Tag: 3BL

AI tools like ChatGPT are grabbing headlines, but other AI techniques and tools specifically designed for enterprises are quietly helping companies meet their sustainability goals. Classic AI is already being used widely today in various use cases, and generative AI is evolving rapidly to address new classes of use cases.

I previously led technical teams that helped customers with their AI implementations. When I started a role as a leader for sustainability in Expert Labs, our professional technology services organization, I saw the potential for AI to help with energy efficiency, decarbonization, and waste reduction. Discover the current and emerging use cases for AI in waste management, optimization, energy reduction and ESG reporting.

Learn more about AI-powered sustainability solutions here.

How AI is helping businesses accelerate their sustainability journey today

Asset management: Whether it’s for utility infrastructure or factory floor machinery, timely intervention can prolong the life of an asset; reducing the volume of waste sent to landfill and the environmental impact of creating a replacement. AI solutions work by collecting asset performance data and feeding it into machine learning models, which can predict asset health and risk of failure.Inventory management: Transportation uses energy;in addition, perishable goods may need to be refrigerated in transit and storage. Inventory optimization is important to ensure you have enough stock while also meeting customer demand. At the same time, you want to reduce the carbon footprint associated with moving and storing stock. AI helps address this problem by combining aspects like demand forecasting, last–mile delivery, and routing optimization.Schedule optimization: This use case is like inventory management but addresses the challenge of ensuring that you have the appropriate alignment of talent. If we think about asset maintenance, for example, the questions are which technicians are available, where, and how should their work be prioritized. It’s not about minimizing travel. Instead, it’s better to prioritize a more distant asset for repair because that asset has a higher cost or could fail sooner. AI can tackle problems like asset maintenance efficiently.Anomaly detection: Some manufacturers have zero-defect goals. If a part is defective or assembled incorrectly, it might not be possible to salvage or recycle it. Image and video recognition systems can use AI to monitor each stage of manufacture, catching any discrepancies as early as possible. As well as wasted materials, additional energy is consumed when parts have to be reworked or remade. This use case shows how AI can help by processing unstructured image and video data in addition to structured data in the previous examples.Compute optimization: Data centers consume a huge amount of electricity.By using AI to understand compute demand over time, it becomes possible to optimize the use of computing and cooling resources.  Matching resources to demand more closely helps to save energy.

Where to next?

Over the next year or so, I expect to see companies deploying generative AI applications that help with a new class of use cases to meet their sustainability goals. Some companies are already working on them.

The first among these is using intelligent document understanding to process sustainability information. Companies use several different frameworks to report their environmental impact in a standardized way. It’s a time-consuming process to collect relevant information and produce ESG reports. Generative AI software retrieves and summarizes text information from various business systems, including supplier systems, and maps it to the reporting frameworks, with the option for human review.

On the other side, AI streamlines processing information already compiled in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) reports. A company could combine purchase order information with a supplier’s ESG report. For example, if you know you’re responsible for half of a supplier’s turnover you can use their ESG reports to estimate your responsibility for scope 3 emissions.

For investors interested in green finance, AI could process ESG reports in bulk to create a recommended shortlist of companies with a stronger environmental posture. In an advanced use case, generative AI models fine-tuned with a company’s sustainability policies could power an advisor application for activities such as supplier selection.

Foundation large language models (LLMs), fine-tuned with domain-specific data, are likely to play an important role in intelligent text processing applications like these.

Foundation models using geospatial data are also likely to make their mark in the coming year or so. These models will be valuable for predicting flood zones, forest fires, and other climate risks. Businesses in sectors including agriculture, retail, utilities, and financial services will be able to use these models for risk assessment and mitigation.

As companies adopt generative AI in these new use cases, they also need to pay attention to a new set of risks that are emerging, ranging from potential privacy concerns to a lack of factuality. A Responsible AI approach and an AI Governance framework are both needed to ensure guardrails are in place for the responsible use of both Classic and generative AI.

Sustainability goals and other business goals go hand in hand. For many of these use cases, there is a close relationship between sustainability and cost. Reducing energy, avoiding waste, and optimizing resources have financial benefits as well as environmental advantages. Using new sustainability applications powered by AI, companies will find it easier to make decisions that are aligned with their sustainability goals.

Read the power of AI: Sustainability

Plastics in all their forms – from packaging waste to microplastics – are polluting our oceans, rivers, lands and drinking water. The theme of the 50th annual World Environment Day is a reminder that businesses, organisations and governments, as well as people in their daily lives, need to take action to “beat plastic pollution”.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is committed to using the power of sport to help end plastic pollution. Here are four examples of how the Olympic Movement and the Games are playing their part in accelerating the transition to a circular economy.

