Tag: 3BL

Company ranks within top 15% of environmentally conscious companies

For its successful adoption of environmentally responsible business practices and its prioritization of investments and initiatives related to climate change, Bread Financial™ was recently named to USA Today’s America’s Climate Leaders 2023 list. The inaugural list showcases U.S. companies that had the most dramatic reductions of greenhouse gas emissions from 2019 to 2021.

Of the 400 industry leaders included on the list, Bread Financial ranked in the top 15%, cutting its emissions by 23.9%. Additionally, from 2021 to 2022, the company cut its emissions by an additional 22% and secured more than a quarter of its energy from renewable sources.

“As we continue to advance our environmental policies, strategies and reporting, our inclusion on USA Today’s list is reflective of the great strides we’ve already made to reduce our carbon footprint and mitigate the risks of climate change,” said Dana Beckman, head of sustainability, Bread Financial. “Our deliberate integration of environmentally sound business practices across the company ensures we’re able to fulfill our commitments to and continually advance our Environment, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) initiatives.”

In addition to its 2022 ESG Report which highlights Bread Financial’s Climate Action Roadmap and progress to date, the company recently released its first Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Report for improved and increased reporting on climate-related risks and exposures.

To determine the top 400 companies, USA Today, in partnership with market research partner Statista, Inc., evaluated 2,000 U.S. companies with revenues of more than $50 million in 2021 on a variety of factors such as emission intensity, reductions in emissions intensity and carbon disclosure rating.

For more information, visit Bread Financial’s sustainability page.

About Bread Financial 
Bread Financial™ (NYSE: BFH) is a tech-forward financial services company providings simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions. The company creates opportunities for its customers and partners through digitally enabled choices that offer ease, empowerment, financial flexibility and exceptional customer experiences. Driven by a digital-first approach, data insights and white-label technology, Bread Financial delivers growth for its partners through a comprehensive suite of payment solutions that includes private label and co-brand credit cards and Bread Pay™ buy now, pay later products. Bread Financial also offers direct-to-consumer products that give customers more access, choice and freedom through its branded Bread Cashback™ American Express® Credit Card and Bread Savings™ products.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Bread Financial is powered by its 7,500+ global associates and is committed to sustainable business practices. To learn more about Bread Financial, visit BreadFinancial.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., September 6, 2023 /3BL/ – The pressure to align with environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles has become a top concern in global supply chain management, according to a new survey-driven report by DP World and Supply Chain Dive’s studioID. 

“Supply Chains Prepping for a Greener, More Agile Future” polled nearly 160 leaders from across the supply chain, logistics, operations and technology sectors to reveal that ESG concerns now rank alongside “demand and supply variability” and “lack of agility in adapting to change” as the top three challenges facing the industry. 

DP World, in collaboration with studioID, discovered a reshuffling of priorities and investment strategies as supply chains work to address these top issues. Many organizations are altering course to implement strategies that reduce carbon emissions, enhance efficiency, improve agility, and mitigate risk. This includes optimizing supply chain activities and investments to align with ESG objectives, while also taking a closer look at vendor relationships, with sustainability credentials now playing a significantly larger role in vendor selection than before. Download the report here.

“Over the past few years, we have seen businesses become increasingly proactive when it comes to evaluating their suppliers’ environmental impact, particularly as they seek to lower the carbon footprint of their products,” said Brian Enright, CEO of DP World, Americas. “Service providers that can prove significant carbon reduction – perhaps through the application of renewable energy or operational enhancements that boost efficiency and productivity – can gain an advantage in the selection process.”

