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School Feeding and Nutrition in Uganda: How Students Are Leading Change 

At just 17 years old, Patience Namuju is already changing lives in her community. She lives in Uganda’s Karamoja region, known for its harsh, unpredictable weather and widespread food insecurity. People living there face a difficult reality: 45% of the population is facing crisis levels of food insecurity, and over 112,000 children under five were malnourished last year, according to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report. But Patience is not sitting back—she’s leading a movement to turn things around.

Patience is the chair of the Health and Nutrition Club at Lolachat Seed Secondary School. The club established a school garden where they grow vegetables, cassava, and eggplant. In a region where food can be scarce, this is a lifeline. Students benefit from access to fresh produce, as well as learning why diversified, nutritious diets are important and how to make good food choices. “The garden supplements our school meals,” Patience says, her pride evident. “It’s making a real difference.”

In places like Karamoja, school lunch might be the only meal a child eats in a day. It is a crucial opportunity to help kids stay nourished and instill strong dietary habits. School feeding programs have been found to improve the height and weight of students in low- and middle-income countries, as shown in a recent study (Wang et al., 2021), as well as leading to better school attendance. With a healthy meal to sustain them, children can concentrate on their studies and fully engage in the school day, rather than being distracted by hunger.

Patience’s club does more than provide nutritious food at school; it also empowers students with the ability to make sound dietary decisions on their own. Nutrition education is especially critical in places like Karamoja, where food is scarce and families face difficult choices about what to eat. Without the right knowledge, many struggle to meet their dietary needs even when some food is available. Research in eastern Uganda confirms this, showing that a lack of nutritional knowledge is one of the leading causes of malnutrition (Filipponi et al., 2024).

Educated club members are able to act as agents of change in their local food systems, helping their friends and families make dietary decisions with confidence. As nutritional information is shared, it can create a ripple effect throughout the community that will last long after graduation. In this way, Health and Nutrition Clubs “build a new culture that will improve nutrition outcomes in this region while enhancing food security in the long run,” says Michael Ngiro, Food Security & Livelihood Extension Officer with Action Against Hunger.

Climate Resilience in Karamoja: Tackling Hunger in a Changing Environment 

As stated by the Food and Agriculture Organization, school offers a unique opportunity to teach children about good nutrition and shape healthier food patterns. Health and Nutrition Clubs established by Action Against Hunger take this one step further, teaching students not only what healthy foods are, but also how to grow them.

Patience and her fellow club members are growing produce in their garden using climate-smart agriculture techniques. They plant drought-resistant crop varieties that will have a better chance at surviving Karamoja’s lengthening dry spells. They also learn about crop rotation and using manure as an organic fertilizer, two agroecological practices that preserve soil health and boost crop yields. With this hands-on experience, students gain an understanding of nutrition, sustainability, and food system resilience.

Improving Uganda’s climate resilience is of primary importance. The World Bank recently published the Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) for Uganda, which warns that climate change could cut Uganda’s economic growth by up to 3.1% by 2050 unless strong action is taken. If this were to happen, it would push more than 613,000 people into poverty and displace 12 million more. By equipping students with knowledge of climate-resilient practices, Action Against Hunger is not only strengthening their capacity to adapt but also investing in a generation prepared to safeguard Uganda’s future.

Karamoja is among the regions most vulnerable to climate change. For generations, pastoralism has been the backbone of life, with families relying heavily on rainfall patterns and natural resources for food and income. But in an era of increasing climate volatility, this dependence has become increasingly difficult. Between 2018 and 2023, the region endured repeated droughts that decimated resources and fueled rising conflict. Climate shocks, conflict, and hunger form a self-reinforcing cycle, and once it begins, it is difficult to break. Strengthening Karamoja’s climate resilience is urgent, before dwindling resources trigger even deeper crises in the years ahead.

Patience cares deeply about climate resilience and its role in improving food security. In 2024, she represented her school at the Karamoja Green School regional climate-change debate competition, an event that empowers young people to engage with climate change issues. Competing against peers from across the region, Patience and her team took home first place – a testament to their passion for the cause and the impact of their school’s climate-smart garden.

The Future of Nutrition in Uganda 

Since the Health & Nutrition club started in 2023, Patience has grown its membership to over 30 students, all excited to spread the word about healthy eating. Now, the club is looking ahead with ambitious plans to expand its garden. As Patience explains, “We hope to increase the size of our gardens to grow more nutritious foods for school use and sell the rest to generate income for the club.” With this new initiative, students can gain an introduction to business planning, equipping them with valuable financial management and entrepreneurial skills that will serve them long after graduation.

Action Against Hunger is also expanding its garden program. Since 2023, the organization has supported 18 schools across Karamoja in establishing school gardens and Health and Nutrition Clubs, with another 32 clubs soon to launch in primary schools across the region. At the national level, Action Against Hunger is drawing on its expertise in school feeding and nutrition to advocate for a standardized school feeding program. The program is aimed at combating malnutrition and improving academic performance for students across Uganda.