1 – Walking the talk

At the IOC, we reviewed waste management policy and the materials consumed within our headquarters and at corporate events. Changes made over the last few years have seen significant reductions already, especially in single-use plastics.

So far we have:

halved the amount of non-recyclable waste produced per employee, including plastics and other synthetic materialsset the goal of eliminating single-use plastics where alternatives existeliminated single-use plastics from our restaurants and specified reusable tableware for catering at our corporate events (for take-away meals, compostable cutlery is available)adopted sustainable sourcing guidelines for signage and branding (items are rented or reusable, while synthetic materials are made from recycled plastic), textiles and gifts (synthetic materials include recycled content, and packaging is reduced).

2 – Towards sustainable Games

Sustainability is a core commitment of Olympic Agenda 2020+5 – the Olympic Movement’s strategic roadmap. It includes a commitment to foster sustainable Olympic Games and to ensure that sustainability is mainstreamed throughout all aspects of their planning and delivery.

Addressing plastic pollution has not been overlooked in the planning for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Three examples involve catering, construction and procurement policy.

An estimated 13 million meals and snacks will be served during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The organisers are committed to a 50 per cent reduction in single-use plastics in catering compared with previous Games. Tableware will be reused; take-out catering will rely on cardboard and paper alternatives; and used plastics will be collected and recycled. Drinks will be in returnable glass bottles and from fountains.New construction has been minimised, with a heavy emphasis on sustainable features in venues. Seats at the Aquatics Centre and La Chapelle Arena (the venue for badminton and taekwondo) will be made entirely from post-consumption plastic recycled locally. The design of the Olympic Village also includes the use of recycled plastic.The same philosophy informs the wider procurement policy for the Games. Paris 2024 developed guidelines and a programme to encourage suppliers and licensees to embrace eco-design and plastic reduction.

3 – The Power of Sport: the Big Plastic Pledge

Shocked by the extent of plastic pollution while competing in oceans around the world, Olympic sailing gold and silver medallist Hannah Mills founded the Big Plastic Pledge in 2019, with IOC support.

“I believe that, through the power of sport, we can change the fate of our planet,” says Hannah, who is also an IOC Sustainability Ambassador.

The campaign harnesses sport to unite athletes, fans, volunteers and event organisers behind the goal of reducing single-use plastic. As each person changes their habits, the ripple effect can become huge, influencing brands and policymakers.

The Big Plastic Pledge is set to reduce single-use plastic in our daily lives by taking at least three actions, such as adopting refillable water bottles, refusing plastic packaging and encouraging sports clubs and event organisers to find alternatives to single-use plastic.

Other pledges include switching to reusable food containers, cutlery and straws.

The Big Plastic Pledge now has the backing of a host of athlete ambassadors across a wide variety of sports. David Haze, a top UK paddleboarder and eco-activist, has recently joined forces with Hannah to co-lead the campaign.

4 – From global to local: Collaborating in Oceania

Communities across Oceania want to influence environmental policy and take practical action beyond beach and river clean-ups, but don’t know how. In response, a new collaboration has been launched to engage with young people, their local communities and policymakers to drive action on plastic.

The IOC is collaborating with the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) and other strategic partners to increase cooperation on coastal and waterway pollution prevention. Through sport, a range of IOC and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) initiatives on plastic are being integrated, including the existing Love Your Coast campaign, Heroes Programme, Olympic Day/Weeks and Voices of the Athletes.

The sport-based approach is designed to inspire youth leaders, increase their capacity to mobilise their communities and bring about changes in behaviour. By identifying youth ambassadors, helping them create action plans and sharing their stories, the joint programme hopes to spur lasting change.

Young people will be educated to understand how plastics are threatening life in oceans and on land, and affecting health. National Olympic Committees in Oceania are using their voice and influence in the region to engage with education ministries to introduce teaching about plastics in national curriculums, starting with Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

Alongside UNEP, other IOC partners include: the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), GEF Islands alliance of small developing states and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

KOHLER, Wis., August 4, 2023 /3BL/ – Fast Company announced Kohler Co. as a finalist on its annual Best Workplaces for Innovators list within the Sustained Excellence sector, honoring organizations and businesses that demonstrate a steadfast commitment to encouraging innovation at all levels. This prestigious list generated by Fast Co. judges includes only a dozen companies that have demonstrated ongoing achievement in cultivating cultures of innovation.

“Innovation is part of our DNA, and throughout our history, we have encouraged our associates to think boldly and differently,” says Laura Kohler, Chief Sustainability and DEI Officer for Kohler Co. “This commitment to reimagining what’s possible is what leads Kohler associates to become more and to become catalysts for change—at work and in their communities.”

