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Provides an easy way for Duke Energy customers to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) from local Florida generationAims to reduce rates for all customers by generating revenue through the sale of the RECs

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., September 8, 2023 /3BL/ – Duke Energy Florida announced Clean Energy Impact, its newest renewable energy certificates (RECs) program, is now available to customers looking to achieve their sustainability goals and support local, renewable energy.

Clean Energy Impact is available for residential, small and medium business customers in Duke Energy’s Florida service area but may be especially useful for large commercial and industrial customers as an alternative to the company’s existing community solar program, Clean Energy Connection.

The optional program promotes the use of renewable energy through the sale of RECs from the company’s solar facilities. The RECs help customers reach their sustainability goals without having to install or maintain their own equipment.

A REC represents the environmental attributes of 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity generated from renewable energy sources. Revenue generated from the sale of the RECs helps to reduce rates for all customers.

“The new Clean Energy Impact program is delivering on what our customers want – a measurable way to share in renewable energy,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “By adding this program, we are providing even more customers access to the environmental benefits of solar, while helping lower costs for customers, increasing fuel diversity and continuing to build a cleaner energy future for our state.”

Duke Energy residential customers can subscribe to 250-kWh blocks monthly. Each block equals a quarter of a REC. Duke Energy business customers must purchase a minimum of 1,000 RECs annually to participate. These RECs are derived from Duke Energy-owned renewable resources, and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information about the Clean Energy Impact program, visit duke-energy.com/CEIBiz.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

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

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

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

Contact: Audrey Stasko 
24-Hour: 800.559.3853 
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS

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We are focused on delivering best-in-class financial products and services and providing access to those services whenever and wherever consumers want them. We are responsible for ensuring that our products and services are accessible to all consumers, in all markets, and that the right types of responsible products and services are offered. We strive to act in the best interest of consumers by providing reasonably priced products, defining clear terms and disclosures, and offering fair and consistent service. By doing so, we can build lasting customer relationships and meet our responsibility to help them prosper.

Honest Business Practices 

We strive to act in our customers’ best interest. Fair and honest business practices are essential to keeping our customers at the center of everything we do. Unethical business practices are strictly prohibited and, further, are not consistent with our core values. We are fully committed to maintaining nonabusive and antipredatory lending practices. Credit decisions are made without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identification or assignment, military status, disability, receipt of public assistance, familial status or a consumer’s exercise of credit protection rights. 

Fifth Third’s Community Reinvestment Act and Responsible Banking Committee is responsible for guiding enterprise-wide CRA and responsible conduct strategies and policies. The committee facilitates high-level direction to consumer and commercial lines of business consistent with such strategies and policies. The committee also seeks to promote a corporate culture that supports Fifth Third’s commitment to both the letter and spirit of the CRA and other laws and regulations that prohibit behavior and practices that could be deemed unethical, discriminatory or predatory in nature, as well as unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices known as UDAAP. 

The CRA and Responsible Banking Committee is led by the consumer and business practices senior compliance director and the chief community impact banking officer of Fifth Third Bank. Membership comprises leadership from the lines of business; the Legal, Risk, and Fair Lending departments; as well as community development representatives. The committee’s responsibility is delegated from the Board of Directors, which oversees the committee’s actions through the Enterprise Risk Management Committee. 

Further, we assert that fair lending and responsible banking compliance is the responsibility of all employees, a message reiterated in the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which all employees are required to sign and acknowledge on an annual basis. In 2022, over 99.4% of employees made this acknowledgment, a requirement that is regularly tested and verified.

In addition, the Bank requires employees and contractors to complete compliance training on an annual basis, including: complaint management, financial crimes compliance training, preventing fraud and Doing the Right Thing, which comprises eight modules. One module, Responsible Banking and Fair Lending Basics, covers Fifth Third’s commitment to making financial products and services available to prospective and existing customers on a fair and responsible basis. These courses are required no matter what an employee’s role is at the Bank. In 2022, 99.9% of all required compliance training modules were completed by employees.

