Tag: 3BL

March 9, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Climate change impacts are growing every year, threatening lives, business continuity, and infrastructure—costing an average of $152.9 billion dollars per year in the U.S. alone (NOAA, 2022). Yet the Architecture and Engineering (A&E) industry still relies on historical weather data as a primary resource for performance analysis, system sizing, and other design decisions, as climate projection data are not available in the formats used by A&E codes, process guidelines, and software.  

The new report “Climate Forward? How Climate Projections Are(n’t) Used to Inform Design” from the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP) and national interdisciplinary design firm HGA, reveals the alarming gap between the current state of A&E practice and climate science.

Currently, energy modelers most often use the Typical Meteorological Year (TMY3) dataset produced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)— based on past median weather conditions for a given location that is sometimes more than three decades old. Our changing climate makes ‘climate normals’ less useful for designers, poorly reflecting the range, frequency, and intensity of potential future weather conditions that a building will need to withstand during its lifespan. Key systems and infrastructure globally will continue to be vulnerable unless design standards change to account for changing climate.  

“We know climate change is here and the past is no longer the best predictor of the future. As we seek to make our buildings more energy efficient and ‘climate-friendly’, we must also use climate projection data to ensure our built environment is resilient to the climate of the future.” say Dr. Heidi Roop, MCAP’s Director and a report author. “This report highlights that there is work to do by the climate science community and A&E professionals to ensure we are designing for climate resilience. Clients and professional societies also play a key role in driving a holistic, forward-looking approach to design of the buildings and infrastructure we all rely on.”

The research makes a decisive case for the development and promotion of industry standards, mandates (including building codes), guidance and training for using climate projections in A&E applications. It also articulates the critical role for boundary organizations and climate data developers to build partnerships and capacities to bridge this gap alongside A&E professionals.

“Climate Forward?” also addresses the missed opportunity to extend the life of our buildings. Today’s sustainable design efforts focus primarily on climate change mitigation—that of reducing carbon emissions. In contrast, MCAP and HGA’s research shows how the industry should also shift to design for climate change adaptation—which are a broader set of design measures that factor in the projected climate over the lifespan of the building and systems. 

Lead author of the report, Ariane Laxo, HGA’s Director of Sustainability said, “There is tremendous potential in climate resilience services—professional services related to climate change resilience and/or adaptation using climate projection data.” She continued, “identifying the right data formats and timescales to factor in the projected climate over the lifespan of the building, landscape, and systems, will dramatically change the way we design to create a more resilient future. Industry associations need to create standards for how to integrate these data into practice, so we are using consistent methodologies.”

The climate is changing rapidly. Action must be taken now, and must involve substantive collaboration with climate data developers, boundary organizations, A&E associations and professionals, policy makers, building code & standards bodies, higher education institutions, and any organization that hires A&E professionals. The report concludes with recommended actions that could close the gap between climate science and the A&E professionals who are designing buildings and infrastructure that must withstand climate change.

Read the full report, “Climate Forward? How architects and engineers are(n’t) using climate projections to inform design.” 

Report authors: Ariane Laxo, HGA, Brenda Hoppe, University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership, Heidi Roop, University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership, Patrick Cipriano, HGA and University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership

About MCAP

The University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP) is a partnership among university, public, non-profit, and private sector groups organized to support Minnesota’s ability to adapt to a changing climate. MCAP conducts cutting-edge climate and adaptation research, champions climate leadership, develops the next generation of adaptation professionals, and advances implementation of effective, equitable adaptation actions across sectors, communities, and levels of government. Learn more about MCAP at climate.umn.edu or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

About HGA 
HGA is a national interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. We believe that great design requires a sense of curiosity—forming deep insight into our clients, their contexts, and the human condition. We are a collective of over 1,000 architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, researchers, and strategists. Our practice spans multiple markets, including healthcare, corporate, cultural, education, local and federal government, and science and technology. Visit HGA.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

The world is progressing toward a net-zero future, and it is up to businesses to keep pace.

Across the globe governments and regulatory bodies have enacted laws and regulations to both curb emissions and expand alternative energy sources. These changes, while designed to move us toward a more positive future, may cause near-term complications for certain industries and corporations.

To mitigate the negative effects of energy transition and emission reduction, businesses must take strategic and proactive action. A report by McKinsey addressed this, stating, “Many of these adjustments can be best supported through coordinated action involving governments, businesses, and enabling institutions, and by extending planning and investment horizons.”

