Tag: 3BL

Global Head of Innovation and Sustainability Accelerator, Jeannette Chantalat, recently joined the Tech Transformation Podcast hosted by Lisa Johnston, editor of Consumer Goods Technology, where she discussed leveraging consumer insights in product development to advance sustainability goals.

“We’re making sure that we’re constantly learning. Because our consumers are always changing, our market landscapes are always changing. We know that when we do something great today, we’re just setting the bar higher for tomorrow. The innovation mindset has to be one of constant learning and progress over perfection,” said Jeannette.

Jeannette also discussed digital prototyping, measuring success with retail partners across the value chain, setting key performance indicators for sustainable innovation and more.

Listen to Jeannette’s episode here: https://risnews.com/tech-transformation-podcast-kimberly-clarks-jeannette-chantalat-new-kpis-sustainable-innovation

About Kimberly-Clark 
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people’s most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what’s important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Neve, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 80 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. We are proud to be recognized as one of the world’s most ethical companies by Ethisphere for the fifth year in a row. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company’s 150-year history of innovation, visit kimberly-clark.com.

At Baylor Scott & White in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Joyce O’Shaughnessy is a medical oncologist at the forefront of innovative cancer research focusing on advanced treatment options for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Madrid, Spain, Dr. Eva Ciruelos leads clinical trials to better understand breast cancer patients who are unresponsive to certain cancer treatments.

In a personal and inspiring conversation, these two trailblazing women in cancer research discuss the critical topic of female-related cancers, what’s on the horizon for their research efforts, and how we can better support women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.

Since 1996, the Mary Kay Ash Foundation and Mary Kay Inc. have contributed more than $36 million to cancer research, support programs and services. Across the globe, we are committed to nurturing partnerships aligned with our company’s mission of Enriching Women’s Lives and we are grateful for pioneering women like Dr. Ciruelos and Dr. O’Shaughnessy who help us remain true to our mission.

Listen to their inspiring conversation on our YouTube channel.

I’ve chosen to focus on the primary, resistant triple negative breast cancer. That’s arguably one of our most difficult, scientific biological questions – why is it that some women’s triple negative breast cancer does not respond to the pre-operative therapy? I’m just trying to understand by doing serial biopsies, doing pilot trials of novel therapeutics. Mary Kay has been very supportive of me and others in the U.S. that are working in this area. I really appreciate that because you can’t do it without funding. This is strictly philanthropic funding.

Dr. Joyce O’Shaughnessy, Celebrating Women Endowed Chair in Breast Cancer Research at Baylor University Medical Center

Thanks to Mary Kay for this meeting and many other research ideas and initiatives. Thank you all for being here. Stay tuned because breast cancer is improving and clinical research is the key and the answer to many questions we are ready to solve.

Dr. Eva Ciruelos, Breast Cancer Unit Coordinator, University Hospital/HM Hospitals in Madrid and Chair, SOLTI Group on Breast Cancer Research

September 25, 2023 /3BL/ – Lenovo joined a new initiative to accelerate private sector action at the pace and scale needed to deliver on the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and meet the 2030 Agenda. The UN Global Compact Forward Faster initiative calls on business leaders everywhere to take measurable, credible, and ambitious action in areas that have the power to accelerate progress across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals where the private sector can collectively make the biggest, fastest impact by 2030.

The SDG Progress Report released earlier this year by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, showed that just 15 percent of the Sustainable Development Goal targets are on track, progress on 48 percent is weak and insufficient, and progress has stalled or gone into reverse on 37 percent of the SDGs.

“Over the past year, Lenovo has remained committed to building a sustainable planet, promoting inclusion, closing the digital divide, and being a responsible corporate citizen everywhere we do business. We approach our near-term 2030 goals with this vision, harnessing our innovation to increase the sustainability of our products and operations,” shared Yuanqing Yang, Lenovo’s Chairman and CEO.