Key findings of the survey include:

Supply chain pain points have shifted. Top concerns for supply chains are now led by demand and supply variability (cited by 41%), followed by inflexibility/inability to adapt quickly to change (34%). ESG and regulatory and compliance challenges tied for third place (28%). Confidence in supply chain investments is high. More than 9 in 10 respondents anticipate very or somewhat significant impacts from their chosen supply chain strategies. Top expectations include increasing efficiency (97%), increasing value to business partners and other stakeholders (93%) and making the organization more agile (89%). ESG importance has risen considerably — and respondents expect real payoff from investments. Ninety percent of respondents report the priority they place on supply chain sustainability/decarbonization has increased compared with three years ago. Benefits respondents see their ESG investments returning “very or somewhat significant” outcomes, including lowering carbon emissions (89%), lowering supply chain costs (85%) and increasing efficiency (83%).Supply chain optimization leads ESG strategies. Three in five respondents are turning to supply chain optimization, such as reducing transportation distances, consolidating shipments, and optimizing inventory levels to support ESG goals. Other strategies include employing fuel-efficient driving practices, such as reducing idling time and optimizing routes (38%) and using more energy-efficient transportation methods like electric or hybrid vehicles (37%).ESG is now a key part of vendor strategy. More than a third (37%) of respondents are consolidating their number of product vendors, and 33% are diversifying their transportation and logistics partners. The majority of supply chain executives (84%) report that prospective supply chain partners’ decarbonization and sustainability capabilities are extremely or very influential in their organization’s selection processes.

Quality data and access to the efficiency and scalability of a ready network have become two common reasons organizations outsource supply chain management to an end-to-end service provider, says Morten Johansen, chief operating officer of DP World, Americas. 

“With the increased focus on ESG and emissions reporting, companies would be best served to partner with an end-to-end supply chain service provider, which can generate a more comprehensive dataset for each link in the supply chain,” Johansen said. “This will become increasingly more valuable as companies continue to move their decarbonization and ESG pledges forward.” 

Download the report here.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY:

DP World collaborated with Supply Chain Dive to conduct the online survey, polling 155 respondents in supply chain, operations and IT roles in a series of multiple-choice questions to understand their current supply chain pain points and priorities. Respondents represent a broad variety of industries, led by industrial manufacturing (21%), retail/wholesale and transportation (13% each). The largest group of respondents work for organizations with annual revenue of $101M-$500M (33%), followed by $51M-$100M (19%) and $501M – $1B (17%). Respondents were based in the United States or Canada. 

– END –

DP WORLD AMERICAS MEDIA CONTACT:

Melina Vissat, Head of Communications, North America
M: (+1) 704-605-6159
E: melina.vissat@dpworld.com

ABOUT DP WORLD:

Trade is the lifeblood of the global economy, creating opportunities and improving the quality of life for people around the world. DP World exists to make the world’s trade flow better, changing what’s possible for the customers and communities we serve globally. 

With a dedicated, diverse and professional team of more than 103,000 employees spanning 75 countries on six continents, DP World is pushing trade further and faster towards a seamless supply chain that’s fit for the future. 

We’re rapidly transforming and integrating our businesses — Ports and Terminals, Marine Services, Logistics and Technology – and uniting our global infrastructure with local expertise to create stronger, more efficient end-to-end supply chain solutions that can change the way the world trades.

What’s more, we’re reshaping the future by investing in innovation. From intelligent delivery systems to automated warehouse stacking, we’re at the cutting edge of disruptive technology, pushing the sector towards better ways to trade, minimising disruptions from the factory floor to the customer’s door. 

WE MAKE TRADE FLOW TO CHANGE WHAT’S POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE.

Follow DP World on Twitter and LinkedIn.

As an elementary school student, Nohely Peraza took a bus from her home in East Palo Alto to a school several miles away in another city. The local commute program sought to address the lack of diversity in schools in high-income neighborhoods and create educational opportunities for those in lower-income areas. For Nohely, it felt like a different world – the houses were bigger, and the surrounding area was far less racially diverse than the neighborhood she lived in.

“I would tag along with my mom at her job cleaning houses, and they were all in the neighborhoods where I went to school,” recalls Nohely. “I also had the provided brown paper bag lunch unlike others who had homemade lunches. It was my first time feeling very different.”

Eastside Supports First-Generation Students

But as Nohely approached high school, everything changed. Without knowing, she’d been passing Eastside College Preparatory School, a small private high school and Gilead Foundation grantee in East Palo Alto, every day on the bus. While students have to apply to get in, Eastside prioritizes accepting low-income students and those who will be of the first generation in their families to attend college, and tuition is free. Nohely learned about Eastside through a friend’s mom, and when she discovered there was an opportunity to continue her education in her own neighborhood, surrounded by students with similar life experiences, she jumped at the chance.