Let’s examine what corporations need to do to prepare for a net-zero world.

Why Are Net-Zero Targets Emerging and Why Are They Important? 

Beginning with the Paris Climate Accord of 2016, global leaders started to work together to create systems that would lower greenhouse gas emissions, hoping to stave off some of the most severe effects of climate change.

The impact of climate change is already being felt throughout the world as weather events intensify. In the United States alone, 2022 saw 18 separate climate-related disasters totaling more than $165 billion in damages.

This follows a pattern that has been emerging, with five of the past six years resulting in climate and weather-related damages topping an annual amount of $100 billion.

The industries and communities affected by these events are already paying the price for climate change. The net-zero targets are designed to reduce the human and financial suffering brought on by these events.

How Do I Meet Investor Expectations to Hit Net-Zero Emissions? 

The good news is that investors are on board with investing in companies that prioritize addressing environmental concerns. Making the necessary changes in how your business operates to ensure you meet net-zero emission targets might seem like a monumental undertaking, but it really comes down to creating a process backed by science.

Commit to the science 

Before you can make any significant changes within your organization, you must first gain buy-in from your C-suite leadership.

An excellent way to do this is to present science-based targets. These help your organization work toward realistic goals in a timely manner. Developed by the UN, science-based targets (SBTs) are grounded in decades of research, updated through ongoing research, and clearly define how much and how quickly companies need to manage their emissions to support the global prevention of further climate change.

Learn more: The Business Case for Science-Based Targets 

Conduct an assessment 

The process of determining what your SBTs should be involves a review of your current business facilities, practices, and suppliers. This process is best done in partnership with environmental services professionals who can offer guidance to make the data collection more complete and efficient.

Create an action plan 

The data collected will then be used to create a baseline from which targets and timelines can be extrapolated.

We recommend using this opportunity to address topic-specific goals:

Maintain: What is your organization already doing well that should be maintained?Improve: What are the areas that need to be improved upon?Optimize: Where are there opportunities for your organization to become a leader in net-zero optimization?

Addressing the successes and challenges your organization faces in a structured and forward-looking manner will make implementing change easier to do in phases.

Start taking action 

The commitment to net zero requires real change. Real change can take time. While you put things in motion to address larger-scale concerns, an easy way to start moving your organization toward net-zero emissions is to work on greening up your campus. This is also a great way to get your workforce involved in sustainability.

Learn more: 7 Steps to Develop and Implement an ESG Strategy 

Involve your marketing team 

Taking real action toward meeting net-zero targets is something your organization should celebrate. Stakeholders may be privy to more internal information than the general public. Still, being vocal about the real progress you’re making will raise your profile and may even attract new investors.

Net-Zero Is the Future 

Across the world leaders in government and industry are partnering to achieve net-zero targets. Now is the time to be a leader in your sector by taking direct action to reduce your organization’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Ready to get started? Antea Group’s sustainability consultants are here to help.

About Antea Group

Antea®Group is an environment, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm. By combining strategic thinking with technical expertise, we do more than effectively solve client challenges; we deliver sustainable results for a better future. We work in partnership with and advise many of the world’s most sustainable companies to address ESG-business challenges in a way that fits their pace and unique objectives. Our consultants equip organizations to better understand threats, capture opportunities and find their position of strength. Lastly, we maintain a global perspective on ESG issues through not only our work with multinational clients, but also through our sister organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America and as a founding member of the Inogen Alliance. Learn more at us.anteagroup.com. 

Sustainable companies are setting ambitious climate targets to cover their operations and supply chains.

To help those companies meet their commitments, SAP has become an innovation partner in the Value Chain Carbon Transparency Pathfinder program from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a global, CEO-led organization committed to accelerating the transition to a sustainable world.

Why Carbon Accounting Needs to Evolve

For corporate climate action to succeed, particularly in the supply chain, companies must be able to record, report, and act on reliable and accessible emissions data. Such data is needed to set accurate net zero targets, identify specific intervention areas to maximize decarbonization, and accurately track emission reduction initiatives.

The current accounting system for supply chain emissions relies on data that often needs more accuracy, granularity, and comparability. A carbon accounting system that mirrors the financial accounting world would help companies and consumers understand the real impact of their products. Companies should pass credible emissions data along the value chain from one company to the next, tied to specific products and services as a carbon invoice.