As a member of the United Nations Global Compact, Lenovo has committed to two targets in two action areas:

Climate Action

Set corporate science-based net-zero emissions reduction targets in line with a 1.5°C pathway, with the goal of halving global emissions by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2050 at the latest.

Water Resilience

Build water resilience across global operations and supply chains and join hands to achieve collective positive water impact in at least 100 vulnerable prioritized water basins by 2030.

In January 2023, Lenovo became part of the first group of companies and the first PC and smartphone maker to have net-zero targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. In addition to endorsing the UN CEO Water Mandate in March 2021, Lenovo created a strategic partnership with Wine To Water to increase access to clean water for communities around the world. You can read more about Lenovo’s impact and initiatives in alignment to the Sustainable Development Goals in the FY 2022-23 ESG Report.

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$62 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #217 in the Fortune Global 500, employing 77,000 people around the world, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company by further expanding into growth areas that fuel the advancement of ‘New IT’ technologies (client, edge, cloud, network, and intelligence) including server, storage, mobile, software, solutions, and services. This transformation together with Lenovo’s world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

Tapestry recently hosted a Town Hall in Shanghai, where 460 team members gathered to recognize FY23 achievements and discuss strategy for the year ahead. The team also celebrated an important milestone – more than doubling the APAC region’s annual Tapestry Gives volunteering goal by completing 8,230 volunteer hours – and hosted a charity bazaar to raise funds for our Tapestry-sponsored school library in Liu Jing Primary School.

Thank you to all of our colleagues who joined us, and for all that you continue to do for Tapestry!

It’s estimated that Earth is home to 3 trillion trees, storing an amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent to nearly a century’s worth of our current annual fossil fuel emissions. But this natural CO2 buffer is in jeopardy as we continue to lose forests at alarming rates.

Reforestation projects have long played a crucial part in storing and removing CO2 from the atmosphere and are one of the keys to a low-carbon future. For more than a decade, climate action has been at the top of SAP’s corporate agenda along with the three other key sustainability focus areas – holistic steering and reporting, circular economy, and social responsibility.

One of the company’s climate goals is to foster biodiversity and nature-based solutions to combat climate change. The 2022 SAP Integrated Report provides transparency on SAP’s financial, social, and environmental performance and targets; information on measures to reduce CO2; and progress on SAP’s journey to achieve net zero along its value chain by 2030. For example, SAP runs all its offices and data centers with 100% renewable electricity, delivers sustainability management solutions to customers, and has financed the planting of more than 15 million trees to date to restore ecosystems and foster sustainable development. Since 2021, SAP has been part of 1t.org, a corporate alliance committed to conserving, restoring, and growing 1 trillion trees by 2030.

Planting trees might sound simple, but reforestation projects must be in harmony with the needs of the local community and ecosystem to avoid doing more harm than good in the long run. This is where scientific tree planting projects have a vital role to play.

Project Highlight: The Carbon Community

Charitable donations from SAP support scientific plots in SAP Forest UK at The Carbon Community, based in Wales, UK.

The Carbon Community’s mission is to optimize nature-based solutions to combat climate change. SAP’s donations have contributed to a landmark carbon study that started two years ago.

This study – the world’s first – investigates how sequestration of CO2 in trees and soil can be accelerated by combining two nature-based climate solutions. This aligns with SAP’s strategy of using nature-based solutions whenever possible to fight climate change.

To be as sure as possible that planted trees deliver the anticipated benefits, SAP works with reputable and experienced partners like The Carbon Community that have been subjected to a rigorous selection and monitoring process.

Other Trusted Partners

SAP’s longest partnership is with Livelihood Carbon Funds (LCF), where SAP investments have funded the planting of over 13 million trees in Senegal, Rwanda, India, Indonesia, Guatemala, and Mexico. These investments with LCF help the environment and the local community while also generating carbon credits.

SAP also donates to charitable organizations, extending support to projects in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Haiti, Indonesia, Nepal, Madagascar, and scientific research in Wales.

