Tag: 3BL

September 23, 2025 /3BL/ – The WSLA Alumnae Group is proud to announce that entries are now open for the 12th annual Women in Sustainability Leadership Awards. The WSLA Awards advance, honor, and connect the most powerful women at the forefront of sustainability who are driving transformative change across industries and communities.

Since its founding, WSLA has recognized 146 women whose leadership has created a positive and lasting impact on the planet. With the upcoming 2026 class, the WSLA Alumnae Group will grow to more than 150 women strong. Together, this distinguished network of leaders not only advances sustainability initiatives worldwide but also uplifts the next generation of changemakers through mentorship — a cornerstone of the program’s mission.

Applications can be submitted here on the WSLA Alumnae Group website from September 15 to October 31, 2025. Awardees will be celebrated at the 12^th annual WSLA awards ceremony on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, during the GreenBiz26 conference hosted by Trellis in Scottsdale, AZ, from February 17 to 19. (Exact timing and location to come).

Eligibility Requirements
Nominees must:

• Have at least 15 years of professional work experience
• Possess a minimum of seven years of sustainability leadership,
• Have at least seven years of experience managing others
• Make a significant contribution to the sustainability profession, creating a noteworthy, lasting, and positive impact on the planet
• Value mentorship and actively guide other female leaders

“As we continue to build a more sustainable future, we must empower the women who are leading the charge,” said Lisa Colicchio, Vice President of the WSLA Alumnae Group. “The WSLA Awards aren’t just about recognition; they’re about investing in the visionary women who are pioneering solutions to our planet’s biggest challenges. We encourage all eligible women in sustainability to apply and join a growing network of changemakers.”

Sponsorship Opportunities

The WSLA Alumnae Group also invites organizations and companies to support the 12th Annual WSLA Awards through sponsorship. By sponsoring, partners will help elevate and celebrate women leading sustainability worldwide while aligning their brand with a network of influential changemakers. Sponsorship opportunities include recognition at the awards ceremony, year-round visibility, and engagement with the WSLA alumnae network. Interested organizations can learn more at https://www.wsla.global/sponsors, or email amaclean@arbnco.com.

About WSLA Alumnae Group
The WSLA Alumnae Group, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is a community of past Women in Sustainability Leadership Award winners: over 145 of the most influential women* trailblazers who have become a powerful force in the profession of creating a more sustainable world. The group’s annual awards program, summits, and mentorship opportunities continue to pave the way in sustainability and for future leaders in the field. For more information, visit https://www.wsla.global.

*WSLA welcomes a diversity of women to unite as a strong collective of unique lived experiences and perspectives committed to sustainability and impactful environmental stewardship. WSLA is a strong proponent, advocate, and practitioner of equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice, and as such is an organization open to all women. Our definition of women is expansive and includes those who may identify as non-binary, genderqueer, gender expansive, two-spirit, and otherwise do not exist within a gender binary.

# # #

Press Contact:
Rochelle Routman
WSLA Alumnae Group
Website: www.wsla.global

Read More

CHARLOTTE, N.C., September 23, 2025 /3BL/ – Multiple solutions by Discovery Education are winners in the 2025 Best for Back to School Awards from Tech & Learning. Discovery Education is the creator of essential PreK-12 learning solutions used in classrooms around the world.

Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Back to School 2025 help educators discover the most effective products and solutions for any learning environment. Tech & Learning judges evaluated products based on their versatility, value, and ability to solve specific problems and ability to support innovative, effective teaching and learning. 

“In an era where AI and new technologies are reshaping the classroom, and districts are focusing on sustainable, long-term investments, our readers rely on Tech & Learning to highlight the best products to support an equitable and effective learning environment,” says Tech & Learning Content Director, Christine Weiser. “The winning products met our rigorous evaluation criteria to qualify for this prestigious list.”

This year, the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Back to School 2025 selected the following Discovery Education solutions as winners:

Discovery Education Experience

The essential companion for engaged classrooms, Discovery Education Experience is a supplemental cross-curricular digital resource that inspires teachers, motivates students, and supports instruction in science, social studies, and all other academic disciplines. Designed expressly for K-12 schools, Experience delivers all-in-one, ready-to-teach lessons and strategies, exciting career exploration resources, standards-aligned content, and flexible tools for differentiation and assessment. 

For back to school 2025, Discovery Education announced a host of new enhancements to Discovery Education Experience that include new tools and resources, AI technology, additional career explorations, and more such as:

• Ready-to-teach lessons that enhance curriculum with research-based strategies.
• Immersive learning resources that active participation, critical thinking, and real-world application of knowledge.
• New virtual field trips that take students to unique places with partners such as DC Comics, Warner Bros. Discovery, the National Science Foundation, the NBA and WNBA, and more.

DreamBox Math

DreamBox Math by Discovery Education is a K-8 online math program that supplements core instruction in the classroom or at home and is independently proven by several third-party research organizations to increase math achievement. DreamBox Math by Discovery Education adapts dynamically to the learner, providing tailored instruction within a highly engaging, gamified learning environment. DreamBox Math lessons are available in both English and Spanish and are standards-aligned.

