Tag: 3BL

A child filling a water bottle before school. A farmer able to irrigate crops during a dry season. A mother spending less time collecting water and more time earning an income. A community gaining confidence that clean water will still be available tomorrow.

In places where safe water is not guaranteed, moments like these can change the course of a day and, over time, the future of a community. The consequences are measured in more than liters. They may show up in missed school days, hours spent collecting water, crops that cannot withstand another dry season and families forced to plan around uncertainty.

For more than 20 years, PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation have worked with local partners around the world to help make moments like these possible. From rural villages in China and India to communities in Colombia, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Pakistan, the company’s safe water access efforts have focused on one goal: helping people gain reliable access to one of life’s most essential resources. PepsiCo has reached 97 million people since 2010 through safe water access initiatives and related programs around the world, as the company works toward its goal of reaching 100 million people with safe water access by 2030.

Over those decades, local water projects have shown how access can reach far beyond the tap. Across communities, partnerships focused on safe water access are helping address the practical barriers that shape daily life, from whether children can focus in school to whether families can rely on water systems during periods of drought or environmental stress.

Every community has a different context, but a common theme runs through them: water is rarely only a health or infrastructure issue. It is also about time, opportunity and resilience.

More than water: Safe access gives communities back time

When clean water is close by and reliable, it can give people back time. For children, that may mean fewer disruptions during the school day. For families, it can mean less time spent searching for water and more time for work, study or care.

Near PepsiCo’s food plant in Kosi, Uttar Pradesh, India, work with FORCE on Water and WASH initiatives has focused on practical changes that communities can feel: safe drinking water access points, improved hygiene and sanitation infrastructure and local water management. In nearby schools, those improvements can help reduce barriers to attendance and create healthier learning environments, particularly for girls.

In rural China, severe water scarcity once placed a heavy burden on communities, with women bearing much of the responsibility for securing water for their families. To help address limited access to safe drinking water, the China Women’s Development Foundation launched the Mother Water Cellar Program. Since PepsiCo began supporting the program in 2001, what began with investments in household rainwater harvesting systems, community water infrastructure, and school water purification facilities has evolved into a broader effort aiming to encompass sanitation improvement, waste management, water conservation, irrigation development, environmental education, and water-saving agricultural practices.

Through these efforts, the program strives to strengthen communities’ capacity for sustainable water resource management, delivering lasting benefits and contributing to China’s rural revitalization agenda.

More than water: Reliable water can unlock education and opportunity

Water access can also shape opportunity. When communities have the tools and knowledge to manage water more reliably, the benefits can extend from household routines to education, livelihoods and local leadership.

At Ojodu Junior High School in Lagos State, Nigeria, access to water is closely tied to the basics of learning. Without reliable water, handwashing is harder, sanitation facilities are less safe, and students can lose time and confidence in the classroom environment. A solar-powered system developed with WaterAid and support from the PepsiCo Foundation has helped bring cleaner water and improved sanitation to the school, making the school day more predictable for students and staff.

Since 2022, the PepsiCo Foundation’s partnership with WaterAid Nigeria has moved far beyond a single school project to reshape how an entire community accesses water. Across Lagos State, the partnership has built water facilities, sanitation facilities, drinking water stations and handwashing facilities, delivering direct access to clean water and sanitation for schools, communities and a primary health center. The change goes deeper than infrastructure: women trained as area mechanics now operate and maintain these systems as a source of livelihood, while the partnership helped Ikorodu North Local Council Development Authority build Lagos’ first WASH Investment Plan, a long-term budgeting and asset-management tool now anchoring government advocacy for sustained water and sanitation funding. Together, these efforts show a program that has grown from isolated fixes into a lasting, locally owned system for water security in Lagos.

More than water: Local water stewardship builds community resilience

In water-stressed regions, resilience often depends on a mix of local knowledge, practical infrastructure and long-term maintenance. The most effective projects are rarely one-size-fits-all; they respond to the geography, culture and climate pressures of each place.

In Colombia’s Alta Guajira desert, that included the PepsiCo Foundation working with Wayuu communities to strengthen jagüeyes, traditional rainwater collection systems that are vital in an arid region. In Thailand’s Lamphun province, it has helped to protect a community water source at Huayhok Waterfall, where local environmental action helps maintain a weir that supports water availability for surrounding communities.

