Tag: 3BL

In recent years, the media has focused a great deal of attention on the annual letter that Larry Fink, Chair and CEO of BlackRock, writes to CEOs of publicly-traded companies on behalf of its clients. In these much-awaited missives, Fink outlines what the world’s largest management firm has in mind as his organization helps to manage trillions of dollars of portfolio investments.

BlackRock is the world’s largest asset management team, with US$10 trillion in assets under management, 16,000 employees, offices around the world, and clients in 100-plus countries. In advertising in the United States, and on its corporate web site, BlackRock points out that it “helps 44 million Americans retire with dignity” (through the management of assets in employee retirement programs).

Fink’s recent annual letters to CEOs have contained important information for both corporate leaders and the investment community. Explains Fink: “I write these letters as fiduciary for our clients who entrust us to manage their assets – to highlight the themes that I believe are vital to driving durable long-term returns and to helping them reach their goals.”

In past years, Fink also wrote a separate annual letter to BlackRock’s clients discussing major issues the firm was following. For 2023, Fink writes, “it is clear to me that all of our stakeholders – BlackRock shareholders, clients, employees, partners, the communities where we operate, and the companies in which our clients are invested – are facing so many of the same issues. For that reason, I am writing a single letter to investors, and we are sharing it with all of our stakeholders.”

The focus of Fink’s 2023 letter is on the positive aspects of sustainable investing — the letter is addressed to investors with the theme,“Making Investing More Accessible, Affordable, and Transparent to More People is Core to Our Mission at BlackRock.”

BlackRock clearly self-identifies as an asset manager serving fiduciaries with ESG in focus and strives to be the leader of ESG investment in the capital markets. In the U.S., a growing number of Republican political leaders have been criticizing BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard as “woke” organizations that in their asset management activities have caused such clients as public employee retirement funds to not achieve the best ROI by using the ESG lens. At the most recent annual gathering of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Fink pointed out that the opposite is true.

Included in the 2023 letter:

The BlackRock Story, with 2023 marking the firm’s 35th anniversary.Total return of 7,700% since the company’s IPO in 1999, making BlackRock the highest-performing financial services stock in the S&P 500.Fink’s take on recent turmoil in the banking sector.An economy of fragmentation, with backlash against globalization and political polarization in the U.S.Building a hopeful future for retirees and investing for the future as an act of hope and optimism.Helping clients navigate and invest in the global energy transition.Strategy for long-term growth.

We’ve included the link to Fink’s Annual Letter to Investors for your reading and a link to the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (the Annual Letter is posted there in different format). This year’s letter is worth reading as we contemplate the effects of Red State attacks on ESG and “woke” asset managers.

This is just the introduction of G&A’s Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue.

CINCINNATI, March 29, 2023 /3BL Media/ – There is no minimum age to talk with your children about money and banking. Kids as young as 3 can understand concepts of money and by age 7, some money habits may already be ingrained.

Generation Alpha (those born after 2010) may be too young to be making their own money, but they’re old enough to have a significant influence on their family’s spending decisions. Helping them understand financial basics can sow the seeds of smart money management. Fifth Third Bank, National Association, offers the following tips to help.

First step: Start a conversation about money

Recent studies show that parents say their children influence their purchase decisions, especially on toys and games, apparel and food – which means it is important for your kids to understand how much things cost and how you pay for them. 

If you’ve never discussed money with your young children before, get the ball rolling by asking them about earning, saving, budgeting and spending money. Depending on how much they’ve paid attention at home, they could have some interesting things to say about spending and saving, making a living and creating a solid financial footing. 

It is also never too early to introduce an allowance for chores, which will help them understand the concept of earning a wage. As they get older, they now have many more options for making money beyond paper routes and babysitting. They can sell homemade items at local markets and online, or even trade and sell toys or clothes. 

Open a savings or checking account with your child

Opening a savings account can be done in a short amount of time. Include your child in the process and talk about the importance of always saving – even if it’s just a little bit – for emergencies or for larger purchases.

You’ll also want your child to understand how a checking account works. Discuss how checks and debit cards work and how money must be in the bank to cover the amount of the check or debit. 

Take this opportunity to also explain to them how a credit card works, how debt accrues, as well as how you’ve budgeted throughout your life, including how you’ve been able to save for additional goals, like retirement, travel or college.

