Tag: 3BL

Southern Company

Southern Company has joined forces with Ford Pro in a groundbreaking pilot to explore and expand the role of electric vehicles (EVs) within fleet operations. This pilot aims to leverage the expertise of both companies to address barriers in EV adoption, while demonstrating the transformative potential of EV fleets in supporting the resilience of the electric grid for both customers and company operations. Together, Southern Company and Ford Pro are setting the foundation for a scalable, impactful framework for EV fleet grid programs, which benefits energy reliability for all customers.

The 6-month pilot with Ford Pro will involve more than 200 F-150® Lightning® trucks within the Southern Company system’s fleet of company vehicles. Utilizing established charging depots and more than 150 chargers with Ford Pro charging software, the pilot will employ pricing signals and demand response to evaluate efficient charging within a fleet environment.

Driving the Future of Electric Fleets

The pilot seeks to establish a comprehensive understanding of how EV managed charging programs can be maximized to benefit both fleet operations and grid efficiency. By integrating Ford Pro’s VG1 charging software into the Southern Company system’s fleet vehicles, the companies will collaborate to test how dynamic rates and demand response capabilities impact the crucial need to balance energy loads and create more resilient grid operations. This hands-on approach will allow Southern Company and Ford Pro to leverage insights from program data and user feedback to develop a roadmap for creating a flexible and scalable model that enables fleets to adopt electric vehicles with efficient energy and load management, informs future fleet EV charging programs, and addresses key barriers to EV adoption, including technical and commercial challenges, fleet management, and cost-effectiveness.

“This collaboration with Ford Pro exemplifies our commitment to advancing sustainable, grid-supportive transportation solutions,” said Hank Adams, Southern Company’s SVP of Customer Solutions. “Our collaborative pilot brings together our shared vision for innovative EV fleet programs for customers that not only enhance fleet operations but also contribute to grid resilience, aligning with our mission to build a clean and efficient energy future.”

“The business case for electrification is compelling. With reduced fuel, scheduled maintenance, and operational costs compared to diesel and gas vans or trucks, electric vehicles can potentially help lower a fleet’s total cost of ownership. This represents a significant value for businesses looking to electrify their fleets,” said Ananya Gupta, senior product manager at Ford Pro Charging Advanced Energy Management. “Ford Pro’s collaboration with Southern Company underscores our commitment to delivering integrated solutions that combine smart charging software, charging infrastructure, and connected vehicle data through Ford Pro Intelligence. By leveraging these advanced technologies, we aim to create a flexible, scalable blueprint for fleet electrification that supports operational efficiency, sustainability goals, and grid benefits for both Southern Company and its subsidiaries’ commercial customers.”

Driving Value for Customers

By understanding fleet charging behavior, Southern Company and its subsidiaries can better support commercial and industrial customers as they transition their own fleets to electric vehicles. The collaboration with Ford Pro is expected to deliver actionable insights by integrating connected vehicle data from Ford Pro Intelligence with charging data from Ford Pro Charging software, revealing benefits and opportunities for EVs in fleet operations. The pilot will also explore the use of software that will automate charging schedules to enable customers to charge at times that minimize their electricity costs and reduce strain on the electric grid.

Together, Southern Company and Ford Pro are leading the charge in fostering sustainable EV innovation and creating a more sustainable and resilient energy future. This collaboration not only supports immediate needs for fleet and grid performance but also paves the way for next-generation EV fleet programs that will enhance value to customers and our energy system.

The partnership with Ford Pro is just one of the clean transportation solutions Southern Company is exploring for environmentally responsible fleet transition. To learn more, see Clean Transportation | Southern Company.

Verizon

When Kenzel and Tio Fallen launched their Houston-based coffee company, Three Keys Coffee, in 2019, they named the business after the three valves found on the trumpet, an instrument Tio has played for years. “Our company is inspired by the arts and sounds of jazz music,” Kenzel explains.

To grow and scale their company — a coffee roastery with wholesale, direct-to-consumer, catering, and retail business — Kenzel turned to the free resources available from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. As CEO, Kenzel is the business mind behind Three Keys Coffee — she holds an MBA from Rice University and has worked in the banking industry — and her experience showed her the value of the coursework available from Verizon. She has taken more than 50 self-paced courses and live events from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready while balancing her role as CEO with motherhood.

