Tag: 3BL

As global trade is set to double by 2050, according to a new climate advisory report from JP Morgan, port infrastructure around the world faces unprecedented pressures from climate risks, sea-level rise, and escalating demand. Ports handle over 80% of global goods by volume, and without significant upgrades and resilience planning, these critical gateways risk becoming choke points in global commerce.

JP Morgan’s report details a vulnerable industry: annual damage from climate-related natural disasters alone averages $7.6 billion, with risks heavily concentrated in hurricane-prone areas like the U.S. Gulf Coast and typhoon-vulnerable regions of Southeast Asia. By 2050, sea levels could rise to 40 centimeters, potentially costing ports up to $768 billion to adapt and prevent trade disruptions.

DP World’s Action to Future-Proofing Ports

Against this backdrop, DP World is taking proactive steps to ensure sustainable and resilient global trade infrastructure. Recognizing the critical role ports play in the global supply chain, DP World embeds sustainability as a core function across its network, enhancing resilience against climate-related disruptions while significantly reducing its environmental impact.

DP World’s “Our World Our Future” sustainability strategy charts the path to a net zero future by minimizing risks identified in JP Morgan’s report. At Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, DP World oversees comprehensive electrification, deploying electric vehicles and cranes to significantly reduce emissions and enhance operational efficiency. Similarly, at the Canadian ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, DP World manages shore-side power facilities, allowing docked vessels to switch off diesel engines, dramatically reducing local air pollution.

DP World’s Port of Vancouver is also leading the way in renewable fuel consumption and the use of advanced electric handling equipment, further minimizing carbon footprint. Other critical DP World efforts include extensive waste management initiatives at their terminals, like the ‘Zero Landfill’ practices at the Port of Santos, Brazil which substantially reduces consumption and pollution.

Becoming a Global Model to Follow 

JP Morgan highlights a growing gap between adaptation and mitigation planning at global ports – 89% have mitigation plans, yet only 66% have clear adaptation strategies. DP World stands out by bridging this gap, demonstrating global leadership through initiatives like the Thames Freeport in London – dubbed a “low-carbon highway” – where infrastructure electrification, solar energy utilization, and emissions management have become a model for other ports worldwide.

Beyond traditional infrastructure, DP World actively explores nature-based solutions, such as restoring mangroves and coastal ecosystems, creating natural barriers against extreme weather. The company partners with Living Seawalls in countries like Peru and the UAE to restore natural ocean habitats and attract marine life. In Ecuador, DP World is investing in coastal protection through mangrove restoration, which not only mitigates flooding but also enhances biodiversity and supports local communities.

Moving forward: A Mandate for Sustainable Ports

JP Morgan’s research clearly underscores the urgency: the choices ports make today will define their operational viability tomorrow. DP World’s leadership in sustainable port infrastructure shows a clear path forward, balancing environmental responsibility with the demands of a rapidly changing global economy. Their approach doesn’t just anticipate the future – it actively shapes it.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa, July 8, 2025 /3BL/ – KeyBank (NYSE: Key) announces it has awarded Philadelphia and Eastern PA educational organizations with funding in 2024 through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program totaling $527,222. Additional tax credit funding has been awarded through the state’s Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) program and Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) for a total contribution of $1,193,889.

Under the EITC program, Pennsylvania allows individuals and businesses to obtain a state tax credit equal to 90% of their Pennsylvania state tax liability for eligible contributions. These contributions must be made either to schools that provide tuition assistance to students from low-income households or to approved Educational Improvement Organizations.

“KeyBank’s continued support through Pennsylvania’s EITC program reflects our deep commitment to fostering educational access and opportunity to all students in our community,” said Youseff Tannous, KeyBank’s Eastern Pennsylvania Market President. “We recognize the significant impact of the EITC program and the vital role it plays in enabling us to contribute meaningfully to those organizations that are shaping and educating the leaders of tomorrow. Through our investments, we are helping to provide students with access to innovative learning experiences that inspire growth, development, and a brighter future for our communities.”

