Tag: 3BL

By Liz Henderson

Liz Henderson, Sr. Vice President Technical Operations at Jazz Pharmaceuticals discusses pioneering innovation in oncology and the importance of the manufacturing infrastructure to help achieve drug development goals. 

Originally published by the Medicine Maker

Historically, innovation in the pharmaceutical industry has centered around the discovery of active pharmaceutical ingredients. A new, potentially life-saving treatment, however, can only make a difference if physicians can access a reliable supply. Drug shortages in oncology are not new. The global COVID-19 pandemic saw an increase in critical supply chain issues in the manufacture of drugs, which even further underscored the need for continued advancements in the manufacturing of oncology medicines.

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What trends should we be monitoring to help identify sustainable investment opportunities in 2024? BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm, is tracking five “mega forces” that they define as “big, structural changes that affect investing now, and far in the future.” One of these mega forces is the transition to a low-carbon economy, which BlackRock says “is set to spur a massive capital reallocation as energy systems are rewired.” In a recent weekly commentary from BlackRock Investment Institute, which is one of our Top Stories, BlackRock points to three key areas of the low-carbon transition that could result in market-moving developments. The three areas are:

Falling battery prices, which could boost demand for energy storage systems for power grids, and for electric and hybrid vehiclesElections around the globe this year could affect future energy and industrial policyRising physical damages could spur investment interest in climate resilience

Mark Segal, writing in ESG Today, summarizes the BlackRock findings, citing an 80% drop in lithium prices, intense competition, and technological advances as drivers to lower battery prices. The elections around the globe cited by BlackRock include those in the U.S., EU and India. For climate resilience, BlackRock cites opportunity areas such as “early monitoring systems for floods, air conditioning to cope with heatwaves or retrofitting buildings to better withstand extreme weather.”

The G&A team is continuing to track trends in sustainable investing and monitoring their impact on corporate sustainability reporting and disclosure requirements. We look forward to keeping you updated and are available to answer questions and provide counsel.

This is just the introduction of G&A’s Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue.

What trends should we be monitoring to help identify sustainable investment opportunities in 2024? BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm, is tracking five “mega forces” that they define as “big, structural changes that affect investing now, and far in the future.” One of these mega forces is the transition to a low-carbon economy, which BlackRock says “is set to spur a massive capital reallocation as energy systems are rewired.” In a recent weekly commentary from BlackRock Investment Institute, which is one of our Top Stories, BlackRock points to three key areas of the low-carbon transition that could result in market-moving developments. The three areas are:

Falling battery prices, which could boost demand for energy storage systems for power grids, and for electric and hybrid vehiclesElections around the globe this year could affect future energy and industrial policyRising physical damages could spur investment interest in climate resilience

Mark Segal, writing in ESG Today, summarizes the BlackRock findings, citing an 80% drop in lithium prices, intense competition, and technological advances as drivers to lower battery prices. The elections around the globe cited by BlackRock include those in the U.S., EU and India. For climate resilience, BlackRock cites opportunity areas such as “early monitoring systems for floods, air conditioning to cope with heatwaves or retrofitting buildings to better withstand extreme weather.”

The G&A team is continuing to track trends in sustainable investing and monitoring their impact on corporate sustainability reporting and disclosure requirements. We look forward to keeping you updated and are available to answer questions and provide counsel.

This is just the introduction of G&A’s Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., March 28 2024 /3BL/ — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has awarded Black & Veatch, a global leader in critical infrastructure solutions, with its Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) star status for exemplary worksite safety achievement.

The VPP Star is OSHA’s highest level of recognition of companies that have employed effective safety and health management systems and kept injury and illness rates below the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ industry averages.

The OSHA award recognizes health and safety achievements of Black & Veatch’s telecommunications mobile workforce in New York and New Jersey.

“This award highlights the value that Black & Veatch places on its people — from employee-owners to subcontractors — and our core value of ensuring everyone makes it home safely,” said John Johnson, vice president for Black & Veatch’s environment, safety, health and sustainability practice. “By creating safe working conditions, distributed infrastructure projects stay on time and on budget, and our clients and the communities they serve reap the benefits.”

OSHA employs strict safety guidelines to keep U.S. workers safe, and companies honored with a VPP Star not only meet basic requirements but also exercise health and safety protocols above industry standards. Black & Veatch’s protocols include a behavior-based safety program, feedback that engages subcontractors to ensure best practices, and the company’s “people matter most” safety program, which includes targeted training sessions aimed at encouraging safe behaviors.