More than water: A foundation for possibility

The power of these projects is not only in the infrastructure itself, but in the ripple effect it can create: helping children stay focused in school, helping families plan their days with more certainty and preparing communities for conditions that are becoming harder to predict. It’s also a reminder that water is never only a solution for people or the planet; the two are deeply linked.

In the end, the story of water is rarely only about water. It is about the school day that starts on time, the field that survives a dry season, the hours a mother gets back and the confidence a community can carry into tomorrow. For companies, governments and non-governmental organizations working in water-stressed communities, the challenge is to support solutions communities can use, own and sustain. When safe water is accessible to meet local needs, it becomes something much bigger than a resource. It becomes a foundation for possibility.

• The event, held August 18-20, brought together 280 participants and showcased technologies aimed at the future of construction

From August 18 to 20, CASE Construction Equipment, a CNH brand, welcomed customers, partners, and the press to the Construction Experience Center (CEC) in Sarzedo (MG) to provide a hands-on demonstration of its product portfolio and the key trends and technologies shaping the future of the construction industry. Opened just over a year ago, the facility hosted the CASE Experience, which also featured the 721E ethanol-powered wheel loader—a concept project currently in the testing phase and the first machine of its kind to run on ethanol.

Held in a facility dedicated to experimentation and training, the event allowed guests to get an up-close look at equipment and projects representing different areas of the brand’s operations, including operational efficiency, electrification, sustainability, and innovation.

Among the highlights presented during the event is the ethanol-powered CASE 721E wheel loader, a concept design developed from the 721E platform and adapted to the needs of the sugar and ethanol industry. Still in the testing phase and with no immediate plans for commercialization, the equipment was developed to run on ethanol—a fuel produced by the mills themselves—with the potential to reduce dependence on diesel and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Read the full story here.

SWORDS, Ireland, August 27, 2026 /3BL/ – Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator, today announced a major milestone in building automation research: the development of a Model‑Based Predictive Control (MPC) system powered by Neural Ordinary Differential Equations (Neural ODEs) forecasting. The MPC system combines intelligent optimization with advanced predictive modeling to deliver near‑optimal control of building performance, while Neural ODEs provide a powerful, flexible prediction engine that helps unlock new levels of energy efficiency, comfort and cost savings.

Based on research conducted at the BrainBox AI Trane Technologies AI Lab, with support and contributions from leading AI researchers at Mila, Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, the concept is akin to modern navigation apps that optimize the most efficient travel routes while balancing user-defined constraints, such as avoiding highways or tolls. MPC with Neural ODEs applies the same principle to building systems. This technique requires significantly less cloud computing energy than traditional Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models, supporting more sustainable and efficient AI use.

Operationally, the system can pre-cool a building in the summer or pre-heat it in the winter ahead of peak energy price periods, then minimize system operation when prices are highest, while maintaining predefined comfort parameters. In early testing, the control strategy demonstrated energy savings of up to 19%, exceeding BrainBox AI’s existing control algorithms by more than 3%. While still in the exploratory phase, these findings demonstrate strong potential for commercialization, following further advancement through field trials as a next step.

“MPC with Neural ODEs demonstrates what is possible when cutting‑edge mathematical modeling meets real‑world building challenges,” shared Jean-Simon Venne, President, Founder, Chief Technology Officer of BrainBox AI and Head of the AI Lab. “It allows us to simulate thousands of potential future control strategies in seconds and choose the path that positively impacts costs, emissions and occupant comfort. It marks a giant leap in the advancement of true predictive autonomy for HVAC systems, and we are proud to lead the industry in this new era of smart building control.”

The system uses a physics-informed Neural ODE model to predict thermal behavior. This enables smart buildings to proactively manage building energy systems rather than simply reacting to real-time changes. Unlike traditional reactive control, which waits for sensors to detect changes before taking action, predictive control leverages forecasts to determine an optimal path while simultaneously balancing multiple objectives and constraints.

