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Transparency in corporate sustainability reporting is pivotal to securing a sustainable future.

August 1, 2023 /3BL/ – Transparency in corporate sustainability reporting is pivotal to securing a sustainable future. However, the recent proposal from the European Commission on the draft Delegated Act on the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) has raised significant concerns. This proposal, if implemented, would weaken the impact of the upcoming Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) regulation (read more about the importance of the CSRD here) and hinder efforts to combat greenwashing . As advocates for the transition to a climate-smart society, South Pole finds this proposal deeply troubling and urges the Commission to reconsider its approach.

The importance of sustainable reporting

Sustainable reporting standards, such as those proposed by the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG), are crucial for enabling companies to capture their impact on the economy, the environment and people. These are the three pillars of corporate sustainability, otherwise known as ESG (environmental, social and governance).

Such standards provide investors with consistent and comparable data, which is essential for achieving the goals outlined in the European Green Deal. By adopting what is known as a double materiality approach (which represents a deeper dive into climate-related impact than just financial materiality), these standards ensure Europe’s continued leadership in sustainability reporting. However, the Commission’s current approach deviates significantly from EFRAG’s original proposal, and could represent a step backwards rather than forwards.

The climate crisis demands urgent action

As COP27 highlighted, now is not the time for diminished ambition, but rather the ‘time for impact‘ – the moment to act decisively to limit average global temperature rises to 1.5°C, and safeguard the lives of future generations. The world’s leading scientific authority on climate change, the IPCC, has emphasised that we must halve emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero no later than 2050 to hold global warming below the planetary tipping point. This gives us less than a decade to complete a fundamental systems change at a pace and scale never seen before. Even the smallest delay could have disastrous consequences.

Troubling proposals

In this context, the slowing of the pace suggested by the Commission’s draft Delegated Act on ESRS presents several worrisome proposals. According to the proposals, smaller companies with fewer than 750 employees will be given more time to implement key standards and data points, including those related to scope 3 emissions as well as social and biodiversity issues. The proposals also imply a phased-in approach, with full reporting not reached until the year 2028 for fiscal year 2027… And all of this when there is no time to lose and dilatory action could have severe repercussions.

More concerning still is the suggestion that the Climate Change Standard, which was initially proposed as a mandatory disclosure mechanism by the EFRAG, will now become voluntary for all companies, leaving the disclosure of related material impacts, risks, policies and actions subject to a materiality assessment. Topics found to be non-material could therefore be excluded from the reporting (as could the explanation for making the exclusion). The new framework, which promised to help companies better understand their impact (and be held accountable for it), therefore seems to be backsliding by removing mandatory reporting on critical climate and social metrics, which raises concerns about the potential for lowering standards and accountability. The Commission’s proposals, if accepted, would allow companies to exclude vital information about their greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity and workforce. Such exclusions undermine the very purpose of the legislation, whose aim is to prevent greenwashing and enable businesses to disclose accurate, comparable and credible information on all aspects of ESG.

The way forward

South Pole is firm in its belief that the draft Delegated Act must be improved in its ambition and scope if it is to establish a clear, consistent and reliable framework for sustainability reporting and respond effectively to the increasing urgency of climate change. Any business, regardless of size, needs to take significant action to align with a 1.5ºC pathway. This must include the accurate disclosure of essential impacts. The proposed revisions to the Delegated Act on ESRS not only fall short of our needs and expectations, but worse, they could pose a risk to the progress we’ve made so far.

In India, if a village manages to bridge the digital divide and the school-going children become computer savvy, it is bound to draw attention.

This is just what has happened in the remote village of Boru in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district. The local Public School managed to bridge the digital divide between the urban and rural communities by sourcing tablets from Lenovo and ushering in the information technology revolution.

Boru is an unassuming village with a population of a little over 5,000 people. Despite the village’s relative obscurity, it was not spared from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Public School was forced to shut down as the country went into a complete lockdown.

