Tag: 3BL

Courbevoie, France & Pertuis, France, October 29^th, 2025 /3BL/ — Saint-Gobain Ceramics, a global leader in materials and solutions for sustainable industries, and Eurodia Industrie, a process engineering specialist in liquid purification technologies, today announced a strategic partnership to provide integrated solutions for the fast-growing Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) market.

The collaboration combines Saint-Gobain Ceramics’ advanced lithium-selective adsorbent materials with Eurodia’s proprietary system engineering and process expertise, enabling an enhanced offering to DLE operators worldwide. The goal is to accelerate the commercial deployment of high-efficiency, sustainable lithium extraction systems proven at scale that minimize environmental impact and support the global electrification and energy transition.

“Combining Saint-Gobain Ceramics’ expertise in materials science with Eurodia’s process engineering creates a powerful offering for lithium producers,” said Othman Benjelloun-Touimi, CEO of Saint-Gobain Ceramics. “Together, we’re enabling the lithium industry to achieve sustainability and performance.”

Direct Lithium Extraction is a transformative approach to sourcing lithium from brines with greater selectivity, achieving over 90% Li⁺ recovery versus 43% recovery via evaporation methods^1,2. These systems have the potential to shorten processing time, reduce direct land use, and conserve aquifer water balance by reinjecting spent brine compared to conventional evaporation ponds². As global demand for lithium surges—driven by electric vehicles, stationary storage, and grid-scale batteries—scalable, low-impact extraction methods are critical.

“Partnering with Saint-Gobain Ceramics to deliver a tailored, complete turnkey DLE solution for lithium producers is a valuable opportunity for our clients, including those who have already placed their trust in us. Our combined expertise and experience will allow us to provide full guarantees of optimal operation for DLE and will therefore help the lithium industry to move faster towards a more sustainable future, with confidence and reliability,” said Mathieu Bailly, President of Eurodia.

Saint-Gobain Ceramics’ lithium adsorbents are the result of extensive R&D in ceramics and lithium-selective materials. Engineered for high capacity, selectivity, and durability, these adsorbents are optimized for repeated use in cyclic adsorption/desorption processes, a core mechanism in DLE operations.

Eurodia brings decades of experience in the design, optimization, and scaling of complex separation systems across industries such as food and beverages and those embracing the environmental and energy transition. Their approach enables customized DLE system design, tailored to specific brine chemistries and production goals.

The partnership is already engaging with lithium project developers and technology integrators across multiple geographies, with pilot systems currently in design and deployment.

About Saint-Gobain Ceramics
Saint-Gobain Ceramics offers advanced ceramic and refractory materials to meet the toughest application requirements in a broad range of industrial markets, including glass, lithium extraction, semiconductors and many others.

Visit lithium-solutions-materials.com to learn more about Saint-Gobain’s Lithium Solutions business within Saint-Gobain Ceramics.

Saint-Gobain Ceramics is part of Saint-Gobain, the worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction. Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures, and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Learn more about Saint-Gobain at www.saint-gobain.com.

Media Contact:
Peter Clark
Saint-Gobain Corporate Communications
Media@saint-gobain.com

About Eurodia Industrie
Founded in 1988, Eurodia is a French global specialist in industrial processes for purifying liquids to the highest quality, with the lowest energy cost and environmental impact. Eurodia designs and delivers turnkey process solutions for industries including dairy, wine & juices, lithium & electric-battery, and renewable chemicals. Known for its focus on process sustainability and expertise in the industrialization of DLE technology, Eurodia operates across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Learn more at www.eurodia.com.

