Tag: 3BL

NEW YORK, February 23, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Webster recently announced an innovative partnership with a Bronx-based citizen advocacy group, as the Bronx People’s Federal Credit Union mobile branch in the Bronx officially opened.

The launch of the mobile branch is the first step in establishing the Bronx expansion site of the Lower East Side People’s Federal Credit Union. This partnership between Webster and the Bronx Financial Access Coalition (BxFAC) developed when Webster sponsored the groups involved in BxFAC to bring a proven community credit union model to the Bronx. The branch will increase access to financial services in an area that has historically experienced decline in local banking centers.

Since late 2020, Webster’s community engagement team, the Lower East Side People’s Federal Credit Union, and BxFAC worked together with other strategic partners to develop the mobile branch, including financial education programming and promotion of services. The Coalition and LESPFCU expect to have a physical location open by late 2023.

“Our team worked with numerous community partners who shared their vision to create greater access, inclusion and opportunity for wealth building in the Bronx. We listened and saw the opportunity to act,” said Marissa Weidner, chief corporate responsibility officer at Webster. “We know the importance of listening to the communities we serve, as evidenced by the more than 100 community organizations from New York to Boston who helped us develop our $6.5B community investment program. This investment in the Bronx is one example of our commitment to increase convenient access to financial services and economic empowerment in our communities.”

“We are proud to be the premiere sponsor of this innovative investment in the financial health of the Bronx community,” said Karina Saltman, Senior Managing Director, Community Investment, Engagement and Philanthropy. “We are thrilled to see the mobile van in action, signing residents up for the credit union, giving people the opportunity to save, to borrow, to learn and ultimately to create wealth for future generations.”

About Webster

Webster Bank (“Webster”) is a leading commercial bank in the Northeast that provides a wide range of digital and traditional financial solutions across three differentiated lines of business: Commercial Banking, Consumer Banking and its HSA Bank division, one of the country’s largest providers of employee benefits solutions. Headquartered in Stamford, CT, Webster is a values-driven organization with $68 billion in assets. Its core footprint spans the northeastern U.S. from New York to Massachusetts, with certain businesses operating in extended geographies. Webster Bank is a member of the FDIC and an equal housing lender. For more information about Webster, including our latest annual report, please visit our About page. To find our latest press releases, visit the Webster Newsroom.

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Cisco and Mercy Corps recently completed a five-year Technology for Impact partnership centered on delivering humanitarian aid and development assistance faster, better and to more people around the world by accelerating digital solutions. There’s a lot to celebrate and reflect on, especially as we center our energy on our new partnership focused on fostering climate adaptation and resilience in the Horn of Africa.

Below is a conversation I had recently with Carolyn Florey, Senior Director of Mercy Corps’ Technology for Development Team, reflecting on our transformational partnership, and looking forward to what’s next.

Carolyn: Mercy Corps and Cisco have been partnering for 15 years! Our most recent five-year Technology for Impact partnership reached more than 12 million people across 45 countries, and it has also influenced the broader humanitarian and development sector, and Mercy Corps’ capacity as an organization. What results are you most proud of? 

Erin: I have loved seeing the programs evolve over the years — from the earliest proof of concepts and pilots, to some initiatives being replicated across other regions and scaled across the organization. The benefit of a multi-year partnership is that it has afforded us the time to test solutions, to pivot and adapt when things don’t go as planned, and to scale initiatives that gained traction and had an impact. In many cases, we have identified new applications and opportunities to apply these solutions to challenges we hadn’t even anticipated at the partnership’s outset. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, for example, we saw how critical technology solutions were to continue supporting vulnerable populations. Mercy Corps was well positioned to respond, leveraging our work building digital communities to deliver trusted and reliable information on COVID-19, and our initiatives to digitize cash and vouchers to deliver cash assistance quicker and more efficiently to those in dire need.