This school is the only school in town that underprivileged children relied on for good English education and a promising future. The pandemic and the resultant shutdown put an end to that. Most students who were from low-income families did not have access to any device or laptop to learn from home and thus their education was severely affected, highlighting the digital divide that exists between the privileged and the disenfranchised. The pandemic only widened the digital divide further: Data shows that rural broadband penetration is only 29 percent against the national average of 51 percent.

The school had to do something as children were missing out on their studies due to the unavailability of devices and lack of Internet connectivity, and so the administration launched a campaign where 144 students from classes 5 to 8 were provided with Lenovo’s cost-effective M7 second-generation tablets with 2GB RAM, and sim cards that allowed them1.5GB of data daily.

The results were magical. With almost 100% attendance, the students got back to studying online and did not face a learning gap. Moreover, there were no dropouts.

The school wanted to ensure that the students did not misuse the tablets and reached out to Lenovo for support. The Lenovo tablet team advised the school on the use of educational solutions to make sure that the devices were used only for educational purposes. They deployed the Lenovo ThinkUEM software that allowed for constant monitoring and a check on the content being viewed. The Geofence feature of the program ensured the students were within the defined parameters set by the school. Additional features such as the online status and screen mirroring of the devices allowed teachers to monitor the real-time activity and helped in the quick resolution of any issues.

Another example, where we are bringing in our smarter technology to solve for digital divide is with one of our largest customers ‘Nanhi Kali’ who have been using the Lenovo M7 Tabs for education. Nanhi Kali, a project jointly managed by K.C. Mahindra Education Trust and Naandi Foundation, has been empowering underprivileged girls across India since 1996. Nanhi Kali provides girls with daily afterschool academic support, through centres that operate within government schools. The girls receive access to personalized, adaptive learning software pre-loaded on digital tablets sourced from Lenovo. At present, over 180,000 girls from disadvantaged families have access to Lenovo tablets through this project.

In recent years, the digital divide has attracted much debate, especially in the wake of the pandemic. In India it creates exclusion, endangers social integration, and hampers economic growth for around 360 million students in the country.

However, the intervention of Lenovo technology directly addresses the gap between the digital haves and have-nots, and information technology reaches the doorsteps of even the remotest villages—like Boru. Initiatives such as the CSR partnerships between Lenovo and the NGO Meghshala Trust have resulted in over 5,000 teachers getting trained in 2,300 schools in Karnataka and Manipur. This partnership has assisted more than 210,000 students and 7,000 teachers across India from 2020-2021.

Despite the setbacks due to COVID-19, teachers and educators have innovated at an accelerated pace to provide students and families with educational continuity. Through Lenovo corporate philanthropy, the partnership with Yuva Unstoppable, a not-for-profit working on setting up school infrastructure, resulted in a tablet-based learning and lending initiative, with 2,590 Make in India tablets to 79 government girls’ schools in Gujarat in 2021.

Lenovo’s partnership with Agastya International Foundation also supports STEM education with mobile science labs in government schools in Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai, reaching 8,400 children, and has also created a unique STEM model known as Lab-on-Tab.

By leveraging technology with educators, NGOs, and other stakeholders, Lenovo is helping reinvent learning by adopting a more student-centric approach, providing access to technology to the population that needs it the most. Even local, targeted donations and support can be hugely impactful.. It helped build access to technology in rural areas.

This underlines Lenovo’s belief in providing Smarter Technology for All by empowering under-represented communities with access to technology and STEM education.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., August 1, 2023 /3BL/ – Black & Veatch, a global leader in critical infrastructure solutions, has been selected by Helix Water District in San Diego County, California, to perform design and engineering services for the district’s electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure project.

As water districts, utilities, government entities and commercial and industrial fleet owners advance sustainability efforts and achieve compliance with the latest regulations, the transition to electrified vehicles and needs for related charging infrastructure are becoming more commonplace.