The EITC program funding from Key ranges from $20,000 to $50,000 and have been made to the following community organizations:

• Children’s Scholarship Fund of Philadelphia
• Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School
• Devon Preparatory School
• Foundation for Catholic Education
• Gladwyne Montessori School
• Joey F. Casey Memorial Foundation
• Montgomery School
• Pen Ryn School
• Philadelphia School of Democracy, Inc.
• The Church Farm School
• The Hillside School
• The Swain School, Inc.
• Upland Country Day School
• Wyndcroft School
• KenCrest Services
• YMCA of Bucks County
• Wonderspring

KeyBank granted an additional $416,667 through the OSTC program, providing scholarships for tuition assistance to eligible students to attend a public or nonpublic school outside of their district. The remaining tax credit program funds were allocated to serve distressed areas or support neighborhood conservation with affordable housing programs, community services, crime prevention, education, job training or neighborhood assistance through the NAP—specifically the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP) and Special Program Priorities (SPP) program.

ABOUT KEYCORP

In 2025, KeyCorp celebrates its bicentennial, marking 200 years of service to clients and communities from Maine to Alaska. To learn more, visit KeyBank Heritage Center. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $189 billion at March 31, 2025.

Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.

Takeda is pleased to announce the publication of its 2025 Annual Integrated Report. The Report, available in both English and Japanese, sets out:

• How Takeda is investing in discovering and developing new, life-transforming treatments
• How the company is working with others to strengthen health care systems around the world
• And, how it’s using new data and digital technologies to revolutionize drug discovery and development.

The Report looks back on a successful FY2024 – a year of strong business performance and renewed confidence in the company’s growth outlook.

It also highlights Takeda’s efforts to minimize its impact on the environment, support innovation and create a culture of lifelong learning for its approximately 50,000 employees worldwide.

“We are enhancing efficiency, growth and resilience across our organization… I am confident that we have a sustainable business strategy that will serve patients, society and shareholders well in the years ahead.”

– Christophe Weber, Takeda President and Chief Executive Officer

Highlights of Takeda’s 2025 Annual Integrated Report

Groundbreaking science

In FY2024, Takeda invested USD 4.9 billion in research and development (R&D). Recent R&D investments have helped the company establish an exciting late-stage pipeline, with the potential to deliver significant value to both patients and Takeda in the coming years.

These late-stage programs are backed up by the company’s cutting-edge research organization and a highly innovative early- to mid-stage pipeline.

Takeda’s portfolio of Growth & Launch products, meanwhile, accounted for 48% of the company’s revenue in FY2024. These products include ENTYVIO®, a treatment for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, QDENGA®, Takeda’s dengue fever vaccine, and FRUZAQLA®, used in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

• First approved in 2022, Qdenga® is now available to help combat rising cases of dengue fever in 29 countries worldwide.

“In this line of work, you have to believe that cures are possible for both rare and more prevalent diseases. They’re possible because we’re living at a time of unparalleled scientific understanding and discovery.”

– Andy Plump, Takeda President of Research and Development

Putting patients first

Takeda is working to remove the many complex social barriers that can prevent people getting the treatment they need.

That means helping train new health workers, improve prevention, screening and diagnosis, and provide financial assistance to patients who can’t afford treatment.

Currently, Takeda is working closely with governments and NGOs to strengthen health care systems in more than 80 Low- and Middle-income countries.

At the same time, the company has partnerships with community organizations across the U.S., reaching nearly 11 million people in FY2024 – improving access to health care, as well as supporting better nutrition and vital education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

• Since 2017, Takeda has enrolled 8,193 people in patient assistance programs in LMICs and countries with evolving health care systems, helping bridge the affordability gap for patients unable to afford prescribed medicines.

Creating a digital pipeline

Digital technology is transforming health care. Takeda is using more real-world and smart technologies like AI to bring better medicines to patients faster.

In doing so, Takeda is creating a digital pipeline to mirror its R&D pipeline, making investments that will revolutionize the company’s approach to developing, manufacturing and marketing its medicines and vaccines.

In particular, the company sees more and more uses for AI – in everything from processing clinical trial data to identifying new efficiencies in its manufacturing.

During the year, Takeda launched Takeda.AI – a hub that brings together its AI initiatives – and Takeda.IO, which allows company teams to create and develop new prototypes in a controlled, secure “sandbox” environment.

• Takeda has 5 Innovation Capability Centers (ICCs) globally. With our ICCs, we’re building many of own AI and GenAI models.

Read More

JACKSON, Tenn., July 8, 2025 /3BL/ – As the first products rolled off the line at the Dixie® Tableware manufacturing site in Jackson, one year ago this month, it marked more than a milestone. It was the first new Dixie® greenfield plant build since the Bowling Green, Kentucky, facility opened in 1991. And it was the beginning of something bigger for the people of Jackson, a vote of confidence in their city, their workforce, and their future.   

