Tag: 3BL

Originally published on bloomberg.com

As the volume of ESG data continues to rise, firms are grappling with the best way to manage this information, according to a new Bloomberg survey of approximately 200 financial market participants based in Europe. The survey, taken by respondents from London, Stockholm, Geneva, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, and Milan throughout 2023, posed questions about ESG data prioritization, challenges, and data management practices.

Respondents reported that fulfilling regulatory requirements was the highest priority (35%) for accessing ESG data, followed by meeting climate risk and net zero objectives (18%). Potentially inhibiting these priorities are coverage and quality issues with company-reported ESG data, which unsurprisingly was cited by 63% of respondents as their biggest concern. With the entry into force of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in the EU, the quantity and quality of company-reported ESG data is expected to increase over the coming years. However, with this increased availability, the need for seamless integration and management of this data will become more pressing, or risk slowing investment decisions.

According to the survey, the leading ESG data management challenge was handling constantly evolving and new data content (41%). Linking ESG data content to existing entity and instrument data was the next biggest challenge (25%), followed by meeting reporting requirements (18%), and managing multiple ESG vendor feeds (16%). While ESG data coverage gaps are problematic, onboarding new ESG data can be a time and resource intensive process that firms may not have the bandwidth to do more than once or twice a year.

In the face of these challenges, firms are still deciding on how to best manage growing volumes of ESG data. Approximately a third (38%) managed their ESG data centrally with a proprietary solution, another third (32%) said it’s managed individually by each business unit, 10% outsourced to a third-party vendor, and 20% were still considering their data management strategy.

“While quality and comparability remain a global challenge, data management is coming into sharp focus for firms in Europe. If firms cannot organize their ESG data, they cannot effectively make decisions using that information,” said Nadia Humphreys, Head of Sustainable Finance Data Solutions at Bloomberg. “To help firms derive more insights from their data faster, Bloomberg’s sustainability data is modelled and linked to Bloomberg’s industry leading corporate structure, security master, and other foundational data for ease of use. Moreover, Bloomberg provides a fully managed service with Data License Plus (DL+) ESG Manager so customers can focus on making investment decisions rather than data wrangling.”

Bloomberg’s ESG data, research, and analytics span regulatory compliance, carbon emissions, sustainable debt, scores, indices, climate risk, and more. Clients can readily access this data on the Bloomberg Terminal via {ESGD <GO>} or across their enterprise via Data License at data.bloomberg.com for use in proprietary or third-party applications. Through Data License Plus (DL+) ESG Manager, Bloomberg connects customers’ ESG data workflows to the full power of Bloomberg’s datasets as well as data from vendor partners, so clients can unlock maximum value with ease. To learn more, visit our website here.

To view the full results of the survey, please click here.

About Bloomberg

Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.

Media Contact

Jennifer Molgano | jmolgano2@bloomberg.net

Originally published on bloomberg.com

As the volume of ESG data continues to rise, firms are grappling with the best way to manage this information, according to a new Bloomberg survey of approximately 200 financial market participants based in Europe. The survey, taken by respondents from London, Stockholm, Geneva, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, and Milan throughout 2023, posed questions about ESG data prioritization, challenges, and data management practices.

Respondents reported that fulfilling regulatory requirements was the highest priority (35%) for accessing ESG data, followed by meeting climate risk and net zero objectives (18%). Potentially inhibiting these priorities are coverage and quality issues with company-reported ESG data, which unsurprisingly was cited by 63% of respondents as their biggest concern. With the entry into force of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in the EU, the quantity and quality of company-reported ESG data is expected to increase over the coming years. However, with this increased availability, the need for seamless integration and management of this data will become more pressing, or risk slowing investment decisions.

According to the survey, the leading ESG data management challenge was handling constantly evolving and new data content (41%). Linking ESG data content to existing entity and instrument data was the next biggest challenge (25%), followed by meeting reporting requirements (18%), and managing multiple ESG vendor feeds (16%). While ESG data coverage gaps are problematic, onboarding new ESG data can be a time and resource intensive process that firms may not have the bandwidth to do more than once or twice a year.