Two fundamental problems need to be addressed to strengthen the credibility of sustainable companies and their decarbonization activities: data quality and data access. Addressing the following issues with the help of technology will increase access to high-quality data:

Create transparency around emissions that sit outside a company’s direct controlEnable access to accurate data collected in real time through automationEnable different carbon accounting solutions to interact using data standardization within the network through technological interoperabilityCreate open and goal-oriented cooperation between technology companies and standardization bodiesUse primary data from own operations and suppliers instead of relying on secondary data taken from sources such as IEA, EPA/EEA, or Ecoinvent to understand emission hot spotsApply uniform standards for the same calculations throughout the value chain

What Carbon Accounting Based on Actuals Will Look Like

In financial accounting, profit and loss statements and balance sheets are maintained in the general ledger in a company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Companies share data via purchase orders and invoices from one value chain participant to the next. Global standards govern how the data is calculated; this same approach needs to be adopted for carbon accounting.

Three things are needed to remedy the lack of carbon transparency. Existing carbon accounting rules must be continuously updated, technology infrastructure should be agnostic, and greater collaboration must occur across value chains, industries, and private and public sector players.

The ideal system will provide a harmonized approach for calculating carbon footprint and enable data sharing in an open, digitalized, flexible manner across solutions and platforms. At each step of the value chain, companies will have access to standardized emissions data. With more accurate accounting of both product emissions and overall corporate emissions, organizations can set goals and track progress more effectively.

How Companies Can Start Shifting the Dial

To make a measurable difference in the near term, companies can adopt a hybrid carbon accounting approach until a more complete ledger-based solution is in place. They can begin by improving the accuracy and granularity of Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and implementing a credible Scope 3 strategy based on the following steps: identifying the source of emissions, collecting product carbon footprints (PCFs) from suppliers, collaborating to reduce emissions, expanding PCF data exchange, and continuously improving carbon data quality, granularity, and accessibility.

Sustainable companies achieve competitive differentiation for their products and services by taking these steps. This is already apparent in consumer-facing industries like food and beverage as well as heavy-emitting industries like cement and steel. Furthermore, these businesses are best prepared for future carbon pricing or carbon taxes

Carbon accounting, especially Scope 3, is a challenge solved through collaboration and standardization to achieve transparency and data quality.

For more details, download the full report here.

Sebastian Steinhaeuser is chief strategy officer at SAP.
Anna Stanley-Radière is director of Climate Transparency and member of the Extended Leadership Group at WBCSD.

The Biomimicry Institute is now looking for the next top nature-inspired startups!

The Ray of Hope Prize® by the Biomimicry Institute is an accelerator program designed to amplify startup founders commitment to sustainability, conservation, and purposeful business. All participating teams will receive startup training, science communication support, and an incredible nature retreat, in addition to the $150,000 in prize funding available.

Last but certainly not least, participants will join a network of peers dedicated to looking to nature to solve some of the biggest environmental and social challenges.

The Ray C. Anderson Foundation is the primary funder for the Ray of Hope Prize.

Learn more here.

PHILADELPHIA, March 9, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), a global leader in food and facilities management, announced today that it has entered into an equitable alliance with Triple B Hospitality Group (Triple B), a Black-owned leader in human-centric hospitality, to bring new avenues of value to Aramark Workplace Experience Group clients who want to empower their people and communities, to overcome labor challenges, and to drive more equitable impact from their businesses.

The alliance will support Aramark’s commitment to building more effective partnerships with women- and minority-owned businesses, bridging gaps in economic impact, and linking talented people to stronger, longer-term workplace opportunities.

Founded by three seasoned hospitality industry professionals, Triple B is powered by thought leadership grown from frontline roots and focused on fresh strategies that benefit businesses and broaden their scope of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“Aramark understands the value in building and implementing diverse, equitable, and inclusive practices in the workplace,” said Keith Bethel, Co-President of Triple B Hospitality Group. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Aramark to share resources, expertise, and ideas that can help move our shared clients forward in their DEI commitments and make a lasting impact on the hospitality industry.”

In partnership with Triple B, Aramark will prioritize the needs of its workforce by going beyond diverse spending and focus on community building as well as mentorship opportunities and engaging professional development programs for frontline workers.

