Tag: 3BL

ALEXANDRIA, Va., February 10, 2026 /3BL/ – The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) today announced the deployment of its new and improved greenhouse gas management and reporting platform, the RBA Emissions Management Tool (EMT).

The EMT collects emissions data such as energy consumption and fuel use data to calculate GHG emissions values. Other data tracked includes reporting and verification status, and information on reduction targets and initiatives from reporting entities. The EMT’s emission calculation methodology follows the recognized standards of the GHG Protocol and uses emission factors and coefficients backed by established data sources.

The EMT has a standardized greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting questionnaire and a platform that allows suppliers to complete their GHG inventory once and share those results with multiple RBA member customers through integration with RBA-Online – the RBA’s data management system – eliminating duplicate requests and reducing supplier burden.

“The RBA Emissions Management Tool complements the RBA’s existing environmental tools and resources, including its environmental surveys, chemical management due diligence tools, circular materials landscape assessment and waste tracking tools, and supplier capacity-building tools for improved environmental performance across RBA member supply chains,” said Holly Evans, Senior Vice President, Environmental Policy and Legal Affairs, Responsible Business Alliance (RBA).

The new version of the EMT includes significant improvements over the previous tool, with more flexible reporting periods, the ability to allocate supplier emissions by customers, and improved download capabilities for data portability.

Companies can learn more about the RBA Emissions Management Tool on the RBA website and contact rei@responsiblebusiness.org with any questions. 

The new EMT is an RBA member benefit that is available free of charge to members and their suppliers. The platform can be accessed through RBA-Online.

About the Responsible Business Alliance
The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) is a nonprofit organization comprised of companies committed to responsible business conduct in their global supply chains. The RBA has a Code of Conduct and a range of programs, training and assessment tools to support continuous improvement. The organization has a global footprint, with offices in North America, Europe and Asia. The RBA also has initiatives focused on specific issue areas, including its Responsible Minerals, Labor, Factory and Environment Initiatives, and its Responsible Glove Alliance. The RBA and its Initiatives have more than 600 members with combined annual revenues of greater than $8 trillion, directly employing over 21.5 million people, with products manufactured in more than 120 countries. For more information, visit responsiblebusiness.org.

Media Contact
Jarrett Bens, Senior Director of Communications
Responsible Business Alliance
Phone: +1 571.858.5721
jbens@responsiblebusiness.org

International Olympic Committee news
By William Imbo

Pope Leo XIV has sent “warm greetings” ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, saying he hopes “healthy competition will contribute to building bridges between cultures and peoples” and promote welcoming, solidarity and peace.

The message was issued in a telegram dated 29 January and signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. It was addressed to the Archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpini, for the welcoming celebration at the Church of San Babila, where the Olympic Cross of athletes was received ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics (6 February).

In the telegram, the Pope said he hoped the ceremony would “energise feelings of friendship and fraternity”, reinforcing the value of sport “in the service of integral human development”.

The statement in full is as follows:

“To his Excellence the Most Rev. Bishop Mario Delpini, Archbishop of Milan, Milan:

Pope Leo XIV addresses warm greetings to all participating in the welcome celebration in the Church of San Babila of the Olympic Cross of sportsmen at the opening of the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games. He hopes that this important event will energise feelings of friendship and fraternity, strengthening awareness of the value of sport in the service of integral human development. The Holy Father assures his prayer that these days of healthy competition will contribute to building bridges between cultures and peoples, promoting welcoming, solidarity, and peace. With these wishes, the Supreme Pontiff is pleased to send the desired Apostolic Blessing, a pledge of constant divine assistance.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State of His Holiness”

The Winter Olympics are scheduled to run from 6 to 22 February 2026, followed by the Winter Paralympics from 6 to 15 March 2026.

International Olympic Committee news
By William Imbo

Pope Leo XIV has sent “warm greetings” ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, saying he hopes “healthy competition will contribute to building bridges between cultures and peoples” and promote welcoming, solidarity and peace.