Fair Marketing

The mission of our Marketing department is to support customer-centric growth by fully activating the Bank’s brand. Marketing professionals are motivated by doing what’s right for customers and keeping them at the center of all decisions. Marketing works with our one bank model, meaning that team members across the organization work together to serve the needs of customers and communities seamlessly and holistically. The one bank model works because it builds trust, creates value and deepens relationships. This approach is also employed as we consider sponsorships and advertising. 

Product Reviews

Introduction of new products as well as product expansions and modifications are carefully reviewed to ensure compliance with applicable rules and regulations, and customer suitability. Assessments of new products and changes to existing products are reviewed by the risk management committees. 

Additionally, we want to ensure that existing products continue to be delivered to customers as intended, designed, in accordable with contractual terms and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. To accomplish that, we continue our enhanced product risk management practices by implementing a product delivery risk assessment framework to oversee the delivery of existing products to customers. 

For more information about Fifth Third’s commitment to responsible banking, read the 2022 Sustainability Report.

With the United Nations Africa Climate Week in full swing, and COP28 in view, we chatted to Dennis Onono, our Associate Director of Community Projects, to find out more about the top topics that are affecting carbon and beyond in Africa today.

From climate finance to the most innovative climate action projects, Dennis has over fifteen years of experience in renewable energy space and clean cooking technologies, and has helped set up pilots and scale up the business for leading companies in Africa.

Ahead of the Africa Climate Week happening in Nairobi, which topics do you see as being the most important to the discussions this year?

There are three issues at the top of my mind for Africa Climate Week: the integrity and transparency of carbon markets, the renewable energy transition, and climate finance.

Carbon markets, especially the VCM, have been hotly debated in recent months, with some questioning the integrity of carbon projects and the credits they issue. We see this as a good thing; it makes sure that projects result in real environmental impact. The fact that performance is being constantly debated, evaluated and lessons learned carried into work and methodologies is a sign of a healthy system. Any credible climate solution or system should be continuously improved to apply the latest available scientific insights and technologies, among others.

Another major topic at Africa Climate Week is the renewable energy transition. It is essential that we accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal. While there have been big recent advancements in renewable technology, much more needs to be done, by both public and private actors, when it comes to creating stronger policy incentives and increasing investments in clean energy infrastructure.

Finally, funding mechanisms and financial support for mitigation and adaptation efforts, especially in developing countries, are likely to remain a central point of discussion. There has been a shift recently: more and more countries are working on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, specifically on making sure that they have the necessary plans, capabilities, and instruments in place to attract the potential investments that market-based mechanisms under Article 6 can provide. For those still wrapping their heads around all the climate jargon: in the simplest terms, Article 6 defines the rules of engagement in international compliance carbon markets under the Paris Agreement. It recognises that countries can – and should – work together, in a results-based way, to meet their national climate targets.

And what would you say are the most innovative and effective ways of channeling finance to address these issues?

Collaborations between government agencies, private companies, and nonprofits – or so-called Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) – can make use of different expertise and resources to finance and implement climate projects on a large scale. They are one of the most effective collaborative mechanisms we have available at the moment to address these complex challenges.

Climate funds also provide crucial financing. Investment platforms can pool the resources of governments, IGOs, and the private sector and direct them towards sustainable projects, where the finance is needed most. Examples include the Landscape Resilience Fund, which provides funding to SMEs located in areas where climate risks are particularly high.

Finally, impact investors can fund projects and companies with the potential to create positive environmental and social impacts alongside financial returns. Again, these projects can be quite diverse: from renewable energy to sustainable agriculture and clean technology, there is so much potential in implementing different project types and harnessing various technologies to generate climate impact for all.

But a lot of these projects’ impact goes “beyond carbon”, is that right? Can you tell me a little more about the co-benefits of these different projects?

Climate projects are unique in their proposition: their impact often reaches beyond “just emissions”, with measurable benefits for communities, nature, and sustainable development on the ground.

With community-based projects, new job opportunities are created for communities through producing, selling and marketing cookstoves, for example. Implementing clean cookstoves has a number of health benefits as well: they improve air quality, which in turn reduces indoor pollution and leads to less (respiratory) diseases.

Sustainable agriculture practices, like agroforestry and organic farming, create healthier soils. This isn’t just good for the soil; it also leads to better water retention and nutrient cycling and improves productivity significantly. Once these farming systems are diverse, they allow farmers to be more resilient to climate extremes and reduce climate risk. On top of that, sustainable agricultural practices can also contribute to local food security by promoting diverse crops and reducing soil degradation.