In the face of these challenges, firms are still deciding on how to best manage growing volumes of ESG data. Approximately a third (38%) managed their ESG data centrally with a proprietary solution, another third (32%) said it’s managed individually by each business unit, 10% outsourced to a third-party vendor, and 20% were still considering their data management strategy.

“While quality and comparability remain a global challenge, data management is coming into sharp focus for firms in Europe. If firms cannot organize their ESG data, they cannot effectively make decisions using that information,” said Nadia Humphreys, Head of Sustainable Finance Data Solutions at Bloomberg. “To help firms derive more insights from their data faster, Bloomberg’s sustainability data is modelled and linked to Bloomberg’s industry leading corporate structure, security master, and other foundational data for ease of use. Moreover, Bloomberg provides a fully managed service with Data License Plus (DL+) ESG Manager so customers can focus on making investment decisions rather than data wrangling.”

Bloomberg’s ESG data, research, and analytics span regulatory compliance, carbon emissions, sustainable debt, scores, indices, climate risk, and more. Clients can readily access this data on the Bloomberg Terminal via {ESGD <GO>} or across their enterprise via Data License at data.bloomberg.com for use in proprietary or third-party applications. Through Data License Plus (DL+) ESG Manager, Bloomberg connects customers’ ESG data workflows to the full power of Bloomberg’s datasets as well as data from vendor partners, so clients can unlock maximum value with ease. To learn more, visit our website here.

To view the full results of the survey, please click here.

About Bloomberg

Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.

Media Contact

Jennifer Molgano | jmolgano2@bloomberg.net

Gen Blog | Community

By Erin Gallegos Corporate Responsibility Manager

Imagine a world where gender equality isn’t just a distant dream but a reality — a world where biases, stereotypes and discrimination are relics of the past. A world where diversity is valued and celebrated, every voice is heard and every achievement is recognized. We strive for this vision as we celebrated International Women’s Day and celebrate Women’s History Month.

This year’s theme underscores the importance of fostering a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive – a world where differences are not just accepted but embraced. It’s a time to raise awareness about the ongoing struggles for gender equality and to take action to drive meaningful change.

Building a new talent pipeline 

Through partnerships with organizations like Women4Cyber and Czechitas, we work to expand cybersecurity skills among women and close the gender gap that still exists throughout the global tech sector.

One of the best ways to reach those goals is mentorship. Women4Cyber’s Mentorship programs are designed to help women advance their careers in cybersecurity and IT. Mentors, all of whom are working tech professionals, spend six months meeting regularly with their mentees to provide personal and professional guidance, share their experiences, and help mentees identify and achieve career goals. Since 2021, Women4Cyber has matched more than 300 mentors from across Europe with more than 500 women just starting in their cybersecurity careers.

Czechitas, another one of our nonprofit partners, provides reskilling and technical education programs for women in the Czech Republic. The organization engages working tech professionals and experts to lead their intensive long-term courses. Tech professionals also provide mentorship, advice and guidance for enrolled students as they work on their own projects.

Both organizations help to ensure that the future of the tech industry is a more inclusive one, with women having equal access to skills-building and career opportunities in cybersecurity and beyond.

Among those mentors are Gen team members, who have year-round opportunities to participate in these organizations’ mentorship programs. On February 13, Women4Cyber hosted a Speed Mentoring event to connect junior professionals working in cybersecurity with Gen experts. Each mentee had four one-on-one conversations with different team members, offering them a chance to gain well-rounded guidance to navigate their careers in the cybersecurity industry.

Later in March, Czechitas, and the Gen Corporate Responsibility and DEI teams, and our WONDER Community, will host a webinar on the future of work and technology, and the future of women in STEM.

Advocating for women 

At Gen, advocating for women is a year-round effort. We’re always supporting women, and we pay extra attention to helping them succeed in tech because that’s what we’re good at.

One example of this success is Leyla Bilge, Director of Scam Research Labs. She’s made cybersecurity her life since starting in computer science at the age of 18. After an internship with our company, she took on a full-time role. Twelve years later, she’s made tremendous waves as a Gen leader.

When asked about setting goals, she spoke frankly saying, “I never actually set goals because I always thought I could never achieve them. Then, at one turning point, I finally realized I could achieve them.”

