Tag: 3BL

LONDON, October 6, 2026 /3BL/ – Since 2025, Boehringer Ingelheim and SLR Consulting have been working together on a global Energy & Infrastructure Transformation Programme to develop practical actions for transforming energy systems and infrastructure across Boehringer Ingelheim’s production and innovation sites.

The partnership supports Boehringer Ingelheim’s More Green Programme and its target to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 58.9% by 2030 compared with the 2019 baseline. It brings cost optimisation, security of supply and sustainability into one assessment process, identifying actions sites can initiate today and developing sequenced implementation roadmaps through 2030.

An integrated approach to site transformation

The programme combines SLR’s energy, engineering and implementation expertise with techno-economic modelling and site-specific digital twins. Each assessment begins with a structured review of existing energy assets, operating conditions, demand profiles, infrastructure constraints and measures already under development.

SLR’s specialists work with Boehringer Ingelheim’s site and global teams to represent these elements in a digital twin (utilising RIZM Energy) and assess alternative technologies and energy-procurement strategies. The analysis incorporates technical and economic assumptions, energy and carbon-price scenarios, and defined operational, security-of-supply and emissions (Scope 1 and 2) requirements over a 25-year life cycle.

By evaluating the site as an integrated energy system, the partners can identify economically optimised investment and operating decisions, determine their implementation sequence and establish the conditions under which they are viable. Models and recommendations are developed jointly with site teams and reviewed against available operational data.

Scenarios can be recalculated as market conditions, production requirements and technical assumptions change. This allows sites to reassess immediate optimisation opportunities, identify no-regret pathways and adapt their implementation roadmaps.

Results and opportunities across the portfolio

Digital-twin assessments have been completed across 11 site projects, producing site-specific energy and infrastructure concepts, business cases and sequenced investment roadmaps. The work has identified significant cost-optimisation potential while supporting Boehringer Ingelheim’s 2030 Scope 1 and 2 emissions-reduction targets, security of supply requirements and wider infrastructure objectives.

These outputs provide a consistent evidence base for immediate and short- to medium-term decisions, including technical validation, internal governance and investment approval. Each pathway reflects the site’s operating requirements, existing infrastructure and local market conditions.

The models also provide a foundation for detailed operational-performance analysis, energy-procurement optimisation and live asset steering. As more sites are assessed and existing models are updated, the programme connects site-level implementation with broader procurement, investment and portfolio-planning opportunities, while retaining the technical and operational detail required at each location.

Against a backdrop of volatile energy prices and supply uncertainty, this approach supports transparent decisions on where, when and how to invest. The programme will be rolled out across all key sites, concluding mid-2027.

Michael Worf, Senior Global Technical Manager Energy & Infrastructure at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: “The programme gives us a structured view of the options available to each site and the actions we can take today. The work completed so far shows that cost optimisation, security of supply and sustainability can be aligned, providing a practical basis for steering investments and supporting our 2030 Scope 1 and 2 emissions-reduction targets. It is already delivering value and helping us move from analysis into implementation.”

Bradley Andrews, CEO of SLR, said: “Our partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim reflects our commitment to practical, scalable actions that create economic value, strengthen energy resilience and reduce emissions. Combining our technical expertise with digital twins helps us turn complex investment and operating choices into implementable plans. Our global reach and local expertise allow us to work closely with site teams, reflect operational realities and support delivery, with further opportunities as the programme expands into operational optimisation and portfolio planning.”

SLR is attending the CPHI Sustainability Summit in Milan 06 October to 07 October, connect with the team at the Stella Polare Auditorium or at stand H47, Hall 16.

– ENDS –

Notes to editors:

About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry’s top investors in research and development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies that can improve and extend lives in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. Our approximately 54,300 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier and more sustainable tomorrow. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

About SLR

SLR is a leading global environmental and advisory consultancy, with a team of 5,000+ talented professionals operating from a network of offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

Our purpose – Making Sustainability Happen – means delivering outcomes that are grounded in evidence, shaped by experience, and built to last. Our team of scientists, engineers, economists, data modellers, and technicians work across our clients’ full sustainability journeys, from strategy through to on-the-ground project planning, execution and ongoing operations, all supported by robust data and science-based modelling.
Guided by our philosophy of Rational Sustainability, SLR specialises in the energy, mining, finance, industry & technology, government & infrastructure, and built environment sectors. Operating across more than 60+ technical disciplines, we’re helping a growing base of business, regulatory and government clients navigate the ever-shifting context of sustainable business.

Find out more: www.slrconsulting.com

by Gabriele Ballero, Cascale

Key Takeaways

• The revised ESRS cut reporting requirements significantly, and double materiality remains the basis for deciding what to report.
• The standards now reward focus: concentrating assessment where material impacts, risks and opportunities are actual or potential, which for most consumer goods companies means the manufacturing value chain.
• Existing facility-level data can strengthen that prioritization. It supports the regulatory assessment rather than replacing it.
• Manufacturers are often asked for similar information in different formats. Better alignment between regulation and existing systems is the most practical way to reduce that burden.
• Implementation experience from brands and manufacturers have already informed the revised version of ESRS.

Double Materiality Remains at the Core

The European sustainability reporting landscape has changed considerably over the past year.

The revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), now published in the Official Journal of the European Union, significantly simplify reporting requirements. Mandatory data points have been reduced by around 60 percent, processes have been streamlined, and greater flexibility has been introduced for companies applying the standards.

One important principle, however, remains firmly in place: double materiality.

Under the revised ESRS, companies must continue to consider both their material impacts on people and the environment and the sustainability-related risks and opportunities that can affect their business.

The question is therefore no longer whether double materiality will survive regulatory simplification. It is how companies can apply it effectively, taking into consideration the flexibility added on how companies can conduct this assessment..

From Reporting Requirements to Better Decisions

Double materiality has the greatest value when it goes beyond determining what appears in a sustainability report.

Environmental and social impacts across global value chains — from emissions and water use to working conditions — can increasingly interact with financial risks through regulation, resource constraints, supply disruption, and changing market expectations. Understanding these connections can help companies determine where sustainability issues are most significant and where action is needed.

The revised ESRS recognize this need for greater focus. Rather than requiring companies to assess every possible sustainability issue across every part of their value chain, the standards allow companies to implement the “top-down approach” allowing companies to conduct their assessment starting from their business model. This allows organisations to spare resources and focus those on what truly matters- better prioritization on how they address those sustainability impacts.

For most consumer goods companies, that prioritization points to the manufacturing value chain, where much of the environmental impact sits and where good facility-level data matters most. This is where Cascale’s public affairs team aims to bridge the gaps for companies navigating increased reporting obligations and greater supply chain oversight.

Connecting Policy, Data and Implementation

The next challenge is practical. Companies already use sustainability methodologies, datasets and management systems to understand environmental and social performance across their operations and supply chains. As regulation evolves, companies need greater clarity on how those existing systems relate to new regulatory expectations.

This does not mean turning voluntary sustainability frameworks into compliance tools. Regulatory requirements and performance frameworks serve different purposes. However, there is real value in understanding where they align, where existing data can support regulatory readiness, and where gaps remain.

That is work Cascale has started. The team has begun mapping how the frameworks it stewards relate to regulatory requirements, and a more detailed look at how the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) relates to the revised ESRS is now getting underway. The aim is clarity for members on where facility data can inform their assessments and support their ESRS preparation ESRS aligned report. Of course, this is not a claim that any tool delivers compliance.

Better alignment matters most for manufacturers, who are often asked to provide similar sustainability information multiple times, in different formats, for different customers. Reducing that duplication is one of the most practical benefits simplification could bring.

The flow of information should also work in both directions. Implementation experience from companies and manufacturers can provide policymakers and those developing the standards with valuable evidence about whether reporting requirements are practical, whether the necessary data exists, and where additional clarity may be needed.

From Compliance to Strategy

The revised ESRS represent an important moment for sustainability reporting in Europe. They reduce complexity, but they do not remove the underlying need for companies to understand their impacts, risks and opportunities.

For Cascale, the role is twofold: helping members understand what the revised standards mean for them in practice, and bringing the implementation realities of brands and manufacturers, particularly in producing countries, to the people refining the rules.

As sustainability regulation matures, the objective should not simply be to generate more information. It should be to make sustainability information more useful — helping companies understand what matters, act on it, and contribute evidence that supports better policy and better business decisions.

That is where double materiality can move beyond reporting and become part of strategy.

Cascale members can follow these developments through the Policy & Public Affairs Knowledge Hub and monthly policy monitoring. For more on how facility-level environmental data supports prioritization, see our Higg Facility Tools content.

Gabriele Ballero is Cascale’s manager of public affairs.

NEW YORK, October 5, 2026 /3BL/ – Governance & Accountability Institute (G&A), a leading sustainability consulting and research firm, has published a new resource to support companies in understanding key changes to the Science Based Targets initiative’s (SBTi) Corporate Net-Zero Standard and how they can prepare for future target setting. The paper, “There’s a New Way to Set Science-Based Targets: Using the Corporate Net-Zero Standard 2.0,” is available here.

“As clients continue to mature their climate and sustainability strategies, an increasing number will look to establish emissions reduction targets aligned with SBTi,” said Annie Roberts, Senior Vice President of Climate Consulting, G&A Institute. “The updates in the Corporate Net-Zero Standard 2.0 will significantly influence how companies structure their decarbonization roadmaps over the next few years and will shape best practices in emissions reduction across Scopes 1, 2, and 3.”

G&A’s resource paper outlines the most important developments for companies setting emissions targets:

• Strict five-year reviews by SBTi are now required for all validated targets
• New materiality-based thresholds will determine the requirements to set Scope 3 targets, with tiered requirements linked to company size and market
• Corporate tier definitions, base year reporting, and rules for Scope 1, 2, and 3 target-setting have all been updated
• A new voluntary framework for Ongoing Emissions Responsibility (OER) recognizes emissions reductions beyond corporate boundaries – and will become mandatory in 2035

“Companies need to continue looking forward and incorporating emissions reduction strategies into their overall business planning. In the short term, companies must carefully consider whether to continue engaging with existing reduction targets or set new ones under the revised framework – which they will need to do eventually,” Roberts added. “G&A is ready to help companies implement decarbonization strategies that will support more resilient operations and supply chains while aligning with the new SBTi standard.”

