Tag: 3BL

NEW YORK, August 11, 2026 /3BL/ – On September 16, 2026, leaders from government, business, civil society, and academia will convene at the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Washington, D.C. for the inaugural Concordia Washington, D.C. Forum, a new gathering built to explore the geopolitical, economic, and strategic developments shaping one of the world’s most dynamic regions.

As the Gulf continues to emerge as a global hub for investment, innovation, energy, healthcare, and technology, while navigating an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, the need for informed, cross-sector dialogue has never been greater. At the same time, the United States continues to redefine its strategic partnerships across the region, making this an essential moment to bring together the leaders shaping what comes next. The region is also experiencing its greatest geostrategic challenge, making this a vital moment to host these discussions. It is exactly this kind of moment that Concordia was built to meet.

The Washington, D.C. Forum builds upon Concordia’s longstanding commitment to fostering practical dialogue between the public and private sectors. Over the past sixteen years, Concordia has convened presidents, ministers, CEOs, investors, and civil society leaders from across the Gulf and the broader Middle East, creating opportunities for collaboration around the issues driving global affairs.

“For more than sixteen years, Concordia has convened leaders at the moments when dialogue matters most. As the Gulf continues to emerge as one of the world’s most influential regions for investment, innovation, energy, and geopolitics, we believe there is tremendous value in creating a dedicated forum that brings together the people shaping its future.” said Matthew Swift, Concordia’s Co-Founder, President & CEO, “The Washington, D.C. Forum is an opportunity to strengthen relationships, exchange perspectives, and foster the kind of cross-sector collaboration that leads to lasting impact.” 

The Forum will feature a full day of programming, conducted under the Chatham House Rule, to encourage candid discussion among senior decision-makers. Through a combination of fireside conversations and strategic dialogues, participants will explore topics including:

• Geopolitical security
• Economic investment
• Energy
• Health
• Emerging technology

The day will conclude with a private reception, providing additional opportunities for participants to continue conversations and build new relationships across sectors.

“The Gulf region is at an important moment of transformation, presenting both significant opportunities and complex challenges that will have implications well beyond the region,” said His Excellency Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States. “We are pleased to host Concordia’s inaugural Washington, D.C. Forum and provide a platform for leaders from across sectors to engage in meaningful dialogue at this important moment. We look forward to welcoming participants for a timely and substantive conversation on the future of U.S.-Gulf relations and the opportunities that lie ahead.” 

The Washington, D.C. Forum represents the next evolution of Concordia’s global convening platform, creating a dedicated space for leaders to exchange ideas, identify opportunities, and strengthen partnerships at a defining moment for U.S.-Gulf relations.

We look forward to welcoming our community to Washington this September.

About Concordia 
Concordia is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to actively fostering, elevating, and sustaining cross-sector partnerships for social impact. Through its Annual Summit in New York, Horizon Summits held around the world, and year-round programming, Concordia convenes leaders from business, government, and civil society to drive collaboration and measurable change.

Media Contact 
Mateo Carvajal González 
Media Relations Manager, Concordia 
mcarvajal@concordia.net

PepsiCo

Across the globe, the future of food is being shaped by an urgent question: Who will grow it next?

Agriculture is at a pivotal moment. Farmers are being asked to produce food, adapt to a changing climate, protect soil health and play a part in strengthening rural economies. Yet in many major farming regions, farmers are getting older while too few young people are entering the sector. In Europe, only around 11% of farm managers are under 40. In the U.S., producers under 35 represent just 9% of all farmers, while the average producer age is 58.1.

Global challenge, local pathways

For PepsiCo, a food and drinks company rooted in agriculture, this transition matters. The company sources crops from farmers in more than 60 countries, making resilient harvests, healthy soil and thriving farming communities essential to its long-term success.

Young and early-career farmers often face significant barriers, from land access and capital to rising costs, unpredictable weather, technology choices and the challenge of building a profitable business. PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation are supporting programs that help address those barriers in practical ways: building skills and confidence among young farmers in Europe, creating agriculture career pathways in the U.S., strengthening smallholder plantain communities in Latin America and supporting emerging farmers and food system entrepreneurs in South Africa.

Europe: Building skills for resilient, future-ready farms

In Europe, Future Harvest, backed by the PepsiCo Foundation and delivered with EIT Food and local partners, aims to support around 900 young and next-generation farmers across France, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, and Türkiye in 2026. Through online learning, farm experiences, mentoring, peer exchange and field visits, participants build practical skills in regenerative and climate-resilient farming, digital tools, agritech, farm business management, entrepreneurship and leadership.