Kohler is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year with a unifying theme of “Come All Creators” — encouraging all passionate creators to join the global brand’s pursuit of continuous improvement in providing gracious living for future generations through better design, innovation, wellness, and sustainability.

“We believe that if we can create a culture that encourages diverse teams who thrive in an inclusive environment, we can achieve significant innovation impact,” says Laura Kohler.

Initiatives that secured Kohler’s inclusion are rooted in the company’s Believing in Better operating philosophy that strives to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations through design, craftsmanship, and innovation. The company’s cultural belief in Boldly Innovating encourages and empowers associates to take action, cultivating creativity and innovation at all levels of the global entity. These and other initiatives including innovative solutions from the company’s Kitchen & Bath, Energy and Hospitality & Real Estate businesses were recently shared in Kohler’s 2022 Believing in Better Report.

Kohler Innovation for Good started out as an associate led initiative to drive further environmental and social innovation. It has since evolved into a formal idea incubator focused on commercializing new business opportunities with a social and environmental purpose.Kohler WasteLAB is one of several success stories born out of Kohler’s Innovation for Good® program and the company’s first circularity business. It looks to nature as a model for sustainable processes – where waste simply doesn’t exist. Through this approach, Kohler WasteLAB® leverages a manufacturing process that transforms landfill-bound materials into functional products of style and beauty.The I-Prize challenge, an annual internal global competition within Kohler’s Innovation for Good program, propels innovation from interested Kohler associates who team up from around the globe. These new business solutions that address social and environmental issues are pitched to Kohler’s top leadership team for incubation funding.Kohler brought its culture of innovation external by hosting the inaugural M-Prize in partnership with Marquette University. Kohler challenged Marquette undergraduate students from all colleges to develop and pitch their own unique ideas for how to design more inclusive kitchen and bathroom products.Kohler provides opportunities for associates to connect to their purpose and passion through Business Resource Groups (BRGs), community stewardship teams, engagement committees and more. These opportunities give associates a platform to solve business challenges, bring forward solutions, and grow and develop personally and professionally – all while making a meaningful impact in our workplace and world.Developing innovative products that serve customers and communities is a key pillar of Kohler’s signature initiative around water, sanitation, and hygiene access, Safe Water for All. Kohler believes access to clean and safe water is a right and is committed to using its expertise, innovation, and platform to be a catalyst for global change.Kohler Kitchen and Bath hosted 46 hours of global ideation sessions, resulting in 135 ideas generated, of which 33 ideas have been integrated into active new product development or product roadmaps, representing a 25% transfer rate.Kohler’s innovative products have also received third-party recognition. Time highlighted Kohler’s H2Wise+ and Perfect Fill in its list of Best inventions of 2022 and CES2023 recognized Stillness Bath as an innovation honoree.Kohler Energy partnered with Polar explorer Robert Swan on his excursion through Antarctica to the Geographic South Pole where he relied only on renewable energy sources. Kohler custom engineered a KOHLER generator that utilized a KOHLER diesel engine fueled by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). The off-grid sustainable system provided the energy needed to operate Swan’s base camp and provide battery charge to his mobile equipment.

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About Kohler Co. 
For 150 years, Kohler Co. has been a global leader in design and innovation, dedicated to providing gracious living through kitchen and bath products; luxury cabinetry, tile and lighting; distributed energy solutions – home energy, industrial power systems, and powertrain technologies – and luxury hospitality experiences and major championship golf. Kohler’s Whistling Straits golf course hosted the 43rd Ryder Cup in 2021. Privately held Kohler Co. was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin. The company also develops solutions to address pressing issues, such as clean water and sanitation, for underserved communities around the world to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations.

KOHLER Kitchen & Bath, Energy, Golf + Resort Destinations

Contact: 
Vicki Valdez Hafenstein 
Kohler Co. Public Relations 
victoria.valdezhafenstein@kohler.com

There is no pathway to achieving the needed progress in sustainable development to produce a more stable and just world that does not require the involvement of the business community. For businesses to succeed and be a contributor to positive impact, they need not an isolated sustainability strategy, but rather a sustainable business strategy that embeds sustainability throughout their entire value chain. This involves more departments and personnel with different disciplines and functions to incorporate elements of sustainability into their work. This is particularly needed in the identification, measurement, management, and disclosure of the organization’s environmental, social, and economic impacts and the risks and opportunities associated with them.

Given the need to incorporate sustainability throughout organizations, GRI produces resources that help professionals of assorted backgrounds increase their subject matter expertise in sustainability and familiarity with the GRI Standards. This enables personnel from various areas of the organization to play a key role in fostering more transparency, informed decision-making, and action that leads to better performance.