Leyla set abstract goals for herself; she wanted to apply a different leadership style that’s not so common – she wanted to be an egoless manager, leading by motivation and making ambition contagious. She saw the results.

Recently, she was recognized for her work at the Seramount 2023 Women of Excellence Awards and was named STEM Steward. The awards honor women who are committed to their own success while selflessly mentoring and championing other women. And Leyla was a perfect example of this.

A message to others: Set goals that aren’t the most obvious or common. We can achieve them. Don’t be afraid to apply for awards or submit papers to academic conferences. That’s how we earn the recognition we deserve. And do what you can to uplift women, no matter what gender you are.

The work continues 

Our work is far from over. Discrimination, bias, and inequality persist in various forms. We must continue to challenge these injustices and work towards gender parity in all aspects of life. We must support and uplift each other, amplifying the voices of marginalized people and advocating for policies that promote equality.

Inclusion means that all actions taken throughout Women’s Month are valid. Whether participating in marches and rallies, organizing educational events or having conversations about gender equality. Every effort contributes to the larger goal of building a more inclusive world.

As we come together to celebrate, let the achievements of women inspire us. Let us raise awareness about discrimination and take action to drive gender parity. Together, we can forge a future where every person, regardless of gender, can thrive and succeed. Let’s continue to #InspireInclusion.

Gen Blog | Community

By Erin Gallegos Corporate Responsibility Manager

Imagine a world where gender equality isn’t just a distant dream but a reality — a world where biases, stereotypes and discrimination are relics of the past. A world where diversity is valued and celebrated, every voice is heard and every achievement is recognized. We strive for this vision as we celebrated International Women’s Day and celebrate Women’s History Month.

This year’s theme underscores the importance of fostering a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive – a world where differences are not just accepted but embraced. It’s a time to raise awareness about the ongoing struggles for gender equality and to take action to drive meaningful change.

Building a new talent pipeline 

Through partnerships with organizations like Women4Cyber and Czechitas, we work to expand cybersecurity skills among women and close the gender gap that still exists throughout the global tech sector.

One of the best ways to reach those goals is mentorship. Women4Cyber’s Mentorship programs are designed to help women advance their careers in cybersecurity and IT. Mentors, all of whom are working tech professionals, spend six months meeting regularly with their mentees to provide personal and professional guidance, share their experiences, and help mentees identify and achieve career goals. Since 2021, Women4Cyber has matched more than 300 mentors from across Europe with more than 500 women just starting in their cybersecurity careers.

Czechitas, another one of our nonprofit partners, provides reskilling and technical education programs for women in the Czech Republic. The organization engages working tech professionals and experts to lead their intensive long-term courses. Tech professionals also provide mentorship, advice and guidance for enrolled students as they work on their own projects.

Both organizations help to ensure that the future of the tech industry is a more inclusive one, with women having equal access to skills-building and career opportunities in cybersecurity and beyond.

Among those mentors are Gen team members, who have year-round opportunities to participate in these organizations’ mentorship programs. On February 13, Women4Cyber hosted a Speed Mentoring event to connect junior professionals working in cybersecurity with Gen experts. Each mentee had four one-on-one conversations with different team members, offering them a chance to gain well-rounded guidance to navigate their careers in the cybersecurity industry.

Later in March, Czechitas, and the Gen Corporate Responsibility and DEI teams, and our WONDER Community, will host a webinar on the future of work and technology, and the future of women in STEM.

Advocating for women 

At Gen, advocating for women is a year-round effort. We’re always supporting women, and we pay extra attention to helping them succeed in tech because that’s what we’re good at.

One example of this success is Leyla Bilge, Director of Scam Research Labs. She’s made cybersecurity her life since starting in computer science at the age of 18. After an internship with our company, she took on a full-time role. Twelve years later, she’s made tremendous waves as a Gen leader.

When asked about setting goals, she spoke frankly saying, “I never actually set goals because I always thought I could never achieve them. Then, at one turning point, I finally realized I could achieve them.”

Leyla set abstract goals for herself; she wanted to apply a different leadership style that’s not so common – she wanted to be an egoless manager, leading by motivation and making ambition contagious. She saw the results.

