Tag: 3BL

LAS VEGAS, January 7, 2025 /3BL/ – Coach, the “Original American House of Leather,” and Gen Phoenix, a global leading sustainable manufacturer of recycled leather fiber material at scale, are taking the stage together at CES 2025 to share how their transformative partnership is changing the standard for sustainability in fashion– and unveil what’s next in their industry-leading journey.

Coach CEO and Brand President, Todd Kahn, and Gen Phoenix CMO and General Manager of Consumer, Elyse Winer, invite CES attendees to join them on Thursday, January 9th at 3:00PM PST for their panel, “Revolutionizing Luxury: Sustainability and Innovation in Fashion“ at the Great Minds Stage, which will offer a behind-the-scenes look at how these two uniquely positioned brands are working together to drive the fashion industry’s sustainable transformation at scale. By infusing innovation into every facet of the partnership, Coach and Gen Phoenix are pioneering new ways of working together as one team and breaking down traditional barriers between vendors and brands.

“As a company with 80 years of heritage, Coach is known for its craftsmanship, quality and design,” says Kahn. “This partnership with Gen Phoenix represents a significant step in our journey to balance Coach’s rich history with a commitment to finding innovative and sustainable solutions that help us create a better made future.

Gen Phoenix’s material has at least an 80% lower carbon footprint compared to the global average of conventional leather. The panel will explore the evolution of luxury in an era of conscious consumption, how brands are responding to consumer demands, and how successful partnerships built on collaboration can drive revolutionary industry change.

Winer and Kahn will also unveil new product innovations and provide a glimpse into their plans for the future. In addition to a dynamic, interactive conversation moderated by fashion technology reporter Maghan McDowell, attendees will have the chance to win exclusive Coach products crafted from the new-to-market material made with recycled leather fibers made exclusively for the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show.

“In an industry where partnerships rarely extend beyond one-off capsules and pilot programs, we’re thrilled to be using the CES stage as our opportunity to not only give attendees a first glimpse at what to expect from Gen Phoenix and Coach in the coming months, but also what the future has in store for this industry-first strategic partnership,” says Winer. “By pulling back the curtain on how we’ve been able to scale this collaboration, we hope to provide a blueprint for other brands looking to mirror the meaningful change Coach is driving across the fashion industry, in partnership with Gen Phoenix.”

This partnership committed to sustainable innovation and industry disruption began in March 2023, when Tapestry, Inc. (NYSE: TPR), Coach’s parent company, made a strategic investment in Gen Phoenix. The collaboration continued in April 2023 with the debut of Coachtopia, Coach’s circular sub-brand that included a line of handbags featuring Gen Phoenix’s recycled leather fiber material. Now, Coach and Gen Phoenix look forward to giving the world a never-before-seen look at what the future of this partnership holds.

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About Coach 
Coach is a global fashion house founded in New York in 1941. Inspired by the vision of Creative Director Stuart Vevers and the inclusive and courageous spirit of its hometown, the brand makes beautiful things, crafted to last—for you to be yourself in.

Coach is a Tapestry, Inc. brand. Tapestry is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker TPR.

About Tapestry, Inc 
Our global house of brands unites the magic of Coach, kate spade new york and Stuart Weitzman. Each of our brands are unique and independent, while sharing a commitment to innovation and authenticity defined by distinctive products and differentiated customer experiences across channels and geographies. We use our collective strengths to move our customers and empower our communities, to make the fashion industry more sustainable, and to build a company that’s equitable, inclusive, and diverse. Individually, our brands are iconic. Together, we can stretch what’s possible. To learn more about Tapestry, please visit www.tapestry.com. For important news and information regarding Tapestry, visit the Investor Relations section of our website at www.tapestry.com/investors. In addition, investors should continue to review our news releases and filings with the SEC. We use each of these channels of distribution as primary channels for publishing key information to our investors, some of which may contain material and previously non-public information. The Company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TPR.

About Gen Phoenix 
Gen Phoenix is delivering a new generation of materials for the next era of sustainability. Through a revolutionary circular process that earned the brand recognition as one of Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies, Gen Phoenix rescues leather offcuts destined for landfill and regenerates them into a premium recycled leather material coveted by the world’s most iconic brands for its beauty and durability. Since 2007, Gen Phoenix has diverted thousands of tons of material from landfill. Adaptable to a wide variety of feedstocks, Gen Phoenix’s patented technology platform will make material circularity possible at an epic scale.