The GRI Academy is an accessible online platform that offers asynchronous, on-demand courses on the GRI Standards, including Sector Standards and Topic Standards such as Tax, Waste and Oil & Gas, as well as a pathway to gain the GRI Certified Sustainability Professional credential. The certification can be earned via the GRI Academy through a self-paced learning path of four fundamental courses and an exam, or through a blended instructor-led experience through Certified Training Partners.

As of July 2023, 517 GRI Sustainability Professional Certifications have been achieved in North America, 82.5% of which are from the US. The interest in sustainability reporting know-how and the credential’s relevance in North America continue to grow with more stakeholders demanding increased transparency and accountability. Regional Sustainability and ESG reporting proficiency is strengthening as a result of these accessible courses and the certification program.

Individuals in all stages of their career, across various management levels, disciplines and industries are enrolling in the courses and certification program and making their role a sustainability role. Certified GRI Sustainability Professionals are helping their organizations take steps to strengthen their sustainability practices while enhancing their career prospects, and contributions to sustainable development.

Visit GRI’s directory to view GRI Certified Sustainability Professionals and the Professional Certification Program to learn more about the credential.

DETROIT, August 4, 2023 /3BL/ – The Fifth Third Bank Financial Empowerment Mobile (eBus) will begin its tour in Eastern Michigan on August 5 and continue throughout the month of August. The purpose of the eBus is to provide financial empowerment resources to communities throughout our bank footprint. Through internal and external partnerships, the eBus serves as a mobile classroom offering individuals financial counseling on how to build wealth. Fifth Third’s eBus is open and free to the community with 20 dates and locations to choose from in Detroit, Dearborn Heights, Eastpointe, Flint, Monroe, Oak Park, Pontiac and Southfield, Michigan (full schedule and details below).

Fifth Third’s eBus (pictured above) is equipped with 12 desktop computer stations and Wi-Fi capabilities. Visitors to the eBus are greeted by Fifth Third Bank employee volunteers and community partner representatives when they arrive. They are assisted with reviewing credit reports and scores, one-on-one credit counseling, interactive financial education modules, homebuyer education tools, job search assistance, online account opening assistance, and loan referral services.

The Bank’s financial empowerment mobile is part of the Bank’s Lives Improved Through Financial Empowerment (L.I.F.E.) program and focuses on making a positive impact across its 10-state footprint in the areas of home mortgage, small business and community development lending and investments. More than half a million people have visited the eBus since 2004.

While onboard, visitors can:

Request a credit report and review it with a professionalReceive personalized evaluation of financesReceive Internet Banking and Bill Payment demonstrationsSpeak with non-profit organizations regarding housing, money management and business adviceReceive consultation on foreclosure preventionConduct online job searchesOnline account openingsLoan application referrals

“We are committed to improving lives in our community through financial education,” said David Girodat, Fifth Third Bank Eastern Michigan Region President. “The eBus allows us to serve people throughout the region where they live and work to provide the knowledge and tools to help them take control of their financial futures.”

The Fifth Third Financial Empowerment Mobile schedule:

DateCommunity PartnersEvent Location Event TimeAug. 5St. Matthew Missionary Baptist Church13500 Wyoming 
Detroit, MI 4823810 a.m. – 2 p.m.Aug. 7Monroe County Opportunity Program120 East Chester 
Monroe, MI 4816110 a.m. – 3 p.m.Aug. 8Matrix Human Services

13560 East McNichols

Detroit, MI 48205

9 – 11 a.m.Aug. 9Monroe County Opportunity Program120 East Chester 
Monroe, MI 4816110 a.m. – 3 p.m.Aug.10 Community Housing Network

Jefferson Oaks: 
22001 Republic Ave.

Oak Park, MI 48237

1 – 3 p.m.Aug.11 Communities First

Belle Isle:

2402 Vista Drive

Detroit, MI 48207

6 – 9 p.m.Aug.15 Detroit Land Bank

Johnson Recreation Center: 
8550 Chippewa Ave.

Detroit, MI 48221

10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.Aug.16 Detroit Development Fund

Fifth Third Bank: 
3927 West 8 Mile

Detroit, MI 48221

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.Aug.17 Southfield Public Schools

24675 Lahser

Southfield, MI 48033

1:30 – 7 p.m.Aug.18 Christ the King Catholic Church

20800 Grand River

Detroit, MI 48219

11 a.m. – 3 p.m.Aug.19 Resource Fair

Skinner Playfield: 
12800 Kelly

Detroit, MI 48224

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.Aug.22 Community Housing Network

Grafton Townhomes: 
14800 East 9 Mile

Eastpointe, MI 48021

1 – 3 p.m.Aug.23 Southwest Solutions

5716 Michigan Ave.

Detroit, MI 48210

9:30 a.m. –

2:30 p.m.

