Tag: 3BL

BETHESDA, Md., July 29, 2025 /3BL/ – Tandem Global is offering a new white paper, Resilient Aquatic Strategies | Driving Corporate Innovation, Resource Stewardship, and Ecological Balance, for download today here. This white paper is sponsored by Ontario Power Generation. 

Aquatic ecosystems are vital to ecological stability, public health, and economic security. Yet these systems are under increasing pressure from industrial activity, pollution, and land degradation. With influence over vast amounts of land and water resources, corporations have a significant role to play in reversing this trend through proactive aquatic conservation.

Companies across sectors have implemented targeted strategies that protect and restore freshwater and marine environments. These efforts include restoring wetlands to reduce sediment runoff, enforcing riparian corridors at industrial sites, and protecting coastal habitats. Such efforts not only support biodiversity and water quality, but also help companies meet regulatory requirements, reduce environmental liabilities, and improve their relationships with local communities.

This white paper highlights how corporations and organizations are adopting innovative aquatic conservation strategies that protect freshwater and coastal ecosystems. These initiatives demonstrate how efforts to preserve aquatic biodiversity can enhance water quality and security, support ecosystem resiliency, and promote general community well-being.

Featured case studies include:

• Bayer, Big Sand Mound Nature Preserve: Muscatine, IA
• Boeing, Boeing Plant 2: Seattle, WA
• Bruce Power, Bruce Site: Kincardine, Ontario, Canada
• Constellation, Quad Cities Generation Station, Cordova, IL
• CRH Americas, Dufferin Agg. Acton Quarry: Acton, Ontario, Canada
• CSX Transportation, Former Gautier Oil Site: Gautier, MS
• Dow, Ward Hollow Wildlife Habitat: South Charleston, WV
• Freeport-McMoRan, PTFI: Papua, Indonesia
• WM, Bethel Landfill: Hampton, VA

Sponsored by Ontario Power Generation, this white paper features a foreword from Heather Brown, Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety, Ontario Power Generation. She states, “Through research, restoration, and community engagement, OPG is dedicated to advancing aquatic conservation and building a more sustainable future for all.”

About Tandem Global

Tandem Global (formerly Wildlife Habitat Council and World Environment Center), provides the know-how and the network to move business and the environment forward, together. Across sectors and at all levels of its member organizations, Tandem Global works to facilitate long-term and lasting impact on all aspects of our natural world. It connects leading thinking with practical solutions that positively impact climate, nature, and water. From field operations to boardrooms and beyond, corporate leaders turn to Tandem Global for impact strategies and resilient solutions that can support a better future. Tandem Global is headquartered in Bethesda, MD, USA, with locations across the U.S., in Latin America and Munich, Germany. For more information visit tandemglobal.org

Name: Jade Mahuzier | Global Category Manager & Sustainability Manager for Commercial Equipment

Company: Heineken

Connect with Jade on LinkedIn

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

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

I’m the Global Category Manager for Commercial Equipment and the Sustainability Manager for Commercial Equipment at Heineken. I’ve been with the company for three years, and before that, I worked at Danone and other similar companies.

In my current role, I wear two hats, procurement and sustainability, which is something I truly enjoy, I have the unique opportunity to integrate both perspectives. This means I can strategically balance cost considerations with the environmental sustainability ambitions in our “Brew a Better World” strategy.

One of the key challenges in my role is that more energy-efficient fridges can come at a higher cost. As a buyer, this means that it is less about short-term negotiation and more about building partnerships rooted in shared goals. This often means working together on longer-term agreements, aligning on innovation priorities, or exploring alternative deal structures.

Ultimately, it’s about playing with different parameters with Heineken’s Net Zero roadmap while minimizing budget impact. This requires balancing two key levers: long-term supplier relationships and financial optimization.

What are your specific priorities for 2025?

One concrete example in my area of responsibility is our supplier engagement and procurement strategy for commercial equipment. We have had a well-established protocol in place for several years, which has proven to be effective. This protocol is used for our suppliers to continuously improve the energy efficiency of the fridges they provide us.

For 2025, we have stayed on course with this roadmap, requiring suppliers to meet increasingly stringent energy efficiency standards. This means pushing for fridges with a progressively lower Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) while maintaining strong partnerships with suppliers.