Georgia-Pacific selected Jackson because the city has a strong manufacturing footprint, and a highly skilled workforce to support its operations. But the company also noted that Jackson is a wonderful, vibrant community. Leaders at the facility wanted to reflect that spirit — not just in what it makes, but in how it feels for the employees that come into work each day. They turned to local artist and Jackson native Samantha Wood. Her bold, colorful artwork now line the breakroom walls, celebrating everyday moments — the kind Dixie® products are made for — while giving employees and visitors a sense of place and pride. 

Watch the video to learn more.  

View original content here.

The Social Impact Partner Spotlight series highlights various nonprofit organization partners that are leveraging technology to help transform the lives of individuals and communities. This blog features Splunk’s partnership with OpenAQ, Radiant Earth, and WattTime, demonstrating their efforts to enhance data access and digital tools that support informed decision-making for a healthier planet.

Data, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital tools can help uncover solutions to complex environmental challenges that can be implemented at scale for maximum impact. However, while much of the data exists, the datasets are enormous. That means that too often, nonprofits, governments, and other organizations aren’t able to access the data in a searchable and usable way.

In October 2024, Splunk was pleased to provide strategic grants to three nonprofits that are working to advance solutions for a sustainable planet: OpenAQ, Radiant Earth, and WattTime. While each has a distinctive history and approach, they share a commitment to increasing data access and providing digital tools to support better decision-making that will have a positive and lasting impact on our world.

Empowering a global community to improve air quality

OpenAQ is an environmental tech nonprofit focused on increasing access to air quality data to help communities take action to pursue clean air initiatives. Its story started ten years ago when founder Christa Hasenkopf was a State Department scientist working to compile data on air quality at embassies. She quickly learned that data was either nonexistent or not openly available, and when existent, it was challenging to access and not standardized. Christa and her spouse, Joe Flasher, who worked at an engineering company that applies energy and environmental data to global challenges, knew open data was crucial in educating people on the severity of air pollution. They envisioned a universally accessible, open-source database of air quality data, and when they couldn’t find one, they set out to build one.

Today, Open AQ’s open-source, open-access data platform is the largest such platform in the world. It aggregates real-time air quality measurements from thousands of monitoring stations worldwide, harmonizing the data for consistency, focusing on core air pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, NO₂, SO₂, CO and ozone. That data empowers communities to analyze and forecast air quality, raise awareness among the public, and develop solutions to combat air pollution. Users include scientists, journalists, government agencies, entrepreneurs and NGOs, united by a common goal: supporting a world where everyone breathes healthy air.

Making environmental data readily available to more people

Founded in 2016, Radiant Earth enables data-driven decision making to address challenges related to sustainability and conservation. By providing a platform and resources for accessing and utilizing satellite imagery and geospatial data, Radiant Earth is making environmental data more accessible to help governments, research institutions, and civil society organizations address complex global challenges.

One example of this is their work organizing the Cloud-Native Geospatial Forum, which brings geospatial data users together from across government, industry, and academia to develop open and more accessible methods for working with Earth science data over the Internet – including satellite imagery, weather data, and climate models – which can provide vital insights for applications like crop mapping, forest monitoring, and urban planning. This approach is designed specifically to empower researchers in developing countries to access and analyze data that was previously only accessible to research institutions with powerful compute infrastructure.

Creating tools that boost energy efficiency and reduce emissions

What if three simple fixes could save 9+ gigatons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually: changing when we use energy, where we build new clean energy sources and which suppliers we procure from? WattTime is developing innovative data-driven solutions that allow individuals, companies, and governments to make informed energy choices, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing emissions.

WattTime uses real-time electricity grid data to determine the emissions impact of using electricity at any given moment. Founded by UC Berkeley researchers, its tools pinpoint the emissions from generators operating to meet electricity demand, combining this information with forecasting techniques to predict when energy has the lowest GHG emissions. It transforms that data into actionable signals that can automatically adjust the timing of energy use, shared with partners through an API.

Those signals can be used to optimize smart devices like electric vehicles, thermostats and water heaters to use electricity at lower-emission times, with slight timing shifts adding up to significant reductions in emissions. Similarly, it can help assess where building new clean energy sources could have the greatest impact on reducing power grid emissions. That helps increase the adoption of clean energy sources, benefiting both people and our planet.

To learn more about how organizations are harnessing the power of technology to drive climate solutions, visit Cisco’s Climate Grants and Investments page.

View original content here.

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 8, 2025 – Americans can peek into worlds they likely would never see through two video series filmed by small-scale farmers and shared on Fairtrade America’s social media channels.