“Being a busy mom of three kids, I’m stretched very thinly already,” Kenzel says. “Running a business that includes both a cafe and a manufacturing side means I have to be very intentional and strategic about how I prioritize my time and opportunities. I discovered the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program had access to such a variety of courses across a lot of different topics that I knew could really help me grow my business.”

My 3 Digital Ready Wins

Increased revenue through certifications: Certification programs helped Three Keys Coffee increase revenue through partnerships and grants.Enhanced customer insights with data capture: Learning about data capture inspired Kenzel to add a QR code to her products, which she hopes will help her gain information about customers and convert them to the online store.Effective team management with SMART goals: SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goals improved Kenzel’s management and leadership of the Three Keys Coffee team.

Learning about certifications, for example, encouraged Kenzel to pursue women-and-minority owned certifications. “As a Black female business owner, these certifications unlocked new opportunities for me,” she says. Kenzel increased the company’s catering revenues more than 12 times from the previous year, secured a pop-up event at a major tech company, and landed a distribution deal with Forbes Global 2000 corporations after gaining certification.

A course on capturing customer data led Kenzel to enhance Three Keys Coffee’s subscription service, Kenzel says. “I actually saw a 27% increase in active subscribers year over year,” Kenzel says.

After completing a course on employee management, Kenzel implemented cost-saving retention strategies that significantly lowered turnover and helped retain top talent. “The average length of service for our team is over a year, which within the coffee industry is very unheard of,” Kenzel says.

Her team appreciates how the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready coursework pushed Kenzel, already a hands-on manager, to tap into her employees’ insights. “I feel like she’s very much aware of when to listen,” says Jay Terrell, quality analysis specialist at Three Keys Coffee. “She just seems much more clued in to hearing our voices.”

Insights from an operating efficiency course enabled Kenzel to implement processes that decreased monthly payroll by 17%, savings which she reinvested in her team by offering health benefits to staff. Implementing project management tools such as Trello and Slack also helped the team reduce meeting time and increase efficiency, saving more than 800 labor hours per year, Kenzel estimates.

“The way we’ve connected with our community, the way we’ve created opportunities for our team and our staff — all of that speaks to the way [we’ve created a] fresh new voice in the specialty coffee industry, and we’re really proud of that,” Kenzel says.

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with the resources to thrive in the digital economy. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. To sign up for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, visit digitalready.verizonwireless.com. An individual user’s experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.

December 11, 2024 /3BL/ – Join the premier event for sustainability professionals at GreenBiz 25 (February 10–12, Phoenix, AZ). Don’t miss your opportunity to learn what’s next in decarbonization, disclosure, nature, supply chains, strategic communications, change management and more.

Register and use the code GB253BL to save 10% on the All-Access Pass (up to $475 in savings).

This year’s program features over 75 sessions designed to help you elevate your sustainability strategies and drive meaningful change. Across its seven tracks, the GreenBiz 25 program prioritizes equity, ingenuity, practicality, and urgency. Here’s a preview of the sessions that await you from each of the tracks:

1. Transforming Value Chains

Focus: Supply Chains, Scope 3 Emissions, Circularity

Leveraging AI for Supply Chain DecarbonizationCreating Value through Circular Design: Insights from Industry Leaders

2. Comms with Integrity

Focus: C-suite Support, Political Headwinds, Employee Engagement, Pre-competitive Collaboration

The Evolution of Communicating Sustainability TargetsTelling a Sustainability Story that Doesn’t Suck

3. Finance for the Transition

Focus: Federal and State Funding, Transition Planning, Capital Markets:

Transition Finance: Aligning Capital with Corporate Climate GoalsFinancing Pathways to a Nature-Positive Future

4. Confident Disclosure

Focus: Reporting, Global and Local Regulations and Policies, Ratings Agencies, COP 29

Getting Up to Speed on CSRDEverything ESG Assurance

5. Decarbonize and Drawdown

Focus: Energy, Nature-based Solutions, Carbon Markets

Supplier Collaboration for Scope 3 TargetsMoving Towards Net Zero Logistics 

6. Regenerating Nature

Focus: Natural Capital, Corporate Nature Targets, COP 16

Meeting Local Watershed Commitments: Key Insights and Lessons LearnedIdentifying and Overcoming Barriers to Incorporate Nature into Corporate Strategy

7. Progress & Thrive

Focus: Organizational Leadership, Innovation, Social Justice

Steering Through 2025: Transformative Governance for an Unpredictable WorldPolicy as a Competitive Advantage: Corporate Climate Leadership

Register now and use the code GB253BL to save 10% on the All-Access Pass (up to $475 in savings).