We see our funding as catalytic, so it has been gratifying to see this borne out by our Technology for Impact partnership. Our support has allowed Mercy Corps to invest in its people, tools, and tech-based programming to drive greater efficiency and impact. In doing so, Mercy Corps has been able to demonstrate the value of this support, resulting in greater institutional investment, additional funding and new partnerships that have helped further scale these efforts. It’s incredible to see Cisco-supported technology initiatives now embedded in 116 Mercy Corps programs in 45 countries!

Erin: How about you, Carolyn? Which initiatives do you feel have especially moved the needle for Mercy Corps’ work?

Carolyn: The Technology for Impact partnership was incredibly unique in that it touched everything from operations to innovation. You used the word “catalytic” to describe Cisco’s funding — and it has truly been a catalyst for improving how Mercy Corps operates as an organization. Our monitoring and evaluation (MEL) work is a strong example of this. As humanitarians, we work in very complex and fragile environments. These include communities experiencing conflict from armed groups, acute hunger, and much uncertainty. Program monitoring and evaluating is essential to the success of our work, because it allows us to understand if our programs are creating the intended impact we seek, and truly supporting people in rapidly evolving situations. Digitizing and automating our MEL processes has been a game changer for our program teams, allowing us to have a richer, more complete understanding of our programs’ impact much faster.

Carolyn: In what ways are you hoping to see the partnership build on its successes and learnings as we focus on one of the most pressing issues we collectively face: climate change?

Erin: I believe there is a direct link between climate change and humanitarian crises. We know that communities in low-income countries are disproportionately affected by climate change and lack the resources to adapt and respond to an increasing number of crises that can be exacerbated by climate change, such as floods and drought. Mercy Corps’ new 10-year Pathway to Possibility strategy, centered around building resilient communities, resonated with Cisco and mirrored our increased focus on addressing climate change and building resilience.

Mercy Corps works on some of today’s toughest challenges, with communities that are at the forefront of the climate crisis. Over the course of our Technology for Impact partnership, Mercy Corps has tested, adapted, and applied innovative technology solutions to improve the way they deliver aid. It therefore made sense that we expanded our partnership, building on what we’ve learned and developed, and see how we can apply this approach and technology to help communities adapt and build resilience to their changing environments. I’m hoping that, as with our Technology for Impact partnership, we will be able to leverage the activities and technologies from our work in the Horn of Africa, and apply these to other regions and communities similarly affected by climate change.

Erin: Carolyn, I’d love to hear your perspective on this. How do you see technology playing a role in Mercy Corps’ climate resilience work? 

Carolyn: There are multiple ways our existing work can be expanded and adapted to build climate resilience. For example, we can combine digital cash payments with our crisis analysis work to make automatic payments in advance of severe weather. We can provide digital early warning alerts before these crises occur, and also digital information afterwards so that the communities we work with have the information they need to access services and support. Technology opens the door for us to build and achieve climate resilience from multiple angles, many of which are already reflected in our work.

In Kenya, through our new partnership with Cisco, we are increasing the uptake and use of digital information services and tools among key decision-makers so they can make data-informed decisions to combat the effects of climate change — which in Kenya, looks like severe drought. We see potential in scaling this approach to the broader Horn of Africa region and beyond.

Carolyn: We recently had the opportunity to visit Wajir, Kenya together and see some of our climate adaptation programming in action. What were some highlights of that experience for you? 

Erin: The highlight of these visits is always meeting the people: the local Mercy Corps team, their government and community partners, and probably most important, the agropastoralists, whose lives and livelihoods are most impacted by climate change. It was incredibly moving to see the drought firsthand, and to listen to the stories and perspectives of those affected. While in some ways disheartening, it was also inspiring to see the many ways in which Mercy Corps is partnering with these communities to adapt to their changing environment, and innovate to improve their livelihoods.

Another highlight (for the experience, not necessarily the taste): trying warm camel milk, a Wajir staple!

Carolyn: Combating climate change might be the most important challenge of our lifetime, and one that obviously can’t be solved by one organization alone. How is Cisco addressing climate change? What role do you think these partnerships play in tackling global issues?

