Tag: 3BL

Albertsons Companies’ Seattle Division is finding a cleaner and more efficient way of moving equipment around our Auburn, WA Distribution Center, all while keeping the health of King County community in mind.

Funding for this project provided by the US EPA and the Washington State Department of Ecology has helped the team to incorporate two new electric yard switch engines. These electric switch engines replaced two diesel operated switch engines previously used at the facility, reducing our emissions, reducing overall noise levels, and supporting the health of our community.

“Switchers” or “spotters” use these electric switch engines to move trailers to and from our dock doors. These trailers are filled with Albertsons Companies’ freshest frozen, grocery, meat and produce products and then delivered throughout Washington state to local Safeway and Albertsons stores.

With the help of Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, we are excited to continue our efforts on transitioning to an entirely electric switch engine fleet. 

See original post on LinkedIn and read more about Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.

Jyoti turns her sewing skills into her own tailoring business with support from Udhyam Learning Foundation and Accion’s Ovante program

Authors: Tannaz Daruwalla, Shweta Pereira

During a recent visit to Panchkula, Haryana, located in northern India, we had the pleasure of meeting 22-year-old Jyoti, a budding entrepreneur and clothing designer. Jyoti dropped out of high school after completing her 8th standard, as her father lost his vision and suddenly had to rely on the income from his children. She supported her family during this challenging time; however, given her limited education level and social restrictions preventing her from traveling beyond her village, she opted to stay home rather than look for a job.

In India, about 37 percent of youth between the ages of 15 and 29 entered the workforce during 2021 and 2022, according to findings from the Periodic Labour Force Survey. However, many young women like Jyoti are left out of India’s growing workforce due to limited education, lack of skills, and social restrictions.

Three years had passed since she left school when Jyoti learned about Udhyam Learning Foundation and its work with government-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITI). Udhyam offers students the opportunity to learn trade skills and foster an entrepreneurial mindset, equipping them with the skills to turn their trade into a business. Encouraged by her parents and three brothers, Jyoti decided to pursue tailoring courses at Udhyam and learn to design and sew clothing. With instruction from Udhyam, she also built the soft skills necessary to become a successful entrepreneur, enabling her to turn her passion for sewing into a successful business.

Now, she runs her own tailoring business from home, assisted by her cousin, aunt, and mother. Every day, she wakes at 6:30 to clean her sewing machine and begin her projects for the day. She visits a local boutique run by another family member where she sells her designs, which include wedding dresses and traditional garments like lehnga choli for Indian festivals.

Read more about how Jyoti is supported by Accion and FedEx here.

Vision is to recover polyethylene from hard-to-recycle waste for reuse in consumer packaging.Partnership brings together both companies’ intellectual property to create a novel process with low greenhouse gas emissions footprint.

MIDLAND, Mich. and CINCINNATI, April 30, 2024 /3BL/ – Dow (NYSE: DOW) and the Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) announced a joint development agreement (JDA) to create a new recycling technology. The vision is to enable efficient conversion of hard-to-recycle plastic packaging into recycled polyethylene with near-virgin quality and a low greenhouse gas emissions footprint.

To create the new technology, the companies will combine their patented technologies and know-how in the dissolution process. The development program will focus on using dissolution technology to recycle a broad range of plastic materials with a focus on polyethylene and targeting post-household plastic waste (especially rigids, flexible and multi-layer packaging, which are harder to recycle).

The technology aims to deliver high quality post-consumer recycled (PCR) polymer with a lower greenhouse gas emissions footprint than fossil-based polyethylene. P&G anticipates using this PCR polymer in their packaging, thereby enabling a path to circularity which helps maximize resource utility and reduces materials treated as waste.

The global partnership between Dow and P&G begins immediately and is expected to run until commercialization.

In addition to the patented technologies, both Dow and P&G bring decades of expertise in materials science, manufacturing capabilities and large-scale supply chain management. These areas of expertise will be important in the development of this new recycling technology that can be deployed at commercial manufacturing scale.

“Dow is committed to transforming plastic waste into circular solutions that can be made into high quality resins demanded by our customers while helping to accelerate a circular economy. We are excited to work with P&G who has similar sustainability goals and commitment to innovation,” said Dave Parrillo, vice president for Research & Development, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics and Hydrocarbons.