The goal is to help farmers apply what they learn directly on their land and in their businesses. “Our connection to agriculture starts with the people who grow the crops that make our products possible. Supporting the next generation of farmers is essential to building a more resilient food system,” said Monica Bauer, senior vice president, Global Social Impact, PepsiCo, and president, PepsiCo Foundation.

U.S.: Creating clearer pathways into agriculture careers

In the U.S., PepsiCo Foods North America’s Planting Pathways Initiative is focused on expanding opportunity in agriculture and strengthening the pipeline of future agriculture leaders through collaborations with Practical Farmers of Iowa and Farm Foundation.

One part of that work is Field to Future, a two-year leadership and career development program that supports college students interested in agriculture and food systems through scholarships, mentorship, networking, professional development, value chain exposure and potential paid internships with PepsiCo’s agriculture supply chain.

For Maya Cohen, a Field to Future intern, that experience made agriculture feel more practical and attainable. “Although taking classes is useful, there is nothing like getting hands-on experience. The combination of mentorship, workshops and an internship that the Field to Future program offers is ultimately incomparable.”

That exposure can turn interest into opportunity. Members of the first Field to Future cohort have taken part in monthly connects, industry events and development experiences, including Potato Expo and the Women in Agribusiness Summit. Several have gone on to employment at PepsiCo after completing the program.

Latin America: Strengthening smallholder livelihoods to attract new growers

In Latin America, the pipeline challenge looks different. For many smallholder farmers, the question is how to strengthen livelihoods and make farming more resilient for families already working the land. Plantain, a key crop used to make NatuChips, is one example.

Through the PepsiCo Foundation’s three-year Agrovita program with Proforest, Walmart Foundation Mexico and TechnoServe, plantain, palm oil and cocoa farmers in Mexico are receiving training and tools to improve soil health, increase yields and strengthen farm resilience. The program has engaged 4,255 farmers in regenerative practices across more than 8,000 hectares and established 20 demonstration farms, 17 community orchards and 14 rainwater harvesting systems.

“Los PAPIs,” the first rural cooperative formed through the collaboration, was able to sell plantain to PepsiCo Mexico Foods for NatuChips, connecting smallholder farmers to a branded product while helping build local capability and organization.

For Gustavo Méndez, a participating smallholder plantain farmer and member of Los PAPIs cooperative, that connection has helped make the future feel more secure. “Before Agrovita, we sold our product to intermediaries. Today, we see ourselves as entrepreneurs, and we have expanded our opportunities by supplying larger companies such as PepsiCo,” Méndez said.

South Africa: Supporting emerging farmers

In South Africa, that connection is coming to life through the Kgodiso Development Fund, established in 2020 by PepsiCo following the acquisition of Pioneer Foods. The fund helps commercialize farmer enterprises across the South African food system through inclusive funding, tailored business support and improved access to markets.

In the Northern Cape, where PepsiCo is a large procurer of raisins for its Safari and Simba brands, Kgodiso has invested in a program with Raisins South Africa to establish a Vine Academy and Model Farm in Kakamas, as well as funding for three up-and-coming farmers to expand raisin production. The academy provides practical training for emerging farmers and farm workers, while the model farm supports research and best-practice demonstration. For aspiring farmers, that combination of skills, technical support and route-to-market access can help turn farming from a fragile livelihood into a more viable enterprise.

Building the future of farming together

No single organization can transform the food system alone. Governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, educational institutions and farmers all have a role to play in helping more people enter, stay and thrive in agriculture. For PepsiCo, that work is connected to a broader footprint spanning more than 50 crops and ingredients and to the resilience of communities and supply chains behind brands such as Lay’s, Doritos and NatuChips.

As older farmers approach retirement, attracting and retaining young farmers will become even more important. The next generation brings new ideas, tools and approaches, but they also need a stronger bridge into the sector.

By investing in skills, innovation, mentorship and collaboration, PepsiCo aims to help more farmers and future agriculture leaders build viable, resilient livelihoods — supporting the people who grow food today and helping ensure there is a next generation ready to grow it tomorrow.

For much of the AI boom, conversations about infrastructure have centered on chips, power and land. GPUs have dominated headlines, utilities have raced to meet unprecedented electricity demand, and developers have searched for sites with available capacity. Yet one critical factor has received far less attention: the supply chain.

A new report from DP World and Supply Chain Dive’s Studio by Informa TechTarget – The Infrastructure Behind AI: Why Data Center Supply Chains Are the New Critical Path – argues that logistics has become a defining factor in AI deployment. As global data center investment approaches $3 trillion by 2030, supply chain performance is increasingly determining how quickly new compute capacity comes online.

Unlike traditional supply chains, data center logistics involve coordinating hyperscale construction schedules with deliveries of oversized transformers, long-lead electrical equipment, high-value GPU clusters and other specialized infrastructure.