The state of California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) recently approved the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation, which will generally require state and local government fleet purchases of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) or near-zero-emission vehicles (NZEV) in the coming years in California. Starting in 2035, only ZEVs will meet the ACF requirements.

“Our experience with industry-leading clean transportation solutions on a global scale provides a model for reliable and resilient EV infrastructure that can be replicated for water utilities and other fleet operators around the world,” said Scott Maloni, client executive for Black & Veatch.

Water utilities’ interest in electrification is on the rise due to regulations and as part of their sustainability plans. As a climate mitigation or adaptation strategy, 48 percent of respondents to Black & Veatch’s 2023 Water Report said they were pursuing or were planning to pursue the conversion of fleet vehicle(s) to EVs.

Black & Veatch will provide design of all infrastructure for the Helix Water District’s new EV charging stations at its operations center, which will include more than 70 chargers. The project supports the district’s addition of electric-powered light, medium and heavy-duty fleet vehicles and equipment.

Contact Black & Veatch for more information.

Editor’s Notes:

Black & Veatch’s eBook – 10 Steps to Build Sustainable Electric Fleets – available as a free download, considers vehicle electrification’s role in mitigating climate change while bolstering overall energy system resilience. The eBook provides a comprehensive view of fleet planning, from selecting charging technologies and sites to organizational change management, renewables integration and power delivery planning.

About Black & Veatch 
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2022 were US$4.3 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

Media Contact:

Susan Rivera | +1 781 565 5819 | RIVERAS1@BV.COM

24-HOUR MEDIA EMAIL | media@bv.com

CSRHub is proud to announce a new Alert Service. Anyone, anywhere in the world, can now track the rating of any entity that is fully rated by CSRHub.

Each CSRHub Basic Alert generates a monthly report that shows how much a company’s overall rating changed over the past three months. The report flags any change that is above one rating point. It also shows the change over the same period in the company’s average industry and country ratings and if there was a change in the number of sources that track the company.

To cater to your advanced tracking needs, CSRHub is also offering a CSRHub Advanced Alert. The Advanced Alert tracks the Overall Rating for up to five companies over one-month, three-month, and one-year timeframes. Both Alert products are delivered to our users via a PDF report in an email and through a link on our website. This makes them easy to share with your colleagues.

Why should you track a company’s ratings?

Unveiling risk and opportunities: A jump up or down in a company’s ratings may indicate the uncovering of a new risk or opportunity or the addition of a new rating source.Realtime response: If you know that there has been a change in a company’s performance, you should also want to know when (and if) others realize it has occurred.Active benchmarking: You can gain a competitive edge in your industry by staying up to date about your competitors’ and peers’ ratings.Anticipating stakeholder questions: Changes in ratings may prompt questions from stakeholders (employees, investors, customers)—it is better to know ahead of time that these questions may be coming.

Our introductory pricing includes a CSRHub Basic Alert at $10 per month and an Advanced Alert at $40 per month. More than 20,000 companies have enough rating data to enable CSRHub Alert tracking. You can build your first Alert by going to this form and picking the company or companies you want to follow.

See our FAQ page for questions about this new tool.

About CSRHub

CSRHub offers one of the world’s broadest and most consistent set of Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) ratings, covering 50,000 companies. Its Big Data algorithm combines millions of data points on ESG performance from hundreds of sources, including leading ESG analyst raters, to produce consensus scores on all aspects of corporate social responsibility and sustainability. CSRHub ratings can be used to drive corporate, investor and consumer decisions. For more information, visit www.CSRHub.com. CSRHub is a B Corporation.

On Monday, Plant Vogtle Unit 3 entered into commercial operation. This is a historic moment for Southern Company, the state of Georgia and our country.

We embarked on this journey with a strong commitment to our customers, communities and the environment. Though the road was challenging, it was one we had to travel, and we did it. From the beginning, we recognized the need to make the investment to provide our customers with more carbon-free energy today and for generations to come. Tackling the hard things is not always easy, but we remained steadfast in our determination. Honoring our commitments to lead the way toward a net zero future and to deliver exceptional service and value to our customers made every step of this journey profoundly worthwhile.

