In this episode, Suzanne Kuiper, Director and Global Coordinator, Circular Economy and Product Decarbonization, KPMG International, and Pedro Sao Simao, Lead, National Initiatives, Global Plastic Action Partnership, World Economic Forum discuss the implications of a global plastics treaty and dive into key insights and learnings from industry players across the plastics value chain, who have started to develop and implement circular solutions.
Tag: 3BL
Over the next three decades, our world is projected to continue to urbanize. In fact, the share of people living in urban areas will increase from 56 percent (2021) to 68 percent by 2050, according to UN Habitat. While urbanization poses a range of challenges for city governments, services, and communities to overcome, the growth of urban populations and urban areas also reveals an opportune moment to accelerate social innovation and uplift urban economies.
Tailored tech solutions, offering highly curated insights, can be leveraged to help deploy the right resources in the right places. That’s a call to action that the power of AI and data can help us catalyze.
At the beginning of 2024, and in alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11, IBM launched a request for proposals (RFP) for projects that aim to make cities safer, more resilient and more sustainable. Today, out of more than 100 applications, five new organizations have been selected to join the IBM Sustainability Accelerator and collaborate with IBM experts on AI solutions to address key challenges for — and with — the communities they support. Participants were selected for their significant level of support to the communities they serve, as well as the innovative ways each organization plans to leverage AI technology to build more resilient cities.
C40 Cities: IBM and C40 Cities, a global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities, will work together to create a data-driven, AI-powered solution to help cities analyze potential risks that may arise as a result of extreme heat and the urban heat island effect. These can include stressed energy resources, increases in mortality rates, and socioeconomic disparities. The new solution will aim to enable cities to create adaptation strategies to help alleviate population health risks and economic burdens, while strengthening national resilience efforts. The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and the Group on Earth Observations will also support this project.U.N. World Food Programme: Through an agreement with World Food Program USA, IBM will collaborate with the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, to enhance WFP’s “GeoTar” geospatial tool with advanced AI and data capabilities. GeoTar creates vulnerability maps, helping improve operational decisions like targeting and prioritization. The new features will support WFP Country Offices that are engaged in combatting global hunger and improving food security, which can be disrupted by environmental disasters, such as droughts, floods and landslides.Mass General Brigham: IBM and Mass General Brigham, a nonprofit integrated academic healthcare system, will work together to develop an AI tool for healthcare systems and community health centers confronting extreme heat. The tool will be built to help predict hyperlocal extreme heat events, identify at-risk patients, and deliver reliable, automated warnings when a heat wave is imminent. The new solution will inform patients of resources available to them, while helping clinicians to take preventative action by screening for, and intervening upon, patient risk factors. The solution will be initially tested across Mass General Brigham hospitals. The tool will be designed with security features to protect the patient information and health information used to support the solution and to provide access to such information only within each health system using the tool and its patients.Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy: IBM and the Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, a nonprofit organization working with citizens and governments on technology, urban governance, and public policy projects, will collaborate to build a city data and analytics platform. By consolidating city-level data, the platform will be designed to enable data-based decision making for informed interventions by governments in India that aim to improve quality of life for urban populations, such as by improving service delivery and fostering sustainable urban development. By spatializing data and including environmental and socioeconomic data, the platform will aim to strengthen place-based governance. By standardizing data, the platform will also support data transparency and interoperability, as well as solution adoption.Kota Kita: IBM and Kota Kita, a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable, socially just, equitable, and democratic cities, will work together to develop new AI models to identify and respond to the needs of Samarinda (Indonesia) citizens who are exposed to climate stress. The models will be designed to consider physical vulnerabilities, such as natural disasters, and economic and social variables, such as demographic growth and access to clean water. The new models will aim to catalyze the development of resilience-building initiatives and ultimately allow the implementation of new projects to help reduce the vulnerabilities of local communities.