Key features of MPC with Neural ODEs include:

• Objective-driven control: Balances multiple objectives, such as lowering energy costs and reducing carbon emissions.
• Scalable deployment: Requires less training data and fewer computational resources, accelerating onboarding of new buildings.
• Customizable constraints: Integrates parameters such as comfort ranges, equipment cycling frequency and grid emissions profiles for each building.
• Real-time re-optimization: Updates optimization at each control cycle, adapting instantly to changing conditions, sensor inputs and forecasts.
• Transparent insights: Provides clear, user-friendly feedback and reporting to help users and building managers understand what drives optimization choices.

MPC with Neural ODEs is engineered to support a wide range of applications, from demand response to overall energy reduction, by adjusting the objective function and weighting factors such as peak‑demand cost or total energy use. This flexibility enables buildings to intelligently reduce peak demand use and respond dynamically to grid conditions. By incorporating emissions data from energy providers, the approach can also help buildings improve sustainability outcomes alongside operational efficiency.

To learn more about the technical research, read the published findings in “Neural differential equations for temperature control in buildings under demand response programs,” published in Applied Energy and available on ScienceDirect.

 

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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 the Company’s AI innovation initiatives and the anticipated benefits of the BrainBox AI Trane Technologies AI Lab and related technologies. 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, 2025, 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.

At DP World’s Prince Rupert terminal, the equipment that keeps cargo moving is becoming more efficient, and lower emission.

DP World recently launched its first hybrid rubber-tired gantry (RTG) crane retrofit at the terminal, converting an existing diesel-powered crane into a hybrid diesel-electric system that has reduced fuel consumption by more than 60% compared with a conventional diesel RTG. The upgrade is expected to avoid approximately 100 tonnes of CO₂e emissions annually.

The project represents a practical approach to port decarbonization: improving the environmental performance of existing equipment while maintaining the reliability and flexibility required to keep one of Canada’s key trade gateways moving.

Making Existing Equipment More Efficient

The retrofit replaces the RTG’s large diesel engine with a smaller 80 kW generator that charges onboard batteries as needed. The system also captures energy generated as containers are lowered and puts it back to use, further reducing fuel consumption.

Unlike a fully electric crane, the hybrid RTG does not require external charging infrastructure, allowing it to move independently throughout terminal operations while still delivering significant fuel and emissions reductions.

The benefits extend beyond sustainability. The hybrid system is also expected to reduce engine maintenance costs and improve crane reliability, demonstrating how investments in lower-emission technology can support environmental and operational performance at the same time.

“This retrofit is a practical example of how we are advancing decarbonization across our operations while maintaining high levels of productivity and performance,” said Doug Smith, CEO of DP World in Canada. “By integrating hybrid technologies into existing equipment, we can reduce emissions, improve fuel efficiency, and scale solutions that support more sustainable supply chains.”

Prince Rupert currently operates six RTGs. The first hybrid conversion was completed this year, with additional retrofits planned in the coming years as part of DP World’s broader equipment modernization and decarbonization strategy.

Building a Lower-Emission Gateway at Prince Rupert

The hybrid RTG is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of operations at Prince Rupert.

In 2025, DP World and its partners at the Port of Prince Rupert displaced more than 2 million litres of conventional diesel with renewable fuel, representing nearly 24% of conventional diesel use across participating port operations. The transition was equivalent to avoiding approximately 5,400 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions, with renewable diesel deployed across cargo-handling equipment, trucks, locomotives, and marine vessels.

Shore power is also helping reduce emissions from vessels while they are at berth. Infrastructure at DP World’s Fairview Container Terminal allows ships to shut down their auxiliary diesel engines and connect to British Columbia’s hydroelectric grid, with expanded shore power capacity forecast to reduce carbon emissions by nearly 30,000 tonnes annually.

These investments are advancing sustainability alongside growth. Fairview Container Terminal handled nearly 886,000 TEUs in 2025, as intermodal container volumes increased 20% year over year.

Advancing Sustainable Operations Across Canada

Prince Rupert is one part of a broader effort to test and scale lower-emission technologies across DP World’s Canadian network.

