Tag: 3BL

We recently hosted an electrifying Careers in Energy Week Expo. Over 200 middle and high school students from New Castle County, including those from Academia Antonia Alonso Charter School, Odessa High School, Appoquinimink High School, Freire Charter Wilmington, Smyrna Middle School, Middletown High School, and William Penn High School, gathered to explore the diverse career opportunities at Delmarva Power.

The students were captivated by a variety of interactive exhibits, including a cutting-edge Virtual Reality Module (VRM), Electric Operations, Gas Operations, and Environmental Management. These hands-on experiences provided invaluable insights into the energy sector and showcased the exciting possibilities within the industry.

As part of the industry-wide Careers in Energy Week initiative, our event aimed to inspire the next generation of energy professionals by highlighting the numerous opportunities in the energy sector. We are proud to have been a part of this initiative and are committed to continuing our support and inspiration for future leaders in the energy industry.

An estimated 600 million – almost 1 in 10 people in the world – get sick after eating contaminated food, according to the World Health Organization. To address this concern, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has authority to regulate the way foods are grown, harvested and processed, created a regulatory framework around food safety.

Part of that framework is the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and the new section, Requirements for Additional Traceability Records for Certain Foods. This new section identifies high-risk foods to public health and requires additional record-keeping requirements that will help companies quickly identify and remove contaminated food from the market. Businesses must comply with this new section by January 20, 2026.

These expanded compliance and traceability requirements significantly increase the volume and complexity of data to manage—requiring the capture and maintenance of specific Key Data Elements at Critical Tracking Events.

The challenge for many companies: these data elements often reside in separate, non-interoperable systems and entities, spanning records from production, handling, and shipment of finished goods.

The solution requires verifying that every ingredient can be tracked from its origin to the finished product through sufficiently unique Traceability Lot Codes. The ability to ‘connect the dots’ can enhance compliance and operational efficiency, boost consumer confidence, and protect public health.

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) Plex and FactoryTalk® solutions, combined with Kezzler’s digital ID solutions, enable producers to elevate processing and factory data captured within the four walls of the plant into a single-source query product genealogy.

By connecting this information to the overall supply chain, this technology collaboration from Rockwell and Kezzler means companies can track food from start to finish, monitor critical control points in real time, automate collection and visualization of data trends, and protect products against counterfeits and supply chain changes. It will ultimately help them respond faster to contaminated food risks and protect consumers from foodborne illness and even death.

Learn more.

In this second episode on EHS audits, we discuss the EMEA region and the U.S. We hear from experts Lauren Corbett-Noon, Senior Consultant, Antea Group, Robert Szucs-Winkler, CEO and founder of denxpert, and Dr. Roland Langmoen, Senior Consultant and Partner at Baden Consulting. The group explores the opportunity provided by audits and the role of auditors as helpers and educators.

Listen Now:

– Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/helpers-and-educators-ehs-audits-in-emea-and-the-u-s/id1741016993?i=1000676625252

– Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2z2XQ2t9hSD7M9U4VHsQSE

Southern Company

Southern Company is constantly evaluating new technologies and collaborating with emerging clean tech companies, both to benefit customers and to modernize our business. One such collaboration is the recent engagement with Scythe Robotics for the deployment of their company’s commercial-grade, all-electric semi-autonomous mowers at Plants Bowen, Wansley, Yates, Wilson, McManus and Mitchell.

The Scythe mowers are emissions-free and designed to maintain high productivity and improved quality of cut while enhancing worker safety. With zero emissions, the robotic mowers have the potential to offer a more sustainable and environmentally friendly solution for the maintenance of plant grounds.

The 20-horsepower machines feature eight cameras and a suite of sensors that enable them to operate safely in environments that could include the occasional presence of humans or animals in addition to existing trees and shrubs. The mowers stop for people and animals and automatically mow around trees and other obstacles. They also sense grass thickness and adjust mowing speed as needed.