Patience’s story is a powerful reminder of what these efforts can achieve. “Once I finish secondary school, I look forward to studying a course related to nutrition and food security and coming up with innovative ways to enhance food security in my community,” she says. Her commitment demonstrates the power of young leaders to drive change at the grassroots, making a hunger-free future in Uganda look more achievable than ever.

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Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 26.5 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across over 55 countries, our 8,500+ dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

Originally published on U.S. company blog

On Sept. 17, the Federal Reserve announced a quarter point interest rate cut, it’s first of the year. To understand how this rate reduction may impact both homebuyers and homeowners, we sat down with John Hummel, head of retail home lending at U.S. Bank.

Let’s start with the homeowners. What does this interest rate cut mean for homeowners looking to borrow against their home equity?

Home equity has been in the headlines lately as increased home price appreciation over the last several years has resulted in record levels of home equity. For homeowners, this equity can be borrowed using a or to fund major expenses such as home improvements or repairs, college tuition or to consolidate debt.

With the prime rate now reduced, home equity borrowers may see lower interest rates available to them, depending on the home equity solution they chose. HELOCs, for example, allow borrowers to make multiple draws at a variable rate up to their pre-determined limit. New and existing HELOC borrowers may see a small reduction in interest rates on new draws.

For home equity loans, which allow you to borrow a lump sum at a fixed rate, new applicants may see a slight reduction in the interest rate being offered.

What about aspiring home buyers. Does the recent interest rate cut mean mortgage rates will come down? 

In early September we experienced our highest daily applications for the year. That’s because even before the Federal rate cut, we have seen some pockets of easing mortgage rates over the last few months. This has already provided some relief to buyers actively house hunting and making offers. For homeowners who bought a home in the last few years, this also presented an opportunity to refinance, especially for larger balance loans where a slight drop in rates can have an impact.

The recent gradual decline is in large part because mortgage rates are more closely tied to bond markets and the 10-year treasury yield than the prime rate. This correlation means that in many cases, future interest rate cuts are baked into current mortgage rates. That’s why when the Fed reduces the prime rate, we often don’t see any immediate movement on mortgage rates.

What’s your best advice right now for homebuyers?

If you are in a position to buy a home or plan to be in the months ahead, meet with a knowledgeable mortgage loan originator first. A mortgage professional can help you understand what you can afford, what potential payments could look like inclusive of taxes and insurance and any special programs you might qualify for, such as downpayment assistance.

There are nearly 2,500 downpayment assistance programs available throughout the U.S., including programs offered by state and local agencies, as well as mortgage lenders. For example, U.S. Bank offers the in 31 states and the in 10 markets.

Any advice for homeowners?

It may be a good time to explore your home equity lending options for upcoming expenses. Talking to a mortgage loan professional can help you understand your options and borrowing power using your home equity.

If you are nearing retirement, applying now for a HELOC can be a smart financial move. With U.S. Bank there is no fee to apply and doing so pre-retirement allows you to factor in your current employment income, which can impact your application outcome.

To learn more about U.S. Bank home lending solutions, visit usbank.com/homeloans

This article is authored by Riaz Raihan, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, Trane Technologies

Despite breakthrough innovation over the last several years, buildings still can’t speak to us. They do, however, constantly give us non-verbal cues through technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous controls.

These solutions for digitalization of the built environment can significantly reduce a building’s operating cost and its carbon footprint by allowing you to listen to its cues.

Thinking beyond trends

AI and autonomous controls are enhancing productivity, efficiency and decision making across every sector. Considering their applications in the built environment, it is easy to get excited about them.

As I’ve seen in my role as chief digital officer at Trane Technologies, AI and automation are being practically applied in HVAC systems to support outcome-based performance. And for good reason, as more than 50% of a building’s operating cost can be attributed to its heating, ventilation and cooling.

Implementing AI tools because they’re trendy is faulty logic, though. Digital technologies require significant power and increase strain on our energy grids. They must be used thoughtfully and efficiently.

The true allure of digitalization and AI in the built environment lies in their ability to deliver operational cost savings, emissions reductions and optimal performance, which I see as their most discreet cool factor.

Listening to your building

Buildings can’t speak, but they can send nonverbal cues, and “listening” to them is crucial.

AI technologies, like autonomous control systems, allow us to look at structured data (building layout, indoor temperatures, equipment specifications) and unstructured data (weather patterns and forecasts, pollution data, occupancy patterns) to optimize buildings’ energy performance.

AI-enabled building controls learn to respond to changing conditions, such as energy pricing fluctuations, to automatically optimize energy performance and enable cost-effective predictive maintenance.

Consider the analogy of streaming platforms, which regularly show new and interesting content, proving the value of monthly subscription fees. When we are satisfied with the programming, we may set them to auto-renew. But if the content becomes stale, we might start doubting its value and consider canceling. We need consistent performance to feel we’re getting our money’s worth.