Along with actionable reporting and tools that empower differentiation for all learners, DreamBox Math offers teachers content-specific professional learning and provides administrators critical insights into student progress. With DreamBox Math, every student is empowered to independently engage in interactive problem solving so they can develop conceptual understanding, apply a variety of strategies, and gain competence and confidence in mathematical reasoning and skills.

DreamBox Reading

DreamBox Reading by Discovery Education starts young readers off right with a highly engaging, systematic approach to literacy aligned to the Science of Reading. Built on the company’s patented Intelligent Adaptive Learning platform, DreamBox Reading captures data from student answers, strategies, and behaviors to personalize learning in real time. 

This adaptivity ensures that students are met where they are with just-right instruction and fun activities. Using DreamBox Reading, students develop proficiency over foundational skills through learning experiences built around their own progress, performance, productive struggle, and age-appropriate play.

The back to school improvements for 2025 broaden DreamBox Reading’s coverage to support all PreK-5 learners and expand educators’ abilities to develop students’ foundational skills and confidence in reading through personalized instruction. These updates include:

• Expanded access to adaptive and personalized Learning for older readers. New content includes more essential concepts and topics critical for learning to read, including foundational skills such as phonics, decoding, guided reading, and language skills such as vocabulary, spelling, word learning strategies, and more.
• Enhancements to the student experience including a new, motivating, age-appropriate learning environment has been created to engage upper elementary learners.
• Improved teaching and learning support with professional learning resources for PreK-5 educators that help to maximize classroom impact.

DreamBox Reading by Discovery Education is certified as meeting the rigorous, evidence-based ESSA Tier IV standards as set forth in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This research and more can be found here.  

“Thank you to the Tech & Learning judges for their thoughtful review of the submissions to the Best for Back to School Awards. Discovery Education works tirelessly to ensure educators have what they need, and want, to engage students in effective learning experience starting at the first bell,” said Brian Shaw, Chief Executive Officer at Discovery Education. “We are honored to receive this recognition, and I know these awards will inspire Discovery Education the team to continue innovating solutions that help all students achieve.”

Learn more about the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Back to School 2025 here.

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

###

About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art, PreK-12, digital solutions help educators engage all students and support higher academic achievement. Through award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools that are effective, engaging, and easy to use, Discovery Education helps educators deliver powerful learning experiences. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Through partnerships with districts, states, and trusted organizations, Discovery Education empowers teachers with essential edtech solutions that inspire curiosity, build confidence, and accelerate learning. Learn more at www.discoveryeducation.com. 

Contact
Grace Maliska
Discovery Education
Email: gmaliska@discoveryed.com

In this follow-up to our last episode on climate resilience, Host Beatrice Bizarro, Water Stewardship Technology Lead at HPC Italy and the Inogen Alliance Global Water Working Group Leader, sits down with Ilaria Troncia, Sustainability Consultant, HPC, to discuss key takeaways from this year’s World Water Week event. The episode highlights the critical need to integrate climate and water management, emphasizing resilience, collaboration, and effective communication.

Listen Now:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Guest Quote:

 ”Water stewardship isn’t just a technical exercise about conservation or compliance. It’s really about understanding the real, often hidden, interconnection between nature, people, businesses, and also different levels of these three elements.”

———

Time Stamps
00:32 The Importance of Water in Climate Conversations

01:32 World Water Week Congress Insights

02:53 Experiences and Learnings from World Water Week

07:13 Challenges in Water Stewardship

12:36 Defining Success in Water Stewardship

17:28 Key Lessons and Future Directions

Sustainability 101 is a blog series that you can turn to for information about different environmental terms that may come up at work, during discussions with friends, and even at your family gatherings.

Whether we’re purchasing grocery items wrapped in plastic or receiving a home shipment packed in polystyrene peanuts, packaging is part of our everyday lives. However, much of it becomes waste after one use.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 31% of plastics produced are for packaging – often single-use and with an average six-month lifespan. Plastic is widely used as an effective packaging material, but as waste in the environment, it can have a negative impact.

Research published in the November 16, 2024, Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances shows that that in landfills, plastic can emit toxins and become a source of greenhouse gases (GHGs), and in oceans, it can break down into microparticles that could disrupt food chains and contribute to a variety of health disorders.

Some other non-recyclable or non-compostable packaging items include foam, aluminum foil with food residue, and fused components such as cardboard attached to foam that cannot be easily separated for recycling.

How does this influence consumers’ choices? A 2025 McKinsey & Company survey reports that 77 percent of respondents consider recyclable packaging “extremely important” or “very important,” while 62 percent responded the same about packaging made from recycled materials.

Packaging sustainability: Materials matter

In a circular economy, industries adjust their processes to enable the reuse and regeneration of materials. The goal is to make products with the smallest environmental impact using the fewest resources possible.

By focusing on materials, companies can make their product containers and components more sustainable, such as berry growers using compostable trays or cosmetics manufacturers using refillable containers for post-purchase reuse.