“Our partnership with Dow helps P&G advance our objective to scale industry solutions as we help create a circular future where materials are recycled and remade instead of becoming waste,” added Lee Ellen Drechsler, senior vice president of Corporate Research and Development at Procter & Gamble.

Both Dow and P&G have bold ambitions to accelerate circularity. Dow has a sustainability target to Transform the Waste and commercialize three million metric tons of circular and renewable solutions by 2030, and P&G’s vision is to use 100% consumer packaging designed to be recycled or reusable by 2030.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit https://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands. For other P&G news, visit us at https://www.pg.com/news.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) is one of the world’s leading materials science companies, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Our global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, leading business positions and commitment to sustainability enable us to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. We operate manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employ approximately 35,900 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $45 billion in 2023. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. Learn more about us and our ambition to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world by visiting www.dow.com.

For further information, please contact:

Sarah Young
Dow
+1.989.638.6871
syoung3@dow.com

Tracey Long
P&G
513-238-6710
long.tl@pg.com

Originally published on HARMAN Newsroom

Collaboration is more than a buzzword. It’s a transformative practice that breeds innovation and creativity, turning design processes into opportunities for ideation and problem-solving.

Collaborative design is a best practice employed across a breadth of businesses that use in-house design firms so multiple project stakeholders can share real-time perspectives and feedback through all stages of the design process. By adopting this model, the audio industry has made generational leaps — designing speakers, headphones and innovative products that are the realization of dynamic teamwork.

“Integration means we, as product designers, have the chance to work on building brands rather than just single products. We always try to see the bigger picture when we make design decisions,” said Jonas Ceppa, a senior industrial designer at Huemen — the integrated design arm of HARMAN.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Ceppa understands first-hand the importance and game-changing advantages collaboration offers to the product development process. Responsible for leading the next generation of design for JBL portable party loudspeakers, Ceppa’s team’s vision was to create a one-of-a-kind product — the PartyBox Ultimate. To achieve this goal, collaborative design was essential.

“Huemen designers are part of the process from the very early stage of developing the product concept. At the same time, we collaborate with our mechanical and acoustic engineering team to ensure the product vision can be realized,” Ceppa explained.

Drawing on a passionate and talented global team, Ceppa took a holistic approach to the product development process. The result was the PartyBox Ultimate — the most powerful party speaker from JBL, with JBL Pro sound and bass integrated into a futuristic enclosure that transcends the typical speaker audio experience.

“With PartyBox Ultimate, we launched a new generation of PartyBoxes, where we have defined several ingredients that are going to have a huge impact on all upcoming products in the line,” said Ceppa.

The JBL PartyBox Ultimate presents an alluring lightshow display that sweeps from the front elegantly around the sides of the product with an innovative dynamic edge, creating a distinct outline around its striking front-facing subwoofers, which accentuates its distinctive silhouette even in low-light conditions. The groundbreaking PartyBox Ultimate stimulates both aural and optical senses to create an immersive audiovisual experience.

From starry night to strobe effects, it is a speaker design that can transform any space into a spirited lightshow and awaken all the senses. It’s the ultimate party in a box.

Behind the Music

For the HARMAN product team to create a loudspeaker that would take the audio experience to new heights, it had to deliver another dimension in addition to superior sonic ability.

A consumer survey conducted by HARMAN revealed that 84% of respondents believe feeling immersed in the sound enhances the intensity of emotions, and 83% claim to feel a higher emotional effect with a better sound quality. So, how could the team magnify this feeling and further elevate the value of sound? The answer was in the design.

In the same survey, 64% claimed that design creates an immersive and elaborate audio experience.

“For this category of party loudspeakers, we have a very clear target group,” Ceppa explained. “They are young, energetic, share their favorite music and want to inspire others. This is an important factor that will go into the design creation from the beginning.”

Creating an Audio Icon

During the PartyBox design journey, Ceppa revealed several challenges from which moments of inspiration “combined to become part of the design language.”

