Tag: 3BL

CLEVELAND, January 21, 2025 /3BL/ – KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) provided a $15.5 million construction loan, a $3.18 million permanent loan and $17.7 million in low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) to finance the new construction of The Grand and The Glen, a scattered two site workforce affordable housing project in Toledo, OH.

The Grand and Glen will introduce 70 affordable family units to a vacant city-owned parcel and an underutilized parking lot. The project will target families with income levels between 50%, 60%, and 70% AMI levels.

The Glen is a 50-unit four story building at the Southland Shopping Plaza. The Grand will be 20 townhomes at the corner of Detroit and Grand avenues. Both locations boast proximity to downtown Toledo, The University of Toledo Medical Center, and numerous major employers and sought-after amenities. The project will offer a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments and three- and four-bedroom townhomes. All units prioritize thoughtful design, energy efficiency, and accessibility. Moreover, the development will encompass modern amenities, enabling residents to comfortably age in place. This scattered-site development aims to diversify housing options, rejuvenate vacant or underutilized parcels, and inject approximately $28 million of investment into the City of Toledo

The sponsor, Pivotal Housing Partners, is a top ranked Ohio-based multifamily developer and property management company with LIHTC properties operating in 16 states including Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansa, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and most recently, New York.

Derek Reed and David Lacki of KeyBank CDLI structured the financing for the transaction.

About KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment

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

About KeyCorp

KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $190 billion at September 30, 2024. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC. 

###

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

KEY MEDIA
NEWSROOM: Key.com/newsroom

We hope this issue of our newsletter brings a sigh of relief amid all the other news coming your way as 2025 begins. While many trends in climate change and sustainability action are worrying, the good news is that governments around the world continue to move regulations forward in ways that could have positive impacts across ESG topics and issues.

Recent news from Australia, Canada, and China point to a broad move towards requiring companies to report more corporate emissions and related sustainability disclosures. Most notably, in 2025 the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will take effect not only for EU-listed companies but all companies headquartered anywhere with operations in the EU that meet 2 of 3 criteria (more than 250 employees, +€50 million in annual turnover, +€25 million in total assets).

Similarly, any company with total annual revenues greater than $1 billion that does any business in California will be subject to climate disclosure requirements once the State’s rule is finalized. Even without such requirements, ESG News highlights a study finding that around the world, 85% of executives planned to disclose GHG emissions because of what is viewed as the financial benefits of integrated reporting.

The U.S. offered more sources of hope with a Supreme Court decision that will allow communities to sue oil and gas companies for damages stemming from climate change.

The outgoing Biden Administration announced the U.S.’ nationally determined contribution towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement by setting a 2035 target of cutting GHG emissions by 61-66% from a 2005 baseline. And the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved a state-level ban on selling gas cars, which will start in 2035 in California. In New York, the governor signed legislation requiring fossil fuel companies to fund projects to help communities adapt to climate change, following a similar law in Vermont.

In addition to these governmental moves in support of expanded corporate reporting and accountability, companies continue to voluntarily undertake sustainability reporting and action, which have become widely accepted best practices. G&A Institute’s latest research shows substantial increases in sustainability reporting for both large-cap and mid-cap U.S. public companies in 2023. A record 93% of Russell 1000 companies published a sustainability report that year, driven by increases in the smaller half of the index by market cap.

Corporate sustainability leadership examples abound heading into 2025, and we will continue to spotlight these in our newsletter. Costco has made the business case for diversity in the face of anti-DEI pressure. LEGO made progress on its sustainable packaging goals. Aldi announced plans to eliminate hydrofluorocarbons by 2035, replacing them with natural refrigerants and building improvements to prevent food spoilage. And over 500 companies and financial institutions have committed to begin nature-related corporate reporting by 20

As we monitor the positive steps taking place around the globe at the dawn of 2025, the G&A team is available to help your company navigate its sustainability journey. Please reach out to us at info@ga-institute.com if you would like to discuss how our expert team’s support can help you meet the challenges and opportunities in 2025 and beyond.