At the Port of Vancouver, DP World piloted a hydrogen-powered RTG crane as another potential pathway for reducing emissions from cargo-handling equipment. The company’s Vancouver and Fraser Surrey terminals were also recognized with 2026 Blue Circle Awards from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority for their participation in the Energy Action Program and ongoing work to improve energy efficiency. The recognition marked the third consecutive award for Vancouver and the second consecutive award for Fraser Surrey.

DP World also achieved Green Marine recertification across four Canadian terminals in 2026, reflecting continued progress against environmental performance benchmarks spanning areas such as air emissions, waste management, spill prevention, and community impacts.

Environmental stewardship extends beyond terminal equipment. Through DP World’s partnership with Ocean Wise, teams across Prince Rupert, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Fraser Surrey, and Saint John removed 1,065 kg (2,350 lbs) of litter from 7.5 km (4.7 mi) of shoreline. DP World is also supporting the expansion of Ocean Wise’s Whale Report Alert System, which issued more than 39,000 alerts in 2025 to help mariners reduce the risk of vessel strikes.

Together, these initiatives reflect a multi-pronged approach to sustainability in Canada — combining cleaner fuels, equipment innovation, electrification, energy efficiency, and ecosystem protection.

At Prince Rupert, the new hybrid RTG shows how that transition can happen one piece of equipment at a time: reducing fuel consumption and emissions while keeping the cargo, businesses, and communities that depend on global trade moving.

Learn more about DP World’s sustainability initiatives. 

When a real patient arrived during a stroke-response training exercise, clinicians didn’t hesitate—they acted. That moment became early proof that Salta Stroke 360° wasn’t just preparing teams for emergencies but building a system ready to respond when every second matters.

When training turns into reality

It was supposed to be a simulation. Clinicians participating in a stroke-response training exercise were running through different possible scenarios when the unexpected happened: a real patient arrived and showed clear signs of an acute stroke. What followed was swift, coordinated, and effective. The patient received timely care and survived. Yet, days later, it happened again.

Two real-life stroke cases, managed successfully in rapid succession, revealed something critical. This wasn’t just luck. It was readiness. And it was the first visible proof of Salta Stroke 360°—a system designed not just to train for emergencies, but to respond effectively when they happen.

When geography decides outcomes

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability worldwide. In remote regions like the province of Salta in northwestern Argentina, communities are spread across vast distances and access to specialists can be limited, magnifying the potential risks.

For many patients, delays begin long before they ever reach a hospital. Distance, time, and fragmented care pathways create barriers that, in stroke care—where every second matters—can mean the difference between recovery and lifelong disability.

Salta Stroke 360° was created to confront that reality head-on. The initiative was born through collaboration between Boehringer Ingelheim Argentina, hospitals, government, NGOs, and international partners—anchored by formal support from the Ministry of Health.

At its clinical core is Dr. Gabriela Orzuza, a neurologist and Medical Director of the Stroke Unit at Hospital San Bernardo, which under her leadership achieved international certification as an Essential Stroke Unit by the World Stroke Organization.

Born in Salta, her commitment is deeply personal. She has spent years building multidisciplinary networks to improve stroke care in one of Argentina’s most underserved regions—where access to healthcare is often limited, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities. “When I first imagined a tele-stroke network,” she recalls, “I saw both the need and the obligation to offer equity. But at the time, it felt like an impossible dream—something we could only approach in very small steps.”

From idea to infrastructure

Those steps evolved into a system. Telemedicine now connects neurologists in the capital with clinicians in remote hospitals, enabling real-time consultation where in-person access is not possible. For this to work, every element must align: connectivity must be constant, imaging must be precise, and coordination must be seamless—because in stroke care, every second counts.

Training extends far beyond hospitals. Emergency teams, community leaders, and even staff in high-traffic public spaces—airports, companies, civic institutions—are being trained to recognize stroke symptoms and activate response protocols. These environments are becoming “neuroprotected,” forming a broader safety net across the province.

At the same time, awareness efforts reach deep into communities. Local NGOs and schools help share knowledge about symptoms and urgency. In underserved areas, messaging is adapted to local cultures and translated into indigenous languages—ensuring it resonates where it matters most.

A vision rooted in equity and execution

That vision is shared across leadership. “What struck me early in our Salta Stroke 360° initiative was realizing how much a person’s chances of surviving a stroke depended on their distance from care,” shares Martín Cottone, General Manager, Boehringer Ingelheim Argentina.