Erin: Cisco’s purpose is to “Power an Inclusive Future for All” — and that also means by and with all. Collaboration with partners large and small, global and local, has always been part of our approach to driving lasting and systemic change. One area where Cisco has the potential to make a meaningful impact is with our customers. How can we help them use our products and solutions to reduce their environmental footprint and achieve their sustainability goals? We are working to reduce the energy consumption of our products, and build them using circular design principles that can extend their life cycle and reduce the amount of materials they require. But beyond that, we will continue to look at how we can continue to partner with organizations like Mercy Corps — because we have seen that when we combine the strength of the humanitarian sector’s expertise with our core competencies in technology and connectivity, we can have a deeper and longer-lasting impact.

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Originally published on Nielsen News Center

At Nielsen, all employees are encouraged to get involved with skills-based volunteering through our Data for Good® program. These projects and initiatives share pro bono Nielsen data, solutions and talent with nonprofit organizations to make a positive impact, especially to increase representation and encourage inclusion. Data for Good projects are also critical to advance Nielsen’s 2024 goal to contribute $30 million in total in-kind value for pro bono data donations, public reports and other support for organizations and topics that are powering a better media future for all people.

Last fall, the company’s Corporate Citizenship team asked all employees to share their ideas on how our data and insights could help solve some of the most pressing challenges that the media industry is currently facing. The 2022 Data for Good Idea Challenge provided an opportunity for dozens of Nielsen employees from around the world to share their ideas for how Nielsen data, solutions and talent can creatively power a more inclusive media future that works for and represents all people.

Our employees certainly stepped up to the challenge! Ideas, submitted by teams across 10 countries, explored how to measure audience and influencer diversity, how to assess the credibility of news sources, how to account for the media’s influence on mental health and much more.

The Idea Challenge culminated with six finalist teams presenting their ideas in a live event to a panel of senior leader judges. The winning ideas included:

“The Nielsen Climate Content Rating” proposes a report and content metric on scientific content in extreme weather reporting. The idea was submitted by Jocelyn Azada, Director, Business Diversity, ESG, and Risk; Dana Siler, QA Engineer, Product Leadership; and Emily Baker, Data Scientist, Local TV Panels.
 “Non-Binary Genders in Survey-Based Products and Models” proposes a framework for how to collect, use and report on non-binary genders in surveys. The idea was submitted by Bert de Bruijn, Lead Data Scientist, Campaign Analytics.
 “Making Mental Health a Media KPI” proposes a new metric to make mental health a standard media KPI. The idea was submitted by Maria Daniela Isea, Client Services Manager Measurement; Cory Weeks, Director of International Expansion, TVTY; and Maira Barcellos, Country Leader Measurement Spain and Portugal.

“We are always looking for new ways to power a better media future for all people,” said Christine Pierce, Chief Data Officer, and one of the executive sponsors of the Cares Business resource group, who served as a judge for the Challenge. “The Data for Good Idea Challenge was an exciting opportunity to hear creative ideas from across the company. It was truly inspiring!”

For more information on our community efforts, visit our Responsibility & sustainability page and our 2022 ESG report.

GoBankingRates, a leading destination for personal finance news and information, has named KeyBank one of its “Best Banks of 2023.”

To determine the best banks in the U.S., GOBankingRates ranked 18 options based on a number of factors, including:

Total assetsMinimum deposit needed to open a checking or savings accountChecking and savings account feesMinimum balances needed to maintain the accountSavings account APYCustomer serviceOptions for loans, credit cards and investment servicesMobile app ratings

In naming KeyBank a “Best Bank,” GoBankingRates noted several of KeyBank’s options to reduce fees for consumers, including the Hassle Free checking account: 

“KeyBank provides a wide variety of products, highlighted by its five checking account options. Choices include basic fee-free checking and an online-only option as well as relationship accounts. The bank puts a premium on customer service with extended hours for chat support, Twitter assistance and around-the-clock live phone support.”