This is just the introduction of G&A’s Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue.

Read the 2024 Wesco Sustainability Report here

Cybersecurity and Data Protection

Cybersecurity and data protection is an enterprise wide priority and is reflected in engagements with our customers and suppliers. Our comprehensive approach to securing our data and business systems from attack, compromise, or loss includes a combination of leading technologies, policies and procedures and a 24/7 cybersecurity operations team monitoring our environment for signs of attack and responding in real time.

We conduct mandatory information security awareness training for our employees at least annually and enhanced training for specialized personnel. We have instituted regular attack or malicious activity simulations for employees to enhance awareness and responsiveness to such possible threats, and we also employ third parties to perform penetration and vulnerability tests.

Our security policies are evaluated and updated annually to address changes in the regulatory and threat landscapes and evolving best practices. We identify potential cybersecurity risks using internal measures and external resources. Identified risks are captured and prioritized on our risk register. Results are regularly reported back to a cross-functional, executive cybersecurity risk committee which then validates risks. While we focus heavily on prevention and detection, response and recovery plans, service agreements and partner engagements are in place should there be a need for us to respond to an attack. We have adopted a security incident response plan that provides controls and procedures for timely and accurate reporting of material cybersecurity incidents. We also maintain cyber liability insurance coverage.

To more effectively prevent, detect and respond to information security threats, we have a dedicated Chief Information Security Officer whose team is responsible for leading enterprise-wide information security strategy, policy, standards, architecture and processes. As part of its oversight of cybersecurity risk, the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors meets at least quarterly with our Chief Information Security Officer, Chief Information and Digital Officer and other senior leaders to receive updates on cybersecurity risks and threats, the status of initiatives to strengthen our information security systems and management’s assessments of our security program. Wesco has achieved ISO 27001 certification for its Information Security Management System.

With these security measures in place, we did not experience any material data breaches in 2023. We also finalized our planned three-year infrastructure and security integration between Wesco and Anixter, making significant progress in Zero Trust configuration and data loss prevention implementation.

To learn more, download the 2024 Wesco Sustainability Report here.

About This Report

Unless otherwise stated, this report covers activities, data and initiatives from our fiscal year 2023.

ESG Disclosure and Framework Alignment

The topics covered in this report include those that we have determined to be material for our business and stakeholders as noted on page 12. Wesco aligns with several ESG frameworks and disclosures in support of our commitment to transparency and our fulfillment of stakeholder needs and expectations. We leverage the following frameworks and standards to provide robust ESG information disclosure:

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): GRI offers a list of global standards and guidelines around sustainability reporting.Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB): SASB provides a comprehensive set of industry-specific disclosure topics and guidelines.Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD): TCFD provides disclosure recommendations on thematic ESG topics such as governance, strategy, risk management, metrics and targets to provide stakeholders with fuller information surrounding climate risks.CDP: Formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, CDP is an international organization that helps companies and cities measure and disclose important environmental impact information through an annual questionnaire and rating system.United Nations Global Compact (UNGC): UNGC is an initiative that aims to help businesses align their strategies and work toward the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (U.N. SDGs): U.N. SDGs provide a shared set of 17 toward peace and prosperity for people and planet goals and create a call to action by all countries in a global partnership.

We also regularly engage with our investors, employees, customers, regulators, ratings agencies and others on ESG and business issues. Additional information about Wesco can be found in our public financial filings—including our annual report and proxy filings—as well as on the Security and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov or on the Investors page of our website at Wesco.com.

Wesco plans to continue to report annually as we monitor, measure, and deepen our ESG initiatives and disclosures.

Wesco endorses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

More information about our SDG aligned initiatives is included throughout this report.

Assurance 
We did not seek third-party assurance for this report; however, we will consider doing so for future reporting. The information and data contained in this report was vetted by internal subject matter experts on the various ESG topics included in this report.

Contact Us 
We appreciate and welcome feedback on our ESG initiatives and reporting and invite you to contact us directly via email at Sustainability@Wesco.com. 