“As a leader, I felt a responsibility to challenge that. This project pushed us to rethink our assumptions and work together differently with government, clinicians, and local communities.”

Seeing remote hospitals treat patients on time for the first time shows what’s possible when purpose and execution come together.

Martín Cottone, General Manager & Human Pharma Head APUB (Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay & Bolivia)

Building a system, not a solution

Salta Stroke 360° did not emerge from a single intervention. It evolved as a connected system—where training, infrastructure, community engagement, and policy reinforce one another.

Outdated CT scanners—the essential diagnostic “eyes” of neurologists—are being replaced with reliable equipment. Strategic partnerships are enabling access to advanced technologies that were previously out of reach.

Government engagement provides critical institutional support. In early 2024, Provincial Law No. 8420 established a formal Stroke Network in Salta, guaranteeing access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. This was complemented by the launch of a Tele-Stroke Network, extending specialized care to hospitals without neurologists. What began as an initiative is now embedded within the public health system—ensuring continuity and scale.

From momentum to measurable impact

As the network matured, the results became visible. Thrombolysis rates are one of the most critical indicators of timely stroke treatment and reflect how quickly patients receive potentially life-saving care. The treatment helps dissolve blood clots that block blood flow to the brain, but it can only be given within a narrow time window after symptoms begin. Higher rates often indicate that patients are reaching diagnosis and treatment quickly enough for doctors to limit or prevent severe, long-term damage.

• Thrombolysis rates went up by 3.64 percentage points from 2024 to 2025, reaching 13.1% of patients treated on time.

For Dr. Orzuza, the transformation has been profound. “For a long time, we were building this network with the pedal power of a bicycle,” she reflects. “And suddenly, with the right partners and support, it felt like shifting into a completely different gear—able to reach places we never imagined.”

At the same time, strategic partnerships enabled access to capabilities that had previously been out of reach. Specialized diagnostic spaces were certified closer to patients’ homes, reducing delays when minutes matter most.

Impact that travels beyond the moment

As Salta Stroke 360° gained visibility, its story traveled far beyond Salta. World Stroke Day 2025 coverage reached millions, while targeted digital campaigns amplified awareness where it was needed most. But for those working within the system, the true impact is measured in quieter moments.

Growth hasn’t stopped. Some days it’s hard to pause and reflect because of the work we face. But we know this will mark a watershed moment.

Dr. Gabriela Orzuza, Medical Director and Head of the Stroke Unit at Hospital San Bernardo and tele-stroke network lead

What began as a training exercise became proof of possibility. Today, Salta Stroke 360° stands as a living system—designed to respond when it matters most, and to give more people a second chance, regardless of distance.

Our commitment

By 2030, we aim to expand access to healthcare for 50 million people, investing 35 billion EUR in health innovation and research to tackle non-communicable diseases and an additional 250 million EUR in partnerships to combat emerging infectious diseases.

Read more on Imagine – Boehringer Ingelheim’s sustainability story hub.

*Image credits: Header picture and quote pictures: Corporate Affairs Boehringer Ingelheim South America. Content pictures: Corporate Affairs Boehringer Ingelheim South America, Unión Industrial de Salta, Corporate Affairs Boehringer Ingelheim South America, Ministerio de Salud del Gobierno de la provincia de Salta. 

From advancing high-performance and energy-efficient AI computing to cultivating an innovative, inclusive workforce, AMD is committed to driving the computing industry forward responsibly. 

The AMD 2025-26 Corporate Responsibility Report outlines our approach across the business, from how we design products and manage our supply chain to how we support our people and communities. 

Read the AMD 2025-26 Corporate Responsibility Report

Learn more about corporate responsibility at AMD

About AMD

AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) drives innovation in high-performance and AI computing to solve the world’s most important challenges. Today, AMD technology powers billions of experiences across cloud and AI infrastructure, embedded systems, AI PCs and gaming. With a broad portfolio of AI-optimized CPUs, GPUs, networking and software, AMD delivers full-stack AI solutions that provide the performance and scalability needed for a new era of intelligent computing. Learn more at www.amd.com.

