We’re taking time to look back at the many ways Owens Corning has given back in 2024. From our Roof Deployment Project, to our work with the Gary Sinise Foundation, to the many contributions we have made to charitable organizations, we’re highlighting the many ways we work to support our communities. Here’s to shaping a better future, together.
February 18, 2025 /3BL/ – National Grid and the National Grid Foundation today announced a joint $1.4 million contribution to support the company’s low-income and emergency heating programs, the Care & Share Energy Fund and the Neighborhood Heating Fund, which opened today.
The announcement follows the recent interruption of regular Home Energy Assistance Program, or Regular HEAP, availability in New York State. Regular HEAP funds were exhausted on Jan. 21 due to higher-than-normal enrollment in the federally funded program, which provides grants to low-income customers to help them afford their energy usage. On Jan 25, Gov. Kathy Hochul reallocated unused state funds to extend the program through the spring.
It also comes during an Upstate New York winter that is tracking colder than previous years. According to the National Weather Service, December 2024 was 24% colder than December 2023, and January 2025 was 15% colder than the previous year. Some Upstate regions have experienced more than 75 days at or below the freezing temperature mark this winter. New York City and on Long Island customers experienced similar temperatures — January 2025 was 20% colder than January 2024 and December 2024 was 32% colder than the previous year. When outdoor temperatures drop, heating systems work harder to maintain a steady indoor temperature. The result is customers using more energy to heat their homes and businesses, leading to higher bills.
National Grid’s investments in additional funds and enhanced grants were lauded by the Public Utility Law Project, a consumer advocacy group. “PULP commends National Grid for raising awareness about its Care & Share Energy Fund and Neighborhood Heating Fund – important programs that provide financial assistance to low-income households struggling to afford their winter heating bills,” said Laurie Wheelock, PULP’s executive director and counsel. “With the Home Energy Assistance Program temporarily closing and reopening in January, protective measures like these are essential to ensuring New York’s most vulnerable households can stay safe and warm. We also appreciate National Grid’s commitment to supporting the low-income community by increasing the award amount from $200 to $500 during these cold and uncertain times.”
“Affordability is front-of-mind for all of us, and these programs directly assist customers in managing costs,” said Sally Librera, National Grid’s New York President. “We are committed to helping our customers stay warm and safe this winter.”
The contribution is comprised of National Grid shareholder funds and an award from the National Grid Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 organization founded in 2000 to bring change that inspires people and transforms communities.
“Core to the foundation’s purpose is enhancing the quality of life of those in the communities we serve,” said Robert Simmons, National Grid Foundation Executive Director. “Helping National Grid’s most vulnerable customers this winter is emblematic of our promise to the community.”
Funding will allow the company’s two emergency heating funds to provide enhanced grants of $500, up from $200, to active National Grid customers in Upstate New York and New York City that have exhausted their HEAP allocations for the year.
The Care & Share Energy Fund provides emergency financial assistance to income-eligible individuals and families who are having difficulty paying their heat-related energy bills in National Grid’s upstate New York service area. National Grid customers in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island who live in a one- or two-family house or pay for heat in their apartment can qualify for the Neighborhood Heating Fund.
Both programs, administered by HeartShare Human Services, opened today and will close when the funds are exhausted. Eligible customers will receive one $500 grant per season. To qualify, applicants must:
Have an active National Grid account in their name.Have a household income that meets Home Energy Assistance Program guidelines.Have exhausted all available HEAP assistance at the time of application.
Affordability Solutions
National Grid has been promoting bill management programs and solutions since October 2024 to ensure customers are aware of available services and tools that can help them save money during the cold weather. Using less and saving more while staying warm is the underlying message of the company’s Here For You affordability campaign. The company’s dedicated website highlights bill management programs, energy efficiency solutions and more.
Customers receiving Regular HEAP are automatically enrolled in National Grid’s Energy Affordability Program, or EAP. The program provides monthly bill credits above and beyond what the customer receives from HEAP. Customers may also be eligible for the EAP if they participate in qualifying programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, qualifying veterans’ pensions, or Native American benefit programs administered by federal or tribal governments. To learn more about the program and eligibility, or to apply, call 1-866-305-1915 or email affordability@nationalgrid.com.