A rich resource of engineering, manufacturing, and design teams helped Ceppa overcome hurdles and push boundaries with collaborative, problem-solving solutions.

“These different teams bring in their knowledge to push our ideas even further by sharing new material exploration, manufacturing techniques and acoustic prototypes.”

Ceppa described the moment they discovered the unique metal grille design that could be applied to the new generation of the PartyBoxes: “After several trials, even including new manufacturing technologies, we couldn’t find a satisfying pattern. We tried different shapes, forms and repetitions … I realized sitting in front of the prototype that we had a very unique shape we could use all along — the figure eight.”

Such moments of serendipity also helped shape the PartyBox’s signature lightshow feature. As Ceppa revealed, influences from other design-led industries were the genesis for his inspired “lightbulb moment.”

“The initial idea for the lightshow was simple: We wanted to create something new, outstanding and a visible improvement to the previous generation. Inspiration came from sci-fi movies, concept cars and automotive light design. But one of the key moments happened when we decided to not only incorporate the light on the front of the speaker but also the side. This created a more three-dimensional lightshow effect and described the outer shape of the speaker just with light.”

Thanks to a synergy of ID, UI, UX, packaging engineering, graphic design and digital art teams, the PartyBox Ultimate has a strong brand presence and an iconic silhouette. Illuminated by the innovative lightshow, the powerful bass and acoustic performance stirs emotion.

“Being able to develop a design in great detail and guide it until it reaches the market is very important,” Ceppa said. “You want to ensure that the initial design vision is kept along the way without major compromise.”

A Symphony of Minds

At every stage, functional and design teams at HARMAN and Huemen combined and contributed to play a pivotal role in designing with purpose. The early collaboration between industrial designers and acoustic engineering teams ensured that the initial design vision was not only preserved but enhanced through shared expertise.

Another key advantage of collaborative design is the ability to provide immediate feedback and iterate on designs swiftly. This iterative refinement ensures that the final product aligns closely with the initial design vision.

“For physical products, it is important to experience the size, volume, material, and functional features, especially in the early development phase,” Ceppa highlighted. “We build all our designs in 3D software, but to judge the size and shape it is important to experience the physical object. When we review the first mock-ups or prototypes, we can give immediate feedback or revise our design to improve the product.”

After sketching and building the initial design for weeks, the excitement when seeing the first full-scale physical prototype was a memorable experience for Ceppa and his team.

“Receiving the first cosmetic mock-ups and prototypes feels like unwrapping Christmas presents because you are so excited to see what’s inside the box. We could tell instantly that just from the overall size and volume of the first prototype, PartyBox Ultimate will be perceived as the most powerful party speaker,” he said.

“It was worth the wait. The new lightshow elements with its precise light lines and dynamic movement looked amazing and topped everything that we had seen before on a party speaker.”

The dynamism and efficiency of working across integrated teams led the project to evolve from Ceppa’s inspired sketches to boundary-pushing technological development, engineering, and, ultimately, a successful delivery.

From creative minds shaping the external aesthetics to engineers refining the internal acoustics, the PartyBox Ultimate is a prime example of how the collaboration of diverse talents on different teams can result in a product that is both aesthetically pleasing and acoustically superior, setting the tone for the future — literally.

As Earth Month comes to a close, we at Frito-Lay and PepsiCo continue to work towards our vision that water resources in the communities where we live, and work are left in a better state because of our presence.

Just last month, PepsiCo announced that it reached its 2025 global goal of a 25% improvement in operational water-use efficiency in high water-risk areas, two years ahead of schedule. In addition, the company was recognized by CDP, the global environmental non-profit, on the 2023 CDP A List for leadership in corporate transparency and performance on water security – putting PepsiCo in the top 0.5% of all 21,000 companies CDP scored.

As part of pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) – the company’s strategic end-to-end transformation – PepsiCo will continue working towards additional water stewardship ambitions, including aiming to be net water positive by 2030.

