International Olympic Committee news

With less than a year and a half until the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2026 begin, the seventh meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Coordination Commission marked another key milestone in Games planning.

The two-day hybrid meeting brought together key stakeholders to review the latest progress in Dakar 2026 preparations. Newly appointed Coordination Commission Chair Humphrey Kayange, IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry and an IOC delegation participated on-site in Dakar, while other Commission members joined remotely – including IOC Vice-President Nawal El Moutawakel, who has played a pivotal role in the leadership and direction of the Commission from its early stages and has recently been named Vice-Chair. The discussions reaffirmed the shared commitment to delivering Africa’s first Olympic sporting event, with a strong focus on operational success and a lasting legacy for the Senegalese youth.

The meeting opened with a video message from IOC President Thomas Bach, who praised the progress made by the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee (YOGOC) and underlined the unique significance of the first Olympic sporting event on African soil.

“We all know that the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 will be truly special,” he said. “Dakar 2026 will be a moment for Africa to shine on the global stage. Dakar 2026 will welcome young athletes from around the world to celebrate sport, culture and the legendary Senegalese spirit of teranga.”

Learning Academy launches first cohort

A central highlight of the meeting was the official launch of the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy – a flagship initiative designed to train and recruit over 400 young professionals aged 21 to 35 in the lead-up to the Games. This structured programme equips participants with essential skills in Games management and operations, enabling them to support the Organising Committee, while building long-term event delivery capacity across Senegal and the continent.

Venue master plan finalised as works progress

The Coordination Commission welcomed the finalisation of the Dakar 2026 venue master plan, which now includes confirmation of the road cycling route. The race will start and finish along Dakar’s scenic Corniche Ouest, providing a vivid and iconic backdrop. Significant construction progress has also been reported across key venues, enhancing overall venue readiness.

Comprehensive planning across Games operations

In addition to people management, legacy and venues, the Coordination Commission reviewed progress across all functional areas, including technology, ticketing, Games services, marketing, security, athlete education and youth engagement. Progress has been made since the last Commission meeting in November 2024. The Commission emphasised the importance of transitioning towards a more operational and delivery-focused approach, with the YOGOC evolving into its Games-time structure.

Humphrey Kayange, Chair of the Coordination Commission for Dakar 2026, said: “With less than 18 months to go, we are entering the final stretch. These past two days have been incredibly valuable, filled with constructive exchanges that have helped us build a clear picture of where we stand. The momentum that’s been built gives us confidence as we move forward towards delivering extraordinary Games for Africa.”

Ibrahima Wade, General Coordinator of the YOGOC, also reflected on the progress made and the strengthened commitment from all stakeholders: “By the end of this 7th meeting, the Coordination Commission, led by its new Chair, Humphrey Kayange, had seen and welcomed the considerable progress made in the various areas related to the YOG Dakar 2026 preparations, and observed that the stage is set for memorable YOG on African soil. It was heartening to hear IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry’s re-affirmed commitment to supporting our project. This is an additional reason for the OCOG teams and all the national stakeholders to feel motivated and engaged. The spirit of co-creation between the IOC and Dakar 2026 that has been present so far is evident once again.”

Corniche de Dakar to host Espace Let’s Move

Plans were also shared for the Corniche de Dakar, which will serve as the main hub for celebration and youth engagement during Dakar 2026. This iconic coastal stretch will host Espace Let’s Move, a vibrant zone featuring engagement sports alongside a comprehensive programme of cultural, educational and interactive activities. Organised in partnership with national federations and local stakeholders, the area will offer sports demonstrations, health and nutrition workshops and activations promoting the Olympic values. Live entertainment and local food stalls will help create an inclusive, festival-like atmosphere that welcomes young people and families into the heart of the Games experience.

Dakar en Jeux 2025 to celebrate youth, sport and Olympic values

Looking ahead, the Dakar en Jeux Festival will return later this year for its fourth and final edition before the YOG. Taking place from 3 to 9 November 2025, the festival will once again bring together sport, culture, education and health in a dynamic week-long celebration that reflects the spirit and values of the Games.

The YOG Dakar 2026 will take place for two weeks from 31 October, bringing together the world’s best young athletes aged up to 17 years. The Games will be held across three host sites (Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly).

