Tag: 3BL

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) returns next week and is set to be larger and more impactful than ever before.

The SDG Summit takes center stage at UNGA this year, a crucial gathering that occurs every four years. This year’s summit holds particular significance for many, including SAP, as it signifies the midpoint toward the 2030 target for implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Adding to the prominence of the agenda is the UN Secretary-General’s assertive Climate Ambition Summit and a trio of high-level health meetings.

As SAP anticipates the start of UNGA 78, we find ourselves at a pivotal juncture in our commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). On September 5, 2023, global leaders will converge in New York under the theme “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs toward peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability for all.”

As a Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) constituent, the cornerstone of SAP’s social investment strategy rests on recognizing that our responsibility transcends traditional acts of charity. Although the DJSI recognizes SAP as the industry benchmark for social responsibility, UNGA provides a platform to assess and reflect on our journey so far, and also to chart a course that truly accelerates our dedication toward empowering social innovators, nurturing future skills, and paving the way for a collaborative approach to sustainability.

In our experience, the best way to accelerate change is to be open to new approaches, For that we engage with social innovators and young leaders, and also prepare future leaders with the skills needed to be successful in this unpredictable world.

According to the Sustainable Development Report 2023, at the global level, averaging across countries, not a single SDG is currently projected to be met by 2030, with the poorest countries struggling the most. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, the report largely attributes this stagnation in progress to societal polarization, populism, and growing geopolitical conflict. The World Bank also paints a concerning picture in this regard, as it details how the spread of COVID-19 caused the single largest annual increase in poverty rates since global poverty monitoring began, as documented in the 2022 Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report. The risks of these goals not being met are extremely concerning as they encompass far-reaching implications for the well-being of people and the planet.

SAP’s commitment spans all 17 SDGs, with a strategic focus on eight key goals:

Good Health and Well-Being (3) | Quality Education (4) |
Decent Work and Economic Growth (8) | Industry Innovation and Infrastructure (9)
Reduced Inequalities (10) | Responsible Consumption and Production (12)
Climate Action (13) | Partnerships for the Goals (17)

Sustainable partnerships — especially those focused on youth — are at the heart of us making progress in our KPIs around the UN SDGs, particularly when it comes to Quality Education.

Our partnership with UNICEF in support of Generation Unlimited (GenU) is one of our largest investments to date. As part of this partnership, SAP’s support will help expand the reach of Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA), GenU’s signature program, in Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, and South Africa, equipping youth with essential skills for employment. This partnership also supports the SAP Educate to Employ initiative, aimed at educating youth in need on skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values to build their competencies for the digital economy. Since the beginning of 2023, more than 500,000 young people have been reached through different communication channels, with more than 50,000 incremental signups on YOMA. Additionally, 400 young people are being selected for training under SAP Educate to Employ.

Further to this, our long-standing partnership with the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) also stands as a testament to our dedication to collaborative sustainability. Through WAFF’s Youth To The Table (YTTT) program, SAP contributes to inter-generational dialogues that empower young changemakers. YTTT’s role in bringing young individuals to the forefront of pivotal global discussions — including UNGA, COP, and WEF — reinforces our joint belief in fostering meaningful opportunities for youth to influence decision-making processes across sectors.

The youth delegation at UNGA 78 includes an inspiring and diverse panel of changemakers from South Africa, North Macedonia, Brazil, Ireland, the U.S., Brazil, Israel/Palestine, Nepal, and India. If you would like to assist these delegates in their efforts to build a more sustainable world, you can lend your voice to WAFF’s new study on inter-generational leadership by visiting their website. Your contributions can help to derive insights, document challenges, and define best practices for working better together.

We are hopeful you can join in alongside our collaborative partnerships. After all, they are the bedrock of our progress. UNGA 78 offers an ideal platform for greater collective sustainability efforts. By working closely with governments, NGOs, academia, and local communities, we co-create solutions that address the most pressing global challenges.

The work cannot simply last for two weeks each fall in New York City, it must be embedded into all that we do throughout the year.

As we gear up for UNGA 78, we acknowledge that our social impact journey consists of much more than symbolic gestures. It is about being catalysts of transformation, accelerating social business, fostering future skills, and nurturing collaborative sustainability.

This year’s theme of rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity resonates deeply with our chosen SDGs. Let us seize this opportunity to redefine the essence of CSR in the context of accelerating action, progressing toward peace and prosperity, and ensuring a sustainable future for all.