Some other strategies include:

• Reducing or eliminating unnecessary components
• Using QR codes to digitize information vs. printed materials
• Incentivizing consumer recycling with rewards or by providing clear instructions on how to recycle

Using these alternatives can help reduce packaging waste while aligning with customer values. It also can help reduce packaging costs, optimize space efficiency, and build in regulatory compliance.

How Cisco’s strategy has evolved to think “inside the box”

For Cisco, packaging sustainability is the practice of minimizing waste by reducing or removing certain materials — such as single-use plastic bags and foam — and replacing them with alternative materials that are renewable, recyclable, or both.

In 2019, Cisco developed a set of Circular Design Principles for its products across five categories — one of which is packaging and accessories. Product teams and packaging engineers in our Supply Chain Operation team collaborate at the outset of the design phase to craft a package that provides the optimal balance of product protection and circularity. Many of our products now incorporate recyclable fiber-based cushions like FiberFlute®, paper tube cushions, and molded pulp to replace foam. Through Cisco’s No Paper Initiative, QR codes for digital product information avoid material use altogether.

A good example is the Cisco Ceiling Microphone Pro package, which is fully fiber based. Instead of plastic trays, we opted for unbleached molded pulp-fiber trays that are strong enough to cushion the fragile unit, yet light enough for cost-effective shipping. We also swapped out the conventional single-use plastic bag with a custom-fit paper sleeve that fully encases the unit and shields it from dust and abrasion.

Packaging from legacy products can be modified for circularity as well, and Cisco’s Catalyst 9300 Enterprise Switch is a prime example.

To replace foam, we used recycled thermoforms to cushion the chassis — eliminating about 250 metric tonnes of foam annually — and recycled and recyclable fiber-based retention packs for the power supply units — avoiding approximately 70 additional metric tonnes per year. To eliminate plastic bags, we opted for paper flag labels on power cords, consolidated small parts across multiple bags, and swapped out plastic for paper-based envelopes. In fiscal 2025, Cisco applied these packaging changes to the new generation Cisco C9350 smart switches.

Packaging sustainability: A Circular Design Principle

Circular Design Principles have transformed the product and packing design process at Cisco. Other examples of how we incorporate circularity into our packaging include:

• Reducing materials usage with a heightened focus on plastics reduction
• Designing containers and packing materials to be separable and easily recycled at end of use
• Using post-consumer waste in new packaging parts
• Eliminating paper documentation in new product shipments
• Reducing the shipment of unused accessories by offering our customers an opt-out option during the ordering experience
• Using multipack solutions to reduce material usage and bundling containers for large shipments to reduce the number of boxes needed

By using more efficient, renewable, and recyclable materials, Cisco not only helps keep waste out of landfills but reduces costs and saves resources.

Learn more about these initiatives and Cisco’s packaging sustainability goals in the Cisco Purpose Reporting Hub.

View original content here.

Patrick O’Connell, CFA | Director—Responsible Investing Portfolio Solutions and Research

Marie Clara Buellingen | Head of Sustainable Finance for the Americas at Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking

Blended finance has the potential to transform overlooked markets into investable opportunities.

The United Nations (UN) warns of a roughly US$4 trillion annual shortfall in financing for its sustainable development goals—a gap too large for the public sector to fill alone. Blended finance, which combines public, philanthropic and private capital, can help bridge this divide and unlock progress on global priorities such as poverty reduction, climate action and access to clean energy.

A decade after the UN adopted its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, progress toward many of its goals remains stalled. While some elements of the plan, such as rural electrification, have advanced, insufficient funding has impeded others. Nearly 3.5 billion people live in countries where governments spend more on interest payments than on healthcare or education—leaving little capacity to invest in sustainable development.

At the same time, according to the IMF, global environmental, social and governance (ESG) funds have largely avoided emerging markets. Even though these economies drove the bulk of global GDP growth over the past 10 years, they were allocated only about 6% of global ESG portfolios (Display).

This mismatch highlights a significant untapped opportunity. Blended finance offers a way to gather capital at scale, mobilizing both mainstream investors and those seeking impact. And it charts a path forward: expanding access to underserved markets and growth sectors while offering attractive potential risk-adjusted returns, typically in investment-grade packages.

But first, a quick word on taxonomy.

The Building Blocks of Blended Finance

Blended finance rests on three types of capital: public, philanthropic and private.

• Public capital—such as development finance institutions, multilateral banks and government agencies—is usually the first mover. It provides commitments such as guarantees, subsidized loans, anchor investments and policy supports that reduce perceived risk for others.
• Philanthropic capital—from foundations, donor funds or high-net-worth individuals—is often used to provide early grants, technical assistance or risk-absorbing funds that bridge gaps and unlock innovation. In some frameworks, it’s bundled with concessional forms of public finance under the label “catalytic” or “concessionary” capital. Here, concessional simply means that capital is provided on below-market terms. (In this article, we use “catalytic capital” to mean concessional public or philanthropic funding that accepts below-market economics or first-loss positions to de-risk projects so that private capital can provide the scale.)
• Private capital—including institutional investors, banks and corporations—typically comes later, bringing scale and efficiency, along with an expectation of market-level returns. In some schematics, this is called “commercial” or “market-rate” capital.