The IBM Sustainability Accelerator is a social innovation program that applies IBM technologies, such as hybrid cloud and AI, and an ecosystem of experts to enhance and scale non-profit and government organization initiatives, accelerating economic impact. Projects are executed in two phases, starting with the IBM Garage, IBM’s proven methodology for accelerating digital transformation and delivering meaningful, measurable, outcomes. Next, during the Development and Implementation phase, IBM experts will configure IBM resources and technology to help participants meet their goals.
As part of this IBM Sustainability Accelerator cohort, EY teams will provide general capacity building workshops and coaching to the resilient city cohort, supporting these innovative organizations on their mission to make cities more sustainable, equitable, and resilient.
To date, 20 organizations have been part of the IBM Sustainability Accelerator, and we have committed $45M until 2030 to support vulnerable populations around the world. As of last year, IBM has supported approximately 65,300 direct beneficiaries through our sustainable agriculture cohort, with approximately 1.1 million more projected to benefit from our clean energy cohort. And, we expect these resilient cities projects will benefit thousands of citizens across the world.
By harnessing the potential of AI, IBM believes in empowering people and organizations to take on some of the biggest challenges our cities face today. Together, we can build more prosperous environments where people and economies can thrive.
Interested in applying to the new RFP focused on AI for Sustainable Consumption and Production? Apply before April 30th, 2025: https://www.ibm.com/campaign/2025/sustainability-accelerator-rfp
About the IBM Sustainability Accelerator
Launched in 2022, the IBM Sustainability Accelerator is a social innovation program that supports communities facing environmental and economic stress around the world, through technologies like AI and an ecosystem of experts. Each year, the program selects five new projects to develop and scale technology and AI solutions addressing topics like sustainable agriculture, clean energy, water management, resilient cities or sustainable consumption and production. For more information: https://www.ibm.com/impact/initiatives/ibm-sustainability-accelerator
A year in review
As we look back on a remarkable year at Cisco Networking Academy, we celebrate our enduring legacy as one of the longest-standing IT skills-to-jobs programs in the world. In line with Cisco’s mission to Power an Inclusive Future for All, we have continued to transform lives by bridging digital divides and empowering underrepresented communities through technology and education. Our success is built on the strength of our partnerships with governments, academic institutions, and nonprofits, all working together to open doors to opportunities in the digital economy.
In honor of our 25th anniversary in fiscal 2023, we set an ambitious 10-year goal to equip an additional 25 million people with digital and cybersecurity skills by fiscal 2032. As of fiscal 2024, we have already trained 7.7 million students globally, making significant strides toward our regional targets and reaffirming our commitment to creating a more inclusive digital future.
Cisco Networking Academy’s success would not be possible without our partners.
These organizations, from both the private and public sectors, tirelessly support and execute our programs globally with unmatched dedication and passion. Our partners, instructors, and students prove that this program is not just about impressive numbers, but about people committed to making a difference through the transformative power of education.
Celebrating success around the globe
Every year, we gather at the Annual Cisco Networking Academy Conferences to celebrate our partners’ achievements, recognizing their dedication with the Be the Bridge Awards—honoring exemplary efforts in categories like Inclusive Futures, Global Reach, Impacting Lives, Learning Innovation, and Partnerships—and the prestigious Golden Bridge Awards, presented in each geographic region to individuals or institutions showing exceptional commitment to student success.
In 2024, we embarked on an exciting global tour with three dynamic conferences which began in the vibrant heart of Peru, where we united partners from across Latin America to celebrate their incredible contributions. Together, we showcased the profound impact of our program to local government officials, highlighting the transformative power of our collaboration.
In October, the city of Paris set the stage for an inspiring gathering with our European partners. Together, we discussed the “Extended Learning for Teachers and Trainers in Higher Education” project—a groundbreaking initiative led by seven Academy Support Centers. This project is all about empowering educators with cutting-edge extended learning methodologies and tools, helping to craft more engaging and supportive educational experiences that resonate with students.