Texas Capital’s collaboration with Texas Heavenly Homes is helping to rekindle The Bottom District’s glory in south Dallas. The 126-acre project is expected to produce 400 homes, assist with economic growth and a renewed community spirit. Hear more from Dick LeBlanc, CEO of Hanover Properties, here.

About Texas Capital

Texas Capital is a full-service financial services firm that delivers customized solutions to businesses, entrepreneurs and individual customers. Founded in 1998, the firm is headquartered in Dallas with offices in Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth, and has built a network of clients across the country. With the ability to service clients through their entire lifecycles, Texas Capital has established commercial banking, consumer banking, investment banking and wealth management capabilities. For more information, please visit www.texascapital.com.

Ensada Tractron LLC – Developer of Agribusiness recently lead a tour of a New Holland plant (a brand of CNH Industrial) in Saskatoon, Canada. Though Ensada has organized several international tours for its local farmers in Mongolia in recent years, this particular visit provided a glimpse as to how Mongolia’s agriculture sector can improve sustainable production through precision farming technologies.

More than 40 percent of the country’s grain is grown in the Selenge province. However, crop production has recently been hindered by environmental obstacles, driving a growing interest for agri-tech solutions among the Mongolian farming community.

“In Selenge, farmers face challenges due to limited rainfall and need for an efficient way to conserve water and soil. Seeing farmers here in Canada successfully combat similar issues using New Holland’s tractors, combines, and especially the precision air drills, has been inspiring. These machines enable farmers to practice no-till farming, conserving soil moisture and preventing soil erosion, both of which are critical for our farms back home,” said Batnasan Dorlig, CEO of Shuren Taria LLC, one of the visiting farmers.

At the CNH Industrial facility in Saskatoon, the group was introduced to the cutting-edge production technology behind New Holland’s precision air drills, GPS-guided tractors, soil analysis and crop monitoring technology. Renowned for implementing world-class manufacturing (WCM) processes, the New Holland Saskatoon plant also houses a ground-breaking research and development center.

“New Holland not only understands the needs of farmers but also builds top-notch machinery to fulfil those needs. The production of the air drill was extraordinary – it is truly a masterpiece of technology and engineering. I am excited about the possibility of introducing such effective tools and technologies to Mongolia,” Dorlig expressed.

Originally published by Ericsson.

The new packaging materials designed for Ericsson Remote Radio products are fully recyclable and reduce total plastic content from 20 percent to less than one percentEricsson partners with Deutsche Telekom and Swisscom for initial tests of the packaging solution, with the goal of expanding its use to more products and roll out to more customersThe project is in line with Ericsson’s sustainability strategy and contributes towards the goal of the company to achieve Net Zero across its value chain by 2040

The design team at Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) in Stockholm has created a sustainable packaging solution for shipping Ericsson Remote Radio products, transitioning from oil-based plastics to wood fiber materials for the packaging inserts.

The goal of the sustainable packaging design project is to reduce the environmental impact of Ericsson’s packaging while securing efficiency in production, logistics and disposal as well as eliminating the risk of contributing to ocean plastic pollution.

The new inserts are fully recyclable and reduce the total plastic content of the packaging from 20 percent to less than one percent. An anti-abrasion coating applied to the wood fiber material also means Ericsson can remove the plastic bag normally used to protect the product surface. The remaining plastic content is the tape used to seal the outer package.

Designing *plastic-free packaging for heavy-duty electronic products (in this case typically weighing between 24-36kg) requires an innovative approach. Working with two suppliers, Nefab and DS Smith, Ericsson has developed two designs that incorporate the new materials while retaining the high structural integrity required to protect the product during shipping.

Mats Pellbäck Scharp, Head of Sustainability at Ericsson, says: “Packaging is part of our supply chain target of halving emissions by 2030, and removing plastics contributes to our climate and other environmental ambitions. The Ericsson design team has shown that it is possible to remove plastics from packaging for complex and heavy telecom gear while maintaining essential product protection.”

Saskia Günther, Head of Corporate Responsibility, Swisscom, says: “Swisscom has ambitious climate targets and is therefore working across the entire value chain to enable reductions – including, for example, the packaging of its own products and those of our partners. Collaboration with key suppliers has a special role to play here, not only to improve our own climate footprint, but also to accelerate the transformation across the ICT industry.”