Recently, she was recognized for her work at the Seramount 2023 Women of Excellence Awards and was named STEM Steward. The awards honor women who are committed to their own success while selflessly mentoring and championing other women. And Leyla was a perfect example of this.

A message to others: Set goals that aren’t the most obvious or common. We can achieve them. Don’t be afraid to apply for awards or submit papers to academic conferences. That’s how we earn the recognition we deserve. And do what you can to uplift women, no matter what gender you are.

The work continues 

Our work is far from over. Discrimination, bias, and inequality persist in various forms. We must continue to challenge these injustices and work towards gender parity in all aspects of life. We must support and uplift each other, amplifying the voices of marginalized people and advocating for policies that promote equality.

Inclusion means that all actions taken throughout Women’s Month are valid. Whether participating in marches and rallies, organizing educational events or having conversations about gender equality. Every effort contributes to the larger goal of building a more inclusive world.

As we come together to celebrate, let the achievements of women inspire us. Let us raise awareness about discrimination and take action to drive gender parity. Together, we can forge a future where every person, regardless of gender, can thrive and succeed. Let’s continue to #InspireInclusion.

Ronke Ekwensi

T-Mobile’s Vice President and Chief Data Officer

With over 25 years of experience, Ronke Ekwensi is a true champion when it comes to driving business outcomes through data strategy. She says her career journey is far from being a straight line, acquiring expertise across several fields before joining the Un-carrier nearly four years ago as VP and Chief Data Officer. After starting out in IT and moving onto information management where she focused on policy and privacy issues, Ronke eventually dove headfirst into the world of big data. She’s worked her magic across various industries too, making waves in healthcare, biopharmaceuticals, electrical power, technology, consumer electronics and management consulting.

“Ambition is a good thing to have, and I value my inventory of substantive skillsets,” she says. “I run my own race and I have a high bar set to be the best version of myself. I remember when I made VP at a previous company and some people asked if I was surprised. No! I had been working toward that for a year. At some point, you have to know your worth and speak up for yourself.”

After a solid decade of immersing herself in information governance, Ronke made a strategic move to ramp up her commitment to continuous learning. She went back to school at MIT to take a course on big data, choosing to pivot from lofty titles to focus on a field she believed could genuinely make a difference in our world.

“I believe in the transformative power of data, and I’m fascinated by the way it will affect not only business but humanity altogether,” she says. “We have the tools now with generative AI and large language models to make it happen. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.”

Ronke Ekwensi

T-Mobile’s Vice President and Chief Data Officer

With over 25 years of experience, Ronke Ekwensi is a true champion when it comes to driving business outcomes through data strategy. She says her career journey is far from being a straight line, acquiring expertise across several fields before joining the Un-carrier nearly four years ago as VP and Chief Data Officer. After starting out in IT and moving onto information management where she focused on policy and privacy issues, Ronke eventually dove headfirst into the world of big data. She’s worked her magic across various industries too, making waves in healthcare, biopharmaceuticals, electrical power, technology, consumer electronics and management consulting.

“Ambition is a good thing to have, and I value my inventory of substantive skillsets,” she says. “I run my own race and I have a high bar set to be the best version of myself. I remember when I made VP at a previous company and some people asked if I was surprised. No! I had been working toward that for a year. At some point, you have to know your worth and speak up for yourself.”

After a solid decade of immersing herself in information governance, Ronke made a strategic move to ramp up her commitment to continuous learning. She went back to school at MIT to take a course on big data, choosing to pivot from lofty titles to focus on a field she believed could genuinely make a difference in our world.

“I believe in the transformative power of data, and I’m fascinated by the way it will affect not only business but humanity altogether,” she says. “We have the tools now with generative AI and large language models to make it happen. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds.”

Do you feel a bit lost when people refer to certain environmental sustainability topics and aren’t sure where to start when it comes to learning more? Sustainability 101 is a blog series that you can turn to for information about different environmental terms that may come up at work, during discussions with friends, and even at your annual holiday gathering.