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

I really appreciate this question because it made me reflect on Heineken’s role within the industry and how we position ourselves in relation to BIER.

One thing I often hear from our suppliers is that Heineken is willing to experiment and push boundaries. They tell us, “Heineken is really daring to try new things.” I genuinely believe that we are committed to taking action, making decisions, and implementing programs that drive real change. Whether every decision is perfect or not, we move forward, take risks, and act.

At the same time, I recognize that we cannot transform the industry alone. This is where organizations like BIER play a critical role. There’s a saying I really like: “Alone, you go faster; together, you go further.“ I believe Heineken excels in being daring to lead, but for true systemic change, we need collaboration and shared knowledge.

BIER provides an essential platform for collective action, where we can share experiences and stay aware of what others in the industry are doing. This isn’t just about individual ambition; it’s about leveraging a network to drive long-term impact together. By working collectively, we can align on best practices, develop common projects, and ensure that sustainability progress extends beyond just one company.

For me, the key to success in 2025 isn’t just Heineken daring to act; it’s daring to act while also engaging, collaborating, and learning from others. That’s where BIER’s role becomes invaluable.

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

One of the most valuable practical solutions I’ve gained from working with BIER is the power of collaboration. This connects closely to my previous point about the importance of working together to drive real industry-wide change.

I’m part of a workstream on energy efficiency initiatives, collaborating with a respected colleague from Carlsberg Group. Normally, you might think, “Wait, Carlsberg? A direct competitor?” But in this setting, it’s actually a great experience. Together, we worked on selecting the companies that participated in the 2025 Cool Challenge, an initiative focused on advancing refrigeration efficiency. Now in its second year, the Cool Challenge is part of the Coolition, a BIER-led initiative to reduce the environmental impact of commercial refrigeration equipment in the beverage industry. The Coolition brings together BIER members, refrigeration equipment manufacturers, and component suppliers to drive meaningful, sector-wide progress. It has been incredibly insightful to contribute to this collaboration.

What makes this experience so valuable is that it creates a trusted space for open discussions. In this forum, we can exchange non-confidential insights, challenge each other’s perspectives, and share knowledge in a way that benefits everyone. It’s a reminder that, despite being competitors, we are ultimately facing the same challenges and striving for the same goals.

This process has reinforced an important truth: We cannot move forward alone. Heineken, Carlsberg, and other industry players are all in the same boat when it comes to environmental sustainability, and progress in areas like energy efficiency depends on collective action. Yes, there are boundaries, we must always comply with competition law rules but at the core, this collaboration is built on good intentions and a shared vision to drive meaningful change with the resources we have.

At the end of the day, BIER is about connection, and that same spirit applies to sustainability. Working with BIER and its members has shown me that when we come together, we can accelerate progress in ways we simply couldn’t achieve alone.

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

When I think about a recent sustainability accomplishment that makes me proud, I realize it’s not always about flashy projects—it’s about real, measurable progress. It might sound like just numbers, but achieving a 34% reduction in our Scope 1 & 2 emissions compared to our 2022 baseline is a huge achievement!

These figures represent years of effort, dedication, and countless hours of brainstorming, strategizing, and collaborating across markets. It’s easy to see numbers and not fully grasp the work behind them, but I see my colleagues and myself really putting their hearts in. Whether it’s convincing operating companies, learning from local markets, or overcoming complex challenges, there’s a massive collective effort behind these improvements.

While sustainability metrics might not always feel exciting to read, they tell the story of real impact, and that’s something worth celebrating.

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

I really like this question because it’s refreshing, it makes you think differently. It’s also a tough one because, of course, I’d love to have many superpowers. But if I had to choose just one, the first thing that comes to mind is the power to scale up great sustainability innovations instantly.

This ties closely to initiatives like the Cool Challenge, where we see some truly brilliant ideas—innovations that make me think, Wow, that’s so smart! How did no one think of this before? We have incredible minds developing solutions, and we have large companies like Heineken that can offer visibility and support. But the biggest challenge isn’t having great ideas—it’s scaling them.

Scaling takes time. It can take years to bring an innovation from concept to full implementation.

