Tag: 3BL

Originally published on Essity.com

Promoting value-based care

The purpose of care in the care economy is to improve health and quality of life for people cared for at a sustainable total cost level. Healthcare systems need to generate value both for individuals and for society at large.

Because of the increased pressure on healthcare systems, it is more important than ever to recognize that the value in healthcare comes from the right combination of quality and cost. If society wants the value of care to remain constant or increase, one must think conceptually about relevant patient outcomes, and how these outcomes can be achieved or improved in the most cost-efficient way.

To address these challenges, the way care is purchased and delivered needs to change. Value Based Healthcare (VBHC) is one way to do this. It is a collaborative, needs-based approach that applies to a variety of patients and spans over payers, providers, the industry, and society, with the goal to achieve better outcomes in a cost-efficient way.

Value-based healthcare (VBHC) requires: 

A holistic evaluation of patient, carer, care providers, and payers’ needs, along the entire care pathway, while also addressing societal needs at large. 
 An optimized care pathway with the support of relevant products that optimizes outcomes that matter to patients and different stakeholders. This improves the effectiveness and efficiency of care delivery. 
 A shift towards total cost from “price per product”-thinking, to ensure optimal use of available resources.

Innovation as an enabler for a better care economy

One example of an area in which innovation is needed is in continuously increasing knowledge among the growing number of family carers. Roughly 80% of care provision comes from family members, and roughly two-thirds of all people globally will become caregivers at some point in their lives.1

Despite these figures, the vast majority of family caregivers have no healthcare related training. In addition, many family carers do not recognize themselves as such and do not seek training or external support even when it is available. Digital solutions can help family carers to keep track of and monitor their care duties, facilitate access to knowledge and training about their roles and rights as carers, and can contribute to positive health outcomes by individualizing care. Leveraging digital tools to support caregivers’ work improves care conditions for the care receiver, alleviates stress and mitigates the negative aspects of caregiving on healthcare systems and economies. Increased societal awareness of family caregiving will make it easier for caregivers to reach out for the support, education, and training available.

Roughly 80% of care provision comes from family members.

Calls for action within the care economy

Recognize and value care: Joint action is needed to elevate the significance of care in society. A shift is needed from seeing care investments as costs, to truly acknowledging the substantial returns that care yields in personal well-being, societal and environmental benefits as well as in economic returns. 
 Make care work visible: There is a need to better acknowledge the contributions of caregivers who dedicate their time, skills, and empathy to support others. There needs to be a greater focus on making these contributions visible and listening to the needs of patients and persons receiving care as well as professional and family caregivers. 
 Invest smarter and enable new care innovations: Businesses have a pivotal role in introducing new innovations that support caregivers and care recipients. Sustained investments in innovative technology are needed to address the care economy’s challenges, but it is equally important to ensure that these innovations receive ongoing funding. 
 Promote person-centered care: Implementing a person-centered approach to care where persons receiving care are listened to, respected and where their personal needs and preferences are front, and center is essential in improving the quality of care and care outcomes. 

To make this happen, the person receiving care needs to be at the center of decision-making with tailored support that also enables active participation in the care journey. 
 Promote self-care (where possible): Public health initiatives can help support independence and allow for individual responsibility by prioritizing and more systematically approach self-care options – empowering people who receive care. One such example is to support people to strengthen continence by making innovative solutions for self-care more easily available and accessible and making education and information on continence care available both to carers and to care receivers. 
 Promote value-based care solutions: By placing patient needs and outcomes at the core, person-centered care is enabled and facilitates the adoption of innovative solutions and approaches. In this approach, diverse stakeholders collaborate from the outset, engaging in innovation and care model development. Such early collaboration enables a flexible and customizable procurement process that prioritizes genuine value for patients, providers, and society.

Download the Essity 2023-2024 Hygiene and Health Report to learn more

Learn more about Essity here

1Brody, J. E. (2008, November 10). When Families Take Care of Their Own. The New York Times.

I may be paraphrasing, but this was the sentiment behind a speech given by Costa Samaras, a Chief White House Science and Technology Policy advisor, at an Ellen MacArthur conference earlier this year.

It’s an idea backed up by research. When it comes to cutting greenhouse gasses, the main focus is on improving energy efficiency and transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewables, but that’s only half the story (55% of greenhouse gas emissions). The remaining 45% are tied up in products, materials and food.

Key administrations are aware of this and are starting to act accordingly. Accelerating innovation in industrial products and fuels for a net-zero, circular economy is one of five priorities of President Biden’s Net-Zero Game Changers Initiative. Meanwhile, across the pond, the new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) is one of the main elements of the EU’s European Green Deal.