Each of these buildings blocks plays a distinct role: public capital lays the foundation, philanthropic capital helps further de-risk projects and attract private capital, and private capital drives growth and market depth (Display). Combined in complementary ways, they can mobilize far more resources than any source could on its own.

Growing the Ecosystem: Coordinating Across the Capital Stack

Mobilizing capital at the scale required to close a US$4 trillion gap is no small task. Developing nations must secure financing on manageable terms that can also attract investors—requiring coordination among asset managers, development banks, sovereign governments, rating agencies, philanthropic foundations, insurers and nongovernmental organizations.

Attracting large, durable flows of private capital is especially difficult. Early co-creation among these stakeholders can help produce transparent structures that can be replicated. And catalytic resources brought into the riskiest stages of development can help turn early concepts into viable investment opportunities—building a stronger pipeline for private capital to follow.

A major step toward that kind of coordination came with the inaugural Impact and Blended Finance Conference, held earlier this year. Co-hosted by AllianceBernstein, Societe Generale and the Emerging Markets Investors Alliance, the event brought together stakeholders from across the capital stack and served as a model of buy- and sell-side partnership.

Growing the Ecosystem: Creating a Repository

At the conference, Boston Consulting Group and Societe Generale proposed creating a centralized repository to support blended-finance transactions. By aggregating data on funding availability by region, sector and instrument type, such a resource could streamline dealmaking, reduce transaction costs and increase transparency.

A centralized repository could be a major catalyst for expanding blended finance, helping investors deploy capital more efficiently and at greater scale. It could also make catalytic funding easier to access by reducing variability in eligibility, application and reporting requirements that too often slows projects down.

Growing the Ecosystem: Measuring Success

Scaling blended finance requires clear and consistent measures of success. Investors need to understand both the financial outcomes and the environmental or social impact of each transaction. Developing a common set of standards facilitates reliability and comparability. Such a rigorous approach helps reduce the risk of greenwashing—ensuring that capital is flowing to projects with demonstrable impact while also meeting investor economics. Over time, this kind of transparency builds confidence and encourages more investors to participate.

While stronger coordination, a centralized repository and clearer impact metrics are essential for scaling blended finance tomorrow, investors can already find tangible structures they can put capital into today.

Novel Tools for Sustainable Investment

Among the most visible applications of blended finance are innovative bond structures that channel capital directly into sustainability projects. Two examples—debt-for-nature swaps and outcome bonds—show how creative approaches can deliver both measurable impact and competitive returns.

Debt-for-nature swaps allow developing countries to reduce sovereign debt in exchange for investments in conservation. The structures are complex and require coordination among asset managers, multilateral development banks, sovereign governments and conservation organizations. But the benefits are threefold: for countries at risk of default, these arrangements are a cost-effective way of easing debt burdens; proceeds are directed toward critical projects such as protecting rainforests or safeguarding endangered species; and investors may purchase the bonds at attractive valuations.

One recent debt-for-nature swap not only helped conserve 60,000 square kilometers of Ecuadorian marine territory but also delivered yields higher than many US corporate bonds with comparable credit ratings.

Outcome bonds, like debt-for-nature swaps, fund sustainable development but often with more clearly defined goals. These bonds typically appeal to investors focused on a specific theme, such as restoring the population of black rhinos or reforesting the Amazon.

In some cases, coupon payments are adjusted based on project results—providing investors with both measurable impact and principal protection when issued or guaranteed by a highly rated development institution such as the World Bank.

Historically, outcome bonds have had higher yields than other assets of similar credit quality, and their impact is quantifiable: investors know precisely how many trees were planted, how much carbon was sequestered, or how may rhinos were conserved.

Turning Potential into Outcomes

For blended finance to achieve its promise, it must deliver both measurable impact and returns attractive enough to draw mainstream investors.

Catalytic capital plays a critical role in unlocking larger flows of private investment. When catalytic resources de-risk transactions, sustainability-linked instruments can advance global development priorities while also offering compelling returns to investors.

The challenge is vast, but so is the opportunity: blended finance gives investors a chance to participate at the start of a market poised for major growth.

The views expressed herein do not constitute research, investment advice or trade recommendations, do not necessarily represent the views of all AB portfolio-management teams and are subject to change over time.

Learn more about AB’s approach to responsibility here.

When it comes to global trade, time is money. For companies looking to expand in the Americas, DP World’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the Dominican Republic offers a unique opportunity to move fast, scale quickly, and help shape an ecosystem designed for the future of logistics.

At the heart of this transformation is DP World’s $760 million investment to expand the Port of Caucedo and develop 225 hectares of integrated logistics and industrial infrastructure. For early movers, the advantages go beyond location – they extend to influence, incentives, and impact.