BELLEVUE, Wash., December 11, 2024 /3BL/ – The wait is over! T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced the final champion of its Friday Night 5G Lights competition: Inola High School from Inola, Oklahoma. After months of fierce competition among more than 1,700 high schools across all 50 states and votes from thousands of fans worldwide for the Top 16 finalists, the small town has emerged victorious, securing the grand prize (a $2 million value!) to transform its high school football field into a state-of-the-art stadium.

As the Official Wireless Sponsor of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), T-Mobile will celebrate Inola High School’s win at the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, where school representatives will receive the winning trophy.

The win delivers a grand prize valued at $2 million that includes a $100,000 grant for the school, weight room from GronkFitness.com, new teched-out scoreboard, consultation with football field experience experts, 5G network upgrades package and an epic tailgate party celebration with live music and a 5G-powered halftime drone show.

The full reveal of the upgraded facilities will take place in 2025, showcasing the extensive enhancements that promise a new era of excellence for Inola High School and its surrounding community.

“Small town pride and community spirit have truly been the backbone of this competition,” said Jon Freier, President, T-Mobile Consumer Group. “Inola High School and all the participants showed us what Friday night lights are really about — community, passion and resilience. We’re excited to bring this unforgettable game night experience to life with 5G technology, knowing it will inspire and unite the people of Inola like never before.”

Crowning the Champion

Inola, Oklahoma — known as the “Hay Capital of the World” — has a population of 1,897 and 423 students at Inola High School, but the small town went extra big in going for Friday Night 5G Lights victory. Along with driving more than 100 miles to Oklahoma City to pass out flyers campaigning for their school, Inola students personally called every school district in the state — over 1,700 schools — and emailed all 1,850+ principals and 540+ superintendents across all 77 counties in Oklahoma. Talk about dedication!

As the Home of the Longhorns, Inola High School has long aimed to rejuvenate its football program, which Inola High School College and Career Coordinator Deleea Meeker says needs a lot of work, with torn-up turf, a broken sound system, an outdated scoreboard and a multi-use weight room with equipment from the 1980s.

With this win, the school can now kickstart these much-needed upgrades. And it’s not just the football team’s hometown heroes, cheerleaders, band members and fans who will enjoy these upgraded facilities. All of Inola High School’s students will benefit from the new equipment, from other sports teams getting access to the new weight equipment to gym classes getting more out of their workouts.

“Winning the Friday Night 5G Lights competition is a dream come true for our students, our team and our entire community,” said Meeker. “We can’t thank T-Mobile enough for believing in the power of small-town spirit and for bringing these transformative upgrades to our school.”

Four-time Super Bowl Champion Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski, Friday Night 5G Lights ambassador, expressed his excitement for the school.

“It’s amazing to see the excitement radiating from Inola and the incredible impact this will have on their community,” said Gronkowski. “Now, they’ll have facilities that truly reflect their passion, pride and determination. The energy from all the schools in this competition has been off the charts, and I can’t wait to see how these upgrades elevate school spirit and create new opportunities for the students at Inola High School.”

The Start of Something Bigger

Inola High School’s victory is just the beginning. Thanks to the overwhelming excitement and success of the competition, T-Mobile announced that Friday Night 5G Lights will be back in 2025 and beyond to help lift up more schools and communities nationwide. This move marks another significant step in T-Mobile’s ongoing commitment to bring 5G and enhanced connectivity to small towns across America.

“Seeing the powerful effect that Friday Night 5G Lights has had on communities reaffirms our commitment to investing in small towns,” said Freier. “We’re just getting started, and we can’t wait to bring this contest back next year with even more opportunities to support and transform high school experiences across the country.”