In November, we gathered in Dubai to celebrate the remarkable successes of the Middle East and Africa Region. We were inspired by the impressive achievements in student participation throughout this dynamic region and connected with many of our valued partners, including African Child Academy, which is making a significant impact with its technology-driven projects aimed at enhancing community life in Tanzania.
These conferences offered a fantastic opportunity to honor our partners with the prestigious Golden Bridge Awards. Let’s celebrate this year’s exceptional winners:
2024 Golden Bridge Award winners
Applied Technology Schools (ATS) – United Arab Emirates
The Institute of Applied Technology Schools, under ACTVET, has integrated networking, security, and IoT courses from our program into their curriculum across the UAE, including women-only schools. This initiative has impacted over 3,500 students in fiscal 2024 alone, 49% of whom were female.
“Receiving the prestigious Golden Bridge Award is a great honor, highlighting our team’s dedication and hard work. Being recognized among [thousands of] academies worldwide for achieving the highest growth and completion rate by ATS students underscores our commitment to excellence and the influence of effective leadership.” -Shaza Mohamad Bassam AlHalabi, Supervisor Curriculum Specialist, ATS
Camden Dream Center – United States
Camden Dream Center recognized a disparity in IT career success among people of color and launched a Registered Apprenticeship program in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor from Maryland (USDOL).
“We are incredibly grateful that Cisco would take the time to acknowledge our work in developing USDOL Registered Apprenticeship programs in Cybersecurity, Network Support Technician, and Help Desk Support occupations. Employers are reluctant to hire inexperienced talent to work in entry-level technician roles despite having prior training, certifications, or college degrees. From the outset, we understood that an apprenticeship program could bridge the gap in lacking experience by providing an on-the-job learning experience with employers for apprentices.” -Pastor Keith Davis, President & CEO, Camden Dream Center
eForHum – Italy
Junior IT Academy was created to empower the digital generation, meet the needs of ICT companies looking for skilled junior profiles, and expand the Cisco Networking Academy program into the high school (secondary) system. They have launched 14 program editions, with 50 employers actively participating, benefiting over 600 students since inception.
“eForHum is honored to receive the Cisco Networking Academy Golden Bridge Award 2024 for the Junior IT Academy program. We are proud of this fruitful collaboration [and to] have all contributed to the professional growth of thousands of Cisco Academy students, who have now become IT professionals and sometimes even IT line managers and entrepreneurs. We look forward to training new talents specialized not only in networking but also in cybersecurity and AI!” -Fabio Pesenti, Co-Owner, eForHum
Core Council of the Philippines – Philippines
The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) partnered with Cisco under the Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program to enhance cybersecurity skills in the banking sector. The “Cisco-BAP Cybersecurity Skills Training Program for the Next Generation Banker,” delivered with Mapua University, offers comprehensive training through self-paced, in-person, and virtual classes to prepare banking professionals for security challenges.
“We are deeply honored to receive the prestigious Golden Bridge 2024 award! This recognition is a testament to the collective efforts we have made to equip Filipinos from all walks of life with essential and up-to-date digital skills. We dedicate this award to all the Council members, both past and present, whose dedication and vision have been instrumental in our journey.” – Maria Teresa S. Salta, President, C3P
Merlin Data Technology – Peru
Merlin Data Technology (MDT) was awarded for their significant contributions to the growth of the Cisco Networking Academy program throughout Latin America. Through initiatives like the Data Camp Marathon, where they trained 810 instructors from 196 academies, Merlin facilitated the replication of the “Introduction to Data Science” course, reaching over 30,000 students. Their alignment with national digital transformation projects and consistent excellence in large-scale events underscores their crucial role and year-over-year growth in the region.