“Triple B’s knowledge and expertise are an invaluable asset as we continue to invest in people and planet,” said Ellen Wilson, Chief Growth Officer of Aramark Workplace Experience Group. “We are honored to play a part in the Triple B mission. This alliance is an important addition to our approach and underscores Aramark’s belief that a diverse and inclusive workplace fosters innovation and holistic prosperity. We are thrilled to expand upon our longstanding relationship with Triple B’s founders – Keith Bethel, Marc Brooks, and Junior Bridgeman – to support diverse communities and build a more equitable world.”

About Triple B Hospitality Group

Triple B Hospitality is led by three hospitality leaders, whose decades-long work has built a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable industry. Triple B creates renowned, best-in-class dining experiences for workplaces, educational institutions, and event venues. Their purpose is greater than simply providing nourishment, as they utilize their years of wisdom to provide high-quality services that enrich the lives of our guests, clients, and associates. Learn more at https://triplebhospitality.com.

About Aramark

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world with food, facilities, and uniform services. Because our culture is rooted in service, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and the planet. Aramark has been recognized on FORTUNE’s list of “World’s Most Admired Companies,” DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” and “Top Companies for Employee Resource Groups,” Newsweek’s list of “America’s Most Responsible Companies 2023,” the HRC’s “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality,” and scored 100% on the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Originally posted on bloomberg.com.

At Bloomberg, we believe that advancing women and people from other underrepresented groups in the workplace is critical to our success as a business. However, many women in tech face huge obstacles and feel stuck in their careers. In fact, according to a study by Coqual, more than half of highly-qualified women in STEM quit their jobs over time. Notable challenges they face include alienation, extreme hours, bias, exclusion and isolation, and managers not seeing them as having leadership potential.

We can all take steps to value and amplify the knowledge, experience, insight, and ideas that women contribute to the workplace so everyone can benefit. Below, some of our women engineers and allies share some great suggestions for strategies, ideas, and advice to make the tech sector more inclusive for all of us.

Ash Brown

Global Head of Bloomberg UX

“Celebrate women and people from underrepresented groups in tech’s successes publicly and often.”

Julio Nicolas Bueno

Software Engineering Diversity Recruiting Programs Lead

“Organizations need to focus on building equity into their interview experiences by being more transparent about their expectations throughout. When candidates have insight into the process, they can determine if they are confident and ready to move forward or need more time, support, or resources to prepare for the interview. As Bloomberg is super focused on engaging and recruiting more women through our campus relationships, sourcing, and philanthropy partnerships, we’ve set out on a mission to level the playing field by revolutionizing the way we recruit. We host programs and interview workshops focused on upskilling candidates’ problem solving and coding skills, as well as boosting their overall confidence.”

Parul Jalota

Head of ESG and Credit Risk Engineering

“Most have heard the familiar adage ‘Diversity is a mix and inclusion is making the mix work.’ When we talk about inclusion, it boils down to creating a work environment that allows every individual to feel valued. The key to being inclusive starts with building awareness, understanding the challenges people may be facing, and meeting them where they are at right now.

If you notice that someone is struggling – maybe they are not speaking up or they are being interrupted – you could be the person who can intervene to ensure that they are heard. Little acts of encouragement, such as providing positive feedback, advocating, and supporting women’s ideas, can go a long way in boosting women’s confidence in the workplace and allowing them to perform at their best.”

Eliza Jonauskyte

Software Engineering Team Lead, Asset & Investment Manager (AIM) Engineering

“We should all continuously revisit our biases and put effort into becoming more aware of things happening around us. We should seek to have more conversations where women can share their insights and experiences, and sponsor women around us when we can.”

Shifalika Kanwar

Senior Software Engineer, Enterprise Trading Network; Co-Chair, Distributed Systems Guild

“We can all make a difference by sharing knowledge and learning from one another. That means supporting different communities at work by lending an ear, amplifying an idea, or helping implement a solution. If you’re at the table, honor your privilege by using your voice to elevate others.

As engineers, we are trained to solve problems, so each one of us can and must find one concrete way to increase equity. Similar to how we collaborate on our technical projects, inclusion happens when all of us join forces and do the right thing.”

Philiy Lander

Organizational Coach, Product Development Experience (PDX)

“Large meetings or collaboration sessions can often be dominated by the loudest or most senior voice in the room, and this is a barrier to inclusive contribution. Simple facilitation can improve this scenario greatly, such as sending an agenda and information in advance, agreeing upon protocols that give all participants the same opportunity to interact in the conversation, breaking up into smaller working groups, or allocating a few minutes after describing a problem for silent writing time for people to organize their thoughts. Increasing meeting facilitation skills will enable more diversity of thought and increase inclusion, which will lead to the development of better, more innovative solutions.”