For more information, please visit http://www.genphoenix.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS 
Jackie Albano, Director, ESG Communications, Tapestry 
jalbano@tapestry.com

Brooke Hudson, Director, Global Brand Communications, Coach 
bhudson@coach.com

Kylie Peterson, Account Lead for Gen Phoenix PR, SGPR 
kylie@smallgirlspr.com

January 7, 2025 /3BL/ – AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company proudly announced that for the sixth consecutive year it has received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s (HRC) 2025 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. AEG joins the 765 U.S. businesses that will be honored with HRCF’s Equality 100 Award as Leaders in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion. This year’s CEI includes 1,449 businesses – the highest number of rated companies since the start of the CEI in 2002.

“ We are proud to be designated as A Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality and receive the top score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index for the sixth consecutive year,” said Jae Requiro, Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for AEG. “AEG is committed to creating a safe and inclusive workplace and building a company that reflects the communities we serve, because we believe that diversity of backgrounds, perspectives and ideas is crucial to our success.”

“The CEI is so much more than a score on paper. For decades businesses have relied on the CEI as a tool for transparency and leveling the playing field for all workers, making sure LGBTQ+ people and their families can share in fair, respectful and supportive workplaces and benefits,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, SHRM-CP, HRCF Senior Director of Workplace Equality. “As conversations evolve on corporate America’s approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, year-over-year growth in CEI participation is evidence of a business community that largely recognizes the responsibility and value in upholding equity and inclusion. Our goal at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is to work in a spirit of partnership with companies, providing educational resources and leading benchmarking. The work of the CEI is to help businesses to expand their consumer base and attract top, innovative talent by supporting the LGBTQ+ community.”

The results of the 2025 CEI showcase how U.S.-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+ friendly workplace policies in the U.S. and abroad. The first year of the CEI included 319 participants, and the 2025 CEI now surveys 1,449 participants, further demonstrating the tremendous growth of the CEI. A record-breaking 98 percent of CEI businesses have nondiscrimination protections specific to gender identity. The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to more than 22 million U.S. workers and includes Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.

The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

Non-discrimination policies across business entities;Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families;Supporting an inclusive culture; and,Corporate social responsibility.

AEG’s efforts in satisfying all the CEI’s criteria earned a score of 100 and the designation as a recipient of the Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion.

More information about the HRC Corporate Equality Index Report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

Rocky Hill, CT, January 7, 2024 /3BL/ – Henkel, a leading manufacturer of well-known consumer and industrial brands, such as Dial® soap, Schwarzkopf® hair care, all® free clear laundry detergent, and Loctite®, Technomelt® and Bonderite® adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings, has received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s (HRCF) 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. 

Henkel is among the 765 businesses that will be honored with HRCF’s Equality 100 Award as Leaders in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion. This year’s CEI includes over 1,400 businesses – the highest number of rated companies since the start of the CEI in 2002. The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under the central pillars of non-discrimination policies across business entities, equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families, supporting an overall inclusive culture, and corporate social responsibility.

“We are proud to be recognized with HRCF’s Equality 100 Award, reflecting our commitment to inclusion and belonging within the workplace, in local communities, and with our partners, customers, and consumers along the value chain,” said Pernille Lind Olsen, President, Henkel North America. “Henkel has a long legacy of fostering a culture of belonging for all employees, including the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Henkel’s purpose as pioneers at heart for the good of generations drives us to do the right thing for our colleagues and for our business.”  

Henkel earns this recognition based on comprehensive efforts to create a welcoming environment and implement inclusive benefits and programs to meet the diverse needs of employees in North America. For example, in 2023, Henkel expanded its parental leave policy to provide 12 weeks of fully paid time off for all U.S. employees welcoming a child into their home, regardless of gender or family structure. Henkel also has a strong network of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) spanning over 20 chapters and over 2400 employees across the region  to provide a supportive community, elevate diverse perspectives, and promote growth opportunities for employees and the business. 