Thank you to our employees, co-owners, stakeholders, labor partners and contractors who worked tirelessly to make this day possible.

WASHINGTON, August 1, 2023 /3BL/ – World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announces the return of its highly anticipated annual Panda Paddle event from August 4 to 13. This unique fundraising initiative encourages individuals to actively engage with nature, connect with like-minded conservationists, and contribute to WWF’s global conservation efforts.

Panda Paddle is WWF’s premier athletic fundraising event aimed at raising awareness and funds for global conservation all while having fun on the water. Panda Paddle connects people to nature within their own communities. Given that the hottest day on record was just recorded this past July, WWF invites everyone to “cool off” and enjoy their favorite water activity such as standup paddling, kayaking, canoeing, and more. Panda Paddle is in its sixth year and over 3,000 paddlers have participated since 2018. The event has raised nearly $1 million for nature since its inception.

This year, for the first time, WWF will be hosting a virtual kickoff event with the founder of the Black Surfing Association East Coast branch, Lou Harris. Harris will join pro paddler and surfer Anthony Vela and Charles Sumpter, WWF’s Senior Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for a conversation about the Black surfing experience over time and the need for greater representation in both water sports and conservation. This virtual event will take place on Wednesday, August 2 at 1:30pm ET. The event is open to the public and participants can register here.

To join Panda Paddle, interested individuals can register via WWF’s Panda Paddle website and sign-up as an individual or as part of a team. Registration requires a fee of $40, and while there is no minimum fundraising commitment, participants are encouraged to raise critical funds to support WWF’s global conservation work. Between August 4 and 13, participants choose a preferred time and location to engage in their water activity, paddling with a purpose. As a token of appreciation, individuals who achieve significant fundraising milestones will receive exclusive rewards, including a Panda Paddle race shirt, a Panda Paddle beach towel, and other thank-you gifts. Moreover, all registrants will receive a Panda Paddle medal as a symbol of their commitment to conservation. The top fundraiser will receive a custom Infinity SUP paddleboard with Panda Paddle 2023’s official artwork.

To spread inspiration and encourage others to get involved, WWF urges participants to share their photos using the hashtag #PandaPaddle on social media.

For more details and to register, please visit WWF’s website worldwildlife.org/paddle.

Panda Paddle images for media use: https://hive.panda.org/Share/yw06l206l0jteb2pv222744ea86rm8h8

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (WWF)

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts here.

Covia is the responsible steward of over 80,000 acres of land across our footprint. Planning for responsible land use is embedded throughout the life cycle of our operations – from our careful approach to early development and operational planning, to our production phase, all the way through our collaborative reclamation process aimed at protecting, restoring, and nurturing the land and biodiversity.

With this in mind, Covia Mexico Team Members including Environmental Coordinator Abel Oswaldo Cabada Mendoza, began brainstorming ideas about Covia’s Canoitas, Mexico site. After months of planning, they recently opened their site’s first forest nursery – El Huixachin. Located near the plant, El Huixachin will grow native trees and plants such as huisache, mesquite, guajillo, chapote, and yucca coahulensis.

The planning and establishment of this nursey was no small task. The Team has created a nursery that has the capacity to grow 12,000 plants per year with plans to donate much of the harvest to local schools, gardens, and parks. This initiative aims to contribute to the site’s reclamation initiatives, but more importantly, to boost the site’s ties with local communities, fostering a shared commitment to environmental stewardship.

Mendoza commented on this great accomplishment saying, “This first stage of the nursery represents a lot for Planta Canoitas and the Environmental Team. We are cultivating a culture of sustainability and aiming to increase interest in conservation practices. We plan to teach species reproduction and planting techniques so that Team Members and community members can replicate these skills in their homes and neighborhoods. This program is a part of our ESG strategy and driven by our core value, Act Responsibly.”