That’s why my ideal superpower would be the ability to immediately scale a great idea without all the roadblocks. Imagine if an entrepreneur or a startup came up with a breakthrough solution, and instead of years of testing, negotiating, and adapting, it could just be instantly deployed at scale. It would radically accelerate the impact of sustainability innovations, allowing us to move from concept to action in a fraction of the time.

Maybe this perspective comes from my procurement and supply chain background, where I see firsthand how difficult it is to bring great ideas to life at scale. But I truly believe that if we could overcome this challenge, we could drive sustainability forward in ways we can’t even imagine today.

As previously seen on the CSRHub blog.

We’re proud to share that CSRHub’s ESG ranking data has once again been featured in Site Selection magazine’s annual rankings of the world’s most sustainability-driven regions. The 2025 edition, titled “The Greenest Locations in the World,” highlights global leaders—countries, U.S. states, and metropolitan areas—shaping a sustainable economy through innovation, infrastructure, and social responsibility.

CSRHub contributed ESG performance data to a composite index evaluating key sustainability indicators across regions. These included:

• LEED Certified Buildings (total and per capita)
• Green energy incentives and deployment
• ESG policies and stakeholder behavior
• Renewable energy generation and job creation
• Fitwel and Energy Star certifications

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A Data-Driven Lens on Corporate Responsibility

CSRHub’s contribution focused on comparing the average perceived ESG performance of two sets of companies:

• Companies headquartered in each region
• Companies that chose to site operations in that region

This approach revealed meaningful trends about which areas are attracting sustainability-conscious organizations—and where gaps remain.

For example:

• Minnesota companies had an average ESG percentile rank of 54.8%, but companies placing new sites there ranked higher on average.
• Brazil showed a similar pattern, with external firms scoring better than the local average—indicating that sustainable investment is raising the bar.

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U.S. Rankings Spotlight

In the U.S., Texas, California, and Colorado topped the state-level rankings for green development and ESG-readiness. Metro areas such as Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Denver led the list of top sustainable cities.

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The analysis also considered regional dynamics—such as foreign companies locating in low-ESG-score regions (e.g., Greece, Saudi Arabia, Egypt) that are aiming to boost sustainability through outside investment.

Why It Matters

Studies like this help:

• Investors align capital with responsible growth
• Policymakers understand how to attract sustainability-driven businesses
• Communities track the ESG impact of economic development

By incorporating CSRHub’s consensus ESG data, Site Selection offers a powerful benchmark for using sustainability as a core driver in corporate expansion and location strategy.

About CSRHub

CSRHub offers the most comprehensive global set of expert consensus sustainability ratings, information, and tools. Clients use CSRHub’s decisive data platform for global benchmarking, supply and value chain risk assessment and compliance readiness solutions. Founded in 2007, CSRHub covers nearly 60,000 public and private companies, and provides ESG performance scores on 42,000 companies from 134 industries in 158 countries. Our Big Data platform uses algorithms to aggregate, normalize and weight ESG metrics from 1,000 sources to produce a strong consensus signal on corporate sustainability performance.

 

Interested in learning more about CSRHub?

Happy National Soccer Day! Today, July 28, is recognized across the United States as a celebration of the sport and its players, coaches, and fans. Henkel is an Official Sponsor of U.S. Soccer, and we are proud to celebrate alongside our partners.

Henkel and U.S. Soccer share an aim to increase awareness and accessibility of the sport for underserved communities across the country, and both organizations work throughout the year towards achieving this goal.

Kicking Off a Brighter Future: Empowering the Next Generations

Henkel is a supporting partner of American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) Clinics, which take place in multiple locations across the country throughout the year. Henkel employees will soon hear more about the opportunity to sign up and bring their children along to clinic sessions later this year. All participants will get first-hand experience with the benefits of youth sports, including better overall academic performance, lower stress levels, greater self-confidence, improved cognitive performance, and more creativity. It is important to equip the next generation with the tools they need to excel, and participation in youth sports such as soccer can be a big step in achieving this goal. The work being done to increase access for all young athletes in the world of sports is essential to ensuring a long and successful future of the sport and a next generation that is primed to succeed.

Sarah Davis, National Business Manager, Henkel Consumer Brands, and her daughter Kenzie (pictured to the right) attended the U.S. Women’s National Team match against Ireland in Cincinatti earlier this summer. Kenzie’s dream is to one day play on the USWNT, and was excited to cheer them on to victory while spotting Henkel and its brands’ logos around the stadium.