Make money fun: incorporate games into financial education

Make learning fun by incorporating games into regular activities. At the grocery, give them play money and help them see how far it goes with the choices they make. If they get an allowance, make them earn it and pay them more for difficult chores and less for everyday expectations like making their beds.

For more fun ideas for teaching kids about managing money, Money Crashers has compiled a list of online games and apps.

Continuing the conversation
Parents want what’s best for their kids – at every age and stage – and a financially healthy future is part of that. Talking about money early and often, providing safe opportunities for children to learn and introducing them to resources that can help are the steppingstones to good habits and smart choices.

Whenever there is a teachable moment for your kids, take advantage of it and share information: budgeting for eating out, saving for a vacation by using an online goal savings tool or paying a monthly credit card bill. 

Don’t let past money mistakes prevent you from talking with your kids about money. Using what you have learned and having conversations early might be the best way to ensure their future financial footing.

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third is a bank that’s as long on innovation as it is on history. Since 1858, we’ve been helping individuals, families, businesses and communities grow through smart financial services that improve lives. Our list of firsts is extensive, and it’s one that continues to expand as we explore the intersection of tech-driven innovation, dedicated people and focused community impact. Fifth Third is one of the few U.S.-based banks to have been named among Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies® for several years. With a commitment to taking care of our customers, employees, communities and shareholders, our goal is not only to be the nation’s highest performing regional bank, but to be the bank people most value and trust.

Fifth Third Bank, National Association is a federally chartered institution. Fifth Third Bancorp is the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Deposit and credit products offered by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

CONTACTS

Beth Oates (Media Relations)
Beth.Oates@53.com | 313-230-9002

Entergy has received a prestigious national award from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council recognizing companies that have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to including women-owned businesses in their supply chains. Entergy was recognized for successfully implementing world-class diversity and inclusion programs that enable growth and innovation, while breaking down barriers for women entrepreneurs.

We’re one of 66 corporations to receive this award and one of the companies honored in the chemicals, energy and utilities sectors. In a press release, WBENC said, “these corporations are impacting the next generation of women-owned businesses to ensure sustainability of future supply and their business models, such as investing in advanced education and/or mentoring by industry executives.”

Kya Moller, senior manager, supplier diversity and sustainability, accepted the award on Entergy’s behalf earlier this week at an event during the 2023 WBENC national conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

Originally published on Rayonier.com.

HOQUIAM, Wash., March 30, 2023 /3BL Media/ – A forest stream went more than a century without salmon after a road crossing was built above it. Then recently the small pipe that led the stream under the road was replaced with a bridge that allowed water to flow more freely—and suddenly the stream came to life.

A few weeks after the bridge project was finished, Matt Poppe, a Rayonier forest engineer, pulled a team of contractors off a nearby worksite to see the impact of the bridge they built.

“This is why we’re all doing this,” he told them. “There haven’t been fish in this stream for 100 years, and here we are seeing large salmon in this stream right now.”

That was just one of the 750 upgrades Rayonier has made to culverts and bridges on its property over the last 20 years to help address Washington’s declining salmon population. The effort is guided by Forests & Fish, one of the most comprehensive environmental laws in the U.S., which protects 60,000 miles of streams across Washington’s state and private forests. It uses the latest scientific standards to ensure the best possible habitats for salmon to live and spawn in, as well as other amphibious creatures that depend on upland streams.

In addition to replacing insufficient culverts and bridges to improve salmon habitat, Rayonier also improves forest roads to reduce the amount of sediment making its way into streams and, when possible, closes nonessential forest roads altogether.

Since the law passed in 1999, Rayonier has:

Opened 220 miles of fish habitatUpgraded 750 culverts and bridgesInvested $22 million in salmon habitat restoration

The long process to get a stream’s profile just right

The process to set even one project into motion can take a full year before building the structure during the “fish window,” when upland streams are naturally slowed and work will be least likely to disturb the fish, from July 15-Sept. 30. Matt must undergo months of permitting application reviews as well as a review process with stakeholders including environmental agencies and representatives of the local Native American tribes.

Portia Leigh, an area habitat biologist for the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW), often previews the proposed projects and advises Matt on how to make the pass-through simulate the rest of the streambed. She sometimes advises him to leave woody debris in the streambed or to drop hay seeds for vegetation, which will slow the water flow, enhance shade, and create pools and protective areas. That gives smaller salmon places to hide, spawn and grow before they go downstream into more open waters, says Portia, shown above.

