Tag: 3BL

Key Takeaways

• ESOS Phase 4 places greater emphasis on action, including progress against commitments made in Phase 3 Action Plans.
• Organisations should be prepared to explain measures that were delayed, changed or not implemented and maintain a clear audit trail of those decisions.
• Preparing ahead of the 2027 compliance deadline can help businesses track progress, improve energy data and incorporate ESOS into wider investment planning.

With the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) qualification date set for 31st December 2026, many organisations are beginning to turn their attention to Phase 4. While the scheme isn’t undergoing a dramatic transformation, there are some important changes that signal a clear shift in direction.

The biggest message from the Government and regulators is simple. ESOS Phase 4 is not only about identifying energy-saving opportunities but also about demonstrating action.

For organisations that qualified for Phase 3, now is the ideal time to understand what Phase 4 will require and start preparing accordingly.

Phase 3 introduced some of the most significant changes ESOS has seen since its launch. Businesses were required not only to complete ESOS energy audits and submit a Notification of Compliance but also to produce an Action Plan, commit to implementation timelines, report publicly on proposed energy-saving measures and submit annual Progress Updates following compliance.

These changes were designed to move ESOS beyond a simple audit exercise and encourage the implementation of energy efficiency measures.

What is Changing for ESOS Phase 4?

1. Greater Focus on ESOS Action Plan Delivery

Perhaps the most important change is that organisations will be expected to report against the commitments they made during Phase 3.

The Government has indicated that progress against Action Plan commitments should be included within the Phase 4 ESOS assessment itself. This means businesses should already be tracking:

• Which projects have been completed
• Which remain in progress
• What energy and cost savings have been achieved
• What barriers have prevented implementation

For many organisations, this will be the first time ESOS compliance directly reflects what happened after the audit.

2. Explaining Why Measures Were Not Implemented

ESOS has never mandated that organisations implement audit recommendations.

However, Phase 4 is expected to require participants to explain where Action Plan commitments have not been delivered. However, this doesn’t mean businesses will be penalised for not proceeding with every recommendation.

What it does mean is that organisations should be able to demonstrate clear decision-making and maintain an audit trail explaining why projects were delayed, changed or cancelled.

3. Removal of DEC and GDA Compliance Routes

Another notable change is the planned removal of Display Energy Certificates (DECs) and Green Deal Assessments (GDAs) as ESOS compliance routes.

For some organisations this may have little impact. For others, particularly those relying on these routes to reduce audit requirements, it could result in additional site assessments or greater reliance on ISO 50001 certification.

What Isn’t Changing for ESOS Phase 4?

There has been a lot of discussion in recent years about broadening ESOS to cover wider decarbonisation and net zero requirements. For now, that has been postponed. The Government has confirmed that proposed net zero-focused changes will not be introduced until Phase 5. ESOS qualification thresholds are also expected to remain unchanged for Phase 4.

This means businesses can continue preparing based on the existing framework while keeping an eye on future developments.

However, some ESOS Lead Assessors are also GHG auditors and decarbonisation experts and may include carbon reduction plans as a standard part of ESOS energy audits. This allows organisations to get extra value from the energy audit process and use data for other purposes, such as tracking progress against Science-Based Targets.

How Should Businesses Prepare for ESOS Phase 4?

Although the Phase 4 compliance deadline in December 2027 feels a long way off, the organisations that get most value from ESOS rarely wait until the final year. Five practical steps can help businesses prepare:

• Review your Phase 3 Action Plan
• Track implementation of committed measures
• Quantify energy and cost savings achieved
• Improve energy data management processes
• Build ESOS requirements into capital investment planning

Early planning should also account for the costs and resources associated with ESOS compliance. If you cannot demonstrate what happened to the recommendations identified in your previous audits, compliance is likely to become more difficult and more time-consuming.

ESOS Phase 4: From Compliance to Energy-Saving Action

Too often, ESOS is viewed as a regulatory burden. Yet every phase continues to reveal significant opportunities for organisations to reduce energy consumption, strengthen operational resilience and lower costs.

The direction of travel from Government is increasingly clear. Businesses are being encouraged not just to identify energy-saving opportunities but to demonstrate tangible actions.

Those organisations that embrace this approach early will not only find Phase 4 easier to manage but will also be far more likely to capture the substantial financial savings that effective energy management can deliver.

Start Preparing for ESOS Phase 4

Preparing early can give organisations more time to complete energy audits, address data gaps and plan for Phase 4 requirements before the compliance deadline.

