Tag: 3BL

LINCOLN, Neb., May 4, 2026 /3BL/ – The Arbor Day Foundation and Funga are expanding their strategic collaboration to broaden market access for Funga’s biodiversity-powered forest carbon project. This go-to-market partnership builds on the catalytic capital investment made by the Arbor Day Impact Fund in 2025, now evolving into a joint effort with the Foundation, with a shared goal of expanding market access for Funga’s soil restoration work across U.S. forests.

The partnership brings together Funga’s science-driven carbon removals and the Foundation’s corporate partner and buyer network to solve a persistent challenge in the voluntary carbon market: connecting high-integrity carbon removals with companies building credible climate strategies at scale.

“This partnership with Funga aims to demonstrate how reforestation projects can function as durable climate infrastructure—delivering trees planted, land restored, and economic benefits today, while building the financial foundations needed to sustain impact for decades to come,” said Pete Davis, Managing Director of the Arbor Day Impact Fund.

This partnership expands the Foundation’s portfolio with a scientifically rigorous, nature-based removal that meets what their partners are increasingly looking for. For Funga, it creates a meaningful path to scale, expanding native soil restoration across more forests, alongside partners who share that ambition.

“We are proud to expand our collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation. Their endorsement of Funga’s innovative tech and carbon program traction is a powerful signal to the market, helping us leverage the Foundation’s longstanding relationships to connect our projects with buyers looking to lead on climate and biodiversity,” Colin Averill, Founder and CEO of Funga.

Together, the Arbor Day Foundation and Funga are demonstrating how technical innovation and established market credibility can work in tandem to drive ecosystem restoration and climate impact at scale.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. They foster a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees. For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners. And this is only the beginning.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.

About Funga

Funga is restoring soil biodiversity to address the climate crisis. By reintroducing native, growth-promoting fungal communities to soils, they are working to accelerate one of the biggest carbon-storing mechanisms on the planet: forests. Trees inoculated with a healthy soil microbiome are reunited with critical symbiotic partners, allowing them to grow faster and stronger — sequestering significantly more carbon in the process.

Funga is a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) that is dedicated to delivering measurable environmental outcomes and durable economic value through the power of the microbiome. To learn more, go to funga.earth.

###

LINCOLN, Neb., May 4, 2026 /3BL/ – The Arbor Day Foundation and Funga are expanding their strategic collaboration to broaden market access for Funga’s biodiversity-powered forest carbon project. This go-to-market partnership builds on the catalytic capital investment made by the Arbor Day Impact Fund in 2025, now evolving into a joint effort with the Foundation, with a shared goal of expanding market access for Funga’s soil restoration work across U.S. forests.

The partnership brings together Funga’s science-driven carbon removals and the Foundation’s corporate partner and buyer network to solve a persistent challenge in the voluntary carbon market: connecting high-integrity carbon removals with companies building credible climate strategies at scale.

“This partnership with Funga aims to demonstrate how reforestation projects can function as durable climate infrastructure—delivering trees planted, land restored, and economic benefits today, while building the financial foundations needed to sustain impact for decades to come,” said Pete Davis, Managing Director of the Arbor Day Impact Fund.

This partnership expands the Foundation’s portfolio with a scientifically rigorous, nature-based removal that meets what their partners are increasingly looking for. For Funga, it creates a meaningful path to scale, expanding native soil restoration across more forests, alongside partners who share that ambition.

“We are proud to expand our collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation. Their endorsement of Funga’s innovative tech and carbon program traction is a powerful signal to the market, helping us leverage the Foundation’s longstanding relationships to connect our projects with buyers looking to lead on climate and biodiversity,” Colin Averill, Founder and CEO of Funga.

Together, the Arbor Day Foundation and Funga are demonstrating how technical innovation and established market credibility can work in tandem to drive ecosystem restoration and climate impact at scale.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. They foster a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees. For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners. And this is only the beginning.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.