“For decades businesses have relied on the CEI as a tool for transparency and leveling the playing field for all workers, making sure LGBTQ+ people and their families can share in fair, respectful and supportive workplaces and benefits,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, SHRM-CP, HRCF Senior Director of Workplace Equality. “As conversations evolve on corporate America’s approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, year-over-year growth in CEI participation is evidence of a business community that largely recognizes the responsibility and value in upholding equity and inclusion. The work of the CEI is to help businesses to expand their consumer base and attract top, innovative talent by supporting the LGBTQ+ community.”

The results of the 2025 CEI showcase how companies are promoting LGBTQ+ friendly workplace policies and the importance of reaffirming commitments to equity in the workplace. A record-breaking 98 percent of CEI businesses have non-discrimination protections specific to gender identity, and the CEI takes a detailed approach to recognizing employers that provide these crucial protections to more than 22 million U.S. workers.

The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

About Henkel in North America

Henkel’s portfolio of well-known brands in North America includes Schwarzkopf® hair care, Dial® soaps, Persil®, Purex®, and all® laundry detergents, Snuggle® fabric softeners as well as Loctite®, Technomelt® and Bonderite® adhesives. With sales close to 6.6 billion US dollars (6 billion euros) in 2023, North America accounts for 28 percent of the company’s global sales. Henkel employs around 8,000 people across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit http://www.henkel-northamerica.com and on Twitter @Henkel_NA.

About The Human Rights Campaign Foundation

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on 

advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.

Photo material is available at www.henkel-northamerica.com/press

Henkel Contact: Erica Cooper
Phone: 475-232-4973 
Email: erica.cooper@henkel.com

Originally published in Nielsen’s 2024 ESG report, available to download here

The last several years have brought a significant amount of change to the world, and Nielsen has evolved accordingly. We’re not only on a journey to transform our business model, we are also transforming our culture and employee experience so that we can continue to do our best work. To do so, we’re focused on driving the growth and engagement of our employees.

We’ve been investing in our people to develop their capabilities, recognize high performance, clarify roles and support career development for all of our employees. We continue to work in a way that provides employees flexibility in their lives and have made great strides in expanding our well-being program, especially around emotional health, to make it more accessible to employees globally.

Our values are the foundation of our organization, and our culture behaviors of accountability, performance, operational excellence and grit bring them to life by translating the day-to-day actions that feed our transformation as we work to deliver a better future for all people. We want to enable our employees to live our values each day at Nielsen, since they are the force that drives this culture forward.

In 2023 and into 2024, we worked to further integrate our values and culture behaviors into our day-to-day experience, including early exposure through our onboarding process, so that employees new to Nielsen begin their roles grounded in who we are as a company.

Our values 
What we believe

InclusionCourageGrowth

Our culture behaviors 
How we work together

Accountability: Doing what we say by taking ownership, being clear about roles, managing expectations, respecting decisions and following through.Performance: Learning with speed to deliver key outcomes by focusing on the right work, having high standards and making each other better.Operational excellence: Improving every day and measuring it by defining success, applying learnings to get better and celebrating success.Grit: Powering through challenges together by trusting each other, embracing change and bringing solutions.

Leadership development

A key piece of driving growth and engagement among our people is engaging and supporting our people managers, who have an outsized impact on our business success, developing teams and championing our values and culture behaviors.

We continue to invest in leaders through a range of programs designed to meet them where they are and support their learning and development journey. At the close of 2023, we reached nearly 550 people managers across the company with cohort- based leadership development programs including Lead, Boost and Ascend. In 2024, to engage and encourage leaders directly, we decided to recruit candidates for our 12-week Lead and Boost leadership development programs based on applications, rather than nominations, and we enlisted six cohorts of 150 people globally. Lead is geared toward people managers with less than two years of experience, to cement the fundamentals of leadership and employee development, while Boost helps more experienced managers advance their team engagement skills through instructor- led workshops and other activities. Our Ascend program guides top talent with succession potential through six months of customized coaching and assessment.

In 2023, we engaged nearly 400 people managers in Leader Lab, which includes quarterly virtual learning sessions open to all people leaders, as well as on-demand People Leader Essentials training pathways in Degreed. Across the company, employees also have access to career development programs aligned with our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Please refer to the Business inclusion, impact and belonging section of our 2024 ESG report for more information.