TORONTO, August 26, 2026 /3BL/ – Alberta has earned the title of Canada’s most entrepreneurial province, according to fresh findings from the GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab.

The province’s microbusiness growth jumped 17% from the first to the fourth quarter of 2025, edging out Nova Scotia and Ontario, which each climbed 16%. The annual ranking tracks prior-year growth among active microbusinesses run by GoDaddy – firms with fewer than 10 employees. Western, Atlantic and Central Canada all landed in the top three, underscoring how entrepreneurship now spans the entire country.

Canada’s 10 Most Entrepreneurial Provinces 

Six provinces recorded growth of 15% or more, while every province posted gains. Even Prince Edward Island, which rounded out the ranking in tenth place, recorded healthy growth of 9%.

Canada’s microbusinesses are intentionally lean. Ninety-two percent have fewer than 10 employees, and more than a quarter are run by solo owners. Only 28% say their venture is their primary income, while 38% use it to supplement other earnings. Half are first-time founders and one in four already manage more than one business, signalling a growing appetite to experiment, launch and scale ideas despite economic headwinds.

“Every province in Canada grew in 2025, and that signals a shift that entrepreneurial momentum in Canada isn’t locked to any one region,” said Alexandra Rosen, GoDaddy’s small business economist. “Digital tools are lowering the barrier to entry, and what really stands out is the consistency, with six provinces topping 15% growth, and all 10 moving upward.”

To explore the 2026 Most Entrepreneurial Provinces rankings or learn more about GoDaddy’s Small Business Research Lab, visit GoDaddy Research.

About GoDaddy
GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar, helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start, grow, and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a website and logo, sell their products and services and accept payments. Airo™, the company’s agentic operating system for small businesses, helps entrepreneurs get their idea online, run their business day-to-day, and grow through an integrated identity, presence and commerce experience. GoDaddy’s expert guides are available 24/7 to provide assistance. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com. 

About GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab
The GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab analyzes more than 20 million online businesses with a digital presence, defined by a unique domain and active website. Most of these businesses employ fewer than ten people, classifying them as microbusinesses. Since 2019, the program has surveyed more than 70,000 entrepreneurs, making it a leading source of data and insights on microbusiness trends. To learn more, visit godaddy/research.

Strong communities aren’t built overnight. They grow through steady investments in people, partnerships and systems that help neighborhoods weather economic uncertainty and evolving social needs. For business owners, resilience goes beyond protecting the bottom line. It’s about creating conditions for communities to thrive.

From collaborating with local nonprofits to investing in workforce development, businesses can play a meaningful role in the places they call home. Long-term business success is closely tied to the health of the communities they rely on and serve. In fact, according to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, 80% of people globally believe business leaders should address societal issues when their companies can make a meaningful impact.

Stronger, more resilient communities require investment in people and the systems that support them. Through partnerships that help expand access to food and safe water, help prepare future leaders and support workforce development, PepsiCo’s approach is rooted in a simple belief: when communities thrive, businesses, supply chains and economies can grow stronger and more resilient.

The 2025 Global Social Impact Report reveals local impact is possible when a three-part strategy is implemented in your community:

1. Prioritize Strategic Partnerships

Collaboration is one of the most effective ways to build resilient communities. Companies that have deep local roots and firsthand knowledge of the challenges residents face can be valuable partners for nonprofits, schools and local governments.

Community partnerships can take many forms, such as a restaurant working with a food pantry to address hunger in underserved neighborhoods, a construction company partnering with schools to introduce students to skilled trades or retailers supporting civic events. These partnerships build trust and credibility among businesses and residents while opening doors to networking opportunities, shared funding initiatives and stronger visibility.

2. Support Local Systems

Businesses can help strengthen the systems communities rely on every day by investing in local infrastructure, talent and supply chains. Restaurants and grocery stores, for example, may source products from nearby farms to help reduce supply chain disruptions while supporting local economies. Small businesses and producers can also partner with training programs, community colleges and apprenticeship initiatives to help prepare future talent, expand economic opportunities and build more resilient communities over time.

When businesses source locally for both resources and talent, they help keep investment, opportunity and economic growth flowing within the communities they serve.