How do these climate projects create impact on a national scale and contribute to global climate goals?

In funding, scaling, and integrating these projects into national strategies, countries have a unique opportunity to reinforce their own ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change and fulfill their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs):

Many climate projects directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, renewable energy projects replace fossil fuels with clean energy sources, resulting in lower carbon emissions. When these projects are implemented on a large scale, they contribute to a significant reduction in a country’s overall carbon footprint. As we all know, shifting to sustainable solutions is not free, so another critical aspect of these projects is that they actually help finance these new clean technologies, and with that a more fair transition – especially in emerging economies.

Other project types capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as trees and plants grow, for example. These are known as afforestation and reforestation projects. These projects help to offset emissions and contribute to global net zero.

In setting climate goals, and integrating these projects into national policies and strategies, countries can ensure that they are aligned with climate goals, and be a part of the worldwide movement to limit average global temperature rise to 1.5°C – the figure climate scientists currently define as the threshold of safety. Creating climate impact across the board requires finance, but above all a cohesive and coordinated approach. These projects are a key component in that effort.

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

NEW DELHI, September 7, 2023 /3BL/ – “If we are to make meaningful progress in creating a more balanced, equitable and inclusive society, we must place women at the center stage of all development priorities,” declared Amitabh Kant, India’s Sherpa, or lead envoy, to the G20, at the opening of the first Asia Inclusive Growth Forum here on Friday.

The day-long event, hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and brought to India in partnership with Sattva, gathered private and social sector leaders, fintechs, entrepreneurs, government officials, multilateral organizations and academics to share insights on what it will take to accelerate inclusive growth across Asia and close the continent’s gender gap.

At the top of the list: making the long-term digitization of economies more equitable. That can be done in part through open-source APIs and citizen-owned data, finding new ways to improve access to credit for women entrepreneurs, and forging innovative partnerships to extend the benefits of digitization to women in rural areas.

To give women entrepreneurs in India better access to financial services, Airtel Payments Bank, Frontier Markets and Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth announced the launch of She Leads Bharat: Udyam at the forum. In India, one in five micro, small and medium enterprises are owned by women, but women receive only 5% of total financing by public-sector banks.

“Access to credit is a massive challenge today, yet it holds the key to unlocking the next level of economic development — particularly when applied to women entrepreneurs,” said Ari Sarker, Mastercard’s Asia Pacific president.

The initiative will give 100,000 women small-business owners in rural areas access to resources, networks and tools via Frontier Markets’ Meri-Saheli platform. It’s a first-of-its-kind partnership that brings together private sector, social enterprise and philanthropy to show what a digital-first model can be, said Ajaita Shah, Frontier Markets’ founder and CEO.

At the forum, participants highlighted three areas where centering on women can help drive sustainable development.

01 
Digitization is core to equal opportunity creation

“What we have learned at the Center for Inclusive Growth is that when it comes to lending, women don’t just pay it back, but also pay it forward to their communities and the country,” says Shamina Singh, the center’s founder and president. “Doing well and doing good, by choice or by chance, not only makes sense for society, but it also makes good business sense.”

The digital acceleration has helped women across Asia, and in particular India, access services across sectors. The number of female internet users has risen significantly in the past few years, putting more power in their hands and bringing about a paradigm shift in commerce. Key to this momentum is keeping an open network as it’s the economy’s foundation, said T Koshy, CEO of the Open Network for Digital Commerce, a government-led interconnected e-commerce platform. He characterized his platform as an equal opportunity model, helping consumers select the best-quality product — not just the best-marketed one.

Women also need safe spaces to thrive on the internet, said Sairee Chahal, the co-founder and CEO of Mahila Money, a financial platform for women, and the founder of SHEROES, a women-only social network. “When you feel safe, when you feel included, you experiment, you learn,” she said. “You can find work; you can become entrepreneurial.”