Expanding capabilities and enabling growth

We provide employees with resources and opportunities to expand their skill sets as an essential part of our commitment to a Growth Culture. With the acceleration of our company transformation and the ever-changing media landscape, we focused on specific learning programs in 2023 that help to strengthen our employees’ understanding of these changing dynamics and broaden their skills and awareness of what’s needed to drive growth for Nielsen. In 2023, 82% of our employees accessed our Learning Management System and Degreed platforms, completing over 32,500 learning activities.

“We recognize that times of transformation require a lot of grit to get through and thrive, but we also know this can also be the best type of environment to learn and grow.

Jane Cha-Lee 
Senior Vice President, Talent and Development

These learning programs have increased our employees’ knowledge of the industry and helped them to understand how our focus areas are critical for our transformation. In 2023, we piloted U of Digital at Nielsen with 300 employees, to increase understanding of the latest digital and industry trends. To encourage fluency of Nielsen’s current business strategy, products and opportunities, we launched Discover Nielsen, which connects employees with subject matter experts across our company to help them learn more about the rapidly evolving media industry, Nielsen product solutions, the fundamentals of measurement and other key topics. In 2024, both of these programs will continue to be essential to our learning roadmap for all employees.

Discover how Nielsen’s responsible and inclusive practices continue to build a healthy and resilient business in our annual global corporate sustainability report. Download the 2024 report here.

Supports Pinellas County Schools’ Future Cities program and enhanced experiences at Enterprise Village and Finance ParkBrings total company donations to more than $4 million

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., January 7, 2025 /3BL/ – Thanks to a long-standing collaboration with Duke Energy Florida, the Duke Energy Foundation and Pinellas Education Foundation, thousands of students will experience real-world economic and innovative engineering concepts to help them reach their full potential both in and out of the classroom.

Duke Energy Foundation provided a $100,000 grant to Pinellas County Schools’ Future Cities program to help students in grades six through eight explore and create sustainable solutions around energy, land conservation and environmental issues. Through the program, middle school students imagine, research, design and build cities of the future that showcase their solution to a citywide sustainability issue.

The company also renewed its longtime sponsorship of Pinellas County Schools’ Stavros Institute Enterprise Village and Finance Park, where thousands of elementary and high school students travel from across the state to develop basic economic concepts, understand the process between businesses and consumers and learn how to make sound personal finance decisions. During last year’s school year, more than 14,000 students attended the storefronts.

“Enterprise Village and Finance Park have grown into one of Pinellas County’s most popular destinations and innovative learning experiences,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “Many of our employees and retirees have fond memories of Enterprise Village, visiting as students, volunteers or chaperones, which speaks to the lasting impact Pinellas Education Foundation programs have on our communities.”

This year, Duke Energy Florida upgraded its storefronts in Enterprise Village and Finance Park to reflect a smarter, brighter energy future with new energy efficiency jobs and innovative tools including thermal cameras, virtual reality experiences and renewable energy concepts. Duke Energy – then Florida Power Corporation – has been a sponsor of Enterprise Village since its inception in 1989.

“Duke Energy is a valued supporter of Pinellas Education Foundation,” said Kim Jowell, Pinellas Education Foundation chief executive officer. “They have a long-standing commitment to having a presence in our signature Enterprise Village and Finance Park programs.

“This year, we are particularly excited they will be providing opportunities for students to explore and create sustainable solutions around energy and environmental issues,” said Jowell. “Duke Energy exemplifies how investing in education enhances student learning experiences and drives academic success.”

For nearly four decades, Duke Energy Florida, its predecessor companies and the Duke Energy Foundation have supported Pinellas Education Foundation with more than $4 million in grants, donations and sponsorships.

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 Foundation 

The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

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.

Pinellas Education Foundation

Established in 1986, Pinellas Education Foundation is a nationally recognized, dynamic nonprofit organization committed to transforming students’ lives, empowering them to achieve their full potential, and providing teachers with the resources they need to excel in the classroom. Through innovative initiatives, a strategic partnership with Pinellas County Schools, and collaboration with community partners, we work tirelessly to accelerate educational achievement for all students. With a comprehensive approach to education, our programs cover the bookends of learning, beginning with an emphasis on early literacy all the way through the intricate pathways of college and career readiness. Improving outcomes, especially for students with the greatest achievement gaps, is pivotal to our work. Our commitment to quality education spans the entire spectrum, and we are constantly evolving to address the ever-changing needs of students and teachers. To learn more, visit pinellaseducation.org.