One of the voices missing from the choir is the United Nations, which hasn’t explicitly positioned the circular economy as vital for achieving net zero. But what the UN is doing (which arguably no other organization has done before) is collaborating multilaterally to create policy to regulate a specific material. I’m referring to the UN Plastics Treaty, a consensus by 175 nations to develop a legally binding agreement to tackle plastic pollution by 2024.

This is significant because plastic has become fundamental to the products we create and the packaging we use to contain and ship them. It’s a wonderful light, cheap and versatile material. However, plastic also has an enormous impact on the environment due to the emissions involved in its creation and as a result of mismanaged plastic waste which pollutes the air, the oceans, our blood, our food, and has even been found in ice cores in the Arctic.

Currently, the linear economy dominates as only 7.2% of the world’s resources are reused or recycled. In the case of plastic, we take oil from the ground, turn it into products like toys, tech, clothing, furniture, and packaging. We use them, and once we’ve finished with them we bury them in landfill, burn them, or they get thrown in rivers and end up in the ocean. Continuing like this isn’t an option because we will run out of resources, worsen global warming and cause further damage to our ecosystem. The circular economy is about running the resources around in loops, so materials retain their value and can be reused again and again. This video sums it up perfectly.

Even if the UN hasn’t been as explicit as the US and the EU about the circular economy, the Plastics Treaty will have the effect of curbing emissions and reducing pollution by encouraging businesses to keep recycling and reusing plastic rather than binning or burning it.

It sounds logical, so why aren’t we doing it already? For three key reasons. The first reason is financial. In the long term, the circular economy will create jobs, cut costs, improve profitability and secure supply lines. Achieving this however, requires massive capital investment in the short term. Secondly, more data is required to help us understand the impact of our decisions and thirdly, we need a new, more collaborative way of working.

Capital investment-wise, we must invest in designing and manufacturing products with circularity in mind. We need to adapt and build machinery and systems to rescue resources from existing products and turn them into new items. The labour market must evolve to train people in the skills required and to make circular economy jobs attractive, with good remuneration and benefits packages. More wealth must also flow back up the supply chain to ensure the sustainability of raw materials, and to enable us to grow and make things without trashing the soil or the water systems. To help companies and financial institutions understand the benefits and necessity of the circular economy, more education is required.

Data systems need to evolve to give companies insights on material flow and traceability, help them avoid waste, extend periods of use, recover and regenerate materials and make informed decisions for their products and packaging. This is where SAP comes in. With 80% of the world’s businesses using SAP software, you could say we are fundamental to driving the transition to a circular economy. Take plastic again – Green Token by SAP allows businesses to trace plastics back to their source polymer to understand what type of material is used in every plastic element in a product. This helps companies prove the environmental credentials of a given plastic. SAP Responsible Design and Production software is used to understand how recycled and recyclable a component is, and helps a company understand the true “end to end” cost of a material. This is effective for regulating certain materials, for comparison and decision-making purposes, as well as helping businesses anticipate taxes and fees associated with their products (a result of the UN Plastics Treaty and other legislation).

I’ve explained above how we can interrogate the upstream supply chain data, which relates to what a product is made from. Downstream, we don’t yet have a complete picture of what happens to a product at its end of life. Recyclability varies wildly between countries and even counties. To understand how recyclable certain materials (like plastics) are in certain countries or jurisdictions, a partnership approach with national governments, local authorities, NGOs etc. is required to build a database that can inform companies which types of plastic to use (or avoid) for certain markets in order to achieve circularity. SAP can add value by collecting this data and pulling it into our solutions.

At the same time, to embrace the circular economy, our way of working must evolve. Instead of working in silos within our individual businesses and in vertical supply chains, we need to work collaboratively in groups to share the data, and bring the skill sets, and processes together to enable the materials to flow. For example SAP works with groups of companies such as the WBCSD to agree frameworks for exchanging data – we call this the SAP Sustainability Data Exchange. This started with the embedded carbon in products, but can be extended to track other important material information for the circular economy like recycled content, or water content.

Collaborations between businesses and non-corporate bodies such as government departments, intergovernmental organizations and NGOs accelerate progress. A clear example of this is how, by working with the WBCSD and the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network, SAP is able to respond by updating software to help its customers respond to the new requirements arising from the negotiations.

If we can achieve all of the above for plastic (and work is well underway), the ambition is to replicate this approach for other products such as steel, batteries, electronics, textiles and even food. With a circular economy approach across these industries, I’m convinced we can get halfway to net zero and if, in parallel, the energy experts continue to move the needle on energy efficiency and renewable power generation, we’ll get the rest of the way.