Emergency HEAP is available through the spring or until funds are exhausted. Qualification is based on household size, income, and a valid or current utility disconnection notice. Customers must apply by telephone or in person through their HEAP Local District Contact. These funds are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.
Eligible customers may also qualify for HEAP’s Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement and Clean and Tune Benefits. More information about those programs is available from the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, which administers the programs.
Bill Payment Programs for All Customers
All residential customers, regardless of income, qualify for programs to manage energy costs.
The Budget Billing Plan spreads payments out more evenly across the year to help better manage energy costs. Budget billing smooths out peaks and valleys in customer bills, by using account history to make bills more predictable. Accounts are reviewed periodically to make minor adjustments and the company reconciles the account with customers annually.
Deferred Payment Agreements aid customers who have fallen behind in their payments. Customers with past-due accounts can arrange to have their balance spread over multiple months to create manageable payments and avoid disconnections.
Residential customers receiving Supplement Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance or a retirement pension, and enrolled in an active payment agreement, may qualify for a 10-day extension on their billing due date through the company’s Bill Extender Program.
Customers can learn about these programs by working with a National Grid Consumer Advocate. Consumer Advocates work one-on-one with customers to meet their home energy needs and can be reached by calling 800-642-4272 or emailing ConsumerAdvocatesUNY@nationalgrid.com.
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About National Grid
National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a smarter, stronger, cleaner energy future — transforming our networks with more reliable and resilient energy solutions to meet state climate goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For more information, please visit our website, follow us on X, watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook, and find our photos on Instagram.
About National Grid Foundation
National Grid Foundation was created to enhance the quality of life across its grant making territory. The Foundation’s ongoing challenge is to create opportunities for solutions to educational and environmental issues. Its objective is based on the principle that giving people the tools to build hope is an essential ingredient in the development of individuals, families and communities. Since its inception in December of 1998, the Foundation now in its 25th year has granted more than $38 million to local community organizations.
Contact: Jared Paventi | 315.427.1092 | jared.paventi@nationalgrid.com
Long-term commitment to acquire renewable energy credits from a new solar projectMatches 100% of Keysight’s electricity consumption in the United States
SANTA ROSA, Calif., February 18, 2025 /3BL/ – Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS), signed a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with Southern Power, a leading U.S. wholesale energy provider and subsidiary of Southern Company, to acquire renewable energy credits produced by a 39 megawatt (MW) portion of the Phase III expansion at the Millers Branch Solar Facility.
The VPPA allows Keysight to support renewable energy development, demonstrating Keysight’s commitment to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. Phase III of the project located in Haskell County, Texas, is expected to achieve commercial operation in the first quarter of Keysight’s fiscal year 2027.
Keysight’s portion of the project is estimated to generate renewable electricity equivalent to 100% of the company’s electricity consumption in the United States and Canada. This commitment will result in significant progress towards Keysight’s renewable electricity initiatives, near-term science-based targets, and goal to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in company operations by the end of fiscal year 2040.
Ingrid Estrada, Chief People and Administrative Officer at Keysight, said: “We are proud to support the development of new renewable electricity and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. By signing our first VPPA, Keysight is taking a huge step in our sustainability journey, and we look forward to making continued progress in this space.”
Resources:
Corporate Social Responsibility webpage: Keysight CSR Report: Keysight’s 2023 CSR Report
About Keysight Technologies
At Keysight (NYSE: KEYS), we inspire and empower innovators to bring world-changing technologies to life. As an S&P 500 company, we’re delivering market-leading design, emulation, and test solutions to help engineers develop and deploy faster, with less risk, throughout the entire product life cycle. We’re a global innovation partner enabling customers in communications, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, automotive, semiconductor, and general electronics markets to accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Learn more at Keysight Newsroom and www.keysight.com.
Contacts
North America PR Team
pdl-americas-keysight@keysight.com
Fusako Dohi, Asia
+81 42 660–2162
fusako_dohi@keysight.com
Jenny Gallacher, Europe
+44 118 927 4003
jenny.gallacher@keysight.com
by Carla Fredericks and Matt Aguiar, The Christensen Fund
The Christensen Fund has long considered how its assets could create positive impact beyond our grantmaking. In the mid-2010s, our Board and Investment Committee piloted multiple small-scale initiatives, including one Program Related Investment, several Mission-Related Investments, and a shareholder activism program. We also began a fossil-fuel divestment initiative.