3. Invest in People

Strong communities are built by people – farmers, students, entrepreneurs and local leaders who help shape what comes next. When people have access to opportunity, communities are better positioned to adapt and grow.

Businesses can play a direct role by investing in the people who help power their communities, from offering fair wages and career development to supporting employee well-being. Beyond their own workforce, companies can expand opportunities through partnerships that support skills training, mentorship and pathways into stable jobs. That can include creating internship programs, mentorship opportunities and scholarship support, incentivizing young people to develop skills while encouraging them to stay within and contribute to their communities.

Connecting Communities and Businesses

Taken together, these actions show how businesses of all sizes can play a role in building stronger, more resilient communities. It doesn’t require a complex strategy, just a clear focus on partnerships, local systems and people.

For example, PepsiCo’s approach offers a clear example of what this can look like in practice, with partnerships aimed at expanding access to food and safe water, supporting farmers and opening doors to workforce opportunities. The focus is less on standalone programs and more on working alongside communities and applying the company’s scale in ways that deliver steady, long-term impact.

The result is stronger communities that are better equipped to adapt and grow, and businesses that are more connected to the people and places they serve.

Learn more and find the full report by visiting Social Impact: PepsiCo

MetLife

MetLife seeks to strengthen long-term business performance by reducing our environmental impact, creating operational efficiencies, managing risk, and enabling sustainable growth. In support of this objective, we have set an ambition to reach Net Zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our global operations and MetLife’s general account (GA) investment portfolio by 2050 or sooner.¹ Aligned with New Frontier, we aim to reduce emissions where we have control to help minimize risks, strengthen all-weather performance and improve operations. We complement these efforts by using natural resources efficiently, reducing water consumption, and minimizing waste sent to landfills.

Energy and Emissions

MetLife takes a disciplined approach to energy and emissions management to improve efficiencies, enhance performance, help manage risks and support a thriving workforce—implementing initiatives that lower operating costs, promote collaboration and enhance how we deliver responsible growth and long-term value. We have decreased location-based GHG emissions by 52 percent since 2019 and have maintained carbon neutrality for our offices, fleets and business travel since 2016.²

We promote energy efficiency and implement green building practices throughout our 8.9 million square feet of offices, including by:
 

• Consolidating office space and implementing efficiency upgrades, such as installing LED lighting, enhancing building management systems and improving plug load management;
• Strategically managing and optimizing performance of data center operations to reduce total electricity consumption, for example by consolidating mainframes and Intermediate Distribution Frame closets and transitioning from wireless access points to Power over Ethernet;
• Replacing fleet vehicles with electric or hybrid options, where possible;
• Encouraging global reductions in business travel, such as recommending combining trips, traveling by train instead of air and flying premium economy instead of business class on long-haul flights;
• Generating on-site renewable energy at offices in Madrid, Spain, and Nicosia, Cyprus;
• Purchasing renewable energy via energy attribute certificates—issued when one megawatt-hour of electricity is generated and delivered to the grid from a renewable energy resource—to match our global electricity consumption (see GHG Emissions and Energy data in Sustainability Scorecard); and
• Supplementing emissions reductions and energy efficiency initiatives with a diverse portfolio of third-party-certified carbon offset and removal projects that drive tangible economic and community benefits in addition to carbon reduction. As one example, we have partnered with Charm Industrial to reduce wildfire risk in Colorado by converting biomass into biochar, a charcoal-like substance. Beyond carbon sequestration, the partnership is also creating new local jobs and access to employee benefits that help build long-term financial security.

Optimizing High-Performance Offices

We integrate sustainability and well-being features into our offices and operations to create healthy, energizing workplaces. We maintain green leasing guidelines and prioritize using sustainable materials in our buildings, striving for our global offices to be certified to green or healthy building standards, particularly Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, ENERGY STAR®, Fitwel and Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. Properties managed by MetLife Investment Management (MIM) also strive for green and healthy building standards.

Within our facilities, we aim to minimize our consumption of water, plastics, paper and other natural resources and reduce the volume of waste, including food waste and e-waste, that we send to landfills. We also provide high levels of indoor air quality and natural light and offer amenities, such as healthy dining options and sit-stand desks. MetLife’s Global Event Operations team prioritizes paperless conferences, local sourcing and eco-friendly alternatives. MetLife also prioritizes sourcing products that allow us to consume less, operate more efficiently and generate co-benefits such as cost savings, when possible.