Matt also conducts a “stream survey” with the partners to ensure the new passthrough simulates what the streams were like before a road passed through them. He explains that those who built the roads in the past (some of these roads are more than a century old) didn’t know the culverts they were using were not sufficient to maintain the streams below the roads.

“People in those days were doing their best with what they knew. All they worried about was getting the water across, and they thought the fish would come no matter what,” Matt says. “Many of the culverts that were put in these streams were just rolled into the hole. In those situations, it created an artificial stream channel.”

Today, the work to determine the proper placement for a culvert is much more complex. During the stream survey, Matt and the partner agencies will view the streams 100 feet above and below the project area to understand what the stream would have done naturally.

“We’ll come back and mimic that with our design. It can drastically change where that structure is placed and at what elevation it’s placed,” explains Matt, shown above.

Handling culvert and bridge replacements with care

Culvert and bridge projects are handled with extreme care. Before any digging begins, a watertight pipe is used to divert the stream around the project area, and fish screens are placed to ensure fish don’t come into harm’s way. Work to place culverts or bridges only begins after the project area is fully dewatered.

“The allowable amount of sediment contamination in the stream is zero. We’re mindful of that 100 percent of the time,” Matt says.

During a recent project, he pointed out a crawfish who was curiously swimming near the diversion pipe in clear water, just feet away from the project, a testimony to how well the diversion pipe worked to keep the water clear.

At the same time, Kelly Dunkerson, site supervisor for John J. Karnas Co., was placing a 40-foot-long culvert into the streambed. The Hoquiam-based company has contracted with Rayonier for more than 30 years and has served as a knowledgeable partner in the culvert and bridge replacement projects. While this particular culvert’s circumference was 10 feet around, about a third of that would be backfilled with streambed material to match the rest of the stream.

From start to finish, the projects typically take about a week, and then waterflow returns to normal. It can be shocking how quickly the streams attract salmon who have not been there in years. Portia, of WDFW, says they can sense the change in the waterflow once the work is done.

Matt says Rayonier has about 40 more miles of habitat to open and 125 more structures to upgrade in order to fully comply with Forests & Fish, but the work won’t stop there.

“As we build new roads, eliminate roads, stream enhancements change and other dynamics change, we’ll continue to do this work,” he says.

Matt’s proud of the work Rayonier is doing to help restore and improve salmon habitat in the forest.

“I love what I do every day of the week,” he says.

NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority for driving market transformation through healthy buildings, organizations and communities, released findings today from IWBI’s 2023 State of Workforce Well-Being Poll, showing almost everyone (96%) agrees that a healthy work environment is necessary for employee productivity. According to findings, most of the American workforce also say health and well-being is a “must have” for organizations and something employers should be “ethically obligated” to support.

IWBI’s 2023 State of Workforce Well-Being Poll, conducted by The Harris Poll, sought to better understand how U.S. workers prioritize and experience the investment by their employers to promote health, well-being and equity in their work environments. The Harris Poll surveyed over 1,000 full-time employed U.S. adults 25 years old and older during a two-week period in January 2023, providing an important look into the current state of the workforce, including a timely perspective on many trends initiated and magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years. Throughout the findings, employees consistently showed a strong, positive view of health-first practices, an organization’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and workplace flexibility. The key findings report of the poll can be found here.

“What these poll findings make clear is that employees deeply value their well-being and they expect their employers to as well,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. “Employers who invest in the health of their employees have a distinct advantage when it comes to attracting and retaining the talent they need to be successful in today’s economy.”

The poll found that the vast majority of employees place a high value on a healthy work environment and how an organization invests in their health, safety and well-being. Specifically, the poll found:

96% of employees agree that a healthy work environment is necessary for employee productivity.Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) agree that employers should be “ethically obligated” to create a work environment that enhances the health, safety and well-being of their employees.More than 8 in 10 (84%) employees agree that supporting the health of employees is a “must-have” for companies.81% agree that their company’s physical work environment has a major impact on their health and well-being.