Aylin Turhan Orakcal

Software Engineering Manager, Portfolio Analytics

“By each of us taking personal accountability in cultivating an inclusive culture in the workplace, we can transform the tech industry to be more inclusive towards women. There are so many ways to take action and empower women in tech: become an ally, call out non-inclusive behavior, be a sponsor or a mentor, support communities, and simply be a champion for women in tech!”

Obioma Richardson

Project Analyst, SAP Order Management/Billing

“As a woman working in tech for more than 20 years, I would say it is important to provide more opportunities for women to speak about their career paths. Companies must promote the need for women in the tech space and also facilitate learning opportunities. Self doubt or a fear of failure – despite success at work – are still very real for many women, and one way to overcome this is by creating safe spaces for women in tech to grow and learn.”

Cristiana-Stefania Stan

Software Engineer, Feeds EMEA

“Be proactive and speak out as soon as you notice something that doesn’t look right. Don’t wait for others to be visibly affected by a situation, but rather address it on the spot. This way we can make sure everyone feels safe and empowered in their workplace.”

Eleanor Wieschaus

Head of Product Development Experience (PDX); Executive Sponsor, Bloomberg Women in Technology (BWIT)

“If you are responsible for any kind of leadership pipeline, consider it part of your job to ask about longer term leadership aspirations with every single person you meet with, not just those already on a clear path. Start with an open mind and then come back with a “next step” that the person can take on that journey. It will make you a better leader, and people will surprise you all the time.”

Ericsson’s vision to improve lives, redefine business and pioneer a sustainable future is built on the power of limitless connectivity to deliver positive impact. Sustainability is central to our purpose and vision and is embedded across our value chain. Our approach is holistic, covering responsible business, environmental sustainability and digital inclusion.

Download the report

In our Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility report 2022, you’ll learn more about our efforts and achievements within:

EnvironmentSocialGovernance

2022 highlights

Our 5G portfolio got 10 times more energy efficient

Our third and fourth generation massive MIMO 5G radios were 10 times more energy efficient compared to 4G radios.

Our Connect to Learn initiative has reached 400,000 students

We have provided access to digital learning and skills development programs in 36 countries since the start of the program.

The share of women line managers increased to 22%

The share of women among all employees is 25% and our 2030 target is to increase it to at least 30% across all levels of the Company.

We continued to strengthen our Ethics and Compliance Program

99% of our people have acknowledged our Code of Business Ethics and 93% participated in anti-corruption training.

Our commitment to Sustainable Development Goals

We have made a long-standing commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and our core contributions touch SDG 9 – Industry, innovation and infrastructure, and SDG 17 – Partnerships. Do you want to see examples of how we work to ensure that meaningful connectivity is available and accessible by everyone? Have a look at our cases.

Originally published by Ericsson.

Program will provide services for underserved students experiencing significant challenges to degree completion

CINCINNATI, March 9, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Duke Energy announced a $100,000 Foundation grant to support regional advancement of the Moon Shot for Equity initiative. This collaborative effort with local higher education institutions is designed to graduate more Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky students from college. The program will provide assistance to underserved students experiencing significant challenges to degree completion.

“Duke Energy is proud to invest in the success of our local students,” said Amy Spiller, president of Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky. “It is critically important to acknowledge equity gaps in higher education and take action to reduce those gaps. By supporting today’s students, we are ensuring a vibrant economy for the future.”

Four local higher education institutions are participating: Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Gateway Community & Technical College, Miami University Regionals and Northern Kentucky University. The Duke Energy Foundation grant will provide direct assistance to each university as well as support to help with the creation of the online resources portal.

“We are grateful not only for Duke Energy Foundation’s generous support, but also for their inherent leadership to support the regional Moon Shot for Equity program,” said Dr. Ande R. Durojaiye, vice president and dean, Miami University Regionals, College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science. “With this support, we can ensure degree completion for some of our region’s at-risk and underserved community, and accelerate meeting the workforce development needs in the Greater Cincinnati area.”

The Moon Shot initiative focuses on four key strategies:

Enhancing access to need-based financial aid.
 Streamlining transfer pathways by ensuring transferability of college credits between institutions.
 Coordinating between key university offices and services, from financial aid and career advising to student health and counseling, to promote a holistic care model fostering student success.
 Eliminating and revising registration holds that are unnecessary and burdensome to students.