The video series, filmed by Felix Tetteh, a 27-year-old cocoa farmer from Ghana, and Ana Polo Aguilar, a 35-year-old banana farmer from Ecuador, provide a rare look at the hard work and long journey it takes to make chocolate and bananas appear in grocery stores in the U.S.

• Watch all videos featuring Tetteh on this YouTube playlist
• Watch all videos featuring Polo Aguilar on this YouTube playlist

Most Americans are far removed from the origins of their food. According to 2022 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on-farm employment made up about 1% of 22.1 million jobs in agriculture, food and related industries. And Americans’ widespread access to the Internet, smartphones and computers means grocery shopping can be completed in just a few clicks.

However, whether Americans realize it or not, climate change is affecting their groceries – both in terms of price and the amount of product available. In 2024, cocoa and coffee shortages caused by shifting weather patterns caused commodity prices to skyrocket to record highs, resulting in higher retail prices for shoppers in 2025. And, recent research from Christian Aid predicted that 60% of the areas best suited for growing bananas could be lost by 2080. Many cocoa and banana farms are producing less and, gradually, the dual challenges of climate change and decades of damaging agricultural practices will result in less land suited for farming.

Tetteh’s and Polo Aguilar’s farms are certified by Fairtrade, which means that they implement practices that foster sustainability on their land and within their communities. In return, their cooperatives can market and sell their product as Fairtrade, an alternative form of trade where they receive a set Minimum Price and Premium for their goods that helps stabilize their livelihoods and businesses. They also have greater access to resources, like agricultural inputs and professional development trainings, through their affiliation with Fairtrade.

As a profession, farming has always carried significant risk, but the shifting weather patterns driven by climate change are making it even more uncertain. This, in combination with a long history of exploitation at the hands of powerful food corporations and greater awareness of and access to other career options, is making younger generations turn away from farming. This is a problem because research from the past decade shows that the average age of small-scale farmers who grow most of the world’s cocoa, coffee and bananas is somewhere between 50 and 60 years old. Anecdotally, people in these rural, farming communities worry there will not be enough farmers in younger generations to meet the world’s demand.

Fairtrade America aims to raise awareness of the threats small-scale farmers and our access to food face by sharing Tetteh’s and Polo Aguilar’s stories. Broader recognition of and appreciation for the hard work that goes into our food can help create a fairer, more sustainable future for us all.

Americans who want to help promote fair trade can:

• Follow Fairtrade America on YouTube and Instagram
• Re-post Tetteh’s and Polo Aguilar’s videos on their own social media accounts
• Choose products with the Fairtrade Mark when grocery shopping

###

Notes to Editors:

Raw video files, static images, and bios available on Google Drive.

Tetteh and Polo Aguilar can be reached for interviews. Scheduling needs may vary.

Press Contact:

Liz Davis, ldavis@fairtradeamerica.org

About Fairtrade America: 

Fairtrade America works to rebalance trade, making it a system rooted in partnership and mutual respect rather than exploitation. It’s about businesses, shoppers, farmers and workers all working together so we can all experience the benefits of trade. Fairtrade America is the U.S. branch of Fairtrade International, the original and global leader in fair trade certification with more than 30 years of experience working for fair trading practices in more than 30 countries across the globe. A non-profit 501(c)3 organization, Fairtrade America is part of the world’s largest and most recognized fair trade certification program —part of a global movement for change. Learn more at fairtradeamerica.org, and by connecting with Fairtrade America on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

 

July 8, 2025 /3BL/ – The acquisition, expected to be completed in August 2025, marks an important milestone in SLR’s growth – anchoring our presence in the Middle East at a time when demand for sustainability-focused solutions is rapidly accelerating.

As the need for clean energy, resource-efficient and socially inclusive development grows, clients are looking for credible partners who can navigate technical and regulatory complexity. With Dubai as a base, this acquisition enables SLR to work more closely with clients in the Gulf, while also supporting cross-border investment into Africa and Central Asia.

Founded in 2007, 5 Capitals is recognised as a regional leader in environmental and sustainability consulting. The team of 20 professionals bring local insight and strong technical credibility across power, infrastructure, water and clean energy.

This move further strengthens SLR’s global capabilities – with a now complete on-the-ground presence spanning Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas and now the Middle East. It enables us to deliver more locally grounded, globally aligned solutions to our clients across diverse markets.