Press contact:

Magali Triano – Agence Bleu-Tomate – presse@bleu-tomate.fr – +33 6 20 70 11 09

References

1. Vera, María L., et al. “Environmental impact of direct lithium extraction from brines.” Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 4.3 (2023): 149-165.
2. McCartney, John. “Spent brine management for DLE processing plants in the lithium triangle of South America.” (2024)

KFC Foundation

The KFC Foundation is awarding $200,000 in grants to 20 community-based non-profit organization projects focused on expanding access to food and shelter. Kentucky Fried Wishes, one of the KFC Foundation’s community giving programs, invites non-profit organizations to apply for a grant to fund a project on their wish list. This year, the KFC Foundation will fund $650,000 in Kentucky Fried Wishes to 65 non-profits nationwide, with grants awarded based on different project categories throughout the year.

This cycle’s grant recipients span over 17 different states and support a variety of causes and communities, including:

Alexandra House, located in Blaine, MN, supports survivors of of domestic and sexual violence through education, advocacy, and shelter. With their Kentucky Fried Wishes grant, they will create Linus’ Pet Haven, allowing surviors experiencing homelessness to bring their pets into the emergency shelter.

Hope Center Indy, located in Indianapolis, IN, provides both immediate care and long-term solutions for those in need. Their grant will fund a renovation of the donation sorting room, improving food storage and expanding pantry services for local families.

The Joy Bus, located in Phoenix, AZ, delivers fresh meals and comfort to people with cancer. Their grant will purchase kitchen equipment that improves efficiency, expands recipe options, and increases the number of meals served.

Kentucky Fried Wishes, Cycle 3, grant recipients:

Alexandra House (Baline, MN)

America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend (Tallahassee, FL)

Atlanta Mission (Atlanta, GA)

Big Sunday (Los Angeles, CA)

Bridge to Hope (Culter Bay, FL)

Children First CEO Kansas (Wichita, KS)

Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture (Columbia, MO)

Eastern Michigan University Foundation (Ypsilanti, MI)

Haven’s Harvest (New Haven, CT)

Hope Center Indy (Indianapolis, IN)

Joppy Mommas Farm (Dallas, TX)

KCEOC Community Action Partnership (Gray, KY)

Little J Ranch Farm Sanctuary (Cloudcroft, NM)

Lost Our Home Pet Rescue (Tempe, AZ)

Muscogee Nation (Okmulgee, OK)

Pet Helpers (Charleston, SC)

Ryan’s House for Youth (Couepville, WA)

Southern Alamance Family Empowerment (Graham, NC)

The Joy Bus (Phoenix, AZ)

The Prisoner’s Hope (Louisville, KY)

Kentucky Fried Wishes is just one way the KFC Foundation supports, empowers, and serves joy to KFC restaurant employees and communities. The KFC Foundation also provides programs focused on education, financial literacy, and hardship assistance for KFC restaurant employees, as well as a food donation program to fight hunger and food waste.

The next Kentucky Fried Wishes grant cycle will open in early 2026 and focus on empowerment through education and training. Non-profit organizations seeking funding for a project within that scope can learn more and apply for a grant at kfcfoundation.org/wishes.

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AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, OAKLAND, Calif., October 29, 2025 /3BL/ – Cascale has released version 3.11 of the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI), introducing new cotton datasets and expanded material categories for home furnishings. The update enhances data accuracy and supports more informed, science-based material choices across the consumer goods industry.

Part of Cascale’s Higg Index suite, the Higg MSI is the industry’s most widely used standardized framework for measuring material impacts – from raw material extraction through manufacturing and finishing. Updated twice yearly, the tool ensures users have access to the most credible, current data available. The Higg MSI is exclusively hosted on Worldly, the leading sustainability data and analytics platform.

“With this update, we’re advancing a more comprehensive, data-driven understanding of material impacts across sectors,” said Jeremy Lardeau, vice president of Higg Index at Cascale. “The improved cotton datasets address a long-standing data gap and represent the power of collective work to strengthen the industry’s access to credible, comparable information.”

New Materials Categories and Updated Datasets

To enhance accuracy and material diversity across the tool, the Higg MSI v3.11 introduces new materials categories that are especially relevant to home furnishing manufacturers, including mineral-based materials such as stoneware, natural stone, glass ceramic, porcelain, and container glass.