The message was issued in a telegram dated 29 January and signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. It was addressed to the Archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpini, for the welcoming celebration at the Church of San Babila, where the Olympic Cross of athletes was received ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics (6 February).

In the telegram, the Pope said he hoped the ceremony would “energise feelings of friendship and fraternity”, reinforcing the value of sport “in the service of integral human development”.

The statement in full is as follows:

“To his Excellence the Most Rev. Bishop Mario Delpini, Archbishop of Milan, Milan:

Pope Leo XIV addresses warm greetings to all participating in the welcome celebration in the Church of San Babila of the Olympic Cross of sportsmen at the opening of the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games. He hopes that this important event will energise feelings of friendship and fraternity, strengthening awareness of the value of sport in the service of integral human development. The Holy Father assures his prayer that these days of healthy competition will contribute to building bridges between cultures and peoples, promoting welcoming, solidarity, and peace. With these wishes, the Supreme Pontiff is pleased to send the desired Apostolic Blessing, a pledge of constant divine assistance.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State of His Holiness”

The Winter Olympics are scheduled to run from 6 to 22 February 2026, followed by the Winter Paralympics from 6 to 15 March 2026.

Originally published on 3M News Center

Across industries, engineers often begin the process of developing new products with a simple yet important question: How can I make this?

Answering that question requires a significant investment of time and resources and leads to many design and testing cycles. The opportunity to simplify and accelerate the design process inspired 3M to introduce two digital innovations: Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub.

Ask 3M is a new AI-powered digital assistant that helps customers find solutions to design challenges using 3M’s vast portfolio of adhesives and tapes. The 3M Digital Materials Hub, which initially launched last year, is expanding to enable direct collaboration with 3M scientists through the Workbench feature and power virtual materials sampling—including the option to explore generative solutions that don’t yet exist.

These tools leverage generative AI, advanced modeling, and simulation-ready data cards to speed the introduction of solutions for 3M customers. They’ll help users, especially those at small and medium-sized businesses, identify the right material, to design and digitally validate materials before investing in physical prototypes.

“In fast moving industries like electronics, automotive, and data centers, speed is essential. Our combined digital and material capabilities are helping our customers stay ahead,” said Chris Goralski, group president of the 3M Safety and Industrial Business Group. “Our goal is to enable faster, more confident decision making so customers can integrate the right 3M materials in their designs and get to market sooner.”

Ask 3M is being piloted to engineers solving bonding design challenges utilizing tapes and adhesives – largely within 3M’s Safety & Industrial Business Group. Leveraging Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) secure and scalable AI capabilities, including Amazon Bedrock and AgentCore, Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub demonstrate how agentic AI and advanced simulation can help 3M customers accelerate innovation cycles, reduce prototyping costs, and bring better products to market faster. Powered by AWS, the AI assistant guides users through substrates, environmental conditions, assembly methods, and performance targets to recommend suitable options, helping teams move from problem to final product more quickly.

“Together, Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub allow customers of varying scope and scale to move from design challenge to solution concept then digital selection and simulation in minutes,” said Holly Semerad, chief marketing officer for 3M’s Safety & Industrial Business Group. “We can further accelerate the testing timeframe with small quantity purchase options for final and confident prototyping.”

The 3M Digital Materials Hub launched last year is user-friendly, enabling easy search, filter and download of material data cards compatible with many leading finite element analysis (FEA) software platforms. The newly expanded 3M Digital Materials Hub now includes Optical Models, which represent 3M optical film performance for use in common simulation environments. Engineers in automotive, consumer electronics, and advanced manufacturing can quickly assess optical behaviors and material tradeoffs earlier in the process, reducing iterations and enabling faster decision-making. In a pilot with select customers, engineers reported that the tool enables seamless use of 3M materials into virtual simulations, accelerating prototyping and design.