Bradley Andrews, CEO at SLR says “This is a significant step in the evolution of our business and reflects our continued commitment to supporting clients wherever they operate. The Middle East is entering an important phase in its clean energy journey, with investment and policy increasingly focused on low-carbon infrastructure and renewables. It’s critical that we’re embedded in the regions where these decisions are being made and implemented. Having collaborated with 5 Capitals on several projects in the region, we’ve not only seen the calibre of the team and the confidence they’ve built with clients – but also their alignment with our purpose and commitment to sustainability. We’re delighted to welcome the 5 Capitals team to SLR.” 

Tasman Graham, Managing Director – Middle East & Africa at SLR says: “As a region that will play a pivotal role in the global energy transition, the Middle East presents a major opportunity for SLR to support clients with responsible investing and greenfield projects – to realise the potential of its abundant solar, wind and mineral resources, while also bringing leadership in social performance, water stewardship and biodiversity conservation. It’s a proud moment to welcome 5 Capitals into the SLR family and to establish a base from which we can grow across this dynamic region.” 

Andrew Burrow, Managing Director at 5 Capitals added: “Our priority has always been our people and our clients. Having established and built this business over almost 20 years from our Gulf Cooperation Council base, we have immense pride in the role that we have played in the environmental revolution that the region has embraced over that period. With the region now set to significantly expand its investments both regionally and internationally, we are delighted to be able to be in a position, through partnership with SLR, to offer our clients best in class advice and innovation and for our staff to have even more opportunity for growth. The SLR culture, leadership and incredible breadth and depth of expertise are not only a perfect match for our client base but give us all great excitement for the next chapter.” 

– ENDS –

For further information please contact: Jola Cronje, Head of Marketing – Africa Group: jola.cronje@slrconsulting.com

About SLR

SLR is a leading global environmental and advisory consultancy, with a team of 4,500+ talented professionals operating from a network of offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Africa.

With the purpose of ‘Making Sustainability Happen’, SLR’s ‘One Team’ of environmental and business consultants, engineers and scientists partner with clients throughout their project life-cycle, from strategy and design, through compliance and operations, to end-of-life and remediation.

Working on diverse and challenging projects, SLR specialises in the built environment, finance, industry, infrastructure, mining & minerals, and power & renewables sectors. Operating across more than 45 technical disciplines, SLR staff help a growing base of business, regulatory and government clients navigate the ever-shifting context of sustainable business.

Find out more: www.slrconsulting.com

Teva is proud to be included in the 2025 TIME and Statista list of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies, a recognition that underscores our commitment to building a healthier, more sustainable world.

Selected from over 5,000 companies worldwide, the top 500 were evaluated on more than 20 key performance indicators including carbon emissions reduction, renewable energy use, DE&I, and ESG transparency. Teva’s inclusion reflects our comprehensive approach to sustainability—prioritizing patient access, resilient operations, ethical governance, and climate action.

“This recognition highlights the real and measurable progress Teva is making to embed sustainability into every part of our business,” SVP Head of Sustainability, Amalia Adler-Waxman.

We’re honored to be included and remain committed to delivering long-term value for patients, communities, and the planet.

View the 2024 Healthy Future Report here.

• 100+ Accelerator was created to rapidly pilot and scale solutions.
• Mondelēz International’s addition reinforces movement among world’s largest brands to collaborate on more sustainable innovation at scale.

CHICAGO, July 7, 2025 /3BL/ – Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) announced it has joined the 100+ Accelerator, the award-winning global platform dedicated to scaling sustainable innovation. Mondelēz International joins AB InBev, The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, and Unilever as the program’s sixth corporate partner as it begins to accept applications for the platform’s seventh cohort of startups.

Launched in 2018 by AB InBev, the 100+ Accelerator was created to rapidly pilot and scale solutions in areas such as regenerative agriculture, circular packaging, and energy efficiency. To date, the program has supported approximately 190 startups across more than 40 countries, many of which have gone on to become integrated partners in global supply chains.

The addition of Mondelēz International strengthens the program’s cross-industry reach and signals a growing movement among the world’s largest brands to collaborate on more sustainable innovation at scale.

“Joining the 100+ Accelerator is a natural extension of our Sustainability strategy—a strategy that is resilient and built with an aim for long-term, sustainable business growth,” said Christine Montenegro McGrath, Chief Impact and Sustainability Officer, Mondelēz International. “We strive to continue building a snacking company that helps drive positive impact at scale. We believe this collaboration would allow us to further help startup sustainability innovators move further, faster by harnessing collective industry expertise and delivering more meaningful solutions for people and the planet.”