Soccer for All: Building Stronger Communities 

U.S. Soccer also seeks to expand access to the sport and supercharge communities across the country through the Soccer Forward Foundation. The foundation hosts community spotlights and raises funds in pursuit of their mission to take soccer’s power and the difference it can make to a whole new level of building healthier and more connected communities. Through their events, grants, and other resources, they aim to make soccer a force for good — accessible to everyone in the U.S., everywhere in the U.S.

Soccer is not only a super accessible activity, but also a source of many life lessons. It provides a basis for learning, encouraging kids to practice critical thinking, self-advocacy, and resiliency in an engaging, safe environment. And I’ve personally watched them grow from it.
Becky Kristopeit, Director of Sustainability and Climate Impact at Henkel Adhesive Technologies

As we celebrate National Soccer Day, we are proud of the work being done through collaboration between Henkel and U.S. Soccer to build strong teams on the pitch and in the workplace.

Originally published in GoDaddy’s 2024 Sustainability Report

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG Goal: SDG 5: Gender Equality

Actions: 

• People & Culture > Business Aligned People-Centered Strategy, pp. 20-25

SDG Goal: SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy 

Actions: 

• Environmental Impact > Energy, p. 45

SDG Goal: SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth 

Actions: 

• People & Culture, pp. 19-30
• Customers & Communities > Inclusive Entrepreneurship, pp. 13-16

SDG Goal: SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Actions: 

• Responsible Governance & Operations, pp. 31-41

SDG Goal: SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities 

Actions: 

• People & Culture > Business Aligned People-Centered Strategy, pp. 20-25
• People & Culture > Employee Experience, pp. 26-29
• Customers & Communities > Inclusive Entrepreneurship, pp.13-16,
• Customers & Communities > Community Engagement, p. 17

SDG Goal: SDG 13: Climate Action

Actions: 

• Environmental Impact > Climate Change, pp. 43-44

SDG Goal: SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Actions: 

• Customers & Communities > Customer Experience, pp. 11-12

 

Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)

Topic & Focus Area: 

Governance

Board of Directors oversight of climate related risks and opportunities:

Our Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing GoDaddy’s enterprise-wide risks, the formation of our long-term strategic, financial, and organizational goals, and the plans designed to achieve such goals. The Board of Directors and its committees also oversee strategic, legal, regulatory, financial, management, and operational risks.

The Nominating and Governance Committee oversees GoDaddy’s sustainability strategy, practices, and programs, including in relation to risk mitigation and reporting. The Nominating and Governance Committee also reviews public disclosures on such matters, including our proxy statement and annual sustainability report. The Nominating and Governance Committee regularly reports to the Board of Directors on these topics.

• About GoDaddy > Sustainability Governance, pp. 8-9
• Honest & Ethical Conduct > Corporate Governance, p. 33

Management’s role in assessing and managing climate-related risks and opportunities

We maintain a Sustainability Working Group, which supports our ongoing commitment to sustainable practices and transparent disclosures. The Working Group, which is chaired by the Corporate Sustainability and ESG Team (the ESG Team), is a cross-functional team comprised of leaders across our organization who represent GoDaddy’s priority topics. The Working Group is responsible for guiding and executing the company’s sustainability strategy by managing and monitoring our sustainability impacts, risks, and opportunities.

The ESG Team is responsible for reviewing and reporting on climate-related issues, including progress toward overall climate related goals. The ESG Team works closely with GoDaddy’s Corporate Secretary on sustainability matters. In addition, members of our global leadership team are responsible for the management and oversight of GoDaddy’s GHG emissions, including as they relate to our data center operations. These executives, and key members on their teams, have collaborated with the ESG team on the development of GoDaddy’s corporate GHG emissions reduction targets.

In addition, our Assurance, Risk, and Compliance Team is responsible for maintaining GoDaddy’s risk management framework and identifying internal and external risk factors that prevent the company from achieving its strategic and operational objectives. Leveraging GoDaddy’s risk management framework methods and criteria, this team supported the ESG Team’s assessment and identification of potential climate-related risks and opportunities.

