Tag: 3BL

A new report by the 21st Century School Fund, the International WELL Building Institute, and the National Council on School Facilities reveals massive, chronic underinvestment in school facilities and grounds, while offering a roadmap for turning the tide toward safer, healthier, and more modern schools.

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 5, 2026 /3BL/ – The 2025 State of Our Schools report, released by the 21st Century School Fund, International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), and the National Council on School Facilities (NCSF), shows that the U.S. now faces a $90 billion shortfall in school facility funding every single year, despite significant progress local school districts have made to ramp up their investments.

Since its earlier releases in 2016 and 2021, the report has tracked a steep and alarming rise in the nation’s school facilities funding deficit. What was a $46 billion gap in 2016 grew to $85 billion in 2021 and has continued to widen as school construction costs climb, building inventories expand, and aging facilities require more extensive maintenance, modernization, or replacement.

“Even as local districts have stepped up by increasing their annual spending on school facilities from $95 billion in 2016 to more than $150 billion now, they are still falling behind,” said Mary Filardo, Executive Director, 21st Century School Fund and lead author of the report. “As the funding gap for our critical school infrastructure grows, it becomes even harder to climb out of this hole unless we begin to better share the load across levels of government and embrace a dynamic solution set that ensures every public dollar delivers a stronger return on investment.”

In the United States, PK-12 school facilities represent the second largest sector of public infrastructure investment, surpassed only by highways. These buildings are where nearly 60 million students, teachers, and staff spend their days, making them among the most essential pieces of community infrastructure we have. Yet unlike transportation infrastructure, where federal and state governments shoulder most of the costs, school facilities are primarily left to local districts. The report finds that local districts bear 80 percent of school facility funding, with states contributing 17 percent and the federal government just 3 percent.

“With a $90 billion annual shortfall, the magnitude of this crisis is undeniable and utterly unacceptable. It’s simply impossible for local districts to continue to shoulder this burden disproportionately,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, International WELL Building Institute. “Without greater responsibility across all levels of government, particularly the federal government, our country will continue to underfund the very infrastructure that determines the health, safety, and educational outcomes of millions of children. Where our children learn matters, and access to safe, healthy, and modern learning environments should be a right, not a privilege.”

The report also underscores how deeply uneven and unequal school facility investment remains across the country, with the most significant burdens falling on disadvantaged and rural districts. High-poverty districts had 30 percent less capital invested in their school buildings than low-poverty districts, and rural districts received less than half the per-student capital investment of their suburban and city counterparts. The findings point to persistent gaps that continue to leave rural and high-poverty communities bearing a disproportionate share of the burden and facing far greater challenges in achieving safe, healthy, and modern school facilities.

“For all of us who care about our communities, we know that our schools are their beating hearts. Closing these funding gaps should be a top priority for every one of us,” said Brandon Payne, Executive Director, National Council on School Facilities. “This is a moment to unite to ensure our public schools meet modern standards for health, safety, learning, and educational adequacy.”

Furthermore, according to the report, as school districts struggle to fill this widening gap, they are also sinking deeper into debt. By the end of fiscal year 2023, local districts carried more than half a trillion dollars in long-term debt and paid $22 billion in interest alone.

As stated in the report, the $90 billion annual investment gap reflects what is required for responsible stewardship and modern school facilities and grounds, covering both capital needs and operations and maintenance. Each year, the U.S. spends an average of $82 billion on capital improvements, leaving a $56 billion shortfall. Similarly, the total outlay for facility operations and maintenance is $70 billion, $34 billion less than needed. Together, these deficiencies in capital investment and ongoing maintenance constitute the total gap of $90 billion.

This year’s report does more than diagnose the scale and severity of the crisis; it also lays out a bold, actionable path to achieve modern schools by 2050. It calls for new approaches and more shared investment across all levels of government, alongside a stronger focus on building the capacity needed to deliver improvements. Central to its recommendations is securing a stable, reliable federal incentive funding program of $25 billion per year, which the report finds would reduce annual requirements by $75 billion – a 34 percent return on investment. The report also urges expanding federal support for state capacity grants for facility data, planning, technical assistance, and training to all states to ensure that states and districts are equipped for the modernization work ahead. (The Supporting America’s School Infrastructure).

What Other Leaders Are Saying about the 2025 State of Our Schools Report

“Public schools are public infrastructure.  And we should invest in them just as we invest in roads and bridges. With annual shortfalls growing despite increased state and local investment, it is clear that a federal partnership is needed,” said Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the author of the Rebuild America’s Schools Act which would target new federal infrastructure investments to help local school districts address building and modernization needs. “Congress must come together to solve this crisis and deliver the federal investment our schools need to keep students healthy, safe, and equipped to meet the challenges of the future.”