Read the 2024 Wesco Sustainability Report here

Cybersecurity and Data Protection

Cybersecurity and data protection is an enterprise wide priority and is reflected in engagements with our customers and suppliers. Our comprehensive approach to securing our data and business systems from attack, compromise, or loss includes a combination of leading technologies, policies and procedures and a 24/7 cybersecurity operations team monitoring our environment for signs of attack and responding in real time.

We conduct mandatory information security awareness training for our employees at least annually and enhanced training for specialized personnel. We have instituted regular attack or malicious activity simulations for employees to enhance awareness and responsiveness to such possible threats, and we also employ third parties to perform penetration and vulnerability tests.

Our security policies are evaluated and updated annually to address changes in the regulatory and threat landscapes and evolving best practices. We identify potential cybersecurity risks using internal measures and external resources. Identified risks are captured and prioritized on our risk register. Results are regularly reported back to a cross-functional, executive cybersecurity risk committee which then validates risks. While we focus heavily on prevention and detection, response and recovery plans, service agreements and partner engagements are in place should there be a need for us to respond to an attack. We have adopted a security incident response plan that provides controls and procedures for timely and accurate reporting of material cybersecurity incidents. We also maintain cyber liability insurance coverage.

To more effectively prevent, detect and respond to information security threats, we have a dedicated Chief Information Security Officer whose team is responsible for leading enterprise-wide information security strategy, policy, standards, architecture and processes. As part of its oversight of cybersecurity risk, the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors meets at least quarterly with our Chief Information Security Officer, Chief Information and Digital Officer and other senior leaders to receive updates on cybersecurity risks and threats, the status of initiatives to strengthen our information security systems and management’s assessments of our security program. Wesco has achieved ISO 27001 certification for its Information Security Management System.

With these security measures in place, we did not experience any material data breaches in 2023. We also finalized our planned three-year infrastructure and security integration between Wesco and Anixter, making significant progress in Zero Trust configuration and data loss prevention implementation.

To learn more, download the 2024 Wesco Sustainability Report here.

About This Report

Unless otherwise stated, this report covers activities, data and initiatives from our fiscal year 2023.

ESG Disclosure and Framework Alignment

The topics covered in this report include those that we have determined to be material for our business and stakeholders as noted on page 12. Wesco aligns with several ESG frameworks and disclosures in support of our commitment to transparency and our fulfillment of stakeholder needs and expectations. We leverage the following frameworks and standards to provide robust ESG information disclosure:

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): GRI offers a list of global standards and guidelines around sustainability reporting.Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB): SASB provides a comprehensive set of industry-specific disclosure topics and guidelines.Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD): TCFD provides disclosure recommendations on thematic ESG topics such as governance, strategy, risk management, metrics and targets to provide stakeholders with fuller information surrounding climate risks.CDP: Formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, CDP is an international organization that helps companies and cities measure and disclose important environmental impact information through an annual questionnaire and rating system.United Nations Global Compact (UNGC): UNGC is an initiative that aims to help businesses align their strategies and work toward the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (U.N. SDGs): U.N. SDGs provide a shared set of 17 toward peace and prosperity for people and planet goals and create a call to action by all countries in a global partnership.

We also regularly engage with our investors, employees, customers, regulators, ratings agencies and others on ESG and business issues. Additional information about Wesco can be found in our public financial filings—including our annual report and proxy filings—as well as on the Security and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov or on the Investors page of our website at Wesco.com.

Wesco plans to continue to report annually as we monitor, measure, and deepen our ESG initiatives and disclosures.

Wesco endorses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

More information about our SDG aligned initiatives is included throughout this report.

Assurance 
We did not seek third-party assurance for this report; however, we will consider doing so for future reporting. The information and data contained in this report was vetted by internal subject matter experts on the various ESG topics included in this report.

Contact Us 
We appreciate and welcome feedback on our ESG initiatives and reporting and invite you to contact us directly via email at Sustainability@Wesco.com. 