Our nation’s heroes and their families should not have to battle for a place in the civilian workforce. Although there’s been progress recently in how employers recruit and hire military-connected talent, we can’t take our eye off the ball.

As we recognize National Hire a Veteran Day, it’s necessary to confront the barriers veterans and military spouses encounter in their civilian careers. It’s not enough to thank them for their service and sacrifices. Instead, we must transform our gratitude into action and continue to work together to bridge the military-civilian divide.

Approximately 200,000 service members transition from military to civilian life each year, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. These veterans bring a unique combination of technical skills and applicable experience to the civilian workforce. They’re exceptional leaders, strategic thinkers, and problem solvers. They’re also team-oriented, dedicated, and disciplined. Yet, too many struggle to find meaningful employment after they hang up their uniforms.

The employment landscape is even more challenging for military spouses, a group often overshadowed in this discourse. For more than a decade, they have faced an unemployment rate at or above 20%, a figure largely attributed to frequent relocations. Moreover, the Blue Star Families’ annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey found that financial pressures and spousal unemployment or underemployment were the biggest issues affecting military families in 2022.

A common misconception among employers is that military service doesn’t translate to the civilian workplace. However, only a small fraction of veterans—roughly 20%—served in combat-related roles. The others worked in career fields that also exist in the civilian sector, such as logistics, engineering, cybersecurity, communications, and more.

Here at Comcast NBCUniversal, we deeply value the diverse backgrounds and skillsets of our military-connected colleagues. They serve in a variety of roles across the enterprise, from project management to marketing, and their work ethic and adaptability are invaluable attributes in our fast-paced, dynamic industry.

That’s why we’ve implemented military culture training programs for our recruiters and hiring managers, including the SHRM Foundation’s Veterans at Work Certificate Program and PsychArmor’s School for Employers. Through these programs, we deepen our team’s understanding of military service and ability to identify transferable skills. We also offer fellowships for transitioning service members and paid internships for student veterans and military spouses who are searching for their next career.

Since 2015, we’ve welcomed more than 20,000 veterans and military spouses into our Comcast NBCUniversal family. For us, though, it’s about more than just hiring numbers. It’s about cultivating an inclusive and empowering environment where military-connected employees can grow and thrive.

20K+ Veterans and military spouses welcomed into the Comcast NBCUniversal family

No matter where our teammates are in their military journey, we’re here to support them and their families at every turn and through every transition. We’re aware of the challenges many face because of military service, and we’re proud to offer a comprehensive list of employee benefits and programs to meet their unique needs. This includes our Military Concierge, Guard and Reserve Leave, Differential Pay, and Military Spouse Transfer Assistance.

Our Veterans Network (VetNet) Employee Resource Group is another great example of how our connection to the military company has influenced our company culture and focus. With over 8,500 members, this group serves as a vital support system for our military-connected teammates, providing opportunities for mentorship, networking, and professional development. VetNet members also participate in several veteran-related service projects each year, including Wreaths Across America, Boxes to Boots, and our Flag Replacement Program.

8.5K+ Veterans Network (VetNet) Employee Resource Group members

Comcast has a longstanding tradition of serving those who have served. Our founder, Ralph Roberts, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and we continue to honor his legacy by donating to military community-serving organizations, creating special experiences for our military customers, and supporting veteran-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs through Comcast RISE.

More than ever, we’re focused on helping veterans and their families navigate our increasingly digital world. We recently announced plans to expand our installation of Lift Zones in community centers nationwide through Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to advancing digital equity. These Lift Zones provide military families with free, high-capacity WiFi, along with access to digital literacy programs and workforce development resources. In addition, we’re partnering with NPower and other nonprofit organizations to provide tech training and job placement.

Ultimately, we view our enduring commitment to hiring and empowering veterans and their families as an investment—one that not only enhances our workforce, but also contributes to the health of our nation’s military. All branches of the military are struggling to meet their recruitment goals, and we support those who serve by addressing the most pressing needs of military families, creating pathways to meaningful employment for veterans and military spouses, and helping members of the Guard and Reserve find balance between their military and civilian careers.