The same mindset can be true for the built environment, but that’s also where digital enablement drives significant value—by reading and acting on a building’s non-verbal cues. Building automation systems and autonomous controls capture real-time data and advanced analytics and use them to optimize performance.

Leveraging these solutions can help building owners and operators understand their building operations while enabling energy and cost savings, demonstrating their ROI and economic viability.

Creating successful outcomes from potential challenges

A comprehensive approach is required to implement digital solutions. To create your building’s digital twin (a virtual representation of it), data requirements, computing capabilities and internal skills are factors to consider.

Data and information necessary to create a digital twin:

• Historical energy use
• Operational HVAC systems
• The building’s architectural plans and layouts

You also need a robust cloud infrastructure to process large volumes of data, along with reliable and secure communication protocols for data transmission and storage.

More important than these elements, though, is a skilled talent pipeline that knows how to analyze data and machine learning techniques to find actionable insights and reduce latency. While innovative digitization technologies are changing the game for reducing energy demand and emissions across the built environment, prioritizing the talent to advance them is vital.

Of course, implementation can still bring challenges, including data integration and system interoperability. Integrating data from a variety of sources (sensors, historical records, occupancy and weather patterns) into a unified system can be complex and time-consuming. Different systems may also use varying formats, making it harder to standardize and harmonize data for analysis.

But these potential challenges can be turned into successful outcomes. Having a centralized platform capable of aggregating data into a single repository, where it is more easily accessed, managed and analyzed, is a critical component.

Transitioning from equipment to outcomes

Fifty years ago, the only thing customers cared about was the capital investment needed to install a high-quality HVAC system. Eventually, that progressed to high-quality and well-maintained systems, with good indoor air quality.

Today, things look drastically different. Customers demand outcomes, not just equipment that meets their day-to-day heating and cooling needs. They require high-quality, well-maintained, smart and adaptable machines that help reduce emissions, cut costs and optimize energy consumption.

This change in mindset affirms the growing demand for purpose-driven, sustainable technology that drives energy efficiency and decarbonization.

AI and digital technologies have the potential to harness the information provided by a building and its surroundings to achieve desired outcomes. This underscores the crucial need to pay attention and respond to the signals it’s sending.

Taco Bell

2025 Live Más Scholar and Team Member Arturo M., is a first-generation student who had big dreams of working in healthcare, especially after he saw his own family go through language barriers in the hospital setting.

“Growing up in Carbondale, Illinois, I spent a lot of time helping my parents with English, navigating so many different situations as they didn’t know the language. One of the ways I did this was by translating what doctors and nurses said during their appointments. I ended up translating for many others too because I wanted to help those who shared a background with me. This, in combination with summer internships at the clinic, only contributed to my passion for nursing.”

This past year, Arturo applied, and ended up receiving a $10,000 Live Más Scholarship, bringing him one step closer to carrying out his dreams of helping others.

“After joining Taco Bell, the Live Más Scholarship went live and my General Manager (GM) told me to apply. I had never applied for a big scholarship like this before, so I was skeptical at first because I felt discouraged since it was such a big opportunity. I ended up applying anyway! Then, one day, I got a phone call from my GM, asking me to come in after school to do a Team Member core activity. Turns out, it was a surprise party for me with all my friends, family and coworkers announcing that I received the scholarship! It was a once in a lifetime experience.”

So, what does Action Over Words, one of Taco Bell’s core brand principles, mean to Arturo?

“Action Over Words is being an advocate for others who can’t speak for themselves, especially where I come from. I’ve seen the hard times my parents had to face while navigating a country where they didn’t know the primary language. So, to me, it’s doing something that closes that barrier even more.”

Looking to the future, Arturo hopes that he can make a difference in people’s lives and the healthcare space by being their voice and giving them proper care. And finally, for those who have similar experiences to him, he encourages them to take that risk and pursue what they believe in, because bravery requires proof.

The Baker Tilly Foundation is thrilled to announce this year’s recipients of the Stewardship Week Extra Impact Grant. 

Launched in 2022, the foundation created the grant program to extend the spirit of Stewardship Week — when team members across the firm join together to make a difference in their communities. 

Each of the ten organizations below was nominated by team members who volunteered with them during Stewardship Week. Each organization will receive a $5,000 grant. 