Melanie Kubin-Hardewig, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Deutsche Telekom says: “Deutsche Telekom has set ambitious circularity goals for 2030.  We focus on the entire lifecycle of our products and everything we buy from our technology suppliers. We have already taken out all single-use plastics in the packing of our own ‘T’-branded devices. The collaboration with our technology suppliers on innovative ways of sustainable packaging is therefore an essential next step.”

In addition to eliminating plastics and being fully recyclable, calculations show that the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) impact of the new packaging from cradle to grave reaches a balanced or better result compared to existing solutions.

The global effort to reach Net Zero and new legislation and taxes on plastic packaging (initially in the EU, Canada and India) will require an industry-wide shift in the types of materials used in global supply chains.

Ericsson hopes that following the successful trials with Swisscom and Deutsche Telekom, executed by its COSMOTE subsidiary in Greece, the new packaging solution will be rolled out to more customers in the coming months, as well as expanded to cover more hardware products in the future.

The plastic-free packaging initiative is part of Ericsson’s sustainability strategy, which includes the objective to achieve Net Zero across the company’s entire value chain by 2040. Circularity is an important tool for this goal, but also in making sustainable material choices.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

*The sustainable packaging solution has 99 percent fiber-based materials, facilitating recycling and reducing plastic waste in our supply chain. The 100 percent corrugated inserts reduce the packaging size by 15 percent and 20 percent, respectively compared to conventional plastic inserts.

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

ATLANTA, September 5, 2023 /3BL/ — NFL Hall of Fame receiver Calvin “Megatron” Johnson stopped by the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Friday, Sept. 1. The former Georgia Tech star was in town to help kick off Aflac’s Kickoff for a Cause game tonight at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta where the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will face the Louisville Cardinals.

Johnson, along with Aflac U.S. President Virgil R Miller, visited with children, families and health care providers, while posing for photos and delivering Aflac ducks. He also delivered My Special Aflac Ducks® to several patients who are dealing with cancer and sickle cell disease. My Special Aflac Duck is a robotic, comforting duck that helps children 3 and over cope with cancer or blood disorders like sickle cell disease. To date, Aflac has given more than 24,000 My Special Aflac Ducks to children with cancer or sickle cell in the United States, Japan and Northern Ireland.

“Calvin Johnson is one of the most elite football players who ever played the game as well as a great ambassador for community and families going through a tough time,” Miller said. “Aflac, and the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center are pleased that he took time out of his day to put smiles on faces for people when they need the positive energy that he brings.”

Johnson will be available later today at the Aflac Fan Fest at Mercedes-Benz Stadium where, along with the real Aflac Duck, he will meet and greet fans, before attending the game as a guest of Aflac. Johnson, who played for the Detroit Lions, was a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 2021 and a College Football Hall of Fame inductee in 2018.

ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for more than 67 years to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan. In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products.1 In Japan, Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance policies in force. In 2021, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). In 2022, the company was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the ninth year, the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for the 17th consecutive year, Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for the 22nd time and Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn’t cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under “Sustainability.”

Media contact: Jon Sullivan, 706.573.7610 or jsullivan@aflac.com 
Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706.596.3264 or dyoung@aflac.com

1 LIMRA 2021 US Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report

Aflac | Aflac New York | WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999

SOURCE: Aflac

This year, if needed, our mobile command center is ready to assist in restoration efforts should a tropical system hit our area. The response vehicle can operate at or near the most impacted location a disaster area, with satellite-based communications equipment giving our operations personnel a link to the outside world when oftentimes such capabilities have been knocked offline.

View the video above to tour of the Entergy mobile command center.

The mobile command center has seen field testing earlier this year following tornadoes in Mississippi and severe weather in Texas. Now, with the peak of hurricane season upon us, this mobile information-gathering platform is standing by to travel to impact zones just as soon as the winds of a landfalling storm pass through and it’s safe to begin supporting restoration efforts.

Stay informed:

Be sure to stay informed throughout the restoration process using the following resources:

Download our free Entergy app.Sign up for text alerts by texting REG to 36778.Visit the Entergy Storm Center website and View Outage page.Follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

T-Mobile is always looking for ways to make a positive impact with our network, even long before we launched the country’s first and only nationwide 5G standalone (SA) network. As the 5G era comes to fruition we’ve been busy innovating with partners across industries to bring the technologies of tomorrow into the present.

The things I’m reading on the page I can see them — and really touch them in virtual reality — so it connects the dots for me.” 