“Reliable data is the foundation of responsible sourcing,” said Scarlette Tapp, Scarlette Tapp, Executive Director, Sustainable Furnishings Council, where key assets were acquired by Cascale in September. “Continued evolution of the Higg MSI represents progress toward a stronger value chain for the home furnishings and wider consumer goods industry.”

MSI v3.11 also includes updated modeling for nylon and polyester and expanded data for cotton and leather. Its new cotton datasets were modeled according to Cascale’s industry-aligned Cotton LCA methodology, which was published in October 2024. The cotton methodology was the product of over three years of collaboration between Cascale and key industry stakeholders in order to:

• Define LCA Data Source requirements to reduce the dependence on costly full LCA reports and landscape existing data collection efforts.
• Define modeling approaches and clearly document what primary data is required, and what secondary datasets and assumptions are used in the LCA model.
• Define data use to facilitate better informed design, sourcing and sustainability decisions, and track field practice improvements over time.
• Consider metrics beyond LCA to complement the Higg MSI LCA data.

“Improving access to farm-level data supports hotspot analysis and can help key stakeholders, especially brand members, in their science-based reporting and evaluation of their selected materials,” said Miguel Gómez-Escolar Viejo, Head of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) at the Better Cotton Initiative. “Working with Cascale to increase data availability following an industry aligned methodology, particularly from smallholder contexts, strengthens collaboration with our brand partners.”

Updated Midpoints and Scores

Additionally, all midpoints and scores were changed to align with the updated LCA for Experts (formerly GaBi) database. Because background datasets such as raw materials and energy were updated, score changes of around ±10% can be expected.

Cascale members and Higg MSI users can learn more about the latest updates by visiting the Higg MSI Change Log.

ABOUT CASCALE

Cascale is the global nonprofit empowering collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale owns and develops the Higg Index, which is exclusively available on Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform. Cascale unites over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, and NGO/nonprofit affiliates around the globe through one singular vision: To catalyze impact at scale and give back more than we take to the planet and its people.

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Mastercard

By Sophie Hares, Contributor

After landing at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, tourists can hop on a train to the city’s imposing Centraal Station and, from there, grab a tram to their hotel. A couple days later, after bouncing between the vibrant city’s highlights by foot, bike and a bit of public transport, they might board a train to Zaanse Schans to visit the iconic windmills that creak along the Zaan River. Later they can take another train to the lively university town of Utrecht for a concert before riding the rails back to Schiphol.

And they can do it all without ever changing money, wrangling with ticket machines or even downloading a local transit app.

That’s possible thanks to open loop technology for the country’s tap-in, tap-out system, which calculates distance-based travel charges. Travellers in the Netherlands (visitors and local commuters alike) simply tap their payment cards, smartphones or wearables to ride any of the country’s trains, trams or buses — even rental bikes.

The Netherlands, which is approximately the size of Maryland, is the first country in the world to launch nationwide contactless payments for public transportation. Partnering with Mastercard, it has built its OVpay system on open loop technology, which has the potential to help ease congestion in fast-growing cities worldwide. Today, at least 500,000 trips are made a day in the Netherlands using open loop, and London and New York use it for the majority of their overall transit.

Peter van Dijk, CEO of Translink, the company which rolled out the Netherland’s OVpay system together with all the public transportation operators in 2023, hopped on a call with the Mastercard Newsroom to share how it’s working out.

What was the motivation to add OVpay to your existing pre-loaded cards?

Van Dijk: The Netherlands is one of the few countries in the world [that] has for a long time had one payment method for all modalities — bus, tram, metro, train, boat, your bicycle, a lot of things.

We saw the developments around smartphones and contactless payments] and we said, hey, all our passengers are experiencing this. This type of payment is actually possible to pay for a cup of coffee easily. So why should we not introduce this payment method also in public transport? It was a very logical step for the operators and us to invest in open loop. 

What challenges did you face to integrate digital payments nationwide?