With the current spotlight on issues related to the return to the office, the poll also found that most employees (74%) look forward to going to their physical workplace. However, general health issues top the list of employee concerns about returning to a physical workplace, tied with commuting, among employees who work remotely at least one day per week. Specifically, the poll found:

Nearly three-quarters of employees (74%) agree that their company workplace is a place that they look forward to going or would look forward to going.General health concerns, which include health and safety concerns and mental health concerns, top the list of employee concerns about returning to a company’s physical work location full-time or part-time (49% tied with commuting), among employees who work remotely at least one day per week.

The poll also showed that employees view organizational DEI efforts as a vital part of a company’s commitment to health. Further, a company’s DEI efforts strongly aligned with employee job satisfaction and comfort in the workplace. Specifically, the poll found:

83% of employees agree that DEI initiatives are an important part of a company’s overall commitment to employees’ health and well-being.78% of employees say that their company’s commitment to DEI is an important part of their job satisfaction.83% of employees agree that companies that actively promote DEI initiatives facilitate a more comfortable workplace.

“This poll, both timely and important, gives us nationally representative data on how today’s workforce is grappling with a staggering amount of change over the past few years,” said Dr. Matthew Trowbridge, Chief Medical Officer, IWBI. “We can glean a wealth of information from this poll about the state of our workforce here in the United States. But one message is deafeningly clear: employees want to work for companies that prioritize and invest in their health and well-being, helping support equity, a welcoming culture, flexibility and other health-first strategies.”

Most of the national workforce agrees that healthy employees are critical to a company’s bottom line. In fact, 95% agree (62% strongly agree) that a healthy workforce is essential to a company’s financial success. Further, according to the poll, employees view a company commitment to health and well-being as key to other critical company performance factors, including employee engagement, company reputation and employee recruitment and retention. Specifically, the poll found:

95% agree (52% strongly agree) they are more likely to engage with a company that visibly cares about the health and well-being of its employees.More than 9 in 10 employees (92%) agree (43% strongly agree) that a company that is committed to employee health and well-being stands out from the crowd.Nearly 4 in 5 employees (79%) say they would not feel any loyalty to a company that does not prioritize their health. And nearly 3 in 4 employees (73%) say they would not apply to work for a company that does not show it proactively invests in employee health and well-being.

Finally, the poll found many workers are taking part in flexible work arrangements, and those that do are worried about potential return-to-office mandates.

On average, employees say they work remotely two days per week; and more than two-fifths of employees (45%) work remotely at least one day per week.Nearly 4 in 5 employees who work remotely at least one day per week (78%) say they are concerned about return-to-office mandates (whether their company has actually enacted a mandate or not).

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About the International WELL Building Institute 
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the world’s leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health. IWBI mobilizes its community through the administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and WELL ratings and certifications, management of the WELL AP credential, the pursuit of applicable research, the development of educational resources and advocacy for policies that promote health and well-being everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL Portfolio, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Performance Rating, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

About The Harris Poll 
The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing. 

Media Contact: 
media@wellcertified.com

Leveraging the power of music to inspire environmental activism, AEG Presents partnered with the Alabama Coastal Foundation to organize a beach cleanup for employees and fans in the Gulf Shores area ahead of its Hangout Festival, an annual three-day event that takes place on the white sand beaches in May. The cleanup, which took place on March 19, 2023, resulted in the collection of 3,860 pounds of trash from the Fort Morgan area.

In addition to donating their time for a worthy cause, volunteers who participated in the cleanup also had a chance to earn points toward Hangout Festival’s Earn-A-Ticket Program with Propeller, a public benefit corporation that inspires activism and social change. By taking action in their local community, volunteers could win a General Admission ticket, as well as such festival perks such as merch gift cards, shuttle passes, and General Admission to VIP ticket upgrades.

“Hangout Festival takes place on one of the most beautiful beaches in Alabama and with that comes the responsibility to protect our coastline,” said Taran Cornejo, Senior Marketing Manager at AEG Presents. “We are proud to have partnered with the Alabama Coastal Foundation and Propeller on this important initiative. We are committed to doing our part to keep our beaches clean and encourage our fans to join us.”

The Alabama Coastal Foundation seeks to improve and protect Alabama’s coastal environment through cooperation, education, and participation. The foundation encourages responsible citizen action and offers opportunities for individuals to play a vital role in preserving the environment and the state’s coastal way of life.

Hangout Festival’s Earn-A-Ticket Program with Propeller encourages interested festivalgoers to volunteer their time to give back to their local community. To learn more about the program, please click here.