Many of these components must move across multiple countries while navigating customs requirements, regulatory compliance and tight installation windows. A delay is no longer simply an inconvenience – it can postpone AI deployment and leave significant capital sitting idle.

The report illustrates how common these disruptions have become. Nearly seven in 10 respondents (67%) reported experiencing cybersecurity-related supply chain disruptions during 2025, while 51% encountered supplier failures and 44% dealt with material shortages. Together, these findings suggest that the industry’s greatest challenges extend well beyond hardware availability.

The implications are significant. Every delayed transformer can postpone site energization. Every shipment held at customs can prevent an AI cluster from becoming operational. In an environment where organizations are racing to deploy infrastructure, logistics performance increasingly translates directly into infrastructure performance.

That reality is changing how executives think about supply chains. Rather than treating logistics as a back-office function focused on procurement and transportation, organizations are recognizing it as a strategic capability that directly affects revenue generation and competitive positioning.

“As the report makes clear, supply chain strategy is infrastructure strategy,” said Ya-Han Brownlee-Chen, Vice President – Data Center Strategy, DP World in the Americas. “The ability to anticipate disruption, secure critical components and maintain end-to-end visibility will determine how quickly organizations can deploy compute capacity and scale for future demand.”

The report also highlights the specialized nature of modern data center logistics. Secure chain-of-custody procedures, white-glove handling, real-time shipment visibility and synchronized delivery schedules have become essential components of successful deployments rather than premium services.

As AI adoption accelerates, organizations that can move infrastructure efficiently may gain as much competitive advantage as those that secure the latest chips. The race to build AI infrastructure is no longer determined solely by what companies can buy. It is increasingly determined by how effectively they can deliver, protect and install it.

In the AI economy, logistics is no longer supporting infrastructure – it has become infrastructure.

Download The Infrastructure Behind AI: Why Data Center Supply Chains Are the New Critical Path.

AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, OAKLAND, Calif., August 11, 2026 /3BL/ – The 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting, taking place September 15–17 in Athens, Greece, will convene leaders from across the global consumer goods value chain to tackle one of the industry’s defining questions: how to accelerate meaningful, system-wide transformation. Guiding those conversations as this year’s co-chairs are Sean Cady, vice president, global sustainability, responsibility, trade, and government affairs at VF Corporation, and Dr. Delman Lee, vice chair at TAL Apparel Limited.

“At VF Corporation, we believe reducing the environmental impact of global supply chains requires robust measurement and analysis followed by collective action by all actors. At this year’s Cascale Annual Meeting we will continue to use our voice and scale to help align decision-makers across the industry to drive focused, systemic interventions for the betterment of the planet and its people.” — Sean Cady, VP, Global Sustainability, Responsibility, Trade, and Government Affairs at VF Corporation

“True transformation in consumer goods depends on deep collaboration across the value chain. We are committed to building a program that addresses the realities of the broader system and also helps scale the innovation and financing models needed to support a resilient and sustainable system for all.” — Dr. Delman Lee, Vice Chair at TAL Apparel Limited

Key Takeaways

• Industry leaders to guide critical conversations: Sean Cady (VF Corporation) and Dr. Delman Lee (TAL Apparel Limited) will serve as co-chairs of the 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting, taking place September 15–17 in Athens, Greece.
• Collaboration in action: Sessions will spotlight practical solutions — including financing models, strategic partnerships, and cross-value-chain collaboration — to help organizations accelerate measurable impact.
• Experience the cotton value chain firsthand: An optional European Cotton Alliance field trip will connect participants with sustainable sourcing, regenerative farming, and real-world collaboration across the cotton value chain.
• Registration and sponsorship now available: Organizations can register to attend or explore sponsorship opportunities to connect with hundreds of leaders shaping the future of the consumer goods industry.

Co-Creating Future Solutions

This year’s program will move beyond historical discussions to identify and drive solutions that reduce the industry’s social and environmental impact while supporting those that work throughout global supply chains. Guided by the event co-chairs, sessions will examine the structural barriers that continue to slow progress on sustainability and emerging practical solutions to overcome them, as well as future opportunities that can help organizations scale impact together.

From Discussion to Action

Attendees will have opportunities to engage with global brands, manufacturers, retailers, policymakers, investors, and solution providers through keynote presentations, interactive discussions, networking events, and collaborative working sessions designed to spark new ideas and accelerate action beyond the meeting itself.

Highlighting the fact that Greece is the European Union’s largest cotton producer – accounting for roughly 80 percent of EU cotton production – an optional field trip, hosted by the European Cotton Alliance, will showcase sustainable sourcing, regenerative farming, and collaborative approaches to building more resilient supply chains. The limited-capacity field trip is open to all Annual Meeting attendees, including interested media.