“As a former Surgeon General, I had the honor to serve as the ‘Nation’s Doctor,’ and what I find particularly concerning are the serious health implications from poor conditions of school buildings and grounds. As I’ve said before, our facilities are not just walls, roofs, and blacktop – they are health-critical environments,” said Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States. “It’s time to take decisive action to ensure our schools are adequately funded so they are healthy, sustainable, safe, and secure, becoming places where learning thrives and dreams take hold.”

“Students need clean air, sufficient caring and competent staff to meet their needs, and enough room to do more than sit in rows and stand in lines. Many districts are being stretched too thin to provide these foundational facility characteristics for all their students,” said David Sturtz, Founder and CEO, Sturtz and Company. “We need at least as much thought, if not more, in how to adequately fund and design a school district’s facilities and operations as we do individual school buildings. If districts do not have sufficient budgets to keep all their buildings in good working condition and staff them sufficiently to meet their students’ needs, then focusing on the particulars of architectural design misses the mark.”

“Modern, thoughtfully designed public schools are not luxuries – they are essential to student success,” said Pamela Loeffelman, senior principal at DLR Group, an integrated design firm specializing in future-focused learning environments for K–12 schools. “Well-designed, dynamic learning environments empower students, support well-being, and are foundational for them to thrive in a rapidly changing world. We need federal leadership and sustained funding to ensure that all students, in every community, benefit from the power of modern, high-performing school facilities.”

About The 21st Century School Fund
21CSF is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building the public will and capacity to modernize public school facilities so they support high-quality education and community revitalization. It is dedicated to helping local, state, and national stakeholders create a country where every child learns in an educationally appropriate, healthy, and safe school that serves as a community anchor and is built and maintained in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner.

About the International WELL Building Institute
The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) is a public benefit corporation and the global authority for transforming health and well-being in buildings, organizations and communities. In pursuit of its public-health mission, IWBI mobilizes its community through the development and administration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL), WELL for residential, WELL Community Standard, its WELL ratings and management of the WELL AP credential. IWBI also translates research into practice, develops educational resources and advocates for policies that promote people-first places for everyone, everywhere. More information on WELL can be found here.

International WELL Building Institute, IWBI, the WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, WELL Certified, WELL AP, WELL EP, WELL Score, The WELL Conference, We Are WELL, the WELL Community Standard, WELL Health-Safety Rated, WELL Performance Rated, WELL Equity Rated, WELL Equity, WELL Coworking Rated, WELL Residence, Works with WELL, WELL and others, and their related logos are trademarks or certification marks of International WELL Building Institute pbc in the United States and other countries.

About the National Council on School Facilities
The National Council on School Facilities is a membership organization of state facilities officials that supports states in their varied roles and responsibilities for elementary and secondary public school facilities. It advocates for support mechanisms, innovations, and processes that equitably deliver safe, healthy, and educationally appropriate public school facilities that are sustainable and fiscally sound.

Media contacts:
media@wellcertified.com
SODonnell@21csf.org
Brandon.Payne@facilitiescouncil.org

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NEW YORK and LONDON, January 6, 2026 /3BL/ – AccountAbility is glad to announce that its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Sunil (Sunny) A. Misser, has been nominated and appointed to the Cardinal’s Committee for Charity, an initiative of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York. The Committee includes CEOs and senior partners from leading global organizations such as Santander, BlackRock, J.P. Morgan, Citi, EY, KPMG, and others, who collaborate to advance the mission of the Catholic Charities through philanthropic and civic engagement across the Greater New York region.

Mr. Misser’s nomination was led by Mr. Marco Antonio Achon, Co-Chair of the Cardinal’s Committee for Charity and Member of the Board of Trustees for the Catholic Charities of New York. Mr. Achon also serves as the Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking for Santander.

“Mr. Misser’s leadership exemplifies what this Committee seeks to represent – trust, empathy, and a commitment to service,” said Mr. Achon. “His experience in driving accountability, partnerships and impact across global institutions brings an important perspective to our shared mission of building stronger, responsible and more compassionate communities throughout New York.”

The appointment recognizes Mr. Misser’s long-standing commitment to advancing responsible business, better governance, and social impact, both, globally and within the local communities that AccountAbility calls home. His participation will focus on strengthening partnerships that create equitable opportunity and support local and state-wide initiatives aimed at improving lives and livelihoods.