Van Dijk: There are a few hurdles, but the biggest one is that because we are in a cooperation, with nine operators and serving a whole country, we have a lot of stakeholders, especially the passenger. So we spent a lot of money and energy and time to create a common “customer journey” for open loop in public transport. And then we thought of all the services those passengers need and how to define them, a unified service concept.

Upgrading our infrastructure, because we have a relatively old infrastructure was also a big one. And I would say the third one is, is that TransLink is set up as the merchant of record, and not the operator. Normally they would say that the railway was the merchant, and now we are the merchant. So that was from an ecosystem point of view, that was a little bit of making sure that everybody understands how we collect money and pay it to the operators.

How has OVpay changed how people use public transport in the Netherlands?

Van Dijk: Nationwide, let’s say a quarter of journeys are now already done with open loop. It’s so easy for customers to use. We had a big event in Amsterdam called Sail in August, which is all kinds of tall ships in the harbor. Local people who are normally not taking public transport were advised to take public transport because it’s such a big event , and more than 50% of the travels were done with an open loop card during this event.

For tourists, they don’t have to buy cards, they don’t have to top up the cards. What we are doing with open loop is actually making it very easy for passengers to just get on board and travel.

Transforming cities

Beyond its bicycles and boats, Amsterdam sees half a million daily trips on its trains. Thanks to a tap-in, tap-out citywide system, travel is now easier than ever, helping people like 90-year-old Clarys to explore her favorite city.

What cost benefits have you seen so far?

Van Dijk: We thought also on the infrastructure side, we could save costs, because the technology we’re using is less complex than with the former card-based system. Because a passenger doesn’t have to buy a card, he can just use his bank card. In the Netherlands, you have to pay 7.50 Euros for an OV chip card, the current payment card, so it’s already 7.50 Euros that you don’t have to pay as a new passenger accessing the system like tourists.

What lessons could you share with other countries looking to go contactless?

Van Dijk: Start with the passenger, the passenger, the passenger. Make sure the customer journey is okay, and make sure that you have a service concept that is very much focused on a superb passenger experience. And if you do that, then you can probably be successful. Will you have challenges? Yes. Quality of service, technology, money, yes. Could be delays, could be other stakeholders. Everything is true. But my experience is that if your customer journey, your passenger service, is very good, then everybody will support the implementation.

Originally published by Mastercard

Follow along Mastercard’s journey to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere.

October 29, 2025 /3BL/ – Direct Relief today committed an initial $250,000 in financial support and offered up its entire medical inventory to health providers in the Caribbean in response to Hurricane Melissa.

The Category 5 storm is churning through the Caribbean, with Jamaica and Cuba bracing for impact. Melissa’s ongoing threats include more than two feet of rain, dangerous storm surge, and wind speeds of more than 150 miles per hour. The storm has already inundated areas of Haiti and the Dominican Republic with deadly flooding and landslides. 

Emergency Shipments En Route, Building on Long-Term Support

Direct Relief has extensive and long-lived partnerships in the Caribbean, with operational activity occurring on an ongoing basis, making the organization strongly positioned to scale up during disasters.

Over the past five years, Direct Relief has shipped more than 75 tons of medical aid to Jamaica, and recent shipments to the country included insulin and specialty respiratory medications.

Additional medical support is currently being prepared for shipment, including field medic packs to equip first responders with medical essentials and personal care products for displaced people.

Direct Relief has also invested in the country’s resilient power infrastructure, with $3 million in cash support going towards emergency preparedness projects to provide solar backup power for medical warehouses, generators to equip health centers on the island, and a primary healthcare mobile unit.

Medicines Currently Staged Throughout the Caribbean

Because hurricanes can cause extensive infrastructure damage to ports and roadways, leaving communities cut off for extended periods of time, Direct Relief operates an extensive hurricane preparedness program. The organization pre-positions caches of medicines and supplies in storm-prone communities, each containing enough medical aid to treat 3,000 people for one month, with the goal of equipping health providers on the ground until regional supply chains can be re-established.