The robots have worked flawlessly with existing level 2 chargers for speedy charging. The state-of-the-art mowers also capture property and mower performance data that can potentially be leveraged to improve workflow, schedule for efficiency, and to more effectively manage the labor costs of our landscaping contractors.

Colorado-based Scythe Robotics is a portfolio company of Energy Impact Partners (EIP.) Founded in 2015 by Southern Company and other utilities, EIP is the largest utility-backed clean tech investor coalition in the world with over $4.5 billion in assets under management across a platform of diversified strategies. Southern Company is an investor in several funds across the platform.

Southern Company’s engagement with EIP is instrumental in helping us keep a finger on the pulse of the clean tech ecosystem and advance innovative solutions for the benefit of customers as well as our own operations.

They say good things don’t drop from the sky, but they recently did in Western Kenya: Two thousand rabies vaccines were delivered by drones in one day to help combat the disease in these rural communities. To ensure an effective cold chain storage, extensive collaboration was needed from pioneers on the ground, including NGOs, private companies, and public authorities. The use of drones introduces long-awaited, new possibilities for secure, on-demand delivery of life-saving products – for the individuals, animals and communities who need them most.

A black dot appears on the horizon, rapidly approaching with a whirring sound. Excited children race through the streets, chasing the flying object, as dogs bark in the background. This marks the arrival of an eagerly anticipated delivery in Bungoma County, Kenya, where the use of drones is creating new possibilities – bringing with them two thousand doses of rabies vaccines for the local communities’ dogs. Rabies is a fatal disease, primarily caused by dogs.1 These deaths could be avoided if available vaccines could be securely transported and cooled, readily accessible even in remote regions.

Joyce Wamalwa is a healthcare worker at the Kibisi Dispensary hospital in Kenya, facing the harsh reality of the immense suffering the disease brings to the people she serves. “We’re doing our best to combat rabies, but it’s tough,” she says. “We lack vaccines and must send patients to other hospitals for life-saving treatment, forcing them to travel for hours on rough roads.” Wamalwa is regularly in touch with the local organization Core Health and Wealth International (CHW) and was asked earlier this year to share her insights and experiences. It marked the beginning of what became a successful pilot project to fight rabies in Kenya and unfolded through a remarkable collaborative effort between us as a multinational corporation, start-ups and local organizations from our Making More Health (MMH) initiative, government authorities, and the people on the ground.

Providing medication to underserved communities

In many Sub-Saharan African countries, vaccines and temperature-sensitive medical products are mainly transported by motorbikes, with limited storage, cooling, and security. Unstable cold chains make verifying vaccinations difficult and hinder timely rabies vaccine delivery. To implement an effective vaccination delivery program, it was essential to leverage the expertise of many of our partners in our existing Sustainable Development for Generations. “We have worked hard to build trust and create effective partnerships on the ground, with the shared objective of creating better access to essential health services,” says Ayman Eissa, Lead Sustainable Development at Boehringer Ingelheim IMETA (India, Middle East, Turkey and Africa). Collaborating with local NGOs from our Making More Health (MMH) network, like CHW and GAASPP (Golden Age and Albinism Support and Protection Program), a regional community organization in Western Kenya, the team was able to rely on a strong foundation of trust to engage the local communities. The next step was to find an aerial transportation partner to explore opportunities with a lasting impact on healthcare outcomes.

“We have worked hard to build trust and create effective partnerships on the ground, with the shared objective of creating better access to essential health services.”

Ayman Eissa,
Lead Sustainable Development at Boehringer Ingelheim IMETA

Partnering for drone distributions

Upon joint consultation, Daniel Blay and his team from Zipline, specializing in on-demand drone delivery, became part of the Kenyan pilot project to distribute vaccines. Their long-range, high-speed drones weigh under 25kg and carry up to 3kg. Dropping packages from a height of 30 meters, they fly at altitudes between 100 and 200 meters, remaining virtually unnoticed until they are just two minutes away. „Zipline serves as the technology provider, but our success depends on strong partners on the ground who mobilize communities and supply high-quality products,“ says Zipline’s Vice President Blay.