About G&A Institute, Inc.
Founded in 2006, Governance & Accountability Institute (G&A) is a New York–based sustainability consulting and research firm with deep advisory experience supporting corporate leaders and investors in integrating sustainability into governance, risk, enterprise performance, and evolving regulatory and stakeholder expectations. Backed by rigorous disclosure research and one of the industry’s most comprehensive benchmarking databases, we deliver insight that strengthens transparency, enhances competitiveness, and drives measurable return on investment.

More information is available on our website at ga-institute.com.

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES & INTERVIEWS, CONTACT
Louis D. Coppola
CEO & Co-Founder 
Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. 
Tel 646.430.8230 ext 14 
Email lcoppola@ga-institute.com

Through a long-standing partnership with social innovators on the front lines of nutrition and health, Boehringer Ingelheim works to support communities to build resilience. In the process, it is giving its employees a deeper sense of purpose and the tools to create lasting change.

“Nutrition affects not just physical wellbeing, but also mental and emotional health,” says Andrea Escobar, a social entrepreneur in Colombia. “People don’t always see how much it costs them to neglect their health or the health of their families. That’s what we try to help them understand their options and make changes they believe will benefit their health and wellbeing.” That mission is at the heart of Soydoy, the foundation she formed in 2008.

Andrea’s goals for her foundation align with Boehringer Ingelheim’s sustainability strategy. Her work embodies the “Impact through our People” program, part of the MORE POTENTIAL pillar—which focuses on initiatives aimed at supporting the health of our people and communities. Investing in employee wellbeing is intended to support positive impact beyond the organization, including through collaborations such as Soydoy.

A foundation built on food and family

Andrea founded Soydoy with the aim to address malnutrition and challenging food environments in vulnerable populations. In Colombia, more than 40% of the population suffers from some level of malnutrition, and obesity is a growing problem. Soydoy responds to these challenges by embedding itself in affected communities and providing education and support for families looking to change their habits. Working with mothers of young children showed the biggest impact. “Once we build up a critical mass of families that recognize the impact, then we can really begin to break down walls and convince more people to change their nutritional habits,” says Andrea.

While participating in Boehringer Ingelheim’s Social Innovation Hubs program in 2024, Andrea learned that her father had succumbed to a long illness. The timing made the loss even more profound: At the time of his death, she was immersed in conversations about health, prevention and the daily decisions that impact long-term wellbeing. “That experience was painful,” she reflects, “but the nature of the work I was doing helped me to walk through that pain with a lot of light and purpose.”

Drawing on her discussions in the Social Innovation Hubs program, Andrea realized that prevention often fails because organizations lack a way to measure wellbeing or quantify the economic cost of inaction. To fill that gap, she worked with a cross-functional group of eight Boehringer colleagues—including data scientists and medical doctors—to create Olana, a digital wellbeing platform.

Boehringer’s people have all been superb collaborators. Thanks to them, we have incorporated vital information into the platform, such as the connections between kidney and cardiovascular diseases and obesity.

Andrea Escobar, Founder of Soydoy

Unlike traditional assessment tools, Olana takes a holistic view of physical, mental, and financial wellbeing and seeks to highlight the potential economic impacts associated with poor health. These insights help communities and enterprises reflect on prevention priorities.

By drawing on data related to preventive actions, the platform offers indicative guidance to support understanding and informed decision-making around health and wellbeing. Olana is not intended to provide medical advice or replace professional healthcare guidance.

A partnership rooted in trust

Andrea is quick to highlight the key role Ashoka played in her relationship with Boehringer. Ashoka is an international non-profit that has built what it considers the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs. For 16 years, it has partnered with Boehringer to identify and support social innovators working on healthcare challenges. Ashoka collaborates with many other businesses, but its relationship with Boehringer stands out.

Arnaud Mourot, Vice President at Ashoka, describes it as a partnership unlike any other, one built on equal footing and deep mutual trust from the very beginning.

We don’t have a collaboration at this level of depth with anyone else. That trust allowed us to evolve our work over time with the aim of creating more social impact.

Arnaud Mourot, Vice President at Ashoka

Together, the two organizations have worked to support social entrepreneurs with the training and skills they need to succeed. Arnaud emphasizes that close partnerships are at the very core of Ashoka’s mission: “We help big businesses go beyond just giving money to NGOs. We enable them to engage in a meaningful manner, with in-kind support that helps social entrepreneurs refine their business models and raise their impact. However, our goal is to create a positive benefit for both sides.”

Ashoka supports Boehringer’s sustainability strategy by creating new opportunities for its employees’ strong sense of purpose. “We have worked with Boehringer to create a critical mass of employees who think like changemakers,” says Arnaud. “Thousands of Boehringer employees have gone through these programs, and you can see the impact they have had. The Social Innovation Hub program has been particularly effective because it aims to create local ecosystems where employees work directly with social entrepreneurs on challenges in their own communities.”

The program has resulted in a win-win scenario for all involved. Social entrepreneurs gain skills, support and the ability to tap into networks they might never be able to access otherwise, while Boehringer employees learn new and alternative ways to apply their expertise and experience firsthand how they can make a difference. “This way of doing good is also a new skillset directly transferable to the business,” Arnaud notes. “It makes people faster, more agile and more innovative.”