In 2021, after developing a new program strategy and articulating our organizational Purpose focused on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, we delved deeper into a conversation about the impact of our investments. After updating our Investment Policy Statement (IPS) to “align our investments and our values”, we spent over a year developing what we called our “Purpose Aligned Capital” plan.
This collaborative process, which included members of our staff, Board, Investment Committee, OCIO, and external consultants and peers, was approved by our Board at the end of 2022 and created three distinct sleeves for our assets:
Program Related Investments (PRIs) would have absolute alignment with our program strategy and Purpose, and may underperform, have wider range of outcomes, or be less liquid relative to other strategies in the same asset class;Purpose Aligned Investments (PAIs) would be expected to generate market-rate returns and actively support our Purpose; andValues Aligned Investments (VAI) would be expected to generate market-rate returns and not be opposed to the principles that The Christensen Fund stands for.
We spent the entirety of 2023 fleshing out parameters and qualifiers for each of these categories, and by the end of that year, we made our first commitments under this new Purpose Aligned Capital strategy.
Indigenous Peoples face more threats today than ever before. By building an investment portfolio with a commitment to supporting Indigenous economic livelihoods, The Christensen Fund has taken action to support Indigenous self-determination. Achieving economic justice will require others to join in this effort. We know that, just as they have for millennia before, Indigenous Peoples can and will emerge from these challenges. We are excited for this future.
Read the full article here – https://greenmoney.com/supporting-indigenous-self-determination-through-a-spectrum-of-capital-2/
FRANKFURT, February 18, 2025 /3BL/ – Eastman introduced the latest innovation in its sustainable fiber portfolio at Heimtextil trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany. Eastman Naia™ Renew cellulosic fiber for fill applications expands beyond the brand’s success in bedding and towels. The fiber transforms comforters and quilts with breathable comfort, luxurious softness and unparalleled ease of care.
Heimtextil visitors can explore the transformative potential of Naia™ Renew for bedding fill in Hall 11.0, booth 61. The booth includes interactive displays and product demonstrations.
“This represents a significant evolution in the application of Naia™ Renew in home textiles, meeting the growing demand for high-performing, more sustainable solutions,” said Chad Doub, segment market manager for Eastman’s textiles division.
As the human body generates moisture throughout the night, it is important to prevent discomfort and support uninterrupted rest by managing trapped sweat. Naia™ Renew delivers a unique combination of breathability and moisture management, creating a dry and relaxing sleep environment. The fiber addresses every phase of moisture control: absorption, transport and evaporation.
The unique Y-shaped, cross-sectional design of Naia™ Renew fiber enables effective moisture wicking and dispersion. Its quick-drying properties create a consistently dry environment. The Y-shaped insulation provides greater loft and bulk compared to traditional popcorn-like fiber cross sections. This enhances softness and warmth and contributes to improved airflow within the padding for moisture wicking.
“This allows the fibers to respond to temperature changes that occur during the night, adapting perfectly to the needs of the body and rest,” Doub said.
Naia™ Renew enhances comforters with breathable properties that improve airflow and moisture management, outperforming traditional single-fiber fills in water-vapor resistance and transmission tests.
The fiber also delivers supreme softness and comfort with a silky and lightweight feel. Hypoallergenic and resistant to bacterial growth, Naia™ Renew fibers stay fresh even after repeated washing. This helps reduce odors and ensures comforters remain clean and inviting.
Additionally, Naia™ Renew fibers are machine washable, offering practical and durable solutions for busy modern lifestyles.
Learn more about Naia™ Renew for fill and other home textile applications at naia.eastman.com.
*Naia™ Renew recycled content is achieved by allocation of recycled waste material using GRS certified mass balance process.
About Eastman
Founded in 1920, Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With the purpose of enhancing the quality of life in a material way, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. The company’s innovation-driven growth model takes advantage of world-class technology platforms, deep customer engagement, and differentiated application development to grow its leading positions in attractive end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. As a globally inclusive and diverse company, Eastman employs approximately 14,000 people around the world and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had 2023 revenue of approximately $9.2 billion and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. For more information, visit www.eastman.com.