“It is a privilege to join the Cardinal’s Committee for Charity and contribute to its mission of compassion and community,” said Mr. Misser, Chief Executive Officer of AccountAbility. “While AccountAbility works with organizations around the world to advance sustainability and performance, this role reflects our equally important commitment to improving lives here in New York.”

Mr. Misser’s appointment builds upon AccountAbility’s ongoing efforts to integrate purpose and performance – and underscores the firm’s belief that responsible leadership begins at home , where the firm recently launched the AccountAbility Sustainability “S” Lab partnership with the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at the City College of New York (CCNY), where Mr. Misser serves on the school’s Board of Visitors.

About AccountAbility

Established in 1995, AccountAbility is a leading global consulting and standards firm dedicated to advancing the Sustainability and ESG agenda. The firm works with businesses, investors, governments, and multilateral organizations to improve sustainability performance, drive innovation, and create lasting impact. Operating as a Public Benefit Corporation, AccountAbility has a global presence with offices in New York, London, Riyadh, and Dubai. The firm has been recognized by the Financial Times, Forbes, and Capital Finance International for its excellence in sustainability, strategy, and governance and its website is archived by the United States Library of Congress.

Learn more at www.accountability.org. ‍

About Catholic Charities of New York

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York provides help and creates hope for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in need – non-Catholic and Catholic alike. The organization delivers a broad network of services across food security, housing, immigration, education, workforce development, and emergency assistance. The Cardinal’s Committee for Charity engages business and civic leaders in advancing these initiatives to build a more just and compassionate New York.

‍Learn more at www.catholiccharitiesny.org.

NEW YORK and LONDON, January 6, 2026 /3BL/ – AccountAbility is glad to announce that its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Sunil (Sunny) A. Misser, has been nominated and appointed to the Cardinal’s Committee for Charity, an initiative of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York. The Committee includes CEOs and senior partners from leading global organizations such as Santander, BlackRock, J.P. Morgan, Citi, EY, KPMG, and others, who collaborate to advance the mission of the Catholic Charities through philanthropic and civic engagement across the Greater New York region.

Mr. Misser’s nomination was led by Mr. Marco Antonio Achon, Co-Chair of the Cardinal’s Committee for Charity and Member of the Board of Trustees for the Catholic Charities of New York. Mr. Achon also serves as the Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking for Santander.

“Mr. Misser’s leadership exemplifies what this Committee seeks to represent – trust, empathy, and a commitment to service,” said Mr. Achon. “His experience in driving accountability, partnerships and impact across global institutions brings an important perspective to our shared mission of building stronger, responsible and more compassionate communities throughout New York.”

The appointment recognizes Mr. Misser’s long-standing commitment to advancing responsible business, better governance, and social impact, both, globally and within the local communities that AccountAbility calls home. His participation will focus on strengthening partnerships that create equitable opportunity and support local and state-wide initiatives aimed at improving lives and livelihoods.

“It is a privilege to join the Cardinal’s Committee for Charity and contribute to its mission of compassion and community,” said Mr. Misser, Chief Executive Officer of AccountAbility. “While AccountAbility works with organizations around the world to advance sustainability and performance, this role reflects our equally important commitment to improving lives here in New York.”

Mr. Misser’s appointment builds upon AccountAbility’s ongoing efforts to integrate purpose and performance – and underscores the firm’s belief that responsible leadership begins at home , where the firm recently launched the AccountAbility Sustainability “S” Lab partnership with the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at the City College of New York (CCNY), where Mr. Misser serves on the school’s Board of Visitors.

About AccountAbility

Established in 1995, AccountAbility is a leading global consulting and standards firm dedicated to advancing the Sustainability and ESG agenda. The firm works with businesses, investors, governments, and multilateral organizations to improve sustainability performance, drive innovation, and create lasting impact. Operating as a Public Benefit Corporation, AccountAbility has a global presence with offices in New York, London, Riyadh, and Dubai. The firm has been recognized by the Financial Times, Forbes, and Capital Finance International for its excellence in sustainability, strategy, and governance and its website is archived by the United States Library of Congress.

Learn more at www.accountability.org. ‍

About Catholic Charities of New York

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York provides help and creates hope for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in need – non-Catholic and Catholic alike. The organization delivers a broad network of services across food security, housing, immigration, education, workforce development, and emergency assistance. The Cardinal’s Committee for Charity engages business and civic leaders in advancing these initiatives to build a more just and compassionate New York.

‍Learn more at www.catholiccharitiesny.org.