Proximity That Changes the Game

Imagine cutting weeks off shipping times. Goods from Caucedo can reach Miami in three days and New York in just five – an unrivaled advantage compared to Asian supply chains that can take several weeks. This speed-to-market capacity allows businesses to respond to shifting consumer demand, reduce inventory holding costs, and maintain leaner, more agile supply chains.

Shaping Infrastructure from the Start

Early adopters aren’t just leasing space; they’re helping set the standard for what this SEZ will become. With more than 120 new industrial buildings, multimodal transport links, and flexible warehousing options in development, first movers gain a seat at the table to influence infrastructure, services, and even sustainability practices that align with their operational needs.

Incentives That Multiply Over Time

The Dominican Republic already hosts more than 850 companies in its free trade zones, but demand continues to outpace availability. Those who secure early entry into the expanded SEZ will enjoy preferential trade incentives – including tariff-free access to U.S. markets under DR-CAFTA – as well as priority access to state-of-the-art facilities. The zone is projected to create up to 50,000 jobs and attract nearly $3.9 billion in foreign direct investment, amplifying its long-term ecosystem value.

Building Growth on ESG Principles

What sets this project apart is its ESG-driven foundation. From deploying electric equipment to supporting environmental protection initiatives along the coast, DP World is embedding sustainability into every phase of SEZ development. The company builds on a rich history of sustainable operations in Latin America spanning electrification, habitat restoration, and waste reuse. For early movers, this means operating in a zone that not only boosts efficiency but also enhances brand reputation with customers, investors, and regulators demanding more responsible trade.

Early Movers Define the Future

The global trend toward nearshoring and regionalization is reshaping supply chains, and the Dominican Republic is fast becoming a hub of choice for manufacturers and logistics providers. Companies that act now will do more than reap speed-to-market benefits—they will help define the region’s next-generation logistics ecosystem, gaining first-mover advantages that compound over time.

As global trade realigns, early movers in the Dominican Republic SEZ aren’t just entering a market. They’re helping to build one.

Learn more about DP World’s Dominican Republic SEZ here.

Complimentary Webinar

Elevating Food Safety: Strategic Planning for 2026

October 16, 2025 | 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT

REGISTER

As the year draws to a close, it’s an ideal time to reflect on your food safety journey and overall performance of the systems.

By evaluating key learnings and challenges from the past year, we can position ourselves to be more proactive, effective, and resilient in driving success into 2026.

Join SCS Global Services for a forward-thinking webinar designed to help food safety leaders evaluate performance, identify areas for improvement, and align their teams around mission-critical approach to ensure compliance.

This session will explore:

• Tips to assess your current Food Safety Systems (BRCGS, SQF and others)
• Ways to challenge the status quo to drive continuous improvement
• Refine KPIs to better measure impact and progress
• Food Safety Culture – Inspire your team to embrace innovation and accountability

Whether you’re looking to strengthen your food safety systems or build a roadmap for next-level performance, this webinar will provide actionable insights to help you lead your team with confidence.

REGISTER HERE FOR THE WEBINAR

By registering, you will get access to the webinar recording.

For inquiries, contact:

Shyama Devarajan 
Senior Marketing Analyst, SCS Global Services 
sdevarajan@scsglobalservices.com

Images available on Futur/io Press Folder.

NEW YORK, September 23, 2025 /3BL/ – The names of the most important Chief Sustainability Officers of North America were announced at the Futur/io CSO Awards on Monday night. The celebration took place at a gala dinner at the newly opened and stunning vitra design showroom, during New York Climate Week.

Erik Hansen, Chief Sustainability Officer at Workday received the CSO Award /25 in Gold.

The Silver Award went to Jackie Jung, Vice President, Global Operations Strategy & Planning, Corporate Sustainability at Western Digital, while the Bronze Award was granted to Susan Uthayakumar, Chief Energy and Sustainability Officer of Prologis.

The Grand Jury also granted two Special Honour CSO Awards to Annika Dubrall from Tiffany & Co., and Ann Tracy from Colgate-Palmolive.

Ara Erickson from Weyerhaeuser received a special Sustainable Supply Chain Award presented by Simon Jaehnig, Co-Founder & President of IntegrityNext Inc.

The Peer Award, chosen by the live audience of the CSO Awards gala ceremony, went to Jennifer Motles, Chief Sustainability Officer at Philip Morris International, and was presented by jury members Livio Scalvini, Co-Founder and executive director of the Leonardo Centre on Business for Society at Imperial College London and Daniel Erasmus, Founder of ClimateGPT.

Among the speakers of the evening were Sandrine Dixson-Declève, of the Club of Rome, Magnus Drewelies, of CEEZER Software, Nina Eisenman, of NASDAQ, Raphael Gielgen, of vitra and jury members among others.

“Our mission is to shine a light on the role of Chief Sustainability Officers, we hope to inspire others to be ambitious and work on building the desirable futures we want to live in,” said Harald Neidhardt, CEO & Curator of the Futur/io Institute. “These years winners and 20 nominees are exemplary in their commitment towards keeping the pace needed to solve for the Sustainable Development Goals and higher ambition for NetZero, e.g. a goal of 2040 or better.”