Learn more about Antea Group’s ESOS compliance services and how our ESOS Lead Assessors can support your organisation through Phase 4.

In 2025, 84% of Chemours’ suppliers, by spend, demonstrated a 33% improvement in their sustainability performance on average compared to the 2018 baseline. This exceeds Chemours’ current responsible procurement goals. As a result of this success, and to further improve, the company is in the process of developing a new target to be announced in a future reporting cycle.

Advancing Scope 3 Strategy Through Supplier Partnerships

In 2025, Chemours further strengthened its supplier engagement model by fully aligning supplier assessments, carbon data collection, and improvement actions with spend-based segmentation. This approach ensures Chemours focuses efforts on those suppliers with the greatest potential impact on the company’s environmental footprint. At the same time, the company moved from data readiness to active collaboration, working directly with suppliers to improve transparency and drive measurable upstream emissions reductions.

A key enabler of this progress is Chemours participation in the Together for Sustainability (TfS) Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Exchange. TfS is a member-driven initiative, grounded in the UN Global Compact and Responsible Care® Principles, that seeks to accelerate the development of sustainable and resilient chemical supply chains. TfS members, including Chemours, are dedicated to making sustainability improvements within their own operations, as well as those of their suppliers, to foster a responsible and resilient chemical industry. This partnership enables Chemours to collaborate with other TfS member companies and facilitate constructive dialogues with suppliers, fueling continuous advancement of sustainable practices and innovation within our supply chain to ensure it meets the highest standards of ESG performance.

Through the TfS PCF Exchange platform, suppliers share primary product carbon footprint data using methodologies aligned with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards and TfS guidance. Approximately 33% of Chemours’ non-refrigerant Scope 3 Category 1 footprint is now calculated using primary supplier data, improving accuracy and transparency in the company’s emissions reporting. The accuracy of Category 1 is critical to Chemours’ Responsible Procurement roadmap and integral to its Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Scope 3 reduction trajectory. Having access to supplier footprint data allows the company to move beyond screening-level estimates and begin integrating supplier-specific carbon data into procurement decision-making and decarbonization planning.

By embedding PCF data exchange, assessment results, and corrective action follow-ups into Chemours’ Responsible Procurement program, the company is supporting suppliers not only in reporting emissions, but also in identifying targeted efficiency and reduction opportunities. This collaborative, data-driven approach strengthens supplier capability, improves visibility across Chemours’ upstream value chain, and directly supports its goal to reduce Scope 3 emissions by 25% per metric ton of production by 2030.

Recognizing Responsible Suppliers

Each year Chemours recognizes suppliers that drive quality, innovation, and sustainability improvements in its supply chain through the Responsible Supplier Awards. The 2025 award recipients were selected from a global network of suppliers and exemplify the continuous progress that Chemours looks for in advancing a more resilient and sustainable supply chain. The winners include:

• GEA Group AG, Star Supplier Award
• Freji Transportación Especializada SA de CV, Logistics Category
• MPW Industrial Services Inc, Indirect Category
• Rio Tinto, Direct Category
• Palmer Tool LLC, Capital Category

All Chemours suppliers that hold a valid sustainability scorecard are eligible for consideration. Additional information on the awards and Chemours’ approach to Responsible Procurement is available here.

Learn more about Chemours’ efforts toward responsible procurement in the 2025 Sustainability Report.

About this report

The Everpure FY26 Impact Report outlines our progress across our technology, environmental, social, and governance priorities. Five years into our impact journey, we continue to refine our strategy and disclosures to enhance transparency, accountability, and long-term value creation for our stakeholders. Key aspects reflected in this report include:

• Priority topics: Our Impact Report focuses on the material topics identified through our preliminary Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) conducted in FY25.
• Stakeholder-informed development: This report reflects input from internal subject matter experts and leaders, as well as feedback from customers, investors, and sustainability ratings organizations.
• Executive oversight: This report was reviewed and approved by our Chief Administrative and Legal Officer (CALO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Technology and Growth Officer (CTGO), and Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO), who serve as our Sustainability Executive Sponsors. 

For a detailed breakdown of our focus areas, please see the Our priorities section.

Sustainability strategy, priorities, and targets

We view sustainability as foundational to long-term value creation for our business and stakeholders.

Our strategy is focused on building smarter and more sustainable data storage and management systems for our customers while attracting, retaining, and engaging top talent and strengthening trust with investors and communities. Our priorities and disclosures are informed by our Double Materiality Assessment and leading sustainability reporting frameworks, which guide how we measure performance and promote transparency and accountability. In support of the UN SDGs, we continue to focus on four of the 17 goals where we believe our business can have the greatest impact. These goals are tied to our business activities and sustainability priorities, and we are committed to advancing them through our business strategy and storage and data management platform. 