“I convinced my mom to take me to an open house for the school. I fell in love, as I was drawn in by how college-oriented it was,” she says. “My parents didn’t get a high school diploma or college degree, but they would always tell me ‘I don’t know how you’re going to do it, but you’re going to go to college.’”

Nohely got into Eastside, where she excelled, and four years later was accepted to Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. When she graduated in 2020, she wanted to give back and continue to be a part of the community that meant so much to her – so she decided to return to Eastside as a teacher. Today, she teaches freshman World History as well as a class to help students gain research skills in preparation for college.

Preparing Students for College

For Chris Bischof, who cofounded Eastside, Nohely’s path epitomizes his hopes for the students – with a focus on getting first-generation students from low-income families ready for college. When Eastside opened in 1996, 65% of students in East Palo Alto didn’t finish high school, and less than 10% of high school graduates made it to college.

“I believed we could create greater opportunities for students in our community,” says Chris. “Everything we’ve done since day one of starting the school has been aimed at achieving that goal.”

This evolving process has included creating a rigorous environment to help get students on the same educational levels when they enter the school and to build their confidence to succeed. The school days are long, running from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There’s ample time for one-on-one tutorials between students and teachers, and programs continue throughout the summer. There’s also an option to be a residential boarder at the school, so students can fully immerse themselves in the learning experience.

“Our students come in with a wide range of academic backgrounds,” Chris says. “But we meet students where they are, providing many layers of support to help every student reach their potential and go on to be successful in college.”

Despite navigating the individual needs and challenges of around 65 students per grade, today more than 99% of Eastside’s students go on to college – and that number was 100% for the Class of 2023.

Making a Positive Impact

Today, Nohely finds joy watching students participate in rituals that meant a lot to her when she was younger. “We have a graduation tradition where students are given roses to present to their family members and supporters,” she says. “It’s very beautiful, because just one student graduating touches so many lives.”

As part of its commitment to improve health equity through promoting educational equity, the Gilead Foundation supports Eastside’s efforts to continue to grow in unique and innovative ways. And the school is planning to expand what it offers students each year.

“We’re continuously learning about how we can improve,” Chris says. “We want to make sure that as long as the students put forth the effort, it’s a guarantee that they’re going off to college.”

Originally published by Gilead Sciences

CAMDEN, N.J., September 6, 2023 /3BL/ – Subaru of America, Inc. announced that as part of its Subaru Loves Learning® initiative to give all students an equal opportunity at a quality education, the automaker will adopt all classrooms at high schools on the Camden High Campus.

Achieved in partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org, the adoptions by Subaru of America will put funds in teacher’s hands to provide critical learning materials for students at Camden High School, Charles Brimm Medical Arts High School, Creative Arts Academy and Camden Big Picture Learning Academy. As the largest corporate partner of AdoptAClassroom.org, Subaru and its retailers have supported more than 470,000 students nationwide through the Subaru Loves Learning initiative since 2021.

In addition to the classroom adoptions, Subaru will support the development of a graphic arts lab at Eastside High School with funding and materials donations, allowing the students to learn valuable technical skills and concurrently serve as a revenue generator for Eastside by creating branded gear for the school store. This new lab further enhances a grant from the Subaru of America Foundation to support career and technical efforts (CTE), partnership with 12Plus, that connects students to a range of meaningful workforce development opportunities.

“The heart of our Subaru Loves Learning initiative is showing support for the students in our communities, and here in our own Camden community we want every student to get the education that can help them achieve their dreams,” said Jeff Walters, President and Chief Operating Officer, Subaru of America, Inc. “We’re honored to once again team up with our close friends at the Camden City School District and wish every student, teacher and faculty member an outstanding school year.”

To celebrate the announcement and help the Camden City School District (CCSD) kick off the school year, more than 170 volunteers from Subaru of America (SOA) headquarters visited 15 schools across the district during its largest off-site volunteer day. SOA volunteers assisted teachers with preparations for the year, including helping them to set up classrooms for more than 80 teachers.