Providing Transparency

Trusted partners must provide transparency on their projects; for example, key metrics, annual reports, and updates such as the SAP Forest Update from The Carbon Community.

For customers, SAP Sustainability solutions offer transparency on environmental and social performance. SAP solutions can record emissions in supply chains, report emissions in a way comparable to standardized reporting, and identify and analyze ways to reduce emissions. SAP Sustainability Footprint Management, for example, is a single solution to help calculate and manage a full range of corporate, value chain, and product-level greenhouse emissions. And, SAP is pioneering a green ledger concept that can allow customers to track the carbon entering and leaving their systems and to balance their “carbon books” in the same way as they balance their financial books.

A Step in the Right Direction

Although cost-effective and essential for all life on earth, it is a gross oversimplification to claim that nature-based solutions alone, such as those proposed by The Carbon Community, or planting 1 trillion trees in the next seven years will fix the global loss of biodiversity and stop climate change.

For this reason, reforestation projects and scientific tree planting projects are just one piece of SAP’s climate action plan, along with reducing its own carbon emissions and enabling customers to accelerate their own net-zero journeys with customer solutions for sustainability.

In terms of numbers, the scientific plots of SAP Forest UK account for less than 1% of the total number of trees planted with support from SAP – but measuring the potential is another matter altogether. If the current field studies facilitated by The Carbon Community are successful and scaled up, that 1% could make an immeasurable difference to how beneficial future reforestation initiatives could be in terms of promoting biodiversity and rates of carbon sequestration.

Science-based research to optimize nature-based solutions , together with SAP Sustainability solutions to combat climate, change is, without doubt, a significant step in the right direction.

CLEVELAND, September 25, 2023 /3BL/ – KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment provided a $8.6 million equity bridge loan and $13.1 million in 4% federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity for the acquisition and rehabilitation of an affordable housing community in Layton, Utah. The project also received permanent financing from KeyBank Real Estate Capital (KBREC) which secured a $24.2 million Freddie Mac tax-exempt loan (TEL).

Skyline View Apartments is a three-property, 112-unit affordable housing community available to low-income families earning no more than 50% and 60% of the area median income (AMI) and is subsidized by a Section 8 Housing Assistant Payment (HAP) Contract.

Skyline View includes eight garden-style buildings entirely consisting of two-bedroom units. Situated on a total of 5.2 acres, families will have access to laundry facilities, playgrounds, a community garden, and a storage area as well as an on-site property manager. The three properties, originally built in 1974, 1975, and 1978, will receive renovations, which will include modernization of kitchens and bathrooms, full ADA accessibility upgrades to select units, and full exterior upgrades (windows, paint, siding, roofs). Skyline View is located within a residential neighborhood with major shopping, schools, and recreational amenities located nearby.

The project sponsor, Hampstead Development Partners, Inc., (HDP) is an experienced developer focused on the development, acquisition and rehabilitation, and operation of affordable properties. KeyBank has worked closely with HDP to close numerous deals, including just recently a project in June 2023.

“The preservation of the Skyline View Apartments will help to address the substantial need for affordable housing in Utah,”said Robert Likes, president of KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI). “KeyBank is invested in the expansion of its community impact, and we continue to provide more capital to low-income communities throughout the country.”

Nathan Dickinson, Jonathan Wittkopf and Hector Zuniga of KeyBank CDLI structured the financing.

About KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment

KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) finances projects that stabilize and revitalize communities across all 50 states. As one of the top affordable housing capital providers in the country, KeyBank’s platform brings together construction, acquisition, bridge-to-re-syndication, and preservation loans, as well as lines of credit, Agency and HUD permanent mortgage executions, and equity investments for low-income housing projects, especially Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) financing. KeyBank has earned 10 consecutive “Outstanding” ratings on the Community Reinvestment Act exam, from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, making it the first U.S. national bank among the 25 largest to do so since the Act’s passage in 1977.

About KeyCorp

KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $195 billion at June 30, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications, and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

It’s September and that means schools have opened their doors for the children across Canada. Hooray for those fortunate parents!