“We are honored to receive [this award] in recognition of our impactful contribution through DataCamp Latam. This achievement reflects our commitment to fostering innovation and bridging the gap between education and technology. Thank you to Cisco and our community for believing in our mission.” -Ana Ramirez, Exec. President & Founder, MDT
2024 Be the Bridge Award winners:
Middle East and Africa
The Egyptian E-Learning University, Egypt
Europe – CIS
Rochester Institute of Technology Kosovo (A.U.K)
Uniunea Profesorilor de Informatică din România (UPIR), Romania
Asia Pacific, Japan, and China
EdCreate Foundation, India
United States and Canada
Collège Communautaire Du Nouveau-Brunswick, Canada
Education Service Center 11, Texas, USA
Latin America
Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje (INA), Costa Rica
Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico
Additionally, partners from 55 countries have received the prestigious Premier+ and Premier recognition, honoring the top 15% of those who exemplify exceptional dedication to student and instructor success in support of Cisco’s global mission.
As we celebrate the remarkable achievements and partnerships highlighted by the Golden Bridge and Be the Bridge Award winners, we invite you to become part of our mission.
Whether you choose to join the 750 partners driving social impact or explore the rewarding journey of teaching with us, your contribution can help shape the diverse workforce of the future.
Previous Award winners:
2023 Five Cisco Networking Academy partners receive Golden Bridge Award honors
2022 Cisco Networking Academy announces Golden Bridge Award winners while celebrating 25 years of impact
2021 Cisco Networking Academy recognizes top partners and instructors
The wins keep coming
In addition to recognizing our partners’ achievements, we are proud to announce that Cisco Networking Academy has been honored with the Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Best of 2024. This prestigious award celebrates educational technology that excels in supporting teachers, students, and education professionals. Our program was recognized for its innovation, ease of use, value, and versatility.
Discover more about our journey and the Award of Excellence: Best of 2024 in Higher Education.
CNH (NYSE: CNH) has once again ranked in the top 5% in S&P Global’s 2025 Sustainability Yearbook. This year’s S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment reviewed submissions from over 7,600 companies across 62 industries.
This latest result adds to CNH’s recent inclusion in S&P Global’s Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indices (DJSI World and DJSI North America). They ranked second in the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Industry category, scoring 79/100.
“We’re delighted to see our efforts continue to receive recognition from leading indices such as S&P Global. We are committed to putting people first at CNH – from our employees to our customers, dealers and all those in the communities where we – and our products – work. This drives our investment in technologies and solutions that deliver tangible and practical benefits for agriculture, construction and the world at large,” said Gerrit Marx, Chief Executive Officer at CNH.
CNH products continue to deliver greater customer efficiencies that also translate into environmental gains.
These rankings confirm CNH’s continued progress in cutting carbon emissions, increasing renewable energy use in their operations and products, and expanding remanufacturing. New features such as automation and sensor technologies on their flagship combine harvesters reduce grain loss and fuel consumption, prevent excessive soil compaction, and distribute crop residue evenly to ensure a better crop for the following farming season. In construction, they continued to expand their electric offering with the recent launch of the industry’s first electric backhoe loader giving customers zero noise and zero emission solutions. Alongside these achievements, CDP – a global non-profit that runs the world’s only independent environmental disclosure system – recognized CNH with A- Climate and A- Water scores for our 2024 results.
For more on Sustainability at CNH, visit: cnh.com/sustainability
I started as a Route Service Representative back in March 1984 at a small lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts called Spectrum Medical Labs as one of only six drivers. Spectrum was acquired by Met Path and Corning and eventually became Quest Diagnostics.
Before I started as an RSR, I was a single 21-year-old construction worker in Chelsea, Massachusetts who never thought about ever working in the medical field. But one day, my brother-in-law talked about a job opening as a medical courier with his father at Spectrum. So, I applied, and 40 years later here I am.
Over the last 40 years working here, I got married to my beautiful wife of 38 years, raised 2 children, and now have 3 grandchildren. I have also been a youth football and baseball coach for the last 26 years in my hometown of Chelsea.
During my 40-year career at Quest Diagnostics, I have run 37 different routes and have been a route driver, swing driver, and a stat driver and have serviced clients in every corner of New England, from Massachusetts and Connecticut to Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. I can’t even imagine how many miles I have driven for Quest, but I know it’s a lot.