The updated platform also enables customers to request bespoke virtual materials—technologies that solve their specific design challenges but don’t yet exist. It does this by leveraging 3M’s decades of material science and engineering expertise, which means the path to create these unique solutions is already in place and 3M can accelerate their development and delivery.

“With these platforms, 3M is redefining how engineers discover, evaluate, and simulate materials,” said Jason Langfield, 3M Digital Materials Hub project lead. “By drawing on 3M’s deep technological and application expertise, we can deliver secure, scalable access to mechanical models, optical models and virtual materials, while helping our customers reduce iterations, accelerate decisions, and bring better solutions to market faster.”

Originally published on 3M News Center

Across industries, engineers often begin the process of developing new products with a simple yet important question: How can I make this?

Answering that question requires a significant investment of time and resources and leads to many design and testing cycles. The opportunity to simplify and accelerate the design process inspired 3M to introduce two digital innovations: Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub.

Ask 3M is a new AI-powered digital assistant that helps customers find solutions to design challenges using 3M’s vast portfolio of adhesives and tapes. The 3M Digital Materials Hub, which initially launched last year, is expanding to enable direct collaboration with 3M scientists through the Workbench feature and power virtual materials sampling—including the option to explore generative solutions that don’t yet exist.

These tools leverage generative AI, advanced modeling, and simulation-ready data cards to speed the introduction of solutions for 3M customers. They’ll help users, especially those at small and medium-sized businesses, identify the right material, to design and digitally validate materials before investing in physical prototypes.

“In fast moving industries like electronics, automotive, and data centers, speed is essential. Our combined digital and material capabilities are helping our customers stay ahead,” said Chris Goralski, group president of the 3M Safety and Industrial Business Group. “Our goal is to enable faster, more confident decision making so customers can integrate the right 3M materials in their designs and get to market sooner.”

Ask 3M is being piloted to engineers solving bonding design challenges utilizing tapes and adhesives – largely within 3M’s Safety & Industrial Business Group. Leveraging Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) secure and scalable AI capabilities, including Amazon Bedrock and AgentCore, Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub demonstrate how agentic AI and advanced simulation can help 3M customers accelerate innovation cycles, reduce prototyping costs, and bring better products to market faster. Powered by AWS, the AI assistant guides users through substrates, environmental conditions, assembly methods, and performance targets to recommend suitable options, helping teams move from problem to final product more quickly.

“Together, Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub allow customers of varying scope and scale to move from design challenge to solution concept then digital selection and simulation in minutes,” said Holly Semerad, chief marketing officer for 3M’s Safety & Industrial Business Group. “We can further accelerate the testing timeframe with small quantity purchase options for final and confident prototyping.”

The 3M Digital Materials Hub launched last year is user-friendly, enabling easy search, filter and download of material data cards compatible with many leading finite element analysis (FEA) software platforms. The newly expanded 3M Digital Materials Hub now includes Optical Models, which represent 3M optical film performance for use in common simulation environments. Engineers in automotive, consumer electronics, and advanced manufacturing can quickly assess optical behaviors and material tradeoffs earlier in the process, reducing iterations and enabling faster decision-making. In a pilot with select customers, engineers reported that the tool enables seamless use of 3M materials into virtual simulations, accelerating prototyping and design.

The updated platform also enables customers to request bespoke virtual materials—technologies that solve their specific design challenges but don’t yet exist. It does this by leveraging 3M’s decades of material science and engineering expertise, which means the path to create these unique solutions is already in place and 3M can accelerate their development and delivery.

“With these platforms, 3M is redefining how engineers discover, evaluate, and simulate materials,” said Jason Langfield, 3M Digital Materials Hub project lead. “By drawing on 3M’s deep technological and application expertise, we can deliver secure, scalable access to mechanical models, optical models and virtual materials, while helping our customers reduce iterations, accelerate decisions, and bring better solutions to market faster.”

Inogen Alliance is hosting a Live LinkedIn webinar, 23 February, The New CSRD Reality: What Changed and What to Do for 2026 with global experts in Sustainability from denxpert and HPC Italy.