“Our number one focus is providing the very best education for students in Camden, and learning materials play a critical role in achieving the quality schooling they deserve,” said Katrina McCombs, Superintendent of the Camden City School District. “We thank Subaru for taking some of the burden off of our teachers, parents and students to keep our classrooms well-prepared for the school year.”

As the largest corporate supporter of AdoptAClassroom.org, Subaru of America adopted all kindergarten through fifth (K-5) grade classrooms in the CCSD in 2021, and in 2022, the automaker adopted all sixth through eighth (6-8) grade classrooms in the CCSD, as well as Eastside High School.

For information about Subaru Loves Learning and to find out more about the partners that Subaru supports, visit subaru.com/learning.

About Subaru of America, Inc. 
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

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Diane Anton  
Subaru of America, Inc. 
856-488-5093   
danton@subaru.com   

Adam Leiter 
Subaru of America, Inc. 
(856) 488-8668 
aleiter@subaru.com

From humble beginnings as a vendor in Seattle’s Pike Place Market more than 30 years ago, Cucina Fresca Gourmet Foods is now a leading U.S. producer of natural, prepared pastas and sauces. Inspired by fresh, high-quality ingredients like vine-ripened tomatoes, premium cheeses, and garden-picked basil, the Cucina Fresca line of prepared foods has grown to more than 130 products that are available in more than 1,500 grocery stores, specialty shops and food service channels nationwide.

Owned and operated by executive chef Brad Glaberson since 2005, Cucina Fresca strives to create great tasting products while staying true to a philosophy of sustainability—a position that further endears the company and its products to a wide range of consumers. According to Brad, “If we don’t do it at home, we don’t do it at work,” which means company initiatives include everything from composting food waste to choosing more sustainable packaging materials.

Fans of Cucina Fresca products and the company itself have come to appreciate this approach, so when the company started expanding its line of retail, handcrafted pastas and sauces, some began to express concerns that the products came in plastic packaging.

According to company president Patrick Clingman, “We were getting emails from some of our customers with concerns that our packaging was plastic. We knew we needed plastic modified atmosphere packaging to keep the products fresh, but we also wanted to address their concerns. We’d been talking to SEE® (formerly Sealed Air) about plant-based rollstock but weren’t sure it was right. Once we understood how it took regular plastic out of the equation it was a no-brainer. Now we’re excited to share this change with our customers.”

Cucina Fresca is so enthusiastic about the packaging change, they have re-designed product labels to call out the use of CRYOVAC® brand plant-based rollstock, and they will be developing content on their website to help educate their customers on the benefits of using renewable resources in plastic packaging.

“To us, it’s pretty simple. We want to leave this world a better place, not just for us, but for our kids, our customers, and our customers’ kids,” Glaberson said. “We want to make sure the plastic we use leaves the least environmental impact, and that’s what we’ve got with CRYOVAC.”

Original content posted on SEE’s website.

In a swiftly changing business landscape, profit is no longer the sole driving force behind an organization. A growing number of companies are recognizing the urgency to address global challenges and align their initiatives with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The 17 Goals are a call to action for businesses to address pressing issues – ranging from ending hunger, ensuring quality education, providing affordable energy and clean water, etc. – by 2030. As companies embrace their role as a catalyst for driving this progress, they are embedding the SDGs into their operations and their corporate communication.

The sustainability and social impact content businesses are publishing serves as a vital bridge to connect their progress to customers, employees, and other key stakeholders. To mark the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week later this month, the 3BL team has compiled 17 stories that showcase the powerful yet effective communication strategies businesses are using to convey their commitment to the goals. 

See what these strategies are and how companies are driving meaningful change on a global scale. 

To put more attention on our environment and explore the ways we can advance progress across our organization and in our communities, our colleagues participated in sessions of Climate Fresk, a three-hour group workshop led by trained facilitators that helps facilitate understanding and develop collective intelligence around the causes and consequences of climate change. These workshops are making their mark in our European locations, kickstarted by our offices in France and the U.K. and facilitated by our sustainability and marketing directors who both have been officially trained for the program.