Join the Conversation in Athens

The 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting is proudly supported by lead sponsor, Worldly; additional sponsors include VF Corporation, TAL Apparel Limited, Better Cotton, Cotton Council International, Fair Wear Foundation, GSCS International, HQTS, Inspectorio, Lenzing AG, and many more.

Learn more and register for the Cascale Annual Meeting 2026!

To learn more about sponsorship packages, please contact Cascale’s events team.

Media Contact: Forster Communications, cascaleforster@forster.co.uk

ABOUT CASCALE

Cascale is the global nonprofit industry alliance where consumer goods organizations turn shared sustainability ambitions into measurable progress at scale to combat climate change and support decent work for all. We unite 300 Corporate and Affiliate members in pre-competitive collaboration, turning shared measurement and collective action into reduced risk, stronger credibility, and long-term resilience. Our work is anchored by Cascale’s stewardship of the Higg Index frameworks (accessed through the Worldly technology platform), along with the Better Buying and Sustainable Furnishings Council tools.

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CLEVELAND, August 7, 2026 /3BL/ – KeyBank announced a commitment of $105,000 to support four summer enrichment programs serving children and families living in affordable housing communities throughout Cleveland. Administered through a partnership with OCCH and their philanthropic arm, OCIC, the funding will help provide safe, engaging, and educational summer experiences for an estimated 1,375 individuals.

The investment will support programs operated by affordable housing partners including Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Pennrose, and The Community Builders, benefiting residents at Riverside Park, Carver Park, Heritage View, Sankofa Village, Cedar Redevelopment and Woodhill Homes communities.

“Summer programs provide much more than recreation. They create opportunities for learning, personal growth, and community connection,” said Celia Smoot, Head of Equity Originations, KeyBank CDLI. “At KeyBank, we believe every child deserves access to enriching experiences that help them build confidence, develop skills and reach their full potential. We are proud to partner with OCCH and these outstanding organizations to support youth and families across Cleveland.”

The four funded programs include:

• Unlock the Magic of Healthy Living NOW at Riverside Park.
• Little Hands Big Dreams Summer Camp at Carver Park and Heritage View.
• Sankofa Summer Youth Enrichment Program at Sankofa Village and Cedar Redevelopment communities.
• Woodhill Homes Summer Enrichment Camp at Woodhill Station West and Woodhill Center East.

Collectively, the camps will offer multiple weeks of structured programming focused on academic enrichment, healthy lifestyles, leadership development, social-emotional learning, arts, recreation, and youth engagement.

“Access to quality summer programming is an important component of strong communities and positive youth development,” said Tiffany Patterson, Vice President of Grants & Programs, OCIC. “We appreciate KeyBank’s continued commitment to the residents of affordable housing communities and its investment in opportunities that help children learn, grow and thrive.”

The funding reflects KeyBank’s ongoing commitment to strengthening neighborhoods and expanding opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families through strategic community investments. By supporting programs that serve children where they live, KeyBank and OCCH are helping ensure that youth have access to safe, supportive environments during the summer months.

About KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment
KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) finances projects that stabilize and revitalize communities across all 50 states. As one of the top affordable housing capital providers in the country, KeyBank’s platform brings together construction, acquisition, bridge-to-re-syndication, and preservation loans, as well as lines of credit, Agency and HUD permanent mortgage executions, and equity investments for low-income housing projects, especially Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) financing. KeyBank has earned 11 consecutive “Outstanding” ratings on the Community Reinvestment Act exam, from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, making it the first U.S. national bank among the 25 largest to do so since the Act’s passage in 1977.

About KeyCorp
KeyCorp’s roots trace back 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $191 billion at June 30, 2026. 

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 is Member FDIC. 

About OCCH
OCCH is a nonprofit low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) syndicator. For 37 years, OCCH has leveraged investor capital to enable affordable housing developments across multiple states, supporting the creation and preservation of affordable homes and strengthening communities through housing and partnerships. OCCH supports developments and partners throughout the investment lifetime through its expertise and affiliate organizations, including Community Properties of Ohio (CPO), OCFC, OCIC, and the Affordable Housing Training Academy (AHTA). For more information, visit https://www.occh.org.