 

Register for the webinar or find it on-demand after the date here!

Whether you are an EU company, a multinational, or a non-EU supplier in an EU value chain, recent CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) developments directly affect your reporting strategy.

This webinar provides a focused, practical update on what changed under the Omnibus package, how ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) expectations are evolving, and what companies should realistically prepare for 2026. We cut through assumptions and speculation and explain what applies, what no longer does, and where companies should still invest effort.

Key insights you will gain:

• How the CSRD scope has changed: who is in, who is out, and why
• What the Omnibus updates mean in practice for EU and non-EU companies
• What “simplified ESRS” actually changes and what remains mandatory
• How ESRS 2.0 affects data collection, processes, and assurance readiness
• When voluntary standards make sense, including VSME as a supply-chain tool
• Practical next steps based on company size, location, and role in the value chain

Speakers:

Valentina Vieri – ESG Sustainability Consultant at HPC Italy, GRI-certified, specializing in ESRS reporting, ESG analysis, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability action plans.

Anna Csonka – Senior Sustainability Reporting Expert and early CSRD adopter, with hands-on experience implementing CSRD at Arla (DK).

Keith Knoke (moderator) – EVP Antea Group USA and Director Antea Group UK, with 20+ years of EHS and risk management consulting experience.

 

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.

February 9, 2026 /3BL/ – The premier annual event for sustainable business leaders, GreenBiz 26, is just weeks away and features keynotes and dynamic discussions led by innovators managing teams across some of the world’s largest companies, including Google, Microsoft and REI.

GreenBiz 26 takes place Feb, 17-19 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix. Register by Feb. 13 to save $200 on an all-access pass.

The peers that sustainability leaders benchmark against — and partners they want to meet — are already registered. Seventy-nine percent of attendees are at manager level and above – leading sustainability at some of the world’s largest B2B and B2C organizations.

Among the companies that have confirmed their attendance: 4Ocean, Amazon, Anthesis, Best Buy, Ceres, Citi, Constellation, EY, General Motors, Google, Hasbro, Intuit, KEEN, KIND Snacks, L’Oreal Groupe, lululemon, Microsoft, Nasdaq, Nat Geo, Nike, Patagonia, PepsiCo, Pinterest, Procter & Gamble, Prologis, Recology, REI, Rivian, Siemens, Starbucks, Toyota and Walmart.

Register here.

Attendees may choose from 75+ sessions tackling sustainability’s toughest challenges that are practical, expert-led and impact-focused:

• Credible Storytelling in the Age of the Algorithm
• Getting the Work Done as a Team of One
• Scope 3 Tutorial – Solving Product-Level Emissions
• Ratings, Rankings, and Voluntary Reporting in 2026
• How Hyperscalers Are Addressing Water and Energy in Data Centers

About Trellis Group

Since 1991, Trellis Group has grown from one of the first sustainability-focused newsletters into a global platform uniting events, peer networks, and digital media. From the flagship GreenBiz conference to the Trellis Network and year-round news, research, and resources, we connect sustainability leaders worldwide to share ideas, accelerate solutions, and grow what’s next.

Contact: Chandler Griffin

Read More

While we often look to the sky for climate solutions – like wind turbines and solar panels – one of the most powerful technologies is right under our feet. This World Soil Day, we celebrate more than just the ground we walk on, but it’s un-canny capability to store CO2.

Soil: Nature’s Carbon Storage System

Recent breakthroughs in Enhanced Weathering (EW) are turning agricultural fields into carbon sponges. As highlighted in a recent Research Update from the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture (YCNCC), EW accelerates a natural geological process. In nature, rain combines with CO2 to form a mild acid that slowly breaks down rocks over thousands of years, locking away carbon. By spreading finely crushed rock, like basalt or limestone, over farmland, farmers can enhance this natural process and help soil lock away carbon much faster – keeping it out of the atmosphere for thousands of years.