Pre-register now for 2025 at FridayNight5GLights.com.

Small Town Impact Beyond the Field

By enhancing schools’ sports facilities, Friday Night 5G Lights highlights the importance of connectivity in small-town communities. T-Mobile’s ongoing commitment to rural America, through initiatives like this contest, aligns with the company’s mission to bring the power of 5G to every corner of the country.

Since launching its 5G for All initiative in April 2021, T-Mobile has significantly expanded its 5G network, becoming the largest and fastest 5G network in the nation. The company has opened about 600 stores in small towns and extended its network to cover over 500,000 square miles of rural 5G coverage. This expansion now reaches over 98% of Americans across 2 million square miles.

T-Mobile also offers 5G Home Internet and Business Internet, providing reliable and affordable broadband options nationwide. Moreover, through Hometown Grants, T-Mobile has invested more than $14 million in small towns, supporting various community and infrastructure projects. Additionally, T-Mobile’s Project 10Million initiative, valued at $10.7 billion, has connected over 6 million students, enhancing their access to educational resources.

And now, Friday Night 5G Lights becoming an annual competition only enhances T-Mobile’s commitment to small towns.

To learn more about Friday Night 5G Lights, visit www.FridayNight5GLights.com.

Follow @TMobileNews on X, formerly known as Twitter, to stay up to date with the latest company news.

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About T-Mobile 
T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Mint Mobile. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com

Media Contact 
T-Mobile US, Inc. Media Relations 
MediaRelations@t-mobile.com

Investor Relations Contact 
T-Mobile US, Inc. 
Investor.Relations@t-mobile.com 
https://investor.t-mobile.com

DES MOINES, Iowa, December 11, 2024 /3BL/ — Principal® Foundation, a global nonprofit organization committed to helping people and communities build financially secure futures, today announced one winner and 19 finalists for its Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative national short story contest that invited people to share stories about lived experiences with money.

Launched in 2023, Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative is a unique program and national short story contest created by Principal Foundation that uses the power of storytelling to help destigmatize and encourage conversations about money and personal finances. It is hosted in collaboration with The Center for Fiction, a national literary nonprofit, and Short Édition, a global publishing house.

In its second year, the winner and finalists’ stories were selected by an esteemed panel of literary authors and experts including Zakiya Dalila Harris, Casey Parks, Joe Wilkins, and Cecily Wong as well as David Drury from Short Édition, Jo Christine Miles from Principal Foundation, and individuals from The Center for Fiction. The winner will receive $1,000 and each finalist will receive $150.

“Storytelling is a powerful tool that has the unique ability to inspire and motivate people to reexamine their experiences, tackle obstacles, and have open conversations about stigmatized topics, like money,” said Jo Christine Miles, director, Principal Foundation, and Community Relations. “This year’s stories explored themes such as cultural heritage, generational legacy, and socioeconomic status – all important topics to discuss to help people and communities navigate their money journey to a financially secure future.”

Talking about money can be difficult and unnerving. In 2023, a survey of 3,000 Millennial and Gen Z Americans conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Principal Foundation uncovered that 53% of people who don’t talk about money are afraid to because it makes them feel awkward and they worry they will be judged by others. Programs like Money Chronicles aim to destigmatize and encourage money conversations to help people advance their financial education and goals.

To date, more than 38 writers have been recognized for their creative money stories through Money Chronicles. This year’s winner and finalists include:

Winner: Genevieve Abravanel, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, “These dark woods”Finalists:Mary Tabor, Los Angeles, California, “Accounts”Joanne McEnroy, Yaphank, New York, “Are we rich”Brenden Stumpo, Smyrna, Delaware, “Discounted dreams”Sabrina Tom, Los Angeles, California, “Eureka”Jennifer Kitses, Jackson Heights, New York, “Extravagant gifts”Kristina Rose, Cocoa Beach, Florida, “Ghost dance”Katherine Cart, Charlottesville, Virgina, “How to bury a peacock”Sandy Feinstein, Reading, Pennsylvania, “In lieu of flowers”Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi, Bellingham, Washington, “Kazuki Shibata”Mark Budman, Brighton, Massachusetts, “On the move”Sandy Kline, Tulsa, Oklahoma, “Parker’s dam”Cedric Rose, Cincinnati, Ohio, “Primavera”Jeremy Steen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, “Rational actors”Mario Moussa, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, “Redemption”Lisa Beebe, Studio City, California, “See a penny”Georgia Corso, Baltimore, Maryland, “Spring’s sign of faith”Amy Schuler, Millerton, New York, “Statement in the balance”Joy Donnell, Marina Del Rey, California, “The estate”Sean Gill, Brooklyn, New York, “The lakes and the falls”