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE STUDENT

One area of innovation that I am particularly proud to be a part of is leveraging 5G to make the teaching and learning experience more accessible and immersive for students and teachers. Listening to teachers, students and schools, we’ve heard the rising excitement and need for technology incorporating extended reality (XR), like virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR), into their curriculums. To match the demand, we’ve been hard at work with our partners to integrate our 5G network into these new technologies. And the fruits of our labor are starting to ripen.

Our students reported a 92% increase in STEAM knowledge, and most said they would consider a Metaverse career. Thanks to T-Mobile’s sponsorship & Kai XR’s programming, our students know their dreams are possible.”

MERCEDES HARRIS, HOUSTON ROTARY CLUB

Now you may be wondering: “Schools have Wi-Fi, so why is 5G needed?”

When implementing XR learning programs with thousands of schools in small towns and urban areas across the country, our partners found that school Wi-Fi systems sometimes can’t handle the requirements needed to reliably run XR programs. How can students collaborate in virtual laboratories or on VR fieldtrips if the content lags due to poor connectivity? XR needs fast speeds and ultra-low latency to work as intended. And then you also need to account for the complex permission and security systems schools set up that make it difficult to connect in the first place.

5G is expanding classroom walls and allowing students to engage in programs and experience unique learning environments designed specifically to spark their interest in education. Perhaps the best part is that due to the nature of 5G, these programs can be taken practically anywhere there is a signal — and with the country’s largest and fastest 5G network — we’re uniquely positioned to reach more students across the country than ever before.

VR powered by T-Mobile 5G allows us to democratize access to visceral experiences that empower students to build connections with current and compelling problems and abstract up to math models & equations from there, rather than memorizing procedures in a sterile vacuum. With recent advances in spatial computing, we finally have the opportunity to teach STEM disciplines how they should be taught: through one’s own life experiences.”

ANURUPA GANGULY, CEO AND FOUNDER OF PRISMS VR

Here’s how the companies we are working with are helping students engage with new technologies and STEM education leveraging 5G:

Kai XR

We started working with Kai XR in 2021 when they joined the T-Mobile Accelerator program, a yearly developer cohort aimed at driving innovation with support from T-Mobile engineers and 5G connectivity.

Recently, Kai XR worked with Harris County Juvenile Detention Center in Texas to provide students with educational learning objectives using T-Mobile 5G connected devices to improve digital literacy, demystify in-demand technologies like XR, provide hands-on opportunities with emerging tech and decrease recidivism for students in the center through exposure to career pathways.

Two hundred students completed the program, with 84% expressing interest in learning more about the metaverse and advanced and emerging technologies and 95% expressing interest in a metaverse career.

Kai XR is active in schools in Georgia, California and Alabama reaching thousands of students with its learning platform. 

VictoryXR

A 2022 T-Mobile Accelerator participant, VictoryXR is active in 135 schools across the country, with 90 unique courses taught at higher education institutions. VictoryXR uses its platform to create virtual classrooms, campuses and laboratories using AR and VR headsets connected to T-Mobile 5G to provide students with unique learning environments they might otherwise not have access to.

With its virtual environments VictoryXR covers topics such as history, anatomy, chemistry and biology, opening the door for students to collaborate together in near real-time, whether that be on a virtual field trip to Egypt or analyzing a cadaver, VictoryXR paired with 5G enables entirely new classroom experiences.

It restores joy in the education system when you see student achievement increase by 11.9%. It makes you rethink what your other approaches have been in the past and why did we wait so long to do something this transformative.” 

DR. MUHSINAH MORRIS, MOREHOUSE COLLEGE

Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy

Using the VeyeZER™ GRAPH application for the Microsoft HoloLens 2 device, the Barbara Bush Foundation is pilot testing a somewhat different approach to XR learning. This solution seeks to improve adult literacy by performing a series of reading skill assessments, tracking eye movement and compiling statistics to allow practitioners to create customized learning programs for participants to improve their literacy, once again leveraging 5G to maintain low-latency and reliable connectivity.

After pilot testing the solution with adult learners at sites in Charleston, South Carolina and Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Foundation’s team—led by researchers from the University of New Mexico—has determined that this technology shows great promise. With additional refinement, it has the potential to equip educators with rapid, high-frequency access to critical, personalized data that will help learners increase their literacy levels, opening the doors to new opportunities that may not have been previously available.