About Funga

Funga is restoring soil biodiversity to address the climate crisis. By reintroducing native, growth-promoting fungal communities to soils, they are working to accelerate one of the biggest carbon-storing mechanisms on the planet: forests. Trees inoculated with a healthy soil microbiome are reunited with critical symbiotic partners, allowing them to grow faster and stronger — sequestering significantly more carbon in the process.

Funga is a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) that is dedicated to delivering measurable environmental outcomes and durable economic value through the power of the microbiome. To learn more, go to funga.earth.

###

By: Vicki Hyman
Director, Global Communications, Mastercard

Global development priorities, fast-advancing technologies and shifting consumer behavior are reshaping what financial health looks like and how digital innovations can reach small businesses and those traditionally left behind. At the 2026 Global Inclusive Growth Forum, hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, leaders from across the public, private and social sectors dug into how digital economies can expand opportunity and deepen resilience. Here are six takeaways from the day.

“If AI is allowing us to rethink how everything works, that actually means there are no legacy limitations for us. We can design new systems that work for the future, that work for today, using 2026 tools. We do not have to use yesterday’s programs and tools and try to retrofit them into today’s system.”

Shamina Singh, the founder and president of the Center for Inclusive Growth, on AI as an opportunity to redesign how markets and institutions work, particularly for those left behind.

“At these events, we all talk about really big figures, but behind every figure is a life, and how they feel about their future. While we know a job on its own is not a guarantee for everything else we want to achieve, we do know that with the absence of that job we can’t make the progress we want to achieve.”

Paschal Donohoe, managing director and chief knowledge officer, World Bank Group, on how understanding personal experiences behind macroeconomic data helps achieve inclusive growth.

Global development priorities, fast-advancing technologies and shifting consumer behavior are reshaping what financial health looks like and how digital innovations can reach small businesses and those traditionally left behind. At the 2026 Global Inclusive Growth Forum, hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, leaders from across the public, private and social sectors dug into how digital economies can expand opportunity and deepen resilience. Here are six takeaways from the day.

“If AI is allowing us to rethink how everything works, that actually means there are no legacy limitations for us. We can design new systems that work for the future, that work for today, using 2026 tools. We do not have to use yesterday’s programs and tools and try to retrofit them into today’s system.”

Shamina Singh, the founder and president of the Center for Inclusive Growth, on AI as an opportunity to redesign how markets and institutions work, particularly for those left behind.

“At these events, we all talk about really big figures, but behind every figure is a life, and how they feel about their future. While we know a job on its own is not a guarantee for everything else we want to achieve, we do know that with the absence of that job we can’t make the progress we want to achieve.”

Paschal Donohoe, managing director and chief knowledge officer, World Bank Group, on how understanding personal experiences behind macroeconomic data helps achieve inclusive growth.

“All too often, the rise of digital currencies and stablecoins and blockchains and alternative payment systems are treated as a substitute for cash. But if you want a fast, secure, resilient, 21st-century-ready payment system, you have to also include the preservation of cash and then support widespread payment systems optionality.”

Dante Disparte, chief strategy officer and head of Global Policy and Operations at the stablecoin giant Circle, on building better payment systems. 

“We want to support those people who are out there who are going to say, ‘I’m going to take the hit first. My personal financial stability is not as important as my business becoming more stable.’”

Tim Ogden, managing director of the Financial Access Initiative at NYU Wagner, on the findings of his Small Firm Diaries research, which shows most entrepreneurs aren’t chasing hypergrowth but are seeking resiliency.

“It’s about sustaining, but not necessarily taking over the world. I want to make sure that my uniquely American craft continues to thrive, and that comes through slow, intentional work.”

Morgan Buckert, a custom artisan bootmaker based in Idaho and Texas, about being deliberate about growing her small business.

“How do you take the friction down of the reuse moment? The reason we love disposability is it’s so easy to throw something away. So if we’re going to ask someone to bring it back and take that extra effort, we’ve got to take all the friction out of it, because that’s what we’re competing against.”

Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle, a global leader in recycling, recycled content, and reuse, on one of the keys to scaling circular systems. 

Continue reading here

Follow along Mastercard’s journey to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere.
 

 

 

By: Vicki Hyman
Director, Global Communications, Mastercard

Global development priorities, fast-advancing technologies and shifting consumer behavior are reshaping what financial health looks like and how digital innovations can reach small businesses and those traditionally left behind. At the 2026 Global Inclusive Growth Forum, hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, leaders from across the public, private and social sectors dug into how digital economies can expand opportunity and deepen resilience. Here are six takeaways from the day.

“If AI is allowing us to rethink how everything works, that actually means there are no legacy limitations for us. We can design new systems that work for the future, that work for today, using 2026 tools. We do not have to use yesterday’s programs and tools and try to retrofit them into today’s system.”

Shamina Singh, the founder and president of the Center for Inclusive Growth, on AI as an opportunity to redesign how markets and institutions work, particularly for those left behind.

“At these events, we all talk about really big figures, but behind every figure is a life, and how they feel about their future. While we know a job on its own is not a guarantee for everything else we want to achieve, we do know that with the absence of that job we can’t make the progress we want to achieve.”

Paschal Donohoe, managing director and chief knowledge officer, World Bank Group, on how understanding personal experiences behind macroeconomic data helps achieve inclusive growth.

Global development priorities, fast-advancing technologies and shifting consumer behavior are reshaping what financial health looks like and how digital innovations can reach small businesses and those traditionally left behind. At the 2026 Global Inclusive Growth Forum, hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, leaders from across the public, private and social sectors dug into how digital economies can expand opportunity and deepen resilience. Here are six takeaways from the day.

“If AI is allowing us to rethink how everything works, that actually means there are no legacy limitations for us. We can design new systems that work for the future, that work for today, using 2026 tools. We do not have to use yesterday’s programs and tools and try to retrofit them into today’s system.”

Shamina Singh, the founder and president of the Center for Inclusive Growth, on AI as an opportunity to redesign how markets and institutions work, particularly for those left behind.

“At these events, we all talk about really big figures, but behind every figure is a life, and how they feel about their future. While we know a job on its own is not a guarantee for everything else we want to achieve, we do know that with the absence of that job we can’t make the progress we want to achieve.”

Paschal Donohoe, managing director and chief knowledge officer, World Bank Group, on how understanding personal experiences behind macroeconomic data helps achieve inclusive growth.

“All too often, the rise of digital currencies and stablecoins and blockchains and alternative payment systems are treated as a substitute for cash. But if you want a fast, secure, resilient, 21st-century-ready payment system, you have to also include the preservation of cash and then support widespread payment systems optionality.”

Dante Disparte, chief strategy officer and head of Global Policy and Operations at the stablecoin giant Circle, on building better payment systems. 

“We want to support those people who are out there who are going to say, ‘I’m going to take the hit first. My personal financial stability is not as important as my business becoming more stable.’”

Tim Ogden, managing director of the Financial Access Initiative at NYU Wagner, on the findings of his Small Firm Diaries research, which shows most entrepreneurs aren’t chasing hypergrowth but are seeking resiliency.

“It’s about sustaining, but not necessarily taking over the world. I want to make sure that my uniquely American craft continues to thrive, and that comes through slow, intentional work.”

Morgan Buckert, a custom artisan bootmaker based in Idaho and Texas, about being deliberate about growing her small business.

“How do you take the friction down of the reuse moment? The reason we love disposability is it’s so easy to throw something away. So if we’re going to ask someone to bring it back and take that extra effort, we’ve got to take all the friction out of it, because that’s what we’re competing against.”

Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle, a global leader in recycling, recycled content, and reuse, on one of the keys to scaling circular systems. 

Continue reading here

Follow along Mastercard’s journey to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere.
 

 

 

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 4, 2026 /3BL/ – Discovery Education today announced the recipients of its third annual Discovery Education Awards, recognizing districts, schools, and educators who are redefining what impactful teaching and learning look like in today’s classrooms.