Read more about why GoBankingRates named KeyBank to its “Best Banks of 2023 list Learn more about KeyBank at key.comLearn more about KeyBank’s commitment to helping clients and communities thrive

KeyBank is Member FDIC. 

CFMA #230214-1924381

AI-enhanced resource management platform acts as “single source of truth” for the challenge of managing sustainability initiatives

LOUISVILLE, Ky., February 23, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management, automation, and sustainability today launched a new environmental, social and governance (ESG) module for its Resource Advisor platform. Resource Advisor customers can now manage all their ESG, sustainability, and energy data in one place, making it simple to track and interpret data, report out, and identify areas of opportunity, strength, and improvement across an increasingly complex resource landscape.

Business leaders face growing investor and stakeholder pressures to improve transparency and accountability on ESG, including natural resources management, responsible sourcing practices, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Companies tackling these initiatives face multiple disclosure requirements from more than 600 global frameworks, and must often navigate siloed ESG data, which can make reporting a burden at a time when there is more scrutiny than ever on these disclosures. Resource Advisor for ESG is built for purpose with robust market research – as a nimble software solution designed to mitigate these challenges — while streamlining ESG data across the enterprise.

“Our clients face tremendous pressure to take meaningful action on all aspects of ESG, and we know that managing the vast volumes of ESG data they are collecting every year is a daunting proposition,” said Steve Wilhite, President, Sustainability Business, Schneider Electric. “This new functionality in Resource Advisor is designed to simplify and centralize this data management to make it easier for companies to share progress with stakeholders and demonstrate the real actions they are taking on ESG.”

Resource Advisor ESG is purpose built for client initiatives

Cloud-based, AI-driven Resource Advisor equips leaders to make smarter decisions by getting their arms around data that live in scattered systems throughout the enterprise.

This solution will set teams up to:

Align with global frameworks: The new module contains a built-in global framework library that includes the most common ESG frameworks (GRI, SASB, CDP, TCFD, and UN SDGs) and allows clients to align specific indicators to relevant frameworks directly in the platform, simplifying the reporting process.Interpret ESG data with maximum context: Resource Advisor ESG empowers companies to document and analyze everything, from performance statements, comments, attachments and more for increased transparency and auditability.Enable enhanced collaboration: The software acts as a centralized collaboration hub, helping firms move away from emails and spreadsheets. Flexible user permissions ensure companies don’t compromise collaboration for data quality. ​Own the ESG narrative: Organizations can now communicate clearly to stakeholders knowing they have the most up-to-date data across the span of their organization.

As standardization and regulations continue to mature, the need for agile software tools that will conform to new realities of the ESG landscape is imperative. “Our product and technology teams take a customer-centric approach to software enhancements, ensuring that our solutions solve the needs of both today’s and tomorrow’s customer. Resource Advisor will help leaders navigate and manage emerging demands around ESG data management and reporting as the ESG landscape evolves,” continued Wilhite.

Schneider Electric is a world-class ESG partner

The new Resource Advisor for ESG module is complemented by Schneider’s leading consulting services in energy, sustainability, and ESG, which include the strategic ESG Exchange, board-level ESG training, materiality assessments, fully managed ESG reporting, and compliance and rating disclosures.

Schneider Electric is also itself a leader in ESG, with recent ratings in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, Moody’s ESG Solutions, and Vigeo Eiris validating the company’s position.

Related resources:

Schneider Electric Resource Advisor

About Schneider Electric 

Schneider’s purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency.

We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.

We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.

www.se.com

Discover the newest perspectives shaping sustainability, electricity 4.0, and next generation automation on Schneider Electric Insights

Originally published by Boston Business Journal on December 22, 2022

It’s no surprise that a rising number of employees are reporting burnout from the demands of work and home, especially as a rapidly aging population requires increased levels of care. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, just 56% of caregivers make their work supervisor aware of the duties they are fulfilling at home.

At Alkermes, we are committed to proactively recognizing and supporting our employees’ well-being and responsibilities in all aspects of their lives. We believe this approach helps enable our colleagues to bring their best selves to work each day.