For contacts and information
Menabò Group, Naia™ press support: pressoffice@menabo.com
CLEVELAND, February 18, 2025 /3BL/ – KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) provided a $27 million construction loan and arranged a $14.4 million Private Placement permanent loan to finance the adaptive reuse of the First & Market office building. First & Market building will introduce 93 affordable senior housing units to Pittsburgh’s downtown, complete with accessibility features, sustainable building practices, and proximity to public transit, healthcare, and other downtown amenities.
The sponsor, Beacon Communities, held its groundbreaking for the project last month. The project is aligned with the City of Pittsburgh’s greater objectives to transition underutilized office buildings to low-income housing, a resource with extremely low inventory in downtown Pittsburgh.
All 93 units will be restricted to a senior population (62+) and supported by a Section 8 Project-Based Voucher HAP contract through the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh. The HAP contract will restrict 83 units to 50% area median income (AMI) and 10 units to 20% AMI. Twenty-eight units will meet Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS), of which five will be restricted to 20% AMI and 23 to 50% AMI.
Beacon Residential Management will provide on-site property management and resident services coordination. An on-site resident services coordinator will collaborate with various community resource providers to help residents meet their basic needs with rental, food, and transportation assistance. Additional supportive services will be provided based on the needs of the senior residents, including technology education, health education, social activities, health care coordination, financial literacy classes, money management resources, and mental and behavioral health services and support.
Seaver Rickert from KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment and Leslie Meyers from Key’s Commercial Mortgage Group arranged the financing.
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 nearly 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 $187 billion at December 31, 2024. 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 Beacon Communities
Beacon Communities LLC is a privately owned real estate firm that develops, acquires, invests in, and manages a wide range of multi-family housing. Their portfolio includes affordable housing, market rate housing and mixed income-housing. Their developments range from new construction to historic adaptive reuse, to the renovation of existing housing. They take on challenging developments and make them succeed. Their driving passion is to create well-designed, healthy homes that improve the quality of life of their residents and enhance the neighborhoods in which they are located. For more information about Beacon Communities LLC, please visit www.beaconcommunitiesllc.com
DES MOINES, Iowa /3BL/ – Principal Financial Group® has been named as one of America’s Most JUST Companies by JUST Capital, ranking #11 on the 2025 JUST 100 list. This award recognizes Principal® as the industry leader for insurance acknowledging its commitment to serving its workers, customers, communities, the environment, and shareholders.
The JUST Capital 2025 Rankings of America’s Most JUST Companies and JUST 100 list celebrate top-performing Russell 1000 companies that are demonstrating leadership in responding to the needs of the American people.
“We are honored to be on the 2025 JUST 100 list, recognizing our dedication to upholding the values of integrity, transparency, and accountability as we work to enable financial security for individuals and businesses alike,” said Deanna Stable, president and CEO of Principal Financial Group. “We’ve made significant progress over the past year to further align and execute against the issues that matter most to our stakeholders – the employees, customers and communities we serve. Delivering for each of these important groups is what matters.”
To produce the 2025 rankings, JUST Capital collected and analyzed corporate data to evaluate the largest public U.S. companies across 17 issues identified through comprehensive, ongoing public opinion research on Americans’ attitudes toward responsible corporate behavior.
“Performance expectations for business leaders today are sky high. The JUST 100 demonstrates how companies can create value for their investors, their key stakeholders, and America more broadly by focusing on core business operations,” says JUST Capital CEO Martin Whittaker. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. It’s just business.”
The top 100 companies – the JUST 100 – are determined by scoring performance across the full range of criteria and comparing companies head-to-head. JUST evaluated 940 companies across 5 stakeholders, 17 Issues, and 88 raw data points to produce the 2025 Rankings, featuring the JUST 100 and Industry Leader lists.
About Principal Financial Group®
Principal Financial Group® (Nasdaq: PFG) is a global financial company with nearly 20,000 employees1 passionate about improving the wealth and well-being of people and businesses. In business for 145 years, we’re helping approximately 68 million customers1 plan, protect, invest, and retire, while working to support the communities where we do business, and build a diverse, inclusive workforce. Principal® is proud to be recognized as one of the 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies2, a member of the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and named as a “Best Places to Work in Money Management3.” Learn more about Principal and our commitment to sustainability, inclusion, and purpose at principal.com.