Originally published by Northwestern Mutual on January 3, 2025

What is a mutual insurance company? 

A mutual insurance company is an insurance company that is owned by policyholders—the very people who purchase coverage from the company. 

How common are mutual insurance companies? According to the American Council of Life Insurers 2023 Life Insurance Fact Book, a little more than 15 percent of all life insurers doing business in the United States in 2022 (110 out of 727) were mutual insurance companies. Despite making up such a small percentage of life insurers, mutual insurance companies had $8 trillion of life insurance in force in 2022—more than half as much as the stock insurance companies that make up most insurers.

How mutual insurance companies work 

As noted above, mutual insurance companies are owned by the policyholders. These policyholders elect a board, and the board directs the management of the company and is responsible for making decisions around risk management, coverage and investment strategies. 

A mutual insurance company makes money primarily in two ways. First, it sells insurance policies and collects premiums from its policyowners. Second, it uses the premiums collected to purchase various investments, which generate additional revenue. After paying insurance claims, taxes and operating expenses, the money that is left over is profit for the company. 

Unlike shareholders of a stock insurance company, who profit through buying and selling shares in the company, a mutual policyowner benefits from purchasing a policy and reaping the insurance benefits it generates, such as death benefit coverage, cash surrender value and/or dividends. 

What kinds of insurance do mutual insurance companies offer? 
Many mutual insurance companies offer participating life insurance. An example of participating life insurance is a whole life insurance policy that pays dividends1 to policyholders when the company performs better than the assumptions it made when setting the policy guarantees. These dividends are not guaranteed and can fluctuate from year to year as performance varies. A participating life insurance policy can also be called a “with-profits policy.” 

Other types of life insurance coverage are also commonly offered by mutual insurance companies, including: 

Term life insurance. Universal life insurance. Variable universal life insurance. 

Specific life insurance riders and endorsements may also be available, depending on the company. 

Mutual insurance companies vs. stock insurance companies 

The primary difference between mutual insurance companies and stock insurance companies lies in their ownership structure. 

Unlike a mutual insurance company, which is owned by policyholders, a stock insurance company is owned by shareholders. These are individuals who purchase the company stock on an exchange. 

With a stock insurance company, policyholders do not own any portion of the company by virtue of owning a policy. They also have more limited control over the direction of the company, as it’s the shareholders who elect the board of directors. In addition, when a stock insurance company performsbetter than its assumptions, it may choose to return that excess money to shareholders rather than to the policyholders. 

When a stock insurance company needs to raise funds for whatever reason, it has the ability to issue and sell new shares of stock. This means that stock insurance companies often have more flexibility than mutual insurance companies. 

Can a mutual insurance company become a stock insurance company? 
Yes. Through a process known as “demutualization,” a mutual insurance company can become a stock insurance company. When this happens, policyholders will typically receive shares of company stock as compensation for their ownership in the original mutual company. 

How to evaluate a mutual insurance company 

Ultimately, whether one chooses to purchase life insurance from a mutual insurance company or a stock insurance company, it’s important to carefully consider the company that one buys from. Some characteristics that should guide the decision include the company’s: 

Breadth of offerings 
If an insurance company doesn’t offer the type of coverage that one wants or needs, they may cross it off their list. In addition to policy types, one should consider riders and other endorsements that they may want to add to their policy to increase or modify the coverage. 

Financial stability 
Before one purchases life insurance from any company, they want to make sure that the company is financially stable and that it will be around for the long haul. In the U.S., four ratings agencies evaluate the financial strength of insurance companies. These ratings should carry a lot of weight in the final decision. 

Customer satisfaction 
One can learn a lot about an insurance company by the way current policyholders talk about their experience. Consider seeking out customer reviews and testimonials so one knows what to expect if they move forward with a particular insurer. 

Should one choose to work with a mutual insurance or a stock insurance company? 