Here are several ways in which PepsiCo is working to continue to improve its water-use efficiency and the future of our planet:

Scaling a new approach to how we wash corn when making food products such as Tostitos, Fritos and Doritos to more than 100 global manufacturing lines within a year, with potential to save more than 640 million liters of water annually. 
 Implementing membrane bioreactor technology at 21 manufacturing sites globally, including 14 in high water-risk areas, to purify process water to drinking-level standards for reuse in operations, allowing a site to reduce its freshwater demand by an average of 70%. 
 Taking the water that’s naturally found in potatoes and using it to help run food manufacturing facilities. Implemented at sites in India, Mexico, Poland and Thailand, this innovative technology developed by PepsiCo Research & Development teams captures and treats vapor that is released by potatoes when they are cooked for products such as Lay’s and converts it to drinkable water that is used to help run manufacturing facilities. This process can save a single site up to 60 million liters of water per year.

Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) regulations and stakeholder pressures are increasing every year. With the passing of the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) climate disclosure rules, states like California taking legislative climate action, and growing international pressures, these regulations are becoming more and more complex for companies to navigate.

In our recent webinar entitled, “Getting Ahead of the Curve: Preparing Your Business for ESG Regulations,” Erik Foley, Senior Consultant; Elizabeth Beck, Senior Consultant and Sustainability Practice Lead; Sarah King, Senior Project Manager; and Karly Beaumont, ESG Advisory Analyst, discuss these current trends, their timelines and commonalities, and share useful insights to prepare for compliance.

Missed the webinar? Watch it on-demand!

Watch On-Demand

New ESG Regulations in the US

New ESG regulations in the United States focus heavily on disclosing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the financial impacts associated with climate change.

These new rulings are anticipated to have a widespread impact across industries and their value chains. Four examples of influential regulations in the US include:

1. US Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

This was proposed in November 2022, but has not yet been approved or enacted. It requires large contractors to the US government (those that generate $7.5 million per year or more) to report their Scopes 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions, identify and calculate their climate-related financial risks, have SBTi (Science Based Target Initiative) validated GHG reduction targets, and disclose through annual CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) reporting.

2. US Securities and Exchange Commission’s Climate-Related Disclosure Ruling

This ruling, passed in March 2024, is currently stayed as it undergoes review by the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals. Despite this, it remains a prominent topic in the news due to its broad reach within the US. The regulation consists of two main reporting components: first is the qualitative description of climate-related impacts, and the second is the quantitative disclosure of emissions data. The requirements and timing vary according to the size and filing status of the company.

The first component of the ruling requires relevant filers to provide details on climate-related risks and mitigation efforts, along with oversight by senior management and their board. Capital costs related to severe weather events and natural conditions are also to be disclosed, as well as costs associated with carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates.

The second aspect of reporting, which is due later and applies to certain Large (LAFs) and Accelerated Filers (AFs), is the requirement to disclose emissions. While the scope 3 emissions reporting aspect was dropped, the requirement to disclose scopes 1 and 2 remain. As time progresses and companies mature, there are levels of assurance that will be required. For example, Large Accelerated Filers and Accelerated Filers will both be required to have “limited assurance” of their data at some point, however, LAFs will be required to progress to “reasonable assurance” by 2033. There is no current expectation of reasonable assurance for accelerated filers at this time.

3. California SB253 – Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (CCDAA)

There is a saying, “As California goes, so goes the nation.” With an economy larger than many small countries, the weight and impact of the state’s two new climate bills is anticipated to be quite significant.

Senate Bill 253 is the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, which was signed into law in October 2023. It addresses both public and private companies generating more than a billion U.S. dollars in revenue per year, and they conduct business within California. The key requirement is that companies are expected to calculate and disclose their GHG emissions according to scopes 1, 2, and 3 annually. It also requires third party assurance of that data.

4. Senate Bill 261 is the Climate Related Financial Risk Act (CRFRA)

Also signed into law in October 2023, SB261 has a smaller threshold, it too targets both public and privately held companies. This bill targets companies that generate a half-billion or more in revenue per year and conduct business in California. It requires companies to report climate-related financial risks and measures to mitigate and adapt to that risk in alignment with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) or its predecessors.