Continue reading here.

This year’s winner of SelectScience®’s Scientists’ Choice Awards in the sustainable product design category are Milli-Q® IQ 7003, 7005, 7010 and 7015 water purification systems from the Life Science Business of Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany, which operates in the U.S. and Canada as MilliporeSigma. The Milli-Q® IQ line is a fully integrated water purification system that transforms tap water into pure and ultrapure water to meet the demanding needs of scientists’ lines of work.

The Scientists’ Choice Awards from SelectScience® have invited scientists to review, nominate and vote for the lab products or services that have had the greatest impact on their work for the past 16 years.

The Milli-Q® IQ systems were developed under the company’s proprietary Design for Sustainability (DfS) framework, which holistically embeds sustainability at each stage of the product development process. Each DfS-developed product is recognized with a scorecard, which communicates the product’s sustainability features across seven dimensions of environmental impact: Energy and Emissions, Water, Packaging, Materials, Suppliers and Manufacturing, Circular Economy, and Usability and Innovation. 

The Milli-Q® IQ systems are one of the company’s nearly 2,000 greener alternative products, as it helps eliminate toxic substances, save energy and water, and reduce waste. The sustainable features of the Milli-Q® IQ include:

An industry-first completely mercury-free tap-to-ultrapure water system that neutralizes organic contaminants and bacteria using EcH2o® UV lampsA reverse osmosis recovery loop that optimizes water recovery and reduces water consumptionA smaller product size overall due to the use of innovative ion-exchange media, which reduces the system’s footprint, plastic use, and packaging wasteIn addition to requiring less packaging, the product utilizes sustainable packaging materials: the system’s corrugated packaging has sustainable forestry certification, and its protective foam is made of 100% bio-based polyethylene from sugar cane waste.

Learn more about the Milli-Q® IQ Systems and other innovative strategies the company is implementing to help shape the future, supporting brilliant minds to solve global challenges, by visiting its sustainability and social business innovation webpage.

PARIS, February 23, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Forest Positive Coalition of Action has today released guidance for businesses to use in implementing the actions outlined in the Coalition’s Forest Positive Commodity Roadmaps for soy and paper, pulp, and fibre-based packaging. As the Coalition works to remove deforestation, forest degradation, and conversion from its key commodity supply chains – all the while promoting positive outcomes for climate, people, and nature in forest communities – the new guidance documents offer rich technical advice for any business striving to source its commodities responsibly and sustainably.

The new guidance offers practical information around the execution of the Coalition’s Soy and Paper, Pulp, and Fibre-based Packaging (PPP) Roadmaps, both of which outline actions businesses can take in adopting the Coalition’s Forest Positive Approach to sourcing each commodity. This Approach requires businesses to have:

A public commitment to deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) across their entire commodity business including a public time-bound action plan with clear milestones;A process for regular supplier/producer engagement;A mechanism to identify and to respond to grievances/non-compliances;Support for initiatives delivering forest positive development at landscape/jurisdictional and/or sectoral levels; andRegular public reporting against key metrics (KPIs).

Notably, the Soy and PPP Roadmaps also include specific actions around addressing deforestation and conversion risks in high-risk and high-priority sourcing landscapes, respectively.

Businesses throughout the consumer goods industry – including Coalition members and their upstream supply chain partners – are invited to use this guidance as an additional resource in efforts to become forest positive businesses.

Both guidance documents have been developed by Coalition members with key input from industry experts including the Coalition’s strategic and technical partner, Proforest, and other organisations such as the Accountability Framework initiative. The Coalition’s work on soy is co-led by Nestlé and Tesco, and its work on PPP is led by Essity.

Didier Bergeret, Director of Sustainability, The Consumer Goods Forum, said, “These Guidance documents can provide both Coalition members and non-members with important technical advice on how to implement the Forest Positive Approach. As recent research from Global Canopy and Forest 500 shows, our industry still has work to do before becoming fully forest positive, and the Guidance on our Coalition’s Forest Positive Commodity Roadmaps is an important resource to help businesses begin and/or accelerate their forest positive journey.”