There are many reasons to consider buying life insurance from a mutual insurance company rather than a stock insurance company. First, because policyholders own the company instead of shareholders, mutual insurance companies are not beholden to the quarterly earnings call. This means that mutual insurance companies can focus more on long-term success and stability over short-term profits. 

Second, because policyholders elect the board, one will have much more direct control over the direction of the company than they would with a stock insurance company. 

Finally, the possibility of receiving dividends is a major consideration for many individuals who ultimately decide to purchase life insurance through a mutual insurance company. Case in point: Northwestern Mutual’s foundation of mutuality and industry-leading long-term value allows us to expect to pay nearly $8.2B in dividends in 2025 to policyholders. 

More stories on our Life&Money blog

Originally published by Northwestern Mutual on January 3, 2025

What is a mutual insurance company? 

A mutual insurance company is an insurance company that is owned by policyholders—the very people who purchase coverage from the company. 

How common are mutual insurance companies? According to the American Council of Life Insurers 2023 Life Insurance Fact Book, a little more than 15 percent of all life insurers doing business in the United States in 2022 (110 out of 727) were mutual insurance companies. Despite making up such a small percentage of life insurers, mutual insurance companies had $8 trillion of life insurance in force in 2022—more than half as much as the stock insurance companies that make up most insurers.

How mutual insurance companies work 

As noted above, mutual insurance companies are owned by the policyholders. These policyholders elect a board, and the board directs the management of the company and is responsible for making decisions around risk management, coverage and investment strategies. 

A mutual insurance company makes money primarily in two ways. First, it sells insurance policies and collects premiums from its policyowners. Second, it uses the premiums collected to purchase various investments, which generate additional revenue. After paying insurance claims, taxes and operating expenses, the money that is left over is profit for the company. 

Unlike shareholders of a stock insurance company, who profit through buying and selling shares in the company, a mutual policyowner benefits from purchasing a policy and reaping the insurance benefits it generates, such as death benefit coverage, cash surrender value and/or dividends. 

What kinds of insurance do mutual insurance companies offer? 
Many mutual insurance companies offer participating life insurance. An example of participating life insurance is a whole life insurance policy that pays dividends1 to policyholders when the company performs better than the assumptions it made when setting the policy guarantees. These dividends are not guaranteed and can fluctuate from year to year as performance varies. A participating life insurance policy can also be called a “with-profits policy.” 

Other types of life insurance coverage are also commonly offered by mutual insurance companies, including: 

Term life insurance. Universal life insurance. Variable universal life insurance. 

Specific life insurance riders and endorsements may also be available, depending on the company. 

Mutual insurance companies vs. stock insurance companies 

The primary difference between mutual insurance companies and stock insurance companies lies in their ownership structure. 

Unlike a mutual insurance company, which is owned by policyholders, a stock insurance company is owned by shareholders. These are individuals who purchase the company stock on an exchange. 

With a stock insurance company, policyholders do not own any portion of the company by virtue of owning a policy. They also have more limited control over the direction of the company, as it’s the shareholders who elect the board of directors. In addition, when a stock insurance company performsbetter than its assumptions, it may choose to return that excess money to shareholders rather than to the policyholders. 

When a stock insurance company needs to raise funds for whatever reason, it has the ability to issue and sell new shares of stock. This means that stock insurance companies often have more flexibility than mutual insurance companies. 

Can a mutual insurance company become a stock insurance company? 
Yes. Through a process known as “demutualization,” a mutual insurance company can become a stock insurance company. When this happens, policyholders will typically receive shares of company stock as compensation for their ownership in the original mutual company. 

How to evaluate a mutual insurance company 

Ultimately, whether one chooses to purchase life insurance from a mutual insurance company or a stock insurance company, it’s important to carefully consider the company that one buys from. Some characteristics that should guide the decision include the company’s: 

Breadth of offerings 
If an insurance company doesn’t offer the type of coverage that one wants or needs, they may cross it off their list. In addition to policy types, one should consider riders and other endorsements that they may want to add to their policy to increase or modify the coverage. 