There are currently six Direct Relief hurricane preparedness packs staged regionally for use in Hurricane Melissa-impacted areas: two in Haiti, two in the Dominican Republic, and two in Panama. Additional medical support staged in Panama with the Pan American Health Organization (the World Health Organization’s regional office in the Americas) is also ready for deployment if needed by regional health facilities.

Past Responses Build Trust, Strengthen Hurricane Melissa Efforts

Direct Relief has extensive experience responding to hurricanes in the region, including Hurricane Maria, which experienced widespread and long-lasting power outages long after the storm ended. The organization funneled more than $75 million in financial support and medical aid to strengthen Puerto Rico’s health system, and also provided resilient energy for much of the island’s critical healthcare infrastructure.  

The organization also maintains key relationships with regional partners, including the Office of Eastern Caribbean States, which represents 12 islands in the eastern Caribbean. Direct Relief is also coordinating with the Pan American Health Organization, which has coordinated shipments of medical aid into Cuba and other countries in the region.

Direct Relief is ready to respond as Melissa’s impacts, and the region’s medical needs after the storm, become clearer.

by Craig Wichner, Founder & Managing Partner, Farmland LP

Feeding the world in the decades ahead is one of humanity’s greatest challenges. By 2050, the global population is projected to reach nearly 10 billion people, requiring roughly 70% more calories than are produced today. Yet water supplies may fall 40% short of global needs by 2030, and nearly a quarter of the world’s arable land is already degraded. On our current path, the math doesn’t work.

Farmers everywhere are grappling with how to increase productivity while protecting their land and resources. At Farmland LP, we see artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as one of the most promising tools to help achieve both goals. But unlike many industries that rush to adopt the latest technology, agriculture has little margin for error.

Farmers get one shot per year to plant, grow, and harvest a crop. Our approach is to integrate AI where it solves clear problems today, while methodically building the data and systems that will support regenerative farming for decades to come.

This approach is not about chasing trends. It is about building a foundation for large-scale, sustainable agriculture that will empower our workforce, protect our soil, and produce healthy food at scale.

AI refers to systems that can learn from data, recognize patterns, and support decision-making. On farms, these capabilities are already visible in tools that integrate drones, smart sensors, and satellite imagery. AI-enabled platforms can…

Find out more about what AI can do for farmers and how it empowers people not replaces them in Craig’s full article and video here – https://greenmoney.com/farming-smarter-how-ai-can-help-farmers-regenerate-land-empower-workers-and-feed-the-future

 

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We are committed to developing solutions to help individuals access resources, care and financial support throughout their lives, including those in rural and underbanked communities. Doing so promotes greater financial stability and wellness, while helping MetLife attract new customers. We hold insurance information outreach programs in several markets, often working with local bank branches to provide information to customers. We focus on the accessibility and affordability of our products and services to provide options that help address the insurance coverage gap.

Products That Drive Financial Wellness

Promoting financial wellness can improve people’s capacity to plan for the future, encouraging more individuals to access coverage. Learn more about financial wellness products. 

We offer virtual educational workshops that cover a range of financial topics. For employees who prefer more assistance, they can meet one-on-one with a dedicated financial professional who can help address their specific financial situation. 

Based on MetLife’s 2025 U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study (EBTS), the majority of U.S employees are concerned about outliving their retirement savings, a finding that has encouraged MetLife to find ways to help retirees have a more confident future. 

We have collaborated with retirement technology solutions company Micruity on the development of MetLife’s Universal Digital Retirement Platform in the U.S., an education, planning and annuity-purchasing tool that seamlessly and securely connects to existing employment benefits, third-party administrator and recordkeeping systems. The collaboration aims to empower defined contribution plan participants to make informed choices as they approach retirement. In addition, MetLife has started offering our MetLife Guaranteed Income Program®, a fixed immediate income annuity, through the retirement income solution provided by Fidelity Investments®. The collaboration gives employers that use Fidelity to administer their defined contribution plan, like a 401(k), access to our product. 