• About GoDaddy > Sustainability Governance, pp. 8-9
• Honest & Ethical Conduct > Corporate Governance, p. 33

Strategy

Climate-related risks and opportunities the organization has identified over the short-, medium-, and long-term

In our 2024 qualitative scenario analysis, we identified potential climate-related physical risks related to our data center operations and offices. The scenario analysis also assessed nine hazards to identify the impact of climate-driven extreme weather events (acute) and longer-term changes in water stress (chronic). The analysis presented extreme heat as the single hazard that uniformly increases across all assets from the present-day to the short- and medium-terms. Other hazards were assessed as site-specific hazards with certain of such risks assessed as high in the present-day and remaining elevated through the medium-term period. In addition, the analysis identified potential transition risks for the organization, which included carbon pricing, mandates on efficiency and carbon emissions from existing products, and costs associated with a transition to lower carbon pathways. These potential risks increase from the present day through the short- and medium-terms with the magnitude of increase depending on scenario.

Potential opportunity drivers were also identified, including enhanced business continuity and resilience planning, value-chain decarbonization, industry climate leadership, impact investing, and customer demand for sustainable products and solutions. Potential transition opportunities assessed include expanding global renewable energy capacity and adoption of additional energy-efficiency measures to reduce environmental impact and increase consumer confidence and favorability. Both opportunities show an increased magnitude of opportunity from the present day through the short- and medium-terms.

Impact on business, strategy, and financial planning

Our Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) identified impacts, risks, and opportunities (IROs) across GoDaddy’s business operations encompassing a range of ESG topics. The DMA process and IRO list originated through engagement with GoDaddy management and subject matter experts. The business and external impacts were assessed through a materiality scoring aligned with GoDaddy’s risk management system. This materiality scoring included financial, operational, reputational, compliance, and partnership components. The scoring was informed through physical and transition climate scenario analysis. The IRO scoring and materiality determination were reviewed by members of GoDaddy’s management team.

Scenario analysis and resiliency strategy

In 2024, we engaged a third-party firm to carry out a qualitative scenario analysis to assess potential climate-related physical risks related to our data center operations and offices at an asset- level, both owned and leased, for present-day, short-, and medium-term time periods and for both lower and higher emission scenarios. Scenario analyses were also carried out for potential transition risks and opportunities for two future scenarios.

Assessing three time periods and multiple climate scenarios provided information on the uncertainty and variability of potential climate-related risks and opportunities and their potential impacts on our sustainability strategies across different planning horizons.

The scenarios chosen also provided lower and higher impact views on potential risks and opportunities, giving a fuller range of outcomes to inform decision making. The asset-level nature of the physical scenario analysis can also be used to inform adaptation and resilience planning for specific GoDaddy owned and leased sites. The approach to transition scenario analysis allows for updating of scenarios as global and regional policies evolve.

Risk Management

Process for identifying and assessing climate-related risks

Our DMA included climate-related physical and transition risks. These risks were assessed through a materiality scoring process that considered likelihood and severity of impacts across various categories, including financial, operational, reputational, compliance, and partnerships to provide measures of inherent risk to which control and mitigation measures can be applied to determine levels of residual risk. The DMA process included the development of a comprehensive IRO register reflecting GoDaddy’s most important potential risks, including those related to climate change.

Process for managing risk

Climate-related risks are managed by the ESG Team in collaboration with leaders from across the organization. These leaders are responsible for monitoring and responding to any specified risk that could impact the company’s strategic or operational objectives.

Integration into overall risk management

Our ARC Team leads our enterprise risk management program. The ARC Team is responsible for identifying key risks that could impact the company’s strategy, operations, or compliance. The ARC Team assists our Leadership Team in defining metrics to monitor such risks and respond proactively.

GoDaddy’s assessment of potential climate-related risk and opportunity leveraged standard criteria used in our risk management framework. Following GoDaddy’s standard processes, potential climate-related risks that could impact the company’s strategic or operational objectives are managed by the ESG Team in collaboration with leaders from relevant teams to monitor and respond to any specified risks.

Metrics and Targets

Metrics

• Absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions
• Percentage renewable electricity procured
• Energy Usage

Appendix > Frameworks & Metrics > Environmental Metrics, pp. 48-49

Scope 1, 2, 3 Emissions

GoDaddy discloses its Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions in the Framework & Metrics section of this report.