Please see our Sustainability Scorecard for our water and energy use, waste diversion and green building certification data.

Driving Supply Chain Sustainability

MetLife’s Supplier Inclusion and Sustainability program helps us align suppliers with our environmental stewardship values and expectations for responsible business practices. To drive continuous improvement and mitigate potential sustainability-related risks in our supply chain, we request sustainability information during supplier onboarding and ongoing supplier management processes.

Through supplier engagement, we expand our understanding of our suppliers’ business goals and performance and foster a culture of transparency and collaboration. By 2030, we aim to have two-thirds of our top suppliers by spend set emissions-reduction goals. 68 percent of suppliers by spend had established goals in 2025.³

We work with our suppliers to find innovative opportunities to advance sustainability and encourage our top suppliers to disclose their climate risks, environmental targets and GHG emissions through the annual CDP Questionnaire, so that we can analyze our supply chain for resiliency.

To learn more about MetLife’s broader supplier management practices, see Supplier Management.

Read more about how we are supporting the environment through our sustainability efforts in MetLife’s 2025 Sustainability Report.

 

^{1 See Non-GAAP and Other Financial Disclosures for additional information about MetLife’s GA assets under management (AUM). Learn more about our approach to Net Zero. Please also see Forward-Looking Statements.}

^{2 MetLife’s carbon neutrality efforts apply to global owned and leased offices, global vehicle fleets (Scope 1 and 2 emissions) and employee business travel (Scope 3 Category 6). MetLife purchases energy attribute certificates and carbon credits to offset the remainder of annual emissions in these categories. See Glossary.}

^{3 For the top 80 percent of MetLife suppliers by spend, this target measures suppliers that set public commitments to reduce GHG emissions by 2025 or later, aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 2°C above pre-industrial times. Spend represents procurable spend with third-party suppliers. MetLife uses its own discretion for determining supplier alignment based on supplier’s reported emissions-reduction goal attributes, such as scope coverage, target year, base year and reduction percentage. Evaluation occurs on an annual basis.}

 

 

The Ray recently hosted a webinar on the Connected Construction Data Alliance (CCDA) Transportation Pooled Fund with state Department of Transportation (DOT) partners who lead the nation in digital project delivery and work zone safety initiatives. Pioneering leaders from the Delaware, Maryland, and Iowa DOTs highlighted active connected construction use cases already deployed in their states, including digital as-builts, definitive proof of worker presence supporting work zone speed enforcement, and active work zone alerts pushed directly to dynamic message boards and navigation apps.

Unlocking these applications at scale, along with evolving capabilities like V2X integration and remote inspection, requires clear data standards and specifications, and clear communication of data access gaps and needs to equipment manufacturers.

What Sets the CCDA Apart

Unlike other work zone initiatives, the Connected Construction Data Alliance (CCDA) is the only Transportation Pooled Fund that prioritizes contractor equipment telematics alongside e-Ticketing data, while paving the way for emerging inputs like field sensors, drones, and wearable technology.

As Delaware DOT’s Cassidy Blowers emphasized during the panel:

The true power of the CCDA is establishing a unified, collective State DOT voice to set national data specifications based on practical use cases today and for the future—guiding data access and directing future work zone innovation.

Key Presentation Takeaways

Delaware DOT: Demonstrating how contractor telematics, Waze integration, and HaulHub automate real-time worker presence alerts to protect crews in active work zones.

Maryland DOT SHA: Leveraging statewide e-Construction systems to digitize field workflows, streamline inspection burdens, and improve project reliability.

Iowa DOT: Leading digital delivery, e-Ticketing, and drone integration to modernize construction management and asset tracking.

Iowa State University: Translating applied research into practical frameworks for state DOTs to explore evolving use cases like remote inspections. Existing federal funding streams can support your participation in the CCDA Transportation Pooled Fund and accelerate connected construction deployment, including the State Planning & Research Program Subpart B, EDC-8 Connected Corridors Program, and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.