Extra Impact Grant recipients

• Frisco Fastpacs – Frisco, Texas
  • This organization provides a weekend backpack of food to children who are in need. Feeding over 1,000 children (K-12) each week of the school year, Frisco Fastpacs has made an impact on the lives of children by giving out over 1.5 million meals since their inception in 2013.
• School on Wheels – Tewksbury, Massachusetts
  • The mission of School on Wheels of Massachusetts is to educate children impacted by homelessness by providing academic support, individualized school supplies, and one-on-one mentoring so children can reach their full potential.
• One House at a Time Beds for Kids – Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
  • OHAAT’s Beds for Kids program partners with social service agencies across the region who refer families in need. Each child receives a bed, a bag of bedding, several books and a toothbrush.
• Madison Reading Project – Madison, Wisconsin
  • Madison Reading Project connects communities with free books and literacy resources that ignite a love for reading and affirm and reflect the diversity of young readers.
• YMCA Urban Advisory – Tampa, Florida
  • The YMCA Urban Advisory works together with volunteers to identify critical social needs within the Tampa Bay community and develops programs and initiatives that address those needs.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Milwaukee – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • This organization provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better.
• Milwaukee Diaper Mission – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Milwaukee Diaper Mission empowers families in need by providing a reliable source of free diapers and period products.
• Brothers Redevelopment – Denver, Colorado
  • Brothers Redevelopment was established in 1971 to provide home repairs for low-income households in South Denver using neighborhood volunteers. It’s now grown to become an affordable housing developer and operates many different housing programs and services in communities across the state of Colorado.
• Upshur County Parish House – Buckhannon, West Virginia
  • The Upshur Cooperative Parish House serves Upshur County (WV) residents by assisting low-income families in meeting their basic needs and working to increase their quality of life.
• Spooner House – Shelton, Connecticut
  • Spooner House provides food, shelter and support services to people in need. They are devoted to helping clients establish a self-sufficient living situation.

Learn more about Baker Tilly.

Originally published on newsroom.marykay.com

At Mary Kay, empowering young women and sparking a passion for STEM isn’t just a mission – it’s a movement. This spring, we proudly returned for the second year as a Special Awards Organization at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF), the world’s largest pre-college STEM competition, held in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.

The energy at ISEF was nothing short of electric. Each year, nearly 2,000 brilliant young minds from more than 60 countries come together to showcase projects that could change the world – literally. With more than $9 million in awards, scholarships, and networking opportunities with industry leaders, the fair is a launchpad for the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators.

This year marked ISEF’s 75^th anniversary, and Mary Kay had the honor of awarding ten grants totaling nearly $10,000 to high school students whose projects stood out for their creativity, impact, and potential to make a difference. Their work ranged from developing potential cures for cancers affecting women, to designing sustainable packaging solutions, to protecting our planet’s most precious natural resources.

Recently, we caught up with one of Mary Kay’s scholarship recipients, Carolina de Araujo Pereira da Silva^[1] from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to check in on her work and school. When we saw Carolina again this year, she was presenting her work on Salinomycin as a Molecular Trojan Horse for Targeting Mn-Induced Malignancy in Aggressive Tumors.

We are so excited to have this fantastic opportunity to sit down with you and see how life is going! You’re a two-time Mary Kay scholarship winner! Tell us how you’re doing and share with us some aha moments from the past 2 whirlwind years.  

• As a girl from São João de Meriti, a city on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it often felt unlikely that I would one day present my research in an international, prestigious competition like ISEF, let alone be recognized twice by Mary Kay! Receiving the Mary Kay Research Grant in 2024, among thousands of extraordinary projects, was much more than financial support: it was confirmation that state-of-the-art research can be developed even in places where resources are limited. This award gave me the confidence and motivation to continue working as soon as I returned from ISEF 2024.
• With the support I received from Mary Kay, together with the DCAT (Drug, Chemical, and Associated Technologies Association) award at ISEF 2024, I decided to invest in improvements for my research. For instance, purchasing a camera was crucial to documenting the tumor cells in each experiment. As a result, I was able to build a stronger, more complete, and reliable dataset, which was essential for being selected to participate in ISEF again in 2025 and once more receive the Mary Kay Research Grant. What makes me even happier is that this equipment has helped (and continues to help) not only me, but all the members of my research group, being especially valuable for obtaining high-quality images of experiments that allow us to publish our work in international scientific journals.
• Additionally, with this year’s grant, I plan to purchase equipment for my lab as a way of giving back to the place that has supported my research the most. Looking ahead, I’m applying to universities in the United States, where I will have more opportunities to explore research throughout my undergraduate studies. Both Mary Kay awards are helping me get closer to this dream by providing the resources to help develop my research, and the belief that I can become a researcher who gives back to my community and, hopefully, contribute to making cancer treatment more effective and less aggressive for patients in the future.

We, at Mary Kay, are honored to know such a talented, kind, and goal-oriented young woman. We wish Carolina continued success in all her future endeavors.

Supporting these students isn’t just about celebrating their current achievements, it’s about fueling their journey forward. By championing young innovators, Mary Kay is investing in a future where science and creativity intersect to solve our world’s biggest challenges. 

Because when young people dream in STEM, they don’t just imagine a better future – they build it.

Did You Know: 

• Mary Kay Inc. is empowering the next generation of women in STEM by awarding 40 grants totaling $195,000 to support young women around the world in pursuing their dreams in STEM-related fields.