Thomas Hollick, Sustainability Manager, Forests, Tesco, and Soy Working Group Co-chair, said, “Tesco is committed to sourcing forest positive soy. As co-chair of the Forest Positive Coalition’s Soy Working Group, we are pleased to launch this Guidance to support all businesses in doing the same, as we know that transforming the soy sector to forest positive will only be possible if everyone throughout the value chain plays their part. Retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers alike must work together to ensure their supply chains are forest positive and support initiatives, like the Responsible Commodities Facility in the Cerrado, to drive positive outcomes for people, nature, and climate in forest communities. We encourage all businesses involved in the soy sector to use this Guidance as a key resource in their responsible sourcing practices.”

Joost Koomen, Global Public Affairs Director, Environment, Essity, and PPP Working Group Co-chair, said, “The publication of this Guidance is an important milestone bolstering our Coalition’s efforts to ensure our paper, pulp and fibre supplies are sourced responsibly. The Forest Positive Coalition has been working purposefully to implement the actions laid out in our PPP Roadmap, and this Guidance offers even more support to us as members, but also to any other company working to source forest positive PPP. I encourage all businesses to use this Guidance to collectively accelerate our industry’s move towards a forest positive future for paper, pulp and packaging. As a global hygiene and health company, this is one important tool for Essity to make sustainable forest management the business norm.”

Leah Samberg, Lead Scientist, Accountability Framework initiative, said, “Drawing on the Accountability Framework, this new Guidance clarifies how companies can ensure the soy they source does not contribute to the destruction of natural ecosystems. It provides a firm basis for engagement with suppliers and supports clear communication of progress and performance. This Guidance is the result of close collaboration with the Accountability Framework initiative to ensure alignment with the expectations of civil society and other stakeholders. We appreciate the Coalition’s open and collaborative approach to this work.”

The CGF members joining today’s announcement are eight retailers — Carrefour, Jerónimo Martins, McDonald’s, METRO AG, Sainsbury’s, Sodexo, Tesco, and Walmart — and 14 manufacturers — Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) Sinar Mas, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Danone, Essity, General Mills, Grupo Bimbo, Mars, Incorporated, Mondelēz International, Neste, Nestlé, P&G, PepsiCo, Reckitt, and Unilever.

The Coalition’s four Commodity Roadmaps and the new Guidance on the Soy and PPP Roadmaps are available here on the Coalition’s website.

– ENDS –

About the Forest Positive Coalition of Action

The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Forest Positive Coalition of Action is a CEO-led initiative representing 22 CGF member companies who are committed to leveraging collective action and accelerating systemic efforts to remove deforestation, forest degradation and conversion from key commodity supply chains. Launched in 2020, the Coalition represents a dynamic shift in the industry’s approach to stopping deforestation: by mobilising the leading position of member companies to build multi-stakeholder partnerships and develop effective implementation and engagement strategies, the Coalition brings together diverse stakeholders for sustainable impact. These efforts support the development of forest-positive businesses that drive transformational change in key landscapes and commodity supply chains, strengthening the resilience of communities and ecosystems worldwide. To learn more about the Forest Positive Coalition, visit www.tcgfforestpositive.com.

About The Consumer Goods Forum

The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) is the only CEO-led organisation that represents both manufacturers and retailers globally. It brings together senior leaders from more than 400 retailers, manufacturers and other stakeholders across 70 countries. The CGF accelerates change through eight Coalitions of Action: forests, human rights, plastics, healthier lives, food waste, food safety, supply chains and product data. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 4.6 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 55 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

For further information, please contact:

Didier Bergeret 
Director, Sustainability 
The Consumer Goods Forum 
Email

Madelaine VanDerHeyden 
Manager, Communications 
The Consumer Goods Forum 
Email

February 22, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Ceres urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today to adopt stronger standards for pollution from fine particulate matter, otherwise known as PM 2.5 or soot, than what the agency released in a proposed rule issued last month.

