Tag: 3BL

Originally published by Ericsson

The rise of new hybrid working, hub working, and networking models are raising demands on employers to make the workplace more experiential, human centric and activity based.5G-enabled zero energy devices will make it possible to deploy up to 10x more sensors in the workplace – creating a massive data mesh that enables hyper-personal human building interaction through technologies such as extended reality, human insight AI and digital twins.

When was the last time you thought about quitting your job?

Last year in the US, a record fifty million people called time on their jobs for good, and many more worldwide.

For many, the seeds for this ‘big quit’ were sowed throughout the pandemic – where in many cases the pressures of work and home didn’t just blur, they collided.

The fallout has shaked today’s workplaces to the core. While the word ‘burnout’ has increased by 100 percent on Glassdoor in the past two years alone, a global ‘quit-tok’ trend has raised concerns over employee mental health and a growing ‘she-cession’ in the workplace. Much of this may be anecdotal, but the numbers are not: following the pandemic, women were three times less likely to regain lost jobs in the US labor market compared to men.

These statistics are no trend or coincidence. They are systemic flaws in a workplace model that has not kept pace with post-pandemic labor market demands. Such traditional models need structural change to meet the needs of today’s and future labor markets, as well as laying a runway for business growth.

New hybrid-, hub-, and networking-based models are the foundation to make that happen. Today, the first step to hybrid working models is slowly taking place across employers, with 39 percent of global office workers expected to work hybrid by the end of 2023, and as many as 71 percent in the US.

But that’s not all that’s needed. With those fundaments in place, businesses can begin to break free from the office and redefine their future workspace and employee experience – enhanced by hyper-personal human building interaction and supported by real-time data.

On the technology side, the high-performance capabilities, deployment agility and multi-compute possibilities of mobile networks – combined with the massive scale of tomorrow’s low- and zero-energy devices – will power this evolution.

Together with other key technology domains of AI, extended reality, and digital twins, future workspaces will present massive innovation opportunities for network API developer ecosystems in coming years.

Workplace-as-a-service business models 

Once upon a time, workplaces were no more than a service industry. Good climate, comfort and working conditions were all that mattered, and benchmarks had a focus on time well saved.

Today’s massive decentralization of workspaces is taking the workplace deeper into the experience economy, where time well spent is the new measure of success. As such, achieving gravity in this new reality and making workplaces relevant to the new employee experience will require the metamorphosis of traditional office spaces into activity-based, human-centric experience centers.

This evolution is opening new business models such as office-as-a-service and pay-per-experience, both of which will form a pillar of future workplace strategies. This goes hand in hand with other pillars such as remote collaboration tools through metaverse workplaces, and new international no-entity hiring structures. When applied in unison, employers can create a truly human-centric and global workplace.

All of this will open a myriad of challenges, but also opportunities. For example, when an employer brand is no longer manifested in a physical workplace, it becomes the sum of its various other parts. Instead, there will be new opportunities to ensure employee wellbeing, work-life balance, and empowerment in entirely new ways.

The human-centric workplace experience 

So how does an activity-based, human-centric workplace look?

In many ways, think of it as an amusement park. From the moment you walk in the physical surroundings should create an experience that’s based on the realms of education, aesthetics, entertainment, and escapism.

Enhanced by hyper-personal human building interaction, the experience should be designed to influence how you feel, think and behave in a way that is tailored and connected to your health and work-life. Such an experience will be essential in bringing a stronger sense of belonging to the workplace, connecting employees closer to the employer brand.

For Vasakronan, connecting the individual with a measurable experience has always been the driver since we started to turn our buildings into knowledge graphs and real time data collectors. There are many challenges still yet to overcome, particularly in terms of ecosystem maturity and data privacy, but the innovation opportunities are already shaping up to be nothing short of groundbreaking.

The innovation cycle is still at a development stage, and the scale is not quite there, but there are instances where future workplace technologies are already beginning to break the commercial mainstream, such as human insight AI and various metaverse platforms. This includes Smarteye and TSX Entertainment, two of our speaking partners at Vasakronan who both offer a glimpse into the possibilities which will be unlocked within these areas in future.

5G and massive zero-energy sensor deployment 

5G is the underlying innovation platform that makes all this possible.

Today, a Vasakronan real estate can feature tens of thousands of sensors and controllable devices, and that number is increasing every day. Each sensor streams real-time data into a central operating system – ProptechOS. This is an independent data layer that also includes building information modeling- (BIM) and business data. The enabler is the open source leading standard for smart buildings, RealEstateCore and Brick Schema, that enables us to deploy a wide variety of ready-made applications from different vendors. The data is not only used for co-working but also for a multitude of applications such as automated ESG-reporting, electrical grid demand/response, AI-based indoor climate optimization, and facility management.

