewable scholarships of $10,000 per year for their academic studies.

As a company, Chemours has pledged to invest $50 million by 2030 in safety and sustainability programs in communities near our sites and to broaden access to STEM education as part of its Corporate Responsibility Commitment goals. Washington Works Plant Manager James Hollingsworth was excited to celebrate with the students at a dinner held in their honor at the Blennerhassett Hotel. He shared, “We are happy to have the opportunity to help you pursue your STEM degrees. As the field continues to grow, smart problem-solvers like you are more important than ever. When you complete your programs, please keep Chemours in mind. We are always looking for individuals with the skill set you will develop over the next years.”

Washington Works also promotes STEM education by partnering with area elementary, middle schools, and high schools, as well as Discovery World on Market, a Parkersburg children’s museum. Over the years, the site employees have worked with local schools on science fairs, led “Fun with Science” programs, and participated in job fairs. In addition, the site is working to deepen its relationship with the Wood County Technical Center to improve access to technical degrees to create a more capable, diverse STEM workforce of the future.

Chemours’ Washington Works proudly supports its college engineers with Co-Op opportunities and has partnered with West Virginia University – Parkersburg for a “learn and earn” program that allows students in the STEM field to work a semester and go to college a semester. As a result, many of the participating students have graduated and are now proud Washington Works employees.

Recognized for introducing the Axial-Flow system in Brazil, Case IH, a brand of CNH, launches the new Axial-Flow Series 160 Automation, with 100% Brazilian production.

With an investment of R$ 100 million, the Sorocaba plant, in the interior of São Paulo, received improvements to become the World Production Pole for the smaller line of harvesters, which make up classes 5 to 7.

“The investment made was both in infrastructure, with a large number of technological applications using artificial intelligence, as well as for workforce training. There are more than 1,300 people involved in the project in manufacturing alone and all of them have undergone training,” says Eduardo Domingues, vice president of Manufacturing at CNH for Latin America.

And the technology is not limited to the machine production line. The 160 Series has 60% of its machinery renewed, with emphasis on the Automation System and factory connectivity. Through machine learning and artificial intelligence resources, the entire operation has been reduced to four harvesting modes that provide simplicity and productivity in the operation. This is possible through 12 sensors that collect data from the industrial system and then self-regulate, finding the exact working point for each situation and automatically controlling 90% of the operations. This represents up to 1,800 daily interventions on the machine during the harvesting operation, a number that the operator would not be able to perform alone.

The Automation system was already present in Case IH’s largest line of harvesters, the 250 Series. “Bringing Automation to the 160 Series is essential for our purpose of providing state-of-the-art technology and, consequently, high productivity, for all producers who want to become more professional every day. It is the only one in its category with real automation,” emphasizes Christian Gonzalez, vice president of Case IH for Latin America.

To be available to farmers from all over the world, the project had more than 90 dedicated professionals, mostly Brazilian engineers, but also American and European engineers. In addition to internal tests, the machine was tested by farmers in the United States, some European countries, as well as Brazilian producers in the states of Goiás, Paraná and São Paulo.

With the launch of the new line, Case IH expects to double the current production volume of the Sorocaba plant. “Our expectation is that 50% will be allocated to the United States, as well as countries in Europe, Asia and the Pacific. More than exporting commodities, Brazil will be exporting technology developed here to the whole world,” concludes Gonzalez.

The Axial-Flow 160 Automation Series will be one of the highlights of Case IH at Agrishow, the main agricultural technology fair in Latin America, which will take place from April 29 to May 3, in Ribeirão Preto (SP).