1 As of September 30, 2024
2 Ethisphere, 2024
3 Pensions & Investments, 2024
The mission of JUST Capital, an independent nonprofit, is to demonstrate how just business – defined by the priorities of the public – is better business. Our goal is to help companies create value for all their stakeholders – their workers, customers, communities, the environment, and shareholders – by focusing on the issues that matter most to Americans. To date, we’ve polled more than 182,000 Americans on the issues they believe companies should prioritize when it comes to just business behavior, and those insights guide our work. We believe that business and markets can and must be a force for the greater good and that by shifting the resources of the $21.6 trillion private sector, we can drive competition to build a better future for all. Our research, rankings, indexes, initiatives, and new offerings like the JUST Jobs Scorecard help track, analyze, incentivize, and scale corporate stakeholder performance. JUST Capital publishes the annual list of America’s Most JUST Companies, the JUST 100, in partnership with CNBC. To learn more, visit: https://justcapital.com/.
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Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Company®. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Principal Securities, Inc., member SIPC and/or independent broker/dealers. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392. ©2024 Principal Financial Services, Inc.
4219590-022025
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., February 18, 2025 /3BL/ – With all 10 of Duke Energy Florida’s Clean Energy Connection solar energy sites now fully operational, the company is celebrating delivering on its commitment – part of a 2020 filing with the Florida Public Service Commission – to provide nearly 750 megawatts of solar generation in Florida from 2022 to 2024.
“Solar development is critical to maintaining a modern, diverse and resilient electric grid,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “I look forward to building on the important work we’ve done in recent years as we continue to upgrade our generation fleet, ensuring we are providing reliable, affordable energy for our customers and the communities we serve – now and in the future.”
At peak output, each 74.9-megawatt Clean Energy Connection solar site will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of approximately 23,000 homes, while displacing 1.2 million cubic feet of natural gas, 15,000 barrels of fuel oil and 12,000 tons of coal annually.
The 10 Clean Energy Connection solar sites also fostered – and continue to promote – economic development across the state, creating more than 1,500 temporary jobs during construction and contributing significant tax revenue to their respective counties.
The Clean Energy Connection solar sites are located throughout Florida, from Bay County down to Hardee County:
Bay Ranch Renewable Energy Center in Bay County (completed in April 2023)Bay Trail Renewable Energy Center in Citrus County (completed in September 2022)County Line Renewable Energy Center in Gilchrist County (completed in August 2024)Falmouth Renewable Energy Center in Suwannee County (completed in June 2024)Fort Green Renewable Energy Center in Hardee County (completed in June 2022)Hardeetown Renewable Energy Center in Levy County (completed in April 2023)High Springs Renewable Energy Center in Alachua County (completed in April 2023)Hildreth Renewable Energy Center in Suwannee County (completed in April 2023)Mule Creek Renewable Energy Center in Bay County (completed in March 2024)Winquepin Renewable Energy Center in Madison County (completed in December 2024)
Additionally, customers can subscribe to support a portion of the solar energy produced by the Clean Energy Connection sites, earning credits toward their electricity bills without having to install or maintain their own equipment. The monthly subscription fee helps cover the capital and operating costs of the sites and is conveniently added to a customer’s regular bill. For more information, please visit Duke Energy’s Clean Energy Connection website.
The Clean Energy Connection sites are now a part of Duke Energy Florida’s portfolio of more than 25 solar sites, which produce almost 1,500 megawatts of emission-free generation. An additional 12 new solar sites are planned between 2025 and 2027, adding another 900 megawatts of generation, and for the next 10 years, the company projects adding at least 450 megawatts of utility scale-solar energy per year.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.
Contact: Aly Raschid
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
View original content here.
When Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program began in 2015, it represented a radical new concept: that a global technology company could bring together nations’ industry, government, and academic leaders to co-innovate solutions to major societal problems.
If anyone had doubts, they were soon dispelled.
Ten years on, CDA has brought positive change to 50 countries around the world, helping to transform everything from coffee farms in Tanzania and floating classrooms in the Amazon to energy grids in Spain, network infrastructure in Ukraine, and smart cities in India (to name but a few).