However, for those with young children who are not yet of school age, daycare often becomes the primary option. Though only if they can afford or secure a daycare spot.

But what if there’s a free program that allows parents a couple of hours to recharge with their kids while also learning through movement?

That’s exactly what Engage Sport North, a non-profit sport-delivery organization, provides in northern BC. Their program, called Active Star, welcomes children aged 2-5 years old to join their no-cost physical literacy education for two hours each morning on weekdays.

“Lots of people will bring their babies, and they just get to run around on the field, crawl, or climb on different equipment that we have down there. They also get to play with balls—passing, rolling, basically just to get them moving,” says Kimberly Feragen, Athlete Coach Services at Engage Sport North.

“But the cool thing about it is that it also gets new parents or grandparents out there. They’re visiting while they’re all playing. So not only are the children getting some physical literacy, making some friends, learning how to interact with other kids, but the parents and the grandparents are also doing that. So it’s also a family program,” explains Feragen.

For parents whose children are out of diapers, they can also opt for the Parent Pump program. This drop-off initiative caters for those who wish to exercise and use the sports center facilities, while their children participate in their own movement session.

One of Engage Sport North’s primary objectives is to deliver inclusive quality programs in physical literacy. Physical literacy means having the basic skills, knowledge and comfort to participate in different types of physical activities throughout life, forming the foundation of healthy living. “The sooner you can get people involved in movement and skills, the better it sets them up for a healthy lifestyle throughout their life,” adds Feragen.

Enbridge promotes the concept of vibrant communities, and recognizes the significance of supporting physical literacy in our communities. Through our Fueling Futures program, we awarded a $5,000 grant to Engage Sport North to support the expansion of its programs in more communities.

This September, the people in Dawson Creek will be able to benefit from the Active Star program as well. Initially launched two years ago in Prince George’s Northern Sport Centre, Active Star has continually received overwhelming positive feedback from the community.

So what do the parents need to do to get in the program?

“Just go to our website and register. Or if you want, you can show up in the venue and register,” encourages Mandi Graham, Executive Director, Engage Sport North.

Contributing to secure2, resilient3, and sustainable4 food systems5

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has defined a “triple challenge” facing our food systems.

Ensuring food security and nutrition for a growing population in a world where malnutrition persists; where more than 820 million people go to bed hungry6 whilst over 670 million adults are obese7.Supporting the livelihoods of millions of farmers and others in an increasingly modern food chain, where productivity has led to a decline in agricultural commodity prices thus creating economic pressures for small farmers.Expanding food production without exerting more pressure on natural resources; where land and use of inputs are associated with environmental degradation and 1/3 of food produced is lost or wasted globally8..

In addition to overcoming the triple challenge, it has become critical that we monitor and manage the growing environmental impacts of our current food systems, which account for over 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions9 and are the leading cause of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss10. We believe, as was stressed by world leaders at COP2711, that we need to work together to build more secure, sustainable and resilient food systems and overcome these challenges.

Why it matters 

Food systems12 are challenged with ensuring food security and nutrition, supporting farmers’ livelihoods, and reducing their reliance on natural resources. As well, they contribute over 30%13 of global GHG emissions, exacerbating the climate and nature crisis.

Ambition 

Contribute to secure, resilient, and sustainable food systems that provide access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food, and minimise food loss and food waste across our value chain.

Targets 

Advocate for secure, resilient, and sustainable food system solutions and form or join alliances supporting systems-level changeContinue to deliver high performance food processing technology and packaging solutions that play a role in giving more people access to safe and nutritious food, and in reducing food loss and wasteReduce food waste of our best practice processing lines by 50% by 2030 compared to 2019

Tetra Pak’s role

The complex nature of our value chain includes a wide range of actors involved in the production, processing, distribution, and sale of food and beverages, all of whom are affected by these challenges – thus we have a role in transforming food systems through developing new food processing technologies and packaging solutions that meet the evolving needs of the food industry. At Tetra Pak, we are committed to the action tracks of the UN Food Systems14, and we are contributing to its objectives by working with our customers, NGOs, governments, and other stakeholders to (1) increase access to safe, nutritious food; (2) reduce food loss and waste; and (3) build sustainable food value chains.