Wellbeing that works both ways

For Beatrice Aelterman, Boehringer’s Global Head of Occupational Health & Safety, the sustainability program “Impact through our People” doesn’t refer exclusively to helping others or improving the business; it is central to the topic of employee wellbeing.

Purpose matters. When people work on real challenges and feel a sense of connection, it can positively shape their work and support their overall wellbeing—inspiring them to approach their work in new ways.

Beatrice Aelterman, Global Head of Occupational Health & Safety at Boehringer Ingelheim

When employees collaborate with social entrepreneurs in underserved communities, something usually shifts for them. “They experience firsthand what health means in those contexts,” Beatrice explains. This external engagement illustrates one example of how employee engagement can support social innovation initiatives, complementing Boehringer’s internal wellbeing infrastructure. “We define wellbeing across four dimensions: mental health, physical health, social health, and financial health,” Beatrice says. “Our Be Healthy and Be Safe programs address the mental, physical and safety dimensions. But for everything we develop internally, we try to make it resonate outside of the company as well. For example, the volunteering platform we have enables employees to leverage their skills for the community. At the same time, these opportunities reinforce empathy and learning.”

Felipe de Jesús Lopez Fraga, Human Pharma Senior Sales Manager at Boehringer based in Mexico City, echoes the sentiment. Felipe has been closely involved in Soydoy’s collaboration from the start: “I’ve broadened my vision by working hand-in-hand with social entrepreneurs who are inspirational and an example of systemic change.”

Beatrice feels strongly that every initiative can make a difference, irrespective of scale. She remembers a colleague once describing a volunteer project on water access in Kenya as a small one. “I corrected them immediately,” she says, “It’s not a small project, because water is life. Access to clean water is essential to have good health.” For her, that distinction is an important one—because working alongside social entrepreneurs has given so many employees the opportunity to see how their efforts connect to Boehringer’s larger mission.

As Beatrice says, “We fill the bottle one drop at a time.”

Global Wellbeing Week 2026 | June 22–26

The Global Wellbeing Week brings Boehringer Ingelheim’s wellbeing approach into focus, showcasing initiatives addressing mental, physical, social, and financial health across the organization. The event also highlights how internal wellbeing efforts connect with external engagement, offering colleagues opportunities to learn from and interact with social entrepreneurs like Andrea Escobar of Soydoy, a featured speaker whose work illustrates the link between health, nutrition, and sustainable impact.

The initiatives described reflect individual collaborations and experiences. Boehringer Ingelheim does not provide medical advice through these initiatives, nor do they constitute evidence of measurable health outcomes.

Read more on Imagine – Boehringer Ingelheim’s sustainability story hub.

*Image credits: Headerpicture: Boehringer Ingelheim. Quote pictures: Acumen Colombia, Acumen Colombia, Beatrice Aeltermann

Environment Analyst’s annual Market Assessment identifies the leading firms in the Global environmental & sustainability (E&S) consulting market by E&S consulting revenue. For the first time, the ranking combines revenue from Inogen Alliance with participating Antea Group Associate companies, providing a more complete view of the Alliance’s collective scale and market position.

 

ST. PAUL, Minn., October 5, 2026 /3BL/ – Inogen Alliance today announced that it is ranked No. 19 in Environment Analyst’s latest Global Environmental & Sustainability Consulting Market Assessment, moving up from No. 37 in the previous report. The new ranking is based on environmental and sustainability consulting revenue for financial year 2025, compared with financial year 2024 in the report released at the beginning of 2026.

This is the first Environment Analyst ranking to combine Inogen Alliance revenue with revenue from participating Antea Group Associate companies. The consolidated approach more accurately reflects the full scale of the independent Associate companies that make up Inogen Alliance and the breadth of environmental and sustainability work they deliver for clients around the world. Antea Group is also listed separately at No. 16 in the assessment.

The state-of-the-industry report provides a unique window into market dynamics, competitor rankings, revenue breakdowns, M&A insights and growth opportunities.

“This ranking is meaningful because, for the first time, it more fully reflects the collective strength of Inogen Alliance,” said Angelique Dickson, President of Inogen Alliance. “Our model is different from a single global company: we are independent firms choosing to work together, combining trusted local expertise with the ability to serve clients consistently across countries, cultures and languages. As our membership and client work continue to grow, this recognition gives the market a clearer view of our scale, our capabilities and what global cooperation can achieve.”

The report is based on data from 37 leading Global E&S consulting firms, who account for 63% of the total Global market.

The data featured in the report for the Global Top 37 leading companies is based on figures for the latest fiscal year end. The data is submitted via Environment Analyst’s annual survey and/or estimated based on publicly available annual reports and public information sources where gaps exist. Each firm is given the opportunity to review and verify their data on an ongoing basis, to ensure the information is accurate.

Environment Analyst’s definition of environmental and sustainability (E&S) consulting is: “The provision of specialist technical, management, risk, analytics and strategic advisory services to help organisations understand, manage, and minimise their impacts to protect and enhance the environment and communities, and proactively respond to climate change, the nature crisis and associated impacts”.

Environment Analyst members can access the report and data pack here.
 