Challenges associated with measuring literacy levels and progress are among the many barriers that prevent adult learners from engaging in literacy programs. By allowing for more rapid, frequent assessments of literacy skills compared to some of the more traditional, time-intensive methods, this solution has the potential to greatly reduce barriers to participation as well as support improved outcomes for the learners in adult literacy programs.”

ANDREW ROBERTS, INTERIM PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BARBARA BUSH FOUNDATION FOR FAMILY LITERACY

Prisms of Reality

Earlier this year, we shared how Prisms VR is helping close the opportunity gap in math and science for students without access to reliable internet by pairing T-Mobile 5G with its VR learning programs.

Today, Prisms VR is active in 36 states, improving student test scores, engagement and interest in STEM topics, all while delivering a superior immersive VR experience nearly impossible to perform on school Wi-Fi systems due to latency, network restrictions and bandwidth.

The future of learning

With 5G, these companies are bringing new experiences and equal learning opportunities to students across the country without needing to worry about connectivity issues. The future of the classroom has never looked more promising than it does now.

John

Originally published in Dow’s 2022 INtersections Progress Report

Dow has long recognized the value of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems to our company’s economic well-being. Through our pioneering Valuing Nature Goal and a more than decade-long collaboration with TNC, we have demonstrated how nature can be a source of sustainable business value and we consider natural solutions in every new project that we evaluate.

In 2022, we continued our efforts to help conserve and enhance biodiversity through our work with TNC and other partners. We are developing a strategy that will help us holistically manage biodiversity across our company based on the best science. We also are engaging as an industry leader with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures and others to develop disclosure frameworks that enable the industry to meaningfully incorporate – and accurately report – progress on ecosystem restoration and preservation to improve biodiversity.

OUR APPROACH

Developing measurement tools and assessing biological diversity at high-priority sites.

In collaboration with TNC and EcoMetrix Solutions Group, we are piloting a new suite of assessment tools that builds on our Ecosystem Services Identification & Inventory lI tool and is designed to provide input to the decision-making process across the project life cycle, from pre-planning to long-term monitoring.

2022 Actions 
We completed the assessment of biological diversity within Dow’s eucalyptus farming operations at our Breu Branco site in Brazil, in comparison to degraded lands near our operations. The study, performed by EMX, found Dow’s approach to minimizing soil disturbance, carefully managing crop rotation and conserving natural corridors throughout the site resulted in quantifiable benefits across a wide array of ecosystem services, including biodiversity, soil health, climate regulation and water quality protection.

Using nature-based land-use strategies to capture optimal value from ecosystem services.

Land-use transformations such as forest regeneration and wetland restoration can provide natural capital and environmental benefits such as carbon capture and flood mitigation.

2022 Actions 
In collaboration with TNC, Ecolab, the Caterpillar Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and other partners, Dow supports the Loch Leven project, working to restore and enhance 10,000 wetland acres and provide 12.1 billion gallons (45.8 million cubic meters) of flood storage capacity to local communities within the Mississippi River Delta’s Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley in Louisiana.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., September 5, 2023 /3BL/ – Discovery Education and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) today announced a new virtual experience – An Ounce of Prevention Virtual Field Trip – empowering students in grades 9-12 to make healthy decisions and become advocates for prevention in their communities. This virtual field trip is part of Operation Prevention, a collaboration between DEA and Discovery Education that is helping prevent substance misuse in schools nationwide by showing students the science behind addiction and its impact on the brain and body.

Premiering September 13 at 1 PM ET and available on-demand, An Ounce of Prevention Virtual Field Trip introduces students to people working on the ground in communities nationwide to prevent substance misuse. These community leaders include Cheri Oz, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Phoenix Division, Phoenix, Arizona; Shelly Mowrey, Prevention Specialist, Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Prevention Works AZ; Jennifer Talamantes, a School Counselor in El Paso, TX; and Amy Neville, the Founder of Alex Neville Foundation. Learn more and register for the Ounce of Prevention Virtual Field Trip here.

“The lethality of fentanyl and the availability of fake pills impacts every community across the United States. Knowledge must be one of our first lines of defense,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “People of all ages need to understand the dangers associated with synthetic drugs and know that experimentation can be a deadly mistake. DEA is proud to partner with Discovery Education to provide educators and students an engaging and interactive way to protect the safety and health of this next generation.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration has seized fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, in all 50 states and reported in February 2023, “Fentanyl is deadliest drug threat facing our country”. According to DEA lab analysis, 6 in every 10 pills tested contains a fatal dose of fentanyl, and just two milligrams can be lethal. The CDC predicts that 68% of the 110,684 drug-related deaths in 2022 involved a synthetic opioid like fentanyl. Yet, a mere 40% of young people ages 13–24 were knowledgeable about fentanyl, and only 48% (36% of teens) were aware of fentanyl in fake pills.