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About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her dream beauty brand in Texas in 1963 with one goal: to enrich women’s lives. Learn more at marykayglobal.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or follow us on X.

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^[1] Carolina de Araujo Pereira da Silva is a two-time Mary Kay Young Women in STEM grant recipient for her outstanding contributions to the cancer research field. Her 2024 prize money was utilized toward furthering her presented project – Rock the Metals! Investigating Manganese as a Trigger of Malignancy and Metal Transporters as Targets in Cancer Treatment which elevated her 2025 award-winning submission. 

SWORDS, Ireland, September 18, 2025 /3BL/ – Trane Technologies (NYSE:TT), a global climate innovator, today announced two groundbreaking developments: AI Control and ARIA, leveraging advanced technology to keep customers at the forefront of building optimization and energy management.

“We’ve conducted hundreds of thousands of energy audits in commercial buildings and most operate about 30% inefficiently,” said Holly Paeper, President, Commercial HVAC Americas, Trane Technologies. “Through our purpose-built AI solutions for thermal management systems, we can help building owners dramatically reduce energy waste, lower operating costs and enhance sustainability.”

AI Control

AI Control is a fully integrated, AI-powered solution that continuously analyzes building data—including occupancy, weather forecasts, and energy usage—and automatically adjusts HVAC operations for peak efficiency and sustainability. AI Control can reduce heating and cooling energy costs by up to 25% and carbon emissions by up to 40%.

AI Control fully integrates AI into Trane’s control architecture, combining Trane’s Tracer^® SC+ Building Automation System and Trane^® Autonomous Control. This eliminates the need for additional equipment or staffing, allowing owners to maximize system performance and realize savings from day one.

ARIA

ARIA, an AI-building agent, provides facility teams with intuitive, conversational access—via mobile or desktop in 14+ languages—to actionable insights and recommendations, making HVAC and facility management smarter and more proactive. Building managers can proactively diagnose issues, troubleshoot and prioritize maintenance.

Developed by the BrainBox AI Lab

ARIA and AI Control were developed by the BrainBox AI Lab, Trane Technologies’ engine delivering cutting-edge digital and AI innovation for heating and cooling solutions.

“Our vision is to unlock next-generation building performance, delivering both immediate and long-term benefits for our customers and the planet,” said Riaz Raihan, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, Trane Technologies. “AI can provide tremendous value for building owners and facilities managers to achieve their goals and prepare for the future.”

With 75%¹ of U.S. commercial buildings over 25 years old, many are operating with outdated systems. This is compounded by a skilled labor shortage. Trane’s recent Future-Ready Building Report revealed the need for facilities managers to embrace building modernization, with tools like smart controls that enhance human expertise and help meet business goals.

Learn more at Trane.com.

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About Trane Technologies 
Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane^® and Thermo King^®, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation. 
Visit tranetechnologies.com.

This news release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of securities laws, which are statements that are not historical facts, including statements that relate to our innovations in artificial intelligence; the anticipated cost savings, efficiencies, and sustainability benefits of these innovations; and our sustainability commitments and the anticipated impact of these commitments. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations. Factors that could cause such differences can be found in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as well as our subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and other SEC filings. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect the Company. We assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
 

1. U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS),” 2018

NEW YORK, September 18, 2025 /3BL/ – Novata, the private markets’ sustainability management partner, announced the expansion of its collaboration with S&P Global Sustainable1. S&P Global Sustainable1 and Novata have partnered to make sustainability management more accessible and effective for corporates and investors, with Novata serving as the technology platform supporting clients’ sustainability data needs.

Through this expanded relationship, corporates and investors can leverage S&P Global’s sustainability expertise together with Novata’s technology platform to manage sustainability data and reporting across three critical areas:

• Carbon: Calculate and manage Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions with Novata’s Carbon Navigator, supported by S&P Global Sustainable1’s expertise and the Trucost Carbon Dataset.
• Regulatory: Confidently prepare for disclosure by capturing audit-ready data on Novata’s platform, informed by S&P Global Sustainable1’s sustainability reporting services.
• Benchmarking: Measure and benchmark sustainability performance against S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) framework while streamlining collection and reporting on Novata’s platform.

“This expansion builds on the strength of our partnership with S&P and our shared commitment to advancing sustainability in private markets,” said Alex Friedman, CEO & Co-Founder of Novata. “With S&P Global’s unmatched sustainability intelligence and our market-leading platform, we are equipping organizations of every size to act decisively on sustainability as a driver of resilience and value creation.”

Novata’s tools simplify sustainability data management and carbon accounting, while S&P Global Sustainable1 delivers essential sustainability intelligence through its globally recognized methodologies and deep industry insights. Together, they equip companies with the insights needed to manage climate risks, uncover opportunities, and build long-term resilience.