So, for Cisco, it’s an important anniversary and a time to celebrate all that CDA has accomplished — in AI, education, healthcare, sustainability, transportation, agriculture, cybersecurity, and more — along with the good it can continue to drive.
One reason for CDA’s success is the leadership of Guy Diedrich, Cisco’s senior vice president and global innovation officer.
“It’s a privilege and an honor to work with these countries around the world,” said Diedrich, who has been a prime mover behind CDA since its start. “We have created 1,600 individual digitization projects in every vertical imaginable. And the number of people that CDA has impacted is well into the tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions.”
Cisco’s technology and expertise underlie those 10 years of success. But Fran Katsoudas, Cisco’s EVP and chief people, policy, and purpose officer, also highlighted the role that human relationships have played.
“You have built trust with people around the world, and that is not easy to do,” Katsoudas stressed in congratulating CDA on its anniversary. “And your impact is not only good for Cisco from a business perspective, it’s amazing for the world.”
Building that trust starts at the top. And Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins called out the importance of engaging high-level government leaders in the early stages of each project.
“I have the benefit of having been involved when we created this program a decade ago, and it has been hugely powerful,” Robbins said. “It’s so logical. If we’re going to invest in a country, let’s align those investments with the priorities of the head of state in the country. It makes us a better citizen in that country. And it makes us more impactful.”
When doing good is good for business
Like Diedrich and Robbins, Chris Reeves — vice president of Cisco’s Digital Impact Office for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) — has been with CDA from the start. And he shared his thoughts on how the program has evolved during its 10 years, while, at its core, remaining the same.
“Over 10 years, the program’s changed and adapted to different waves of technology and changing geopolitical landscapes, and it’s adapted and grown,” Reeves said. “But I’m also proud that it has remained true to its original concept, which is to use technology to deliver better outcomes for communities, economic growth, and also potential growth for Cisco.”
Indeed, the CDA program has shown that positive change can be good for business.
“The Country Digital Acceleration Program is proof that you can do good and do well,” Diedrich said. “You can benefit the world. You can lift up populations. You can work with societies to help them take advantage of new opportunities. And you can make money along the way.”
That kind of success, Diedrich believes, creates the potential for doing more good.
“Some people think that somehow if you’re making a profit, it diminishes your purpose,” he continued. “I think the exact opposite is true. If you can fulfill your purpose and drive revenue and provide value to the company, then it makes it sustainable. In fact, purpose and profit are not mutually exclusive. They’re completely compatible.”
A round of global applause
The spirit trust and cooperation infused the responses of CDA’s partners around the world, starting with Milan, Italy. With Cisco’s help, the city has driven a wide range of smart city, educational, health care, and transportation initiatives, along with creating a Cybersecurity Co-innovation Center.
Giuseppe Sala, Milan’s mayor, looks forward to many more years of collaboration.
“Over the past decade, CDA has made remarkable contributions to driving innovation and digital transformation in our city and across the globe,” he said. “Wishing continued success in shaping a more connected and sustainable future for all.”
As regards education, Diedrich stresses that every CDA initiative will include a skills component. So CDA is closely aligned with the Cisco Networking Academy, the largest company-led digital skills program of its kind.
Irais Barreto Canales, of Mexico’s Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Ministry, gave CDA high marks for its many initiatives to better Mexican society. But she called out two that were especially close to her heart.
“Digital Skills for Mexican Women of the 21st Century,” she explained, “is a program in which we have certified nearly 2,000 women in specialized courses representing over 600,000 training hours. The other one was the Digital Skills for Nurturing, which is about growing new companies. These are great examples of how our collaboration with Cisco has increased our digital skills.”
Another project showing the scope and reach of CDA and Networking Academy is the Senac Ferry School, which brings professional training to riverside communities in the Brazilian Amazon.
Born from a longstanding partnership between CDA and Senac — one of Brazil’s leading professional education institutions — the project provides access to technology, connectivity, and knowledge in remote areas. Courses in IT and other fields combine Cisco’s tech expertise with Senac’s educational infrastructure. It’s an initiative that develops essential job market skills, promotes citizenship, and expands opportunities in hard-to-reach regions.