The Climate Fresk Workshops (a French initiative known as La Fresque du Climat) have emerged as a dynamic platform to raise awareness about one of the most pressing global challenges of our time: climate change.

With the help of cards based on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, participants are able to actively learn scientific facts about global warming. Our initial workshops witnessed enthusiastic participation and sparked meaningful conversations among the teams. This dialogue allowed our employees to realize how important it is to reduce environmental and carbon footprints and were provided with the right tools to do so, thus empowering them to take actions in both their private and professional lives.

Having Crown join the Climate Fresk adventure is part of our continuous effort to raise awareness of environmental issues, create cohesion around environmental concerns and be more proactive in the fight against climate change. It aligns with our Twentyby30TM sustainability program and is a step toward achieving our 20 measurable goals by the end of 2030 or sooner.

The success of these workshops has driven us to extend this initiative across other European locations. Our goal is clear: to empower our team with knowledge and insights that will equip us to become active contributors to a more sustainable future.

Learn more about the Climate Fresk initiative at this link: https://climatefresk.org/

View original content here.

Hello – I’m Stephanie Conzelman, Stakeholder Engagement Director with Land Betterment. We are excited to share the second interview in the series titled, “Meet the ekō Solutions Management Team.” 

This week, I met with Stetson Schaible, ekō Solutions’ General Manager.  Stetson brings his grit to work every day and said, “We are not only thinking out of the box, but we are thinking out of the planet.” He and the team at ekō Solutions are “blowing the container space out of the water.” Stetson is very proud of the team, their work ethic and dedication to work life balance which might explain why at ekō Solutions, “We do things right, safe, once and on time.” The full interview can be viewed here.

ekō Solutions, a division of Land Betterment a Certified B Corporation, is rapidly growing and now offers a full array of dwelling solutions for commercial, recreational, residential and crisis recovery using customized up-cycled shipping containers. These sustainable and energy-efficient structures combine contemporary design with practicality.

With growth it is so important to have the right team in place in order to move the Company forward in the smartest possible way. I think at the end of this 5-part video series, which will be spread out over the next several months, you will agree with us, that we have an amazing and capable team ready to bring our innovative up-cycled shipping container dwellings to market.

To learn more about ekō Solutions’ products, visit – ekosolutionsllc.com

About ekō Solutions 
ekō Solutions, a Land Betterment Company, is a sustainable development company utilizing innovative, low-cost, up-cycled shipping container structures to provide durable, high-end solutions to the building marketplace while also maintaining the ability to be utilized in a mobile environment. ekō Solutions uses innovative ecological structures to replace legacy inefficient and ineffective methods of living, growing and working. The sustainable craftsmanship of our up-cycled shipping container structures is what separates us from the alternatives. Our structures are suitable for residential, crisis recovery, commercial and recreation use. For more information visit ekosolutionsllc.com and connect with ekō Solutions on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Land Betterment Corporation 
Land Betterment Corporation, an Indiana Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corporation, is an environmental solutions company focused on fostering a positive impact through up-cycling former coal mining and industrial sites to create sustainable community development and job creation. The Company utilizes a complete solution-based lifecycle program to restore and rehabilitate the environment and revitalize communities in need of change and opportunity. Land Betterment accomplishes this by identifying un-reclaimed, run-down and neglected coal mining and industrial sites, fixing the environment through reclamation and remediation, and then repurposing the land to support a sustainable business that serves the community. Land Betterment firmly believes that with real solutions it is possible for restoration of impacted areas to live side-by-side long term employment, while building sustainable and safe surroundings for communities and our planet. For more information visit landbetterment.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Contacts

Mark LaVerghetta 
Chief Governance Officer, Corporate Finance 
Land Betterment Corporation 
Phone: 317.537.0492 ext. 0 
Email: info@landbetterment.com

Stephanie Conzelman 
Stakeholder Engagement Director 
Land Betterment Corporation 
Phone: 207.205.0790 
Email: info@landbetterment.com

BOSTON, September 6, 2023 /3BL/ – Vanguard Renewables®, a leading developer of renewable energy projects, is thrilled to announce that Danone North America, a global food and beverage company, has joined the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance. This collaborative movement aims to revolutionize food waste recycling and expand renewable energy production across America. Founded in 2020 by Vanguard Renewables, Unilever, Starbucks, and Dairy Farmers of America, the Alliance has now grown to include 17 industry leaders from various sectors.