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The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit, civil, non-governmental, international organisation made up of volunteers which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of USD 4.7 million goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.

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For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000, email: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.ioc.org.

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At Gen, we believe that everyone should feel safe and able to take full advantage of the digital world. The knowledge that our personal data and financial information are protected brings invaluable peace of mind, and we aim to provide that sense of confidence to individuals across the globe, including members of our most vulnerable communities.

That’s why we work with organizations like the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), the leading voice in the United States for domestic violence survivors and their advocates. Together, we’ve joined the fight against technology abuse, a growing part of domestic violence that often includes online stalking, identity theft or financial abuse.

Through product donations and volunteer initiatives, we’ve helped raise awareness of tech-facilitated abuse, created tools that make survivors’ lives online safer and more private, and continued to support our nonprofit partners serving these communities on the ground.

Providing Survivors with Tools to Help Stay Cyber Safe 

In 2024, we launched a targeted donation program through our partnership with TechSoup to provide more than 3,700 Norton product licenses to domestic violence survivors across the U.S. TechSoup helps facilitate the donations to the Safe Shelter Collaborative, which in turn delivers the products to survivors through its network of member organizations.

The donated products include Norton 360 Deluxe, which can prevent activity or location tracking, information theft, installation of malicious programs and uninvited changes to devices, and Norton Secure VPN, which protects the user’s online privacy by hiding the computer’s address from websites visited from any device.

NNEDV, which represents the 56 U.S. state and territorial domestic violence coalitions, who in turn represent more than 2,000 local programs and the millions of survivors they serve annually, also collaborates on the donation program.

Coming Together to Support Survivors 

Gen team members from across the company have volunteered their time and effort in service of survivors through a series of recent events. In April, our Head of Corporate Responsibility and our Director of AI & Innovation spoke alongside NNEDV representatives on a virtual panel about how to support domestic violence survivors in the digital age.

The conversation covered the threats that survivors face online, how to identify tech-facilitated abuse when it happens and how advocates can help survivors increase their digital privacy. The event also shone a spotlight on some of the digital resources we’ve co-created with NNEDV, such as the Financial Abuse and Technology Guide and the Securing Devices and Accounts Guide. These tools are in addition to our $100,000 annual grant to NNEDV, supporting the organization’s Safety Net technology abuse response initiative as well as its Economic Justice program.

Subsequently, Gen team members at every one of our U.S. locations, including our new MoneyLion offices in New York and New Jersey, as well as our remote U.S. employees, participated in events facilitated by Visit.org that benefited domestic violence survivors as part of our 2025 Global Volunteer Week. Together, Gen volunteers assembled nearly 500 backpacks for survivors that included food, hygiene items and physical copies of the resources we developed with NNEDV to help survivors stay safe online. This meaningful partnership with NNEDV helped enhance the impact of the events and further spread the word about the organization’s critical work.

“I grew up in and used to work in shelters around New York, so I know how much this means,” said one volunteer. “We wrote messages for survivors and packed kits with everyday essentials… And it was great to be able to do good alongside coworkers.”

These grants were awarded from the Gen Foundation, a corporate advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass., May 29, 2025 /3BL/ – What does the rule of law have to do with the bottom line? Everything. That’s the message from Daniella Ballou-Aares, Founder and CEO of the Leadership Now Project. In the latest episode of 3BL’s video series, “What the…?” we unpack the uncomfortable truths and unexpected intersections of sustainability, business, and society.

Full Episode here.

In this latest installment, Ballou-Aares, a seasoned strategist, founder of Dalberg, and former Senior Advisor in the Obama Administration, makes a compelling case for why business leaders need to treat democratic stability as a core risk and responsibility. She warns that growing political instability and anti-business policies aren’t just bad for governance—they’re bad for business.

“We really think it’s important to be prepared for that, be ready to respond and work in kind of your current coalitions and maybe some unlikely coalitions to push back if and when it’s needed,” said Ballou-Aares.

She urges corporate leaders not to shy away from their values when under political pressure, highlighting the importance of consistency and depth in a company’s commitments.