In the three months of data collection and analysis, Futur/io and its partners recognized delay in reporting compared to 2024, and some companies even retracted their earlier reporting on sustainability. The business climate can be characterized by geopolitical headwinds, economic pressures and potential “greenhushing”. Also, the participation in our annual survey –that was sent to big name corporations you might expect as leaders in their field and missing among the 20 nominees – lacked support by some CSOs.

The final winners were selected from the 20 Nominees list by a Grand Jury that includes some of the most influential and inspiring voices in sustainability.

Members include John Elkington, known as “the Godfather of Sustainability”, Sandrine Dixson-Declève, honorary president of the Club of Rome, Michael Kobori, former Chief Sustainability Officer for Starbucks, and winner of the CSO Awards Gold in 2024. Additional members are Niyanta Spelman, CEO of Rainforest Partnership, and Nina Eisenman, Vice president at NASDAQ, and Vandinika Shukla, Deputy Director of Global Programs (USA Lead), Obama Foundation. The Chair of the Jury is Harald Neidhardt, CEO and Curator of the Futur/io Institute.

This is the second edition of the CSO Awards North America, an initiative of the Futur/io Institute, a pioneering organisation dedicated to nurturing and inspiring leadership in sustainable innovation and building the most impactful network of Chief Sustainability Officers globally. The European edition of the CSO Awards took place in Davos, parallel to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025.

The CSO Awards North America is a collaboration with partner Made in Sustainability, and supported by premium partner Integrity Next, together with scientific partner the Leonardo Centre on Business for Society at Imperial College Business School, knowledge partners Denominator, Rainforest Partnership, Climate GPT, and Economist Impact, and also Gold Partner CEEZER Software. The complete list of community partners and supporting brands is available online.

Award Winners 

Gold Award Winner – Erik Hansen 

Chief Sustainability Officer at Workday

 

Silver Award Winner – Jackie Jung

Global Operations Strategy & Planning, Corporate Sustainability of Western Digital

 

Bronze Award Winner – Susan Uthayakumar

Chief Energy and Sustainability Officer for Prologis

 

Special Honour – Annika Dubrall

President of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation / Director and Head of Sustainability – Tiffany & Co.

 

Special Honour – Ann Tracy

Chief Sustainability Officer – Colgate-Palmolive

 

Sustainable Supply Chain Award Winner – Ara Erickson

Vice President Corporate Sustainability – Weyerhaeuser

 

Peer Award Winner – Jennifer Motles

Chief Sustainability Officer at Philip Morris International

 

Awards Criteria 

The 20 CSO Awards North America Nominees have been drawn from the Top100 CSOs of North America 2025 list, compiled by Futur/io using an extensive database including all the major companies with a headquarter in the USA or Canada. The shortlist was defined using a four-quadrant model criteria, developed by Futur/io and scientific partner the Leonardo Centre on Business for Society at Imperial College Business School, and supported by knowledge partners Denominator, specialized in human-centric data, Rainforest Partnership, focused on biodiversity and ClimateGPT by Erasmus.ai adding a balanced public sentiment on the Top 100 CSOs.

The four quadrant model takes into consideration the maturity of corporate behaviours, regulatory performance on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) criteria, net zero goals, environmental and human impact and also a self-assessment survey.

CSO Awards North America Grand Jury

• Sandrine Dixson-Declève, co-president of the Club of Rome; Author & Chair of Earth4All
• John Elkington, Founder & Chief Pollinator at Volans, known as “the Godfather of Sustainability”
• Livio Scalvini, co-founder and executive director of the Leonardo Centre on Business for Society at Imperial College London
• Vandinika Shukla, Deputy Director of Global Programs (USA Lead), Obama Foundation
• Michael Kobori, former Chief Sustainability Officer for Starbucks, and winner of the CSO Awards Gold in 2024
• Niyanta Spelman, CEO of Rainforest Partnership
• Nina Eisenman, VP, Head of Sustainability Strategy & Reporting at NASDAQ
• Daniel Erasmus, Chief Executive Officer, Erasmus.AI and Creator of ClimateGPT
• Harald Neidhardt, CEO and Curator of the Futur/io Institute, as the Chair of the Grand Jury

About Futur/io Institute

We believe in co-creating desirable futures where ideas and innovation drive a regenerative economy that benefits people and the planet within the planetary boundaries.

The Futur/io Institute is a pioneering organisation to serve the most impactful network of Chief Sustainability Officers dedicated to transforming businesses to drive positive impact for people, planet and prosperity. We do this through publications, podcasts and convening at inspiring locations like Davos, Basel, Lisbon, Venice and New York.

With a mission to inspire ambition, action and cross-pollination to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the institute provides a platform for thought leaders, innovators, and change-makers to shape the futures of business and society.

Futur/io works with organisations like the UNFCCC or corporations in leadership training and curates Executive Programmes to inspire future leaders in sustainable innovation. Each year in Davos, the institute organizes executive receptions and recently debuted the annual CSO Awards to shine a light on the leadership role of Chief Sustainability Officers.