For more information on the Moon Shot for Equity program, visit the program website.

View original content here.

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars. More information about the Foundation can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides electric service to 880,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area, and natural gas service to 550,000 customers in a 2,650-square-mile service area, in Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2022 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “World’s Best Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact: Casey Kroger
Office: 513.287.1051
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_CaseyK

Originally published on Built From Scratch

Ashley Harris comes from a family of veterans. When she graduated from high school, she wanted to honor their legacy by enlisting in the U.S. Army. After eight years of service as a combat medic, she began her transition to civilian life with the help of The Home Depot Foundation’s Path to Pro program.  

Ashley says the Foundation’s mission to fill the skilled labor gap and diversify the skilled trades industry is both important and “extremely necessary.” Now working as an Industrial Electrical Apprentice, she’s sharing her story in hopes of inspiring other women to pursue this kind of career. Her goal is to own her own company and employ other veterans looking to make a similar transition.  

The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation are committed to educating more people in the skilled trades and helping them find careers in the home improvement industry through our Path to Pro program.

Since the program’s inception, the Foundation’s trades-focused partnerships have trained more than 29,000 participants and introduced more than 126,000 people to the skilled trades. Learn more at PathtoPro.com.

Keep up with all the latest Home Depot news! Subscribe to our bi-weekly news update and get the top Built from Scratch stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Keysight has long prioritized the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). For decades, that prioritization has shone through in our leadership, hiring decisions, and commitment to ensuring every employee feels respected, valued, and appreciated in the workplace.

Keysight’s goal is two-fold: to cultivate an environment where all employees experience equality in opportunities, contributions, and rewards and, furthermore, to lead other organizations toward a more connected, innovative, and equitable society.

Today, the company is proud to announce that they achieved a significant milestone in their DEI leadership journey. Keysight joins 483 other companies headquartered in over 45 countries and regions as a member of the prestigious 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI).

About the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index

Bloomberg believes it has “never been more critical for a company to demonstrate its commitment to solving for gender inequality” and is adamant that transparency regarding gender-related business practices is a crucial element in driving large-scale, lasting change worldwide. To support these efforts, Bloomberg “developed an index to track the performance of those companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation, and transparency.”

This rigorous index is backed by a framework that “defines a set of metrics used to determine a company’s progress towards equal representation of gender throughout the levels of the organization, commitment to gender equality goals, policies in place to reduce the impact of familial stresses and responsibilities on the workplace, and progress towards positive impact on women outside of the employee base.”

Companies reporting their data through the Bloomberg Gender Reporting Framework are scored on both level of disclosure and across five pillars of data excellence: leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, anti-sexual harassment policies, and external brand.

Keysight’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts earn a spot on Bloomberg’s prestigious index

Companies included in the index are not ranked; however, we can share that Keysight’s results were above average for its overall GEI score, well above average in the pillars of equal pay and gender pay parity, and inclusive culture, and 100% on its disclosure score.

Keysight led the way in gender equity via tactics like equal pay for equal work and led by example in its commitment to transparency.

While the average gender pay gap among 2023 GEI members is 17%, Keysight reports a worldwide gender pay parity ratio of nearly 1:1, representing almost no gender pay gap at all.

“We believe transparency is key to building an equitable work environment, “said Ingrid Estrada, Chief People, and Administrative Officer. “Through proactive disclosure, we keep our stakeholders apprised of Keysight’s progress and hold ourselves accountable for demonstrating continuous improvement, which is core to our values.”

Keysight celebrates being recognized as a company setting an example for its peers and refocuses on gender equity goals, and continues to identify opportunities for improvement. In FY23, the company again set goals to improve the representation of women and underrepresented minorities (U.S. only) and increase the number of new hires identifying as women and underrepresented minorities (U.S. only).

Keysight’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion fuels our mission

As Keysight and its diverse workforce continue the mission of accelerating innovation to connect and secure the world, we thank Bloomberg for underscoring the importance of diversity and transparency today and in the future of work and for providing a detailed framework for reference as the company strives to foster an environment that is more inclusive, more respectful, and more empowering to every employee. We especially thank Keysight employees who dedicate their time and energy to advancing the company’s DEI initiatives and improving the world at large.

Learn more about the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index or Keysight’s commitment to four DEI pillars — advancing STEM, assembling a diverse team, fostering inclusion for everyone, and creating a place to thrive — in the most recent annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion report.