NEW YORK and LONDON, January 6, 2026 /3BL/ – AccountAbility is glad to announce that its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Sunil (Sunny) A. Misser, has been nominated and appointed to the Cardinal’s Committee for Charity, an initiative of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York. The Committee includes CEOs and senior partners from leading global organizations such as Santander, BlackRock, J.P. Morgan, Citi, EY, KPMG, and others, who collaborate to advance the mission of the Catholic Charities through philanthropic and civic engagement across the Greater New York region.

Mr. Misser’s nomination was led by Mr. Marco Antonio Achon, Co-Chair of the Cardinal’s Committee for Charity and Member of the Board of Trustees for the Catholic Charities of New York. Mr. Achon also serves as the Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking for Santander.

“Mr. Misser’s leadership exemplifies what this Committee seeks to represent – trust, empathy, and a commitment to service,” said Mr. Achon. “His experience in driving accountability, partnerships and impact across global institutions brings an important perspective to our shared mission of building stronger, responsible and more compassionate communities throughout New York.”

The appointment recognizes Mr. Misser’s long-standing commitment to advancing responsible business, better governance, and social impact, both, globally and within the local communities that AccountAbility calls home. His participation will focus on strengthening partnerships that create equitable opportunity and support local and state-wide initiatives aimed at improving lives and livelihoods.

“It is a privilege to join the Cardinal’s Committee for Charity and contribute to its mission of compassion and community,” said Mr. Misser, Chief Executive Officer of AccountAbility. “While AccountAbility works with organizations around the world to advance sustainability and performance, this role reflects our equally important commitment to improving lives here in New York.”

Mr. Misser’s appointment builds upon AccountAbility’s ongoing efforts to integrate purpose and performance – and underscores the firm’s belief that responsible leadership begins at home , where the firm recently launched the AccountAbility Sustainability “S” Lab partnership with the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at the City College of New York (CCNY), where Mr. Misser serves on the school’s Board of Visitors.

About AccountAbility

Established in 1995, AccountAbility is a leading global consulting and standards firm dedicated to advancing the Sustainability and ESG agenda. The firm works with businesses, investors, governments, and multilateral organizations to improve sustainability performance, drive innovation, and create lasting impact. Operating as a Public Benefit Corporation, AccountAbility has a global presence with offices in New York, London, Riyadh, and Dubai. The firm has been recognized by the Financial Times, Forbes, and Capital Finance International for its excellence in sustainability, strategy, and governance and its website is archived by the United States Library of Congress.

Learn more at www.accountability.org. ‍

About Catholic Charities of New York

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York provides help and creates hope for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in need – non-Catholic and Catholic alike. The organization delivers a broad network of services across food security, housing, immigration, education, workforce development, and emergency assistance. The Cardinal’s Committee for Charity engages business and civic leaders in advancing these initiatives to build a more just and compassionate New York.

‍Learn more at www.catholiccharitiesny.org.

EL CERRITO, Calif., January 6, 2026 /3BL/ – In partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Net Impact has launched the Home Electrification Challenge, a statewide competition inviting students from colleges and universities across California to design innovative customer engagement strategies that accelerate home and neighborhood-level electrification across PG&E’s diverse customer base.

The challenge addresses a critical need in California’s path to achieving its ambitious climate goals: moving home electrification from an innovation-driven concept into a trusted, preferred choice for PG&E customers. As California works toward a sustainable energy future, PG&E seeks innovative approaches to help customers understand the benefits of electrification and inspire electrified homeowners to become active advocates within their communities. PG&E turned to Net Impact to activate its business-focused community to help tackle this challenge.

“Home electrification is essential to meeting California’s climate targets, but technical solutions alone won’t get us there,” said Karen Johns, CEO of Net Impact. “We need to understand what motivates customers, address their concerns, and activate a movement of advocates. This challenge empowers the next generation of leaders to tackle one of the most pressing sustainability challenges of our time, and we’re thrilled to do it alongside one of our longtime partners, PG&E.”

Participating students will leverage PG&E’s existing electrification programs and resources when developing strategies that consider the complexities of customer behavior, equity considerations, and the opportunities presented by early adopters who help shape public perception.

“California students bring fresh perspectives and innovative thinking that can help us reach customers in new ways” said David Poster, Director of Building Electrification and Efficiency at PG&E. “By partnering with Net Impact, we’re tapping into the creativity and passion of future sustainability leaders who understand both the urgency of climate action and the importance of meeting customers where they are.”