02 
Keep women at the forefront of climate action

Women account for about 80% of people displaced by the climate crisis, so gender mainstreaming ― taking into account the different needs and circumstances of women and men when developing policy and programs ― may be critical when looking at issues of climate finance, adaptation and mitigation, said Rathish Balakrishnan, managing partner at the social impact consulting group Sattva.

And that means including women in the decision-making process, said Deepali Khanna, the Rockefeller Foundation’s chief representative for Asia. Consulting women and co-creating with a community, she said, is the way to create scalable solutions that properly address people’s needs.

03 
A healthy economy needs healthy women

Access to quality healthcare services is necessary to empower the next generation of female leaders. Women in Asia have been underserved, due in part to deep-rooted stigmas around a variety of health conditions and lack of practical treatment plans, said Shobhita Narain. She is the co-founder of Veera Health, an online clinic that treats polycystic ovary syndrome, which, if left untreated, can lead to reproductive problems and affects as many as one in five Indian women.

Digitizing health care, including access to online health care literature and telemedicine, is helping women, said Shobana Kamineni, executive vice chairperson of Apollo Hospitals, the largest hospital chain in India. Science and medicine need to focus more on women’s health care, she said. Plus, employers need to modify benefits, such as offering support for maternity planning and prenatal needs — which will support women’s choices and retain female employees in the workforce, she added.

Originally published by The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

Check out more content from The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

CNH Industrial recently reached their goal of sending zero waste to landfills in all their production sites in Brazil. Since 2016, the company has been working toward this achievement at their Contagem (MG), Piracicaba (SP) and Sorocaba (SP) sites and is proud to have met their goal in 2023.

The company’s aim has been to maximize the re-use and correct disposal of recyclable and organic waste and to reduce – or even eliminate – the disposal of these materials into landfills or for co-processing (energy generation). Sanitary landfills are no longer suitable for this purpose. They require large tracts of land and can cause environmental impacts, such as contamination of soil, air, groundwater and sediment, as well as pose risks to wildlife and surrounding communities.

“We believe that this is an ethical, cost-effective, efficient and visionary goal to guide not only the Company, but also for our employees and communities to change their ways of life and daily practices. We work to encourage natural and sustainable cycles. That means all materials are designed with an intent to reuse them and thus becoming part of the circular economy,” said Fábio Belasco, Health, Safety and Environment Manager at CNH Industrial in Latin America.

“Environmental legislation determines that industrial waste is sent to licensed landfills. The landfill has controlled treatment, but its useful life is temporary. We understand that all materials can be transformed and we started to send the minimum amount of waste to these places. We gradually reduced the volume until reaching zero landfill, which is the complete elimination of sending waste to landfills. It is a way of making a difference, producing efficiently, doing the right thing and making our contribution to reducing our environmental impact,” said Belasco.

“We have four sustainability priorities: carbon footprint, circularity and eco-efficiency; inclusion, equity and engagement; and governance commitment. In manufacturing processes, particular emphasis is placed on increasing waste recovery and reuse. And this result is also seen internationally. The factories have also increased waste recovery (materials, water, energy) to 96.5% globally,” highlights Erika Michalik, CNH Industrial Sustainability Manager in Latin America. This year, the company was included in the S&P Global 2023 (Sustainability Yearbook with the highest score in the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Industry), in the CDP Climate Change A-List; and received an MSCI ESG rating of AAA.

As climate change prompts scientists to warn of declining crop yields, farmers worldwide are recognizing the importance of natural pollinators. Birds, bees, ladybugs, bats, and other critters are not only key to ensuring food security, they are critical to humanity’s survival. Without pollinators, entire ecosystems would collapse.

Upon first glance, something as tiny as a bumblebee may seem insignificant. But out of nearly 1,400 crop plants grown worldwide, nearly 80% require pollination. These plants, ranging from canola to sunflowers, produce more than half the world’s diets of fats and oils. Pollinators themselves vary greatly by region, and include more than 20,000 species of bees, wasps, flies, moths, hummingbirds, and so much more. But many of these species are threatened by climate change and environmental destruction.

If natural pollinators ceased to exist, so would healthy and sustainable diets.