By providing aseptic processing and packaging technology that protects the quality and safety of perishable foods and extends their shelf life, we can help reduce food loss and waste and improve access to safe, nutritious food, even in remote areas or countries with insufficient cold chains. We are committed to building sustainable food value chains that improve the livelihoods of farmers, reduce the environmental impact of our value chain, and, ultimately, help provide healthy and nutritious diets to the global community. Overall, we can help create more secure, sustainable, and resilient food systems that can help withstand shocks and disruptions, benefitting both people and the environment.

Feeding the world’s growing population, while protecting the planet is possible. If all stakeholders come together and deliver meaningful change, we can provide nutritious food to eight billion people every day. We need food packaging to deliver perishable foods safely to people around the world. At the same time, such packaging needs to consider not only post-use recycling but also the climate impact of the materials used, and the operation of the entire value chain. If we do not balance all these areas simultaneously, we risk solving one problem while creating another. 

Ola Elmqvist, 

Executive Vice President Packaging Solutions, Tetra Pak

Read more here

Our progress in 2022

Increase access to safe, nutritious food

Food innovation 
Food processing and packaging can be an enabler for healthy diets through technologies that enhance nutrient content and advance plant-based alternatives. At Tetra Pak, we are collaborating with innovative start-ups in food production to provide them with opportunities to trial large-scale production, validate their results, and understand the needs and challenges in the markets they want to operate in.

Whole soya processing method increasing nutrients 
We developed a breakthrough ‘whole soya’ processing method for soya drinks resulting in a product which is composed of 1.2% fibre compared to 0.26% for traditional, extracted soyabean drinks15. The method uses the entire soyabean during the production process and leads to a higher yield and therefore lower raw material cost per litre of product. It also enables low to no okara16 taste which has been a barrier for some consumers, due to its taste. This innovation paves the way for a multitude of new products and presents commercial opportunities for yoghurt, spreads, ice cream, and meal replacements. 
READ MORE

New plant-based ambient vegan yoghurt alternatives offer convenience 
We have supported the development of plant-based, ambient yoghurt alternatives (‘vegurts’) by CHr. Hansen and CP Kelco, two global ingredient suppliers. These yogurt alternatives offer convenience and can help enable healthy diets. Our Product Development Centre (PDC) in Lund validated the concept in our pilot plant in Sweden, providing full-service factory-scale line-ups and industry experience. 
READ MORE

School feeding programmes 

School Feeding Programmes improve children’s health, increase school attendance, and stimulate agricultural development. Since 1962, we have supported our customers and collaborated with governments, NGOs, the UN and international development aid agencies to provide technical assistance in programme organisation, implementation, evaluation, environmental education, and advise on food safety and quality controls in schools by sharing global best practices.

In Kenya, over 650,000 children under five years old living in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) region are acutely malnourished17. The ASAL region also has a high number of children not attending school. In 2022, we collaborated with Ingredion, DSM, Jetlak Foods Limited, and the National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya to provide the newly developed Super Porridge, a liquid readyto-drink cereal-based product, to 5,000 children across three counties in the pilot programme. The product is highly fortified with 15 micronutrients including vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, zinc, and iron. This initiative aims to reduce malnutrition rates by 50% and the poverty index by 25% by 2026 and improve school attendance rates. 
READ MORE

We greatly value being part of this School Feeding Programme and working together in collaboration with all the stakeholders is highly important for Ingredion. We are delighted to see that the children appreciate both the texture and the taste of Super Porridge which has been developed at our idea lab facility in Nairobi, Kenya. After all, if it does not taste good the children will not drink it – no matter how nutritious it is. 