As a military spouse and the mother of a service member, I’m proud to lead the Military Engagement effort at Comcast NBCUniversal, and I extend my sincere gratitude to all companies and organizations that share our passion for supporting veterans and their families. I also encourage more businesses to strengthen and diversify their workforces with military talent.

It’s time to recognize the potential of our veterans and military spouses and bring them into the fold. So, this National Hire a Veteran Day, let’s all make a commitment to value their service in our businesses as much as we value their service to our nation.

To learn more about Comcast NBCUniversal’s Military Engagement initiative, click here. Jobseekers can explore opportunities at Comcast Careers, NBCUniversal Careers, and through Comcast NBCUniversal’s LinkedIn page.

Mona Dexter is Vice President of Military and Veteran Affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal, a military spouse, and the mother of a service member.

PARIS, August 1, 2023 /3BL/ – Now more than ever, those responsible for food safety face unprecedented change. The executive summary of the 2023 GFSI Conference, just released, offers insights and strategies to help food industry professionals overcome the challenges.

The 40-plus page recap covers all the sessions of the three-day conference, which looked at ways to tackle the turmoil facing the food safety world amid supply chain disruption, climate shocks, and workforce shortages.

In electronic format, the summary gives an end-to-end digest of an event that brought together more than 700 food safety experts from 50 countries to take swift action and identify new approaches to pressing 21st century food safety challenges. Under the theme “Delivering Safe Food in Turbulent Times: The Need for Agility and Resilience”, participants sought out, shared and got answers to problems common among those striving to ensure safe food for all.

The words and images relive the jam-packed line-up of top experts from industry, regulatory bodies, intergovernmental organisations and academia, and summarize their ideas concisely. They provide compelling insights from the expanded series of breakout sessions that covered : harmonisation and benchmarking, public-private partnerships, and capability building.

>> Read Executive Summary at the GFSI website. 

>> Learn more about the GFSI conference

>> See the highlight videos

Notes to editors:

About the Global Food Safety Initiative

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI; the Coalition) is a CEO-led Coalition of Action from The Consumer Goods Forum, bringing together 44 retailers and manufacturers and an extended food safety community to help oversee food safety standards for businesses and help provide access to safe food for people everywhere. As one of the world’s largest networks to help achieve safe food , GFSI is committed to making food safety everyone’s business and the Coalition members are addressing challenges facing food safety systems in their supply chains and the markets they operate in, and are helping to raise the food safety bar globally. Its ambition is to strengthen and harmonise food safety systems so they are able to feed the growing, global population and develop markets that can deliver food safely, no matter where in the world the consumer is. Learn more at: www.mygfsi.com

For further information: Contact James Pieper, Senior Manager, Communications, GFSI, The Consumer Goods Forum, at j.pieper@theconsumergoodsforum.com or on +33 787 69 34 11.

This June marked the firm’s 17th Impact Days, Franklin Templeton’s annual global month of service led by its global volunteering program, Involved. These June volunteer events were designed to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most, while giving Franklin Templeton employees a chance to make meaningful connections with each other. Read the article featuring global events.

Locally, employees developed ways to help and give back to their communities through a variety of events, including tree planting, landscaping, renovating classrooms, preparing meals and donating school supplies.

International Events

Canada 
Canada employees celebrated Impact Days in many ways. On June 7, Involved volunteers, supported by the nonprofit Tree Canada, by planting more than 120 trees in Allison’s Park Mississauga. On June 12, Toronto employees created 80 welcome packages for children and youth participating in the Jays Care RBI program, which is designed to enhance the mental and physical health of kids through sports. On June 13, volunteers visited Canadian Blood Services, a nonprofit organization that provides blood, plasma, and transfusion and stem cell registry services.