“Having Mondelēz International join the 100+ Accelerator brings a fresh perspective to the program that strengthens our reach and impact,” said Ingrid De Ryck, Chief Sustainability Officer at AB InBev. “By working across industries, we’re unlocking bold solutions that can help transform global supply chains.”

The 100+ Accelerator provides startups with funding, mentorship, and the opportunity to pilot their innovations in real-world corporate environments. Through close collaboration with corporate teams, entrepreneurs can refine and scale their technologies while accelerating time to impact.

Recent innovations from the program include:

• Smallholder support platforms that enhance agricultural sustainability and farmer livelihoods.
• Low-emission logistics including EV retrofitting, biofuels, and smart fleet analytics.
• Creating circular systems including compostable and bio-based packaging from bacterial cellulose, and more.
• Water efficiency solutions using advanced nanotechnology, spectroscopy, and electrochemistry.

Applications for the seventh cohort of the 100+ Accelerator are now open. Entrepreneurs around the world are invited to apply at www.100accelerator.com.

With the combined capabilities of Mondelēz International, AB InBev, The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, and Unilever, we believe the 100+ Accelerator is accelerating the future of more sustainable business—together.

About Mondelēz International
Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries around the world. With 2024 net revenues of approximately $36.4 billion, MDLZ is leading the future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such as Oreo, Ritz, LU, Clif Bar and Tate’s Bake Shop biscuits and baked snacks, as well as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate. Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Dow Jones Best-in-Class North America and World Indices, formerly Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company on X at x.com/MDLZ.

About The 100+ Accelerator
The 100+ Accelerator is a global innovation program that partners with cutting-edge startups to solve some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges. Backed by six global consumer goods companies, AB InBev, The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Mondelēz International, and Unilever, the accelerator focuses on solutions across water, energy efficiency, circular economy, and sustainable agriculture. Since launch, the 100+ Accelerator has supported nearly 200 startups across more than 40 countries, delivering business and environmental impact. Learn more at www.100accelerator.com.

Contacts:
Maggie McKerr
1-847-943-5678
news@mdlz.com
 

Originally published by Authority Magazine

As a part of our series about “Social Impact Investors”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Grady Crosby, chief sustainability and impact officer at Northwestern Mutual. Grady Crosby is responsible for developing strategies and driving the overall execution of the company’s community impact and sustainability programs. He and his team collaborate with the enterprise sustainability and impact (ESI) leadership council to address the organization’s approach to sustainability and impact matters across a broad spectrum. Grady is passionate about Social Impact and seeks to mix industry best practices with fit-for-purpose creative solutioning to continually shape Northwestern Mutual’s community revitalization initiatives and work closing the ‘wealth gap’ in their hometown of Milwaukee. Personally, Grady is committed to community involvement and serves on the boards of: Marcus Performing Arts Center, Visit Milwaukee, Wisconsin Policy Forum, and the Wisconsin Center District.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Curiosity! In some cases, curiosity kills the cat. In my case, curiosity brought me to this career path.

In college, I spent a summer interning on the Senate side of Capitol Hill. I quickly learned some of the most fascinating positions require a JD degree, so I pursued a career in law. My legal career — which primarily focused on in-house corporate council — seemed to always involve issues related to people and the environment, whether it was striving to preserve community resources while building and operating textile sewing facilities in Vietnam or ensuring the manufacturing of lead-acid batteries in Asia, South America and Europe was done responsibly. Balancing community and development interests while being environmentally conscious provided the initial steppingstones toward my interest in sustainable development.

This ultimately led me to where I am today: a recovering attorney working on issues related to how sustainability and impact can help mitigate business risks and create opportunities for long-term sustainable growth and value creation.

In 2022, I retired after a very fulfilling career. Then just three months later, an opportunity to be Northwestern Mutual’s Chief Sustainability and Impact Officer was presented, and my retirement ended then and there. I was excited about the prospect of working at Northwestern Mutual, a values-driven company with a deep commitment to doing what’s right. In fact, one of the things that drew me in was Northwestern Mutual’s mission to free Americans from financial anxiety and strengthen financial security across generations.

Since starting here, I’ve seen how that commitment goes beyond our core financial services offering. Being here allows me to be part of an organization that is serious about investing in opportunities to drive positive change — not just for today, but for generations to come. That long-term perspective and deep sense of responsibility are what brought me to Northwestern Mutual, and it’s what continues to inspire me every day.

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