“I think these were companies that had a deep commitment, like for a very long time, these were not superficial commitments. And I think that’s the key, when something has been superficial, then it’s the most vulnerable for attack.”

Key Insights from the Episode:

  • Political Instability Is a Business Risk: Executive actions, such as targeted tariffs and political attacks on ESG and DEI, are disrupting business as usual.
  • Core Values Provide Stability: Companies with longstanding commitments to inclusion and integrity are more resilient in the face of political backlash.
  • Coalitions Are Critical: Cross-sector and even unlikely partnerships can help companies push back against threats to democratic norms.

Watch the full conversation with Daniella Ballou-Aares here.

About 3BL 
3BL is the leading sustainability and social impact communications partner, connecting organizations’ stories of purpose and progress with the audiences who matter most.

3BL partners with over 1,500 companies – from global corporations and mid-sized enterprises to NGOs and nonprofits – to elevate their reputations as players in the world of responsible business. We do this through unrivaled news and content distribution, bespoke storytelling support, and our digital media division, TriplePundit.

Pueble S.A., an official Case IH dealership under CNH, celebrated the inauguration of its new headquarters located in Tucumán, Argentina.

This opening represented a great investment, consolidating the trajectory and sustained growth of the company in northern Argentina.

“We chose this location because of its accessibility and direct connection with the agricultural activity of the region. This opening reaffirms our commitment to customers and to Case IH, investing in infrastructure, technology and comfort,” said Carlos Puente, president of Pueble S.A.

The new headquarters was designed under the New Gen Partners concept, with a focus on functionality, sustainability and customer experience. The building offers a large exhibition yard, offices, workshop, spare parts area, warehouse and a modern training room.

The construction incorporated sustainable practices, such as a water heating system through solar panels hidden in the roof structure, highlighting CNH’s environmental commitment.

LinkedIn

Congratulations to Pizza Hut Indonesia (PT. Sarimelati Kencana Tbk.) for their commitment to creating an Equal Slice for everyone through their community empowerment programs!

At Pizza Hut Indonesia, we believe our food is more than just what’s on the plate—it’s about the people, dedication, and togetherness that make every slice special. 

After 40 years in Indonesia, we remain committed to empowering local communities, including farmers, supporting Indonesia talent, and creating meaningful opportunities for growth. 

We’re honored to be recognized as the “Best Restaurant in Empowering Local Communities” at the CNBC Indonesia Awards 2024. This achievement is made possible by the support of our loyal customers and the dedication of our incredible team and partners who share our vision of making a positive impact beyond the pizza for Indonesia. 

With this milestone, we are excited to continue creating meaningful connections and contributions for a better future together.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube.

  • Up to 25% reduction in energy consumption
  • New 2-in-1 process means reduced machine footprint and enhanced operational efficiency
  • Simplified installation and plug-and-play set up

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, May 29, 2025 /3BL/ – Tetra Pak announces the expansion of its homogenizer range with the Tetra Pak® Homogenizer 15C and the Tetra Pak® Homogenizer 20C, offering streamlined and efficient solutions for manufacturers seeking simplicity and flexibility without compromising on performance.

Traditional homogenization often requires two devices, which are commonly referred to as “first-stage” and “second-stage”. However, Tetra Pak’s experts have reimagined this by combining both devices into a single entity, the innovative HD21 homogenization device, allowing the required homogenization process and pressure adjustments to be conducted within the same compact machine with a single pressure adjustment. The HD21 homogenization device enables an energy reduction of up to 25% compared to a homogenizer using a conventional homogenization device.1

Fiona Liebehenz, Vice President of Key Components Plant Solutions and Channel Management, Tetra Pak, comments: “Homogenization is critical in many food and beverage production processes. But not all products or factories require complex machinery, so we took on the challenge to simplify the current state-of-the-art solutions to meet a broader range of our customer’s needs. By combining the first and second homogenization stages into a single device, we’ve created a flexible machine with fewer parts, which reduces both the initial investment and long-term maintenance costs. Both aspects that matter for our customers.