Aug.24 Community Housing Network

333 Auburn Ave.

Pontiac, MI 48321

1 – 3 p.m.Aug.25 Communities First Flint

1101 S. Saginaw Street

Flint, MI 48502

6 – 9 p.m.Aug.26 Black Family DevelopmentDouble Tree by Hilton: 
5801 Southfield Fwy. 
Detroit, MI 4820510 a.m. – 
12:30 p.m.Aug.27 Hype Athletics

23302 W. Warren

Dearborn Hts., MI 48127

11 a.m. – 6 p.m.Aug.29 Lighthouse Pontiac46156 Woodward Ave. 
Pontiac, MI 4834210 a.m. – 2 p.m.Aug.30 TechTown 
 Wayne State Univ. campus

440 Burroughs

Detroit, MI 48202

11 a.m. – 2 p.m.Aug.31 Michigan Women Forward – Osborne Business Assoc.

Matrix Center: 
13560 East McNichols

Detroit, MI 48205

9 – 11 a.m.

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third is a bank that’s as long on innovation as it is on history. Since 1858, we’ve been helping individuals, families, businesses and communities grow through smart financial services that improve lives. Our list of firsts is extensive, and it’s one that continues to expand as we explore the intersection of tech-driven innovation, dedicated people and focused community impact. Fifth Third is one of the few U.S.-based banks to have been named among Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies® for several years. With a commitment to taking care of our customers, employees, communities and shareholders, our goal is not only to be the nation’s highest performing regional bank, but to be the bank people most value and trust. Fifth Third Bank, National Association is a federally chartered institution. Fifth Third Bancorp is the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank, and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Investor information and press releases can be viewed at  www.53.com.

This spring, the KFC Foundation awarded $2.5 million in scholarships to over 500 restaurant employees. Eleven exceptional individuals were selected to receive $20,000 toward pursuing their educational dreams. Read about their stories of resilience and determination.

Haili Austin

Cadillac, MI 
Franchisee: Bells & Birds

Haili is a first-generation college student pursuing a bachelor’s in accounting at the University of Phoenix. After becoming a mother, she made the courageous decision to go back to college in 2020 to secure a better future for her family. In 2023, she began working part-time at KFC as a team member to help alleviate the financial burdens of securing her degree. After completing her degree, Haili plans to become a certified public accountant and fulfill her dream of assisting others in attaining financial stability.

Mara Heino

Marquette, MI 
Franchisee: Roubekas Enterprises

Mara is a three-time scholarship recipient pursuing an associate’s in radiology at Northern Michigan University. She began her journey with KFC on her sixteenth birthday as a team member and in the four years since has risen to the role of shift supervisor. Outside of work and school, Mara serves as vice president with her local 4-H and is passionate about teaching the younger generation how to raise and show livestock correctly. After graduation, Mara is excited to start her career as an x-ray technician and hopes to continue her education to become a computed tomography or interventional radiology technician.

Trinity Jenson

Lebanon, OR 
Franchisee: The Chick, Inc.

Trinity is a senior double majoring in accounting and business information systems at Oregon State University. She has been working at KFC since her sophomore year of high school and was a scholarship recipient last year. Trinity’s decision to major in accounting was inspired by her promotion to assistant manager, where she discovered her passion for money management. After graduation, Trinity plans to work as an accounting manager and teach accounting courses at a high school or university.

Marleesa May

West Hartford, CT 
Franchisee: D.E. Foods

Marleesa is a freshman pursuing a bachelor’s in psychology at Johnson & Wales University. She started working at KFC as a team member in 2022 to help pay for college expenses and just a few months later experienced a devasting house fire, forcing her to use those savings to help her family recover. However, she didn’t let this experience define her future and still enrolled for college in the fall as previously planned. Marleesa is passionate about mental health and the psychological aspect of it and plans to use her future degree to help support and motivate others in securing their dreams.

Wilfred Nazario

Chicopee, MA 
Franchisee: Houston Enterprises

Wilfred is a first-generation college student who will start his journey at Elms College to pursue a bachelor’s in nursing this fall. He started working at KFC as a team member in 2021 to help support his mother and younger brother after they immigrated to the mainland from Puerto Rico. He looks forward to helping others in the future as a nurse.

Brandon Partida

Sun City, AZ 
Franchisee: PAK Foods

Brandon is a first-generation college student who will start his journey at Arizona State University to pursue a bachelor’s in business management this fall. He started working with KFC as a team member in 2022 determined to save for college. With his education, Brandon hopes to become a successful entrepreneur who positively impacts the Mexican American community through his business ventures.

Esha Patel

White House, TN 
Franchisee: AJS

Esha is a first-generation college student who will start her journey at the University of California, Irvine to pursue a bachelor’s in biology. She started working at KFC in 2022 as a team member to finance her dream of becoming a medical doctor. Esha hopes to use her future degree to inspire other minority girls and serve as a role model for those who dare to dream big.