Good for the Earth, Great for Farmers

But it’s not just about carbon; it’s about soil health, too. The beauty of EW lies in its co-benefits.

As explained by industry experts like Jigar Shah, this process acts as a powerful soil amendment. The crushed rock raises soil pH in acidic fields and releases essential nutrients like magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Think of it like a multivitamin for soil.

Farmers who adopt these practices are seeing tangible results: stronger root systems, better nutrient uptake, and potentially lower fertilizer bills. It is a climate solution that directly supports rural economies and could improve food security while supporting climate adaptation.

Why We Need Real Data

To make sure these solutions work on a bigger scale, scientists and farmers need solid proof. As noted in the recent YCNCC white paper Agricultural Soil Carbon: A Call for Improved Evidence, relying on models alone isn’t enough. To build a high-integrity carbon offset market, we must move toward empirical “measure-and-remeasure” approaches.

Just like how pharmaceuticals are tested carefully before being widely used, carbon farming needs real-world data from farms – not just computer models based on limited experiments. This way, we can trust that carbon is truly stored in the soil.

Digging Deeper

This World Soils Day, let’s recognize that healthy soil is the foundation of a healthy climate. By combining natural geological processes with modern data science and farming wisdom, we could unlock a gigaton-scale solution that benefits everyone—from the smallholder farmer to the global atmosphere.

The soil beneath us isn’t just dirt – it’s a powerful nature-based climate solution. Let’s celebrate it and help it work even harder.

Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program.

Leidos employees show up for their communities. In small towns to big cities, employees volunteer at food banks, mentor students in STEM clubs, retrofit community gardens, and stand beside military families. These everyday acts are powered by a belief that focused giving, thoughtful partnerships, and an employee-led spirit turns time and talent into measurable impact.

Leidos employees created meaningful change in many ways in 2025. A defense employee led a team of 15 volunteers in sorting and packing over 21,000 pounds of food into 1,008 boxes. These boxes, distributed to food pantries, ensured senior citizens in need received nutritious meals delivered right to their doorstep. Another team spent a weekend updating an Elementary School Outdoor Learning Lab creating a vibrant environment where students engage in hands-on learning across science, math, literacy, and more.

Leidos concentrates its support on five strategic areas — Healthier Lives, Leadership and Inclusion, National Security and Military, Education/STEM, and the Environment — aligning resources where they matter most. Our Employee Volunteer Incentive Program spotlights those who go above and beyond, amplifying a culture of service across the company.

Together, corporate giving and employee passion creates improved health and resilience, stronger schools, honored service members, and a healthier planet.

by Holly Mosher, Belle Farm

My business partner Kathleen had been looking at some land in Wisconsin for over a year when we first spoke about it. The City of Middleton (near Madison) asked Kathleen if we would consider building much-needed housing. I knew that Madison was always on the Best Places to Live lists and that they were growing rapidly compared to the rest of the country. I thought back to what my father always said: “You need to sell things that people need, and people NEED housing.” I also saw so many people struggling with affordability, both in rentals and ownership. So, building housing could be a social enterprise creating housing while also doing so in a green way aligned with our values.

I encouraged Kathleen to visit an intentional community in Georgia called Serenbe. She was struck by the thoughtful land planning and the sense of place — the walkability and the way nature and community were interwoven. We worked closely with their team in order to build something similar in Wisconsin. The result was Belle Farm, a gorgeous walkable neighborhood featuring a wonderful mix of housing, neighborhood amenities, and commercial spaces. With Phil Tabb and the team helping us design the overall layout of the land, a sense of community and flow emerged. Our guiding principles are wellness, sustainability, time outside, camaraderie, presence, respite, and so much joy.

Read Holly’s full article and see renderings as this real estate project is now fully underway with single family homes, multi-family units and an apartment complex, all here- https://greenmoney.com/mixed-use-social-enterprise-and-green-housing-at-belle-farm

 

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