In LatAm, we increased the number of markets that offer MetLife Xcelerator, a platform that integrates insurance solutions into partners’ products and services to democratize access to financial protection. Through MetLife Xcelerator, we partner with digital banks, e-wallets, e-commerce platforms, retailers and traditional financial institutions to create a fully digital and customized insurance experience.

How Our Products Support a Wide Array of Needs

MetLife’s solutions, along with accessible education and resources, help individuals from all backgrounds build a more confident future. In our U.S. Group Benefits business, we support our customers through our products and plans in three ways: 

1. Product and pricing—We have one of the broadest portfolios of products that serve a range of populations and unique needs; 

2. Access—We are committed to providing product access through inclusive benefit solutions and services, including our broad provider networks, benefit price points and wide range of service providers; and 

3. Customer experience—We provide care and support to drive a welcoming experience (language support, digital servicing and accessibility, and customized communications). 

Globally, we develop and continuously improve our products and services to meet the unique needs of our customers and changing demographics. We have products that provide financial protection to a broad range of people, including veterans, seniors, young adults, caregivers and people from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, professional experiences and abilities. Continuing to evolve our offerings helps us capitalize on market opportunities and maintain long-term growth.

Read more about how MetLife is expanding access to financial services through its sustainability efforts in our  2024 Sustainability Report.

The increased frequency and severity of storms including hurricanes, microbursts, and torrential rains all hold the possibility of severe damage to utility assets and loss of power. Each storm event is unique, but they all require safe and rapid restoration of power while meeting the utility’s goal of restoring stability across impacted communities. 

We spoke with Sean Mauldin, Leidos Director of Distribution Engineering, to understand what utilities can learn from severe storm events, how to make systems more resilient, and how to plan for future events. Answers have been edited for clarity and length.

Each storm is different and presents distinct challenges for utilities. What are some key lessons from past severe weather events that utilities can apply to prepare for future storms?

When preparing for a severe weather event, utilities can benefit from reviewing past storms. What occurred during previous similar weather events? Were the impacts in line with expectations based on past infrastructure improvements? Does the possibility exist for a similar impact during future severe weather? Did recent smart grid enhancements increase identification and restoration efforts and reduce the outage footprint? 

By evaluating both failed components as well as the successful performance of hardened assets, utilities can effectively use the knowledge gained from previous events to potentially reduce impacts to the power grid for future events.

Budgets are often top of mind for utilities. When considering the rise in storm frequency and severity, what information supports a utility’s approach to capital spend planning? 

System resiliency planning has shifted in recent years. Historically, most severe weather events were treated as singular occurrences, and repair costs were recouped through rates. However, the steady increase in both the number of storm events and their severity has caused utilities to treat these events as inevitable costs. The cost of capital repair and replacement following a storm event can be up to ten times higher than replacements conducted as part of a targeted program. Several factors contribute to the increased costs of post-storm repairs, including the rapid deployment of crews and equipment to assess, repair, and restore power; the repair and replacement of damaged grid components; and the procurement and deployment of emergency power generation equipment. Furthermore, utilities face revenue losses from unbilled kilowatt-hours during outages, further compounding the overall costs associated with asset damage.

By reducing the impact of storm damage to a power system’s assets, utilities can reduce the repair costs that they’ve built into their budgets. As utilities develop capital spend plans that improve day-to-day reliability and incorporate hardening strategies, they can use historical storm damage data to inform their approach to damage prevention. A data-driven assessment of the most vulnerable parts of the power system will allow a utility to maximize their capital spending planning.

The frequency of severe weather events is increasing. How can utilities use root cause analysis of failed components to help guide their standards development?              