About Environment Analyst

Environment Analyst is the trusted intelligence hub for the environmental and sustainability consulting sector, with a global membership community of over 40,000 environmental professionals. Market Intelligence Membership includes access to their entire market intelligence library, featuring bespoke market intelligence reports, data sets, competitor profiles, business news and insights.

For more information about the report contact Editor & Senior Analyst Cameron Franssen at cameron.franssen@environment-analyst.com.

About Inogen Alliance

Inogen Alliance is a global network made up of over 70 of independent local businesses and over 6,000 consultants around the world who can help make your project a success. Our Associates collaborate closely to serve multinational corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, and we share knowledge and industry experience to provide the highest quality service to our clients. If you want to learn more about how you can work with Inogen Alliance, you can explore our Associates or Contact Us. Watch for more News & Blog updates, listen to our podcast and follow us on LinkedIn.

October 5, 2026 /3BL/ – DP World and Fundación Verde Profundo are expanding their mangrove restoration work in Boca Chica after achieving a 86% survival rate among more than 400 seedlings planted in the area’s reef lagoon. The partnership now aims to reach 1,000 planted mangrove seedlings by the end of 2026.

Launched in 2025, the partnership focuses on restoring coastal ecosystems near DP World’s Caucedo terminal while strengthening biodiversity and the natural resilience of Boca Chica’s coastline. The program includes ongoing monitoring and maintenance to support the long-term growth of restored mangroves.

Monitoring shows that approximately 48% of the planted mangroves have already developed aerial roots, an important sign of growth and adaptation. Mollusks, crustaceans, and juvenile fish have also been observed in restored areas, using the mangroves as shelter and nursery habitat.

The latest restoration activity on September 15 brought together 35 DP World employees and representatives from Fundación Verde Profundo for hands-on conservation work and education about the role mangroves play in protecting marine ecosystems and coastal communities.

“Economic development and environmental protection must advance together,” said Manuel Martínez, CEO of DP World in the Dominican Republic. “Our two years of work with Fundación Verde Profundo show how strong partnerships can deliver measurable environmental results. We remain committed to supporting the recovery of coastal ecosystems and helping build healthier, more resilient communities”.

Tasha Gough, CEO of Fundación Profundo, highlighted the progress achieved through this collaboration. “Mangrove restoration is a long-term process that requires technical monitoring, continuity, and collaboration among the public, private, and social sectors. One year after the first planting, the high survival rate of the seedlings and their continued development indicate that we are moving in a positive direction. Our goal is not simply to plant mangroves, but to support their establishment and assess how the ecosystem responds over time,” she said.

Building a More Sustainable Logistics Hub

The mangrove program forms part of DP World’s broader sustainability work in the Dominican Republic. In 2026, the company commissioned a 5,120-kW solar installation expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 3,500 tons annually. DP World is also electrifying its terminal fleet, with now 41 fully electric internal transfer vehicles currently in operation at Caucedo.

The partnership with Fundación Verde Profundo also extends to environmental education. For example, during DP World’s Global Volunteer Week, held in connection with the UN’s International Volunteer Day, employees, customers, and community partners in the Dominican Republic take part in activities focused on mangrove conservation, biodiversity, and coastal resilience.

Together, these efforts reflect DP World’s “Our World, Our Future” sustainability strategy and its approach to reducing the environmental impact of port operations while protecting the ecosystems surrounding them.

Learn more about sustainability in action at DP World in the Dominican Republic.

BRUSSELS, October 5, 2026 /3BL/ – Tandem Global leaders will participate in a series of international discussions this fall focused on the intersection of business, climate, water and nature, with engagements spanning Brussels, Munich and Yerevan, Armenia.

From corporate water stewardship and climate resilience to biodiversity and financing nature, Tandem Global CEO Margaret O’Gorman and Chief Science and Innovation Officer Anna Willingshofer will bring perspectives on how companies can translate environmental ambition into practical action and measurable outcomes.

“Tandem Global’s work is grounded in a simple premise: meaningful progress happens when business works together with communities, partners and other stakeholders to move from commitments to action,” said Margaret O’Gorman, CEO of Tandem Global. “These conversations provide an important opportunity to share what we are learning, listen to others and identify practical approaches that can advance climate and nature action.”

Brussels: Water Stewardship and Business Value

On October 13, O’Gorman will participate in a Leadership Roundtable at CSR Europe’s European Sustainable Industry Summit 2026 in Brussels. The discussion will focus on water stewardship and approaches that create value for business, nature and communities.

Munich: Building Climate Resilience Through Collaboration

On October 20, Tandem Global will host an Executive Roundtable during Munich Climate Week, presented in partnership with Airbus and Ramboll.

The invitation-only discussion will bring together representatives from business, finance, government and academia to explore strategies and collaboration needed to strengthen climate resilience.

Yerevan: Business and Biodiversity at COP17

Tandem Global will then participate in COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, October 23–27, with O’Gorman and Willingshofer taking part as speakers and moderators in six events focused on corporate action, biodiversity and nature.

The program includes discussions on landscape-scale restoration, biodiversity in the energy industry, pollinator protection, measuring net impact across business portfolios and financing nature through business operations.

O’Gorman and Willingshofer will also moderate important discussions including the opening panel of the Business and Biodiversity Forum on October 25, examining the current state of business action for biodiversity, and official side event Protecting Pollinators, featuring opening remarks from Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. 