Pollinators hold the key to improving food security: in gardens, fields, farms, and forests worldwide, pollinators carry pollen to and from crops, spread seeds, and accelerate plant growth. They also lead to larger harvests and more flavorful fruits, aiding families dependent on agriculture for their income—or in many cases, the entirety of their daily meals. When agriculture-dependent regions learn pollinator-friendly farming techniques, they can expand their gardens, increase their harvests, and develop a reliable income.

In the United States, pollinators generate huge revenue—$10 billion for agricultural crops alone. Other countries are similarly dependent on this natural ecological process, yet most, including the U.S., have not ensured sufficient environmental protection.

Zimbabwe’s agriculture industry, for instance, has taken a hit in recent years. Along with recurrent droughts, which have hampered crop production across the country, natural crop growth has been impacted by artificial production methods and unsustainable land use such as deforestation. Biodiversity has declined rapidly as a result, and natural pollinators are quickly dying off. Quick fixes to improve soil fertility and control pests and diseases work against farmers in the long-term, as unnatural methods to promote crop production are ultimately leading to environmental destruction and food insecurity.

Pesticides, for instance, result in crop prices spiking, due to the unnatural development of the crop and the increased cost of mass production. Many families are left unable to afford the new cost. Those that can are impacted by the chemical residue that often remains on the plant, often leading to toxic and unhealthy contamination. Recent UNICEF data shows that only 10% of children under two years receive an acceptable and adequate diet and nearly one quarter of Zimbabwe’s children are stunted, or prevented from developing normally due to undernutrition.

Emmanuel Sedeya, a 70-year-old in Gokwe South, Zimbabwe, is one of many farmers that participate in a pollination project launched by Action Against Hunger and implemented in partnership with Nutrition Action Zimbabwe with funding from the UK Government through the Darwin Initiative. The project trains and supports smallholder farmers in testing pollinator-friendly farming techniques and crop combinations to boost crop production.

“Before the project, I did not want to see any insects in my garden,” Emmanuel said. “I thought they would harm my crops by spreading diseases. I would use a chemical pesticide to kill every insect that I saw in my garden, as I did not know they were beneficial. I thought that by using pesticides, I was trying to solve a problem, but I didn’t know that I was actually creating one.”

Emmanuel uses bees to make honey, but he knew little about their impact on food crops. Throughout his training, he learned how to identify different pollinator species and recognize their essential functions: how they transfer pollen, attract other pollinators, and promote crop growth. Before the project, they were simply pests. Now, they symbolize the prospect of a new life.

Training was only the beginning. Emmanuel also had to learn how to put his lessons into action. He worked with the other team members to measure small plots of land. Within the plots, he would plant his desired crop—like rapeseed, a plant typically used in cooking oils—and surround it with pollinator-friendly species, everything from green peppers to watermelons to cucumbers.

According to the 2023 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) Report, rural communities and women are at the highest risk of hunger. It’s true for both Africa and across the world: women face a higher prevalence of moderate and severe food insecurity.

Action Against Hunger’s farming with alternative pollinators project sought to incorporate gender equity, and women across Gowke South were encouraged to participate. One woman, 35-year-old Christina Moyo, now manages her own income and makes decisions that contribute to her family’s security and wellbeing. Christina said that she quickly learned that the pollinator plants surrounding the food crops were “magic.”

“Some people in the community were even thinking that maybe the tomatoes had come from Harare, because nobody believed that such high-quality tomatoes had come from Gokwe,” she said. Since Harare is Zimbabwe’s capital city, vegetables are typically grown at a commercial scale; in Gokwe South, however, farmers face various challenges to crop production, including limited access to water. With her new training, Christina now plans to surround her garden with these “magic crops” to increase her harvest.

“This project has transformed my life as a woman in many ways,” said Christina. “I would like to start by saying that, as a woman, the responsibility for feeding the household lies with me. I have to make sure that the children are fed and that the family as a whole is fed. With this project, I was able to get vegetables to feed my family easily.”

Today, Christina spends much of her day doing things that she enjoys, rather than solely focusing on her family’s survival.

Communities across the globe, from Zimbabwe to the United States, are slowly realizing the benefits of wild pollinators. But not quickly enough. As environmental destruction escalates and urbanization reaches new heights, it’s more important than ever to understand the direct ties between wild pollinators and our global food system.