“Research has shown the best way to prevent substance misuse is through intervention and education at a young age. Students need to know how to become an advocate for prevention,” said Amy Nakamoto, General Manager of Social Impact at Discovery Education. “Discovery Education is proud to support the DEA in this critical effort to combat the epidemic of the counterfeit drug crisis facing our communities.”

Learn more about the new counterfeit drug educational resources and Operation Prevention at OperationPrevention.com and on Discovery Education Experience.

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning services visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.

###

About the Drug Enforcement Administration 
The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, those organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States; and to recommend and support non-enforcement programs aimed at reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances on the domestic and international markets. The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at justthinktwice.com, getsmartaboutdrugs.com and dea.gov.

About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

Contacts 
DEA 
National Media Affairs 
Email: DEA.Public.Affairs@dea.gov

Grace Maliska 
Discovery Education 
Email: gmaliska@discoveryed.com

Originally published in International Paper’s 2022 Sustainability Report

Achieve improvements through innovation and redesign, material replacement and reduction, and recycling in North America and recovery in five key ways:

1. Achieve 100% recyclability of all manufactured packaging products

Focus areas:

Ensure all packaging and containerboard products are 100% recyclable (93.5% of corrugate packaging is recyclable in 2022)Replace non-recyclable coatings with recyclable alternatives

Progress Highlight:

ClimaShield® barriers are a unique line of FBA-certified recyclable and repulpable coatings that replaces non- recyclable wax coatings and works with all existing equipment, processes and packaging systems. ClimaShield® provides all the benefits of wax coatings — resistance to water, grease, chemical and mold — while providing an end-of-life solution for recovery, as the boxes can be recycled.

2. Integrate circularity considerations into key business checkpoints

Focus areas:

Ensure sustainability considerations are included across business processes such as asset design, capital process, business strategy, innovation and product development

Progress Highlight:

To connect renewable solutions with sustainable manufacturing:

We piloted a “Vision 2030: Sustainability in Manufacturing” educational webinar to engage containerboard mill employees on our sustainability strategy, how it impacts our business and how to become more involved in advancing our sustainability goalsSustainability leaders met with mill engineers and business leaders to align on the critical role our mills play in driving progress toward our renewable solutions goals, and highlighted examples of ongoing and future mill projects with sustainability impacts

3. Track product sustainability impacts and opportunities for material replacements

Focus areas:

Evaluate product- and material-level sustainability impactsIdentify opportunities for sustainable materials improvements and expand circular solutions for customers

Progress Highlight:

For e-commerce shipments, we replaced Styrofoam® packaging with molded fiber interior packaging, a recyclable alternative to polystyrene that is made of 100% recycled contentFor e-commerce customers, we analyze customers’ shipment history and box utilization and recommend boxes that match their needs. This right-sized packaging solution called eBos reduces freight costs, carbon emissions, material waste, product damage and improves warehouse efficiency

4. Set a 2030 waste strategy based on key waste reduction opportunities

Focus areas:

Identify waste reduction opportunities at each containerboard mill and across our box plant system

Progress Highlight:

Dunnage — wooden felt saddles that keep our containerboard rolls in place during shipping — has typically been discarded by the customer. The product scheduling and delivery department in our Newport, Indiana containerboard mill has worked over the past year to establish a plan to recover and recycle used dunnage. Customers store dunnage in a designated trailer and return it to International Paper to be reused, reducing waste.

5. Expand partnerships within the circularity and recycling space and continue to evolve circularity education

Focus areas:

Improve circularity- and recycling-focused partnershipsDevelop materials to expand understanding of sustainable fiber packaging

Progress Highlight:

In 2022, International Paper joined the Southeast Recycling Development Council (SERDC), supporting our efforts to promote sustainable recycling in a critical region in which we operate. SERDC focuses on uniting industry, government and non-government organizations in the Southeast U.S. to improve material capture while strengthening local economies through recycling

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of planet-friendly packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of North America’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2022 were $21.2 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting InternationalPaper.com.

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