CONTACT:    
Laura Mimura
216-471-2883
Laura_J_Mimura@KeyBank.com                   

KEY MEDIA NEWSROOM:   
Key.com/newsroom

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NEW YORK, August 11, 2026 /3BL/ – Novata, a sustainability data and technology provider and B-corp certified public benefit corporation, announced today that it has been ranked in the top 5% of the 2026 Inc. 5000, the annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. Novata is ranked No. 244, with 1,400% approximate three-year revenue growth from 2022 to 2025, reflecting the company’s momentum as a leading provider of technology infrastructure that help investors and companies manage sustainability data, navigate evolving requirements, and make more informed business decisions.The list is the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s most successful independent and entrepreneurial businesses, recognizing companies that have achieved remarkable growth while driving innovation, creating jobs, and shaping the future of the economy. Past honorees include companies such as Microsoft, Meta, Chobani, Oracle, and Patagonia.

“Being recognized on the Inc. 5000 is a gratifying milestone for Novata and reflects the momentum we’ve achieved by helping organizations turn sustainability data into business value,” said Alex Friedman, Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Novata. “As organizations increasingly seek to better assess and manage financially material risks in areas spanning climate to governance, we’re proud to help them navigate a rapidly evolving landscape with technology and insights they can trust. And we are deeply grateful to our clients and partners, and all who have been part of our journey.”

Since its founding in 2021, Novata’s platform helps investors and companies manage sustainability data, from data collection and carbon accounting to regulatory reporting, benchmarking, and risk monitoring. Today, the company serves more than 400 clients and supports sustainability reporting across more than 13,000 companies, with teams in four global locations. Novata has also continued to invest in AI-powered capabilities to help organizations turn sustainability data into actionable business insights.

“Our growth is a reflection of the people behind Novata. Being ranked among the top 5% on the Inc. 5000 is a testament to the dedication, curiosity, and collaboration of a team that’s committed to simplifying sustainability,” said Josh Green, Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Novata. “We’ve grown significantly over the past three years, but what I’m most proud of is how our team has continued to innovate and deliver as the sustainability landscape has become more complex. I’m excited about what we can accomplish together in the years ahead.”

The Inc. 5000 recognition comes as Novata celebrates its fifth anniversary, marking a significant milestone since the company’s founding. In just five years, Novata has formed over 20 partnerships and significantly expanded its product and service offerings, launching new capabilities including Risk Atlas, Novata for Supply Chains, end-to-end carbon accounting and management, regulatory solutions, expanded benchmarking & proxy data capabilities, Advisory services, and more. Together, these offerings reflect Novata’s commitment to providing clients with the infrastructure they need to achieve their sustainability goals and build long-term value.

This year’s Inc. 5000 recognizes a new class of companies redefining what growth looks like. From AI and advanced manufacturing to healthcare, consumer products, and professional services, these businesses are expanding their impact, creating jobs and proving that entrepreneurial ambition continues to fuel the U.S. economy. Among the 5,000 companies on the list, the median three-year revenue growth rate was 130%, and those companies have collectively added more than 627,208 jobs to the U.S. economy over the past three years.

“Every company on the Inc. 5000 has a story of perseverance, smart decision making, and a refusal to sit still,” says Mike Hofman, editor-in-chief of Inc. “Their growth reflects more than strong financial performance–it reflects creativity, resilience, and the customer focus required to build companies that make a lasting impact. We congratulate all honorees on this significant achievement.”

For the full Inc. 5000 list, honoree company profiles, and a searchable database by industry and location, please visit: www.inc.com/inc5000.

Inc. 5000 List Methodology

Companies on the 2026 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2022 to 2025. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2022. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2025. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2022 is $100,000; the minimum for 2025 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons.

About Novata

Novata’s solutions make it easy for organizations to achieve their sustainability goals and create value. Our trusted sustainability management platform and advisory practice empowers organizations to automate data collection and reporting, streamline carbon accounting, simplify regulations, benchmark performance, and monitor risk.

Backed by the Ford Foundation, Hamilton Lane, Microsoft, Motive Partners, Omidyar Network, Northern Trust and S&P Global, Novata is majority controlled by mission-driven organizations and its employees, and is a B-Corp-certified public benefit corporation.

Learn more at novata.com.

About Inc. 

Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

Read on Cisco’s Blog

As part of my work at Cisco, I often emphasize the power of proximity and how true impact isn’t delivered from a distance; it happens when we show up, listen, and align our global resources with the heartbeat of local communities. This is the foundation of our 40 Communities (40C) Initiative: bringing together four decades of trust, expertise, and innovation to engage, support, and invest in 40 communities around the world over 10 years.

Already, we’ve seen some early successes in our existing 40C sites in Western Northern Carolina in the US and Mumbai, India, where we’re working to bridge local challenges in partnership with community partners. These solutions include creating pathways for employment opportunities, introducing learning programs to develop AI and cybersecurity skills, rebuilding homes in disaster-stricken areas, and tackling water and waste management issues. We have work to do, but I’m proud of the progress we’re making to address critical issues for these communities.