Appendix > Frameworks & Metrics > Environmental Metrics, pp. 48-49

Targets

GoDaddy has a goal to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions (market-based) by 90% by 2030 from a 2019 baseline.

Environmental Impact > Climate Change, pp. 43-44

To learn more, read our 2024 Sustainability Report.

About This Report

This GoDaddy 2024 Sustainability Report details our progress toward our corporate sustainability goals, strategies, and initiatives in support of our overarching corporate mission and values. Unless otherwise noted, this report reflects our corporate sustainability performance across our global operations covering the fiscal year period from January 1 to December 31, 2024. To demonstrate our commitment to transparent communication regarding our sustainability progress, we routinely share updates through our website and our annual Sustainability Report. We welcome your questions, comments, and feedback on this report by contacting ESG@GoDaddy.com.

This report references the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, includes select Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) metrics for the Internet Media and Services sector, and the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). We also disclose our contributions and progress toward priority UN SDGs. For additional information on how we align with these frameworks and key indicators demonstrating our sustainability performance, please refer to the Frameworks & Metrics section.

A pressing safety concern for low-risk workplaces is active threat incidents, which are immediate violent actions or threats that fall under the broader category of workplace violence. Workplace violence and active threat incidents are on the rise for low-risk workplaces and can affect almost any business. Businesses that do not proactively manage risks around workplace violence can face serious consequences: from brand distrust and impact on leadership, to harm to employees and even loss of life. While it can be difficult to prepare for and communicate this sensitive issue, employers have an obligation to empower their employees, determine prevention strategies, and plan their responses to these difficult crises.

While many companies have implemented training and drills for active threat scenarios, fewer have taken broader preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of such incidents occurring in the first place. In this piece, we dive into measures any company can take to start integrating active threat preparedness and prevention into their company culture.

Understanding the Risks and Rewards

Precursors to workplace violence can come in many forms: from situations that might seem like non-issues, like drinking alcohol at a work event, to conflicts that are clearly a problem, like domestic violence or bullying. Low-risk offices and retail spaces need to be watchful of the following situations and triggers that can be indicators of future workplace violence or active threats:

• Domestic violence
• Disgruntled employee (especially those that are terminated)
• Worker conflict
• Stalking
• Road rage
• Workplace stress
• Bullying, harassment, or threats
• Mental health issues
• Drinking situations and drunkenness at work
• Safety culture issues
• Employees who screen for graphic content

There is another category of workplace violence that is important to watch out for and incorporate into Workplace Violence Prevention Plans and Emergency Response Plans: random violence. Random violence is any occurrence of unstable people (whether they work at the company or not) randomly choosing to attack a workplace. To address random violence, organizations need to ensure there are safety protocols in place to allow employees to restrict access to their facility.

Recent active threat situations have garnered extreme amounts of media attention and sparked concerns around workplace health and safety and preparedness. As technology, social media, and public access to low-risk spaces grows, understanding the risks and taking steps to address them is no longer a low priority.

Supporting employees through workplace violence planning, training for prevention and response, and on-going assessment are the keys to creating safe workplaces. These steps help employees to feel the organization cares about their health and wellbeing. Another bonus? Taking steps to support employees also helps establish a transparent and open safety culture that encourages employees to share their questions, challenges, and feedback on workplace violence.

Following California’s Lead

On the forefront of workplace violence prevention is California OSHA (Cal/OSHA), the first agency to lay the groundwork for proactive Workplace Violence Prevention Plan legislation.

Senate Bill No. 553 (California Labor Code § 6401.9 ), which went into effect on July 1, 2024, requires nearly all employers in the state to develop, implement, and maintain a written WVPP.

This applies to most California employers, with a few exceptions—such as certain small non-public worksites and healthcare facilities already covered under existing regulations. Even companies with multiple California locations must tailor their plans to each specific site.

The plan must include:

• The name or job title of the person responsible for implementation
• Procedures for employee involvement in plan development
• Clear reporting channels for incidents or concerns
• Emergency response protocols and post-incident procedures
• Coordination methods with other employers sharing the facility
• Workplace violence hazard assessments and correction strategies
• Procedures for ongoing training—initial and annual—and how employees can access and ask questions about the plan

One often overlooked requirement is the maintenance of violent incident logs and hazard correction records, which must be retained for five years. Training records must also be kept for at least one year.