Financial stability 
Before one purchases life insurance from any company, they want to make sure that the company is financially stable and that it will be around for the long haul. In the U.S., four ratings agencies evaluate the financial strength of insurance companies. These ratings should carry a lot of weight in the final decision. 

Customer satisfaction 
One can learn a lot about an insurance company by the way current policyholders talk about their experience. Consider seeking out customer reviews and testimonials so one knows what to expect if they move forward with a particular insurer. 

Should one choose to work with a mutual insurance or a stock insurance company? 

There are many reasons to consider buying life insurance from a mutual insurance company rather than a stock insurance company. First, because policyholders own the company instead of shareholders, mutual insurance companies are not beholden to the quarterly earnings call. This means that mutual insurance companies can focus more on long-term success and stability over short-term profits. 

Second, because policyholders elect the board, one will have much more direct control over the direction of the company than they would with a stock insurance company. 

Finally, the possibility of receiving dividends is a major consideration for many individuals who ultimately decide to purchase life insurance through a mutual insurance company. Case in point: Northwestern Mutual’s foundation of mutuality and industry-leading long-term value allows us to expect to pay nearly $8.2B in dividends in 2025 to policyholders. 

More stories on our Life&Money blog

LEEDS, United Kingdom, January 20, 2025 /3BL/ – Antea Group UK is excited to announce the addition of Alex Perryman and Alex Rea to our Water Services team. Both bring extensive water experience to the firm, further strengthening our commitment to providing exceptional environmental planning solutions and transactional flood risk due diligence to our clients.

Alex Perryman, appointed as Senior Client Director of Water Services, has over 20 years of consulting experience and is renowned for his expertise in flood risk assessments, drainage strategies, physical climate risk assessments, environmental impact assessments and GIS. With a strong emphasis on delivering comprehensive water-related solutions, Alex has successfully managed both small and large-scale projects nationally and internationally, providing strong commercial advice and technical delivery, ensuring sustainable and effective outcomes for clients.

Alexander Rea joins the firm as a Senior Flood Risk and Drainage Consultant with extensive experience developing comprehensive drainage strategies, nutrient neutrality and physical climate change risk assessments for private and public sector clients across the UK. His proficiency encompasses designing sustainable drainage systems for various high-profile projects, including residential, commercial, and, more recently, battery storage and solar farms. Alexander has proactively immersed himself in detailed drainage modelling, enhancing his capability to deliver complex and effective drainage solutions to ensure regulatory compliance and overcome constrained environmental challenges.

“In the face of climate change, the importance of flood risk assessments and drainage consulting for development activities cannot be overstated. They are essential in identifying potential flood-prone areas and ensuring sustainable designs that protect both lives and properties,” says Paul Dowson, Environmental Planning Practice Leader at Antea Group UK. “With the addition of Alex Perryman and Alexander Rea to our team, we have strengthened our water risk management capabilities furthering our mission to provide comprehensive and effective environmental planning services to our clients.”

About Antea Group

Antea®Group is an environment, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm. 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 ESG-business challenges in a way that fits their pace and unique objectives. Our consultants equip organizations to better understand threats, capture opportunities and find their position of strength. Lastly, we maintain a global perspective on ESG issues through not only our work with multinational clients, but also through our sister organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America and as a founding member of the Inogen Alliance. Learn more at www.anteagroup.uk.

LEEDS, United Kingdom, January 20, 2025 /3BL/ – Antea Group UK is excited to announce the addition of Alex Perryman and Alex Rea to our Water Services team. Both bring extensive water experience to the firm, further strengthening our commitment to providing exceptional environmental planning solutions and transactional flood risk due diligence to our clients.

Alex Perryman, appointed as Senior Client Director of Water Services, has over 20 years of consulting experience and is renowned for his expertise in flood risk assessments, drainage strategies, physical climate risk assessments, environmental impact assessments and GIS. With a strong emphasis on delivering comprehensive water-related solutions, Alex has successfully managed both small and large-scale projects nationally and internationally, providing strong commercial advice and technical delivery, ensuring sustainable and effective outcomes for clients.