Kaden Thomas

Alma, AR 
Franchisee: KBP Foods

Kaden is a first-generation college student who will start his journey at the University of the Ozarks to pursue a bachelor’s in theatre. He started working with KFC as a team member in 2022 before his senior year of high school and plans to continue working part-time at a local KFC after moving into the dorms. Kaden has been a passionate theatre enthusiast his entire life and his dream is to become a successful actor.

Jaden Thompson

Cincinnati, OH 
Franchisee: KBP Foods

Jaden is three-time scholarship recipient pursuing a bachelor’s in music therapy at Baldwin Wallace University. They began their journey with KFC as a team member during high school and return each year during holiday breaks, excited to see the growth of the rest of their team. Jaden is a first-generation college student and looks forward to fulfilling their dream of becoming a music therapist and aiding those in need.

Paige Trosper

Demotte, IN 
Franchisee: Second Gen, Inc.

Paige is a four-time scholarship recipient pursuing a bachelor’s in education from Valparaiso University. She began working at KFC in 2018 as a team member and in the five years since has risen to the role of shift supervisor. Growing up with a tough economic status, Paige plans to use her personal experiences to help her future students see that they still have a future, despite their financial situation. After graduating, Paige hopes to inspire and mentor future generations by teaching at a small-town school.

Valerie Vazquez

Perris, CA 
Franchisee: RBD

Valerie is a freshman double majoring in education and liberal studies at the University of California, Riverside. She began working at KFC in 2022 as a team member and was quickly promoted to shift supervisor. After graduation, Valerie plans to attend graduate school before becoming an elementary school teacher and working hard to improve the education system by advocating for mental health awareness.

As published in Qualcomm’s 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report

Qualcomm’s success would not be possible without our dedicated employees, and our compensation and benefits programs are an important part of how we recognize and reward them for their contributions. These programs are designed to attract and retain talent and to deliver on our commitment to equitable pay.

Our compensation program includes the following three core elements:

Base pay provides non-variable pay based on role and individual performance.Bonus provides an additional cash compensation opportunity based on Company performance and individual contributions.Stock awards allow for participation in the longterm success of the Company. Grants are awarded to new hires and to employees in many roles each year based on future potential.

In 2022, we held regional Compensation and Benefits Town Halls to increase communication and ensure transparency around our programs. More than 22,000 employees, almost half of our global employee base, attended one of the 15 town hall sessions. These sessions covered a range of topics including our compensation and benefits philosophy and foundational components, how base pay and increases are determined during our Annual Review cycle, annual bonus, share-based compensation and overviews of our benefits programs and benchmarking.

Learn more in Qualcomm’s 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report

Originally published on TriplePundit

On-farm animal welfare is a growing concern for consumers. Though some principles of animal welfare — such as housing, nutritional programs and care interactions — have been established, the implementation of these practices is below par in many parts of the world, according to farm animal welfare literature.

To tackle this issue, New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries collaborated directly with farmers and the country’s red meat industry to launch the New Zealand Farm Assurance Program (NZFAP) in 2017. The national program is a collective of red meat and wool businesses that adhere to verified best-practices for animal welfare and production.

We spoke with Dr. Will Halliday, senior advisor for biosecurity and animal welfare at the farmer-owned industry organization Beef + Lamb New Zealand, about the importance of prioritizing animal welfare and the impact of the NZFAP on farmers and other stakeholders.

Ensuring animal welfare is ethical, and it’s also good for business

New Zealand’s Animal Welfare Act, passed in 1999, includes language which recognizes that animals can experience and understand positive and negative emotions. In addition to this, considering and meeting animal welfare standards is also beneficial for businesses, Halliday said.

Animals that are cared for “are more productive,” he told us. “So not only do we have animals that experience a good life, but they are also more productive for our farmers. They grow faster and bigger and produce what we consider to be a premium product.”

New Zealand’s national Assurance Programs — NZFAP and NZFAP Plus — provide certification based on audits in areas of integrity, traceability, biosecurity, origin, environmental sustainability, and animal health and welfare.

“What it means is that customers now can be assured that all of New Zealand’s producers of red meat are meeting that same threshold, the same high-quality standard,” Halliday said. “You can buy a piece of New Zealand meat in the supermarket and have confidence that there is a single standard that has been met by whoever produced that piece of meat. You can be assured they have done it sustainably, with good environmental and animal welfare practices.”

Beef + Lamb New Zealand represents New Zealand’s beef and sheep farmers. Among its members is First Light Farms, a collective of family farms across New Zealand that produce grass-fed wagyu beef and venison and communicate regularly about their duty of care to animals.