We use digital twins, building management systems (BMS) and IoT data to create more efficient building maintenance based on influencing factors such as utility consumption data, availability, people activity and weather forecasting.

Today with 5G and its resilient, high-throughput connectivity, as well as extreme agility and minimal-intrusion when it comes to both indoor and outdoor deployment – there are very few limits to what is possible when it comes to redefining and reconceptualizing the workplace. This is thanks to new technology capabilities of massive device-to-device communication, multi-cloud and multi-edge compute, and use cases such as augmented- and virtual reality, live 4K streaming, and even holographic communication all available within the next decade.

This toolbox will open new worlds of smarter experience solutions, including better and more personalized service solutions based on massive real-time data collection and compute – designed for the needs of each employee, and virtual metaverse workplaces where employees can meet, interact, and collaborate remotely.

With a such a data mesh now a possibility through a ubiquitous data flow from more dynamic and agile sources, this heightens traditional challenges of connecting, gathering, structuring, and making data available to extract from BIM, BMS and massive device deployments. For this, moving from ego-systems to eco-systems will be crucial – which means ensuring an open data exchange between verticals for real, as well as working to overcome data privacy challenges.

Scaling up sensor deployments will also be crucial. For example, achieving a fully immersive metaverse workplace will mean scaling from thousands to potentially millions of workplace sensors.

And with scale also comes a new focus on cost and sustainability. This is where the evolution to low- and zero-energy devices will be a real gamechanger – offering low maintenance cost, low emissions costs, and even low component cost.

For example, if we look at the cost of a tracker sensor today, most of it is driven by the cost of the battery and GPS component. Removing those costs through energy harvesting and 5G positioning technologies would open a new world of scale and innovation possibilities.

What is zero-energy IoT (ZE-IoT)?

ZE-IoT means that such devices will not need battery replacement or manual recharging of the battery. Ericsson Research are particularly interested in relatively capable devices that can be used in the wider area for direct connection with base stations in the 6G network.

The next steps for change 

Transformation such as this doesn’t happen overnight. While the winds of change are certainly blowing across office spaces today, we must also be realistic that change takes time.

By the end of this year, 61 percent of employees worldwide will still be working 9-5 at the office – which is a big number.

And even on the technology side, there are many questions still to be answered. First and foremost, the industry needs to develop solutions that can bring value to the data, an area where open network APIs can play a pivotal role.

Cross-vertical collaboration will also be key to unlocking innovation possibilities. As an example, Vasakronan is working more with startups from other verticals who we know are faster and more agile, can offer new perspectives and are willing to take more risks than traditional property owners.

As a final note, let’s not forget why the 9-5 workplace needs a reboot. Aside from growing pressures to make workplaces more sustainable, productive and cost efficient – future workforces increasingly look for employers that care about their wellbeing and mental health. Burnout, quiet quitting and, in a lot of cases, very loud quitting are all at very high levels among today’s younger employees. Today, we have more opportunities than ever to change that; to improve employee wellbeing, improve collaboration, make the workplace more human-centric.

We spend an average 1716 hours at work each year, and life will always be too short to spend it in a job that makes you unhappy.

Explore more 

Explore key insights from Ericson’s latest Consumer & IndustryLab report: How flexibility and technology are changing the way we work

Listen to the podcast: Reimagining the future of work

Read Ericsson’s dematerialized office report

Read the blog post: The meaning of quiet quitting

Read the blog post: Why a dematerialized future is worth striving for

FedEx team members have been demonstrating they care for their communities in a big way around the globe in the 50 days leading up to our 50th birthday.

There have been more than 200 volunteer projects and other acts of caring so far during this exciting time in our company’s history.

Thank you to everyone who has shown that FedEx cares for our communities!

Here are a few examples of team members committing to do good around the globe:

AMEA

Launched a sustainability focused campaign for 50 Days of Caring with projects including:

Beach clean-ups in Australia, Mainland China, and South Africa, to reduce waste and build cleaner coastal communities.A park clean-up in Japan, and trash collection drives in India, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa to help deliver a cleaner, trash-free environment.Planting trees in Mainland China, Singapore, India, Vietnam, and addition of plants and shrubs around office facilities in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Additionally, volunteers in Egypt packed 3,600 food boxes for the underprivileged during Ramadan at the Egyptian Food Bank, while team members in India distributed 290 Saksham kits to women entrepreneurs with the United Way Mumbai, and in China volunteers continue their work with AnQ Awakening Cloud Class on safety and sustainability knowledge teaching for kids.

Europe

Team members in France and England assembled 1,050 food boxes with Rise Against Hunger for families and refugees impacted by the Ukraine crisis. FedEx Europe also partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to bring some green to their local communities by planting trees in The Netherlands and Greece.

