Tag: 3BL

Did you know that Henkel North America employs approximately 8,000 employees in more than 65 sites across the U.S. and Canada? Collectively, these sites support two business units: Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands.

Our #AViewFrom series features select locations, sharing information and facts about our sites across Henkel North America.

The products we eat, drink, and use every day can come in all types of packages. And cans are among the most used containers. Beverages, food, hair care products, household cleaners, and maintenance materials are often supplied in cans. Ensuring the ends of cans are compatible with the contents and leak-proof is what the professionals at Henkel Adhesive Technologies’ Chicago, Illinois site are committed to daily. Learn more in this segment of #AViewFrom: Chicago, IL.

When you think about the journey of a can, all kinds of vibration, transportation variables, and handling and storage conditions it is subjected to, you can appreciate how strong, impervious, and rugged the can ends have to be. These containers take a lot of abuse and are expected not to fail. Our people work to make sure that’s the case and that our materials consistently deliver. In fact, the can will probably fail before our product does!

Luke Martens, Site Operations Director

Quality is the hallmark of this site. Every drum of material must be produced perfectly – there is no room for error.

One 55-gallon drum of our sealant secures the can ends of almost 3.5 million cans. When that Henkel product leaves our facility, it must be 100% quality, 100% of the time.

Adam Vollmers, Site Quality Manager

Built in 1941, Henkel’s Chicago facility has changed ownership several times since its inception, ultimately becoming part of the Henkel manufacturing footprint with the company’s acquisition of GCP Applied Technologies’ Darex Packaging Technologies, in 2017 after it split off from W.R. Grace. Remarkably, however, the double seam process developed to secure can ends and that revolutionized container production is still essentially the same technique in use today, albeit far more automated.

Ensuring environmental protection and employee safety are also top priorities at Henkel’s Chicago site, with facility improvement investment directed toward initiatives in these areas. A recent project to upgrade the plant’s solvent filtration system has reduced its overall waste footprint by over 50%. This achievement was recognized with an internal award, the Henkel Lion Award, in 2023. Henkel Chicago’s safety record has also received industry accolades, with the team earning a 2024 Award of Commendation from the American Coatings Association for zero accidents or restricted workdays. The facility is ISO 9001:2015, ISO 140001, ISO 45001, and ISO 5001 certified and is a zero production waste to landfill site.

DID YOU KNOW?

Henkel Chicago products go full circle: DAREX® sealants are integrated into cans that Henkel then uses to package various product brands – from LOCTITE® brand adhesives to Got2B® and PRAVANA® brand haircare formulations. Henkel’s materials are in the can in more ways than one!

CULTURE AND COMMITMENT

By comparison, Henkel Chicago’s 40-person staff is relatively small, and this contributes to the tight-knit culture of the site. The team here, some of whom are third-generation employees, are highly invested in their work product and their colleagues. Administrative Lead Elizabeth Molina spearheads many projects and activities that help foster employee connection and camaraderie.

The people at this facility are so committed and passionate; it’s inspiring. I get great satisfaction from doing whatever I can to help our teams be as successful, connected, and productive as possible. This could include anything from organizing special events to leading major site initiatives like the digital signage board project I’m currently overseeing. Whatever it takes to support our people, I’m all in!

Elizabeth Molina, Site Administrator

Clorox’s environmental, social and governance goals are integrated into our IGNITE strategy because we believe they create value for our company, brands, people and communities. We’ve focused on areas where we can make the biggest impact, and much of our progress is realized through the work of our purpose-driven brands.

Our Hidden Valley Ranch manufacturing plant in Wheeling, Illinois, recently became the first facility within our Foods business unit to achieve zero-waste-to-landfill, or ZWtL, status. This puts Clorox one step closer to our ambitious goal to reach ZWtL in 100% of our plants by 2025 and in our global facilities by 2030. We spoke with Wheeling senior engineer Jim Wood; plant health, safety and environment leader Zach Osiyemi; and plant manager Keith Toomey about how our teammates mobilized to make it happen.

How did you engage and motivate your team to adapt to waste-reducing practices?