“At Tetra Pak, we partner with businesses of all sizes across all geographies, offering valuable and scalable solutions that can grow alongside our customers. The expansion of our homogenizer range is just one example of how we continue to innovate for our customers at any stage, for cost-effective efficiency and seamless integration into their existing food and beverages operations

The 2-in-1 solution, available with the Tetra Pak® Homogenizer 15C and the Tetra Pak® Homogenizer 20C, has only 2 components compared to 6 components in a conventional homogenizer. This not only reduces complexity but lowers the upfront cost and ongoing maintenance requirements for manufacturers. Additionally, Tetra Pak has addressed the challenge of asymmetrical wear of parts such as valves during homogenization. Whereas the uneven wearing of components would previously necessitate their replacement, the new line of homogenizers offer symmetrical wear parts which can simply be turned by the operator, doubling the lifespan of parts and reducing the overall maintenance costs for the device. This is further supported by access to Tetra Pak’s spare parts and maintenance programme, which extend the life of all equipment and further lower the total cost of ownership for manufacturers.

These attractive and cost-effective units are simple to integrate and operate in existing lines, thanks to a compact design that houses all essential parts inside the homogenizer and a straightforward clamp connection. The innovative technology allows the desired homogenization to be achieved at a lower pressure compared to conventional homogenizers, thanks to the narrow gap within the device. This reduces energy consumption, allowing for long-term cost savings and more efficient line performance.

These new models join a range of market-leading homogenizers sold by Tetra Pak in markets worldwide. For more information visit: Homogenization | Tetra Pak Global.

Media contacts
Henry Stout
Tetra Pak
Henry.stout@tetrapak.com

1Based on the following production scenario: “Pasteurized milk, NIZO 66%, 14 days of shelf life, 2000 L/h and compared to alternative homogenization devices in the market.”

As previously seen on the CSRHub blog.

By Bahar Gidwani

Prime Directive Analytics was established to help investors reclaim their voice in the democratic process. It is a reaction to direct involvement by corporations in U.S. political activity. We recently added Prime Directive Analytics’ “Democracy” signal on 1,410 US Corporations to CSRHub’s big data consensus ESG ratings system.

Like CSRHub, Prime Directive Analytics is built around a mission. It seeks to transform political engagement by:

  • Developing innovative investment products that promote responsible corporate behavior and political transparency.
  • Advocating for stronger corporate self-governance, including limiting political contributions and mandating full disclosure of political activities.
  • Empowering investors with the knowledge, tools, and platforms for collective action to influence corporate governance and drive divestment from and engagement with companies undermining democratic values.
  • Conducting and sharing impactful research on the societal and financial impacts of corporate political activities.

Its data set offers a “PCD” score that includes an evaluation of a company’s influence on our Environment—Planet (P), Social—Community (C), and Democracy (D) performance. Prime Directive Analytics collects data from sources such as company sustainability reports, political report cards, politicians’ voting records, public statements, news reports, consumer opinions, and various government and private databases. It processes this data into scores that tell investors if a company’s political giving aligns with its public values.

Insights from CSRHub’s Integration

Our initial review of Prime Directive Analytics’ ratings showed a low correlation between their PCD and CSRHub’s Overall Rating. This is not surprising given Prime Directive Analytics’ innovative approach.

We found stronger connections when we looked at the three subscores within PCD and compared them to CSRHub’s twelve subcategories. We got an excellent “t-stat” for Prime Directive Analytics’ “C” score when compared with CSRHub’s “Community Development & Philanthropy” (t-stat = 3.34) and “Product” (t-stat = 3.1) ratings. The Democracy (“D”) score had a t-stat of 5.3 when compared to CSRHub’s Leadership Ethics rating.

We love to see new ideas—new ways to examine how entities are responding to the demands from their stakeholders for information and better social performance. Prime Directive Analytics has launched a Citizens Voice Index (CVI) that it is sharing with fund managers and others who want a quantified metric for corporate political influence. We are sure that this and other products from this firm will start to influence both how investors view companies and how companies view themselves.