Nearly 150 team members from across Europe joined in three virtual volunteering events with participants creating:

Educational quizzes for school children for the non-profit, SchoolMe, a UK based charity that supports the advancement of education in TunisiaPosters to raise awareness about physical and mental well-being among children at Italian nonprofit Emergenza SorrisiFlashcards to provide tips to help women build thriving careers for the non-profit Rape and Sexual Violence Project (RSVP)

The Americas

Canada launched its FedEx Cares Spring Campaign with team members across the country invited to organize a food drive and/or a community cleanup event in their local community.

Volunteers also participated in four Operation Warm shoe deliveries in Toronto, Calgary, Joliette, and Winnipeg, where they delivered 1,200 pairs of shoes to local schools.

Meanwhile in LAC, volunteers in Miami and Puerto Rico also participated in Operation Warm events, delivering 600 pairs of shoes to two schools. Other LAC volunteer activities included:

A book drive hosted by team members in the Bahamas to support underprivileged children across the island (4,500 books collected)FedEx Jamaica inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs by working with Biz Town, an initiative with Junior AchievementConstruction of four emergency houses in Panama and Guatemala by team members working with TECHO

Team members in the U.S. supported numerous FedEx Cares volunteer activities with Habit for Humanity, Operation Warm, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, and One Tree Planted events across the states. Volunteers also worked locally with nonprofits like:

Feed My Starving Children (Coon Rapids, MN)Ozark Humane Society (Harrison, AR)Volunteers in Service to the Elderly (Lakeland, FL)Mid-South Food Bank (Memphis, TN)Nourish Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ)Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania (Erie, PA)Special Olympics Texas (Dallas, TX)

To celebrate our 50th birthday and to conclude our 50 Days of Caring initiative, our team members will be volunteering at over 60 different community service events around the globe.

Visit fedexcares.com soon for a summary and pictures of our big day!

Mary Jacques, Executive Director Global ESG & Regulatory Compliance

As we celebrate Earth Month, it’s important to pause and reflect on the progress that Lenovo has made, and to acknowledge the hard work that lies ahead. As Executive Director of Lenovo’s Global ESG programs and leader of the team driving Lenovo’s emissions reduction goals, I am immensely proud that we announced our net-zero emissions goal earlier this year after having them validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. In line with this and Lenovo’s global sustainability commitments, it’s critical for us to track consumer perception of sustainability issues and ensure that we’re not only meeting our customers where they are, but also bringing them along for the journey.

Lenovo recently conducted a survey of 10,000 individuals across eight diverse markets to track consumer perception of sustainability issues. What we found was a high level of concern about climate change, and a significant gap in understanding about the terms being used. Additionally, the majority of those surveyed believed that companies are not taking enough action to mitigate climate change.

83% stated they are extremely, very, or somewhat concerned about climate change83% of respondents who felt action needs to be taken to address climate change responded that corporations are not doing their part66% could not decipher the difference between ‘carbon neutral’ and ‘net-zero’

This gap in understanding is by no means the fault of the general public, and their expectations of corporations and governments are not misplaced. While climate scientists, governments and the media have been raising awareness of global warming for decades, the most valid and science-based communications are often full of technical jargon and easy to misunderstand. While we work to increase public understanding of climate change, these survey results highlight that there is more for us to do as corporations to help realize a net-zero future. To get there, I see three urgent tasks at hand:

Streamlined and approachable sustainability communications: Corporations have a role to play in educating consumers about climate change and what’s needed to address it. Bringing ideas to life through meaningful, accessible examples is key. At Lenovo, we’re developing engaging examples across our stakeholder groups to further understanding. For our employees, we’re developing learning modules to equip our salesforce with the information they need to represent the impact of Lenovo’s sustainability innovations and services. We’ve also integrated our environmental advancements into our global internal communications, providing resources and analogies to help all Lenovo employees appreciate our commitments. Our partnership with Wine To Water, an organization focused on increasing access to clean water, is helping us share relatable stories with all our stakeholders about access to clean water, an issue that is set to become more urgent as we see more evidence of the growing impacts of climate change.Collaboration with companies and governments: Climate change is not something that one company can address on its own. Impact will only be felt when businesses are ready to take action to help accelerate global efforts by boosting investments and innovation, working across industries and value chains to promote meaningful commitments, and advocating for sound government actions and policies around climate change mitigation. While governments have a role to play in putting in place sufficient rules and frameworks to ensure that organizations have a fair competitive landscape while investing in net-zero commitments, it’s up to organizations like Lenovo to innovate to meet the sustainability standards of the future.Corporations must use their platforms to influence: Corporations are powerful actors in society and have both the means and the influence to better align their activities to build a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable economy. It’s up to corporations to take greater responsibility, leverage their platforms to reach consumers and others in their value chain, and accurately inform them to scale change. As a global technology company, we understand that the decisions we make impact future generations. That’s why we are taking a credible and accountable path to emissions reduction by aligning with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This approach ensures that our targets are thoroughly examined and that we’re held accountable to them. SBTi’s validation of our targets also means that our performance against our targets will contribute to a wider body of data tracking how to manage and reduce emissions. All of these efforts align to the goals set forth in the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Everyone plays a role in reaching a net-zero future and thousands of companies are currently in line to have their emissions reduction goals validated by SBTi. While I’m extremely proud that Lenovo is the first PC and smartphone maker and 139th company in the world to receive validation to the Net-Zero Standard, an early start doesn’t guarantee that we will be the first to reach net-zero. Collaboration and best practice sharing will be vital to expediting collective progress. We will be cheering on the progress of everyone in the race, because as everyone plays a role in a net-zero future, everyone’s future also depends on net-zero.