***

By Kenneal Patterson, Communications Associate, and Annah Matsika, Head of Department for Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL)

Hey folks, in today’s episode of the Climate Confident podcast I dive into the world of corporate social responsibility with Gitte Winther Bruhn, the Global Head of Social Responsibility Solutions at SAP.

We talk about SAP’s ground-breaking projects, such as “Advance Shared Prosperity,” aimed at tackling complex issues in global supply chains. If you’re a business leader, this episode is a must-listen as it highlights the competitive advantage that comes from embracing social responsibility. Plus, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development is backing SAP, so you know this is the real deal!

Ever wondered how technology can help ensure your suppliers uphold human rights? Or how to make your supply chain not just efficient but also equitable? Gitte has fascinating insights into all this and more, from self-assessment credentials for suppliers to implementing workplace safety measures in large industrial settings.

We also touch upon the legal landscape, with new regulations putting the heat on corporations. But don’t worry—Gitte breaks down how to not only comply but also thrive in this changing environment. She’s adamant that taking action now will put your business on the right side of history and law, and she offers actionable steps to get there.

We even dive into a few success stories, like WEConnect International, who are creating equitable supply chains connecting large buyers with women-owned small businesses. This isn’t just feel-good chatter; it’s about pragmatic solutions for the pressing challenges businesses face today.

Gitte shared some recommendations for further reading during our conversation:

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Software | SAPSocial Responsibility | Sustainability for SAP | SAP CommunityFlagship report – The Business Commission to Tackle Inequality (tacklinginequality.org)

Join us in this riveting conversation, as we explore how businesses can, and should, be a force for good. 

Click play now, or watch the video version —you won’t

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And remember you too can Support the Podcast – it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent Climate Confident episodes like this one.

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Credits 
Music credit – Intro and Outro music for this podcast was composed, played, and produced by my daughter Luna Juniper

Thanks for listening, and remember, stay healthy, stay safe, stay sane!

TAMPA, Fla. and NEW YORK, September 7, 2023 /3BL/ – Tampa-based real estate development firm Strategic Property Partners, LLC (“SPP”) and the International WELL Building Institute (“IWBI”) today announced that Water Street Tampa, the transformative new lifestyle destination in Downtown Tampa, has achieved the WELL Community Certification at the Gold level, becoming the first neighborhood in North America to receive the prestigious distinction. Awarded by IWBI, the certification celebrates Water Street Tampa’s successful, strategic integration of design and policy decisions that promote health and well-being across all aspects of the neighborhood. Leading to this certification, Water Street Tampa was the first neighborhood in the world to pilot the WELL Community Standard in 2017.

“From the very beginning, we conceived of Water Street Tampa as a place that would honor and promote the well-being of all our residents and visitors in unique and thoughtful ways,” said Josh Taube, Chief Executive Officer for SPP. “The WELL Community Certification illustrates our ongoing commitment to creating spaces where people want to spend their time. We’re proud to set a new national precedent for urban design and community-wide wellness efforts at a time when the design of our environment plays a critical role in our daily lives and is a key factor in people’s decisions for where to live and work.”

As the internationally renowned authority on health and well-being in the built environment, IWBI created the WELL Community Standard to recognize neighborhoods that promote health and well-being across all aspects of community life. The rigorous scientific and evidence-based approach evaluates neighborhoods — like Water Street Tampa – that implement design and policy strategies meant to improve the lives of their residents and visitors through the concepts of air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind and community. Like the WELL Building Standard, which focuses on health leadership in buildings, the WELL Community Standard sets a new bar for neighborhood development by assessing the design of public spaces and all other aspects of a community, including many factors of the physical environment that can have a significant impact on day-to-day health, happiness and productivity.

“We are so excited to congratulate Water Street Tampa for its trailblazing leadership in community health as the first neighborhood in the country and across North America to earn WELL Community Certification,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. “By deploying WELL’s comprehensive and interdisciplinary roadmap to support human health and well-being at the community level, Water Street Tampa has secured its place as a true pioneer, serving as an inspiration for other neighborhood projects around the world.”