“Black & Veatch is the first company in their industry to achieve VPP Star. Their accomplishment shows that a comprehensive safety and health program is essential in all businesses, and critical in high-risk industries,” said Richard Mendelson, OSHA regional administrator. “An effective program can be implemented in the most challenging workplaces when worker safety and health is a core value of the company.”

Contact Black & Veatch for more information.

Editor’s Notes: 

OSHA’s VPP Program works with employers committed to worker safety and health to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. VPP programs bring company management, site employees and OSHA together to work proactively to focus on hazard prevention and control, worksite analysis, training, management commitment and worker involvement to prevent fatalities, injuries and illnesses.

About Black & Veatch 
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

Media Contact Information:

Meghan Lockner | 201-977-1628 | locknerm@bv.com

24-HOUR MEDIA CONTACT | Media@bv.com

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., March 28 2024 /3BL/ — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has awarded Black & Veatch, a global leader in critical infrastructure solutions, with its Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) star status for exemplary worksite safety achievement.

The VPP Star is OSHA’s highest level of recognition of companies that have employed effective safety and health management systems and kept injury and illness rates below the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ industry averages.

The OSHA award recognizes health and safety achievements of Black & Veatch’s telecommunications mobile workforce in New York and New Jersey.

“This award highlights the value that Black & Veatch places on its people — from employee-owners to subcontractors — and our core value of ensuring everyone makes it home safely,” said John Johnson, vice president for Black & Veatch’s environment, safety, health and sustainability practice. “By creating safe working conditions, distributed infrastructure projects stay on time and on budget, and our clients and the communities they serve reap the benefits.”

OSHA employs strict safety guidelines to keep U.S. workers safe, and companies honored with a VPP Star not only meet basic requirements but also exercise health and safety protocols above industry standards. Black & Veatch’s protocols include a behavior-based safety program, feedback that engages subcontractors to ensure best practices, and the company’s “people matter most” safety program, which includes targeted training sessions aimed at encouraging safe behaviors.

“Black & Veatch is the first company in their industry to achieve VPP Star. Their accomplishment shows that a comprehensive safety and health program is essential in all businesses, and critical in high-risk industries,” said Richard Mendelson, OSHA regional administrator. “An effective program can be implemented in the most challenging workplaces when worker safety and health is a core value of the company.”

Contact Black & Veatch for more information.

Editor’s Notes: 

OSHA’s VPP Program works with employers committed to worker safety and health to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. VPP programs bring company management, site employees and OSHA together to work proactively to focus on hazard prevention and control, worksite analysis, training, management commitment and worker involvement to prevent fatalities, injuries and illnesses.

About Black & Veatch 
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

Media Contact Information:

Meghan Lockner | 201-977-1628 | locknerm@bv.com

24-HOUR MEDIA CONTACT | Media@bv.com

The vote is in. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted on a final rule for climate disclosure at their meeting March 6th, requiring the disclosure of GHG emissions and climate risk.

Watch the webinar replay to hear from Nasdaq legal and sustainability experts, as well as guest panelists including former SEC Commissioner Troy A. Paredes, as they review the final rule, including:

Which companies are impactedAssurance requirementsRollout timelineRecommendations for publicly traded companies to get ahead of requirements, mitigate compliance risk and increase access to investor capital

Reprinted from the Saporta Report article on March 21, 2024 by Mark Lannaman.

Last Thursday, researchers from Georgia Tech released a report titled “Energy Burdens of Black Households in Georgia” that analyzed the disproportionate effects of energy burdens on Black households in the state and its ramifications.

The report, more than 40 pages, is divided into seven sections that look at the problem of energy burden in Black households from a number of angles, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The main statistical study used around 1,800 households for the analysis.

Energy burden is defined as the percentage of a household’s monthly income that is spent on energy costs, namely electricity and natural gas. Previous studies have shown that the Southeast tends to have higher rates of energy burden than other parts of the country.

This report reveals that Black households tend to have higher energy burdens than similar White households. Part of the reason is due to the legacies of racism that still permeate aspects of society today, like where Black neighborhoods are found, access to resources, quality of housing units, energy efficiency and more. The report dives into this with the section titled “Historical and current impacts of structural racism on energy burden in Georgia.”