About Prime Directive Analytics

Prime Directive Analytics empowers investors to address the growing impact of corporate political engagement on democracy. The firm uses deep quantitative methods to evaluate corporate influence in U.S. elections and policy-making. Through metrics such as the Citizens’ Voice Index (CVI) and PCD (Planet, Community, Democracy) Scores, Prime Directive Analytics provides clear, data-driven insights into whether a company’s political spending supports—or undermines—its stated values. Ultimately, the goal is to bring transparency and accountability to corporate political activities, ensuring that investors can invest in alignment with both financial returns and democratic principles

Bahar Gidwani is CTO and Co-founder of CSRHub. He has built and run large technology-based businesses for many years. Bahar holds a CFA, worked on Wall Street with Kidder, Peabody, and with McKinsey & Co. Bahar has consulted to a number of major companies and currently serves on the board of several software and Web companies. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree in physics and astronomy. He plays bridge, races sailboats, and is based in New York City.

About CSRHub

CSRHub offers the most comprehensive global set of Consensus ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ratings, information, and tools. CSRHub’s business intelligence system measures the ESG business impact that drives corporate and investor sustainability decisions.  Founded in 2007, CSRHub covers 58,000+ public and private companies, and provides ESG performance scores on over 38,833 companies from 134 industries in 156 countries. Our Big Data platform uses algorithms to aggregate, normalize and weight ESG metrics from 989 sources to produce a strong consensus signal on corporate sustainability performance. Interested in learning more about CSRHub? Click here.

The Whirlpool Foundation announced that it has awarded 23 scholarships to the students of Whirlpool Corporation employees through the Sons & Daughters College & Vocational Training Scholarship Program. The scholarship program is in its 73rd year.

These scholarships celebrate the best and brightest among high school seniors across Whirlpool Corp. locations – including the company’s 10 U.S. manufacturing communities. The Whirlpool Foundation provides these scholarships through a competitive process in which children of more than 20,000 U.S. Whirlpool Corporation employees are eligible to apply.

“These scholarships can make a tangible impact in helping to pay for the education needed to start the career journey they have been preparing for.” 

“Each year we are honored to invest in the future of some of the brightest high school graduates through this scholarship program,” said Traci Robinson, managing director of the Whirlpool Foundation. “These scholarships can make a tangible impact in helping to pay for the education needed to start the career journey they have been preparing for.”

The following children of Whirlpool Corporation employees have been selected to receive a 2025 scholarship:

  • Abigail Crisp, child of Jason Chad Crisp
  • Allison Kettle, child of Devrim Kettle
  • Ashlyn Bouillon, child of Dennis Bouillon
  • Ashlyn Henry, child of George Henry
  • Brandon Gerding, child of Tracy Gerding
  • Chase Russell, child of Bobby Russell
  • Colton Long, child of Matthew Long
  • Hope Morris, child of Scott Morris
  • Jillian Kaufman, child of Michael Kaufman
  • Kai O’Neal, child of Carmaleta O’Neal
  • Lizzie Gares, child of Amy Gares
  • Luke Felty, child of Greg Felty
  • Mackenzie Hurley, child of Joshua Hurley
  • Matthew Salzman, child of Daniel Salzman
  • Michael Burkhart, child of Bryan Burkhart
  • Mya Inkrott, child of Chad Inkrott
  • Nevaeh Dewitt, child of Mariah Dewitt
  • Ritika Wadke, child of Sonali Wadke
  • Savanna Sanchez, child of Salvador Sanchez
  • Selah Ogle, child of Ashton Ogle
  • Tanishka Jadhav, child of Deepali Jadhav
  • Taylor Fredritz, child of Katherine Fredritz
  • Zoey Burns, child of Daniel Crouse

The Sons & Daughters College & Vocational Training Scholarship Program has provided more than 2,600 scholarships and honor awards totaling over $18 million, with 89 scholarship and award recipients currently attending colleges, universities and vocational schools across the U.S. Children of any full-time Whirlpool Corporation employee at the director level and below are eligible. Students pursuing a 4 year degree will receive $30,000 over 4 years and students working toward a 2 year vocational degree will receive $15,000 over 2 years toward their respective educational costs. Students must maintain a 2.8 grade point average to maintain their scholarship.

Whirlpool Foundation

Since 1952, the Whirlpool Foundation has been making real, positive differences in local communities where Whirlpool Corporation families live and work. This is accomplished through two central pillars: House+Home. “House” supports a decent and affordable place to live and plan for the future, and “Home” focuses on creating thriving, resilient communities with the essential services, quality education, and job training needed to help people dream bigger and do better. The Foundation has an absolute commitment to equality and fairness and takes an innovative approach to social investing that prioritizes impact with measurable results.