New 40C Site: Johannesburg 

As we continue to expand and drive impact through our 40C Initiative, I am excited to share that our next site is Johannesburg, our first in Africa. Cisco’s history in South Africa spans three decades, rooted in the belief that technology is the great equalizer. Through programs like Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) and Cisco Networking Academy we’ve been able to complete 24 projects to digitally transform South Africa and educate over 600,000 learners in digital skills.

To reach these heights, I am truly grateful that our work in South Africa wasn’t done in isolation. It was made possible through meaningful partnerships with government entities such as the Department of Higher Education and Training, South Africa; the State Information Technology Agency; and the National Library of South Africa, among others. Many of the relationships were introduced and built through our work with community organizations – and the reason why our local community partnerships are critical. They help us get connected to local leaders, government and NGOs, and help us build an ecosystem of resources to tap into to meet our social impact and business goals.

A New Collaboration: Masibambisane with Jozi My Jozi

At the center of this work is Masibambisane (pronounced “mah-see-bahm-bee-SAH-neh” meaning, “let us work together”), a multi-year collaboration with Jozi My Jozi, a citywide coalition of more than 140 organizations spanning government, business, civil society, academia, and local communities. Cisco will become Jozi My Jozi’s first U.S.-based strategic partner, and Jozi My Jozi will serve as Cisco’s anchor institution for 40C Johannesburg. Together, we aim to co-create and co-execute on local revitalization opportunities and initiatives that build overall capacity within the community, yield measurable outcomes, and ensure long-term sustained impact across four priority workstreams:

• Digital education and skilling
• Connected safety
• Smart mobility and transit
• Responsible giving, volunteer engagement, and community activation

To bring these workstreams to life, we’ll combine Jozi My Jozi’s deep local relationships, coalition leadership, and ecosystem coordination with Cisco’s technology expertise, solution architectures, and global resources. Together, we’ll identify opportunities across Cisco’s portfolio, including Cisco Networking Academy, Country Digital Acceleration (CDA), and other innovation initiatives, to strengthen community outcomes and accelerate long-term revitalization.

“This partnership is about much more than technology. It is about bringing together the energy of our people, the commitment of our partners and Cisco’s global capability to help restore hope, dignity and pride in Johannesburg. Jozi My Jozi is a super-connector for this city, and Cisco is a global connector. Through Masibambisane, we have an opportunity to show what becomes possible when local action is strengthened by global perspective and practical support.” — Innocent Mabusela, CEO, Jozi My Jozi

Our Ongoing Commitment to Social Impact in South Africa 

Our work in South Africa doesn’t stop with the Masibambisane coalition. We’ll be investing in our ongoing local partnerships to empower the next generation as part of our larger 40C initiative. This includes introducing a new collaboration with the Raspberry Pi Foundation and EduNova to increase AI literacy for educators and students across Gauteng. We’ll also be looking to expand our work with Camp Sizanani to equip underserved youth with the financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills needed to thrive in an AI-powered economy.

Beyond 40C, we’ll continue making impact through the Cisco Foundation and our broader Social Impact investments in South Africa as well. Whether empowering women in off-grid communities through our Networking Academy partnership with the Lindamahle Innovation Centre, or investing in STEM scholarships via StudyTrust, we are committed to closing the digital divide.

“Through our collaboration with Cisco Networking Academy and in support of government’s vision to connect communities, we have equipped students with the digital skills they need to unlock economic opportunities and build a more connected future for the Eastern Cape” — Zine Nkukwana, CEO of Lindamahle.

Our story on social impact also wouldn’t be complete without our people, Cisco employees, doing their part as engines of this impact. In South Africa, our teams have dedicated thousands of hours to mentorship and volunteership through our Time2Give program, helping students transition from the classroom to the workplace and ensuring our technology serves the people who need it most.

A Shared Vision for the Future

There’s no doubt that the work ahead is substantial. However, we’re confident that through our history of engagement in South Africa, a network of more than 140 partners, and a shared commitment to the city’s long-term revitalization, we can build a more connected, resilient and thriving community starting with Johannesburg.

What I’m most excited about is this marks the start of a new effort to revitalize the region and deepens our longstanding partnerships there.

By embracing the spirit of Masibambisane (“let us work together”) we can demonstrate what happens when global innovation meets deep-rooted local insight. We are honored to walk this path alongside our partners and look forward to collaborating on a model of community-led resilience and sustainable growth across the region for generations to come.

AI can help your small business work smarter, grow faster, and achieve more.

The Digital Ready AI Accelerator is a free, exclusive 12-week program, sponsored by Verizon Small Business Digital Ready in partnership with Next Street, that begins this September and helps small business owners move from exploring AI to actually using it, with expert support every step of the way.