As a trusted partner supporting teaching and learning in nearly half of U.S. K-12 schools, Discovery Education established these awards to elevate education leaders addressing education challenges through innovative, student-centered instruction. Award recipients were selected through a competitive national nomination and application process that evaluates evidence of academic growth and the effective use of instructional solutions to meet the evolving needs of students.

At a time when educators are being asked to improve outcomes while engaging learners despite resource constraints and student attention gaps, the 2026 honorees demonstrate how thoughtful design and real-world relevance translate into measurable impact. Together, this year’s winners span eight states and share a commitment to creating learning experiences that are results-focused and relevant. The 2026 Discovery Education Awards recipients are:

Districts of the Year

• Barbers Hill Independent School District – Texas
• Waterford School District – Michigan
• Westinghouse Arts Academy Charter School – Pennsylvania

Schools of the Year

• Alexander D. Henderson University School, FAU Lab Schools – Florida
• Alternative Paths Training School – Virginia
• Armwood High School, Hillsborough County Public Schools – Florida
• Checotah Intermediate School, Checotah School District – Oklahoma
• Florida Atlantic University High School, FAU Lab Schools – Florida
• Phillis Wheatley Elementary School, Woodbridge School District – Delaware

Educators of the Year

• Dr. Amber Dumbuya, School for Arts Infused Learning – Georgia
• Milton Fernandez, Miami-Dade County Public Schools – Florida
• Mayank Handa, Arizona Autism Charter Schools – Arizona
• Melissa Myer, Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 – Pennsylvania
• Holly Thomas, Burke County Public Schools – North Carolina
• Samantha Westerlind, Cherokee County School District – Georgia

“The recipients of the 2026 Discovery Education Awards represent what’s possible when K-12 learning is grounded in intention and impact,” said Brian Shaw, Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Education. “Across districts and classrooms nationwide, this year’s honorees demonstrate that when instruction is relevant, rigorous, and connected to the real world, engagement deepens and academic growth follows. We established these awards to recognize that commitment, and we applaud how this cohort of leaders and educators turns student potential into progress every day.”

Learn more about the 2026 Discovery Education Awards recipients at www.discoveryeducation.com/de-awards.

###

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is a global education technology leader whose innovative solutions empower educators and advance student learning. Discovery Education’s solutions have served more than 100 million students globally, supporting effective teaching and learning in 45% of U.S. K-12 schools and in 100+ countries and territories. The company’s portfolio includes award-winning core and supplemental curriculum, high-quality standards-aligned content, and AI-enabled teaching and learning tools. Solutions span math, science, literacy, social studies, and career-connected learning, including instructionally-aligned content developed through one-of-a-kind partnerships with industry leaders to bring real-world relevance into every lesson. Learn more at www.DiscoveryEducation.com.

Contacts
Ali Koper
Discovery Education
Akoper@discoveryed.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 4, 2026 /3BL/ – Discovery Education today announced the recipients of its third annual Discovery Education Awards, recognizing districts, schools, and educators who are redefining what impactful teaching and learning look like in today’s classrooms.

As a trusted partner supporting teaching and learning in nearly half of U.S. K-12 schools, Discovery Education established these awards to elevate education leaders addressing education challenges through innovative, student-centered instruction. Award recipients were selected through a competitive national nomination and application process that evaluates evidence of academic growth and the effective use of instructional solutions to meet the evolving needs of students.