View original content here.

Blackbaud, the leading provider of software for powering social impact, has published its 2024 Impact Report, sharing how the company has advanced its environmental, social and governance priorities.
 
“At Blackbaud, we not only continue to fuel social impact through our innovative software solutions, but we also walk the talk by addressing the issues that matter most to our people, our planet, and our society,” said Mike Gianoni, president, CEO, and vice chairman of the board of directors, Blackbaud. “Our latest impact report provides an in-depth look at the standards we hold ourselves to as corporate citizens and the positive changes we’re committed to making in the world. Together we’re driving meaningful change and making a lasting impact.”
 
Achievements across Blackbaud’s key priorities in 2024 included:
People & Culture: Blackbaud is committed to fostering a great place to work with a focus on employee engagement, development, well-being, inclusion and philanthropic commitment. 

  • Philanthropy: More than 70% of Blackbaud employees volunteered in 2024 (global median 23%).
  • Talent Development: Provided 18,000 courses through LinkedIn Learning.
  • Inclusion: 87% of employees feel that the work they do at Blackbaud is important.

Fueling Social Impact: We build a better world by fueling the impact of our customers. Blackbaud software enables individuals, organizations, schools, and corporations to secure the resources they need to drive change.

  • Powering Giving: $100B+ is raised, granted or managed through our platforms every year, and in 2024, Blackbaud processed 20M donations from individuals for good causes through its JustGiving® platform.
  • Empowering Changemakers: Millions of users and supporters in 100+ countries.
  • Enabling Corporate Employee Engagement: 7.5M+ nonprofit organizations available for corporate workplace volunteering and giving through YourCause® from Blackbaud®.
  • Supporting Teachers and Students: 7M+ assignments were created for K-12 students in 2024 through Blackbaud’s learning management system.
  • Investing in the Future of the Social Impact Sector: In 2024, we unveiled six waves of innovation coming to our product portfolio to empower nonprofits, schools, corporate social impact teams, and individual changemakers.

Environmental Sustainability: Blackbaud is committed to reducing its environmental impact and supporting customers in their sustainability efforts. Blackbaud participates in CDP’s public disclosure and aligns its reporting with TCFD recommendations.

  • Responsible Operations: 25% energy reduction and 21% water reduction in Blackbaud’s global headquarters office since 2019.
  • Decarbonization: 100% carbon neutrality for 2024 emissions and a 92% reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions since 2019.
  • Energy Efficiency: Blackbaud’s global headquarters earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® certification for superior energy performance.
  • Climate Impact Recognition: Blackbaud ranked 4th out of 450 companies on USA Today’s list of America’s Climate Leaders 2024.

Governance & Data Responsibility: Customer trust is a top priority and embedded in everything Blackbaud does. 

  • Expertise: Blackbaud’s Chief Data & AI Officer Carrie Cobb was honored as one of DataIQ’s 100 Most Influential People in Data in 2024.
  • Process: Blackbaud formalized its Employee Inclusion and Sustainability Council and established a Generative AI Council and a Deepfake Council to ensure oversight and input on key areas that both employees and customers care about.
  • People: Blackbaud continues to increase the specialization of our team in the areas of incident response, vulnerability management, enterprise architecture, data protection, and more, and the company requires that all employees take trainings on cybersecurity and generative AI.
  • Technology: Blackbaud is ensuring modern technology and platforms are migrating to public cloud environments across the board and has enhanced cloud-based security posture technology and on-premise encryption capabilities to protect against ransomware and malware.

To learn more about how the company is fueling change through its practices, commitments and technology, view the full 2024 Blackbaud Impact Report here.
 
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the leading software provider exclusively dedicated to powering social impact. Serving the nonprofit and education sectors, companies committed to social responsibility and individual change makers, Blackbaud’s essential software is built to accelerate impact in fundraising, nonprofit financial management, digital giving, grantmaking, corporate social responsibility and education management. With millions of users and over $100 billion raised, granted or managed through Blackbaud platforms every year, Blackbaud’s solutions are unleashing the potential of the people and organizations who change the world. Blackbaud has been named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, Quartz’s list of Best Companies for Remote Workers, and Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers. A remote-first company, Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries. Learn more at www.blackbaud.com or follow us on X/Twitter, LinkedInInstagram and Facebook.
 