To cover the crucial lastmile to remote vaccination stations, VacciBox, a portable solar-powered fridge, was used during the campaign. „Not a single vaccine was wasted that day,“ Norah Magero, founder of Drop Access, proudly recalls, emphasizing that the challenge is not a lack of vaccines, but rather spoiled vaccines due to inadequate storage. The start-up joined the MMH Accelerator Program earlier this year and was asked to support the rabies project. This experience demonstrated VacciBox’s potential, now capable of storing up to 3,000 vaccines and running for 36 hours on battery.

On-site insights, people who recognize the program’s benefits, and professionals constructing dispensers for the delivered products (as done by CHW) are crucial for the project’s success. An impressive tally of approximately 2,000 dogs were vaccinated at eight different sites throughout Bungoma and Kakamega County in only one day. By the end of the year, the program aims to distribute an additional 10,000 doses across Kenya’s Lake Region Economic Bloc.

Disruption to by an entire ecosystem

The Kenyan pilot project builds on a successful proof-of-concept in Ghana, aiming to create robust health systems using drone delivery. CowTribe is one of the organizations that made this innovative collaboration possible in the first place. The Ghana-based start-up offers a platform for livestock farmers to access vaccinations and veterinary services by aggregating demand and has been part of the MMH network since 2019. In collaboration with Zipline and a cross-functional team from Boehringer Ingelheim, the pioneers had established a holistic approach to identify infrastructural pain points for farmers and agro-vets, building a groundbreaking distribution system.

In the first half of 2023, 292 drone flights distributed 1.4 million poultry vaccine doses to nearly 5,000 rural smallholders, which resulted in a significant reduction in vaccine costs. “Nearly all our deliveries are now drone-supported, cutting customer wait times from several days to a maximum of eight hours,” confirms CowTribe CEO Peter Adwin.

The impact of drone delivery in healthcare, facilitated by reliable collaboration on the ground, is truly remarkable: This innovative approach not only has the potential to make the delivery of essential healthcare products more efficient and cost-effective, but it also enables on-demand deliveries without the need for storage at a facility. “Our collective disruption through a co-created ecosystem is recognized by stakeholders on the ground and within the government, validating our ambitions,” emphasizes Kiran Dsouza, Head of IT at Boehringer Ingelheim IMETA.

This acknowledgment underscores the significance of our collaborative efforts, serving as a prime example of how, by working together, we can empower communities to improve their living conditions and make a meaningful contribution to enhance access to health in the most remote areas of this world.

“Nearly all our deliveries are now drone-supported, cutting customer wait times from several days to a maximum of eight hours.”

Peter Adwin, CEO of CowTribe

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Find out more about Boehringer Ingelheim’s global sustainablility initiatives, ranging from creating more sustainable healthcare solutions and community engagement with impact to environmental stewardship in Imagine: our sustainability story hub.

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Originally published on Sesame Workshop

Free bilingual videos, printables, and articles aim to inspire young children and their families to be active members in their communities.

NEW YORK, November 12, 2024 /3BL/ – Sesame Workshop, the global nonprofit behind Sesame Street, launched new free, bilingual resources today to help children learn the importance of being engaged with their community by helping others, working together, and being kind. These resources are made possible with generous support from the PSEG Foundation and join the current lineup of resources under the Little Neighbors: Building a Better World Together initiative to help young children and their families build a better world together. Through teamwork, little neighbors everywhere can tackle challenges big and small and take care of their families, communities, and the environment.

Children have the potential to be changemakers. When young children, along with their families, are engaged with their communities and providers, it can promote a sense of belonging, responsibility, and empowerment. With these new resources, Sesame Workshop aims to support and inspire children and their families to actively engage in their communities and, ultimately, help care for our planet and make the world a better place for all. Key strategies include tackling challenges through teamwork as a family, identifying ways young children can make a difference, and understanding how little acts of kindness can make a big impact.