Hong Kong 
Employees in Hong Kong partnered with St. James’ Settlement, a social service agency, in celebrating the Dragon Boat festival. They handmade rice dumplings to distribute to local communities and older people in need.

India 
On June 3, 20 volunteers added pictures of animals, vegetables and flowers to the classrooms of MPPS P&T Colony school to help kids learn and identify objects easily.

Hyderabad employees visited the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home on June 10. Volunteers delivered groceries, helped clean up the garden and spent the day engaging in conversation with residents.

The Mumbai office had young magicians visit the office to take employees to the world of creativity. Students and alumni from the Akanksha Foundation and volunteers in the Mumbai office played concept games focused on critical thinking, problem solving and communication, followed by a violin recital to celebrate the spirit of giving back.

On June 24, New Delhi volunteers visited local longtime partner Van Phool School, a facility that caters to 100 less-privileged students from poorer areas of the city. Volunteers engaged in fun activities with students and teachers and donated books, school bags, stationery and a wholesome meal.

Japan 
Thirteen Tokyo employee volunteers went “plogging” in Marunouchi, the district where the Franklin Templeton office is located, picking up litter during a walk or run. The session lasted 30 minutes, and the collection weighed about 22 pounds (10 kilograms).

Malaysia 
In June, colleagues in Malaysia hosted a food drive to support the local children’s shelter, a home for at-risk youth often recovering from abuse or neglect. On June 8, volunteers visited the facility to donate food and other supplies and spend the day with the children. On June 26 and July 4, Kuala Lumpur volunteers visited the Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) and helped pack meals to feed individuals experiencing homelessness.

Singapore 
Involved Singapore invited 15 flower enthusiasts to a floral arrangement event on June 23 to handcraft bouquets with preserved flowers guided by a professional florist. Fifteen caregivers from Dementia Singapore joined the workshop as part of the organization’s initiative to achieve more holistic care.

US events 

California 
On June 16, Rancho Cordova, CA volunteers partnered with Rebuilding Together Sacramento to help with general home repairs and maintenance to improve the lives of vulnerable residents and revitalize the greater Sacramento community.

On June 7, 20 San Mateo, CA volunteers put together 257 candy bags for Soldiers’ Angels to ensure that deployed military members and veterans know they aren’t forgotten. Volunteers created personalized thank you cards and filled candy bags.

On June 21, more than 50 San Mateo, CA volunteers joined a fun, fast-paced event run by Rise Against Hunger (RAH) to assemble 10,000 meal bags to be shipped to international communities in need.

Florida 
On June 17, Florida volunteers walked up and down the Fort Lauderdale, FL Beach with buckets, garbage pickers and sanitation equipment, collecting about 17 pounds (7.7 kilograms) of trash.

Throughout June, Fort Lauderdale, FL Involved hosted its annual towel drive to support HOPE South Florida, a local organization providing services to the homeless.

On June 17, St. Petersburg, FL employees volunteered at Clothes to Kids, a nonprofit providing new and quality clothing to low-income or in-crisis school-aged children. Volunteers helped sort and tag incoming donations at the organization’s Tampa location. On June 27, St. Petersburg, FL employees hosted a bake sale to raise funds for Community Action Stops Abuse, an organization working to end domestic violence. The proceeds from the bake sale have gone to support individuals who have escaped abusive situations or environments.

New York and New Jersey 
Colleagues in New York, NY kicked off Impact Days on May 31 at the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge. All proceeds from the world’s largest corporate running event benefit the Central Park Conservancy.

On June 28, New York City volunteers decorated birthday cards and added personal notes for isolated older New Yorkers who receive meals from Citymeals on Wheels. Getting a personalized note along with their meal can brighten their day.

On June 26, Short Hills, NJ employees joined for pizza, drinks, salads and dessert for a suggested $10 donation to fundraise for the Essex County LGBT Reaching Adolescents in Need (RAIN) Foundation.

About Franklin Templeton 
Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in fixed income, equity, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,300 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California-based company has over 75 years of investment experience and over $1.4 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2023. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.