Many companies want to show how they are making their products more sustainable. That’s where ecolabels come in. Ecolabels are marks indicating that the products meet objective environmental and sustainability criteria. Ecolabels are placed on product packaging, on the product itself, accompanying documentation, or on other means such as web based.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ecolabels can help consumers and institutional purchasers quickly and easily identify those products that meet specific environmental performance criteria and are therefore deemed “environmentally preferable”. Ecolabels can be owned or managed by government agencies, nonprofit environmental advocacy organizations, or private sector entities

Different types of ecolabels

According to Ecolabel Index, there are over 450 ecolabels available worldwide, covering different industry sectors (including carpets, cosmetics, or even coffee beans) and geographies. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has a series of international standards for environmental management that apply to ecolabels and divides them into categories. ISO 14020 classifies ecolabels as Type I, Type II, or Type III, as follows:

Type I (ISO 14024), commonly known as ecolabelling schemes: This category covers third-party certification processes to verify product or service compliance with a pre-selected set of criteria.i.e.: THEY say my product has sustainability benefits.Type II (ISO 14021): This category covers self-declared ecolabels, based on objective standards, that may cover environmental claims.i.e.: I say my product has sustainability benefits.Type III (ISO 14025): The third category covers self-declared conformance to predetermined categories of parameters based on ISO 14040, but without conclusions on whether that conformity means the product has sustainability qualities.i.e.: Here are my results, it is up to YOU to judge if my product has sustainability benefits.

Type I ecolabels are considered comprehensive and ambitious. They are generally assigned to products that go beyond regulatory requirements, including in the areas of energy efficiency, resource consumption or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These Type I ecolabels identify and promote products with reduced adverse impacts.

Ecolabels are not to be confused with an “energy” label, which is used to indicate the energy efficiency of a consumer product. In the European Union (EU), this energy label is mandatory for certain products such as refrigerators, washing machines or televisions and uses a scale from G (least efficient) to A+++ (most efficient) to indicate the energy efficiency of a product.

Ecolabels for electronic B2B equipment

Relevant ecolabels for electronic B2B equipment vary from focusing on energy only (80 PLUS®, ENERGY STAR®) to others that go further than this, by including more environmental and social aspects (EPEAT, TCO Certified, etc.).

1. 80 PLUS: A voluntary Type I certification program launched in 2004, intended to promote efficient energy use in power supply units (PSUs). The certification measures the energy efficiency at 10%, 20%, 50%, and 100% of rated load and a power factor. It offers six levels of certification: Standard, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium.

2. ECMA 370: A Type II scheme that can be used by companies to declare if and which environmental attributes (such as recycling, reduction of hazardous substances, and energy consumption) are met and to show which measurement methods were applied for information and communication technology (ICT) and consumer electronics according to known standards, guidelines, and currently accepted practices.

3. ENERGY STAR: A voluntary program that is run and verified by the U.S. EPA and DOE. The program focuses on the energy consumption of products using standardized methods. It aims to help customers save money on their energy bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are ENERGY STAR programs available for, among other, enterprise servers, large networking equipment (LNE), small networking equipment (SNE) and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Phones.

4. EPEAT: A Type I ecolabel which is managed by the Global Electronics Council (GEC) based on criteria that evolve as sustainability evolves – measuring the social and environmental impacts of products from extraction to end of life. EPEAT certification is recognized by several governments and large businesses in their procurement practices.

5. TCO Certified: TCO Certified is a global sustainability certification for IT products. It includes both social and environmental aspects and helps purchasing organizations and the IT industry address the most important sustainability challenges connected to electronics, such as climate, circularity, hazardous substances, and supply chain responsibility. All criteria are mandatory and compliance with all criteria is independently verified by accredited experts.

6. EU Ecolabel: The European Union’s (EU) ecolabel, managed by the European Commission and EU Member States, is a voluntary EU-wide Type I ecolabelling scheme. It covers many types of non-food products. The only product group covering electronics is electronic displays, and includes televisions, computer monitors, and signage displays.

7. Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): An EPD is a document that is based on ISO 14025 (Type III). As such, it is used to communicate the environmental performance of a product to stakeholders and provides quantified information about the environmental impact of a product or material over its lifetime. It is based on the Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, which evaluates the environmental impact of a product from raw material extraction to disposal.

Why are ecolabels important?

The public sector also uses ecolabels to encourage behavioral change. Due to Green Public Procurement rules, many government institutions prioritize procurement, where applicable, of products that meet specific sustainability requirements such as ENERGY STAR or EPEAT.