Tandem Global at COP17

October 23
From Corporate Funding to Landscape Impact: Restoring a Globally Rare Ecosystem
10:00–10:45 | Business and Finance Hub, Action Zone, Blue Zone

Capacity Building for Biodiversity in the Energy Industry
16:00–16:45 | Business and Finance Hub, Action Zone, Blue Zone

Protecting Pollinators, Transforming Food Systems: A Regional Pathway for Implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework
18:15-20:00 | Official COP17 Side Event, Aparan Room (JUSCANZ),Blue Zone

October 25
Opening Panel: The State of Business Action for Biodiversity
9:00–10:00 | Business and Biodiversity Forum, Blue Zone

October 26
Measuring Net Impact Across a Business Portfolio
11:00–11:45 | Business and Finance Hub, Action Zone, Blue Zone

October 27
Financing Nature Through Business Operations: Turning Everyday Corporate Investment into Biodiversity, Water and Community Outcomes
9:00–9:45 | Netherlands Pavilion, Blue Zone

Taking the Conversation Forward

“Business has an important role to play in advancing action on nature and biodiversity, but progress depends on moving beyond individual commitments and finding ways to work across sectors and landscapes,” said Anna Willingshofer, Chief Science and Innovation Officer, Tandem Global. “COP17 is an important opportunity to share practical examples and explore how business investment and collaboration can contribute to meaningful outcomes.”

The fall engagements reflect Tandem Global’s focus on connecting companies and partners around practical solutions at the intersection of business, climate, water and nature.

Will you be in Europe this October? Connect with us to learn more about these events and opportunities to engage: 

Margaret O’Gorman Anna Willingshofer Frank Werner

About Tandem Global

Tandem Global brings business and environmental leadership together to advance practical solutions for climate, water and nature. Through its members, partnerships, consulting and WHC Certification®, powered by Tandem Global, the organization helps companies turn commitments into action and create meaningful outcomes for business, communities and the environment.

We’re helping solve our customers’ big challenges by innovating and delivering solutions that are better for their business and for the environment. Through our Gigaton Challenge, we aim to reduce 1 gigaton of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from our customers’ footprints by 2030.

Project At-a-Glance:

The opportunity:

Execute a large-scale, campus-wide transformation to advance sustainability commitments, modernize aging infrastructure across 90+ buildings and create meaningful student engagement while operating within strict budget constraints.

The solution: 

A comprehensive, campus-wide program incorporating efficiency upgrades, decarbonization, student engagement and broader community involvement.

Sustainability outcomes:

• Anticipated to deliver a 26% annual reduction in campus energy consumption and an 11% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Expected to generate $5 million in annual savings, just over $100 million in 20 years.
• Achieved budget-neutral implementation through $3.9 million in tax credits, utility rebates and state of Illinois incentives.
• Created nine student capstone projects, resulting in direct hires into Trane Technologies workforce.

In 2024, Northern Illinois University (NIU) partnered with our business Trane® on a comprehensive sustainability initiative to modernize campus infrastructure, advance climate goals and create hands-on learning opportunities for students.

Campus-wide transformation

NIU was facing pressure to address aging infrastructure while delivering modern curricula that would attract and retain students.

The university made a bold decision. Instead of a piecemeal approach, NIU launched a major sustainability initiative to meet its goal of 50% emissions reduction by 2030 while delivering exceptional student experiences.

Together, Trane and NIU developed a comprehensive program blending efficiency upgrades with student engagement and community involvement. The project introduced solar photovoltaic arrays, thermal energy storage tanks in three facilities—with one providing half the campus’s chilled water—smart HVAC controls in 39 buildings, LED lighting retrofits across 51 buildings, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems and EV charging stations.

“In collaboration with Trane, we are excited and thrilled to be pursuing a greener future for Northern Illinois University, our community and our world,” NIU President Lisa C. Freeman said. “NIU already plays critical roles in education and research related to sustainability, but this effort demonstrates our commitment to modeling sustainable behavior and environmental stewardship.”

The scope of the initiative was unprecedented, touching more than 90 buildings across campus and integrating multiple technologies into a unified sustainability program. The scale required close collaboration between NIU facilities teams, academic departments and Trane’s engineering and project management resources.

“The scope—spanning more than 90 buildings with integrated technologies and student engagement—sets a new benchmark for what’s possible in campus sustainability.”

Jon Dunlap
Upper Midwest Area Director of Energy Services, Trane Technologies

Student engagement and workforce development

The project was integrated directly into the university’s science curricula. Both faculty and students worked hands-on with Trane on the project’s development and the monitoring of its results and impact.

For students like Stephanie Verdin, the collaboration provided more than classroom learning—it offered a direct pathway into the industry. “I love to solve complex problems,” said Verdin, now a Trane Technologies employee. “Working alongside trained professionals helped me understand where I can go. As a Latina in engineering, being part of this project opened doors—and now I want to open doors for others like me.”

A total of nine students leveraged their experience with the collaboration to create capstone projects, all co-developed with Trane team members.

“We decided to do an energy audit of a campus building to come up with as many energy conservation measures as we could,” said Ben Koranda, another NIU graduate. “We calculated the energy savings, the carbon reduction and explored renewable energy.”