Refer to the Appendix to learn more about how we support the UN SDGs.

Our strategic framework 

We are dedicated to driving measurable environmental and social impact through four strategic pillars: 

1. Sustainable data storage and management 
   We deliver a data storage and management platform that enables organizations to harness the full potential of their data, supporting secure, accessible, and intelligent data environments while improving energy and resource efficiency.
    
2. Operational resilience and resource stewardship 
   We are committed to engineering resilient operations and supply chains designed to decouple business growth from resource consumption. Our focus remains on the reduction of energy use, GHG emissions, waste generation, and water consumption, supporting the transition to a circular, low-carbon economy.
    
3. Culture of innovation and community impact 
   We foster a culture of innovation and impact by attracting a wide range of talent and creating an inclusive workplace where every employee can thrive. By prioritizing skillsbased hiring, professional development, and community engagement, we extend our impact beyond our own operations.
    
4. Governance, trust, and ethical leadership 
   We maintain robust governance, uncompromising data security and privacy practices, and a culture of transparency. By leading with ethics, we support long-term value for our employees, customers, investors, and the communities we serve, while reinforcing the trust that underpins our stakeholder relationships.

Learn more about our Targets and Priorities in the Impact Report 2026 

Expanding access to connectivity means ensuring that all customers, regardless of their ability, can use our products and services. We offer a range of accessibility options, including Speech-to-Speech and IP Relay services for calls, American Sign Language-fluent customer service specialists, and access to enhanced 411 resources. In retail stores, we host Accessibility Days to provide specialized assistance to customers with disabilities. 

T-Mobile’s Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) helps us embed accessibility into products and services from the start. The ARC team provides guidance on accessible product development, including training materials and policies, and increases digital accessibility awareness across our workforce. In 2025, the ARC team launched a comprehensive reporting and accountability program that shares compliance and performance accessibility insights with internal teams and vendors responsible for developing front-end content.

Enhancing allyship online 

We champion accessibility beyond T-Mobile’s walls. Our ARC team has developed and maintained MagentaA11y, a free, open-source tool that allows users to design, build, and improve the accessibility of web and native development and design elements. It provides acceptance criteria, code samples, developer guidance, videos, and testing instructions to support accessibility throughout the development process. In 2025, MagentaA11y was redesigned to enhance user experience, resulting in more than 40,000 interactions worldwide, including adoption from other companies leveraging the open-source framework to develop customized accessibility solutions. In recognition of its impact, T-Mobile’s ARC team received the 2025 GAADY Award from the Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) Foundation for MagentaA11y’s contribution to advancing digital inclusion.

Bringing accessibility leaders together 

To advance accessibility within T-Mobile and beyond, we turn to leaders across the industry. In 2025, the ARC team facilitated the PNW Accessibility Professionals Meetup, bringing together over 125 experts from more than 30 tech companies in Seattle and Portland to share insights, best practices, and innovations in accessibility quarterly. For employees, we held an annual Digital Accessibility Summit, drawing over 1,800 attendees and offering educational sessions alongside interactive experiences. Beyond these events, T-Mobile partners with accessibility-focused organizations, including Disability:IN, American Council of the Blind, American Foundation for the Blind, and the GAAD Foundation, to expand community outreach and support broader accessibility initiatives. 

Inside T-Mobile’s Accessibility Lab The Accessibility Lab at T-Mobile’s Bellevue headquarters reinforces accessibility as a core consideration in product and digital design, providing T-Mobile employees with hands-on experiences that reflect how people with disabilities interact with technology, including simulations of hearing loss, screen readers, and refreshable braille displays. Designed as an immersive learning environment, The Accessibility Lab enables employees to ask questions, build understanding, and better recognize the real-world impact of their work on people with disabilities. Throughout 2025, employees and internal teams participated in guided tours and learning sessions focused on digital accessibility. Beyond our workforce, we welcomed colleagues from external organizations seeking to develop their own accessibility labs, extending the Lab’s impact beyond T-Mobile. Through this hands-on, collaborative approach, this initiative helps foster a shared commitment to inclusive design and a more accessible digital experience for all.

Learn more

• MagentaA11y accessibility test site
• T-Mobile accessibility site
• T-Mobile HQ Grants application site

MetLife

Through its products, services and investments, MetLife is improving the well-being of people and communities around the world. One example is its work with Charm Industrial, a US-based climate technology company. Together, they are supporting efforts to reduce wildfire risk while helping provide financial security for Charm employees through MetLife’s benefits offerings.