Kennedy Ouma, 
Business Director, Africa & Middle East, Ingredion

Reduce food loss and waste

Avoiding food loss and waste 
Food processing technologies and packaging solutions can help curb losses by extending the shelf life of food and reducing the risk of spoilage.

By collaborating with Fresh Start, a leading food technology incubator that works with a portfolio of start-ups, we are looking to provide technical solutions to some of the challenges facing global food systems such as food safety, availability and waste.

Reducing and transforming food waste 
We are supporting customers with our technology to enable the recovery and reusing of edible biomass, and currently wasted low-value side streams, to create new sources of raw materials for food production and processing.

Valorising low-value side streams into a plant-based beverage 
We have taken steps in the last year to make the food and beverage industry more circular by developing a technology to transform Brewer’s Spent Grain (BSG)18 into a plant-based beverage. This is part of our overall approach to innovate in similar methods in other food and beverage categories to valorise residues and waste from food production.

We are also working on using connected technology and other innovations to further minimise food loss in our production and customer filling lines. 
READ MORE

Build sustainable food value chains19

Dairy Hubs 
Through our Dairy Hub model, we link smallholder farmers with dairy processors to help build sustainable local dairy value chains20, securing a long-term supply of locally produced quality milk in emerging economies without raising the costs of collection. We provide technical training to Extension Service Officers21 to improve farm management and milk production, as well as farmers to help them improve profitability and grow their businesses.

In 2022, the Dairy Hub projects involved 43,939 farmers (96.2% of which are smallholders) that have delivered milk to food and beverage manufacturers. Since 2011, when we introduced the first Dairy Hub project, we have reached 67,808 farmers (97% of which are smallholders) and we currently have 22 Dairy Hub projects, four of which are new this year.

In the Dominican Republic, we are supporting our customer Coopesur, a co-operative with around 800 farmers/ members, and Agampta, an association of dairy farmers, to secure a stable supply of local high-quality milk. Their yield improvements in 2022 are as follows:

For Coopesur, the reference farms with an 15% average increase in milk production/ farm increased compared to baseline. Likewise, productivity per cow (L/cow/day) and per hectare (L/ha/day) increased by 8% and 14.6%, respectively.

For Agampta, milk production increased on average by 21.4% in the reference farms compared to baseline. Likewise, productivity per cow (L/cow/day) and per hectare (L/ha/day) increased by 13% and 21%, respectively. 
READ MORE

What’s next? 
Learn more about what is next for Tetra Pak here.

1 Brewer’s Spent Grain is the industrial moniker used to describe the malt after a brewery has already used it to make beer. Source: https://www.regrained.com/blogs/upcyclist/what-is-spent-grain

2 Secure food systems: As defined by the UN, food security means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. Source: https:// www.oecd.org/agriculture/topics/food-security/

3 Resilient food systems: As defined by the OECD, resilience in the context of food and agriculture as the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt and transform in response to adverse events. Source: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/agriculture-andfood/strengthening-agricultural-resilience-in-the-face-of-multiple-risks_2250453e-en

4 Sustainable food systems mean growing, producing, processing, packaging, distributing and consuming food without negatively impacting the planet. Source: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/ sites/c6fd4d2f-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/c6fd4d2f-en

5 All the elements and activities related to producing and consuming food, as well as their effects, including economic, health, and environmental outcomes.

6 Action Against Hunger: World Hunger Facts. (2022). Source: Actionagainsthunger.org

7 Global Nutrition Report (2022). Source: Inequalities in the global burden of malnutrition – Global Nutrition Report

8 The World Food Programme: 5 facts about food waste and hunger. (2020). Source: https://www. wfp.org/stories/5-facts-about-food-waste-and-hunger

9 Crippa, M. et al. Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions. (2021). Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00225-9

10 Source: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/our-global-food-systemprimary-driver-biodiversity-loss

11 Food and Agriculture Organization: Agriculture and food systems finally on the table at COP27. (2022). Source: https://www.fao.org/climate-change/news/detail/en/c/1620205/