New ESG Regulations in the EU (European Union)

The EU (European Union) has also been consistently in the headlines for its roll out of multiple new ESG-related regulations. This new approach to reporting is marking a shift in the ESG landscape for companies as the latest regulations require more extensive data collection on both companies’ own operations and their supply chains. There are three important regulations to be aware of:

1. EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)

CSDDD is currently going through the approval process and is likely to be adopted by the EU in 2024. This focuses on establishing due diligence practices to address environmental and human rights impacts over upstream and downstream business partners and a transition plan for climate change mitigation. The earliest compliance date for CSDDD will be in 2027.

2. EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

Passed in October 2023, CBAM requires an import tax on carbon emissions associated with products entering the EU. The goal is to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 from the levels of 1990.

3. Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)

This is one of the most talked about regulations in the EU, and it will expect companies to disclose over 1,000 data points. It is anticipated to cover around 50,000 companies, including about 10,000 companies outside of the EU. This Directive also requires companies to a double materiality assessment and assume climate is material unless can approve otherwise.

Where to Begin

With all these regulatory changes in the US and abroad, how do you respond as a company, and where should you begin?

The steps in this four-step process we present all revolve around the central idea of materiality, which is about identifying those financial, social and environmental issues that are most relevant to your company.

Understanding Materiality

Materiality is the cornerstone of effective disclosures for companies from both a financial and ESG perspective. It involves determining which risks and impacts are most relevant and impactful to your company. This understanding is crucial for aligning with current and emerging regulations.

There are two types of materiality: single, which focuses on financial impacts alone, and double, which considers both financial and broader societal impacts. In either case, conducting an ESG-related materiality assessment can take several months. However, conducting such an assessment is an essential first step and involves engaging a range of affected stakeholders, including those who are users of financial and sustainability reports.

Step 1: Evaluate Disclosure Requirements 
Once your materiality assessment is complete and your team, including senior leaders and other important internal stakeholders, understand the material topics, the next step is to evaluate disclosure requirements. These can be regulatory driven, stakeholder driven, or a bit of both.

Step 2: Conduct Readiness Screening 
The second step is to evaluate how prepared you are to meet these requirements. This is called a readiness screening. The goal is to identify gaps between your existing practices and the practices necessary to ensure you will be ready to meet the disclosure requirements. From there, you can develop an action plan to fill these gaps.

Step 3: Calculate Emissions 
The third step is to calculate emissions and create an inventory management plan. This involves gathering and reporting applicable data necessary to calculate your scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions.

An inventory management plan is like a standard operating procedure for emissions calculations – it identifies the information needed, the stakeholders involved, and the process for maintaining the data. This prepares companies for auditing and verification of their information, a requirement for many ESG regulations.

Step 4: Disclosure 
The final phase of the process involves disclosure, which includes both the technical aspects of submitting information to appropriate portals and agencies, and the strategic use of that information to influence stakeholders. Internally, this involves making climate data available to inform decision-making and to inspire and motivate employees and business partners. Externally, this means collaborating with various departments such as marketing, communications, and investor relations to communicate climate data through sustainability reports, ESG reports, or other means of communication.

Moving Forward: Your Course of Action

With a better understanding of what it takes to be ready for these ESG regulations, now is the time to start preparing your organization and mapping out actionable next steps. Here is what you can do to ready yourself and your company for these ESG Regulations:

Identify where you are currently on your ESG journey. Not every company is going to be in the same place, but more importantly, you need to keep moving forward. It is not permissible for companies to remain stagnant.Create and educate cross functional teams. Be sure to bring in groups such as finance, operations, risk, procurement, and others as necessary to work on emissions, assessing climate-related risks and opportunities, and other regulatory requirements.Establish internal timelines. Ensure your materials are prepared in a timely manner and in accordance with the organization’s legal obligations.Review and update your program periodically. Over time, companies will need to reassess where they are on their journey. Over time, companies will need to reassess where they are on their journey. This could mean updating their materiality assessment, re-evaluating their emissions performance and goals, or adjusting certain strategies.Routinely evaluate potential gaps. Ensure that your team continues to monitor and close out those gaps. Ensure your team continues to monitor and close those gaps.

Embracing ESG regulations will be essential for long-term success. By staying informed and proactive, companies can navigate complexities, mitigate risks, and thrive in the sustainable economy of the future.