The winner and each finalist will have their stories published through Principal Foundation’s Short Story Dispensers located at The New York Public Library in New York, N.Y.; Sip & Sonder in Los Angeles, Calif.; Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in Charlotte, N.C.; Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, Wash.; and Prairie Lights in Iowa City, Iowa. A new location was also added in 2024 at the renowned Politics & Prose bookstore in Washington D.C. Finalists’ stories are also being considered for publication in Short Edition’s global network of more than 500 Dispensers located across the globe in airports, public transportation hubs, retail centers, and other locations, so that audiences can enjoy these creative works in an engaging and unexpected format, reinforcing the power of storytelling in everyday moments.

For more information about Money Chronicles: A Story Initiative and to read stories from this year’s finalists, visit: https://short-edition.com/principalfoundationcontest.

For more information about Principal Foundation, visit: https://www.principalfoundation.org.

About Principal® Foundation 
Principal Financial Group Foundation, Inc. (“Principal Foundation”) is a duly recognized Section 501(c)(3) entity focused on providing philanthropic support to programs that build financial security in the communities where Principal Financial Group, Inc. (“Principal”) operates. While Principal Foundation receives funding from Principal, Principal Foundation is a distinct, independent, charitable entity. Principal Foundation does not practice any form of investment advisory services and is not authorized to do so. Established in 1987, Principal Foundation works with organizations that are helping to shape and support the journey to financial security by ensuring access to essential needs, fostering social and cultural connections, and promoting financial inclusion. Principal Foundation supports a diverse community of more than 86 charitable organizations across the globe.

Media Contact: 
Taylor Madigan 
Ruder Finn 
Taylor.Madigan@ruderfinn.com 
412-508-2086

SOURCE Principal Foundation

At Dow, we not only pursue the latest certifications across our facilities but also actively collaborate with our suppliers to enhance their quality standards and engage with OEMs to shape regulatory frameworks.

Mobility looks a lot different these days than it did five years ago. And no brand, supplier, government, or consulting firm is forecasting that pace of change to slow down in the next five. The focus for all of us continues to be accelerating the transition to electric, hybrid and autonomous vehicles, improving infrastructure, reducing emissions throughout the full vehicle lifecycle, and last but certainly not least, safety.

Globally, the latest propositions by governments and regulatory bodies in response to this changing landscape illustrate this:

The U.S. is aiming for at least 50% of vehicle sales to be electric by 2030.In Europe, the CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) rules target 55% CO2 emission reductions for new cars and 50% for new vans from 2030 to 2034 compared to 2021 levels.Thailand’s 30@30 EV Production Policy aims for 30% of domestic vehicle production by 2030.

You can hear more about Dow’s approach to supporting electrification from my colleague, Selamawit Belli.

In short, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and their partners find themselves amidst a frenetic race against time as they work to meet environmental regulations for the automotive industry as well as government regulations on carbon emissions.

Entities like the International Automotive Task Force (IATF), comprising automotive manufacturers and their respective National Automotive Industry Associations, play a role of heightened significance in this shifting landscape as they push to elevate product quality standards.

Consider automotive electronics – a market that only gained recognition within mobility in the latter part of the 20th century. Projections indicate that by 2030, the global automotive software and electronics market will surge to $462 billion, indicative of a robust 5.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2019 to 2030 (McKinsey). This burgeoning market attracts a plethora of new players (many of whom boast valuations surpassing those of established OEMs!).

However, their familiarity with traditional automotive quality standards may be lacking, leading to potential disparities in product quality and safety standards across the industry. There’s also trepidation at the government level related to data privacy as “Big Tech” deepens its roots within automotive. Given these concerns, OEM compliance becomes not just a “nice to have” but a crucial element of operations.