The challenge unfolds in two competitive phases. First, student teams will develop and present their customer engagement strategies at local pitch-off events hosted by Net Impact chapters across the state. Second, select finalist teams will advance to a regional showcase at PG&E’s headquarters in Oakland, California, where they will present to

PG&E leaders and compete for an overall grand prize of $2,000.

Beyond cash prizes, participants will build valuable skills in customer-centric strategy design, expand their professional networks through direct engagement with PG&E’s sustainability and customer electrification teams, and gain hands-on experience addressing real-world climate challenges.

Net Impact manages and facilitates the program by bringing together its extensive network of emerging social impact and sustainability leaders at colleges and universities across California. With more than 10 years of experience building and executing experiential education opportunities, Net Impact specializes in equipping business leaders to address social challenges, protect the environment, and leverage the tools of business toward the greater good.

More information about the Home Electrification Challenge can be found at

netimpact.org/programs/home-electrification-challenge.

About Net Impact

Net Impact, one of the largest and oldest global member organizations focused on impact,

engages over 50,000 students and professionals annually. With almost 300 chapters in over 40 countries, our members are pursuing impactful careers and impactful lives across diverse industries, including business, sustainability, and social impact fields. Net Impact engages its global chapter community in experiential education-focused programming, convenings, and civic and community engagement projects. Net Impact is committed to using business as a force for good and building the capacity of the next generation of workforce members. Visit www.netimpact.org.

About Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than sixteen million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

CONTACT:

Net Impact
Hilary Manzo, Associate Director of Programs
EmpoweringHomes@netimpact.org

PG&E
Paul Doherty, Manager, Clean Energy & Innovation Communications
paul.doherty@pge.com

Since publishing our first ESG report in 2020, we have been making constant progress in achieving a range of environmental, social and governance goals. Every year, as we draft the annual report, we take time to review our achievements and reassess our objectives. This year, however, feels different, especially due to the number of pivotal moments that have been reached. These milestones aren’t only ‘pretty on paper’ – they’re real-world, quantitative achievements that affect both people and planet.

Adopting a value chain perspective

For the first time, we measured and estimated the total greenhouse gas emissions from activities connected to Caesarstone operations, across our entire value chain, via Scope 3 calculations whose reach extended beyond direct operations and purchased energy. These measurements included suppliers, logistics and downstream activities, allowing us to better understand our eco-footprint and identify future improvement opportunities.

“ESG reporting is based on data collection, and broader perspectives lead to richer data”, explains Gili Harpaz, Caesarstone’s Global ESG Leader. “In 2024, in an effort to achieve a wider, more robust snapshot of its operations, Caesarstone expanded its scope, analyzing its entire value chain for valuable ESG-related data.”

As part of our broadened evaluation scope, we began assessing the physical and transitional climate risks posed to our global operations – including our supply partners. Using established methodologies, we assessed our physical risks and transitional risks, which will help us adapt to dynamic realities in practice and strategy, strengthening our resilience and market alignment.

We also made real progress in expanding our ESG ecosystem to include our key strategic partners. This was accomplished by collecting and reporting their operational data – from energy use and waste management to labor practices. Our goal was to elevate our transparency while making strides towards creating collective ESG goals.

Measurables that make a difference

In 2019, we set ambitious long-term goals pertaining to our products and raw materials; water; waste; and energy. Using strict assessments, we’ve seen constant progress that is exemplified in every ESG report since 2020.

The 2024 report includes two stand-out goal attainments, in the recycling and wastewater categories. We achieved a 100% recycling rate at our Lioli production plant in India, while recycling 100% of our wastewater at our production sites and key distribution centers. Our strategic partners reused 100% of their wastewater, as well.

Responsible product innovation

2024 was a significant year for Caesarstone in terms of product innovation and sustainability. Perhaps the biggest headline was the launch of Caesarstone ICON – advanced fusion surfaces that are crystalline silica-free* and made with ~80% recycled materials. Our cutting-edge R&D teams worked together to create new surfaces that incorporate used materials in groundbreaking fashion, leading to designs that feature unprecedented depth. It is our hope that Caesarstone ICON, whose 2026 collection unveiling is just around the corner, will help lead the industry’s transition to crystalline silica-free solutions with heightened environmental values.

As for our globally beloved quartz and porcelain surfaces, we continued to reinforce their transparency through an EPD certification process. An EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) is a report that evaluates the environmental impacts of a product based on detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

“In 2023, five of our models achieved EPD, which was a milestone in itself. By the end 2024, our portfolio included 71 EPD-certified models in our portfolio – a number expected to increase to 146 at the start of 2026”, says Gili Harpaz. “By employing a Life Cycle Assessment, we are acknowledging a growing customer need to delve into the specifics of surface manufacturing, including pre-manufacturing and post-dismantlement treatment.”