12 The term ‘food systems’ refers to all the elements and activities related to producing and consuming food, and their effects, including economic, health, and environmental outcomes (OECD, https://www.oecd.org/food-systems, 2023)

13 Crippa, M. et al. Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions. (2021). Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00225-9

14 The UN Food Systems Summit launched five Action Tracks to deliver progress on all 17 SDGs, each of which relies to some degree on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems. Source: https://www.un.org/en/food-systems-summit

15 Nutritional comparison of whole bean soya extracted soya, and white dairy milk. Fibre % – 1.2% for whole bean soya, 0.26% for extracted soya, 0% for white dairy milk. Source: https://www.tetrapak.com/insights/cases-articles/whole-soya-beverages-new-production-method#cf-step-thankyoubanner_copy_copy 16 Okara is a pulp consisting of insoluble parts of the soybean that remain after pureed soybeans are filtered in the production of soy milk and tofu.

17 Source: https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/alerts-archive/issue-47/en/

18 Brewer’s Spent Grain is the industrial moniker used to describe the malt after a brewery has already used it to make beer. Source: https://www.regrained.com/blogs/upcyclist/what-is-spent-grain

19 We believe this starts with a mindset shift that moves from considering only what is happening in our factories and facilities to what is happening across the food value chain. And we believe it requires close collaboration and innovative thinking from all stakeholders – to truly make food value chains more sustainable. The traditional operating model of a linear supply chain has changed, and a new partnership ecosystem model is emerging, where the entire industry works in close collaboration. This brings together not only producers and suppliers, but also research institutions, universities, and start-ups to find solutions.

20 A sustainable food value chain is a food value chain that: is profitable throughout all of its stages (economic sustainability); has broad-based benefits for society (social sustainability); and has a positive or neutral impact on the natural environment (environmental sustainability). Source: https://www.fao.org/sustainable-foodvalue-chains/what-is-it/en/#:~:text=In%20the%20economic%20dimension%2C%20a,fiscally%20viable%20for%20public%20services

21 Extension Officers are often employed by a processor, NGO or a local authority with the purpose to implement good practices and showcase productivity results.

NEW YORK, September 25, 2023 /3BL/ – Over 200 senior leaders of US businesses, the United Nations Global Compact, local government, civil society, and the UN attended the 2023 SDG Summit USA to raise awareness and promote practical business action and partnerships within the American private sector in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event, which took place during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, was organized by the UN Global Compact Network USA, the American Chapter of the United Nations Global Compact.

SDG Summit USA highlighted opportunities for US businesses to amplify their impact and establish leadership in propelling the SDGs forward.

“Governments provide the framework for progress, but markets drive change. And change cannot happen without the US,” Adam Roy Gordon, Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network USA, said in his welcome remarks. He acknowledged that the world could benefit from the US’s involvement and influence in global progress because “the US has a proven track record of leadership, innovation, technological advancement, and effective action.”

In his Opening Remarks, Paul Polman, Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact Board of Directors and former CEO of Unilever, said, “Increasingly, we do see that those who embrace the SDGs tend to get rewarded.” He noted that this commitment helps businesses attract talent, reduce costs, enhance relationships with stakeholders, drive innovation, and better position companies for a future everyone aspires to.

At SDG Summit USA, UN Global Compact Network USA also recognized its local SDG Pioneer winners, Cristina Villalón, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Álvarez-Díaz & Villalón, and Raven Adams, Sustainability Manager at Granite Construction. SDG Pioneers are recognized business leaders championing the SDGs and inspiring others to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

UN Global Compact Network USA was honored to have US Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform Christopher Lu present the awards to the winners.

“As we’ve learned from our collective efforts to address climate change, we need everyone at the table – national governments, local governments, nonprofits, foundations, and especially the private sector. And here in the US, our private sector is one of our greatest comparative advantages in addressing global demands,” said Ambassador Lu. “We in the US Mission are fully committed to increasing this private sector engagement and highlighting the great work businesses are doing on the SDGs.”