These elements don’t just satisfy legal obligations—they build a more resilient workplace.

Preparing Employees Beyond the Plan

Another key component is considering active threat risks during the development of your Emergency Response Plan—ensuring employees know what to do and where to go is critical. Your Emergency Response Plan should define the concept of “Run, Hide, Fight,” discuss options for where to safely shelter-in-place, provide potential alternate muster points, as well as specify how you will account for employees during an emergency.

SB 553 also underscores that it’s not enough to simply have a plan on file. Training must be conducted at implementation and repeated annually. It must also include interactive components, allowing employees to ask questions and receive feedback.

For organizations trying to meet these training mandates across dispersed teams, options include:

• In-person training (ideal for interaction but often logistically difficult)
• Live webinars or Zoom sessions with built-in Q&A
• eLearning modules paired with manager-led follow-ups or designated Q&A channels (like email hotlines or open office hours)

Employers are encouraged to balance flexibility with compliance, especially when it comes to meaningful employee engagement and feedback mechanisms.

A Culture Shift for Safety

Shifting a company culture to be open and effective at dealing with workplace violence is the next frontier for companies looking to reduce the likelihood of these events.

To address stress, conflicts, and mental health at work, many organizations have come up with creative solutions that encourage transparency and communication among their employees and leadership. These solutions include on-going communications and marketing efforts around stress management, encouraging a safe mentality toward drinking, and offering mental health “first aid’ awareness training for all employees. These cultural strategies can be especially effective when aligned with a strong WVPP and Emergency Response Plan. Combined, they help reinforce that employee health and safety are top priorities—not only in times of crisis, but as part of everyday operations.

Need Help?

If you need some additional help, Antea Group is here to provide active threat support, including reviewing and revising response and prevention plans, aiding in communication, and holding onsite training and drills in the United States and around the world. We want to help you create a true culture of safety, not just a temporary awareness for workplace violence, and we do this by working to determine the best solution for your environment, carefully crafted for this sensitive topic.

Contact us today for workplace violence prevention support.

The Whirlpool Corp. employee resource group, Whirlpool Vets & Allies often volunteers to build ramps for local residents in Benton Harbor, Michigan, including veterans, who need to improve accessibility to their homes.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is a leading home appliance company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. As the only major U.S.-based manufacturer of kitchen and laundry appliances, the company is driving meaningful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, and InSinkErator. In 2024, the company reported approximately $17 billion in annual sales – close to 90% of which were in the Americas – 44,000 employees, and 40 manufacturing and technology research centers. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com.

View original content here.

On February 14, 2025, nine inches of rain fell on Eastern Kentucky, leading to massive flooding. Having previously coordinated relief efforts with ScottsMiracle-Gro in 2022, Aaron Thoms with Christian Appalachian Project (CAP), knew exactly who to call. “When Aaron reached out, I was hopeful we could help in some way,” said Katherine Dickens, director of ESG and social impact at ScottsMiracle-Gro. “We had history with the organization and the need was great.”

Unlike a typical disaster response that primarily focuses on food and water, flooding presents a unique challenge; the immediate need for fans and dehumidifiers to combat moisture and prevent mold growth. Fans and dehumidifiers are often in short supply after a flood, and relief agencies typically do not stock them. Because of this specific need, Hawthorne Gardening, a subsidiary of ScottsMiracle-Gro, was able to provide assistance.

“We were more than willing to again deliver dehumidifiers and fans to CAP,” says Alex Grossi, VP, supply chain and administration of Hawthorne Gardening. “We were in a somewhat unique position, as these aren’t items most organizations have on hand. Thankfully, we were able to provide them, when and where they were needed most.”

Soon, three truckloads containing 41 pallets of dehumidifiers and fans were on the way to Eastern Kentucky. In total, 698 dehumidifiers have been distributed to affected families, with a policy of one fan or dehumidifier per family, no questions asked. “If you need help, we’re going to help you,” says Aaron. “We are grateful for partners that allow us to help our neighbors in their time of need. These critical supplies really have a huge impact following a disaster.”