Fine particulate matter is a harmful and deadly pollutant produced by fossil fuel power plants, vehicle emissions, and other industrial sources that causes significant health challenges. The Biden administration aims to reduce negative health impacts from particulate matter pollution with an updated standard.

Ceres Senior Program Director of Climate and Energy Dan Bakal testified in front of EPA officials in support of stronger standards, making the business case for strong particulate standards and emphasizing that the proposed standard does not go far enough to protect public health, especially in low-income communities and communities of color.

“PM 2.5 causes numerous health problems, such as increased infant mortality, cardiovascular disease, asthma and other respiratory issues, cognitive impairments, and premature death,” Bakal said. “As it stands, the proposed rule would continue to expose communities across the country to unsafe levels of air pollution.”

Ceres also submitted a written letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan advocating for stronger standards on behalf of the Ceres BICEP Network, the nation’s leading coalition of companies committed to advocating for robust federal and state sustainability policy.

Signed by Ceres Vice President of Government Relations Anne Kelly, the letter highlighted that a more aggressive standard would yield between $44 billion and $93 billion in economic benefits, much higher than the benefits of the EPA’s proposed standard.

The letter also emphasized that companies are already moving to take advantage of the substantial tax incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, accelerating the shift to clean energy and clean transportation sources and making stronger standards even more feasible while yielding economic benefits.

“Companies across the nation and from all industry sectors are making commitments to reduce their emissions and promote a sustainable path forward for people and the economy, and they need strong policy to support their efforts,” Kelly wrote.

Both Ceres testimony and the letter from the Ceres BICEP Network called for the EPA’s annual PM 2.5 standard to be reduced from 12 µg/ m3 to 8 µg/ m3 and the 24-hour standard be reduced to 25 µg/ m3, which would align with the recommendations of the EPA’s own Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee. The EPA is currently proposing an annual standard of 9-10 µg/ m3, and the agency has not proposed any adjustment to the 24-hour standard, which is currently 35 µg/ m3.

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.

Media Contact: Helen Booth-Tobin

As published on the Pentair blog

By: Lori-Ann Harrington and Kristina Foster, co-leaders of the Pentair Black Employee Network

Black History Month is a time to recognize, learn about and celebrate the contributions of African Americans. In acknowledgment of the critical role that education plays in the advancement of Black people, Pentair’s Black Employee Network (BEN) is highlighting the historical and current importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other cultural organizations in shaping future innovators and leaders.

As part of our Black History Month celebrations, we were proud to host Dr. Keith Mayes, a professor in the Department of African American & African Studies at the University of Minnesota, for a discussion centered on equity in education and its impact on inclusion, diversity and representation across various professional fields and industries. Pentair employees gathered in-person and virtually for his presentation, “The Color of Achievement: Black Education as the Foundation for Freedom and Equality.”

With more than 100 HBCUs across the United States, Professor Mayes spoke about the importance of these institutions from not only the academic perspective, but also the cultural experience. HBCUs provide an environment for young Black people to discover their unlimited potential as they are immersed with other Black scholars and intellectuals. This sentiment was supported by several of our BEN members who are HBCU alumni, and who shared that they emerged from their college experience with a greater sense of pride and confidence in both themselves and their culture.

According to Professor Mayes, creating a cultural connection for employees is essential for companies that are looking to cultivate an inclusive workplace. At Pentair, our employee-led business resource groups such as the BEN work to help foster a sense of belonging across the organization, and provide an opportunity for employees to develop connections and share experiences and perspectives while also supporting each other in professional and personal development.

The BEN has also been focused on collaborating with Pentair’s talent acquisition team to attend recruiting events at HBCUs as well as other organizations to connect with students as we work to attract, engage and develop up and coming talent for career opportunities at Pentair. Through these efforts and more, the BEN strives to strengthen and enhance the relationship of Pentair’s Black employees with each other and with the broader organization.

Read more about Pentair’s business resource groups and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.