Wildfires pose a growing threat, endangering lives, ecosystems and local economies. As severe weather conditions intensify, more homes, businesses and communities are becoming vulnerable to devastating fires with long-lasting consequences.

Reducing Wildfire Risk to Protect Lives and Futures

The impact of this work can be seen in Colorado where wildfires have increased in both frequency and size, creating an urgent need for proactive wildfire risk mitigation through the ecologically-informed removal of excess biomass and dead trees that can fuel fires and restoration of historic forest types that are best suited for local conditions.

Charm is helping communities in Colorado and beyond address this challenge by creating productive uses for excess biomass. Instead of forest managers burning the material, Charm converts it into bio – oil and biochar – stable, carbon-rich products that prevent carbon from entering the atmosphere for hundreds to thousands of years.

The liquid and solid products are then used for carbon removal or as modern, lower-emissions energy alternatives. When applied to soil, biochar improves water retention, enhances nutrient availability and supports healthier plant growth, helping farms and landscapes better withstand drought and erosion.

Creating Jobs That Strengthen Local Economies

The environmental impact of Charm’s work is only part of the story. With purchases from companies like MetLife, Charm could create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the next few decades in regions where economic opportunities can be limited.

MetLife’s ability to provide financial security for our employees’ families through its products has been an impactful hiring tool as we enter new markets. We are excited to continue to find new ways to offer innovative coverage that help put our employees first, said Emily Brinkert, head of people at Charm.

These jobs are rooted in American manufacturing, engineering and field operations. By hiring locally, Charm helps ensure economic benefits remain in rural communities. Employees also gain financial security with access to affordable protection tools like life and disability insurance through MetLife. This protection helps Charm employees manage risk, plan ahead, and navigate life’s most critical moments while supporting long-term financial security for their families. And, as Charm continues to grow, these benefits can help enhance employee engagement, while contributing to positive business outcomes.

The work Charm and MetLife are doing together demonstrates that investing in community resilience can deliver shared value – supporting local economies, building confidence and helping protect the environment for generations to come.

The right opportunity can change a life, but sometimes, getting through the door starts with having the right pair of boots.

DP World is proud to support Working Gear, a British Columbia-based community organization helping people overcome barriers to employment by providing the clothing, footwear, and resources they need to enter the workforce with confidence.

DP World’s support has included a donation of work boots as well as sponsorship of Working Gear’s internship program, helping expand opportunities for people to gain experience, build skills, and take meaningful steps toward employment.

It’s an approach that aligns closely with DP World’s values: start small, dream big, and look for practical ways to make a lasting difference in the communities where we live and work.

In this video, hear from the people behind Working Gear about the challenge they set out to address, the solution they’ve built, and the passion that continues to drive their work — because Working Gear is about more than clothing. It’s about community, opportunities, and helping people move forward.

New York Climate Week has long been known for big announcements, but this year it felt more like a working week: the focus on delivery and implementation, rather than ambition.

With more than 1,500 events across the city running alongside the UN General Assembly, the event was hailed as the biggest Climate Week yet.

Delegates arrived feeling three pressures that had been building all year: an energy price shock, a summer of climate disasters, and a fast-growing argument about the resources artificial intelligence consumes. What came out of the week was a clearer picture of where sustainability now sits in business: inside the numbers that decide whether companies grow, stall, or get stopped.

Sustainability is back, on different terms

For a few years, sustainability seemed to be slipping down the corporate agenda. Last week suggested it is returning, but not in the form it left.

Energy is the clearest example. UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell put the cost of energy shortages linked to the Iran war at more than $100 billion in higher fuel prices for American consumers alone. The UK’s Ed Miliband urged governments to treat climate and nature loss as a matter of national security. Clean power is increasingly an argument for independence and competitiveness.

Physical risk is the second. Iceland’s Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir described resilience as a foundation laid well before the storm arrives. By Thursday, the General Assembly had approved its first declaration on sea-level rise, aimed at replacing fragmented initiatives with sustained, coordinated, and properly funded action. The UN has acknowledged that overshooting 1.5°C is now inevitable. For business, the stakes are large: an MSCI analysis estimates corporate business interruption losses from climate hazards at more than $1.1 trillion a year, most of which never appears as a line on a balance sheet.

But knowing a risk exists is not the same as being able to act on it. A flood forecast only becomes a business decision when someone can put a value on what sits in its path: the asset, the revenue that depends on it, and the cost of protecting it.