I absolutely love driving, but now I don’t get to do too much driving as I am currently a Sr RSR servicing exclusively Quest’s largest client in Boston (NeighborHealth, which was formerly East Boston Neighborhood Health Center). I feel like a movie star as I walk through the halls of the health center every day. Everyone from the janitors to security, doctors, nurses and even the CEO know me and yell my name and high-five me. It’s such a great feeling to work with such amazing people.
I have met some wonderful people over the years at Quest—a lot who have become lifelong friends. My coworkers, leaders, and customers are just amazing. I am absolutely honored to work for such an amazing company that has been a huge part of my family for the last 40 years.
SLB’s sustainability performance has earned the company a place on the Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices for World and North America, a leading benchmark of global sustainability leaders.
The Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices measure companies’ performance using environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. The indices feature world and regional sustainability leaders identified by S&P Global, through its Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA).
The CSA is a database for corporate sustainability performance used by S&P Global clients across 49 countries. It scores companies based on industry-specific, financially relevant sustainability criteria, enabling investors to identify businesses that effectively combine sustainability performance with economic success.
“These distinctions are a testament to our sustainable business strategy, robust framework performance, and the unwavering passion of our people. As a global technology company driving energy innovation for a balanced planet, we are embedding sustainability into every aspect of our operations, growing our business while positively impacting the energy landscape,” says Vice President of Sustainability Mikki Corcoran.
Being listed in the Dow Jones Best-in-Class World Indices means SLB is recognized as one of the top 10% of the largest 2,500 companies based on performance across ESG criteria.
SLB has also been selected for inclusion in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2025, a leading reference on corporate sustainability. S&P considered 7,690 companies based on assessment of CSA scores. This year’s yearbook includes 780 companies across 62 industries. Companies must score within the top 15% of their industry.
This adds to the company’s sustainability performance distinctions across other ESG frameworks including an A rating on the CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project) Supplier Engagement Leaderboard, a B in CDP’s Climate rating, and a score of AA in the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) rating.
Learn more about SLB sustainability initiatives here.
With the support of customers, associates, and partners, Albertsons Companies Foundation is proud to announce a donation of $6.6 million to aid those affected by the devastating wildfires in southern California. Together, we are making a difference and bringing hope to those in need.
See original post on LinkedIn and read more about Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.
In this episode, John McCalla-Leacy, KPMG’s Head of Global ESG, interviews the Honorable Mia Mottley, the first female Prime Minister of Barbados, a role she has held since 2018.
The Prime Minister speaks about the pressing climate crisis, how AI and tech is changing business, and the importance of engaging people when building a sustainable future.
Lenovo was recently included in the inaugural list of America’s Dream Employers for 2025 by Forbes, in partnership with Statista.
America’s Dream Employers were selected based on an independent survey of university students as well as employees working over the last three years for enterprise organizations with more than 1,000 employees in the U.S., across all industries. Respondents evaluated employers on growth opportunities, quality of work, compensation, and the organization’s overall reputation.
This recognition is a testament to the inclusive culture, the purposeful approach, and the positive environment that Lenovo fosters for its more than 69,500 global employee base, operating in more than 180 markets around the world. Lenovo’s Employee Resource Groups are an important differentiator, creating spaces for employees where communities of shared values harness the strength of Lenovo’s diversity.
Lenovo has received similar recognitions for being an employer of choice. In January 2024, employees voted Lenovo to be one of Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work. In 2023, Forbes named Lenovo one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity. Lenovo has also been celebrated as a best employer for disability inclusion and workplace equality.
Learn more about what makes Lenovo a dream employer in its Environmental, Social and Governance Report.
At Covia, protecting our digital assets and team members plays a vital role in everything we do. From our plant locations to our corporate offices – cybersecurity remains a consistent focus to ensure the safety of our data, systems, and people.