Media Contact
media@blackbaud.com

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Oil and gas operators in California have a critical compliance deadline approaching. Under Public Resources Code (PRC) section 3285 and California Code of Regulations (CCR), title 14, sections 1765.6 through 1765.9, all operators must submit an annual sensitive receptor inventory and map by July 1, 2025, and every year thereafter.

This blog breaks down exactly what operators need to do to meet these regulatory requirements and avoid enforcement action.

What Is Required? 

All California oil and gas operators must:

  • Identify and report all wellheads, proposed wellheads, and production facilities operated in a field.
  • Submit a sensitive receptor inventory, map, and in some cases, a statement based on the proximity of these assets to Health Protection Zones (HPZs).

Step-by-Step Compliance Checklist 

1. Determine Whether Your Facilities Are Inside or Outside an HPZ

A Health Protection Zone is defined as the area within 3,200 feet of a sensitive receptor. First, categorize each wellhead and production facility as either:

  • Inside an HPZ – within 3,200 feet of at least one sensitive receptor.
  • Outside an HPZ – beyond 3,200 feet from any sensitive receptor.

2. For Facilities Inside an HPZ: Submit a Sensitive Receptor Inventory and Map

  • One sensitive receptor per site is sufficient. You do not need to list every receptor—just a single, non-unique sensitive receptor that places the site inside an HPZ.
  • Use CalGEM’s templates to complete and submit:
  • Inventory file (.xls, .xlsx, or .csv)
  • Map showing the wellhead/facility in relation to the sensitive receptor.
  • You may use Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) or facility plot plans, provided they:
  • Show each wellhead/facility.
  • Show the location of at least one sensitive receptor.
  • Mark all pipelines clearly.
  • When aggregating facilities using P&IDs, one receptor per group is still acceptable.

3. For Facilities Outside an HPZ: Submit a Statement

Operators must provide a statement for each wellhead or facility outside an HPZ, which must:

  • List all features within 3,200 feet of the site.
  • Explain why each feature is not a sensitive receptor as defined in CCR section 1765.1(c).
  • Include detailed information to help CalGEM locate each feature and evaluate the determination (e.g., unofficial parks, open areas, residential zones).
  • Avoid vague conclusions like “not sensitive”—explanations must be clear and fact-based.
  • Statements may be submitted in Excel or combined with P&IDs and maps.

4. Submit All Documents via WellSTAR by July 1, 2025

Documents must be uploaded using the “Organization Questionnaire” in WellSTAR. Follow these steps:

  1. Start a new Organization Questionnaire Form.
  2. Complete steps 1–3.
  3. Upload each document under the appropriate document type:
  4. Annual Sensitive Receptor Inventory
  5. Annual Sensitive Receptor Map
  6. Annual Sensitive Receptor Statement
  7. Finalize submission by completing steps 5–6.

For document format details and templates, visit CalGEM’s Annual Inventory Workbook Template and Maps and Statement Examples on their website.

Tools and Templates Available 

To support compliance, CalGEM offers:

  • Excel and CSV templates for inventories.
  • Mapping examples.
  • P&ID and plot plan guidance.
  • Example statements and formatting options.

Operators are strongly encouraged to use these tools to streamline their submissions.

Enforcement Risks for Noncompliance 

Failure to meet the July 1 deadline or to provide accurate and complete information may result in:

  • Administrative penalties
  • Civil fines
  • Criminal enforcement

This includes non-submission, late submission, or inadequate documentation.

For questions or assistance with uploading into WellSTAR, contact: WellSTAR@conservation.ca.gov

Final Thoughts 

Staying compliant with PRC section 3285 and CalGEM’s regulations is essential for maintaining your license to operate and avoiding regulatory penalties. By preparing and submitting accurate inventories, maps, and statements, operators can ensure they meet legal obligations while demonstrating environmental stewardship.

Don’t wait—start your 2025 HPZ inventory now to meet the July 1 deadline.

Questions? Reach out to our team today for answers! 

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