Do you have questions or need help with your company’s ESG regulations journey? We’re here to help! Reach out to our team of experts today!

Computer coding isn’t something that can be done perfectly from the first keystroke to the last.

When you’re working with tens of thousands of characters, it’s inevitable, even for expert coders, that mistakes will be made.

Each summer, a new group of fourth-to-seventh graders attending the Girls Who Code summer camp in Louisiana learn to embrace errors in pursuit of their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) goals.

The act of coding is a fitting metaphor for the camp’s motto—Brave, Not Perfect.

“In coding, you’re not going to be perfect; it’s not possible. You’re going to have to make mistakes in order to figure out the right set of codes,” explains Ashlee Champagne Barahona, executive director of the Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence in Public Education (TFAE), which operates the camp in Houma, a small city 50 miles southwest of New Orleans.

“If you’re brave enough to keep coding, you will become successful because you didn’t give up,” she adds.

Every summer, 30 girls from local schools are selected to attend the week-long camp, which is free for participants. Local schools nominate girls who may not be at the top of their class, but who have interest in STEM subjects and who may have challenges in their home lives.

Starting at 7:30 a.m. every morning, the campers participate in activities and workshops and meet with guest speakers—mostly women—who work in STEM fields.

“The girls are at a very vulnerable age; they’re struggling with becoming their own. Some are scared to even try because they don’t want to fail,” Champagne Barahona reflects. “If you expose them to possibilities, you give them a better future.”

Enbridge recently supported Girls Who Code in Houma with a $2,500 Fueling Futures grant in 2023, the camp’s fifth year of operation.

We want to see a diverse, vibrant and thriving workforce, and we recognize that STEM fields continue to be male-dominated. We are proud to support TFAE in its work to foster the STEM education of young girls with so much potential.

The transformation of each girl from day one to week’s end is “amazing,” Champagne Barahona says. On the first day of camp, they are quiet and reserved, but they leave confident, enthusiastic, and proud of all they have accomplished.

“Being brave is something that doesn’t come easy to a lot of people. You have to practice it; you have to work on it,” Champagne Barahona continues.

“The camp motto—Brave, Not Perfect—is something these girls keep with them for the rest of their lives.”

Summary 

Schrödinger has published its second annual Corporate Sustainability report, which provides a comprehensive overview of the company’s progress developing and executing on its strategy for addressing environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. 

Throughout 2023, the company advanced every aspect of its ESG performance and created a road map that includes setting goals for each of its identified material ESG topics in alignment with its Corporate Sustainability strategy. This strategy is grounded in the concept of shared value, which the company has labeled VALUE2: 

“When we add value to the world, we create value for our company, and when we build value for ourselves, we generate value for the world.” 

2023 Report Highlights 

Social

Schrödinger and two City University institutions were co-awarded a $1 million National Science Foundation grant to increase underrepresented students’ access to industry-leading technology.To ensure a cohesive corporate strategy for social impact initiatives and provide employees consistent guidance, Schrödinger launched its inaugural Global Social Impact Policy in 2023.Schrödinger advanced its work with universities and K-12 schools to further STEM education and careers through multiple programs and initiatives.Building on its comprehensive suite of employee benefits, Schrödinger introduced new health and well-being options for its employees, including holistic health and mindful return for new parents.Advancing its diversity, equity and inclusion commitments, Schrödinger introduced new focus areas for its employee resource groups (ERGs), aiming to increase engagement, accountability, and growth opportunities.

Environmental

Schrödinger completed an inventory of its operational environmental footprint, including energy use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water usage and waste generation.Based on its operational environmental footprint inventory, Schrödinger reported environmental data in 2023 for the first time, including Scope 3 GHG emissions.Schrödinger signaled its intention to establish science-based emissions reduction targets aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative by the end of 2025.The company released its first Environmental Policy that sets forth its commitments and methods for achieving them.Through its computational platform, Schrödinger continued to facilitate better environmental outcomes for its life science and materials development customers.

Governance

As part of its commitment to strong corporate governance, Schrödinger updated and strengthened a host of company policies and developed, or is in the process of developing, policies covering:Health & SafetySupplier Code of ConductHuman RightsSchrödinger established its first Ombuds Office, a neutral and independent third-party reporting channel for employees, business partners, customers, and members of the public to report concerns about the company.The company continued implementing its cybersecurity policies, processes, and technology in alignment with the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework.