The addition of Danone to the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of sustainable solutions for food waste and renewable energy. With a shared commitment to environmental stewardship, the Alliance members are pooling their expertise to drive positive change across industries.

“Danone’s decision to join the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance is a testament to their dedication to sustainability and their recognition of the urgent need to address food waste and renewable energy challenges,” said Neil H. Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Vanguard Renewables. “Together, we will accelerate the transition to a circular economy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enable a more sustainable future for generations to come.”

Vanguard Renewables partners with food and beverage manufacturers to recycle their inedible food waste via Farm Powered® anaerobic digestion, which converts organic waste into renewable natural gas (RNG). This RNG is then used to generate electricity, heat, and transportation fuel, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. By diverting food waste from landfills and transforming it into clean energy, Vanguard Renewables is making a significant impact on the environment while also creating economic opportunities for farmers and local communities.

“We are excited to join the conversation with Vanguard Renewables and other industry leaders in the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance,” said Chris Adamo, VP of Public Affairs and Regenerative Agriculture Policy at Danone North America. “By working together, we can accelerate the understanding and adoption of sustainable practices, reduce food waste, and contribute to a more circular economy. This collaboration aligns well with the intent of our Danone Impact Journey which acts as our blueprint for defining our sustainability priorities and our transformation ambition in our value chain.”

The Farm Powered Strategic Alliance is committed to driving systemic change by promoting sustainable waste reduction and repurposing practices, expanding the supply of renewable natural gas, and supporting generational dairy farmers across America. With Danone’s membership, the Alliance gains a valuable partner with extensive experience in sustainable agriculture and a global presence.

As the Alliance continues to expand its membership, it strengthens its collective impact and paves the way for a more sustainable future. Together, these members are setting a new standard for environmental responsibility and demonstrating the power of collaboration in driving positive change.

For more information about the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance and its members, please visit www.farmpoweredalliance.org.

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About Vanguard Renewables:

Vanguard Renewables, based in Weston, Massachusetts, is a national leader in developing food and dairy waste-to-renewable energy projects. The Company owns and operates on-farm anaerobic digester facilities in the northeast and currently operates manure-only digesters in the south and west for Dominion Energy. The Company plans to expand to more than 150 anaerobic digestion facilities by 2026. Vanguard Renewables is committed to advancing decarbonization by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farms and food waste and supporting regenerative agriculture on partner farms through anaerobic digestion. Vanguard Renewables is a portfolio company of BlackRock Real Assets. To learn more about the Company, its energy partners, and the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance, visit www.vanguardrenewables.com. 

About Danone North America:

Danone North America is a leading global food and beverage company operating in three health-focused, fast-growing and on-trend categories: Essential Dairy & Plant-Based products, Waters and Specialized Nutrition. With a long-standing mission of bringing health through food to as many people as possible, Danone aims to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices while committing to achieve measurable nutritional, social, societal and environment impact. Danone has defined its Renew strategy to restore growth, competitiveness, and value creation for the long-term. With 100,000 employees, and products sold in over 120 markets, Danone generated €27.7 billion in sales in 2022. Danone’s portfolio includes leading international brands (Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Aptamil, Danette, Danio, Danonino, evian, Nutricia, Nutrilon, Volvic, among others) as well as strong local and regional brands (including Aqua, Blédina, Bonafont, Cow & Gate, Mizone, Oikos and Silk). Listed on Euronext Paris and present on the OTCQX market via an ADR (American Depositary Receipt) program, Danone is a component stock of leading sustainability indexes including the ones managed by Vigeo Eiris and Sustainalytics, as well as the Ethibel Sustainability Index, the MSCI ESG Indexes, the FTSE4Good Index Series, Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and the Access to Nutrition Index. By 2025, Danone aims to become one of the first multinational companies to obtain global B Corp™ certification. Learn more at www.danone.com.