With the increase of severe weather and the heightened risk of damage to the grid, it is vital that utilities obtain accurate data on what failed, and whether future loss can be prevented through design changes. Considering the frequency of storm damage recovery, utilities must maximize the value of every storm recovery dollar. By performing root cause analysis of storm-related component failures, utilities can gain critical insight into design improvements and how to mitigate damage in the future. Critical to this effort are timely and accurate outage investigations and data collection in the field — conducted separately from recovery efforts and performed by non-restoration crews. 

Effective tools for conducting post-storm analysis are increasingly available. What is your guidance for utilities on using these data to drive innovation?     

Operating in our current data-driven environment, utilities run the same risk as all businesses — data entropy. It’s easy to utilize new tools to collect vast amounts of information about an event, but parsing significance from these data is a different matter. Data collection is just the first step, but analyzing and interpreting those findings into actionable solutions is key to reducing future risks. Leidos’ deep capabilities in data science can be applied to develop innovative approaches to preparing for future storm events. We may not be able to stop the storm, but we can help utilities reduce the financial and public impact. 

 

Originally published by The Clinton Health Access Initiative

ABUJA, NIGERIA, October 29, 2025 /3BL/ Recently, the Innovative Cancer Medicines (ICM) initiative announced the enrollment of the first Nigerian patient in a pioneering demonstration project to provide an immunotherapy drug used to treat cancer. The goal of the initiative is to develop an approach that explores sustainable and effective administration of innovative immuno-oncology therapies in low- and middle-income countries.

The ICM initiative is a collaboration between the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), along with Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) and Roche, working with the National Hospital in Abuja, an oncology center in Nigeria recognized for its excellence.

Low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, have historically faced challenges in accessing cancer treatments that have been available in high-income countries for decades. Yet Africa is one of the most affected regions globally, with the number of cancer deaths on the continent expected to double by 2040.¹ Among the various cancers affecting the region, colorectal cancer represents a particular concern and is the focus of this initiative. In Nigeria alone, colorectal cancer accounts for approximately 6.4% of all cancers and is responsible for nearly 5,900 deaths a year.²

“This demonstration project will show to the world that we have institutions in Nigeria that are ready, with the right investments, to introduce and sustainably provide innovative diagnostics and medications,” said Dr. Abubakar Bello, Chief Consultant, Clinical and Radiation Oncologist, National Hospital Abuja and the project’s Principal Investigator.

“This milestone shows that Nigerian healthcare institutions can deliver world-class cancer care,” said Dr. Adekunle Iziaq Salako, Hon. Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Nigeria. “This demonstration project will provide critical evidence on how advanced immunotherapy can be integrated into our health system.”

“This project demonstrates that with the right partnerships and health systems investments, cutting-edge cancer treatments can be delivered with the same operational excellence found anywhere in the world,” said Dr. Olufunke Fasawe, CHAI Vice President of Integration, Country Director, Nigeria.

Over the next two years, the ICM partnership will support the National Hospital Abuja’s demonstration project in Nigeria which features nivolumab, an immunotherapy agent that is already approved by drug regulators in other countries to address cancers of public health significance. The demonstration project will report on its progress which includes health systems-strengthening investments required to scale up the program.

“Immunotherapy is playing a revolutionary role in the fight against cancer,” said Sean Parker, Founder and Chairman of PICI. “It’s an ethical imperative that access to these lifesaving treatments not be limited to a privileged few. Our goal with ICM is to demonstrate the feasibility of using best-in-class treatments in clinics in low-resource areas and to inspire a bold, multitiered, access-oriented global approach in the fight against cancer. Two decades ago, partners around the world came together to ensure treatment for HIV for millions of people across sub-Saharan Africa. We hope this project inspires a similarly bold, multitiered global approach in the fight against cancer.”

“At Bristol Myers Squibb, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to benefit from medicines and innovations, regardless of geography or circumstance,” said Jasmine Greenamyer, Vice President of Global Purpose and Patient Experience at Bristol Myers Squibb. “Our involvement in the ICM initiative reflects our commitment to co-develop operational excellence and effective administration of innovative immuno-oncology therapies in countries like Nigeria. We are proud to collaborate and accelerate progress for patients and communities.”