“Animal welfare is important to both the public and our customers. Without good animal welfare, farmers would lose the social license to operate in New Zealand,” said Nicola Morgan, general manager of sustainability, technical and quality assurance at First Light Farms. “First Light consumers demand third-party verification that our animals are being treated well.”

Again, she underscored that along with being the right thing to do, treating animals well is essential to ensuring a quality product. “In general, animal welfare affects meat quality, but this is particularly significant for our grass-fed wagyu cattle, who require optimal conditions and welfare to marble well,” Morgan said.

Assurance programs establish credibility, and incentives are a win-win for stakeholders

To date, New Zealand sheep and beef farmers are among the most efficient farmers in the world, and the nation’s red meat carbon footprint is one of the world’s lowest, in fact less than half the global average.

In Halliday’s view, what differentiates New Zealand from other countries is that it takes the approach of farmer-led first, as opposed to top-down regulation. In this “grassroots level” approach, incentives are provided for farmers to take on sustainable and efficient practices — all of which makes assurance programs and incentives a win-win for animals and farmers in the country’s meat industry.

“Farmers can enjoy a premium for the product they supply based on whatever practices they undertake,” Halliday said. “Farmers who do that have better productivity, better animal welfare, and they’re also enjoying the premium.”

How participation in animal welfare groups can drive immediate action

Given that it established animal welfare protections over two decades ago, New Zealand is recognized for its trustworthy animal management practices. National and regional governments, as well as farmers, also want to protect their land and water resources and continue to call for high standards, Morgan said.

“Farmers recognize the value of healthy animals and soil, for production efficiency and future-proofing their asset,” she told us. “Holding third-party verifications delivers a premium from consumers for farmers. Our farmers are farmers because they care about what they do — they want to protect the quality of their land, and they care about their livestock.”

For First Light Farms, involvement in groups like the NZFAP instills confidence in customers and partners, and it offers opportunities to learn, Morgan said. “Being a member of [the NZFAP] gives our farmers a start point,” she said.

Around 8,000 farms across New Zealand are certified in the NZFAP, representing more than 95 percent of the country’s beef, sheep, deer and wool production. Many of them, including First Light Farms, also use certification systems like the Non-GMO Project and the Certified Humane and ASPCA standards to further verify their environmental and animal welfare practices.

“We expect more of our farmers, who rightly expect to be financially rewarded for their investment,” Morgan said. “Having a great product, surrounded by third-party verified attributes, gives both our retail partners and our consumers reassurance and confidence.”

This article series is sponsored by Beef + Lamb New Zealand and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team.

Image courtesy of Beef + Lamb New Zealand

AT&T’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Charlene Lake, joins host Mandi McReynolds to discuss how AT&T’s ESG program has matured and evolved from its CSR roots. Discover what AT&T has learned having published 15 sustainability reports in the past 15 years, how data and regulation are driving change, and predictions for what ESG will look like 10 years in the future.

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A new economic reality has arrived. It came how they often do—gradually, then all at once. Leaders who’d gone all in on rapid growth are downshifting to focus on short-term viability.

All the sudden, quarterly financial goals loom larger. Long-term projects slide to the back burner.

Unfortunately, this atmosphere puts corporate social responsibility programs (CSR) at risk. But abandoning CSR when the market gets volatile is like tossing your compass overboard when a storm blows in.

The truth is: markets might be changing, but expectations are not. All the reasons a CSR program made good business sense last year are even more valid now. Both consumers and employees have high expectations when it comes to social impact, with more than 70% of consumers interested in how brands are addressing social and environmental issues and 60% of employees choosing where they work based on their values. And they are all watching to see how brands respond to the current market.

Plus as the recent report from Deloitte highlights, environmental and ethics regulations continue to add pressure.

If anything, this is not the time to abandon your CSR mission. It’s time to double down. Because you don’t change course when the seas get rough. You get more strategic. Here’s how.

Respond to reality, not headlines

It’s true that the market is shifting for many high-growth, high-profile companies, but the headlines don’t tell the whole story. There are a whole lot of businesses still quietly growing and innovating—they’re just not on the front page right now.

As with much public storytelling, the loudest voices are the ones that make sweeping, dramatic proclamations about where things are headed. Look at the recent conversations around quiet quitting and the shift to remote work. For a while, everywhere you looked, someone was making a new exaggerated claim about the future of work. Reality tends to be more nuanced than headlines would suggest.

Right now, the sky may be cloudy, but it’s not falling.

It’s also important to understand the long arc of social progress. Equity, diversity, justice, and sustainability are not achievable as quarterly goals. They take a sustained, coordinated effort. Candidly, if our commitment to making meaningful change wavers every time the market dips, we don’t stand much of a chance.