“S&P Global Sustainable1 is committed to providing essential sustainability intelligence that meets clients where they are,” said Leanne Todd, Head of Energy Transition, Sustainability & Services, S&P Global Commodity Insights. “The expansion of our collaboration with Novata will allow more organizations to access the tools that they need to manage risk, uncover opportunities and report with confidence.”

To learn more about the collaboration, visit Novata’s website and follow Novata on LinkedIn to keep up with the company’s latest news and insights.

S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) is part of the consortium of organizations that supported Novata upon its launch in 2021.

About Novata

Novata is the private markets’ sustainability management partner. We empower hundreds of investment firms and over 10,000 companies to achieve their sustainability goals with our trusted data management platform and advisory practice—because it’s good for business and it’s good for the planet. Learn more at www.novata.com.

Contacts

Katie Stueber
press@novata.com

Eastman

MUNICH, September 18, 2025 /3BL/ — Eastman, a global leader in sustainable materials innovation, and Doloop, a frontrunner in PET packaging solutions, proudly announce their partnership for sustainable beverage packaging that will help the industry take the next step toward a circular economy. They will unveil a groundbreaking 100% recycled PET (rPET)* beverage bottle with no compromises at Drinktec 2025, taking place September 15–19 in Munich, Germany. Visitors are invited to experience this innovation firsthand at Doloop’s stand 242 in Hall C6.

The bottle is produced from Eastar™ Renew EN031, Eastman’s chemically recycled PET that delivers performance and quality equivalent to virgin resin. This collaboration represents a major advance in sustainable beverage packaging, offering brands a scalable, real-world solution for achieving 100% recycled content* in their bottles while maintaining clarity and purity and meeting sustainability goals.

With decades of experience in preforms and PET bottles, Doloop is uniquely positioned to convert Eastman Eastar Renew PET resin into high-performance beverage packaging. This partnership underscores the commitment of both companies to drive the circular economy by integrating chemically recycled PET with industry expertise.

“Doloop has long been a pioneer in regenerative PET packaging,” said Dovydas Stulpinas, CEO of Doloop. “Partnering with Eastman enables us to offer the beverage industry a solution that meets the highest sustainability and quality standards. We look forward to welcoming attendees at Drinktec to see the bottle’s clarity and feel and to share how this collaboration can serve as a replicable model for circular packaging across Europe and beyond.”

Eric Dehouck, managing director of Eastman’s circular economy platform, added, “Innovation has positioned Eastman to lead, but collaboration is essential for plastic packaging to become circular. The Doloop relationship illustrates how supplier partnerships play a key role in preparing a market to address not only existing regulations but also those on the horizon.”

Eastman and Doloop’s joint presence at Drinktec 2025 will also highlight the strong market potential in regions with advanced deposit-return systems, such as the Nordic countries, where the demand for high-quality recycled content is rapidly growing. Their collaboration demonstrates a pathway for beverage producers, packaging engineers and sustainability leaders to adopt circular, chemically recycled PET with confidence.

*Eastman Renew materials are ISCC PLUS certified using a mass balance approach. 

About Eastman

Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company’s innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive company, Eastman employs approximately 14,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2024 revenue of approximately $9.4 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visit www.eastman.com.

About Doloop 

Based in Lithuania, Doloop is a leader in PET preform and bottle production with a strong focus on sustainable regenerative packaging innovation. With extensive expertise in integrating recycled materials, Doloop supports beverage brands in achieving their circular economy and sustainability objectives.

For more information and to arrange meetings at Drinktec 2025, please visit Doloop at stand 242, Hall C6.

Name: Lauren Eisenmenger | Director, Environmental Sustainability and Regulatory Compliance

Company: Suntory Global Spirits

Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn

Welcome to our series aimed at spotlighting the individual leaders within BIER member companies and stakeholder organizations. Learn how these practitioners and their companies are addressing pressing challenges around water, energy, agriculture, climate change, and what inspires each of them to advance environmental sustainability in the beverage sector and collectively, overall.

Briefly describe your role and responsibilities, and how long you have worked with your company. 

I joined Suntory Global Spirits in July 2021 and currently serve as the Director of Environmental Sustainability and Regulatory Compliance. My primary focus is on Scope 3 emissions and developing strategies to reduce them in alignment with our 2030 targets and beyond. This involves close collaboration with internal technical experts in packaging, agriculture and logistics, as well as a strong partnership with our sourcing team, given that approximately 80% of our emissions stem from supplier activity. A significant part of my role is working to engage our supply chain and encourage interventions that support emissions reductions aligned with our climate goals.

On the regulatory side, I focus on packaging regulations across North America, tracking developments in extended producer responsibility (EPR), deposit return systems, and minimum recycled content mandates. I analyze how emerging legislation may impact our business, calculate cost implications, and help shape our company’s policy positions to support fair and effective legislation.

In this evolving policy landscape, collaboration is essential. We rely on our industry associations, including the American Glass Packaging Institute and Ameripen, to keep us informed.