Here’s what the 12 weeks look like: You’ll pick one process in your business – like marketing, sales, finance, or data analysis – and build a real AI-driven workflow around it.

Along the way, you’ll get:

• Weekly expert-led workshops with guest speakers from Google, OpenAI, Mastercard, and more.
• Hands-on access to leading AI platforms, so you can test tools using your own business instead of guessing.
• A dedicated mentor through weekly group sessions and one-on-one coaching as you build your implementation plan.

This program is designed for small business owners with established operations, repeatable processes, and recurring revenue who are ready to put AI to work.

Only 50 businesses will be selected. Applications close August 21 – apply now.

Key Takeaways:

• SFDR requires real estate funds to disclose how sustainability risks and ESG impacts are incorporated into investment decisions.
• Article 6, 8, and 9 funds each have different disclosure expectations and sustainability objectives.
• SFDR works alongside the EU Taxonomy and CSRD to improve the quality and consistency of sustainability data.
• Proposed reforms would simplify SFDR reporting and replace Articles 8 and 9 with new voluntary product categories.
• UK asset managers investing in Europe may need to comply with both UK SDR and EU SFDR requirements.

The EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) was written to curb greenwashing and give investors sustainability information that supports informed decision-making. It requires companies to disclose how they integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks and adverse impacts into investment decisions.

SFDR now shapes how capital is raised, deployed, and reported across European property markets. For real estate, an industry responsible for a large share of energy use and emissions, SFDR’s transparency push is changing everything from fund structuring to asset level business plans.

What Does SFDR Require?

SFDR is a disclosure regime that applies at both entity and product level. Under it, real estate fund managers must document how they integrate sustainability risks, whether they consider principal adverse impacts (PAIs), and which sustainability category their fund falls into:

• Article 6: Funds without a sustainability scope
• Article 8: Funds that promote environmental or social characteristics (light green)
• Article 9: Funds that have sustainable investment as their main objective (dark green)

The detailed content and standardised templates required to demonstrate compliance with Article 6, 8 or 9 arrived via the Level II Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS), which took effect on 1 January 2023.

Real estate feels the RTS particularly strongly because the PAI framework includes indicators tailored to property. The entity‑level PAI statement uses a fixed template and list of indicators, including two mandatory PAIs that specifically apply to real estate:

• Exposure to fossil‑fuel‑related assets
• Exposure to energy‑inefficient buildings

Many fund managers also choose to disclose additional real estate PAIs such as:

• Energy consumption intensity
• Waste management coverage

In practice, real estate funds may set a wide range of ESG objectives and targets. Some examples include:

Objective	Target
Improve energy performance of buildings	Upgrade 80% of portfolio to EPC A or B by 2030.
Do not contribute further to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming	Decommission all fossil fuel supplies and decarbonise all assets by 2035.
Increase energy self-sufficiency across the portfolio	Increase on-site renewable energy generation and storage to meet 40% of energy demand across the portfolio by 2035.
Measurably improve occupant health and wellbeing in office assets	Achieve WELL Building Standard Gold standard in all office assets by 2028.

An Article 9 fund must have clearly defined, quantifiable key performance indicators and targets, which must be linked to every investment decision and verified over time. This means that, where a fund has an overall objective, it must be achieved for all individual assets.

An Article 8 fund allows for a greater degree of flexibility in how a fund achieves its sustainability objective and how it measures and reports them. This approach allows a ‘portfolio’ approach, where some individual assets might not achieve all goals, as long as the overall aggregated targets are met.

An Article 9 fund does not automatically mean that is a ‘more sustainable’ fund than an Article 8 fund. An Article 9 fund may have a very specific narrow focus on one key ESG topic, whereas an Article 8 fund could be tackling several different topics.

Alignment With EU Taxonomy and CSRD

SFDR does not define “sustainable” assets. The EU Taxonomy provides the classification of environmentally sustainable activities (including acquisition & ownership, new construction and renovation for real estate) with technical screening criteria and ‘Do No Significant Harm’ (DNSH) requirements.

For buildings, alignment typically hinges on performance thresholds (e.g., the building’s EPC falling into the top 15% of UK building stock) and evidence on adaptation to climate change. Real estate companies and funds increasingly report Taxonomy alignment alongside SFDR to give investors a clearer view.

Data availability is often the greatest hurdle to overcome. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which was phased in from 2024 for many large companies, should gradually improve access to assetlevel metrics relevant to SFDR and the Taxonomy (energy, emissions, renovation plans, and social data), making PAI and DNSH assessments more reliable. Real estate firms within the scope of CSRD will have to disclose against European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), which investors can feed into SFDR reporting.