Futur/io is based in Hamburg and works as a think-tank with a selected international and diverse faculty of 100+ leaders in sustainability. The most recent book “Leadership for Sustainable Futures” was published in May 2024 with Murmann Publishers. CEO & Curator Harald Neidhardt hosts the CSO Impact Podcast.

futur.io

Additional Info

https://www.csoawards.org/north-america
Images of the winners, the jury and the ceremony are available in our Press Folder.

Media Contact

Luciana Prestes
Chief of Staff & Head of Marketing 
luciana@futur.io

Researcher Tim Laske was in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park when he felt the weight of time collapse.

Flanked by a troop of baboons and Cape buffalo grazing in the distance, he quietly walked the ancient landscape with the footsteps of his daughter, Noelle, beside him.

“It could have been a million years ago, walking across the savannas in the middle of wildlife,” said Tim Laske, vice president of research in the Cardiac Ablation Solutions Operating Unit at Medtronic. “It was surreal. To be able to do that together was amazing.”

The father-daughter duo has traversed continents — from the icy climates of North America, to the dense forests of Thailand, to the plains of Africa — in pursuit of something quiet and profound: understanding. As scientists with Medtronic, they implant heart monitors in vulnerable species to study stress and survival, blending cutting-edge technology with a reverence for the natural world.

At home in the wild

Tim has long marveled at nature.

As a teenager, his family visited the rugged, remote island of Isle Royale National Park in Michigan, where he learned of the Wolf-Moose Project, a long-standing effort to better understand interactions between the two species. He later was hired as a field assistant on the project and it unlocked a lifetime of close encounters with animals around the globe in the pursuit of science.

“I loved wildlife and the outdoors, I loved engineering and medicine,” Tim said. “And so it all worked out perfectly that I was able to combine the two.”

Noelle inherited the same adoration for the wild.

When his daughter was a little girl, Tim deliberately taught her about the woods near their home. Noelle was “fearless,” always bucking the trail to explore through the bushes, Tim said. He taught her how to use a compass, and together they named areas of the forest so that Noelle always had reference points.

“The more you learn about the plants and animals, the more the wilderness feels like a home,” Tim said.

Noelle accompanied Tim on his research projects, curling up with cubs while her dad checked on the hibernating bears in northern Minnesota he monitored, or to Isle Royale, where Tim tracked wolves and moose. She joked she “could sit and watch a moose drink water for four hours” and be content.

“Growing up, I always thought he was the coolest person ever,” said Noelle of her father. “He’s always been my role model.”

While Tim has two other daughters who are quick to hold bear cubs and wolf pups and love the outdoors, Noelle embraced the science of the research and over time evolved from an eager witness to her dad’s work to an active contributor. She now works as an associate clinical specialist in the Cardiac Rhythm Management Operating Unit at Medtronic. The opportunity to work closely with her dad isn’t lost on Noelle.

“These are experiences most father-daughter relationships don’t get to have,” Noelle said. “Traveling with him, learning so much, is really cool and it’s something that’s unique to us.”

Not all glitz and glamour 

Tim and Noelle’s work around the world may seem glamorous to an outsider, but seeing an animal in the wild — and oftentimes, they don’t — is the culmination of months of research and prep work, often grueling hikes, bugs, extreme temperatures and sometimes sleeping on floors and under tables in remote places.

Collaborations have included a partnership called The Rhythm of Life Project with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute including the team’s recent work on giant anteaters, where Noelle previously spent two summers studying the behavior and physiology of maned wolves as an intern.

“We’re there as scientists to help,” Tim said of his work around the globe.

It’s part of our Mission to be good global citizens and provide good quality of life for both humans and animals on the planet, he said.

Tim publishes all learnings in scientific articles through his appointment as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Minnesota.

What’s next 

The father-daughter pair has worked together on numerous species including grizzly bears, American black bears, gray wolves, mountain lions, clouded leopards, Indian elephants, scimitar-horned oryx, maned wolves, and baboons.

The research program is made possible by Medtronic volunteers working behind the scenes and hundreds of donated devices. The conservation work is entirely extracurricular, done beyond the confines of their regular jobs. But it’s worth it, said Noelle, whose favorite wild encounter involved an elephant wrapping its trunk around her waist.

“Anything we can do to help understand species and how they interact both in captivity, and also in the changing environments, is really the least we can do,” she said. “And the fact that I enjoy every second of it really helps.”

Read more: At the heart of giant anteater conservation is a medical device

By Eric Best

It’s a simple fact many take for granted: Where you live can influence the smallest details of life. For affordable housing developments, adding amenities and services like a community center, recreation center, communal garden, reading rooms, and coworking spaces could drastically enhance the quality of life for residents, improving chances at long-term success and economic mobility.

Just ask Antoine Lewis.