Since 2022, ScottsMiracle-Gro has donated over 6 truckloads, or 90 pallets of fans and dehumidifiers to CAP, helping communities and families after flood events. “You see flood survivors that are emotionally torn up. These fans and dehumidifiers help them begin the long process of rebuilding,” says Aaron. “We are grateful to be able to deliver hope in the midst of turmoil.”

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About ScottsMiracle-Gro
With approximately $3.6 billion in sales, the Company is the world’s largest marketer of branded consumer products for lawn and garden care. The Company’s brands are among the most recognized in the industry. The Company’s Scotts®, Miracle-Gro®, and Ortho® brands are market-leading in their categories. The Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, The Hawthorne Gardening Company, is a leading provider of nutrients, lighting, and other materials used in the indoor and hydroponic growing segment. For additional information, visit us at www.scottsmiraclegro.com. 

At Cisco, we care deeply about innovation and practical effectiveness. When responding to social challenges, we want to be part of solutions that work—and that often means drawing nimbly, as one Cisco, from our entire organizational toolset, regardless of department or domain within the company.

By listening to our nonprofit collaborators and then selecting from our suite of proven interventions as we assemble a customized support package, we can empower our social impact partners to help more people, more efficiently, in a more sustainable way. We look for measurable results, and we love to see our grantees using technology to change more lives for the better.

Uplifting communities through digital skilling

The Chorkor Digital Lab, a project run by Cisco social impact partner BASICS International, exemplifies our integrative and results-oriented approach. BASICS provides education, food, and healthcare for children in the community of Chorkor and surrounding areas in Ghana, West Africa—helping entire communities rise out of poverty. Their new lab is preparing formerly underserved students for dynamic careers in cybersecurity, networking, and more. Supported by Cisco Networking Academy as well as our Technology Grant Program, the lab offers a hub for learning, collaboration, and creativity, where students learn cutting-edge skills that will help them flourish in the digital economy.

BASICS International CEO and founder Patricia Wilkins notes that Chorkor’s reputation as hard to help was exactly what inspired her to dive in and begin unlocking the potential of the community. “We always felt we needed to give children access to technology,” she said. “When we learned about Cisco’s program, where they meet students where they are, and give them the technical skills and computer skills that they need, we got on board.”

Sharing Cisco’s trusted curriculum and technology

Wilkins also manages the BASICS Cisco Academy, ensuring that students get full access to Cisco’s trusted curriculum as they work towards the certifications that will unlock better jobs and futures upon graduation. Cisco Networking Academy is a global, IT skills-to-jobs program, offering digital skills training to prepare students for industry-standard certifications and careers in networking, cybersecurity, and related fields.

“For over two decades, BASICS International has believed in supporting the whole child—combining education, nutrition, mentorship, and life skills to help young people thrive and lead change in their communities.” 

—Patricia Wilkins, CEO and founder, BASICS International

Cisco’s Technology Grant Program provides our own technology to qualifying nonprofit organizations to help them realize significant gains in productivity, security, scalability, and cost efficiency. For the Chorkor Lab, a Technology Grant was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Networking Academy.

Patrick Verret, who managed the technology grant, explains, “We helped them establish a secure and stable network for students to access Cisco Networking Academy, utilize other online learning materials, and collaborate with others across the internet. Thanks to our Meraki firewalls, switches, and access points, students can connect to the network throughout the building, via both wired and wireless connections.”

Dreaming of—and working towards—careers in tech

Already, the Lab is changing lives. “I wanted to do computer science, but I couldn’t get a chance to do it, because the fees that you have to pay are very high. It has been my dream for so long,” said student Joyce Banahene, who is aiming to find work as a network engineer when she completes her certification.

Also feeling inspired, student Joy Adevu noted, “I’ll be working in any tech company. Probably Cisco, Apple, Samsung—any of them!”

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Nasdaq

According to findings from a poll conducted during a Nasdaq webinar that delved into the current status of the Omnibus Package, 77% respondents indicated that regulatory compliance is the biggest driver of sustainability at their company. Yet, 51% are either concerned or very concerned about their ability to meet regulatory requirements. These findings highlight an opportunity for companies to enhance their regulatory readiness and build a more resilient reporting foundation. Is your company prepared?

Investing in sustainability software can help ensure companies are prepared to navigate this wave of regulatory complexity. Read the article to learn more.