LOS ANGELES, March 30, 2023 /3BL Media/ – FinTech Breakthrough, an independent market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global FinTech market, today announced that it has selected Oportun, a mission-driven fintech and digital banking platform, as winner of the “Best Consumer Lending Company” in the 7th annual FinTech Breakthrough Awards program.

Oportun is a breakthrough digital banking platform that empowers its members to reach their financial goals by offering intelligent borrowing, savings, budgeting, and spending capabilities.

Through machine learning, Oportun then builds a comprehensive and personalized profile of members’ cash flow and quickly learns how much a member can afford to set aside without impacting their ongoing obligations and daily spending needs. Oportun calls this the Bank Account with a Brain™, because it does all the hard math, budgeting, and money transferring that present the sort of daily obstacles that inhibit many people from having adequate savings when they most need it.

Additionally, Oportun aims to ensure members always have access to affordable and responsible credit that meets their lifestyle and needs. The Company’s A.I.-driven credit-decisioning platform does not require a credit score to be approved, instead focusing on a large range of alternative data points including a borrower’s income, cash flow, history of on-time rental payments, and more to score 100% of applicants. While historically about half of borrowers had no FICO score when first coming to Oportun, the Company has helped more than one million people to begin establishing a credit history for the first time.

“With more than half of Americans reporting that they do not have enough savings to cover an unplanned expense of $1,000 or more. Additionally, over 60 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, including nearly half of six-figure earners,” said James Johnson, Managing Director, FinTech Breakthrough. “Oportun offers a breakthrough solution that makes building financial resiliency through savings easy and accessible, along with the ability to serve borrowers who would not be approved elsewhere. The Company is serving the needs of millions of people who are often not well-served by the financial mainstream, and we are thrilled to congratulate the entire Oportun team for this well-deserved industry recognition as ’Best Consumer Lending Company’ in 2023.”

The FinTech Breakthrough Awards is the premier awards program founded to recognize the FinTech innovators, leaders and visionaries from around the world in a range of categories, including Digital Banking, Personal Finance, Lending, Payments, Investments, RegTech, InsurTech and many more. The 2023 FinTech Breakthrough Award program attracted more than 4,000 nominations from across the globe.

“It is an honor to be recognized by Fintech Breakthrough as the best consumer lending platform, and be recognized for our efforts to advance our mission and place our members’ financial goals within their reach,” said Raul Vazquez, Oportun CEO. “Through our combined products and services we have made a significant impact in the lives of our members, having helped them set aside more than $8.9billion for emergencies and other purposes and empowering them to feel more confident in their financial future.”

Oportun has provided more than $15.5 billion in responsible and affordable credit, saved its members more than $2.3 billion in interest and fees, and helped members set aside an average of $1,800 annually in savings.

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About Oportun
Oportun (Nasdaq: OPRT) is a digital banking platform that puts its 1.9 million members’ financial goals within reach. With intelligent borrowing, savings, budgeting, and spending capabilities, Oportun empowers members with the confidence to build a better financial future. Since inception, Oportun has provided more than $15.5 billion in responsible and affordable credit, saved its members more than $2.3 billion in interest and fees, and helped our neobanking members save an average of more than $1,800 annually. For more information, visit Oportun.com.

About FinTech Breakthrough
Part of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for technology innovation and leadership around the globe, the FinTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in Financial Technologies and Services companies and products. The FinTech Breakthrough Awards provide public recognition for the achievements of FinTech companies and products in categories including Payments, Personal Finance, Wealth Management, Fraud Protection, Banking, Lending, RegTech, InsurTech and more. For more information visit FinTechBreakthrough.com.

Originally published by TriplePundit

Half a mile down the road from Henkel North America’s research and development facility in Trumbull, Connecticut, is the Trumbull Nature and Arts Center, a small nonprofit with a mission to provide nature-rich experiences to all members of its community. The center offers hands-on environmental science experiences for students and educational programming for families in the Trumbull community. It has grown rapidly in recent years, thanks in large part to collaboration with corporate volunteers from Henkel North America.

An employee’s passion prompts an ongoing partnership 

Henkel established the Make an Impact on Tomorrow (MIT) initiative in 1998 to fund and support employee volunteering efforts. Employees can volunteer with nonprofit organizations benefiting a wide variety of causes, from homelessness and food insecurity to education, and Henkel provides many of these organizations with financial support and product donations. Over the past 25 years, the company has supported more than 17,000 volunteer projects in over 100 countries.