This is a time for thinking big, for collaborating, and for pushing the boundaries of what we think is possible. The only way we can act against climate change is by working together and sharing best practices for a more collaborative and smarter future for all.

“Together we plant the future – Developing biodiversity corridors towards a more sustainable future” is a pilot program between Sofidel and Suzano, the world’s largest producer of hardwood pulp. This partnership will demonstrate the value of collaboration, as required by SDG’s Goal 17, across the supply chain to scale up environmental and socio-economic impact.

Through the cooperation, Sofidel’s investment will scale up sustainable business models that can be adopted by communities living alongside the rainforest, at the same time as improving their food security and nutritional quality. This project will help lift around 1,400 family farmers out of poverty and, in doing so, it will create an important biodiversity corridor to promote connectivity within a 2,210 square kms area of high ecological value rainforest, straddling the border between the Brazilian states of Maranhão and Pará. The biodiversity corridor will benefit a range of native species in the region that are impacted by the fragmentation of habitats.

This project will be delivered with support and on-the-ground implementation from IABS, the Brazilian Institute for Development and Sustainability and Amazônia Onlus, an Italian non-profit active to defend the forest and the people of the Amazon.

Find out more: Suzano and Sofidel join forces for a pilot program to protect biodiversity and support local communities in the Amazon region

Originally published on GreenBiz.com

by Karla Robertson, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary, and Chief Social Responsibility Officer

As we emerge from the pandemic, one outcome is the increased value placed by employees to work for purpose-driven companies. Research by McKinsey demonstrates that it is not enough for employees to feel that they are working for a purpose-driven company—they are seeking more opportunities for purpose in their day-to-day work.

Pentair’s purpose is to create a better world for people and the planet through smart, sustainable water solutions. We have a long history of developing sustainable solutions that have resulted in positive impacts for people and the planet. As we work to accelerate our sustainability journey, engaging and empowering our global employees is essential for us to deliver on our social responsibility and sustainability goals and power our business future.

We are part of a growing cohort of companies leaning into inclusion to achieve both our business and sustainability goals, and believe it is important to share key learnings as we make progress towards common global goals. Here are three ways Pentair is working to engage our employees to drive positive impacts across our business.

Read the complete article on GreenBiz.com.

Imagine a company in which people get up and go to work every day completely invested in what they do. They look forward to the camaraderie they experience with their fellow team members. They feel empowered to be entrepreneurial, have room to innovate, and deliver significant value to customers and society. The work they do is impactful – as they strive to create a better, more sustainable future for all. This is the culture we are building at LyondellBasell.

LyondellBasell has historically been a good place to work, and we are building on this strong foundation. Our new culture will support the implementation of our new strategy: to grow and upgrade the core, build a profitable circular and low carbon solutions business, and step up our performance and culture. To be successful, we need strong leaders to guide employees through this change. As leaders, we must model the behaviors we want to see, create an environment people are drawn to work in, and set the right expectations for performance.

In my view, these leadership qualities are critical to enabling cultural transformation:

1. Model the way – According to the 2021 Trust Barometer Special Report, six in 10 job seekers choose their employer based on their beliefs. As leaders, we must believe in the mission and then embed it in everything we do. Our CEO, Peter Vanacker, has set a clear strategy and purpose for the company, and we recently rolled out a new set of corporate values. This clarity makes it easier for employees to decide if our corporate values align with their own, enabling them to bring their authentic self to work every day. I am excited to be part of the transformation Peter and our Executive Team are driving and look forward to helping employees feel the same.

2. Be accessible – I have an open invitation for all employees to set up time to come talk to me and give me a chance to get to know them better, many of whom have taken me up on my offer. To me, this means our new culture is already working. I would ask all leaders in the company to take this approach – make connections, listen, share more and be present for not only your team, but for everyone you work with across the company.