While progress has been made, 70% of the SDGs are stagnating or regressing in the US. The United Nations Global Compact-Accenture Global Private Sector Stock Take report, which surveyed over 2,800 business leaders from around the world, showed the vast majority (94%) of business leaders still view the SDGs as a unifying global vision. Still, to achieve them, the private sector must focus on the areas where they can have the most impact.

To respond to this call, the UN Global Compact has launched Forward Faster, a new initiative to accelerate private sector action at the pace and scale needed to deliver on 17 SDGs and meet the 2030 Agenda.

Speaking to business leaders earlier that week, Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, said, “Time is running out to create the positive change the world so desperately needs. We must all join forces to create a more prosperous and resilient global community. We must move forward faster.”

Ms. Ojiambo offered the closing remarks at SDG Summit USA during a fireside chat with Mr. Gordon and Michael Okoroafor, Chief Sustainability Officer of McCormick & Company and UN Global Compact Network USA Board Member. During her address, Ms. Ojiambo encouraged attendees to establish ambitious targets and expedite their efforts in achieving the SDGs.

The 2023 SDG Summit USA took place at the Accenture office in New York, NY. UN Global Compact Network USA would like to thank its Co-presenting Sponsor, Accenture, and its supporting partners, Geomatica, Plus Media, and Sustain.life for their support.

About Global Compact Network USA

Global Compact Network USA (Network USA) is the US Chapter of the United Nations Global Compact, the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world. Network USA is a powerful network of companies and stakeholders dedicated to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. By connecting partners with the resources of the greater UN, Network USA supports companies that are committed to fully integrating its principles of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption into their business strategies and operations. To learn more, visit GlobalCompactUSA.org.

Contact

Jessica Tuquero 
Head of Communications 
Tel: +1 (646) 573-7377
Email: jessica@globalcompactusa.org

Originally published in Owens Corning’s 2022 Sustainability Report

Owens Corning’s inclusion and diversity journey has evolved considerably over the years, and Gina Thompson has been there nearly every step of the way. She has seen it grow from a handful of affinity groups to a central element of our sustainability efforts. Having spent nearly 14 years at our world headquarters and almost four leading human resources at our plant in Fairburn, Georgia, U.S., Gina has had a wide range of experiences integrating inclusion and diversity into everything we do, and she shares what makes Owens Corning unique in our approach.

What drives me is to create a work environment where people feel valued and respected. I’m glad to be aligned with a company that has those same values — it’s a perfect fit.

On the importance of placing inclusion before diversity 

People sometimes think those terms are interchangeable, but if you really understand the definition of those terms, they’re not. When you think about diversity, you think about the vast dimensions of what makes us — whether it be cultural, whether it be race, whether it be the church I go to. The things we’re trying to drive at the company aren’t just about representation. It really is creating a culture where people feel valued and welcomed — and they can bring all of themselves to work. When you think about inclusion, it’s when you mix it all up and create an environment where everybody just fits. We mesh together to create an environment of mutual respect and trust, where we’re building connections to support one another.

On engaging employees in our plants on inclusion and diversity 

At the plant, you have to use a lot of different techniques and a lot of different venues to really try to build those connections with the employees. One of the things that has really made a difference are Courageous Conversations, which really allow people to come and be transparent about things that are on their minds. And people don’t hold back. It sometimes gets a little awkward, but that’s OK. If that’s the way you’re feeling, I’d like to know so we can work on a way to create an environment where we connect a little bit better.

On Owens Corning’s commitment to inclusion and diversity 

People who might be considering Owens Corning as a place that they might want to land for employment should understand that this company has done a lot of great work in this area. The focus around inclusion and diversity is real — it’s not the flavor of the month. I’ve been around this for 18 years. I am so proud to be at a company that is putting inclusion and diversity first, and it just solidifies why I wanted to join Owens Corning. I’m proud of the work that we’re doing, the commitment from our executive leaders, the board, and everyone. They understand that in order for us to be successful, we are definitely going to have an inclusive work environment.

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