Guided by its mission to improve human health and quality of life by transforming how therapeutics and materials are discovered, Schrödinger is dedicated to continued progress on its Corporate Sustainability commitments. 

Schrödinger’s 2023 Corporate Sustainability Report references the Global Reporting Initiative Standards and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals and Software & IT Services standards. Access the report here. 

About Schrödinger 
Schrödinger is transforming the way therapeutics and materials are discovered. Schrödinger has pioneered a physics-based computational platform that enables discovery of high-quality, novel molecules for drug development and materials applications more rapidly and at lower cost compared to traditional methods. The software platform is licensed by biopharmaceutical and industrial companies, academic institutions, and government laboratories around the world. Schrödinger’s multidisciplinary drug discovery team also leverages the software platform to advance a portfolio of collaborative and proprietary programs to address unmet medical needs. 

Founded in 1990, Schrödinger has approximately 850 employees and is engaged with customers and collaborators in more than 70 countries. To learn more, visit www.schrodinger.com, follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram, or visit our blog, Extrapolations.com. 

Media contact 
Allie Nicodemo 
Schrödinger, Inc. 
617-356-2325

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Day and night, rain or shine, American’s team of system customer service managers (SCSM) has a sharp focus on our customers, helping to ensure their journeys go smoothly. Though they’re based at American’s Integrated Operations Center (IOC) in Fort Worth, Texas, the SCSMs have their eye on every customer, looking for operational solutions to get customers on their way.

Daniel Schiff, the IOC’s Senior Manager of Network Ops Strategy, recently sat down with System Customer Service Manager Kim Burrell for a discussion about their roles at the IOC.

Daniel: Let’s start with the basics: what is American’s Integrated Operations Center?

Kim: We call it the IOC, and it’s the nerve center of our airline. In this large facility, more than 20 workgroups — and 1,700 team members — come together to help run our airline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We work collaboratively to solve challenges that come our way, from weather to anything else.

Daniel: Our strategy is our customers, and the SCSMs ensure our customers get where they want to go smoothly. The team is always thinking ahead to minimize disruptions.

Kim: That’s exactly right. A day in the life for me is busy and full of twists and turns. When I get in, I’m assigned to a unit, which is broken down by the types of aircraft we operate and hubs that we fly into. The unit is led by an Operations Coordinator, who works in tandem with team members overseeing our fleet, our crew members and, in the case of SCSMs, our customers.

Daniel: SCSMs have a key role in caring for group travel. We have large groups —sometimes really large groups with hundreds of customers — who travel throughout our network. It’s critically important they have a seamless journey when traveling with us. If one of these groups were to misconnect, it might be harder to reaccommodate them as there likely wouldn’t be enough available seats on the next flight, unlike when we have individual travelers and smaller parties to reaccommodate. The first order of business is alerting our airport teams that these groups are coming through to make sure we have a plan for them. Sometimes we’ll hold their connecting flight, and we’ve even found back-up aircraft for these groups because they’re such a big part of our operation.

Kim: Military service members are also incredibly important to us. We work to ensure that our service members have as easy and smooth a journey as possible. We look at markets that have military bases or are close to them — we have many of them — and keep an especially close eye on those markets, going out of our way to ensure there are crew and aircraft to support the operation there. We develop a plan B as well. I’m glad the SCSM team gets to play a role with caring for our troops.

Daniel: SCSMs play a key role in the recovery of our network during what we call irregular operations — severe weather or any other type of event that disrupts the airline. We’re responsible for running a tool that helps reaccommodate our customers on alternate flights when their travel plans are impacted. American has gotten much faster at recovering, and I’m proud to say that the SCSM team plays an important role as we care for customers who are impacted.

I’m sure you have some incredible stories to tell about other ways we’ve helped our customers in the 17 years you’ve worked here.