Duke Energy Florida Media Contact: Audrey Stasko 
Media line: 800.559.3853 
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS

Pinellas Education Foundation Media Contact: Kate Smith 
Office: 727.588.4816, Ext. 2128 
Kate.Smith@pinellaseducation.org

View original content here.

Refineries process and produce large volumes of flammable materials. In order to mitigate the risk of fires, many rely on aqueous film forming foam or AFFF. This “fire fighting foam” is stored onsite in tanks and used to suppress fire during an emergency. Many types of AFFF contain high levels of PFAS.

A large refinery wanted to replace their current AFFF with a non-PFAS alternative. They hired us to dispose of the PFAS-containing waste.

At Veolia, we offer compliant, comprehensive PFAS waste handling and disposal. With the help of our Port Arthur incinerator, we’ve managed 143,550 gallons of PFAS-containing AFFF via high-temperature incineration. The Port Arthur incinerator is permitted to treat RCRA hazardous waste and PCB waste, and it is the only facility in the U.S. permitted to treat dioxin waste. The incineration process has a destruction and removal efficiency of 99.9999%.

All Veolia solutions are scientifically proven and fully EPA-compliant. As regulations evolve, we’re at the forefront, offering innovative disposal solutions to meet compliance requirements and safeguard your environmental interests. Veolia draws upon extensive expertise in water treatment to safely manage PFAS-containing waste for our clients. Our solutions are designed to meet your needs — we offer secure landfilling and deep well injection, and our state-of-the-art incineration facility in Port Arthur, Texas is permitted to treat RCRA hazardous, TSCA PCBs and dioxin waste and is approved to receive CERCLA waste. 

BeyondPFAS, our suite of end-to-end PFAS management solutions, is designed to support you at every step, from sampling and analysis to responsible disposal of contaminants. Our holistic approach involves initial site assessment and sampling, followed by implementing tailored treatment technologies based on your needs. We are committed to safely handling and disposing contaminates in line with EPA-recommended methods, including incineration, deep well injection and approved landfill.

ATLANTA, January 7, 2025 /3BL/ – Georgia-Pacific has completed the upgrades to its Bradford, Pennsylvania, corrugated facility that began in early 2023. The investment totaled close to $34 million and funded new equipment to modernize the plant’s operations.

The upgrades included a new rooftop cyclone, a new corrugator and two new converting lines – all of which will help the plant operate more efficiently. The newer equipment gives the plant improved throughput, the ability to run larger products, and printing capability of up to 4-colors to better meet customer needs.

“While the work took time to complete, we are excited that we have an updated facility that our employees, customers, and the community can be proud of,” said Daniel Brooks, area general manager. “We have a great team here, and they take pride in being part of the Bradford community. With this investment, we are well positioned to manufacture high quality corrugated boxes to our customers throughout Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and western/central New York.”

Georgia-Pacific’s Bradford facility also made a large community investment this year, donating $10,000 to the Bradford Township Fire Department for recently purchased fire trucks.

“We strive to be preferred partners in our community just like we do with our customers and employees,” said Mario Williams, area operations leader. “By contributing to the local fire department, we’re helping them acquire the resources they need to do their work safely, effectively, and to the best of their abilities.”

The Bradford plant has been operated by Georgia-Pacific since 1990 and directly employs approximately 125 people. Over the past 10 years, just more than $40 million in capital funds has been invested in the facility.

Stay updated on business news from Georgia-Pacific by visiting https://news.gp.com.

Media Contact: 
Lauren Campen
404-652-8962

# # #

As we approach 2025, following what is likely to be the hottest year on record, the urgency to address our planet’s interconnected challenges has never been greater. Climate change and resource scarcity require businesses, governments, and communities to act with intention and scale.

At Cisco, we are steadfast in our goals to both reduce environmental impact and foster resilience—ensuring that communities, ecosystems, and industries can adapt, thrive, and sustain themselves in the face of uncertainty. Below are six sustainability trends expected to emerge in 2025:

1. Digitizing the grid

Artificial intelligence (AI) has potential to drive positive change in society, but it will require a rethink of networks and cleaner, more resilient and reliable energy sources. If we anticipate these challenges now, we can build the right infrastructure to support this future. That’s how we can balance the demands of a rapidly digitizing, AI-integrated society with having a livable planet.