Lewis, a lifelong resident of Sunnydale, San Francisco’s largest public housing project, said he and his neighbors not only feel better today but are doing better, too. The difference is the result of a groundbreaking rebuild of an entire 50-acre community now under construction in one of the densest cities in America.

“Sometimes, [the old Sunnydale buildings] might’ve brought peoples’ attitude and behavior down, just because [they were] waking up to an environment like that. Now it looks a little brighter. There’s more greenery. It’s just better,” he said. “When you see better, you do better.”

Sunnydale co-developers Mercy Housing California and Related California are aiming to do more than provide housing, but strengthen community, too.

“It’s not just about the brick and mortar of rebuilding homes. It’s about how we create comfortable, vibrant communities,” said Ashlei Hurst, Mercy Housing’s vice president of community life, who is overseeing the revitalization of Sunnydale. “Our focus is on belonging. Do you feel like you belong here and can thrive here?”

At Sunnydale, many of these services are housed at The Hub, a 30,000-square-foot community center. It’s where residents and even neighbors who aren’t Sunnydale residents eat free meals and drink coffee, practice yoga, play board games, or enjoy amenities like a recording studio and library. Across the street, a new resource center offers counseling and supportive services.

For Lewis and his family, the new Wu Yee Children’s Services early learning center in the nearby Hub means his son, a toddler, has a place to be active during the day.

“The Hub is a really nice place to have a whole lot of activities here for people to do and everything,” he said.

Envisioning the next generation of community-building

The Hub is more than a community center for residents who’ve lived at Sunnydale for decades without many amenities. It’s become something for them to rally around.

“This is the heart of the neighborhood,” Hurst said. “People from all over San Francisco come to The Hub right now.”

To make The Hub and Sunnydale’s lengthy list of resources not only possible but sustainable, the development team turned to philanthropic partners in addition to traditional funding sources like city and state funds. “This work began more than a decade before construction started,” said Tiffany Bohee, president of Mercy Housing California. “In a neighborhood long underserved, The Hub represents lasting change made possible through investments by Mercy Housing California and a coalition of philanthropic partners who believe in Sunnydale’s future.”

“We’ve been longtime supporters of Mercy Housing to give people with limited income really good options for housing,” said Darlene Goins, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation, which contributed $1 million to seed a new endowment that funds The Hub’s resident services.

Wells Fargo, an early collaborator, supported multiple parts of the revitalization.

“The bank provided financing to 4 phases of the affordable housing project totaling more than $535 million in debt, equity, and permanent financing. The bank also provided $13.1 million in equity investment in New Market Tax Credit for the Community Center, bringing the total Community Lending and Investment (CLI) into Sunnydale to approximately $549 million.”

A development like Sunnydale that doesn’t displace residents and builds belonging is “some of the hardest work you can do” as a developer, Hurst said, but it will be a win if people feel proud of their community. It will be another win if others can look to Visitacion Valley as an example of how a neighborhood can be rebuilt in a way that honors residents, new and old.

“I would like [Sunnydale’s revitalization] to be replicated,” Hurst said. “If we’ve figured out some of the pieces and also share lessons learned, I think it would be helpful for the next generation of people who are trying to do this in their neighborhoods.”

Inside a resident-focused approach to affordable housing

Emerging building by building are Mercy Housing’s colorful four-story apartments with affordable hoimes. Even the original street grid is getting a modern overhaul.

Key to the developers’ resident-centered “housing-first” model is not displacing residents who choose to stay, Hurst said, a principle baked into the project as part of the HOPE SF initiative. So, as new homes become available, Sunnydale residents — including many who’ve lived there for decades — move in.

Plus, once completed, the project will add room for hundreds more families, with roughly 1,000 affordable units and potential for 600–700 market-rate apartments with a development partner.

This community-building approach addresses residents’ needs and intentionally creates places and moments for them to connect. Mercy Housing staff, including several Visitacion Valley residents, surveyed hundreds of neighbors to hear what they needed firsthand.

Commercial spaces will add a grocery store, a café, and a food hall, among other shops. Residents can connect over meals or cooking classes in The Hub’s community kitchen, too.

“The way we think about it is creating a community where people can be more self-sufficient within their own neighborhood,” said Julia Katz, Mercy Housing California commercial developer. “This not only makes people’s lives easier, because they can walk to services and goods, but it can also bring [them] together in really meaningful ways.”

Connections are forming. Hub activities like senior programs and art classes have brought Tim Harrison, who’s called Sunnydale home since the 1970s, out to socialize more.

“I’m happy to see Sunnydale changing and bringing in a lot of new people, bringing in businesses and stores,” he said. “The sudden change is something new for us and for new people — a new generation — to enjoy.”

Key takeaways

• Adding services and amenities to affordable housing could improve the success and economic mobility of residents, a new housing model asserts.
• Nonprofit affordable housing developer Mercy Housing California and its team are using an innovative approach to revitalizing San Francisco’s largest public housing project to address residents’ long-term needs.
• Because of its complexity, the revitalization of the Sunnydale community relies on private and philanthropic supporters like Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation.

To learn more, please visit Wells Fargo Stories.