3. Do not tolerate mediocre performance – As a leader, we must be clear and consistent about performance expectations. The status quo may have worked in the past, but not so much going forward. Outstanding leaders ensure their employees understand what is expected of them and are willing to act decisively if they fall short. Employees know when not everyone pulls their own weight, and tolerating an ongoing imbalance in workload sends the wrong message internally.

4. Have fun – Having fun at work is essential to employee motivation, inciting an entrepreneurial spirit, and building strong, cohesive teams. We spend enough hours doing our job and should have a little fun in the process. A great example of this was at a recent People & Culture team lunch, the Human Resources Leadership Team and I organized an informal flash mob right in the middle of my opening comments. Most of our team were wondering what just happened, but this led to a room full of laughter and smiles, and showed the team that we prioritize having fun. We did have fun – you could feel it in the room, and those who didn’t attend felt they had missed out on a fun experience where their leaders were “being real.”

When I think about what this company will look like in 10 years, I see a company in which this new culture we are talking about has taken root and become part of the fabric of the organization. When you walk into any LyondellBasell manufacturing site or office location, you will feel it. We attracted and retained top diverse talent globally – leaders who care about their people, know what is going on in their lives and respect work/life balance. As a result of this embedded culture, we exceeded our ambitious sustainability targets and created tremendous value for our shareholders. The journey we are on is exciting, and while I know we will enjoy the process, I also look forward to the future, when we get to look back and appreciate just how far we have come as an organization.

To all the current leaders at LyondellBasell, we need your help to champion our new culture and facilitate this transition for all employees. If you are not yet a leader in our company, but believe in our purpose, are passionate about helping us write our company story and want to help lead our cultural transformation, please visit LYB careers to find the opportunity that best fits you.

PITTSBURGH, May 30, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS), a global healthcare company, announced that it has been named to USA Today’s inaugural list of America’s Climate Leaders 2023 for companies that have demonstrated the greatest reduction in emissions intensity. The list was compiled by USA Today and market research company Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.

To be considered for America’s Climate Leaders 2023, a company must be headquartered in the U.S. with revenues of at least $50 million in 2021. Additionally, businesses must have made significant progress in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity in their own operations, referred to as Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and were transparent in reporting these emissions.

“We are pleased to be recognized by USA Today as one of America’s Climate Leaders. Our work to reduce the effects of climate change helps improve the health of those we serve, builds resilience in our operations and protects the communities where we live and work,” said Lina Andersson, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Viatris. “This accolade is a testament to the leadership and execution of our Operations and Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) teams in particular, whose dedication ensures we are continuously advancing sustainable access and responsible practices and operations around the globe.”

Viatris committed to reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 42% by 2030 and to reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions by 25%. The company also obtained validation of its GHG emissions targets from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which classified its targets as aligned with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C of preindustrial levels. The company’s emission reduction strategy features three parts: increasing renewable electricity use, enhancing operational efficiencies, and using upgraded equipment and alternative fuels.

Viatris’ Global EHS Policies, including the Global Environmental Stewardship Policy, the Global Climate Change Policy, the Global Water Policy and the Global Health and Safety Policy, make up Viatris’ EHS Management System, which consists of Viatris’ 13 EHS Principles. The policies and principles apply to all Viatris global operations and every level of the organization.

Viatris is dedicated to transparent annual reporting on environmental, social and governance matters, continuously working to further enhance its disclosures. Visit Viatris’ 2022 Sustainability Report to view more information.

Being named to USA Today’s list of America’s Climate Leaders 2023 follows previous accolades for Viatris, including on Forbes’ list of World’s Best Employers 2022, Fortune’s Change the World list, Newsweek’s America’s Most Responsible Companies 2022 list, a Great Place to Work® certification in India, Capital Magazine’s Best Employers in France list, and HR Asia’s Best Companies to Work for in Asia (Taiwan), among others.

Methodology 
Statista compiled a list of several thousand American companies and invited them via email to submit their emissions and revenue data via a website created by Statista and USA Today. The application phase ran from November 28, 2022, to January 15, 2023. In addition, Statista scrutinized publicly available data on approximately 2,000 American companies. The main sources of data are financial and non-financial reports as well as CDP’s database. Following the research phase, a second survey was sent to all relevant companies to give them the opportunity to validate their data. To ensure that the data is comparable, only emissions reported following the emissions categories of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (Scopes 1, 2 and 3) were considered. As there is a high degree of freedom for reporting Scope 3 emissions, these were not considered when calculating the reduction in emissions intensity. If location-based and market-based values have been reported for Scope 2 emissions in both years, then the market-based calculation was used in the analysis (as it reflects the choices a company has made regarding its electricity suppliers). Otherwise, the location-based values were used for both years.