* May contain traces of less than 1% crystalline silica.

Social and governance

The 2024 ESG report charts Caesarstone’s progress across key social and governance parameters, from employee well-being and learning and development to business ethics and data protection. Especially compelling is the chapter dedicated to health and safety management, which showcases the progress made in safety monitoring. The number of total incident reports has declined from 58 in 2022 to 35 in 2024, while the number of inspections and internal audits increased (588 in 2022; 1,952 in 2023; 2,350 in 2024).

Caesarstone ESG: A forward-approach journey 

“The 2024 ESG Report shows just how organized, direct and meticulous we are when it comes to sustainability management and reporting”, concludes Harpaz. “Sustainability is an inseparable part of Caesarstone’s DNA, and I believe those who read the report will get an accurate sense of how committed we are to ESG excellence.”

In the foreword to the 2024 ESG Report, Caesarstone’s CEO, Yos Shiran, states that “sustainability is achieved through the power of together”. This is the essence of Caesarstone’s ESG efforts. We’re always collaborating and sharing, relying on the expertise and concern of our teams, partners and stakeholders. We do not go at it alone. We learn, empower and grow through synergy and teamwork.

Click here to download the 2024 ESG report

Looking to reduce your time spent scrolling and increase your time spent reading? We’re here to help you reach that goal … and even learn while you do it!

We asked our experts as well as Antea Group clients and friends about their favorite books about Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), and sustainability. While sustainability is sometimes seen as synonymous with ESG, this selection of books goes beyond purely environmental subjects to include broader social and corporate governance topics that inspire new thinking for businesses.

These 10 books made the list of educational, inspiring, and eye-opening must-reads for the year:

 

Leaving Planet Simple: Embracing Sustainability, ESG, and Resilience to Transform Your Business 

Author: Dr. Alex Gold

From the Back Cover: “Dr. Gold, with a PhD in resilience science and extensive corporate experience, shows us that rather than trying to master it, nature has quite a bit to teach us. Dr. Gold explains that what often hinders business leaders today is an outdated mindset. This is life on Planet Simple, a world where businesses can operate in isolation, separate from the environment and the communities they inhabit. Instead, Dr. Gold shows us that a business, really any organization, is much more like a natural environment, an ecosystem where all the parts are interconnected and changing all the time. Business leaders must leave Planet Simple, abandon this simplistic mindset, and embrace a new resilience mindset better suited for Planet Earth.”

Publisher: Forbes Books

Where to Find It: Bookshop.org | Amazon

 

Insectopolis 

Author: Peter Kuper

From the Back Cover: “This visually immersive work of graphic nonfiction dives into a world where ants, cicadas, bees, and butterflies visit a library exhibition that displays their stories and humanity’s connection to them throughout the ages. Kuper’s thrilling visual feast layers history and science, color and design, to tell the remarkable tales of dung beetles navigating by the stars, hawk-size prehistoric dragonflies hunting prey, and mosquitoes changing the course of human history.”

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Where to Find It: Bookshop.org | Amazon

 

Becoming Nature Positive 

Author: Marco Lambertini, Joseph W Bull, LeRoy Little Bear, et al.

From the Back Cover: “As humanity sits at an existential crossroads, this book introduces the need to build a nature-positive future to secure the functioning and stability of Earth systems essential to the survival and wellbeing of present and future human generations as well as the rest of Earth’s amazing diversity of life.”

Publisher: Routledge

Where to Find It: Bookshop.org | Amazon

 

Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World 

Author: Alison Taylor

From the Back Cover: “Today’s headlines teem with employee unrest over racial injustice, communities infuriated by corporate environmental impacts, staff anxiety over surveillance, public outrage over corruption in business, and discoveries of child labor in supply chains. We’ve traveled far and fast from the old world of business ethics, where black-and-white concerns about bribery and fraud could be addressed via rules and processes. Simply maximizing shareholder value while not breaking the law is no longer a tenable approach, but we’ve never been so confused about what it means to do the right thing-and why it’s so important.”

Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press

Where to Find It: Bookshop.org | Amazon

 

Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet 

Author: Hannah Ritchie

From the Back Cover: “Packed with the latest research, practical guidance, and enlightening graphics, this book will make you rethink almost everything you’ve been told about the environment. Not the End of the World will give you the tools to understand our current crisis and make lifestyle changes that actually have an impact. Hannah cuts through the noise by outlining what works, what doesn’t, and what we urgently need to focus on so we can leave a sustainable planet for future generations.”