Read the full story on the Saporta Report website.

As a part of Alliance for a Healthier Generation and Del Monte Foods’ “Nourishing Families by Nourishing Schools” program to advance children’s nutrition and food access, students at Pittsburgh Minadeo PreK-5 participated in a special taste test led by the district’s chef, Chef Missy, featuring Del Monte canned sliced pears.

Volunteers from the Del Monte Foods’ Pittsburgh team, along with volunteers from the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Adagio Health, facilitated the tasting in early March and collected feedback from the students for the school district to implement this recipe across the district.

“What better way than to show children that fruit and veggies are good for you, but taste really good too. So that’s what’s really exciting about volunteering to support the student taste test, said John Fusco, Senior Director Commercial Operations at Del Monte Foods.

Initiatives like this help schools qualify for recognition as one of America’s Healthiest Schools, Healthier Generation’s annual award program that honors schools for the key role they play in advancing the health and well-being of students, staff, and families. Del Monte Foods proudly sponsors the Improving Nutrition & Food Access topic area, aligning with its commitment to advancing the health of youth and communities nationwide.

“Healthy choices in the cafeteria support success in and out of the classroom. Connecting students, staff and families to nutrition resources from partners like Del Monte Foods helps make it happen,” said Kathy Higgins, Chief Executive Officer, Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

Pittsburgh Minadeo PreK-5, a 2023 recipient of the America’s Healthiest Schools award in the “Supporting School Health Services” category, aims to earn the title in the “Improving Nutrition and Food Access” category this year.

The America’s Healthiest Schools award application is open through April 16. To learn more, visit https://lnkd.in/gq2uFQpE.

About Del Monte Foods  
For more than 135 years, Del Monte Foods, Inc. has been driven by our mission to nourish families with earth’s goodness. As the original plant-based food company, we’re always innovating to make nutritious and delicious foods more accessible to consumers across our portfolio of beloved brands, including Del Monte®, Contadina®, College Inn®, Kitchen Basics®, JOYBA®, Take Root Organics™ and S&W®. We believe that everyone deserves great tasting food they can feel good about, which is why we grow and produce our products using sustainable and earth-friendly practices for a healthier tomorrow.

Del Monte Foods, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Del Monte Pacific Limited (Bloomberg: DELM SP, DELM PM) and is not affiliated with certain other Del Monte companies around the world, including Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., Del Monte Canada, or Del Monte Asia Pte. Ltd. For more information about Del Monte Foods and our products, please visit www.delmontefoods.com or www.delmonte.com.

March 18 spotlights natural gas employees’ role in serving nearly 189 million Americans with safe, reliable natural gasNatural gas technicians play vital role in modernizing the natural gas delivery system for growing communities and in helping to meet the company’s net-zero methane emissions goalsB-roll: Natural gas employees

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 28, 2024 /3BL/ – Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas celebrate the ninth annual Natural Gas Utility Workers’ Day on March 18, 2024. The annual celebration spotlights natural gas workers’ role in providing nearly 189 million Americans with safe, reliable and affordable natural gas service every day.

More than 2,800 Duke Energy/Piedmont and contract workers are responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of more than 35,000 miles of natural gas infrastructure in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Technicians are often first responders and on the front lines when natural gas emergencies occur. Their work expanding and modernizing the natural gas delivery system will help meet the service needs of customers and growing communities, while also providing the infrastructure needed to replace higher-carbon fuels.

“Duke Energy and Piedmont’s employees take pride in their commitment to our customers and to doing their jobs safely. Their willingness to go above and beyond to serve others and help keep communities safe is remarkable,” said Sasha Weintraub, senior vice president and president of Duke Energy’s natural gas business.

“From working long hours during an outage to restore our customers’ heat on a cold night to taking active roles in organizations that support the communities where they live and work, our natural gas workers truly are inspiring,” Weintraub said.

Read more about Duke Energy’s and Piedmont’s natural gas employees at Duke Energy’s illumination website.

Natural Gas Utility Workers’ Day, established by the American Public Gas Association in 2015, is intended to build public awareness about the hard work done by the employees of natural gas utilities and educate residents on the environmental, safety and cost benefits of using clean, reliable and affordable natural gas. It is celebrated March 18 to commemorate the date of a 1937 incident in New London, Texas, that led to the widespread odorization of natural gas and an increased emphasis on safety.