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

U.S. Bank was recently awarded the 2023 Residential Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Award for Market Outreach Strategies – Large Lender by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Also recently, Lenny McNeill, head of strategic markets and affordable lending, was inducted into the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP) Hall of Fame.

The flurry of recognition came as the U.S. Bank Access Home initiative, focused on addressing some of the historical obstacles that communities of color face in the homeownership process, approaches its 18-month mark.

With improved access to credit, financial education and mortgage professionals who represent the communities served, Access Home is supporting wealth building through homeownership and helping to close the wealth gap that persists within communities of color.

It is part of U.S. Bank Access Commitment®, the bank’s long-term approach to help close the wealth gap for underserved communities.

The MBA award spotlighted the Access Home initiative and the recently launched Access Home Loan mortgage program, designed to remove barriers to homeownership in underserved communities through downpayment assistance. In fact, U.S. Bank and Acts Housing, an Access Home partner organization, recently helped a single mother of four in Milwaukee purchase her home, becoming the first Access Home Loan customer.

“This year’s awards cycle was another competitive year as we received numerous applications from member companies highlighting their DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) efforts and programs,” said Mark Jones, 2024 MBA chairman and president. “The residential DEI Leadership Award winners, including U.S. Bank, have displayed exceptional efforts in developing and maintaining DEI programs that have positively impacted their employees and overall business operations.”

This year, U.S. Bank has also continued its visibility within organizations focused on increasing minority representation in the real estate and mortgage community, as well as increasing homeownership across diverse segments. These organizations include the Asian Real Estate Association, LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America, National Association of Real Estate Brookers, and VAREP.

In addition to partnering with and funding local nonprofits in key markets for support of Access Home, McNeill, his team, and U.S. Bank have worked closely with VAREP for more than a decade to help increase access to homeownership in the military community. For McNeill, it’s a priority for both business and personal reasons.

“Watching my own dad come home from war and not be able to buy a home, it opened my eyes early on,” McNeill said. “Then, when I got into this business, I recognized there were certain segments that were not given a fair shake based on race, gender and, even still now, military service.”

Through partnership with VAREP, U.S. Bank has reached realtors and aspiring homebuyers in the veteran and military community with education, training and workshops around the benefits of a Veteran Affairs (VA) Loan. A VA Loan provides low or no down payment mortgage options for qualified military and veteran homebuyers. McNeill said many veterans aren’t aware of the benefits of a VA loan, such as the fact that you can pass the benefit down to an immediate family member.

“There are people who don’t always have the best interest of our military and veteran homebuyers in mind,” McNeill said. “It’s important that we do, and we do what’s best for them. They’ve earned these benefits and they deserve the right to use them.”

Jeremy Lardeau, vice president of Higg Index at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, joined a recent panel hosted by Worldly, an impact intelligence platform that is the exclusive licensee of the SAC Higg Index Tools, to discuss how brands can prepare for Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which requires all large and listed companies (except listed micro-enterprises) to report on impacts to people and the environment, detailing how the risks materialize for investors. Lardeau joined John Armstrong, Worldly chief technology officer, and JR Siegel, Worldly senior director of product innovation, to discuss how companies can use the Higg Facility Tools to begin collecting the data in 2024 that they will need to report on ESG impact in 2025.

After Armstrong shared an overview of the changing sustainability landscape, Lardeau detailed the value of the Higg Index to report data and walked through key aspects of a CSRD guide that the SAC and Worldly are currently developing. He discussed how the Higg Index focuses on sustainability areas of high impact including carbon emissions, wastewater and energy among others. Through the Higg Index Tools, businesses can access the insights they will need for impact reduction, compliance and disclosure, Lardeau said.

However, when it comes to reducing carbon emissions, Lardeau noted that the vast majority of a fashion brand’s footprint is in its manufacturing supply chain, especially energy-intensive raw material production, preparation and processing. To that end, the Higg Facility Facility Environmental Module (FEM) tool helps facilities build a comprehensive view of primary energy, water and waste data in order to better understand impact and develop science-based strategies to reduce scope 3 emissions. Lardeau recommended a partnership approach, in which key suppliers can be engaged and incentivized through better purchasing practices, such as faster payment plans and larger orders with greater lead times.

To conclude the presentation, Siegel detailed how Worldly is mapping the CSRD to the Higg Tools and walked through key aspects of the guide.