“Where you live should not dictate your health, yet we know millions continue to face obstacles to health care,” said Roberto Taboada, Network Lead Anglophone West Africa, Roche Diagnostics, General Manager, Roche Nigeria. “At Roche, we believe that collaboration and cross-sector partnerships are what’s needed to increase access to innovation. The ICM partnership is a great example of the public and private sectors each playing a crucial role to spur and scale innovation. We are excited to see the meaningful difference that this brings to patients in Nigeria, and beyond.”

About the organizations:

The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI): www.clintonhealthaccess.org

The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI): www.parkerici.org

Roche: www.roche.com

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS): www.bms.com

¹The Lancet Oncology Commission
²World Health Organization. International Agency for Research on Cancer. https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/566-nigeria-fact-sheets.pdfAccessed 10 September 2025.

SWORDS, Ireland, October 28, 2025 /3BL/ – Trane Technologies (NYSE:TT), a global climate innovator, today announced the launch of the industry’s first comprehensive thermal management system reference design, specifically engineered for the NVIDIA Omniverse DSX Blueprint for gigawatt-scale AI data centers. This pioneering solution sets new standards for performance, scalability, and rapid deployment, supporting the most demanding AI factories, including gigawatt-scale factories powered by the latest NVIDIA AI infrastructure.

“Trane Technologies’ new reference design exemplifies our commitment to delivering state-of-the-art solutions for the most advanced AI data center architectures,” said Mauro Atalla, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer, Trane Technologies. “Our close collaboration with NVIDIA supports thermal management systems that significantly enhance performance and energy efficiency while ensuring rapid deployment and scalability. This innovation underscores our dedication to supporting the next generation of AI infrastructure with unparalleled reliability, resilience and industrial capacity.”

The new Trane Technologies thermal management system reference design delivers mission-critical temperature control, enabling data center operators to simultaneously manage power, water, and land resources, allowing for continuously optimized performance, energy efficiency and sustainability. Additionally, it supports the advanced power and cooling needs of NVIDIA GB300 NVL72infrastructure, ensuring optimal performance for Blackwell and next-generation NVIDIA Vera Rubin systems. As rack density increases per NVIDIA’s roadmap, Trane Technologies’ gigawatt-scale design can flexibly scale to efficiently meet these demanding applications, optimizing compute power.

“Power and thermal efficiency are now foundational to next-generation AI infrastructure that meets the demands of reasoning and other inference workloads,” said Dion Harris, senior director, HPC, Cloud and Infrastructure Solutions, NVIDIA. “NVIDIA is working with Trane Technologies to develop efficient cooling solutions and reference designs that enable higher density, greater uptime, and faster deployment of gigawatt-scale AI infrastructure.”

The Trane Technologies reference design integrates the NVIDIA Omniverse DSX Blueprint for AI Factory Digital Twins. This allows project developers to aggregate 3D data from disparate sources with OpenUSD, helping engineers to address the complex challenges of designing, simulating and deploying gigawatt scale AI Factories with unprecedented speed and flexibility. This builds on Trane Technologies’ leveraging NVIDIA Omniverse Blueprint for Real-Time Digital Twins, enhancing sustainability and optimizing operations through advanced simulation and AI.

In September, Trane Technologies announced the extension of Trane’s chiller plant control facility programming application specific to the unique operating needs and conditions of modern data centers. Trane continues to harness deep systems knowledge and expertise to continuously strengthen its comprehensive thermal management systems portfolio for data centers through innovations like scalable liquid cooling platforms, an efficient fan coil wall platform, larger capacity and higher operating ambient temperature air-cooled chillers, and a modern Computer Room Air Handler (CRAH) solution, engineered for AI workloads, sustainability, and future growth. For more information about Trane’s services for data centers, visit www.trane.com/datacenter.

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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.

Forward Looking Statements
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 product and service innovations and the anticipated benefits of these innovations. 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.