Alexander Rea joins the firm as a Senior Flood Risk and Drainage Consultant with extensive experience developing comprehensive drainage strategies, nutrient neutrality and physical climate change risk assessments for private and public sector clients across the UK. His proficiency encompasses designing sustainable drainage systems for various high-profile projects, including residential, commercial, and, more recently, battery storage and solar farms. Alexander has proactively immersed himself in detailed drainage modelling, enhancing his capability to deliver complex and effective drainage solutions to ensure regulatory compliance and overcome constrained environmental challenges.

“In the face of climate change, the importance of flood risk assessments and drainage consulting for development activities cannot be overstated. They are essential in identifying potential flood-prone areas and ensuring sustainable designs that protect both lives and properties,” says Paul Dowson, Environmental Planning Practice Leader at Antea Group UK. “With the addition of Alex Perryman and Alexander Rea to our team, we have strengthened our water risk management capabilities furthering our mission to provide comprehensive and effective environmental planning services to our clients.”

About Antea Group

Antea®Group is an environment, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm. 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 ESG-business challenges in a way that fits their pace and unique objectives. Our consultants equip organizations to better understand threats, capture opportunities and find their position of strength. Lastly, we maintain a global perspective on ESG issues through not only our work with multinational clients, but also through our sister organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America and as a founding member of the Inogen Alliance. Learn more at www.anteagroup.uk.

LEEDS, United Kingdom, January 20, 2025 /3BL/ – Antea Group UK is excited to announce the addition of Alex Perryman and Alex Rea to our Water Services team. Both bring extensive water experience to the firm, further strengthening our commitment to providing exceptional environmental planning solutions and transactional flood risk due diligence to our clients.

Alex Perryman, appointed as Senior Client Director of Water Services, has over 20 years of consulting experience and is renowned for his expertise in flood risk assessments, drainage strategies, physical climate risk assessments, environmental impact assessments and GIS. With a strong emphasis on delivering comprehensive water-related solutions, Alex has successfully managed both small and large-scale projects nationally and internationally, providing strong commercial advice and technical delivery, ensuring sustainable and effective outcomes for clients.

Alexander Rea joins the firm as a Senior Flood Risk and Drainage Consultant with extensive experience developing comprehensive drainage strategies, nutrient neutrality and physical climate change risk assessments for private and public sector clients across the UK. His proficiency encompasses designing sustainable drainage systems for various high-profile projects, including residential, commercial, and, more recently, battery storage and solar farms. Alexander has proactively immersed himself in detailed drainage modelling, enhancing his capability to deliver complex and effective drainage solutions to ensure regulatory compliance and overcome constrained environmental challenges.

“In the face of climate change, the importance of flood risk assessments and drainage consulting for development activities cannot be overstated. They are essential in identifying potential flood-prone areas and ensuring sustainable designs that protect both lives and properties,” says Paul Dowson, Environmental Planning Practice Leader at Antea Group UK. “With the addition of Alex Perryman and Alexander Rea to our team, we have strengthened our water risk management capabilities furthering our mission to provide comprehensive and effective environmental planning services to our clients.”

About Antea Group

Antea®Group is an environment, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm. 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 ESG-business challenges in a way that fits their pace and unique objectives. Our consultants equip organizations to better understand threats, capture opportunities and find their position of strength. Lastly, we maintain a global perspective on ESG issues through not only our work with multinational clients, but also through our sister organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America and as a founding member of the Inogen Alliance. Learn more at www.anteagroup.uk.

This story first appeared on Baker Hughes’ Energy Forward Stories.

Mining is at a critical crossroads, not just for the sake of its own sector but for the whole world. Simply put, the demand for energy metals and minerals is increasing at a rate that eclipses what the industry historically has been able to supply, and when many resources are becoming more difficult to mine and the ore grades diminishing. At the same time those pressures are mounting, mining must also progress the decarbonization of its own operations.