That is the gap most companies face. Everyone is reporting climate risk, yet far fewer are deciding with it. That is why SAP and Jupiter Intelligence came together this week, connecting Jupiter’s physical climate risk intelligence with SAP’s enterprise data and reporting foundation. The starting point is disclosure that holds up to scrutiny. The direction of travel is climate risk that informs where companies invest, protect, and build.

The real question about AI is permission

If one subject dominated the week, it was AI. Views were sharply divided: Stiell warned that AI leaders are “on thin ice” when it comes to their license to operate, while speakers from all across business and academia argued that AI is too important to give up and will ultimately help tackle climate change.

Both sides are responding to something real. But the issue that will decide AI’s path is not capability, which is already abundant, but whether the people who host AI, power it, and work alongside it keep agreeing to it. Every model runs on land, electricity, water, and cooling. Every data center needs a community willing to have it, and every rollout needs a workforce willing to adopt it. Groups weighing a new data center don’t separate the water question from the jobs question, and companies can’t afford to either.

Governments are starting to set expectations. Türkiye’s COP31 presidency launched the Antalya Pledge on AI, with the COP31 President-Designate saying companies are expected to be transparent about their energy use and to power their operations with clean energy. A draft is due before the summit, which will have a dedicated day on technology and AI.

That pressure applies to every company’s climate commitments, SAP’s included. We have run our own offices and data centers on 100% renewable electricity since 2014, we consider environmental impact at the design stage of our AI architecture, and we have started sharing the footprint of our cloud services with customers, with a beta view for selected products now in SAP for Me. While none of that makes the challenge go away, it makes it visible, and measuring a footprint is where accountability starts.

The week also showed the other side of the ledger. Working from connected data, AI can weigh cost, carbon, availability, and regulation in a single decision, which no planning team can do by hand at scale. Instead of checking whether every product is compliant, companies can ask which products are at risk, why, and what design or supplier change would fix it.

“The question for sustainability leaders is no longer how to manage AI’s impact. It’s how to shape where AI investment goes,” said Sophia Mendelsohn, chief sustainability and commercial officer at SAP. “AI can weigh cost, carbon, and risk together, but only if sustainability is in the data it works from. Leave it out, and AI will optimize it away.” 

Governance is the other half of the answer. Speed won the first phase of AI adoption. The next phase will go to organizations that can show how an automated decision was reached and who is accountable for it. In 2025, SAP reviewed 860 AI use cases against its AI ethics principles and escalated 44% as high-risk for senior review. Where no ethically acceptable trade-off could be found, the project did not go ahead in its original form.

Implementation runs on systems

The organizers asked delegates to move from ambition to implementation. The main obstacle to that remains disconnected data. When sustainability information sits apart from procurement, manufacturing, and finance, even good AI produces confident wrong answers: recommending a lower-carbon supplier, for instance, that is not approved for the market in question. The organizations making progress treat sustainability data with the same discipline as financial data, with the same quality standards, audit trail, and controls.

Industrial manufacturer HARTING, for example, connected its sustainability data to the systems it already runs, moving product carbon footprint calculations from manual work to AI-assisted mapping across its material portfolio.

Nowhere does that discipline matter more than in the supply chain.

“Every climate target eventually becomes a supply chain decision: what you source, where you make it, how you move it,” Mendelsohn said. “That’s where commitments are won or lost, and that’s where the data has to be.”

The road to Antalya

New York Climate Week was the last major business gathering before COP31 in Antalya in November, and the COP31 presidency used the week to launch a global pledge to raise electricity’s share of final energy consumption to 35% by 2035, and a new pledge on how AI is powered and measured.

Pledges set the direction, but the pace is set by business decisions. Away from the main stages, the conversations with customers last week sounded different from a few years ago. The questions focused on what carbon costs, where supply chains are exposed, and whether the numbers will hold up to an auditor. Those are commercial questions, and they have commercial answers. The tools, the economics, and the business case are largely in place. What remains is connecting them inside the processes where decisions are actually made.

That is truest of all for AI, the technology that dominated last week. It will scale only as far as the energy, data, and trust beneath it allow. In other words, AI’s future runs through sustainability, and the companies that act on that now will set the pace for everyone else.

To learn more about how SAP can support, visit SAP Sustainability.

Cybersecurity has always been a race. AI just raised the speed limit.

AI is accelerating both offensive and defensive cyber operations. Vulnerabilities can be discovered faster. Decisions need to be made faster. Analysis that once took hours can increasingly happen in seconds.

But faster doesn’t automatically mean better.