“The people that Senac serves can now access the internet and can access Cisco courses,” said Anna Beatriz, director of professional education at Senac Brazil, “and this transforms lives. Technology courses and free connectivity weren’t accessible to these populations, but now they are.”
Smarter cities, schools, traffic, and more
At the same time, powerful new network solutions are giving Japanese schools a big boost. Cisco and CDA’s GIGA schools package includes Cisco and Meraki networking equipment to create a robust, futureproof network, enabling all-new experiences in K-through-12 education. Webex boards and Cisco Wi-Fi are part of what make learning more fun and effective.
Smart cities have been a keystone of CDA efforts from the start. In India, for example, CDA played a pivotal role in the country’s Smart Cities Mission. And cities like Vijayawada, Gandhinagar and Hyderabad featured Cisco solutions around Wi-Fi, security, smart parking, smart lighting, improvements in transportation, and additional command and control centers.
The Indian government is enacting a bold plan to create 100 smart cities across the country. And CDA looks forward to continued leadership in these efforts, improving connectivity, economic opportunity, sustainability, quality of life, and more.
Speaking of quality of life, in Australia, as in many countries, traffic is a serious issue. So, CDA partnered with Transport for NSW to take smart traffic management to next levels. This included deploying AI, Wi-Fi, and edge computing for real-time analysis of traffic patterns.
“The system is being used to manage congestion more efficiently, to improve the safety of our network, and to improve the customer experience,” said Chris Bennetts, head of technology and innovation, TfNSW. “The future is upon us. The next 3 to 5 years is going to be a game-changer.”
Looking to a future that’s more sustainable and equitable
The climate crisis affects us all, so energy grids and renewable energy are key focus areas for CDA.
“We’ve worked very closely with utility companies around the world to help them transform their networks,” said Reeves. “So, they’re digitally powered networks and they can respond to the distributed generation of carbon free energy and also the distributed usage of it, from things like autonomous vehicles. So, we’ve used Cisco’s technology to help the utility companies adapt as they’ve moved to more sustainable solutions.”
Among CDA’s partners is Ikusi, an advanced technology services company that has partnered with CDA on digitizing electricity grids. And Javier Aguilera, managing director of Ikusi Spain, shared some thoughts on working with Cisco and CDA.
“At Ikusi, we have had the privilege of participating in various projects with the Cisco CDA program,” he said. “The latest and most exciting of this is a pioneering project focused on the digitalization of electricity grids in Spain. The Cisco CDA program represents innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to driving digital transformation.”
CDA’s efforts in war-torn Ukraine show how it can respond in some of the most challenging conditions. In addition to its Medibus, a rolling healthcare center that has supported refugees, CDA has helped strengthen and secure Ukraine’s infrastructure while building important educational and skills resources — all of which will be critical as Ukraine anticipates its long struggle to rebuild.
“Our partnership with CDA is a pivotal investment in Ukraine’s and the world’s digital future,” said Valeriya Ionan, deputy minister for Eurointegration at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. “While words cannot fully express our gratitude, our projects speak for themselves. We’re looking forward to the next 10 years.”
Those next 10 years are on the minds of all who are involved in the CDA program. In supporting a future that’s more sustainable, equitable, and connected, CDA is just getting started.
“I’m sure this success story will go on because the disruptive technologies are changing fast than ever before,” concluded Oliver Tuszik, president of Cisco’s Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEA). “And no matter in which country we are, they’re all looking for help from a reliable partner like Cisco.”
International Olympic Committee news
The Medical and Scientific Department of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been restructured and renamed the Health, Medicine and Science (HMS) Department, as of 6 January 2025. This change coincides with the Department’s new Director, Dr Jane Thornton OLY, taking up her role, and reflects the IOC’s continued leadership in sports medicine and science.
The new title reinforces the Department’s core mission: to protect and promote the health of athletes. “The addition of the word ‘health’ in our title marks an important and positive evolution,” said Dr Thornton. “The new title emphasises the focus on athletes and the central importance of protecting and promoting optimal health and well-being, both in sport and through sport.”
The Department’s work will focus on key health issues impacting athletes and the Olympic Movement, including injury and illness prevention, clean sport, safeguarding, mental health and well-being, medical services and research, emerging global public health topics, and promoting the health benefits of lifelong physical activity.