In 2025, Covia continues to innovate our cybersecurity strategies and implement cutting-edge tools to further strengthen our digital defenses. Read on to learn more about our Cybersecurity team’s important work, their innovative security measures, and how they’re preparing for future challenges.
Cybersecurity Team Highlights: Jonathan Shaper & Charles Ricciardi
Covia’s approach to cybersecurity is comprehensive and proactive, led by experts who understand both the technical and human elements of digital security. Our Cybersecurity team ensures Covia’s systems and data remain protected while enabling team members to work efficiently and securely.
We want to highlight two key members of our Cybersecurity team who have been instrumental in implementing and managing our security initiatives. Jonathan Shaper, Director of Information Security and Governance, and Charles Ricciardi, Information Technology Security Engineer, are invaluable team members who have played crucial roles in strengthening our cybersecurity posture.
Jonathan joined Covia four years ago and brings 15 years of experience in audit and cybersecurity. As the strategic leader of the department, he oversees the entire cybersecurity program and governance, ensuring Covia stays protected against evolving threats while maintaining an acceptable risk tolerance.
Charles’ journey at Covia spans a decade, starting at the service desk and working his way up to his current role as security engineer. He ensures all Covia computers and devices remain up to date with the latest security software, manages critical security tools, and works closely with other teams to make security a top priority across all systems.
Proactive Prevention and Team Empowerment
Protecting an organization from cyber-attacks is a 24/7 effort, and that’s why Jonathan and Charles take great lengths to implement new software and best practices to stay ahead of potential threats.
The team analyzes more than 4 billion log entries each month for potential security risks, which includes all internet traffic, internal traffic, and any other activity tied to a Covia computer. Various controls and protections block a lot of the threats, but the team processes upwards of 40 security tickets daily, working closely with team members across the organization to investigate and resolve anything that remotely seems like a potential threat.
Their philosophy emphasizes quick, decisive action. While some tickets are false positives, everything is taken seriously to prevent a breach – even if it means occasionally having to apologize for being overly cautious.
This preventative approach is combined with active security awareness training and incentives to help team members contribute to Covia’s culture of safety. Ongoing training efforts – such as sending out test phishing emails and offering prizes to employees who report potential risks – have helped others in the organization take ownership over their own cybersecurity experience.
Outsmarting Email Threats Through Innovative Technology
Phishing attacks are the most common form of cybercrime, with an estimated 3.4 billion phishing emails sent each day. In 2024, Covia implemented an innovative tool to detect compromised business emails, transforming the way we protect the organization against sophisticated email threats.
The tool uses machine learning to examine how different users talk and flag suspicious emails that deviate from normal patterns. The system reviews the languages and words used in every incoming email and catches threats that traditional email gateways might miss. Once flagged, the system presents warning banners when something doesn’t look right, giving users a chance to think twice before responding.
The success of this initiative reflects Covia’s larger strategy of implementing multiple layers of security. Combined with monthly phishing awareness training and strengthened password requirements, Covia successfully decreased our cybersecurity threat resolution time by 60-70% on average.
Embracing AI for Enhanced Protection
The business email compromise tool has already yielded notable results, and it’s one example of how the cybersecurity team leverages innovative technology to fend off threats. As one of the leading proponents of artificial intelligence in the cybersecurity industry, Jonathan actively seeks the latest AI-based tools to see how they can help protect the organization. This search has led to new tools that review user access, automatically identify and block anomalous behaviors, and complete other key tasks.
“We are constantly talking to vendors and making proof-of-concepts on new software and tools that are out there,” Charles said. “Jonathan is always searching for new approaches, asking the team if there’s anything that we have a need for or something that’s going to help keep us secure.”
The cybersecurity team remains committed to staying ahead of emerging threats. Through continued innovation, employee education, and the implementation of cutting-edge technology, Covia’s cybersecurity team works tirelessly to protect our organization’s digital assets and enable our team members to work securely and efficiently.
Learn more about Covia’s cybersecurity efforts here.