Ecolabels are also becoming more important given the global trend toward greater taxonomy frameworks and regulation regarding sustainability-related activities and Green Claims.

Lastly, under certain conditions, ecolabels may potentially be leveraged by stakeholders as a valid approach for self-regulation.

Where does Cisco stand regarding ecolabels?

At Cisco, we apply Circular Design Principles and strive to improve the energy efficiency of our products to reduce our environmental footprint. Ecolabels are one way to share some of the results of these efforts.

Ecolabels don’t apply to everything Cisco sells, but — where applicable — Cisco’s products are evaluated against the following Type I ecolabels: ENERGY STAR, EPEAT and 80 PLUS.

Cisco currently has products certified to the ENERGY STAR standard under the Enterprise Server and Telephones categories. We also have EPEAT-registered products under the Servers category listed in EPEAT´s online Registry.

And Cisco has power supply units (PSUs) certified to 80 PLUS listed on CLEAResults’s online database. The majority of our PSUs have achieved Platinum status, and our UCS servers are rated Titanium.

We’re continuously striving for transparency in our reporting on our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, goals, and progress.

Learn more about our experience with ecolabels on our

ESG Reporting Hub.

View original content here.

Do you feel a bit lost when people refer to certain environmental sustainability topics and aren’t sure where to start when it comes to learning more? Sustainability 101 is a blog series that you can turn to for information about different environmental terms that may come up at work, during discussions with friends, and even at your annual holiday gathering.

Many companies want to show how they are making their products more sustainable. That’s where ecolabels come in. Ecolabels are marks indicating that the products meet objective environmental and sustainability criteria. Ecolabels are placed on product packaging, on the product itself, accompanying documentation, or on other means such as web based.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ecolabels can help consumers and institutional purchasers quickly and easily identify those products that meet specific environmental performance criteria and are therefore deemed “environmentally preferable”. Ecolabels can be owned or managed by government agencies, nonprofit environmental advocacy organizations, or private sector entities

Different types of ecolabels

According to Ecolabel Index, there are over 450 ecolabels available worldwide, covering different industry sectors (including carpets, cosmetics, or even coffee beans) and geographies. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has a series of international standards for environmental management that apply to ecolabels and divides them into categories. ISO 14020 classifies ecolabels as Type I, Type II, or Type III, as follows:

Type I (ISO 14024), commonly known as ecolabelling schemes: This category covers third-party certification processes to verify product or service compliance with a pre-selected set of criteria.i.e.: THEY say my product has sustainability benefits.Type II (ISO 14021): This category covers self-declared ecolabels, based on objective standards, that may cover environmental claims.i.e.: I say my product has sustainability benefits.Type III (ISO 14025): The third category covers self-declared conformance to predetermined categories of parameters based on ISO 14040, but without conclusions on whether that conformity means the product has sustainability qualities.i.e.: Here are my results, it is up to YOU to judge if my product has sustainability benefits.

Type I ecolabels are considered comprehensive and ambitious. They are generally assigned to products that go beyond regulatory requirements, including in the areas of energy efficiency, resource consumption or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These Type I ecolabels identify and promote products with reduced adverse impacts.

Ecolabels are not to be confused with an “energy” label, which is used to indicate the energy efficiency of a consumer product. In the European Union (EU), this energy label is mandatory for certain products such as refrigerators, washing machines or televisions and uses a scale from G (least efficient) to A+++ (most efficient) to indicate the energy efficiency of a product.

Ecolabels for electronic B2B equipment

Relevant ecolabels for electronic B2B equipment vary from focusing on energy only (80 PLUS®, ENERGY STAR®) to others that go further than this, by including more environmental and social aspects (EPEAT, TCO Certified, etc.).

1. 80 PLUS: A voluntary Type I certification program launched in 2004, intended to promote efficient energy use in power supply units (PSUs). The certification measures the energy efficiency at 10%, 20%, 50%, and 100% of rated load and a power factor. It offers six levels of certification: Standard, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium.

2. ECMA 370: A Type II scheme that can be used by companies to declare if and which environmental attributes (such as recycling, reduction of hazardous substances, and energy consumption) are met and to show which measurement methods were applied for information and communication technology (ICT) and consumer electronics according to known standards, guidelines, and currently accepted practices.