To honor veterans and build belonging, Albertsons Companies’ Shaw’s Division proudly assembled a field of flags at the Shaw’s Supermarkets and Star Market Store Support Center (SSC) in West Bridgewater, MA. The team placed 1,000 flags to pay tribute and express their heartfelt appreciation to all military veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

Thank you to Etech Technology Partners for helping illuminate the display and to associate Tina Marchant, who organized and led our team in building a beautiful field of flags to express our gratitude, love, and respect to veterans.

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

This past baseball season, KeyBank teamed up with the Buffalo Bisons to make a $7.00 donation to Slow Roll Buffalo for each defensive assist the Bisons made on the field. As one of the world’s largest free community bike rides, Slow Roll Buffalo’s mission is to provide inclusive community experiences that connect people, places, and causes by bicycle. Slow Roll Buffalo is best known for its weekly guided rides for bicyclists of all ages and skill levels that hundreds take part in. With a slow pace and volunteer squad that keeps riders safe and social, each ride features a different host site and unique route around the city, including stops to regroup and meet neighborhood stakeholders before returning to the starting point for an afterparty with food, drinks, music and fellowship.

During the Bisons’ home game on September 23rd, KeyBank Senior Vice President and Buffalo Commercial Team Leader Sean Moskal and his family presented a $10,000 check to Slow Roll Buffalo to help them continue connecting communities across Western New York.

Learn more about KeyBank’s commitment to helping clients and communities thrive

Baker Hughes to supply two all-electric liquefaction train systems, including BRUSH electric motors and state-of-the-art compression technologyADNOC Ruwais will be one of the first electric-LNG projects in the Middle East, with the two liquefaction trains having an expected capacity of 9.6 million tonnes per annum (MTPA)Award follows continued global LNG momentum after record U.S. orders Baker Hughes has secured in 2023

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, November 13, 2023 /3BL/ – Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR), an energy technology company, announced it has received a letter of award by ADNOC Gas, for and on behalf of ADNOC, to provide two electric liquefaction systems (e-LNG) for the Ruwais LNG project in the United Arab Emirates. The award is expected to be booked in the fourth quarter of 2023 and was announced at this year’s ADIPEC, one of the largest energy industry events in the world.

The LNG trains will be driven by Baker Hughes’ 75 megawatt BRUSH electric motor technology and feature the company’s state-of-the-art compressor technology, making Ruwais LNG one of the first all-electric LNG projects in the Middle East. The overall production capacity of the trains is expected to be 9.6 million tons per annum.

Through the Ruwais LNG growth project, ADNOC intends to more than double its LNG production capacity to meet increased global demand for natural gas. The Ruwais plant, which is designed with electric-powered processing facilities, will run on clean power, making it one of the lowest carbon intensity LNG facilities in the world.

“This award represents an important milestone for Baker Hughes in the LNG market and demonstrates the strength of our portfolio, which we strategically expanded through the BRUSH Power Generation acquisition in 2022,” said Ganesh Ramaswamy, executive vice president of Industrial & Energy Technology at Baker Hughes. “Over the next decade, electrification will play a critical role in the energy transition, enabling further reduction of the carbon emissions footprint of natural gas. We are incredibly honored that ADNOC Gas, for and on behalf of ADNOC, has chosen Baker Hughes as a trusted partner to support their vision to increase LNG production while further decarbonizing their operations.”

The award continues the positive demand momentum in 2023 for Baker Hughes’ gas technology equipment portfolio after securing several major LNG orders throughout the year. Baker Hughes acquired the Power Generation division of BRUSH group in 2022 to enhance its industrial electric machinery portfolio and support the company’s strategic commitment to provide lower carbon solutions. Since then, the company has secured several orders, including a contract from Wison in the first quarter of 2023 to supply four e-LNG compressor trains for an onshore LNG plant in sub-Saharan Africa.

About Baker Hughes 
Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR) is an energy technology company that provides solutions to energy and industrial customers worldwide. Built on a century of experience and conducting business in over 120 countries, our innovative technologies and services are taking energy forward – making it safer, cleaner and more efficient for people and the planet. Visit us at bakerhughes.com.

For more information, please contact:

Media Relations

Chiara Toniato 
+39 3463823419 
chiara.toniato@bakerhughes.com  

Investor Relations:

Chase Mulvehill 
+1 281-809-9088 
investor.relations@bakerhughes.com 

Originally published in the SEE® Impact Report 2022

Our strategy is focused on creating an unparalleled customer packaging experience by advancing packaging solutions, integrating automation, digital, and sustainability.

Automation
We are transforming our customers’ operations with automation that improves efficiency, eliminates waste, simplifies processes, and creates a safer working environment. We are focused on increasing our equipment offerings, which help our customers automate packaging processes. In addition, we are automating our own operations to generate productivity savings that make our processes and the products we manufacture more sustainable.