The new resources in English and Spanish include videos, printable activities, and articles, featuring Elmo, Abby, and other Sesame Street friends as they explore various aspects of community engagement:

In “A Garden of Support”, Abby, her mom, Maggie, her stepbrother, Rudy, and other Sesame Street friends work together to clean up the community garden.“Little Helpers, Big Helping” features Abby and Maggie helping a Twiddlebug family build a playground, to show a small gesture can make a big difference.In “Helping at Home, Helping the Neighborhood”, Julia helps her mom, Elena, clean containers for the community center, and the whole family finds things at home to donate to the local drive.In “Little Neighbors Can Do Big Things”, Elmo and Abby build a birdhouse to help the street’s newest resident feel welcome.Other resources include six printable activities: Helping and Caring, Julia’s Community Mural, Playground Helpers, Together Trail, Community Garden Clean-up, and Community Connections as well as two articles entitled “Empowering Kids to Make a Big Impact in Their Communities” and “Engaging Kids with Nature and Community: Outdoor Activities and Adventures”.

“We know that children are naturally curious and eager to learn about the world around them,” said Jeanette Betancourt, Ed.D., Senior Vice President of U.S. Social Impact, Sesame Workshop. “When we provide them with tools and resources to actively engage in their communities, we set the foundation early on to empower children as they continue to learn and grow to be kind, compassionate, and respectful of others and to make a positive difference in the world.”

In celebration of 10-years of partnership, the PSEG Foundation will host an event today on World Environment Day with a guest appearance by Costume Character Elmo and a presentation of the Little Neighbors Program materials, video & volunteer sheets. The event highlights the program as a resource for schools, families, and organizations to teach children how to care for their environment and become helpful community members.

“PSEG is proud that, through our partnership with Sesame Workshop, we’ve been able to help families throughout New Jersey better prepare for extreme weather and other disasters, develop environmental awareness, and expand their appreciation to the larger world. We’re excited to launch new resources that focus on our environment, under our Little Neighbors initiative,” said Rick Thigpen, PSEG senior vice president – Corporate Citizenship. “We know that when children act on their curiosity and get excited about protecting our planet, they often become catalysts for change within their families and communities.”

Building on its longstanding partnership with the PSEG Foundation, Sesame Workshop aims to provide parents, caregivers and community providers with tools and strategies to show children that small actions can have a big impact in their community, their neighborhood, and in the world. Resources to help parents and caregivers support children to become more active in their communities can be found at sesame.org/littleneighbors.

About Sesame Workshop 
Sesame Workshop is the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street and so much more. For over 50 years, we have worked at the intersection of education, media, and research, creating joyful experiences that enrich minds and expand hearts, all in service of empowering each generation to build a better world. Our beloved characters, iconic shows, outreach in communities, and more bring playful early learning to families in more than 150 countries and advance our mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org and follow Sesame Workshop on Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok.

About PSEG Foundation 
The PSEG Foundation (501(c)(3), the philanthropic arm of Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), prioritizes investments in promoting environmental sustainability, social justice, and equity and economic empowerment. 

About PSEG 
Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) (NYSE: PEG) is a predominantly regulated infrastructure company focused on a clean energy future. Guided by its Powering Progress vision, PSEG aims to power a future where people use less energy, and it’s cleaner, safer and delivered more reliably than ever. PSEG’s commitment to ESG and sustainability is demonstrated in our net-zero 2030 climate vision and participation in the U.N. Race to Zero, as well as our inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index and the list of America’s most JUST Companies. PSEG’s businesses include Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G), PSEG Power and PSEG Long Island.

Contact

Leighann Dunkley, Sesame Workshop
leighann.dunkley@sesame.org

Lauren Ugorji, PSEG
Lauren.Ugorji@pseg.com

CINCINNATI, November 12, 2024 /3BL/ – Fifth Third Bank continues its historic clean energy progress today by introducing hyper-fast electric vehicle (EV) chargers for the first time at one of its banking centers. Fifth Third is making six hyper-fast charging stations publicly available at its eTown location in Jacksonville, Florida to better serve current EV owners and those considering transitioning to an EV.