At a time when educators are being asked to improve outcomes while engaging learners despite resource constraints and student attention gaps, the 2026 honorees demonstrate how thoughtful design and real-world relevance translate into measurable impact. Together, this year’s winners span eight states and share a commitment to creating learning experiences that are results-focused and relevant. The 2026 Discovery Education Awards recipients are:

Districts of the Year

• Barbers Hill Independent School District – Texas
• Waterford School District – Michigan
• Westinghouse Arts Academy Charter School – Pennsylvania

Schools of the Year

• Alexander D. Henderson University School, FAU Lab Schools – Florida
• Alternative Paths Training School – Virginia
• Armwood High School, Hillsborough County Public Schools – Florida
• Checotah Intermediate School, Checotah School District – Oklahoma
• Florida Atlantic University High School, FAU Lab Schools – Florida
• Phillis Wheatley Elementary School, Woodbridge School District – Delaware

Educators of the Year

• Dr. Amber Dumbuya, School for Arts Infused Learning – Georgia
• Milton Fernandez, Miami-Dade County Public Schools – Florida
• Mayank Handa, Arizona Autism Charter Schools – Arizona
• Melissa Myer, Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 – Pennsylvania
• Holly Thomas, Burke County Public Schools – North Carolina
• Samantha Westerlind, Cherokee County School District – Georgia

“The recipients of the 2026 Discovery Education Awards represent what’s possible when K-12 learning is grounded in intention and impact,” said Brian Shaw, Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Education. “Across districts and classrooms nationwide, this year’s honorees demonstrate that when instruction is relevant, rigorous, and connected to the real world, engagement deepens and academic growth follows. We established these awards to recognize that commitment, and we applaud how this cohort of leaders and educators turns student potential into progress every day.”

Learn more about the 2026 Discovery Education Awards recipients at www.discoveryeducation.com/de-awards.

###

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is a global education technology leader whose innovative solutions empower educators and advance student learning. Discovery Education’s solutions have served more than 100 million students globally, supporting effective teaching and learning in 45% of U.S. K-12 schools and in 100+ countries and territories. The company’s portfolio includes award-winning core and supplemental curriculum, high-quality standards-aligned content, and AI-enabled teaching and learning tools. Solutions span math, science, literacy, social studies, and career-connected learning, including instructionally-aligned content developed through one-of-a-kind partnerships with industry leaders to bring real-world relevance into every lesson. Learn more at www.DiscoveryEducation.com.

Contacts
Ali Koper
Discovery Education
Akoper@discoveryed.com

Key Points

• In 2025, Marathon Petroleum teams helped deliver coats to more than 4,000 children in communities across the country.
• Through its partnership with Operation Warm, Marathon employees volunteered at events that helped kids feel confident, supported and ready to succeed.
• Since 2021, Marathon and Operation Warm have provided coats for more than 21,000 children, with expanded efforts and events already underway across the country this year.

---

For thousands of kids across the country, a warm winter coat means more than just staying comfortable. It means showing up to school with confidence. It means feeling seen and knowing the community has their back, long after the season ends.

That’s exactly what continues to take shape through Marathon Petroleum’s growing partnership with Operation Warm. Together, Marathon and Operation Warm are helping provide new winter coats to children in communities where Marathon employees live and work.

“When companies like Marathon step in, it creates lasting impact,” said Jean Burnett, Volunteer Engagement Manager at Operation Warm. “You’re not just handing out jackets. You’re helping kids feel supported, valued and prepared for whatever lies ahead.”

From small towns to big cities, Marathon teams helped provide warm winter coats to children in need.

^{More than two dozen volunteers from Marathon’s Garyville refinery helped more than 100 children find and fit new coats at a local Operation Warm event.}
“This partnership really reflects who we are,” said Ashley Goecke, Community Relations Representative at Marathon Petroleum. “It’s about showing up for our communities and making a real difference, especially for families who need it most.”

In 2025 alone, Marathon teams helped deliver coats to more than 4,000 children across the country, from Louisiana to Alaska, with employees volunteering their time to help kids select a brand-new coat of their own.

You see the smiles, you hear the thank-yous, and you recognize you’re part of something bigger than yourself. It’s incredibly rewarding.

“Winter stays a long time here in Fairbanks, Alaska, so this generous donation means a great deal to our students and families,” said Dr. Luke Meinert, Superintendent of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. “Our schools rely on community partners like Marathon and Operation Warm. You could say it doesn’t get much better or warmer than this.”