The IATF establishes guidelines and rules for quality management system certification with its Tier 1 and sub-suppliers and respective production processes. This ensures that – amid industry changes – there is a streamlined level of vehicle quality, safety, and reliability upheld across the supply chain. IATF 16949 Certification, for example, provides for continuous improvement with an emphasis on defect prevention and the reduction of variation and waste in the supply chain.

These certifications also serve as a North Star for global OEMs. What do I mean by that? Having worked in mobility for nearly four decades, I can attest that beyond the convergence of traditional manufacturing and technology, one of the greatest hallmarks of this new automotive age is the breaking down of traditional siloes to allow for an ecosystem of new business models grounded in collaboration. By adhering to the standards set forth by international and regional regulatory bodies, companies can establish themselves as good candidates for that deeper work of real-time partnership.

Our Commitment to Meeting and Advancing OEM Regulations

At Dow, we not only pursue the latest certifications across our facilities but also actively collaborate with our suppliers to enhance their quality standards and engage with OEMs to shape regulatory frameworks. We also are actively working to raise awareness around the application of standards with bulk materials such as chemicals/fluids, etc.

For instance, our collaboration with a key OEM contributed to input into the development of International Standard IATF 16949, a certification now held by Dow, which provides bulk materials to OEMs and other Tier suppliers. This standard is extremely rigorous – and is not stand-alone. It must be comprehended as a supplement to use in conjunction with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 9000:2015 along with customer-specific requirements. Having solid partners across your ecosystem and continuous interaction across business functions, from sales to materials sourcing to design, provides a huge leg-up when working to manage risk and meet needs set forth by these standards.

No matter where you sit in the supply chain, we must all remain steadfast in keeping pace with emerging standards. It’s a tall order, to be sure, but the potential for accelerating innovation is great indeed.

If you have any questions related to Dow’s work in compliance, any of the certifications we hold across our facilities, or how we collaborate with our suppliers to streamline quality for our OEM partners, please reach out to us by visiting https://www.dow.com/en-us/support.html.

About the author

Keith Middleton is a Quality Systems Associate at Dow, working as a key member of company quality management teams to define and implement the most effective technologies at both a company and business unit level. Middleton has over 39 years of industry experience, bringing his expertise in industrial technology and passion for the automotive industry to Team Dow. He also is the company’s corporate focal point for automotive Quality Management System (QMS) industry standards, such as IATF 16949, helping interpret and implement requirements. Middleton received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Industrial Technology – Manufacturing/Quality from Eastern Michigan University, and beyond his work, he’s also a trained Six Sigma Black Belt.

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On December 5, 2024, AEG in partnership with City Year held its 14th Annual Day of Service when more than 200 employee volunteers participated in school beautification projects that benefitted local communities in Los Angeles, CA and Brooklyn, NY.

AEG’s Annual Day of Service brought together volunteers from the company’s corporate offices and divisions including AEG Presents, AXS Ticketing, The Bowery Presents, Crypto.com Arena, L.A. LIVE, the LA Kings and LA Galaxy.

“Service Day exemplifies the transformative power of community partnerships to enhance both educational opportunities and create a positive learning environment for students,” said Dan Beckerman, President and CEO AEG. “Volunteering at events like today and giving back to the community is always a highlight of the holiday season for our employees.”

In Los Angeles, employees partnered with City Year Los Angeles at 10th Street Elementary School in downtown Los Angeles, where they painted murals, restored the school’s reading garden and organized recess activities and sports clinics for approximately 350 students from grades 1-5 led by the LA Kings Hockey Development Team and LA Galaxy Star Squad.

In New York, employees volunteered their time at The Emma Lazarus Elementary School in Brooklyn, New York. Participants decorated the campus with a winter wonderland theme and painted welcome messages in multiple languages throughout the school’s auditorium.

Additionally, AEG presented both schools with donations underscoring the company’s ongoing commitment to community impact. To help fund student enrichment programs, 10th Street Elementary School, received a $10,000 check and the Emma Lazarus Elementary School received a $5,000 check.