Through a collaboration with Electrify America, the largest open Hyper-Fast charging network in the U.S., EV drivers can charge at the new eTown station and manage their fast-charging plan through Electrify America’s industry-leading mobile app. The eTown station is featured on Electrify America’s “locate a charger” map, which includes more than 1000 stations and over 4,400 chargers in the U.S. and Canada.

In addition to the hyper-fast chargers, Fifth Third offers 72 EV charging ports across its footprint. Fifth Third also continues to expand its solar capacity across new branches. Fifth Third’s eTown location will be one of more than 25 branches now powered by solar with plans to more than double that amount in the next year. Fifth Third continues to open new locations across the Southeast in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

The eTown Banking Center is a model for sustainability and occupies a modest 1,900 square feet. Fifth Third redesigned its branches to seamlessly blend a customer’s digital experience with any banking they would prefer to do in-person, including discussions about college savings plans, mortgages, or retirement solutions. In the new, streamlined banking centers, traditional transaction space has given way to a compact, modular design with flexible meeting and seating areas that offer adjustable layers of privacy.

“We’re thrilled to be offering the convenience of rapid charging at eTown to meet the demands of our customers who drive electric,” said Thomas Neltner, director of enterprise workplace services and chief security officer for Fifth Third.

Since 2019, Fifth Third has purchased 100% renewable power, which started as a result of a virtual power purchase agreement that launched the 80 MW Aulander Holloman solar facility in North Carolina. In 2023, solar power generation from the facility was more than 190,000 megawatt hours – enough to power over 25,000 homes, or the equivalent of emissions from over 29,000 gas-powered vehicles.

As part of the bank’s commitment to provide transparency and data aligned to industry standards for all its stakeholders, Fifth Third has published its sustainability data in its 2023 Sustainability Report, which aligns with the GRI Index, the SASB standards, and the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics index.

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About Fifth Third 
Fifth Third is a bank that’s as long on innovation as it is on history. Since 1858, we’ve been helping individuals, families, businesses and communities grow through smart financial services that improve lives. Our list of firsts is extensive, and it’s one that continues to expand as we explore the intersection of tech-driven innovation, dedicated people and focused community impact. Fifth Third is one of the few U.S.-based banks to have been named among Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies® for several years. With a commitment to taking care of our customers, employees, communities and shareholders, our goal is not only to be the nation’s highest performing regional bank, but to be the bank people most value and trust.

Fifth Third Bank, National Association is a federally chartered institution. Fifth Third Bancorp is the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Deposit and credit products provided by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

CONTACT 
Sophie Isherwood (Media Relations) 
sophie.isherwood@53.com 
Matt Curoe (Investor Relations) 
matthew.curoe@53.com | 513-534-2345

Originally published in Principal Financial Group 2023 Sustainability Report

Our work in the community

Our approach 

Encouraging Principal employees to bring their passions and purpose to work is the core of the Principal Gives Back program, which connects them to our philanthropic culture through volunteer opportunities and incentives and a match giving program. The program draws on the expertise and resources of the business to strengthen communities and create lasting impact in the cities where our employees live and work.

True to our culture, our participants supported 4,312 causes across 30 countries and volunteered over 64,000 hours. From giving to community-based organizations through match giving and Dollars for Doers programs, to packing food and hygiene kits for underprivileged families and unhoused individuals, to mentoring school children and young people, Principal employees provided their time, expertise, and resources to better their communities near and far.

Our actions and performance in 2023 

In 2023, Principal employees supported our communities with:

64,626 volunteer hours logged by eligible users$5.5M matching dollars given to eligible organizations by Principal® Foundation

World Central Kitchen 

In 2023, for the first time in our history, Principal® Foundation created a global series of employee engagement events that connected a Principal® Foundation grantee and employees of Principal. In collaboration with World Central Kitchen (WCK), Principal® Foundation created a series of activations that allowed Principal employees to learn about the organization, the crises WCK responds to, and understand why Principal® Foundation supports them. The events also provided hands-on assistance by packing meals that were donated to local organizations. In 2023, Principal, together with Principal® Foundation, activated in Manila, Philippines and Charlotte, North Carolina. In Manila, Principal employees packaged 2,000 meal kits that can each feed a family of four for two weeks. In Charlotte, Principal employees packaged 1,300 sandwich meals for local after school programs.