Kim: You bet! One time, we had a group of 40 customers who were originating in Knoxville, Tennessee, connecting through DFW on their way to Honduras, and I realized that they were going to misconnect. After I worked with the station and my colleagues in the IOC, we found a solution to use a larger aircraft for the next flight. The airport let me know that the customers were very excited that they were able to get to their destination within a reasonable amount of time. For me, it was a reminder of why I do this. I genuinely care about our customers and want to find solutions.

“It was a reminder of why I do this. I genuinely care about our customers and want to find solutions.”

Kim Burrell

Daniel: One of my favorite stories is when we had a high-volume connection, which means we have a large number of customers traveling between cities. This one was between Oklahoma City and Hanoi, Vietnam, with a connection in Chicago. When their initial flight was delayed, we found another aircraft from one of our regional partners to get this group to Chicago, where they connected to one of our oneworld® partners. The SCSM team coordinates within and outside of the IOC to ensure our customers are looked after, no matter who operates the flight. It felt great to help these customers out.

Kim: It’s really the best part of the job. And we do it every day because when you purchase a ticket on American, you place your trust in us to get you to your destination safely and as efficiently as possible.

Learn more about the people who help keep American’s operation on track.

About American Airlines Group
To Care for People on Life’s Journey®. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL and the company’s stock is included in the S&P 500. Learn more about what’s happening at American by visiting news.aa.com and connect with American @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.

The Whirlpool Foundation announced that it has awarded 30 scholarships to the students of Whirlpool Corporation employees through the Sons and Daughters College and Vocational Training Scholarship program. The scholarship program is in its 72nd year and has historically focused on traditional four-year colleges/universities. Beginning last year, the program was expanded to meet the post-secondary educational needs of students pursuing a vocational or technical career as well.

These scholarships celebrate the best and brightest among high school seniors across Whirlpool Corp. locations – including the company’s 10 U.S. manufacturing communities. The Whirlpool Foundation provides these scholarships through a competitive process in which children of more than 20,000 U.S. Whirlpool Corporation employees are eligible to apply.

“Each year we are honored to invest in the future of our employee’s children through the Sons & Daughters Scholarship Program,” said Deb O’Connor, managing director of the Whirlpool Foundation. “The scholarship has a real impact toward helping to pay for the education needed to start the career of their dreams.”

The following children of Whirlpool Corporation employees have been selected to receive a 2024 scholarship:

Morgan Adkison, child of James AdkisonKenyon Bilbrey, child of Ruben RosalesBrynn Butler, child of Alana ButlerMadison Brook, child of Amber HobbsJoseph Faber, child of Tad FaberAnecia Galvin, child of Annie GalvinBrooklyn Hamelink, child of Greg HamerlinkWilliam Inkrott, child of Chad InkrottAlayna Jones, child of Andrea FullerVishisht Khare, child of Vinay KumarLun Kim, child of Niang Lawh NuamMikayla Lieske, child of Amy FloresJacob King, child of Brandi KingNicole Marrie, child of Stephen MarrieMackenzie Nevison, child of Steve NevisonRylee Newland, child of Matthew NewlandHaylee Potter, child of Chad PotterAlexis Quickle, child of Edward QuickleRachel Schmitt, child of Matthew SchmittTaylor Schoen, child of Douglas SchoenAseem Singh, child of Atul SinghAnkith Sirigireddy, child of Thulasi Krishna Reddy SirigireddyGrant Spielbauer, child of Jodi SpeilbauerMakayla Stachler, child of Shawna StachlerNevaeh Stone, child of Nakicha StoneKimsey Turner, child of Brad TurnerChelsea Tyson, child of Corey MillerAudrey Wise, child of Jane WiseMegha Yeddula, child of Deepthi ReddyDaysia Ward, child of Parthenia Phillips

The Sons & Daughters Scholarship Program has provided more than 2,600 scholarships and honor awards totaling over $18 million, with more than 100 scholarship and award recipients currently attending colleges, universities and vocational schools across the U.S. Children of any full-time Whirlpool Corporation employee at the director level and below are eligible. Students pursuing a 4 year degree will receive $30,000 over 4 years and students working toward a 2 year vocational degree will receive $15,000 over 2 years toward their respective educational costs. Students must maintain a 2.8 grade point average to maintain their scholarship.

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