About City Year 

City Year is a trailblazing, youth-powered organization with a dual mission: expanding educational equity for students furthest from opportunity and developing diverse leaders through national service. Research shows the more time a student spends with a City Year AmeriCorps member serving as student success coach, the better the student outcomes-academically, socially, and emotionally. A public-private partnership, City Year is a proud member of AmeriCorps, operating in 29 U.S. cities with international affiliates in the U.K. and South Africa. Today, 37,000 alums continue to lead and serve where they live and work.

Originally published in Quest Diagnostics’ 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report

Creating a healthier world requires collaboration, both across our internal team and with our global suppliers. Our suppliers allow us to provide the high-quality care and testing that our patients rely on. That’s why we hold them to the same standards of ethics and integrity that we adhere to. We also look for opportunities to improve sustainability in our supply chain and support more diverse businesses.

SUPPLIER CODE OF CONDUCT

We expect our suppliers to uphold our commitments to ethics, safety, quality, and respect for human rights. Suppliers are required to read and adhere to our Supplier Code of Conduct as a condition of doing business with Quest. They must train their employees in our Code of Conduct, self-monitor, and demonstrate their compliance. If a supplier fails to follow the standards established within our Code of Conduct, their relationship with Quest may be terminated.

Our commitment to human rights

We uphold our commitment to human rights by operating in a way that treats all people with respect and dignity. We embrace diversity across our workforce and strive for a work environment that promotes varied opinions and equal opportunities. We also respect our employees’ rights to freedom of association, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws. We hold our suppliers to the same high standards.

Quest works with our largest suppliers to minimize waste through initiatives like streamlining shipments and reducing packaging.

MANAGING SUPPLY CHAIN RISKS

Our focus on Corporate Responsibility includes assessing and examining any potential ESG and/or financial risk involved in doing business with our suppliers. Our framework for risk assessment and any necessary corrective action includes:

Understanding suppliers’ ESG journeys: We recognize that each of our suppliers is on their own ESG journey. To gain an understanding of what they are doing, we ask them to complete an ESG self-assessment. In 2023, 53% of our suppliers (based on annual spend) successfully completed their self-assessment, which included questions related to governance, as well as environmental and social/labor policies. This marks an uptick from 40% of Quest suppliers (based on annual spend) completing this assessment in 2022.Evaluating new suppliers for financial risk: When going through the procurement process for new suppliers, we complete a thorough assessment of any financial risks. While this has long been a part of our procurement protocol, in 2023 we streamlined financial and ESG risk assessment and began analyzing suppliers using a scorecard that accounts for both—helping us gain insight into interconnected material risks.Corrective action and supplier improvement plans: Once our risk assessment process is complete, we work with suppliers to identify any necessary corrective actions. We’ve had a corrective action program in place for over 13 years, and are working to expand this program to cover ESG-related corrective actions in 2024.

SUPPLIER DIVERSITY

Quest is committed to doing business with small and diverse US suppliers, as classified by the US Small Business Administration. Over the last 5 years, we’ve spent over $1.7 billion on goods and services from small and diverse US businesses—including $343 million in 2023. We are on track to reach our goal of $500 million by 2026. In addition, we are a corporate member of the National Minority Supplier Development Council and its affiliated Health Care Industry Group, which helps us broaden the base of suppliers we work with and stay up to date on best practices.

Review our full approach in our Supply Chain Transparency Document and Supplier Diversity Policy.

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Working toward Environmental, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) goals is an ongoing and incremental process. There is always more to consider. Every decision, every process, every procurement comes with its own footprint, which means a lot can slip under the radar. And while some may seem small and insubstantial, they can quickly add up.

Take your company’s devices, for example. Every piece of technology your company uses has its own, often significant, footprint when considering its entire lifecycle. It’s easy to think that the only thing you can do about your laptops, tablets and other devices is worry about energy usage. That’s certainly important, but it’s definitely not the start or end of the matter. That’s why choosing the right supplier, the right partner, can make a significant difference.

At Lenovo, we know how important it is to work together to do better. We simply can’t reach the EU’s sustainability targets as individuals. That’s why we’re taking every opportunity to support our customers on their journeys. Just like you, we’ve gone through our own operations with a fine-tooth comb to squeeze out every improvement possible so that these savings can be passed on.