Digital
Launched in 2022, SEE’s prismiq™ digital packaging solutions empower brand owners to increase speed to market with higher-quality and more cost-effective designs. The solutions also power business performance, improve operational efficiency, and reach consumers through digital content connected to packaging. Our digitally connected packaging and printing solutions are critical to unlocking efficiencies and reducing waste in processing and supply chain operations. These networked capabilities drive customer savings, generate demand, and enhance brand image and shelf impact.

Sustainability
SEE’s extensive reach across the value chain enables a comprehensive approach for partnering with customers to meet or exceed their sustainability and business goals. Our sustainability actions create customer value through innovative, market-ready solutions; enabling circularity of packaging; and achieving significant reductions in carbon impacts. In addition, we are transforming our operations and our customers’ operations with automation solutions that advance sustainability by improving efficiency, eliminating waste, simplifying processes, and creating a safer working environment.

Read the full SEE Impact Report 2022

 

NEW ORLEANS, November 13, 2023 /3BL/ – Entergy is pleased to serve as the diamond sponsor for the 50th Annual Bayou Classic, an annual event that celebrates the rich heritage and legacy of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Entergy has a longstanding commitment to powering life for its customers and communities. The prominent football game, played between the Southern University Jaguars and the Grambling State University Tigers, serves as a platform to not only showcase exceptional athletic talent but also to honor the traditions, achievements and contributions of HBCUs to American society.

“We are honored to be a sponsor of the 50th Annual Bayou Classic and help support a celebration that has become an iconic part of Thanksgiving weekend here in New Orleans,” said Drew Marsh, Entergy’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Our partnership with HBCUs has been instrumental in fostering a diverse and innovative workforce at Entergy. Through our collaboration, we have been able to tap into a pool of exceptional talent and we look forward to creating more opportunities for students to thrive, and thereby strengthen our whole community.”

The Bayou Classic, presented by P&G, draws more than 200,000 people to New Orleans each year, providing numerous opportunities to highlight on a national scale all that the city and state have to offer. Entergy’s sponsorship will have a significant impact on the local community, generating economic benefits for the city of New Orleans through increased tourism and revenue for local businesses.

Ranked as the No. 1 HBCU Classic in the nation, the football game will be played Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Entergy recognizes the significance of HBCUs in shaping the educational landscape and empowering generations of Black students. With roots in New Orleans for more than 100 years, the company is committed to taking meaningful action to help create opportunities for fostering HBCU student success, as well as building a more diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce in its communities. Learn more about Entergy’s commitment to building diverse communities here.

Entergy looks forward to a memorable 50th Annual Bayou Classic event that celebrates the achievements and cultural significance of HBCUs. For more information, visit www.mybayouclassic.com.

About Entergy

Entergy is a Fortune 500 company that powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. Learn more at entergy.com and connect with @Entergy on social media. #WePowerLife

CONTACT Cristina del Canto|504-576-4238|mdelcan@entergy.com

One in ten people go to bed hungry every night. Hunger’s key drivers— climate change, conflict, and chronic inequality—are on the rise.

Hunger is sweeping the entire globe, with drought and death in the Horn of Africa, a refugee crisis in Central America, climate shocks throughout Southeast Asia, and so much more. The next year is unpredictable, and we can only guess at how hunger will ramp up. But it’s not too late to think ahead.

Hunger is often portrayed as unsolvable or untreatable, but this is not the case. It might be easy to think that way—we’re all too familiar with depressing ads showcasing suffering families. These clips often leave viewers with unanswered questions about how to address the issue’s root cause. They tug at the heartstrings—but often use exploitative depictions of families and only highlight short-term, unsustainable responses.

Today, we are telling a different story. We believe in collaboration not exploitation; long-term solutions, not temporary fixes; and working hand-in-hand with communities to solve hunger. We empower people by providing the resources they need to end hunger for good.

The global hunger crisis is an age-old problem, but we’re tackling it with new, innovative solutions. We’re pioneering everything from a smartphone app that detects malnutrition with just a photo to satellite imagery that provides real-time guidance for herders looking for greener pastures.

Ending hunger clears the way for global progress. It’s an investment in our shared future: every $1 spent on hunger can deliver up to $35 in economic growth.

It is possible to address hunger, but we need the will to act. Unless we make changes, more than two million children will die this year from hunger’s deadly effects.

That statistic can become history. Together, we can create a world where every life is well-nourished. Be part of the story: let’s end hunger for everyone, for good.

About Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 28 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 55 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.