As Henkel celebrates the 25th anniversary of its MIT program is, it shows no signs of slowing down. In 2022, the work of Henkel volunteers in North America specifically, impacted the lives of more than 110,000 people — and that work continues to grow as they move toward the mission to improve life for generations to come.

An employee involved with the MIT program got the company connected with the Trumbull Nature and Arts Center — and Henkel’s interest in supporting environmental and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education made the partnership a perfect match.

“Over the years, Henkel has been a fabulous supporter of our center,” Kevin Malone, president of the Patrons of Trumbull Nature and Arts Center, told TriplePundit. “They funded and built a playground that is made from 100 percent recycled plastic, which is the centerpiece of our outdoor area, and they continue to provide two main resources we rely on: financial, which is extremely important, and human resources, which is volunteer hours and everything volunteers bring to the center.”

Its work with the center is part of a broader effort at Henkel North America to prioritize volunteering in the communities where it does business, said Angela Curley, the company’s senior manager for diversity, equity and inclusion in North America. “We want to be there for our community, to help build thriving communities,” said Curley, who also leads corporate citizenship, social partnerships and philanthropy work. “We do this work because it’s good for society and we want to give back. We also want to engage in projects important to our employees’ interests — we want to support their passions and their contributions.”

Like with the center, it’s often employees who introduce the Henkel team to nonprofit and community partners through the MIT program. “One of our employees, Steve Leeper, has been involved with Trumbull Nature and Arts Center for many years, so it was just natural for us to continue that partnership through MIT,” Curley said. “Sometimes it’s the small, thoughtful impact that goes the longest way. Steve has been passionate and consistent about staying involved with Trumbull Nature and Arts Center, and that’s made a big impact.”

Henkel employees regularly visit the center for volunteer days, where they beautify the grounds by planting, painting, repairing, organizing and building. The company also funded a recent expansion and continues to support the center’s educational programming for underserved students.

“The Trumbull Nature and Arts Center is a very important part of our town and community, bringing in young families and area schools to learn and enjoy the Center’s arts and sciences,” said Leeper, facilities manager at Henkel’s Trumbull site. “We enjoy getting the Center ready for the daily visitors and seasonal classrooms. One part of our volunteer work was the funding for an outdoor classroom. This allows Center volunteers and instructors to hold classes outside, but away from the summer sun and other weather conditions.”

“Having them there shows the rest of the community that we have this support from our corporate partners and lets the community know that we are here and we have the support of an important business in town, and it adds something that we otherwise couldn’t get,” Malone said. “It is amazing to have Henkel on our team and supporting us.”

Instilling a love for nature

As part of their partnership, Henkel and the Trumbull Nature and Arts Center work to bring natural learning to young people who aren’t often exposed to nature.

“We know that many students in underserved urban communities don’t have the same kind of access to nature that students in suburban neighborhoods may have,” said Sheryl Baumann, executive director of the Trumbull Arts and Nature Center.

Last year, Henkel and the center collaborated on a project for first-grade students in Bridgeport, Connecticut, focused on new ways to get kids outdoors. “Nature does exist nearly everywhere, if you know how to find it,” Baumann said. “With this in mind, we wanted to give students and teachers the tools they need to go outside and view nature in their own schoolyards, whether it’s a flower bed around the school perimeter, some trees near a fence, birds flying by, or a dandelion struggling to grow through the cracks of a sidewalk.”

The partners developed a curriculum for the program and rolled it out to multiple schools in Bridgeport during the last academic year, and Henkel volunteers packed supplies like binoculars, bug viewers and butterfly nets into backpacks to help students on their journeys.

Engaging employees while supporting the community 

These ongoing initiatives further the center’s mission by increasing engagement with nature among the community’s youth and encouraging students to think creatively about environmental science.

“The Trumbull Nature and Arts Center is a great example of how our MIT program can come to life when a team of employees put their minds to it,” Curley said. “We know the easy part is the funding — the hard work is getting out and getting it done. MIT programs involve a wide variety of Henkel employees, from frontline employees to senior executives who volunteer their time for the causes they care about. We are enormously proud of our people and the things they do.”