Potential Amendments to SFDR

In December 2023, the European Supervisory Authorities proposed amendments to the RTS, including more social PAIs, clearer DNSH disclosures for “sustainable investments”, a new section for funds with greenhouse‑gas reduction targets, and simplified, machine‑readable templates (including a front‑page dashboard). The Commission was expected to endorse these changes ahead of any broader overhaul of SFDR itself.

Separately, the Commission ran a wide consultation on the regime’s future. The May 2024 summary showed strong support for moving towards explicit product categories, potentially replacing the current Article 8 and 9 naming system, and for recognising “transition” strategies. For real estate, the recognition of transition would better reflect CAPEX‑driven improvement journeys (e.g., refurbishing assets to hit an EPC rating of B).

Industry bodies have pushed in the same direction. INREV’s guidance urged clearer, fit‑for‑purpose definitions of “sustainable investments” for property and supports a transition category that recognises credible refurbishment plans aligned to decarbonisation pathways.

In November 2025, the European Commission responded with significant proposed revisions to the SFDR aimed at simplifying the framework and reducing complexity for both investors and financial market participants. The Commission found that the existing SFDR had effectively become a labelling regime, which it was never intended to be, with disclosures that were overly long, difficult to understand and prone to causing confusion, greenwashing risks, and mis‑selling.

The proposed revisions would introduce simpler, more retail‑friendly disclosures, reduce reporting burdens, and replace Article 8 and 9 with three voluntary product categories: a sustainable category for products already meeting high sustainability standards, a transition category for products supporting companies or projects on a credible path to sustainability, and an additional category to reflect other sustainability‑related strategies.

A UK Perspective

SFDR is an EU Regulation which, following Brexit, was not formally transposed into UK law. However, the UK has its own similar regulations, the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR), which apply anti-greenwashing rules to how financial products are marketed. It has its own labelling system (Sustainability Focus & Impact) which, whilst appearing similar to Article 8 & 9 in SFDR, do not translate directly.

In simple terms, a UK SDR fund must demonstrate it meets certain criteria before it can be legally marketed, whereas an EU SFDR fund simply discloses information about its objectives and activities.

If a UK asset manager has an EU subsidiary, manages an EU-domiciled fund, or simply markets a fund to EU investors, then it must comply with SFDR.

In reality, many UK asset managers will have to report under both regimes – SFDR for its EU activities and SDR for its UK activities. In some cases, there may be overlap and duplication.

Even where a UK fund solely operates in the UK, it is likely that UK funds will acquire and divest assets from EU and international investors and, as such, need to consider aligning and upgrade their portfolio to SFDR standards. Doing so will make assets more attractive to a wider range of investors and potentially increase value.

How Can Antea UK Help?

Antea Group UK can help record SFDR asset-level data, whether we’re involved at the acquisition, divestment, refinancing, or redevelopment stage.

As part of our wider ESG due diligence reporting, we collect asset-level data through site visits, discussions with key stakeholders, and data room reviews to ensure asset alignment with SDR and/or SFDR requirements.

Where an asset or portfolio is not aligned to ESG objectives, our prioritised practical action plans show how individual assets can be improved, including capital expense budgets and timelines.

At Antea Group UK, we help our clients assess risk against their regulatory obligations, as well as providing expert advice and tangible solutions for enhancing ESG impacts.

Questions about SFDR or ESG due diligence for your real estate portfolio? Contact us today to learn how we can support your investment strategy:

Dan Ellis 
Dan.Ellis@Anteagroup.uk 
07586 113753

3BL, a provider of corporate communications and sustainability content solutions, highlighted additional capabilities in its AI Visibility Tracker, a tool that measures how brands appear in responses from AI-powered search and chat platforms.

The tracker assigns organizations a visibility score from 0 to 100, placing them into one of three performance bands — Needs Improvement (below 30), Contender (30 and above), or Leader (50 and above) — based on how frequently and favorably they surface across AI-generated answers. The tool breaks that overall score into segments by topic, persona, and intent, giving communications teams a way to see where their content is well-represented in AI search results and where it is largely absent.

 

Among the tracker’s most popular features is competitive benchmarking, which compares an organization’s visibility against a series of named competitors and produces a leaderboard showing whether the gap between them is widening or narrowing. The tool also includes an Evidence tab that surfaces the underlying prompts, platform responses, and source citations behind each score, allowing teams to verify whether their content is being properly attributed when AI platforms reference it.

3BL recommends organizations incorporate the tracker into recurring planning cycles — reviewing the same scorecard metrics quarter over quarter to establish trend lines alongside other communications KPIs, rather than treating it as a one-time audit.