Publisher: Little, Brown Spark

Where to Find It: Bookshop.org | Amazon

 

Under a Metal Sky: A Journey Through Minerals, Greed and Wonder 

Author: Philip Marsden

From the Back Cover: “Under a Metal Sky takes us on a journey across the peat-rich Dutch lowlands, through Prague and Bohemia, and on to the gold-rich mountains of Georgia. Along the way, Philip Marsden uncovers the strange and colorful histories of alchemy, scientific revolution, industrialization, and technological innovation, peopled by figures like the Habsburg Emperor Rudolf II, Goethe, Marie Curie, and William Blake. But alongside wonder and inspiration, there has also been plunder and heedless exploitation, the consequences of which have set us on a path toward our own extinction.”

Publisher: Counterpoint

Where to Find It: Bookshop.org, Amazon

 

ESG Mindset: Business Resilience and Sustainable Growth 

Author: Matthew Sekol

From the Back Cover: “ESG Mindset guides business leaders, ESG specialists and CSR strategists through the nuanced and most thoughtful ways to focus on these core business issues. Equipping readers with an enhanced way to think through complex business decisions and interconnected crises, the book provides accessible perspectives and real-world examples from companies around the world that have implemented a meaningful approach to ESG and learned lessons along the way. Readers will learn how to think about pressing ESG challenges from a new perspective and build defensibility in their efforts to future-proof a business and potentially save the world as only they can.”

Publisher: Kogan Page

Where to Find It: Bookshop.org | Amazon

 

Waste Wars: The Wild Afterlife of Your Trash 

Author: Alexander Clapp

From the Back Cover: Dumps and landfills around the world are overflowing. Disputes about what to do with the millions of tons of garbage generated every day have given rise to waste wars waged almost everywhere you look. Some are border skirmishes. Others hustle trash across thousands of miles and multiple oceans. But no matter the scale, one thing is true about almost all of them: few people have any idea they’re happening.

Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Where to Find It: Bookshop.org | Amazon

 

Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet

Author: Kate Marvel

From the Back Cover: “Scientist Kate Marvel has seen the world end before, sometimes several times a day. In the computer models she uses to study climate change, it’s easy to simulate rising temperatures, catastrophic outcomes, and bleak futures. But climate change isn’t just happening in those models. It’s happening here, to the only good planet in the universe. It’s happening to us. And she has feelings about that.”

Publisher: Ecco

Where to Find It: Bookshop.org | Amazon

 

Close to Home: The Wonders of Nature Just Outside Your Door 

Author: Thor Hanson

From the Back Cover: “In Close to Home, biologist Thor Hanson shows how retraining our eyes reveals hidden wonders just waiting to be discovered. In Kansas City, migrating monarch butterflies flock to the local zoo. In the Pacific Northwest, fierce yellowjackets placidly sip honeydew, unseen in the treetops. In New England, a lawn gone slightly wild hosts a naturalist’s life’s work. And in the soil beneath our feet, remedies for everything from breast cancer to the stench of skunks lie waiting for someone’s searching shovel.”

Publisher: Basic Books

Where to Find It: Bookshop.org | Amazon

 

Looking for more learning opportunities? Check out these other blogs: Stay On Top of Energy Transition With These Top 10 Podcasts and The 10 Best Sustainability Podcasts for Environmental Business Leaders.

SANTA ROSA, Calif., January 6, 2026 /3BL/ – Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) announced a new series of high-power ATE system power supplies, expanding its power test portfolio with three automated test equipment (ATE) product families: the RP5900 Series Regenerative DC Power Supplies, the EL4900 Series Regenerative DC Electronic Loads, and the DP5700 Series System DC Power Supplies. These next-generation solutions provide high density, bi-directional and regenerative capabilities, and intelligent automation software, helping engineers validate designs more efficiently and accelerate time to market.

Across industries, power validation has become increasingly complex, driven by higher-power devices that require extensive testing, greater rack space, manual test programming, and growing requirements for both security and sustainability. Engineers need ATE solutions that not only deliver more power in less space but also automate complex test scenarios, safeguard sensitive data, and reduce energy waste. Keysight’s latest high-power supplies directly address these challenges, enabling engineers to validate designs more efficiently, expand test coverage, and reduce operational risk.

Keysight’s new high-power ATE supplies range from 1.5 kW to 12 kW and include uni-directional power supplies, bi-directional power supplies, and regenerative electronic loads. By combining superior density with robust automation software, the portfolio enables engineers to validate complex, multi-kilowatt devices with greater precision and repeatability, using less space and energy.