Pedal to Paris 

Over 30 Principal employees from six offices came together to cycle more than 180 miles from London to Paris and Frankfurt to Paris as a fundraiser. Together they raised over $64,000 for two charities: We are Beam, which provides comprehensive support services to children and young people with any form of physical, learning, or sensory impairment; and Kleine Helden Little Heroes, which provides home quality of life care for seriously ill or terminally ill children. The enthusiasm for this event garnered support and donations from employees around the world.

To learn more, read the Principal Financial Group 2023 Sustainability Report.

Principal Financial Group Foundation, Inc (“Principal® Foundation”) is a duly recognized 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 distinc independent, charitabl entity. Principal Foundation does not practice any form of investment advisory services and is not authorized to do so. © 2024 Principal Foundation.

Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Company®. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Principal Securities, Inc., member SIPC and/or independent broker/dealers. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392.​

3785778-102024

Earlier this week, T-Mobile activated its emergency response operations to support first responders and affected communities in Ventura County, Calif. as the Mountain Fire grows to over 20,000 acres, with 7% containment. We’re also closely monitoring winds in Northern California due to previous red flag warnings for more than 27 million people across the state. 

In Ventura County, our network is holding strong with only a small number of sites impacted, and some customers will have service due to overlapping coverage. Our emergency technicians and engineers will assess those sites as soon as conditions safely allow. We’ve deployed additional network resources to the Padre Sierra Parish church in Camarillo, Calif. to support customers, communities, first responders and relief organizations stationed at the church. Here’s more on our support: 

Network  

T-Mobile continually invests in preparing the network for extreme weather, including California’s unpredictable wildfires. Our efforts include leveraging AI, data, network hardening and emergency assets to minimize service interruptions and swiftly recover connectivity following a fire.  

Across California including Ventura County, T-Mobile’s network has been hardened and reinforced with generators in the event of commercial power loss and additional portable generators are ready to deploy as needed. AI capabilities within T-Mobile’s network — including our Cognitive Self-Organizing Network (SON) and automatic antenna tilting — optimize signal, expand coverage areas and avoid congestion helping to reduce service interruptions through a wildfire’s unpredictability. Overlapping coverage in many areas may further reduce service interruptions.  Heavy duty network equipment, including mobile cell sites called SatCOLTs (Satellite Cell on Light Trucks), are on standby with assets already deployed in Camarillo, Calif.  

First Responders 

T-Mobile is actively working with federal, state and local public safety agencies as well as California’s State Operations Center (SOC) in Sacramento to prioritize coverage restoration and meet first responder needs. First responders, emergency officials and other eligible critical infrastructure customers can register for Wireless Priority Service (WPS) to get priority access and preemption at no cost. Agencies needing communications assistance can contact our 24-hour emergency hotline at 888-639-0020 or email ERTRequests@T-Mobile.com.

Community Support

T-Mobile’s teams have been coordinating with the American Red Cross and other agencies to provide Wi-Fi connectivity and charging supplies for customers, communities and anyone who needs it in Ventura County.

For more information on T-Mobile’s emergency response efforts and for tips to stay connected visit: https://www.t-mobile.com/news/emergency-response. For more information on T-Priority, coming soon for first responders, visit: https://www.t-mobile.com/news/business/t-priority-network-slice-for-first-responders. Follow @TMobileNews on X, formerly known as Twitter, to stay up to date with the latest company news.

Improving health outcomes and reducing barriers to care starts in our own backyard. That’s why the Gilead Foundation’s Healthcare Education, Access and Leadership (HEAL) Initiative is dedicating $5 million to helping build a Bay Area healthcare workforce that’s more diverse and representative of the patient population it serves. Learn more: https://gilead.inc/3UkIV5M

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California. 

Originally published by Gilead Sciences