^{Marathon volunteers at an Operation Warm event in St. Paul Park, Minnesota, where they helped fit dozens of local students with new coats.}
For many of these children and their families, everyday essentials like a new winter jacket can be hard to come by, making these moments about much more than the warmth a coat provides for both the kids and the volunteers.

“It’s honestly incredible to watch their faces light up,” said Danny Oubre, Marathon Pipe Line Area Manager in Garyville and St. James, Louisiana, and a volunteer at an Operation Warm event. “Seeing a child find the coat they love and try it on for the first time never gets old.”

That feeling was shared again and again by volunteers across Marathon’s footprint, including Chrissy Castle, a Senior Maintenance Planner at Marathon Petroleum’s Kenova Terminal in South Shore, Kentucky, who said the experience quickly puts things into perspective.

^{Marathon volunteers at an Operation Warm event in Anchorage, Alaska, in 2025.}
“You realize pretty quickly it’s about so much more than a jacket,” Castle said. “It’s about helping them feel seen, valued and cared for. And it doesn’t get much better than that.”

These moments don’t end when the weather warms. The confidence and connection built at each event carry forward, well beyond a single day or season.

“You see the difference you’re making in real time,” said Jay Richert, Vice President of Refining at Marathon Petroleum’s Garyville refinery in Louisiana, where his team saw strong volunteer turnout at a local Operation Warm event. “You see the smiles, you hear the thank-yous, and you recognize you’re part of something bigger than yourself. It’s incredibly rewarding.”

^{Marathon employee volunteer shares a moment with a student after she tries on a new coat at an Operation Warm event in North Pole, Alaska.}

^{Marathon volunteers at a 2025 Operation Warm event at a local school in North Pole, Alaska.}

Since the partnership began in 2021, Marathon teams, alongside Operation Warm, have helped provide coats to more than 21,000 children across the country. The nonprofit has also expanded its reach in recent years to include shoes and athletic gear.

As 2026 continues, Marathon teams are already working closely with Operation Warm to plan and coordinate events in communities across the country. With growing momentum and continued collaboration, this partnership is only getting stronger, creating even more opportunities to show up, give and make a lasting difference.

^{Marathon employee volunteer poses for a photo with a student he helped fit with a new coat at an Operation Warm event in South Shore, Kentucky.}

^{At each Operation Warm event, students signed a “Thank You” banner that was presented to Marathon volunteers.}

by Lee Green, vice president of communications and marketing at Cascale

Most sustainability systems are designed with outputs in mind.

Scores, benchmarks, disclosures, reports.

But if you want to understand where things are actually working or breaking down, it’s often more useful to look one step earlier. Not at the data itself, but at the questions people ask when they’re trying to produce it.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been looking more closely at anonymized user questions submitted through a support feature within HowToHigg, designed to help users navigate Higg Index guidance more effectively.

HowToHigg supports users across the full suite of Higg Index tools, which are built on Cascale’s methodologies and framework, with the tools themselves being exclusively available via Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform.

From a communications and engagement perspective, these questions are particularly useful. They don’t necessarily reflect the issues users encounter once inside the tools, or the detailed feedback captured through formal channels. But they do highlight where guidance, interpretation, and understanding may need to be strengthened, often before or alongside direct tool use.

Across more than 400 user questions, a number of consistent themes started to emerge. Taken together, they offer a useful lens into where users are seeking clarity, and where interpretation may begin to diverge.

A large share of questions focused on Higg FEM verification procedures. How to select Verification Bodies, what deadlines apply, how verifier rotation works, and the difference between self-assessment and verified scores. These are not edge cases. They sit at the core of how data becomes credible and comparable.

We also saw frequent questions around data classification and reporting methodology. How to distinguish between hazardous and non-hazardous waste. How to classify water use. How energy sources align with GHG Protocol scopes. These are the kinds of decisions that seem small in isolation but have a direct impact on consistency when applied across thousands of facilities.