Key benefits of the new high-power ATE supplies include:

• Compact Power, Maximum Density: The new supplies deliver up to 6 kW in just 1U or 12 kW in 2U, with full regenerative capability, delivering 2-3x more channels in the same footprint as previous systems. The high density reduces the lab footprint, cooling needs, and overall operating costs.
• Automation That Expands Possibilities: Keysight’s Automated Power Suite enables engineers to automate complex tests like long-duration cycling, state-of-charge battery emulation, or transient replication with consistent accuracy, saving time while improving test coverage.
• Built-in Security and Sustainability: Removable SD memory ensures safe workflows between classified and open labs, while NIST SP800-171 SSDF standard-compliant software delivers enterprise-grade security. Regenerative operation returns energy to the grid instead of wasting it as heat, lowering costs while advancing sustainability targets.

Carol Leh, Vice President, Electronic Industrial Solutions Group Center of Excellence at Keysight, said: “Engineers today face unprecedented challenges as power devices become larger, more complex, and more critical to innovation across industries. With this new portfolio of high-power ATE solutions, we are giving engineers the density, automation, and sustainability they need to accelerate validation, reduce risks, and confidently bring next-generation technologies to market.”

Resources

• Learn more: ATE System Power Supplies
• Datasheet: RP5900 Regenerative Power Supply
• Datasheet: EL4900 Regenerative Electronic Load
• Datasheet: DP5700 DC Power Supply

About Keysight Technologies   

At Keysight (NYSE: KEYS), we inspire and empower innovators to bring world-changing technologies to life. As an S&P 500 company, we’re delivering market-leading design, emulation, and test solutions to help engineers develop and deploy faster, with less risk, throughout the entire product life cycle. We’re a global innovation partner enabling customers in communications, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, automotive, semiconductor, and general electronics markets to accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Learn more at Keysight Newsroom and www.keysight.com. 

As sustainability becomes an increasingly critical pillar of global trade, DP World is showcasing how ports can deliver measurable environmental and social impact through everyday operations.

A new video, “Sustainability in Action at DP World in the Dominican Republic,” highlights progress at the Port of Caucedo, where cleaner energy, circular economy practices, and community investment are shaping a more sustainable logistics ecosystem in the Caribbean.

The video spotlights initiatives ranging from waste recovery and ISO 14001-certified environmental management to solar power, electric equipment, and biodiversity protection. It also highlights DP World’s partnerships to restore mangroves, protect river basins, and monitor marine life, alongside programs that expand opportunity for women, youth, and surrounding communities.

Together, these efforts reflect DP World’s “Our World, Our Future” strategy, which embeds sustainability into port operations while supporting inclusive economic growth.

At DP World in the Dominican Republic, sustainability is not a separate initiative – it is integrated into how the port operates, how it engages with communities, and how it supports the future of trade.

Learn more: DP World Sustainability Initiatives

Originally published on December 19, 2025 on LinkedIn.

From the Gulf to your plate. 

Sysco is proud to partner with Paul Piazza and Sons who sources premium Gulf shrimp from Texas and Louisiana waterways to bring fresh, high-quality ingredients to restaurants of every size. 

Sysco works directly with local fisheries and small businesses like Paul Piazza and Sons, helping them expand and reach more customers. At the same time, our communities get to enjoy the delicious food they bring to the table!

View original content here.

About Sysco

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. With more than 76,000 colleagues, the company operates 340 distribution facilities worldwide and serves approximately 730,000 customer locations. For fiscal year 2024 that ended June 29, 2024, the company generated sales of more than $78 billion. Information about our Sustainability program, including Sysco’s 2023 Sustainability Report and 2023 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report, can be found at www.sysco.com.

 For more information, visit www.sysco.com or connect with Sysco on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SyscoFoods. For important news and information regarding Sysco, visit the Investor Relations section of the company’s Internet home page at investors.sysco.com, which Sysco plans to use as a primary channel for publishing key information to its investors, some of which may contain material and previously non-public information. In addition, investors should continue to review our news releases and filings with the SEC. It is possible that the information we disclose through any of these channels of distribution could be deemed to be material information.

Open Sysco Addresses Food Insecurity in Global Communities, Exceeding Its Giving Goals in 3rd Annual Purpose Month configuration options

Open Sysco Addresses Food Insecurity in Global Communities, Exceeding Its Giving Goals in 3rd Annual Purpose Month configuration options