Digitizing the grid is essential to meet the growing energy demand and enhance energy security. The U.S. Department of Energy, for example, estimates that much of the country’s electric grid was built in the 1960s and 1970s, and 70 percent of transmission lines are more than 25 years old. The integration of AI could transform how energy is managed and distributed, creating more efficient and reliable systems.

At Cisco we believe we must design and future-proof energy grids, buildings, networks, data centers and technology for whatever energy requirements are around the corner – whether that’s AI or something else. We continue to leverage our expertise in secure networks to drive this transformation, supporting grid modernization that is both innovative and resilient. Gains in efficiency can also support greater affordability and reliability across the energy sector.

2. Transitioning to a circular economy

The transition from linear to circular business models is reshaping how industries operate, creating opportunities to reduce waste and maximize resources. But there is still more to be done. The United Nations (UN) Global E-waste Monitor 2024 reports that “a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste was produced in 2022 — Up 82% from 2010; on track to raise another 32%, to 82 million tonnes, in 2030.”

Cisco is at the forefront of the shift to a circular economy, embedding circularity into our product design and lifecycle strategies. Our approach focuses on designing for sustainability—creating durable, modular products that can be easily repaired, upgraded, and recycled.

We’re already doing this through:

Setting a goal to incorporate Circular Design Principles into 100 percent of new products and packaging by our fiscal year (FY) 2025. As of our FY24, we are at 96 percent.Offering initiatives like the Cisco Takeback and Reuse Program and Cisco Refresh, which extend the lifecycle of our devices, enabling remanufacturing, reuse, and recycling to reduce electronic waste and conserve resources.Reusing or recycling nearly 100 percent of the products that are returned to us.

These initiatives not only support our circularity goals but also empower customers to adopt more sustainable practices, helping to keep valuable materials in use for as long as possible.

3. Investing in innovation

Innovation is essential to addressing the challenges of a changing planet. Globally, annual clean energy technology investments are expected to exceed $900 billion by 2030.

At Cisco, we are partnering with early-stage startups that are driving transformative solutions in clean energy, circularity, and climate resilience. Two exemplary companies from our Cisco Investments portfolio, CorPower Ocean and DEScycle, are leading the way in these areas.

Our goal is to accelerate innovation by investing in companies that align with our environmental sustainability strategy. These investments don’t just provide capital—they serve as a signal to the broader market on what we value and where we believe the future is headed.

In 2021, the Cisco Foundation demonstrated this by committing $100 million over ten years to support climate innovation in both nonprofits and for-profit start-ups.

4. Scaling impact through public-private partnerships

No single entity can tackle environmental challenges like climate change alone. The path to a more sustainable future requires partnerships across sectors. According to a 2023 report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, 87 percent of public-private-philanthropic partnerships focused on emerging economies, which can be less able than advanced economies to deliver solutions independently. In 2025, we anticipate a heightened emphasis on public-private collaboration, as governments and businesses align to localize efforts and scale impact.

From national incentives for clean energy adoption to local initiatives that promote water conservation, partnerships are critical to bringing together the policies, funding, and innovation needed to achieve meaningful progress.

5. Keeping a pulse on two trending sustainability topics, nuclear energy and water insecurity

As global energy demands continue to grow, nuclear energy is reentering the conversation as a potential solution for reliable clean energy, because it does not produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), world nuclear capacity is now projected to increase by 2.5 times the current capacity by 2050.  Nuclear energy is increasingly seen as part of a diverse energy mix needed to maintain ambitious climate goals, contribute to energy security, and satisfy rising energy demand.

Water insecurity is becoming one of the most pressing sustainability challenges of our time. According to WWF, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and 2.7 billion people experience water scarcity for at least one month of the year. Water use is at the center of the conversation about generative AI, as water is a key resource required by the data centers that provide AI processing power. In 2025, we expect to see greater innovation in water management and greater attention to equitable access to this vital resource.

6. Building community resilience

Resilience is about more than weathering challenges—it’s about a systemic ability to adapt, recover, and flourish amid change.

Today, technology is tightly integrated with resilience, providing the access and capabilities needed to be connected and participate in society. 2.6 billion people around the world are still without Internet access and even among those that are connected, there are disparities in quality and affordability.