Another cluster of questions related to cadence, deadlines, and module access, including reporting timelines and purchasing requirements. Again, not complex in theory, but critical in practice when companies are managing reporting across multiple teams and regions.

Questions around scoring logic and weighting came up repeatedly as well. Whether Level 2 and Level 3 questions are scored. How sub-questions contribute to final scores. What happens when zero-tolerance issues are identified. These are the mechanics behind the numbers, and understanding them is key to interpreting results correctly.

Some questions also pointed to platform access and functionality, reinforcing the importance of close coordination between Cascale’s methodologies and guidance, and Worldly’s platform delivery.

It’s important to be clear about what this is, and what it isn’t.

These insights are not a substitute for the detailed feedback gathered through formal channels such as Zendesk, direct user engagement, or module-specific support. Those remain critical for identifying and resolving specific issues within the tools themselves.

What this layer of questions offers is something slightly different. An earlier view into how users approach Higg Index guidance, and where additional clarity may be needed before or alongside engaging directly with the tools.

As the primary guidance platform for the Higg Index, HowToHigg plays a critical role in shaping how methodologies are understood and applied. And in that context, the questions users ask are often the first indication of where interpretation may begin to diverge.

If we want consistent, comparable data, that layer matters.

Because even the most robust methodologies rely on consistent understanding in practice. And every unclear definition, every misinterpretation, and every point of confusion has the potential to show up downstream.

So the takeaway is a simple one.

Pay attention to the questions.

They don’t just reflect what users don’t know. They point to where we can make the system clearer, more accessible, and ultimately more consistent in how it’s applied.

Lee Green is vice president of communications and marketing at Cascale.

by Lee Green, vice president of communications and marketing at Cascale

Most sustainability systems are designed with outputs in mind.

Scores, benchmarks, disclosures, reports.

But if you want to understand where things are actually working or breaking down, it’s often more useful to look one step earlier. Not at the data itself, but at the questions people ask when they’re trying to produce it.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been looking more closely at anonymized user questions submitted through a support feature within HowToHigg, designed to help users navigate Higg Index guidance more effectively.

HowToHigg supports users across the full suite of Higg Index tools, which are built on Cascale’s methodologies and framework, with the tools themselves being exclusively available via Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform.

From a communications and engagement perspective, these questions are particularly useful. They don’t necessarily reflect the issues users encounter once inside the tools, or the detailed feedback captured through formal channels. But they do highlight where guidance, interpretation, and understanding may need to be strengthened, often before or alongside direct tool use.

Across more than 400 user questions, a number of consistent themes started to emerge. Taken together, they offer a useful lens into where users are seeking clarity, and where interpretation may begin to diverge.

A large share of questions focused on Higg FEM verification procedures. How to select Verification Bodies, what deadlines apply, how verifier rotation works, and the difference between self-assessment and verified scores. These are not edge cases. They sit at the core of how data becomes credible and comparable.

We also saw frequent questions around data classification and reporting methodology. How to distinguish between hazardous and non-hazardous waste. How to classify water use. How energy sources align with GHG Protocol scopes. These are the kinds of decisions that seem small in isolation but have a direct impact on consistency when applied across thousands of facilities.

Another cluster of questions related to cadence, deadlines, and module access, including reporting timelines and purchasing requirements. Again, not complex in theory, but critical in practice when companies are managing reporting across multiple teams and regions.

Questions around scoring logic and weighting came up repeatedly as well. Whether Level 2 and Level 3 questions are scored. How sub-questions contribute to final scores. What happens when zero-tolerance issues are identified. These are the mechanics behind the numbers, and understanding them is key to interpreting results correctly.

Some questions also pointed to platform access and functionality, reinforcing the importance of close coordination between Cascale’s methodologies and guidance, and Worldly’s platform delivery.

It’s important to be clear about what this is, and what it isn’t.

These insights are not a substitute for the detailed feedback gathered through formal channels such as Zendesk, direct user engagement, or module-specific support. Those remain critical for identifying and resolving specific issues within the tools themselves.