The growing volume of findings, alerts and recommendations can overwhelm teams that lack the context to determine what matters and the confidence to act. At the same time, networks, software and operational platforms are becoming more connected to the physical systems and capabilities that support the mission.

Cyber is no longer something that sits alongside the mission. It is increasingly part of the mission’s ability to adapt, respond and endure.

The advantage won’t belong to organizations with the most automation. It will belong to organizations that know how to combine human judgment with machine speed, scale trust alongside automation and adapt as conditions change.

Here are five shifts leaders can’t afford to ignore.
 

#1 Finding more vulnerabilities isn’t enough

AI can help organizations discover vulnerabilities faster than traditional processes can handle them. That creates a new problem: what happens after the finding?

More findings don’t necessarily mean better security if teams still have to work through an ever-growing queue to determine which vulnerabilities are exploitable, consequential and worth acting on.

That is pushing vulnerability management from periodic, reactive processes toward continuous vulnerability operations focused on evidence, exploitability and remediation.

Parcata^TM, an AI-enabled Leidos capability, is designed around that shift. It can discover unknown vulnerabilities, validate findings, produce patch recommendations and provide evidence that helps users understand the recommended action. Users can inspect recommendations, review the decision trail and maintain control over consequential decisions.

Machine speed is valuable when it helps people make better decisions — not simply more decisions.

#2 Access needs to keep pace with the mission

Cyber operators can only act on what they can reach. But gaining and sustaining that access can consume significant time before the mission even begins.

Traditional network surveys and commercial scanning can leave gaps, particularly when infrastructure changes quickly, operational technology is involved or missions extend into regions with limited or restricted internet access. Data useful yesterday may no longer reflect the environment operators encounter today.

That is driving a shift toward cyber access as a service.

This provides authorized cyber operators with mission-ready access capabilities on demand, rather than requiring them to build, validate and sustain every enabling capability themselves.

Our approach, for example, uses a contractor-owned, contractor-operated platform to provide fresher, more actionable data than traditional surveys and commercial scanners alone can deliver. That gives operators greater visibility into changing environments and potential access points as operational conditions evolve. By compressing the timeline between an operational requirement and an operator being ready to act, cyber access as a service helps teams keep pace as conditions change.

#3 Modernization can’t come at the mission’s expense

For many organizations, modernization means bringing together technologies that were never designed to work together in the first place.

Mission environments may need to integrate cloud infrastructure, modern networks, legacy applications, secure digital workspaces, AI, automation and Zero Trust protections — while continuing to operate around the clock.

That creates a difficult balance. Organizations need to reduce technical debt and complexity, adopt modern capabilities and strengthen security without disrupting the services people depend on.

The answer is not to treat cybersecurity as a separate workstream that gets added after modernization decisions are made. Security needs to be built into cloud, networks, applications, identity and infrastructure from the start.

Done well, modernization should make the environment easier to change, easier to secure and better prepared for what comes next.

The goal isn’t modernization for its own sake. It’s about creating an environment that can evolve without requiring the mission to stop.

#4 Automate the analysis, not accountability

The Security Operations Center (SOC) of the future isn’t about replacing cyber analysts with AI. It’s about giving machines the work they can do at scale and giving people more time for the decisions that require expertise and judgment.

AI and automation can handle repetitive analysis, data correlation and other high-volume tasks. That can free cyber professionals to focus on higher-value analysis, decision-making and mission protection.

But as automation becomes more capable, trust has to scale with it.

That means validating evidence before action, making recommendations understandable, establishing governance and maintaining appropriate human oversight.

The principle applies beyond the SOC. An automated vulnerability recommendation is only useful when users can understand why the system reached it and determine whether the action is appropriate.

AI should accelerate human judgment, not replace it.

#5 Make adaptation continuous

Threats evolve. So do infrastructure, software, access and mission requirements.

That makes periodic assessments and static controls insufficient on their own. Organizations need an operating model that can continuously identify change, prioritize risk and respond, especially when environments range from enterprise networks to technical battlefields where visibility and connectivity may be contested.

This is where continuous cyber resilience becomes the new standard.

It brings together continuous monitoring, vulnerability and exposure management, adaptive cyber operations, resilient infrastructure, AI-assisted prioritization and rapid, validated remediation. At the edge, AI and machine learning can also monitor network and host behavior in real time to identify anomalies earlier. Earlier awareness gives operators more time to understand what is happening and respond before a cyber event becomes a mission event.

The goal is not to predict every attack. It is to shorten the distance between change, understanding and action.