Water Street Tampa achieved WELL Community Certification for implementing health-conscious and community-focused elements throughout the entire neighborhood, including improving walkability with double-wide sidewalks and engaging street-level experiences, measuring neighborhood air quality, fostering high levels of community engagement through a comprehensive public art program and regular free public events, increasing access to drinking water through strategically placed water stations increasing access to healthy foods with a neighborhood grocery story and regular farmers markets, encouraging movement via new bike lanes and free community fitness classes, increasing digital connectivity through free public Wi-Fi, incorporating native landscaping, reducing light and noise pollution, and much more.

As the highest standard for wellness at a community level, the WELL Community Standard helps support higher tenant satisfaction, increased productivity and improved physical and mental health, according to IWBI. Maintaining the designation requires additional reevaluation to confirm Water Street Tampa’s design and programming will remain consistent with the certification’s stringent requirements.

In addition to becoming the first WELL Certified Community in North America, Water Street Tampa is home to individual buildings that prioritize wellness. The neighborhood’s trophy office tower, Thousand & One, is the first building in Tampa to achieve WELL Core Certification and first in the region to achieve the certification at the Gold level. Thousand & One received this distinction earlier this year for integrating design and operational strategies that directly impact tenants’ well-being, including accessible outdoor spaces, ample natural light, highest-possible water quality, indoor temperature monitoring, amenities that support new mothers and use of MERV 15 air filters. According to a recent study in the Journal of Building and Environment, workers surveyed in WELL-Certified buildings reported a 30 percent increase in overall satisfaction, a 26 percent increase in well-being and a 10-point increase in median productivity scores when compared to their experiences prior to certification.

Water Street Tampa was also recently awarded the Urban Land Institute’s Americas Award for Excellence 2023, recognizing its public-private partnership between developers, local government and community leaders. Known for setting global standards in innovation, Water Street Tampa is also the world’s first WiredScore SmartScore Precertified Neighborhood for its technology infrastructure and was recently named as one of Time’s “World’s Greatest Places” for 2023.

For more information on Water Street Tampa, please visit www.waterstreettampa.com.

About Strategic Property Partners
Strategic Property Partners, LLC (“SPP”) is a full-service real estate developer, owner and operator focused on world-class execution, innovation and creating high-quality experiential places. SPP’s first project, Water Street Tampa, is being developed on 56 acres of contiguous land the company owns along the waterfront in downtown Tampa. With its first phase of development complete and operational, the award-winning Water Street Tampa has revitalized the downtown Tampa core and transformed it into a vibrant waterfront destination. When complete, the multi-phased development will consist of approximately nine million square feet of new commercial, residential, hospitality, cultural, entertainment, educational and retail uses. For more information on Water Street Tampa, visit www.waterstreettampa.com.

About International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world’s leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and WELL ratings and certifications, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the
development of educational resources and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere. More information on WELL can be found at www.wellcertified.com.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL Enterprise Provider, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Performance Rating, WELL Performance Rated, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

Media contact:
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— Competitive Grant Program to Offer Individual Grants of Up to $100,000 per Project —

— Application Period to Run From Sept. 15, 2023 Through Nov. 30, 2023 —

DUBLIN, September 7, 2023 /3BL/ – Alkermes plc (Nasdaq: ALKS) announced that it will begin accepting applications for its annual Alkermes Pathways Research Awards® program on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. Now in its sixth year, this competitive grant program is designed to support the next generation of researchers working on the front lines to advance our understanding of diseases in the field of neuroscience. The program will offer grants to early-career investigators who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing research related to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The application period will run through Nov. 30, 2023.

“Great science is the foundation for everything we do at Alkermes, and our support for these innovative research projects is an extension of that commitment,” said Craig Hopkinson, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Alkermes. “As the Pathways program continues to evolve, we are proud of its impact to date in supporting the work of early-career researchers dedicated to making progress on behalf of people living with complex diseases like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.”

The 6th annual Alkermes Pathways Research Awards program will offer grants in amounts of up to $100,000 per project. To qualify, early-career investigators must be M.D.s, Ph.D.s, or equivalent, who are within five years of their initial academic appointment or are current post-doctoral fellows, and who are affiliated with a medical or research institution within the United States. Applicants will be evaluated by an independent review committee comprised of specialists in psychiatry, neurobiology, pharmacology, and behavioral science from academic research centers.