Finally, I also support our internal digital tools, including the recent launch of our environmental data management system. I work to ensure data collection is streamlined and effective, minimizing the effort required from teams while maximizing accuracy.

How has the company’s sustainability program evolved over the years, and what are your specific priorities for 2025?

Suntory Global Spirits has been on a sustainability journey for many years, but a significant turning point came in 2021 with the appointment of our Chief Sustainability Officer, Kim Marotta, and the formal launch of our Proof Positive sustainability strategy. This milestone began a more integrated and ambitious approach, backed by subject matter experts across key environmental and social impact areas—including climate, water, packaging and agriculture.

Proof Positive is built around three interconnected pillars:

• Nature Positive – focusing on minimizing our environmental impact across water, climate, forest, field and packaging;
• Community Positive – emphasizing inclusive growth and community engagement;
• Consumer Positive – promoting well-being, informed choices and reducing alcohol-related harm.

Since then, we’ve made significant progress, including hitting our 2030 water usage rate target ahead of schedule. This early success has allowed us to re-evaluate and raise our ambition in water stewardship. In parallel, we’ve strengthened our sustainability governance by expanding our reporting capabilities in response to emerging regulatory frameworks such as CSRD and California’s climate disclosure requirements. As a privately held company, this is a relatively new but necessary shift, and we’re building the expertise to meet these expectations without losing focus on the work itself.

We’ve also integrated sustainability into enterprise risk management, something we’re especially proud of. Our dedicated ERM lead, embedded within the sustainability team, ensures insights from our climate scenario analysis directly inform company-wide risk assessments and investment decisions.

Looking ahead to 2025, our priorities include:

• Finalizing and publishing our Climate Transition Plan by 2026, including a roadmap to net zero across Scopes 1, 2 and 3;
• Continuing work on Scope 3 emissions, including the launch of a glass recovery project in Kentucky to improve recycling infrastructure and support circularity;
• Advancing a five-year regenerative agriculture project in the U.S. corn supply shed in collaboration with several BIER members;
• Scaling our new Supplier Maturity Mountain engagement program to help drive measurable improvements across our supply chain;
• Deepening internal alignment and capability-building to ensure resilience in the face of acute and chronic climate risks, such as extreme weather events.

The momentum we’ve built is both broad and deep, spanning infrastructure, innovation and collaboration. We are proud to be part of a global beverage industry that is aligning around shared sustainability goals, and we’re committed to contributing actively through our partnerships, technical work and long-term investment in scalable solutions.

How do you feel being a BIER member will help you successfully address the key areas you are addressing in 2025? 

Being a member of BIER has been instrumental in helping us advance our sustainability priorities at Suntory Global Spirits. The collaborative environment BIER fosters, through both structured and informal exchanges, has provided us with tangible insights, trusted relationships and practical tools that directly support our work.

One of the most valuable recent experiences has been BIER’s member-only ad hoc session on climate transition planning. The timing aligned perfectly with the kickoff of our climate transition plan, and hearing from members who have already published theirs, along with a contributor to the Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) framework, was incredibly informative. The session allowed us to ask in-depth questions, understand the rationale behind various approaches, and identify peers we can continue to engage with as we shape our roadmap to net zero by 2050.

The value of peer exchange extends beyond planning. As we ramp up work in areas like Scope 3 emissions, glass recycling infrastructure and regenerative agriculture, BIER’s network helps facilitate collaboration that amplifies impact. For example, we’re exploring partnerships with other beverage companies and distributors to collectively invest in glass recovery programs, initiatives that would be difficult to scale alone. We’re also one of several BIER members participating in a new five-year regenerative agriculture program aimed at improving outcomes in the U.S. corn supply shed.

Equally important is BIER’s role in knowledge sharing around emerging reporting frameworks. With the increasing complexity of regulations like CSRD and California’s climate disclosure rules, we’ve benefited from hearing how other members are preparing their reporting strategies, prioritizing material topics and aligning with new expectations. This level of transparency and best-practice exchange has been especially helpful for our internal reporting and sustainability teams.

Overall, the ability to connect with others facing similar challenges, openly and candidly, makes BIER unique. It’s a space where practical conversations happen and we learn together. That shared vision and willingness to support one another is what makes the work not only more effective but also more meaningful.

Name one of the practical solutions or best practices you learned in working with BIER and its members and why it was important to you and/ or your company.

One of the most valuable practical solutions we’ve gained through BIER is the opportunity to align on methodologies, particularly around how data is calculated and reported across the beverage sector. A great example is the guidance BIER has developed around reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Our team at Suntory Global Spirits references BIER’s GHG Emissions Sector Guidance as part of our annual reporting, and we call it out explicitly in our methodology. The consistency and credibility this provides are incredibly important, especially in a landscape where stakeholders are increasingly scrutinizing disclosures.