That means finding and fixing continuously. Protecting systems wherever the mission operates. Modernizing without disrupting operations. And using automation while keeping people in control.

The real advantage is the ability to adapt

These shifts are connected, but they are not the same.

One is about turning vulnerability findings into validated action. Another is about giving cyber operators mission-ready access when and where they need it. Others are about modernizing without disruption, building trust into automation and developing the ability to adapt continuously as threats and mission environments shift.

Together, they point to a larger change in how organizations need to think about cybersecurity.

The objective is not to build a system that never changes. It is to build an organization that can change safely and quickly when the environment does.

In a world moving at machine speed, that may be the most important advantage of all.

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Key takeaways:

• AI speed only creates advantage when paired with context, trust and human judgment
• Cyber must protect the mission wherever it operates, without slowing modernization or operations
• Continuous adaptation is becoming essential as threats, technologies and mission needs evolve
   

EXPLORE LEIDOS CYBER CAPABILITIES

DALLAS, TX, October 6, 2026 /3BL/ – Mary Kay Inc., the iconic beauty giant announced today the launch of the K-Beauty Texture Edit, a special-edition skin care collection available while supplies last. The collection builds on the momentum of the company’s largest consumer-facing global brand platform, Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™ which launched in September.

Inspired by Korea’s globally influential skin care and self-care philosophy designed to bring playful textures, innovative ingredients, and elevated beauty experiences, the K-Beauty Texture Edit was designed to resonate with a global cultural beauty movement captivating the next generation. The trend-forward collection includes three Korea-made products: the Mary Kay® Melt-In Cleansing Balm, Mary Kay® Snail Gel Face Patches and Mary Kay® Collagen Moisturizing Gel.

The launch marks another exciting milestone in Mary Kay’s ongoing evolution as the company expands its global reach, connects with a new generation of beauty enthusiasts and continues to support the Independent Beauty Consultants and loyal customers who have powered its success for decades.

Launching just one month after the debut of Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™, the K-Beauty Texture Edit brings the platform’s philosophy to life through products designed to spark discovery, conversation, and shared beauty experiences. It also reflects Mary Kay’s strategy of blending globally inspired innovation with the personalized service and relationships that remain central to the Mary Kay experience.

“Mary Kay’s legacy has always been rooted in innovation, listening to consumers, and evolving with the culture of beauty around the world,” said Dr. Lucy Gildea, Chief Brand and Scientific Officer of Mary Kay Inc. “The K-Beauty Texture Edit brings that spirit to life by translating global beauty trends into meaningful experiences for consumers and our Independent Beauty Consultants. As part of Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™, it also helps us build awareness and relevance with the next generation of beauty consumers while honoring the heritage that connects us all.”

The Mary Kay K-Beauty Texture Edit includes three familiar steps – cleansing, patches, and moisturizing – in fun, sensorial formats. Each product fits easily into an existing routine, so customers can try something new without changing what already works. The collection features:

• Mary Kay® Melt-In Cleansing Balm – a transformative balm-to-oil-to-milky cleanser featuring regenerative PDRN (salmon DNA) infusion, rice bran oil, and vitamin E that helps leave skin feeling soft and clean.
• Mary Kay® Snail Gel Face Patches – cooling hydrogel face patches formulated with snail mucin, niacinamide, licorice extract, and multiple forms of hyaluronic acid to help hydrate and brighten the appearance of skin.
• Mary Kay® Collagen Moisturizing Gel – a bouncy jelly moisturizer featuring collagen peptides, niacinamide, and squalane to deliver hydration and a plump, glass-skin-inspired glow.

The K-Beauty Texture Edit was created to appeal to next-generation consumers while remaining accessible to existing customers, pairing trend-driven innovation with a distinct Mary Kay approach to beauty and relationships across generations.

Through its global network of Independent Beauty Consultants, Mary Kay continues to create personalized beauty experiences that connect customers with products, education, and community. The K-Beauty Texture Edit extends that opportunity by giving consumers a fresh way to explore one of the world’s most influential beauty movements through a trusted global brand.

The Mary Kay K-Beauty Texture Edit will be available beginning October 5, 2026, on Mary Kay’s website and through Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants in participating markets worldwide, while supplies last.

Beyond ongoing product innovation, Mary Kay recently announced new ways to invite the next generation of consumers to engage with the brand:

• Mary Kay’s My Shop platform: Launched in the U.S. and Germany in 2025, expanded into Canada, Mexico and Spain this summer, “My Shop” is being progressively rolled out globally. My Shop has been designed to meet consumer buying experience needs and speak to a digitally native generation who demand convenience, choice and seamless interactions all in one. The Mary Kay My Shop also provides Independent Beauty Consultants with personalized digital storefronts connected to e-commerce, payments, fulfilment and social media empowering them to serve customers where they are.
• In March 2026, Mary Kay launched its “Global Social Squad” bringing together more than 70 Independent Beauty Consultants across 15 markets as social creators.