About Viatris 
Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS) is a global healthcare company empowering people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life. We provide access to medicines, advance sustainable operations, develop innovative solutions and leverage our collective expertise to connect more people to more products and services through our one-of-a-kind Global Healthcare Gateway®. Formed in November 2020, Viatris brings together scientific, manufacturing and distribution expertise with proven regulatory, medical, and commercial capabilities to deliver high-quality medicines to patients in more than 165 countries and territories. Viatris’ portfolio comprises more than 1,400 approved molecules across a wide range of therapeutic areas, spanning both non-communicable and infectious diseases, including globally recognized brands, complex generic and branded medicines and a variety of over-the-counter consumer products. With more than 38,000 colleagues globally, Viatris is headquartered in the U.S., with global centers in Pittsburgh, Shanghai and Hyderabad, India. Learn more at viatris.com and investor.viatris.com, and connect with us on Twitter at @ViatrisInc, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Forward-looking Statements 
This press release includes statements that constitute “forward-looking statements.” These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward looking statements may include statements about our sustainability goals and initiatives. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the possibility that the Company may be unable to realize the intended benefits of, or achieve the intended goals or outlooks with respect to, its strategic initiatives; the possibility that the Company may be unable to achieve expected benefits, synergies and operating efficiencies in connection with acquisitions, divestitures, or its global restructuring program, within the expected timeframe or at all; impairment charges or other losses related to the divestiture or sale of businesses or assets; the Company’s failure to achieve expected or targeted future financial and operating performance and results; the potential impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics, including the ongoing challenges and uncertainties posed by COVID-19; actions and decisions of healthcare and pharmaceutical regulators; changes in healthcare and pharmaceutical laws and regulations in the U.S. and abroad; any regulatory, legal or other impediments to Viatris’ ability to bring new products to market, including but not limited to “at-risk” launches; Viatris’ or its partners’ ability to develop, manufacture, and commercialize products; the scope, timing and outcome of any ongoing legal proceedings, and the impact of any such proceedings; any significant breach of data security or data privacy or disruptions to our information technology systems; risks associated with international operations; the ability to protect intellectual property and preserve intellectual property rights; changes in third-party relationships; the effect of any changes in Viatris’ or its partners’ customer and supplier relationships and customer purchasing patterns; the impacts of competition; changes in the economic and financial conditions of Viatris or its partners; uncertainties and matters beyond the control of management, including general economic conditions, inflation and exchange rates; failure to execute stock repurchases consistent with current expectations; stock price volatility; and the other risks described in Viatris’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Viatris routinely uses its website as a means of disclosing material information to the public in a broad, non-exclusionary manner for purposes of the SEC’s Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD). Viatris undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release other than as required by law.

Utility energy efficiency programs are continually tasked with achieving higher energy savings goals, complicated by a shrinking market of participants obtained through traditional marketing tactics. This has sparked interest in more innovative program outreach tactics, with the goal of identifying and engaging new customers. Utilities are finding success by collaborating with community partners who can expand program reach and strengthen customer engagement – components that can be vital to the success of an energy efficiency program’s goals and initiatives.

Best practices in community partnerships

Fostering relationships with community partners provides more authentic customer connections and can amplify the effectiveness of utility outreach efforts. Instead of a one-size-fits-all strategy, tapping into a partners’ core competencies and developing unique approaches allows for creativity in making energy efficiency a more organic approach. Partnerships with community-based organizations, clean energy stakeholders, and trade allies provide utilities with access to untapped customer markets and engagement through a variety of pre-existing touchpoints.

Community-based organizations

An increasing number of utilities are focusing on providing greater equity within energy efficiency programs to better serve their customers. Whether it’s supporting community-based organizations’ missions or collaborating on an issue, engagement with these partners is a crucial part of connecting with traditionally underserved audiences. Approaching these relationships with an understanding of the partner’s mission is key to successfully incorporating energy efficiency.

Ameren Illinois, with implementation partner Leidos, is working with several community-based organizations to bring energy efficiency to all. A partnership with the Peoria Guild of Black Artists (PGOBA) provides resources and energy efficiency education to Black communities in the Ameren Illinois service territory. They teamed up to create three murals in Peoria as a creative spark for getting people thinking and talking about energy. By employing local artists to create messages tailored to the local community, Ameren Illinois is working on building trust with these customers.

Through another partnership with Senior Services Plus, Ameren Illinois and Leidos are maximizing touchpoints with the traditionally hard-to-reach senior population. Senior Services Plus’s Handyman Program provides low-income seniors the ability to receive repairs in their home at an affordable rate. Ameren Illinois helped expand this program by funding an additional handyman and trained all staff to install Direct Install Measures (including LED bulbs, advanced power strips and faucet aerators) at no additional cost to them. Among the many benefits of this partnership are direct savings on energy bills as well as more widespread energy efficiency education.