We’ve committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, with targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Net-Zero Standard. 100% of our PC products will contain post-consumer recycled content by FY2025/26. We’re using 100% renewable and biodegradable bio-based packaging, increasing our use of solar energy, and striving to get as many of our products as possible ENERGY STAR® certified. We’ve even been awarded “Champion” status by the Canalys Global Sustainable Ecosystems Leadership Matrix.

But this is all what we’re doing ourselves. The true magic happens when we work together with our customers. Dialogue and coordination are so important. Your company is unique, with its own specific needs and ways of doing things. If we’re going to meaningfully help, tailoring our partnership is a must. That’s why solutions such as Asset Recovery Services (ARS), which help securely manage the lifecycle of hardware, are individually tailored, and cover any hardware regardless of the brand. This makes it easier to move towards a more circular model.

So where do you begin? There are two quick and easy steps, and the first starts with a conversation.

Illuminating sustainability

Signify is a global leader in the lighting industry, providing an extensive range of products, smart systems, and services. The company committed to ambitious sustainability goals, with its IT department needing to reduce its carbon footprint by 10% within a year, and 20% within two. To help it address the environmental impact made by the 20,000 devices its staff employed, Signify approached Lenovo.

“Light is one of the most fundamental ways to use energy,” says Ron Broeren, VP Head of Digital Services at Signify. “As the world’s leader for lighting solutions, we know all too well how important and how complex a challenge reducing one’s carbon footprint really is. That’s why we asked Lenovo to help us on our way. As we aim to do with our own products, Lenovo is taking responsibility for the entire product lifecycle.”

The first step was a workshop with Lenovo’s sustainability solutions team. We divide this workshop into two core objectives. Firstly, we seek to understand the true extent of the initial emissions from an IT purchase wherever possible and how we reduce them across their entire lifecycle. By sitting down with Signify, we were able to design a 360-degree approach to our services, analyzing their requirements for things like packaging, freight and shipping, through to overall energy consumption and total carbon footprint.

“Amazingly, the Lenovo team had the answer to our question about the carbon footprint of our 20,000 Lenovo devices ready,” recalls Broeren. “They offered us several sustainability options. It was the start of an ongoing dialog about how we could work together to lower our environmental impact. They don’t just wash their hands of their devices once they’ve sold them. Instead, they’re helping us minimize the environmental impact of getting them to our users and what happens to them at end-of-life.”

Bridging the gap

The second, vital part to our workshop is exploring how we offset any remaining emissions. Lenovo offers CO2 Offset Services that give customers like Signify simple and transparent ways to offset emissions associated with purchases that cannot otherwise be addressed.

We can estimate the value of carbon emissions over entire product lifecycles, including manufacturing, shipping, and usage. By supporting climate action projects around the world – all of which are verified by independent third-party organisations like United Nations, CDM, Gold Standard®, Climate Action Reserve – we’re able to offer an easy and transparent CO2 offset solution as part of the hardware purchase. To date, Lenovo has helped commercial companies offset more than 1 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide associated with the purchase of their IT equipment.

“In just a year, we decreased the overall CO2 footprint of our IT department by 20%, a year sooner than we expected,” adds Broeren. “Considering that we weren’t starting from scratch, but instead were dealing with an IT estate that’s years old, this is a significant achievement. It was only possible with Lenovo’s support. This project shows what can be achieved when highly motivated partners put their heads together to examine our impact on the planet.”

Carbon offsetting is just one of the ways to manage your IT footprint. Keeping your footprint low from the start, understanding your sustainability priorities holistically, and continuing to strive for a better future, in partnership with like-minded organizations, is how we win together and move closer to a more brighter and sustainable future for all.

In this latest blog, Cascale’s Senior Vice President, Higg Index, Jeremy Lardeau, shares insights on the importance of engaging with and connecting manufacturers. He highlights an upcoming collaborative discussion scheduled for the new year, which will take a deep dive into the Facility Data Manager (FDM) rolled out by Worldly. The session will bring together manufacturers and brands to address key questions and explore the FDM’s role in driving transparency, reducing impact, and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations.

Read the full blog, titled: Diving Into the Monthly Data Reporting & the Facility Data Manager: A Collaborative Discussion