In 2025, resilience is expected to be the watchword of a movement in which local communities are at the center of solutions to bolster critical infrastructure.

At Cisco, we support resilient communities through technology and innovation. Our solutions—ranging from secure digital networks to grid modernization—are designed to help communities and businesses respond to extreme weather and climate risks, enable reliable access to resources, and build a foundation for long-term prosperity. Resilience is important for broader sustainability efforts, as stronger communities are better equipped to implement and scale more sustainable practices.

Looking ahead

At Cisco, environmental sustainability is about more than reducing climate impact. We believe in building resilience to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

In 2025, we have an opportunity to lead with intention, scaling solutions that address climate risks while empowering communities to adapt and flourish. Read more about what Cisco has accomplished around sustainability, and where we hope to make progress, in our FY24 Purpose Report.

View original content here.

EMERYVILLE, Calif., January 07, 2025 /3BL/ – SCS Standards is pleased to announce that version 2.0 of the SCS-108 Certification Standard for Carbon Neutral Entities, Buildings, Products, and Services is now available for public review. 

The Standard was first introduced in 2022 to establish certification requirements for entities, buildings, products and services to achieve carbon neutral status.

The Standard was revised to include:

New requirement to reduce GHG emissions year over yearNew requirement to pre-purchase carbon offsets for any commitment claimNew timebound requirements for Entities to includes scope 3 emissionsUpdated requirements for allowable claimsAlignment with Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly product carbon policyAddition of Section 8, optional Global Heat Reduction Assessment

The public is welcome to comment on the version 2.0 updates to the standard until February 07, 2025. To submit comments, please reach out to  standards@scsstandards.org, or please visit https://www.scsstandards.org/standards/certification-standard-carbon-neutral-entities-buildings-products-and-services. 

About SCS Standards

SCS Standards is an organization committed to the development of standards that advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Standards are developed in alignment with best practices and guidelines provided by internationally recognized bodies to ensure a robust, transparent, and collaborative approach. SCS Standards is the official standards development body for Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. For more information, visit  www.SCSstandards.org. 

Media Contact

Victoria Norman 
Executive Director 
Send an email

LEEDS, United Kingdom, January 6, 2025 /3BL/ – Antea Group UK, a leading multidisciplinary consultancy specialising in environment, health and safety services for the private sector, today announced the launch of its comprehensive Water Consultancy Services. This new service offering builds upon the company’s existing expertise to provide clients with a one-stop shop for all their environmental planning and transactional due-diligence needs.

“Following a successful inaugural year in 2024, we are pleased to expand our service portfolio with the introduction of our Water Consultancy Services,” stated Dr. Paul Dowson, Environmental Planning Practice Director at Antea Group UK. “This new service underscores our dedication to offering clients the most comprehensive and commercially focused solutions available in the UK market. Our team is exceptionally equipped to provide expert guidance on flood risk, drainage, climate resilience, and regulatory compliance for both development and investment projects.”

With an experienced team of water consultants, Antea Group UK’s Water Consultancy Services encompass a wide range of offerings, including:

Flood Risk AppraisalsFlood Risk AssessmentsDrainage StrategiesNutrient NeutralityWater Environmental Statement ChaptersPhysical Climate Risk AssessmentsBREEAM Flood Risk AssessmentsFirewater Risk AppraisalsFlood Risk Sequential TestsFlood Warning and Evacuation Plans

“Investing in water services is not solely about safeguarding people and properties but also about protecting our environment,” stated Alex Perryman, Head of Water Services at Antea Group UK. “With flood risk and climate change being persistent topics in the political arena, we are strategically positioned to offer a comprehensive suite of flood risk and drainage services. Our tailored solutions are designed to mitigate risks from all sources of flooding, both presently and in the future, thereby ensuring a greener and more sustainable future for our planet.”

About Antea Group 
Antea Group® is an environmental, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm with operations in Europe, Asia and the Americas. By combining strategic thinking with technical expertise, we do more than effectively solve client challenges; we deliver sustainable results for a better future. We work in partnership with and advise many of the world’s most sustainable companies to address EHS-business challenges in a way that fits their pace and unique objectives. Our consultants equip organisations to better understand threats, capture opportunities and find their position of strength.

Contact: 
Alex Perryman 
Head of Water Services 
alex.perryman@anteagroup.uk