Strengthen the ties between CSR and business objectives

In the same way that a volatile market can expose the cracks in a business strategy, these fluctuations also provide a stress test for your CSR strategy.

If company leaders have been treating CSR programs like pet projects, that has to change now. Corporate purpose is an essential business initiative. It needs to be planned and resourced as such.

To be effective, CSR programs need to be strategically integrated with other business initiatives. If you haven’t already, now is the time to tie your CSR mission clearly to business goals.

For example, Splunk, a data company, focuses a good portion of their CSR work on bridging the data divide—the gap between those who have access to the internet, computers, and technical skills, and those who don’t. The mission is a natural extension of their business strategy and it leverages their greatest strengths as an organization.

As part of the Impact Studio Conference, Patricia Toothman, the social impact manager at Splunk, talked about linking the pillars that support business and social impact work: “Connecting all of those pillars and really working towards our overall mission of bridging the data divide, that’s our new BHAG—our Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal. And that’s our North Star as we’re evolving, iterating, and creating new programs.”

As you advocate for your programs, be sure to connect them to your own North Star. And make an effort to explicitly tie your work to broader company objectives such as:

Employee satisfactionBrand loyaltyRetentionProfessional developmentCustomer engagementStrategic partnershipsRevenue

Measure the full value of your CSR programs

In times like this, it’s easy to get locked in on the black/red dichotomy of money in/money out. When it comes to measuring the true value of your social impact programs, don’t get stuck here.

Look at the full range of outcomes that your program contributes to. Alongside the internal outcomes around company culture and employee engagement, the impact of your programs extends into the community. In 2021, corporate giving accounted for over $21 billion of support for charitable causes.

In the past, the effect on communities was considered more a feel-good aspect of CSR. But recent events have reminded all of us how interconnected community and business are. Larry Fink’s letter is proof that the most successful corporate leaders are the ones who understand the full ecosystem that their business exists within. In reality, when the community thrives, businesses do too.

CSR and ESG initiatives also help your business future proof. Rather than reacting to new social and environmental regulations as they happen, you’ll be proactively planning for them. In the long run, a gradual, intentional approach to these changes is good for everyone. Even investors are prioritizing ESG compliance.

Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas, managing director of corporate insights & engagement for CECP, explains how CSR can help you future proof this way: “Companies for generations were focused around what shareholders wanted. And shareholders sometimes were only concerned about the short term. They wanted to be able in the short term see a company increase their profits to a point, see the stock go up so they could sell. They weren’t there for a long-term model. Yes, maybe the company is meeting all minimum regulatory standards, but they’re not necessarily looking at a net-zero future of where the market is potentially headed and where they have to be prepared to operate as a business when the rules might change.”

When company leaders cut CSR programs, they are sometimes focused on the operational costs they’ll save. But you have to take into consideration the costs and the damage to the brand and the community. Revealing your company to be a fair weather ally is a particularly bad look. Plus, if market forces are impacting your business, odds are nonprofits and community members are feeling the squeeze too. Pulling back support now will be extremely destabilizing.

Setting up the infrastructure and partnerships to support your CSR work and then dismantling them can be like taking one step forward, then two steps back.

Find opportunities to innovate

It’s true that the current economic pressure might force you to shift how you provide support to community organizations. It’s time to think outside the box. If you don’t have the resources to fund the same level of grants or donations you’ve done in the past, consider other avenues of giving such as:

Employee giving & matching: Set up a fundraising campaign to encourage employees to donate.Volunteering: Organize volunteer events to give nonprofits additional capacity.In-kind donations: Donate your products or services directly to a nonprofit.Marketing & advocacy: Use your platform to spread the word about an organization and its cause.

As much as this moment tests your commitment to social impact, it will also reveal a lot about your relationships with your nonprofit partners. Do you know what they need? Or do you at least know how to ask what they need?

If you’ve just been writing checks, now is the time to pivot and start building a deeper relationship. Think of the organizations you work with as true partners. Invest time in seeking their feedback and learning how you can better support their work.

This moment also calls for efficiency. Teams will be doing more with less. Case and point: many DEI teams are being cut, but if you look closely, many companies are not backing off their DEI goals. Do everything you can to streamline and centralize your CSR processes to put your team in the best position to deliver results.

Come out stronger on the other side

Like many moments of adversity, this is a chance for your team to weather the storm and come out stronger and wiser on the other side.

As belts tighten and business leaders get even more obsessive about ROI, there’s intense pressure for CSR professionals to make programs as compelling as possible. Now is the time to shore up your strategy.

The big upside of this pressure? Leveraged in the right way, this intensity can shape your social impact programs to be more effective, more efficient, and more ingrained with your business.

For those in the business of social impact, there may be a storm to weather, but the future is bright.