As part of Ameren Illinois’ and Leidos’ mission to develop a diverse workforce within the energy efficiency industry, they created an internship program that provides scholarships through community colleges in Illinois to help train the next generation of Construction Management and HVAC professionals. In addition, a partnership with the Minority Business Development Center has helped to train dozens of minority-owned contractors in office services and place jobseekers in energy efficiency careers.

Hawaii Energy and program implementor Leidos work with established nonprofits on their mission of bettering the welfare of underserved residents by implementing programs tailored for low-to-moderate income communities. By providing “boots on the ground” support in these communities, these partnerships help recruit energy efficiency program participants, collect payments for and organize deliveries of new energy-efficient appliances, and follow up with reporting to ensure program targets are met.

Clean energy stakeholders

As more states continue to adopt clean energy goals, higher emphasis will be placed on utility energy efficiency programs’ role in successfully achieving these goals. To support their electrification and clean energy initiatives, many utilities are exploring partnerships with organizations that have coordinated missions. Successful collaboration with clean energy stakeholders provides the opportunity to assess the industry’s landscape, exchange ideas and expertise, and find common ground in achieving mandated environmental goals.

The state of Hawaii has been working on achieving 100 renewable energy generation by 2045. Hawaii Energy and its energy efficiency program implementer, Leidos, are supporting this ambitious goal. With the shared vision of making Hawaii a model clean energy state, Hawaii Energy and Blue Planet Foundation are collaborating on innovative approaches to fight climate change. In partnership, they are working on market transformation efforts, with unique initiatives including in-classroom student presentations, establishing a “Climate Crew” cohort for local high school students interested in learning more about policymaking and advocacy, developing an “Efficiency Unlocked” microsite game, and continued clean energy policy and advocacy work at the state and county level.

Trade allies

Creating partnerships with trade allies within a community – including contractors, architects, engineers, vendors, manufacturers, and retailers – helps support energy efficiency programs in reaching savings goals and portfolio-wide objectives. Strong partnerships with trade allies can increase energy efficiency awareness within a community. In addition, trade allies act as an extension of the program implementation staff – helping customers to complete energy efficiency projects and leverage available utility incentives.

While most utilities recognize the importance of working with trade allies, National Grid and implementer Leidos take a unique approach that delivers greater collaboration. In working with large commercial and industrial customers, projects can be complex – often starting with a facility audit to identify opportunities. National Grid and Leidos invite the trade ally to participate in these audits, discuss areas of focus, uncover potential issues, and gain a greater understanding of how to address customer pain points. Working with the customers’ contractors has resulted in developing credible working relationships that enhance participation in energy efficiency and maximize energy savings.

Building community partnerships provides value to both the utility and the organizations they work with. By leveraging the strength of each partner, this collaboration helps increase knowledge, trust, and resources available to attract new customers and make lasting progress in communities they serve.

With 35 years of experience in the energy industry, Leidos specializes in working with community partners to advance energy efficiency education and inspire action. Our team of experts have extensive experience working with community partners to engage residential, commercial, and industrial customers across utility service territories. For more information on Leidos and our program implementation experience, contact our team.

Our friends at SIGWATCH track the views of non-government organizations (NGOs) on company sustainability. They recently dramatically expanded their coverage. They have shared information on more than 17,000 of the 38,467 entities they track. We have ratings for almost 15,000 of the entities we received data on.

The 50,000+ entities that CSRHub covers have a different regional distribution from those that SIGWATCH monitors. As you can see below, SIGWATCH has extremely deep data on European entities—probably because its clients provide it with lists of NGOs to poll (and many of its clients are based in Europe).

See Comparison of SIGWATCH and CSRHub Regional Coverage

Out of the more than 850 sources we ingest, SIGWATCH is the only group that focuses on NGO and not-for-profit input. They look for both positive or negative comments from NGOs. They break their data down into Environment, Sustainability, and Governance (ESG) related topics such as: Animal Rights, Biodiversity, Children, Climate Change and Intellectual Property Rights. At the overall level, they summarize a company’s history over the past four years. SIGWATCH as a separate data set that covers “NGO pressure”—the efforts NGOs make to get companies to change specific behavior.

As is true with most ESG data sets, many entities receive a null/not available score on some or most issues. Many NGOs feel they can engage more effectively with companies through quiet, private outreach. A few entities draw a lot of attention. They tend to be the largest companies or those in “exposed” sectors such as mining or consumer goods.

SIGWATCH’s perspective means that it agrees most with sources that track “controversies.” The best-known source in this area is MSCI’s ESG Controversies data set. As we expected, there is a strong (21%, F score > 1,300) correlation between the net positive or negative view from SIGWATCH and MSCI’s Controversy Total Count score. Why isn’t the correlation higher? Remember, SIGWATCH is looking at issues from an NGO perspective—MSCI is driven by company self-reported data.