The Pathways program began in 2018 and has since provided approximately $2.3 million in funding to 23 researchers across the United States. Award recipients have undertaken important, mentor-supported research to help advance the field of neuroscience. For more information on the Alkermes Pathways Research Awards program, including full eligibility criteria and how to apply for the 6th annual edition of the program, visit www.PathwaysResearchAwards.com.

About Alkermes plc 
Alkermes plc is a fully-integrated, global biopharmaceutical company developing innovative medicines in the fields of neuroscience and oncology. The company has a portfolio of proprietary commercial products focused on alcohol dependence, opioid dependence, schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder, and a pipeline of product candidates in development for neurological disorders and cancer. Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Alkermes has a research and development center in Waltham, Massachusetts; a research and manufacturing facility in Athlone, Ireland; and a manufacturing facility in Wilmington, Ohio. For more information, please visit Alkermes’ website at www.alkermes.com.

Alkermes Pathways Research Awards® is a registered service mark of Alkermes, Inc. The Alkermes Pathways Research Awards logo is a service mark of Alkermes, Inc.

Alkermes Contacts: 
For Investors: Sandy Coombs, +1 781 609 6377 
For Media: Gretchen Murphy, +1 781 609 6419

September 7, 2023 /3BL/ – SkysTheLimit.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and mentorship, is thrilled to shine a spotlight on Tyrese Taylor, the inspiring Founder of Millennial Bae, during this year’s Fashion Week. Tyrese’s remarkable success story exemplifies the power of passion, determination, and mentorship in the fashion industry.

Tyrese Taylor’s journey into the world of fashion began as a childhood dream. Despite pursuing a major in biology at Bethune-Cookman University, her passion for fashion remained unwavering. When she was a child, she spent hours selling her designs and honing her creative skills. This early passion eventually led her to create Millennial Bae, an online clothing shop that caters to environmentally conscious consumers, offering luxury hair accessories and handmade clothing at an affordable price.

What sets Tyrese apart is her commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly practices, merging her background in genetics with her love for fashion. Her story serves as a testament to the limitless possibilities that emerge when ambition meets guidance and dedication.

But Tyrese’s journey wasn’t a solitary one. It was shaped significantly by her mentors, Eileen Kowalski Senior VP, National Recurring Field Exam Manager at PNC Bank North America and Lauren Bates, Director of Member Experience at Sky’s the Limit. Their guidance led to dramatic growth, with Tyrese’s sales more than tripling in a single year.

Beyond the support from her mentors, Tyrese received a Sky’s the Limit $500 grant. This grant served as a game-changer, enabling her to invest in marketing tools that expanded her reach and amplified her sales. Tyrese’s journey exemplifies the transformative power of mentorship and the support provided by organizations like Sky’s the Limit.

When describing her work with mentors Tyrese said, “Their uplifting words, success stories of similar entrepreneurs and genuine belief in my vision make me feel supported and valued. It is a good feeling to know that they genuinely care about my success and are eager to celebrate my milestones.”

Read more about her inspirational story here.

To further celebrate Fashion Week and her achievements and inspire others, Sky’s the Limit will be hosting the highly anticipated Limitless! premiere featuring the founder herself. Limitless! is a groundbreaking series where entrepreneurs can share their experiences, insights, and strategies for success. This episode will provide a unique opportunity for attendees to learn from Tyrese’s remarkable journey, gain valuable knowledge, connect with like-minded individuals, and gain insights into building successful businesses around passion and overcoming challenges in the fashion industry. More details can be found here.

Sky’s the Limit offers opportunities for traditionally marginalized entrepreneurs – typically those who identify as LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, women, veterans, disabled people, and people from low-income backgrounds – to connect with mentors to come together to foster, grow, and shape modern and future enterprise. The organization has also provided over $450,000 in startup grants and educated tens of thousands of diverse entrepreneurs.

For more information about partnerships and how to get involved, please visit skysthelimit.org/partnerships.

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About SkysTheLimit.org: SkysTheLimit.org is a digital platform that connects young, historically excluded entrepreneurs with one-on-one support from experienced business advisors and mentors, entrepreneurship training, and community-voted startup grants. SkysTheLimit.org is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.