3. ENERGY STAR: A voluntary program that is run and verified by the U.S. EPA and DOE. The program focuses on the energy consumption of products using standardized methods. It aims to help customers save money on their energy bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are ENERGY STAR programs available for, among other, enterprise servers, large networking equipment (LNE), small networking equipment (SNE) and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Phones.

4. EPEAT: A Type I ecolabel which is managed by the Global Electronics Council (GEC) based on criteria that evolve as sustainability evolves – measuring the social and environmental impacts of products from extraction to end of life. EPEAT certification is recognized by several governments and large businesses in their procurement practices.

5. TCO Certified: TCO Certified is a global sustainability certification for IT products. It includes both social and environmental aspects and helps purchasing organizations and the IT industry address the most important sustainability challenges connected to electronics, such as climate, circularity, hazardous substances, and supply chain responsibility. All criteria are mandatory and compliance with all criteria is independently verified by accredited experts.

6. EU Ecolabel: The European Union’s (EU) ecolabel, managed by the European Commission and EU Member States, is a voluntary EU-wide Type I ecolabelling scheme. It covers many types of non-food products. The only product group covering electronics is electronic displays, and includes televisions, computer monitors, and signage displays.

7. Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): An EPD is a document that is based on ISO 14025 (Type III). As such, it is used to communicate the environmental performance of a product to stakeholders and provides quantified information about the environmental impact of a product or material over its lifetime. It is based on the Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, which evaluates the environmental impact of a product from raw material extraction to disposal.

Why are ecolabels important?

The public sector also uses ecolabels to encourage behavioral change. Due to Green Public Procurement rules, many government institutions prioritize procurement, where applicable, of products that meet specific sustainability requirements such as ENERGY STAR or EPEAT.

Ecolabels are also becoming more important given the global trend toward greater taxonomy frameworks and regulation regarding sustainability-related activities and Green Claims.

Lastly, under certain conditions, ecolabels may potentially be leveraged by stakeholders as a valid approach for self-regulation.

Where does Cisco stand regarding ecolabels?

At Cisco, we apply Circular Design Principles and strive to improve the energy efficiency of our products to reduce our environmental footprint. Ecolabels are one way to share some of the results of these efforts.

Ecolabels don’t apply to everything Cisco sells, but — where applicable — Cisco’s products are evaluated against the following Type I ecolabels: ENERGY STAR, EPEAT and 80 PLUS.

Cisco currently has products certified to the ENERGY STAR standard under the Enterprise Server and Telephones categories. We also have EPEAT-registered products under the Servers category listed in EPEAT´s online Registry.

And Cisco has power supply units (PSUs) certified to 80 PLUS listed on CLEAResults’s online database. The majority of our PSUs have achieved Platinum status, and our UCS servers are rated Titanium.

We’re continuously striving for transparency in our reporting on our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, goals, and progress.

Learn more about our experience with ecolabels on our

ESG Reporting Hub.

View original content here.

Originally published on Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media

The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media announced today that it is the recipient of a $75,000 grant from the Nielsen Foundation to support ongoing research and advocacy initiatives surrounding representation in entertainment and media.

Founded by Academy Award Winning Actor Geena Davis, The Geena Davis Institute has worked to mitigate unconscious bias while creating equality, fostering inclusion and reducing negative stereotyping in entertainment and media since 2004. As a top global research-based organization, the Institute provides direct guidance and thought leadership on increasing representation across gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, disability, age, and body type.

“The Nielsen Foundation has been honored to support The Geena Davis Institute’s critical work since 2017 to use data to better understand representation in entertainment and media,” said Andrea Bertels, President and Executive Director, Grantmaking, Nielsen Foundation. “We can’t wait to see how the next phase of research will continue to foster a more inclusive media future.”

The Nielsen Foundation’s mission is to power and advance inclusive innovation and representation in the media and technology industries, particularly through data and research.

“Our research is rooted in our passion for making media more reflective of the diverse world we live in,” said Madeline Di Nonno, President and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute. “We are so grateful to the Nielsen Foundation for recognizing the alignment of our missions and supporting us in these efforts so that we can continue to influence change for years to come.”