That’s why at the 2024 International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney, Australia there were numerous speakers, panels and exhibitors eager to share the latest strategies and technologies that the industry is using to support and accelerate sustainability strategies.

“It presents an existential opportunity and challenge to how we think about breaking the back of [decarbonization],” BHP Australia’s Head of Strategic Services, Gabrielle Sycamore, told the audience at IMARC (at approx. 3min). She was speaking on a panel entitled ‘Collaborative Approaches to Support the Energy Transition and Develop Renewable Energy’. Sycamore’s role is to help BHP “lead the charge” towards decarbonizing its Australian operations and she said strong collaboration is a must to get to Net Zero. “It’s about working across industry to collaborate because we don’t have time to follow traditional ways of trying to solve problems that are facing the entire industry, and mining in particular.”

Despite the challenges, there are reasons to be optimistic. Existing technologies are already available for many of the key areas where mining can become more sustainable, while delivering efficiencies and reducing emissions. It’s true that often there will be some tailoring required for mining applications, which is why cross-industry collaboration is so important.

Here are five key areas where there are directly applicable technologies available today to help the mining industry be more efficient and decarbonize:

1. Optimize operations with data-driven insights

Mining has traditionally been challenged in deploying digital monitoring solutions owing to the one-two punch of harsh environments and remote locations. Modern sensors and improved connectivity make now not just possible but a game changer.

Miners already have a lot of operational data, now it’s time to put it to work. Solutions include:

Remote monitoring for asset performance management (APM), where real-time insights help to take better care of expensive equipment, enable maintenance before a failure, reduce downtime and generally extend the life of the assetProduction automation and process optimization improves safety and efficiency by using AI to streamline systemsAI-driven data analysis solutions unlock new ways to optimize, from suggesting ways to achieve better resource recovery to smaller environmental footprints

To find out more, read our other story here.

2. Taking care of another precious resource: water

Mining and water go hand-in-hand, and there are vast quantities involved, whether its excess water during mine exploration and development, or water required for mineral processing. By deploying more efficient water management systems, miners can maximize their water efficiency which in many cases is critical for their social license to operate. Solutions can include:

High-pressure, flexible pipe systems that are more adaptable and durable than traditional heavy steel piping, reducing installation costs and environmental impactAdvanced pumping systems ensure reliable performance for water transfer and dewatering and require engineering that’s designed for challenging conditionsSpecialty chemicals and valves, working in tandem with monitoring solutions for precise flow control to minimize waste

3. Expertise for going deep

As ores become deeper and more complex to reach, technologies to maximize resource extraction and minimize environmental impact become ever more important.

Innovative solutions can reach and extract resources with minimal environmental impact. For resource assessment and exploration, expert techniques are available to help identify, evaluate, and develop mineral deposits with greater accuracy.

To plan and design geothermal lithium projects, the Baker Hughes team collaborates with project developers to understand geology and environmental conditions to build subsurface models, in order to create optimal extraction plans and designs while maximizing mineral recovery and minimizing waste.

Expertise in geothermal energy development is also helping mining companies tap into a clean and sustainable energy source.

4. Sustainable power plays

Reliable power is a must for mining operations, which are integrating more renewables but still require energy source flexibility. AI-augmented power management helps bring it all together. Solutions include:

Gas turbines for a low-emissions power source with enhanced fuel flexibilityMicrogrid solutions to help miners reduce their reliance on the grid and shrink their carbon footprint by integrating more renewable energy sources, a big focus at solar- and wind-rich Australian and Chilean mine sitesDigital power management tools that use AI algorithms to optimize energy usage in real-time, reducing costs and emissions

5. Net-zero technologies 

Other key areas to explore are hydrogen and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). Some of the solutions available today include:

Hydrogen energy solutions across the entire value chain – production, transportation and utilization – to help decarbonize operationsCCUS – a range of solutions that not only store carbon to reduce emissions but have the potential to unlock new revenue streams

Baker Hughes has more than a century of global experience in the extractive resources industry, making operating in tough environments second nature for the team and essential for its technologies.