CAMBRIDGE, England, September 6, 2023 /3BL/ – GIST Impact, a leading impact data and analytics provider, has joined forces with the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) Alliance to expand investor access to IBAT’s world-leading biodiversity data.

The GIST Impact-IBAT partnership comes at a time of increasing investor interest in biodiversity-themed financial products, as well as growing biodiversity reporting requirements as part of new regulations and frameworks, such as the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), France’s Article 29, and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).

The new integrated dataset, which combines IBAT’s data on protected areas, Key Biodiversity Areas and threatened species, with GIST Impact’s extensive asset-location database, will help investors better understand the proximity of corporate activities to protected areas and locations important for biodiversity, and identify those sites with the highest potential biodiversity-related impacts.

With this information, investors will be better equipped to identify and manage biodiversity-related risks and opportunities in their portfolios, as well as provide more comprehensive reporting on corporate and portfolio impacts in compliance with the recommendations of the TNFD, SFDR, Article 29 and the Partnership for Biodiversity Accounting Financials (PBAF).

Speaking on the GIST Impact-IBAT partnership, Pavan Sukhdev, CEO of GIST Impact, and former President of WWF International, said: “Nature loss is at the heart of many of our greatest problems today, from climate breakdown and water scarcity, to public health deficiencies and rural poverty. Knowing where biodiversity and ecosystems are still intact, and what we are losing and where, is essential to designing solutions, and that’s where IBAT’s extensive database is invaluable.”

Ed Ellis, Business Manager of IBAT, emphasized the importance of this collaboration in advancing sustainable investment practices, commenting: “By combining IBAT’s world-leading biodiversity data with GIST Impact’s renowned expertise in impact economics and sustainability measurement, we enhance the accessibility and usability of critical biodiversity information for financial institutions. Our partnership with GIST Impact is critical to foster credible disclosure and encourage more responsible investments that contribute to preserving and restoring nature for generations to come.”

Through GIST Impact’s platform, investors will be able to access over 1 million asset location data points, including risk and proximity analysis data for over 3,000 listed companies globally covering 58 sectors, from financial services and IT, to utilities and mining. GIST Impact plans to further expand coverage in early 2024.

IBAT was developed and is maintained by the IBAT Alliance, consisting of BirdLife International, Conservation International (CI), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). IBAT’s data serves as the backbone for organisations whose decisions may affect critical biodiversity.

The partnership draws on GIST Impact’s historic and deep expertise in the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity (TEEB), including over 15 years of experience in measuring and valuing corporate impacts on biodiversity and nature, and CEO Pavan Sukhdev’s leadership of the seminal G8+5 commissioned TEEB report.

For more information about the collaboration between GIST Impact and IBAT, please visit www.gistimpact.com

About GIST Impact

GIST Impact is a leading impact data and analytics provider that has been measuring and quantifying corporate impacts for more than 15 years. GIST Impact’s historic and deep expertise in the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity (TEEB) enriches its clients’ knowledge of their impacts and dependencies on nature.

With a team of 100+ scientists, engineers, data scientists and ecological and environmental economists, GIST Impact codifies this experience within its market-leading impact platforms and datasets, covering 12,800+ companies with geographically precise, time-series data.

GIST Impact works with pioneering companies across all sectors and with investors representing over $8 trillion in assets under management. GIST Impact also partners with some of the world’s largest ESG data providers, business networks, and fintech platforms to enable impact measurement across global markets.

For further information about GIST Impact, please visit:

www.gistimpact.com

For media inquiries, please contact:

Alexandra Downs alexandra@gistimpact.com

About IBAT

IBAT licenses commercial access to the most globally authoritative biodiversity data datasets and derived data layers including the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas (WDKBA).

The IBAT platform serves as an increasingly important interface between the private sector and biodiversity conservation, providing fast, easy, and integrated access to critical biodiversity information. By providing this access, IBAT aims to provide a robust scientific basis for risk and opportunity analysis and disclosure.

For more information about IBAT please visit:

https://www.ibat-alliance.org/

For any enquiries on IBAT please contact:

ibat@ibat-alliance.org