Ben’s project produced a guide for future student energy audits. Upon graduation, both he and Stephanie were hired by Trane Technologies.

“This project has been a catalyst for more things than I can count,” said Courtney Gallagher, Director of Campus Sustainability at NIU. “But, I really think that one of the ways that has been most impactful is helping us to think about student engagement in a thoughtful and meaningful way.”

Financial and environmental impact

The project was structured using an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC), which uses future energy savings to fund the upgrades – minimizing or eliminating upfront capital costs and overcoming traditional budget barriers.

As a result of the collaboration, energy consumption at NIU is expected to decrease 26%. Greenhouse gas emissions are expected to decline by 11%, equivalent to removing 10% of all vehicles from the road in DeKalb County¹. Smart controls and thermal energy storage have further reduced peak energy demand, reducing energy costs and improving system flexibility across campus.

In total, the initiative is expected to generate $5 million in annual savings, with savings of just over $100 million in 20 years. NIU has also leveraged $3.9 million in tax credits and has captured significant utility rebates and state of Illinois incentives to support program financials, achieving budget-neutral implementation.

“NIU’s commitment to sustainability and student comfort created a strong foundation for one of the most comprehensive programs we’ve undertaken in higher education,” said Jon Dunlap, Upper Midwest Area Director of Energy Services, Trane Technologies. “The scope, spanning more than 90 buildings with integrated technologies and student engagement, sets a new benchmark for what’s possible in campus sustainability. These improvements will reduce energy consumption and emissions while creating resilient learning spaces with lasting positive effects on student life.”

Read our Sustainability Report and see how we’re making sustainability scalable.
 

1. Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator | US EPA

LINCOLN, Neb., October 5, 2026 /3BL/ – The Arbor Day Foundation’s Impact Fund has invested in two organizations working to reshape how communities prevent, detect, and recover from wildfire. The investments in Vibrant Planet and Convective Capital mark a new front in the Foundation’s long-standing commitment to helping forests and communities recover from disaster, extending that work upstream to help reduce the severity of wildfires before they start.

“Wildfires in the U.S. and around the world are burning longer, hotter, and more often than in the past. Fire seasons that were once measured in months now stretch into a year-round threat across much of the West,” said Dan Lambe, CEO of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We have spent decades replanting in communities and forestlands in the aftermath of some of the nation’s most devastating wildfires and we’re elevating that recovery work by supporting solutions that could help limit future wildfires.”

The Impact Fund is the Arbor Day Foundation’s impact investing initiative, created to support companies and funds developing new approaches to forest health, resilience, and restoration.

Vibrant Planet is a public benefit corporation (PBC) helping communities, governments, utilities, and land managers move from reactive wildfire response to proactive landscape resilience. Its data-driven planning platform integrates geospatial data, climate models, and treatment recommendations to identify areas of greatest wildfire risk and prioritize forest management actions across entire landscapes. By enabling stakeholders to evaluate treatment scenarios, coordinate across ownership boundaries, and direct investments toward the highest-impact interventions, Vibrant Planet helps reduce the severity of future wildfires while supporting healthier forests, safer communities, and more strategic post-disaster restoration efforts. As global temperatures continue to increase, Vibrant Planet provides critical decision-support tools that improve resilience before disasters occur and guide recovery afterward.

Convective Capital is a venture fund focused exclusively on wildfire resilience and climate adaptation technologies. Through its portfolio of fire-tech companies, Convective supports solutions spanning wildfire prevention, early detection, vegetation management, grid resilience, emergency response, risk modeling, and community protection. Its portfolio companies help identify ignitions faster, reduce hazardous fuels, improve utility infrastructure safety, and provide tools that enable firefighters and local governments to respond more effectively. Collectively, these technologies help protect forests, watersheds, homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure from increasingly severe wildfire events.

“We will always show up to help forests and communities recover after a wildfire to bring a sense of hope and healing to people and the planet,” Lambe said. “But recovery can only do so much if the fires keep getting bigger. As a leader in this space, we feel a responsibility to help shape better outcomes, and that means investing in the data, technology, and expertise of organizations that are building the future solutions this crisis demands.”

Through the Impact Fund, the Arbor Day Foundation intends seek out and support organizations that align with our mission and are working to advance forestry and tree-related initiatives within the following sectors: land use management; climate and Earth data; forest carbon technologies; as well as other tree-related technologies. 

Learn more about the Impact Fund at arborday.org/impactfund.

About the Arbor Day Foundation 

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. They foster a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees. For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners.

And this is only the beginning.  

The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.

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MADRID, Spain, October 5, 2026 /3BL/ – Fairtrade updated its Minimum Prices for bananas in direct response to a combination of pressures negatively impacting financially strained farmers.

Emmerson Aguirre, President of Asociación de Bananeros de Colombia (Augura), Colombia, explained that pressures facing the banana sector are overarching and global, including geopolitical instability, climate change, and rising input and logistics costs.

“We are not simply talking about the margin of one producer,” said Aguirre. “We are talking about the ability to pay decent wages, sustain formal employment, protect the environment, and meet the standards the market demands of us.”

Jose Antonio Hidalgo, Executive President of Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE), added that the demands on the sector are growing.