Beyond GHGs, we see significant value in the potential to standardize other areas, such as recycled content calculation for glass packaging. As more companies disclose recycled content percentages, we’ve recognized the need for a shared approach. For example, should internal scrap from suppliers be included or excluded? If we’re all calculating it differently, then even well-intentioned transparency can create an uneven playing field. BIER is uniquely positioned to facilitate those technical discussions, evaluate the options, and, when feasible, help the group align on a sector-wide standard.

That level of methodological alignment is critical. It not only strengthens the integrity of the data we publish, but it ensures we’re not unintentionally penalizing ourselves for taking a more rigorous approach. It also fosters trust, both across peers and with external stakeholders, when we can say, “This is the standard we all follow.”

More broadly, the structure of BIER’s pitch sessions and ad hoc working groups has created an effective channel for raising these types of technical challenges. It’s been refreshing to engage with peers who are equally committed and technically grounded, and to explore ideas that can elevate consistency across the industry collectively.

For us, that’s the kind of practical, high-impact support that makes BIER stand out, not just as a forum for collaboration, but as a driver of alignment and shared progress across the beverage sector.

Share a recent accomplishment of your company’s sustainability initiatives/achievements you are most proud of and why.

I’d like to first give well-deserved credit to our site teams and my colleague Matthew Blanford for achieving our 2030 water usage rate reduction goal ahead of schedule, a major milestone for Suntory Global Spirits. The accomplishment I’m most proud of personally is the launch of our Supplier Sustainability Maturity Mountain program in 2024.

This initiative was designed to deepen engagement with the suppliers who represent the majority of our Scope 3 emissions. It focuses on high-impact categories and strategic suppliers with long-term relevance to our business. Rather than taking a check-the-box approach, the program encourages suppliers to set science-aligned targets, develop abatement plans and cascade those expectations down their value chains. It’s about aligning our supply partners with the same ambition and accountability we hold ourselves to.

What makes this program especially powerful is how it has sparked a more strategic, collaborative relationship between our sourcing and sustainability teams and with our suppliers themselves. We’ve established a structured maturity model, assigning each supplier a level and score based on their sustainability performance. Sourcing teams now have clear KPIs to help suppliers advance up the “mountain,” and we provide tailored resources and training to support those efforts.

We’re also meeting suppliers where they are. For partners in strategic regions who lack internal capacity or experience, we’ve set aside funds to provide direct consultant support. This helps them build foundational knowledge, like understanding Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, and equips them to begin reporting and managing their climate impact more effectively.

Perhaps the most rewarding outcome has been the transformation in how these conversations unfold. We’re now engaging directly with suppliers’ sustainability leads, not just their commercial teams. The dialogue has become richer, more technical and more innovative, resulting in mutual learning and shared progress. We’ve seen sustainability professionals on the supplier side proactively sharing ideas, exploring joint projects and truly partnering with us in ways that simply didn’t happen before this program launched.

Ultimately, our goal is simple: support every supplier in moving up the maturity mountain, regardless of where they start. It’s a long-term investment in shared success and one that reflects our broader philosophy of collaborative impact. Sustainability, at its best, is not just about meeting targets. It’s about helping others rise with you.

If you had one superpower that could be used to radically accelerate and scale sustainable best practices, which one would it be, and how would you use it? 

If I had one superpower to accelerate sustainability progress, it would be the ability to remove every barrier that limits collaboration, whether legal, structural, or competitive, and replace it with an incentive framework that rewards working together. Imagine a world where companies could seamlessly partner across sectors, openly share data, co-invest in projects and amplify impact, without worrying about NDAs, competitive sensitivities, or restrictive procurement processes. That’s the superpower I’d choose.

While competition can motivate innovation, sustainability is one space where progress shouldn’t be siloed or used as a differentiator. Some of the most pressing challenges, like scaling glass recycling or accelerating regenerative agriculture, simply can’t be solved by one company alone. We need shared solutions, shared responsibility and shared success. If frameworks like SBTi or regulatory standards could actually incentivize collaborative emissions reductions, maybe those reductions count even more, which would shift the dynamic dramatically.

At Suntory Global Spirits, we’ve seen firsthand how powerful collaboration can be. It’s at the core of many of our efforts, from supplier engagement to joint value chain initiatives. And through BIER, we’re able to connect with peers who share that vision, where the collective mission matters more than the scoreboard.

That’s why I appreciate BIER so much. It’s a space where that spirit of openness already exists, where people come together not just to problem-solve, but to energize one another. Even in a complex and often uncertain landscape, being part of a community like BIER reminds us of what’s possible when we lead with purpose and generosity.

So, yes, if I could wave a magic wand, I’d eliminate the red tape, dissolve the fear of competitive exposure and elevate collaboration as the true measure of progress. And maybe unlimited funding would be a close second. But it’s that human connection, driven by trust, purpose and shared action, that I believe would change everything.