• Beauty Tech: Mary Kay’s AI-powered Foundation Finder analyzes 151 facial points to recommend shades directly from the phone in just seconds. Mary Kay Foundation Finder was recently recognized as a finalist in the 2026 Gartner Eye on Innovation Awards for Retail & Consumer Goods.

Did You Know: 

• Mary Kay ranked #8 out of 5,500 brands on Forbes’s 2026 Best Brands for Social Impact moving up from stellar #9 achieved in 2025. Mary Kay is the only beauty brand in the Top 15 and the only direct selling company on the list.
• Mary Kay ranked #2 on Forbes 2026 Best Customer Service list moving up from #93 in 2025. Mary Kay is the only Beauty brand in the Top 15 and the only direct-selling company in the Top 50.
• Mary Kay was named the #1 Direct Selling Brand of Skin Care and Color Cosmetics in the World by Euromonitor International for four consecutive years (2023-2026).

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ABOUT MARY KAY 

For more than 60 years, Mary Kay has empowered generations of women around the world to discover beauty together, build meaningful futures and find a community of women who celebrate one another. Founded by Mary Kay Ash in 1963, the global beauty company has connected women across 40 markets through innovative skincare, color cosmetics, fragrances, and wellness products. Mary Kay transforms purpose into action by advancing causes that support women and families, investing in scientific innovation, and working toward a more sustainable future. At its core, Mary Kay is dedicated to enriching women’s lives and creating opportunities for women to thrive together. Learn more at marykayglobal.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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¹Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) is a mix of purified Salmon DNA fragments.

²Alan Schwarz (March 17, 2026). Forbes – Best Brands For Social Impact 2026. https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-brands-social-impact/

³Alan Schwarz (October 14, 2025). Forbes – Best Customer Service 2026. https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-customer-service/

⁴“Source Euromonitor International Limited; Beauty and Personal Care 2026 Edition, Value Sales at RSP, 2025 Data”

SAN FRANCISCO, October 6, 2026 /3BL/ – SCS Global Services, an international leader in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, has named Anthony “Ray” Tibbs as Chief Financial Officer. Tibbs will lead the company’s financial strategy, planning, and reporting as SCS Global Services continues to grow

Tibbs has spent more than 25 years in finance leadership at entrepreneurial, middle-market, and multinational companies. His work spans financial strategy, global operations, mergers and acquisitions, business integration, and building finance teams that scale businesses.

Most recently, Tibbs served as Chief Financial Officer of Pegasus Building Services, a multi-branch services company. He partnered closely with executive leadership and the Board through a period of significant organizational change. His work has consistently extended beyond traditional finance, with an emphasis on understanding the business, developing strong teams, improving transparency and accountability, and helping leaders make better-informed decisions.

Ray believes the best finance organizations are true partners to the business. His leadership style is hands-on and collaborative, with a focus on asking thoughtful questions, challenging assumptions when appropriate, and creating an environment where people are trusted, supported, and accountable for results.

“Ray has guided complex organizations through growth and change, and he knows how to build teams that deliver. That experience will help us scale with discipline as demand for credible certification services keeps rising,” said Matthew Rudolf, CEO of SCS Global Services.

“I’m excited to join an organization with more than four decades of leadership in sustainability certification and to help build the financial foundation for its next chapter. I look forward to partnering with the team as SCS Global continues to grow while staying true to its mission.”

Tibbs began his career as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the United States Marine Corps, serving in Japan, South Korea, and Operation Desert Storm, where he led logistics, procurement, and supply chain operations. That experience still shapes his leadership style, grounded in service, teamwork, and personal accountability.

About SCS Global Services

SCS Global Services is an international leader in third-party environmental and sustainability verification, certification, auditing, and testing. Its programs span a cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in climate mitigation, green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, consumer products, and more. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and celebrating over 40 years in business, SCS Global Services has subsidiaries and representatives throughout the Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and Africa. SCS Global Services is a chartered Benefit Corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. SCS Global Services is also a Participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business. For more information, visit www.SCSGlobalServices.com.

Media Contact

Rachel Barnhart
Director, Corporate Communications and Public Relations
SCS Global Services
Email: rbarnhart@scsglobalservices.com