“We are also investing heavily in environmental, labor, and social sustainability. These are investments we support and believe are necessary, but they are not cost-free,” he said.

The new Minimum Prices were announced today, ahead of Fruit Attraction 2026. Fruit Attraction is one of the world’s leading events for fruit and vegetable professionals from all over the world. Connect with Fairtrade at Fruit Attraction October 6-8, 2026 in Pavillion 12c 11 (Hall 12).

The average Fairtrade Minimum Price for bananas has increased by 5.6% at Ex Works level and by 3.9% at FOB level, with variations by origin. These increases reflect Fairtrade’s staunch commitment to decent livelihoods for farmers and workers.

The new Minimum Prices for banana will be valid for contracts with farmers on January 1, 2027, and will benefit 35,516 Fairtrade banana farmers and workers around the world.

Fairtrade Pricing

The Fairtrade Minimum Price is the guaranteed minimum price that farmers must be paid for their product. If the global market price falls below it, buyers must pay the Fairtrade Minimum Price to protect farmers from profit losses. If the market price is higher than the Minimum Price, buyers must pay the higher market price. The Fairtrade Minimum Price is based on the average costs of sustainable production.

Fairtrade banana farmers and workers also receive the Fairtrade Premium, an additional $1 paid on top of the Fairtrade Minimum Price per box. Farmers can invest Premium funds in sustainable production practices or community support projects of their choice. In 2024, Fairtrade banana farmers earned more than $39.3 million in Premium, an increase of 3.4% from 2023.

Fairtrade’s Minimum Prices for bananas are updated each year to protect farmers against ongoing cost pressure and help them achieve decent livelihoods.

Farmers Face Ongoing Challenges

This year’s increase is a direct response to the pressures farmers are facing. Extreme weather events, including El Niño, pests and diseases, such as Fusarium Tropical Race 4, as well as rising production and sustainability costs, are affecting productivity and demand a significant investment in resilience and sustainable practices. The costs associated with preparing for, responding to, and recovering from these challenges are often shouldered by growers alone.

“Banana producers are at the beginning of a supply chain that is increasingly exposed to global shocks, yet they often have the least ability to absorb additional costs,” said Silvia Campos, Senior Advisor, Banana, Fairtrade International. “Fair and sustainable supply chains require shared responsibility. That starts with prices that reflect the real costs of sustainable production, alongside long-term sourcing and collaboration to build resilience.”

The Banana Price Review 2026 was conducted in accordance with Fairtrade’s Standard Operating Procedure for setting Minimum Prices and the full-price research methodology.

The review used validated production cost data from certified growers, technical assessments to address data gaps or non-available data, and consultations on 47 Fairtrade Minimum Prices across nine origins and two country clusters. In total, 114 certified farmers, exporters, importers, and retailers participated in the consultation process.

Fairtrade continues to have in-depth conversations with farmers and other stakeholders to understand challenges and provide solutions. Farmers noted that Fairtrade’s pricing methodology is a valuable model for bringing transparency to production costs across regions and supporting livelihoods.

North American Retailers’ Role

Price and secure supply are intertwined. Keeping retail prices low for short term wins with shoppers perpetuates a cycle of underinvesting in farming communities that leads to greater instability in the long run.

“North American retailers need to recognize their role in sharing the costs and risks associated with sustainable production,” said Rob Desson, Sr. Business Partnerships Manager for Fresh Produce, Fairtrade. “Everyone – farmers, buyers, and consumers – will benefit from more resilient produce supply chains, but everyone must share responsibility with farmers in bringing them into reality. Investing in growers and their farms today can help reduce disruptions to produce availability, quality, and prices in the future.”

Fairtrade pricing research shows that banana farming communities are often losing money as they answer retailers’ demand for cheap fruit. Paying even a few cents per pound more translates into exponential impact for those communities and the U.S. businesses that depend on them.

North American retailers ready to support banana farming communities can contact Rob Desson, Sr. Business Partnerships Manager for Fresh Produce, Fairtrade at Robert.Desson@fairtrade.ca.

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Editor Notes

• Ex Works (EXW) – The seller delivers their part of the contract when the goods are placed at the disposal of the buyer, either at the seller’s premises or another named location (works, factory, warehouse, etc). Goods are not cleared for export and are not loaded onto any collecting vehicle.
• Free on board (FOB) – The seller delivers their part of the contract when the goods pass the ship’s rail at the named port of shipment. This means the buyer must bear all costs and risks of loss or damage to the goods from that point. Free on board (FOB) requires the seller to clear the goods for export.

About Fairtrade America 

Fairtrade America works to rebalance trade, making it a system rooted in partnership and mutual respect rather than exploitation. It’s about businesses, shoppers, farmers and workers all working together so we can all experience the benefits of trade. Fairtrade America is the U.S. branch of Fairtrade International, the original and global leader in fair trade certification with more than 30 years of experience working for fair trading practices in more than 60 countries across the globe. A non-profit 501(c)3 organization, Fairtrade America is part of the world’s largest and most recognized fair trade certification program —part of a global movement for change. Learn more at fairtrade.net, and by connecting with Fairtrade America on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Media Contact

Liz Davis, ldavis@fairtradeamerica.org | +1 202-930-4349