See Regression Statistics

Interestingly, the correlation between SIGWATCH’s net view and MSCI’s Controversy Score is lower (only 6%, F score > 300). This suggests to us that both data sets are sensitive to the frequency with which controversies occur but that SIGWATCH’s NGO audience has a different perspective on controversies than MSCI’s investor audience.

CSRHub seeks to include the input and views of all of the stakeholders of the entities it rates. Most of our data sources start from information that companies have disclosed publicly. They then analyze these disclosures and add analyst views, model calculations, or sentiment analysis to build their scores. Some sharing of base data and similarity of methods embeds a common element in each source’s view. We extract and use this agreement—this consensus—to generate our ratings. SIGWATCH’s perspective adds another dimension to our analysis. We are happy to include more data on both the positive and negative impact of NGOs in our scores, as they are an important part of society and long-time drivers of ESG thinking.

Bahar Gidwani is CTO and Co-founder of CSRHub. He has built and run large technology-based businesses for many years. Bahar holds a CFA, worked on Wall Street with Kidder, Peabody, and with McKinsey & Co. Bahar has consulted to a number of major companies and currently serves on the board of several software and Web companies. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree in physics and astronomy. He plays bridge, races sailboats, and is based in New York City.

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.

By Kim Borges

During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May, Regions Bank is celebrating and honoring the rich history and traditions of diverse communities. Here, we highlight a Regions community partner working to advance greater cultural understanding.

To you, they’re simply cloth napkins and place cards.

To Karla Macareno, they’re essential tools.

“I didn’t know how much it takes to do an event,” said Macareno, an intern at the Asia Society in Houston, Texas. “It takes a lot of supplies, a lot of hard work and dedication, a lot of people to do this.”

This includes weddings, proms, birthday parties, corporate events and even educational workshops like the Inner City Capital Connections training Regions Bank brought to Houston for more than 50 under-resourced entrepreneurs in late 2022. The Asia Society hosts more than 300 events annually.

Regions also supports the nonprofit’s Young Leaders Internship Program offering students like Macareno the opportunity to not only develop hands-on skills with event preparation, but to gain lifelong teambuilding and leadership skills as well.

Commercial Banking relationship manager Megan Bickel also connected with the Young Leaders program interns in April to discuss building savings, raising credit scores and other financial wellness insights.

The students led the conversation just as much as I did. I learned just as much from them as they hopefully did from me.
Megan Bickel, Commercial Banking relationship manager at Regions

“Money can be a hard thing to talk about, but this group asked wonderful questions,” said Bickel. “They are eager to be successful in life. We had an open dialogue. The students led the conversation just as much as I did. I learned just as much from them as they hopefully did from me.”

“For me, it was very beneficial,” Macareno confirmed. “I’m a whole newbie to savings. There were several times during our conversation with Megan when I thought, ‘I’m going to write that down.’”

Charles Gonzalez, event manager at the Asia Society, has observed Macareno’s growth in many other areas thanks to the Young Leaders Internship Program.

“Karla is smart, dependable, confident and quick and eager to learn new things,” said Gonzalez. “As her confidence grows, she is now conducting some of our site visits with new clients and creating new client rental contracts. She’s been a tremendous help during our busiest time of year.”

And Macareno had a rare opportunity to actually enjoy, rather than work, an event during the Asia Society’s Tiger Ball, the nonprofit’s largest annual fundraiser. A donor offered program interns the chance to experience the evening at no cost.

“I’d never been to a gala before,” said Macareno. “When I heard about it, I said, ‘I can go too?’ and they said, ‘Yeah, you can come.’ We danced, we ate, we got to have a good time. Everybody was so happy to be there. I don’t usually wear dresses, but I got out of my comfort zone and said, ‘Let’s do this.’”

The Asia Society was a great place to start my internship. I’ve been able to make strong relationships with everyone. They’re friendly, they’re supportive, they’re awesome!
Karla Macareno

Beyond feeling like the belle of the ball, Macareno came away with an even greater appreciation for those involved with making the night’s event magic happen.

“They worked so much, they were tired, but they managed to work through it,” she said. “It always takes a whole team to pull off events.”

While Macareno wasn’t initially sure she wanted to enter the events industry, her internship experience has opened her mind.

“Event planning is now one of my top job searches because of what I did here,” she explained. “I didn’t think I was going to like it as much as I did.”

She’s grateful to Regions for offering her the avenue to make that discovery.

“This opportunity is meant for me to grow more from this position and take all of the learning I’ve been doing with me for my future jobs,” she said. “The Asia Society was a great place to start my internship. I’ve been able to make strong relationships with everyone. They’re friendly, they’re supportive, they’re awesome!”