More information on natural gas safety can be found at duke-energy.com/NaturalGasSafety and piedmontng.com/safety.

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides electric service to 900,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area, and natural gas service to 550,000 customers in a 2,650-square-mile service area, in Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2023 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “World’s Best Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Piedmont Natural Gas

Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, distributes natural gas to more than 1.1 million residential, commercial, industrial and power generation customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Piedmont Natural Gas earned the No. 1 spot in customer satisfaction with residential natural gas service in the South among large utilities for the second year in a row, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, and has been named by Cogent Reports as one of the most trusted utility brands in the U.S. More information: piedmontng.com. Follow Piedmont Natural Gas: Twitter, Facebook.

Media contact: Jason Wheatley 
Media Line: 877.348.3612 
jason.wheatley@duke-energy.com 
Twitter: @PNG_JasonW

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Vaccines are one of the most significant public health achievements in modern history, playing a vital role in helping to prevent certain infectious diseases and protect communities across the globe.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic brought forth a new set of challenges in sustaining vaccination efforts for other preventable diseases — highlighting existing disparities and inequalities in access to health care and underscoring the urgent need for action.

In two op-eds for Devex, an independent news organization covering global development, Drew Otoo, Pharm.D., president of global vaccines, Merck, and Alfred Saah, M.D., executive director of scientific affairs, Merck, highlighted some of the ways the company is working to address these challenges at the global, national and local levels.

Collaborating to help increase health equity

Otoo said collaboration across sectors is key to building trust, enabling equity and establishing stronger, more resilient vaccination programs.

“Now more than ever, we have an opportunity to evaluate and strengthen our approach… Together, we can help create a more equitable future where vaccines are available to and accepted by all who can benefit from them.”

— Drew Otoo, Pharm.D.
President of global vaccines, Merck

Otoo shared examples of Merck’s work with local and global stakeholders to develop tailored approaches to improve vaccine confidence and supply vaccines for communities that might otherwise be without them:

Local organizations and community leaders have a deep understanding of the issues contributing to inequities and low routine vaccination rates in their communities, and they’re essential to identifying and executing solutions. We know this to be the case from our efforts through ImmUNITY Chicago, an initiative we helped catalyze with local stakeholders to address lower vaccination rates among neighborhoods in the Southwest Side of Chicago, predominantly among communities of color.Strategic global collaborations are also critical to enabling stronger, more sustainable vaccination programs. We work with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance — a global alliance that has helped to vaccinate nearly half of the world’s children in low-income countries.

Combating vaccine hesitancy and building trust

Saah emphasized Merck’s commitment to addressing vaccine hesitancy (the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines) and building confidence at local, national and global levels.

“By understanding the knowledge gaps and prioritizing strategies that strengthen how we communicate…we can potentially combat vaccine hesitancy, improve vaccine confidence and make a difference in global public health.”

— Alfred Saah, M.D.
Executive director of scientific affairs, Merck

Despite the well-documented benefits of vaccines, hesitancy is a longstanding public health issue that can result in under-vaccination and global disease outbreaks. The reasons behind vaccine hesitancy are often connected to the 3Cs Model, defined by a World Health Organization strategic advisory group:

Complacency: The perception that vaccine-preventable diseases pose little risk to individuals.Convenience: The degree to which vaccination services are accessible.Confidence: The degree to which an individual believes vaccines work, are safe and effective and are part of a trustworthy public health and medical system.

Saah shared some of Merck’s efforts to improve vaccine confidence, which include:

Working with collaborators to reach the global population and engage communities through mediums that resonate, such as social media, and through messages that can be delivered by trusted community members.Building capabilities for colleagues in local markets to better understand the strengths and vulnerabilities of vaccination programs on a global and national scale.

Continuing to improve vaccine access

Despite the challenges ahead, both Saah and Otoo are optimistic about the future.

“Combating vaccine hesitancy is not an easy feat and has been a challenge our global society has faced for centuries,” wrote Saah. “However, these challenges bring new opportunities to improve our approach and be better advocates for ourselves, our families and our communities.”

“By going where the need exists and continuing to invest in innovative, strategic and diverse collaborations, I’m confident we’ll find new ways to solve complex public health problems.”

— Drew Otoo

Learn more about how collaborations can help yield stronger vaccination programs.

View original content here.