The grant will support the Institute’s annual report on representation and inclusion in children’s television and accompanying Symposium events throughout 2024.

Findings from the 2023 report revealed:

Only 44% of leads in new shows being made for kids are femaleOnly 42% of animated characters are female, compared to 58% maleLead characters of color are at a record high of 56%

“The findings uncovered by these extensive studies result in significant improvements across media,” said Di Nonno. “This grant will enable us to further explore these topics and strengthen our recommendations for decision makers.”

About the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media:
Since 2004, the Institute founded by Two-Time Academy Award Winning Actor Geena Davis, has worked to mitigate unconscious bias while creating equality, fostering inclusion and reducing negative stereotyping in entertainment and media. As one of the top global research-based organizations, the Institute provides research, direct guidance and thought leadership aimed at increasing representation of marginalized groups within six identities: gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, disability, age, and body type. Because of its unique history and position, the Institute can help achieve true onscreen equity in a way that few organizations can.

About Nielsen Foundation:
The Nielsen Foundation is a private foundation originally funded by Nielsen, a global data and analytics company. The Foundation envisions a more equitable world, enabled by inclusive media and technology, where everyone has voice and opportunities to succeed. Its mission is to power and advance inclusive innovation and representation in the media and technology industries, especially through the use of data and research. Grants from the Nielsen Foundation typically support efforts to advance representation in media production and content through the use of data and research, support diverse talent in media and technology careers, and encourage the use of media and technology as forces for good.

Originally published on Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media

The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media announced today that it is the recipient of a $75,000 grant from the Nielsen Foundation to support ongoing research and advocacy initiatives surrounding representation in entertainment and media.

Founded by Academy Award Winning Actor Geena Davis, The Geena Davis Institute has worked to mitigate unconscious bias while creating equality, fostering inclusion and reducing negative stereotyping in entertainment and media since 2004. As a top global research-based organization, the Institute provides direct guidance and thought leadership on increasing representation across gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, disability, age, and body type.

“The Nielsen Foundation has been honored to support The Geena Davis Institute’s critical work since 2017 to use data to better understand representation in entertainment and media,” said Andrea Bertels, President and Executive Director, Grantmaking, Nielsen Foundation. “We can’t wait to see how the next phase of research will continue to foster a more inclusive media future.”

The Nielsen Foundation’s mission is to power and advance inclusive innovation and representation in the media and technology industries, particularly through data and research.

“Our research is rooted in our passion for making media more reflective of the diverse world we live in,” said Madeline Di Nonno, President and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute. “We are so grateful to the Nielsen Foundation for recognizing the alignment of our missions and supporting us in these efforts so that we can continue to influence change for years to come.”

The grant will support the Institute’s annual report on representation and inclusion in children’s television and accompanying Symposium events throughout 2024.

Findings from the 2023 report revealed:

Only 44% of leads in new shows being made for kids are femaleOnly 42% of animated characters are female, compared to 58% maleLead characters of color are at a record high of 56%

“The findings uncovered by these extensive studies result in significant improvements across media,” said Di Nonno. “This grant will enable us to further explore these topics and strengthen our recommendations for decision makers.”

About the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media:
Since 2004, the Institute founded by Two-Time Academy Award Winning Actor Geena Davis, has worked to mitigate unconscious bias while creating equality, fostering inclusion and reducing negative stereotyping in entertainment and media. As one of the top global research-based organizations, the Institute provides research, direct guidance and thought leadership aimed at increasing representation of marginalized groups within six identities: gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, disability, age, and body type. Because of its unique history and position, the Institute can help achieve true onscreen equity in a way that few organizations can.

About Nielsen Foundation:
The Nielsen Foundation is a private foundation originally funded by Nielsen, a global data and analytics company. The Foundation envisions a more equitable world, enabled by inclusive media and technology, where everyone has voice and opportunities to succeed. Its mission is to power and advance inclusive innovation and representation in the media and technology industries, especially through the use of data and research. Grants from the Nielsen Foundation typically support efforts to advance representation in media production and content through the use of data and research, support diverse talent in media and technology careers, and encourage the use of media and technology as forces for good.