What this layer of questions offers is something slightly different. An earlier view into how users approach Higg Index guidance, and where additional clarity may be needed before or alongside engaging directly with the tools.

As the primary guidance platform for the Higg Index, HowToHigg plays a critical role in shaping how methodologies are understood and applied. And in that context, the questions users ask are often the first indication of where interpretation may begin to diverge.

If we want consistent, comparable data, that layer matters.

Because even the most robust methodologies rely on consistent understanding in practice. And every unclear definition, every misinterpretation, and every point of confusion has the potential to show up downstream.

So the takeaway is a simple one.

Pay attention to the questions.

They don’t just reflect what users don’t know. They point to where we can make the system clearer, more accessible, and ultimately more consistent in how it’s applied.

Lee Green is vice president of communications and marketing at Cascale.

by Lee Green, vice president of communications and marketing at Cascale

Most sustainability systems are designed with outputs in mind.

Scores, benchmarks, disclosures, reports.

But if you want to understand where things are actually working or breaking down, it’s often more useful to look one step earlier. Not at the data itself, but at the questions people ask when they’re trying to produce it.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been looking more closely at anonymized user questions submitted through a support feature within HowToHigg, designed to help users navigate Higg Index guidance more effectively.

HowToHigg supports users across the full suite of Higg Index tools, which are built on Cascale’s methodologies and framework, with the tools themselves being exclusively available via Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform.

From a communications and engagement perspective, these questions are particularly useful. They don’t necessarily reflect the issues users encounter once inside the tools, or the detailed feedback captured through formal channels. But they do highlight where guidance, interpretation, and understanding may need to be strengthened, often before or alongside direct tool use.

Across more than 400 user questions, a number of consistent themes started to emerge. Taken together, they offer a useful lens into where users are seeking clarity, and where interpretation may begin to diverge.

A large share of questions focused on Higg FEM verification procedures. How to select Verification Bodies, what deadlines apply, how verifier rotation works, and the difference between self-assessment and verified scores. These are not edge cases. They sit at the core of how data becomes credible and comparable.

We also saw frequent questions around data classification and reporting methodology. How to distinguish between hazardous and non-hazardous waste. How to classify water use. How energy sources align with GHG Protocol scopes. These are the kinds of decisions that seem small in isolation but have a direct impact on consistency when applied across thousands of facilities.

Another cluster of questions related to cadence, deadlines, and module access, including reporting timelines and purchasing requirements. Again, not complex in theory, but critical in practice when companies are managing reporting across multiple teams and regions.

Questions around scoring logic and weighting came up repeatedly as well. Whether Level 2 and Level 3 questions are scored. How sub-questions contribute to final scores. What happens when zero-tolerance issues are identified. These are the mechanics behind the numbers, and understanding them is key to interpreting results correctly.

Some questions also pointed to platform access and functionality, reinforcing the importance of close coordination between Cascale’s methodologies and guidance, and Worldly’s platform delivery.

It’s important to be clear about what this is, and what it isn’t.

These insights are not a substitute for the detailed feedback gathered through formal channels such as Zendesk, direct user engagement, or module-specific support. Those remain critical for identifying and resolving specific issues within the tools themselves.

What this layer of questions offers is something slightly different. An earlier view into how users approach Higg Index guidance, and where additional clarity may be needed before or alongside engaging directly with the tools.

As the primary guidance platform for the Higg Index, HowToHigg plays a critical role in shaping how methodologies are understood and applied. And in that context, the questions users ask are often the first indication of where interpretation may begin to diverge.

If we want consistent, comparable data, that layer matters.

Because even the most robust methodologies rely on consistent understanding in practice. And every unclear definition, every misinterpretation, and every point of confusion has the potential to show up downstream.

So the takeaway is a simple one.

Pay attention to the questions.

They don’t just reflect what users don’t know. They point to where we can make the system clearer, more accessible, and ultimately more consistent in how it’s applied.

Lee Green is vice president of communications and marketing at Cascale.