Supporting nonprofits like the center also affords measurable benefits for employee engagement. “We hear from our employees that it is meaningful that Henkel supports the projects that are important to them,” Curley continued. “It’s not about the amount of money, it’s about supporting the work they do.”

Read more about Henkel’s community support in North America.

This article series is sponsored by Henkel North America and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team.

Images courtesy of Henkel and the Trumbull Nature and Arts Center

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, and NEWARK, Calif., March 30, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Logitech International (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI) announced that it has been recognized as a Supplier Engagement Leader by CDP, a global nonprofit that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. CDP ranked Logitech among the top 8% of all companies assessed for supplier engagement on climate change.

“For global organizations like Logitech, our carbon reduction goals go well beyond our factory doors, they are interdependent on the success of our suppliers. Only by working together, can we drive environmental action at scale,” said Prakash Arunkundrum, chief operating officer at Logitech. “As a company that holds ourselves accountable to carbon reductions from the sourcing of raw materials through to manufacturing, distribution, consumer use, and product end-of-life, we recognize the value of supplier engagement as a crucial component to identifying opportunities that tackle environmental risks.”

CDP’s Supplier Engagement Leaderboard and annual assessment is based on how well individual companies proactively work with suppliers to ensure climate change mitigation throughout their value chain. It assesses performance on supplier engagement using a company’s response to selected questions in the CDP climate change questionnaire on governance, targets, scope 3 emissions, and value chain engagement. In 2022, more than 18,600 companies around the world disclosed their climate change data through CDP. Logitech assesses product carbon footprint across the full value chain and uses 3rd party validated life-cycle assessment (LCA) modeling to help identify reduction opportunities through its Design for Sustainability program.

“This year’s report shows that environmental action is not happening at the speed, scale and scope required to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees, with many companies still not acknowledging that their impact on the environment extends far beyond their operations and that of climate change,” said Sonya Bhonsle, Global Head of Value Chains, CDP. “Therefore, we need to see environmental leadership from companies right now by tackling their impacts on climate change and nature together, working with their suppliers in an integrated way.”

Logitech has achieved other widespread recognition for its sustainability performance. It is a third consecutive year member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index (DJSI), a widely recognized standard for measuring and advancing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria. It is also rated “AAA” 1 by MSCI representing the top 9% in the technology, hardware and peripherals industry globally, achieved “Prime” status in the ESG assessment carried out by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), recognized by the Financial Times as #1 in Europe for climate leadership in 2022, was elevated to the top 1% of sustainable companies by EcoVadis with their platinum rating in 2022, became a Gender Fair certified company, and was listed on the 2021 Forbes’ world ranking of “Top Female Friendly Companies.” Learn about all of Logitech’s sustainability programs in the 2022 Impact Report or on the website.

About Logitech

Logitech helps all people pursue their passions and is committed to doing so in a way that is good for people and the planet. We design hardware and software solutions that help businesses thrive and bring people together when working, creating, gaming and streaming. Brands of Logitech include Logitech, Logitech G, ASTRO Gaming, Streamlabs, Blue Microphones and Ultimate Ears.

Founded in 1981, and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI). Find Logitech at www.logitech.com, the company blog or @logitech.

Logitech and other Logitech marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Logitech Europe S.A. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more information about Logitech and its products, visit the company’s website at www.logitech.com

1 MSCI AAA rating as of 12th December 2022. The use by Logitech of any MSCI ESG Research LLC or its affiliates (“MSCI”) Data, and the use of MSCI logos, trademarks, service marks or index names herein, do not constitute a sponsorship, endorsement, recommendation, or promotion of Logitech by MSCI. MSCI services and data are the property of MSCI or its information providers, and are provided “as-is” and without warranty. MSCI names and logos are trademarks or service marks of MSCI.

Originally published on Built From Scratch

Ferdi Mongo is the definition of starting with little to nothing and working your way up. Although he was born into Cameroonian royalty, his family was poor. He traveled to America at 24 years old with less than five dollars to his name, embarking on a life-changing journey.  

Ferdi, a husband and father of four, has held roles in every department, working his way up the management ladder. Ferdi went on to pay for his siblings’ college education. He also brought his family over to the U.S. to become citizens.

His career advice is to give it 110%, be authentic and most importantly, be true to yourself. Here’s a look into his 26-year career at The Home Depot.

Interested in a career at The Home Depot? Visit www.careers.homedepot.com.

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