Meeting Clorox’s ZWtL criteria is no small feat, but the Wheeling team accepted the call to action, worked together to solve waste-flow hurdles and became our first Foods plant to achieve this goal. In recent years, the team adjusted their behaviors and implemented new processes throughout the plant to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. This includes simple operational shifts, like separation of waste streams and working with suppliers on reuse opportunities.

Were there any unique challenges this team faced during the transition to zero waste? How did they overcome them?

Food production presents unique challenges when it comes to reducing waste, so the Wheeling team had much to learn on this journey. Other Clorox locations are able to use waste-to-energy facilities to handle difficult-to-recycle materials, but the village of Wheeling does not have an operation in the area for this type of disposal. This compelled the team to research other ways of handling food-related waste streams; conduct trial runs to see if our product can be properly handled and discarded; then establish all new processes for storing, shipping and disposal that keeps scrap materials out of the local landfills.

The Wheeling team was persistent. Even when disposal outlets were identified, many options didn’t make logistical sense in terms of costs or air emissions associated with long-haul trucking of waste. The team wasn’t discouraged and ultimately unlocked new opportunities to reuse materials and significantly decrease the quantity of waste generated. Today, over 76% of the waste generated onsite is being reused in some way. For instance, the plastic pallets used to package and transport our bottles are sent back to our supplier for reuse.

What advice would you give to other manufacturing plants aiming to achieve zero waste?

This journey started with leadership — both at the plant and throughout the business. Having our leaders not only involved but leading the charge was critical to our success. When embarking on this challenge, it’s important to understand and be able to advocate for the “why” behind driving new processes that improve the business while also protecting the environment in the communities where we work and live.

Schneider Electric

The United Nations Conference of Parties dedicated to biodiversity, also known as COP16, will begin in Cali, Colombia. Its aim is assessing the progress made by countries toward national action plans and advancing resource mobilization for a just transition.

Humans have an umbilical relationship with nature. It’s now critical, for our species and many others, to rebalance this relationship. I believe corporations — who often bear the heaviest environmental impact — must become role models in protecting the planet and its biodiversity for generations to come.

Strength in biodiversity

Biodiversity encompasses all life on Earth, including plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, and humans. This forms an interconnected web of ecosystems and genetic diversity — and the backbone of our planet’s health. Here’s why it’s so crucial:

Ecosystem stability: Diverse ecosystems are more resilient to disturbances like extreme weather events and diseases. Each species plays a unique role, contributing to the overall health and stability of the environment.Food security: A variety of crops and livestock ensures a stable food supply for humanity. Diverse plant species also contribute to soil health, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.Medicinal resources: Many medicines are derived from plants and animals. Protecting biodiversity means preserving potential future medical discoveries.Economic value: Biodiversity directly supports industries like agriculture, fisheries, and tourism – but also all economic activities based on natural capital, contributing trillions of dollars to the global economy.Cultural value: Nature has inspired countless works of art, literature, and traditions. Biodiversity enriches our lives in ways that go beyond the material, sustaining the spirit of civilization.

The threat of climate change

The effects of human-made climate change, like rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events, pose a sweeping threat to biodiversity. It disrupts habitats, forcing species to adapt, migrate, or face extinction. Take coral reefs, home to 25% of all marine life, which are dying due to warmer waters and ocean acidification. As species disappear, the delicate balance of ecosystems is thrown off, creating domino effects throughout the food chain.

Human activities are damaging biodiversity directly too. Deforestation, agriculture, urbanization, overexploitation of resources, and introduction of invasive species all contribute to the destruction of natural habitats. We produce vast amounts of waste in the form of chemicals and plastics, which contaminate the land, ocean, and air. The grim result is that humans, as a single species, are directly responsible for a planetary extinction event, known as the Holocene extinction.

However, experts say this can be halted by conserving 1.22% of Earth’s surface. With this hopeful statistic in mind, we must act immediately. But how?

Large business, large responsibility

As businesses, we have an obvious impact on the planet. We extract resources while generating waste and pollution. This hands us a moral duty to minimize the environmental effects of our operations. It’s also a matter of reputation, as investors and customers become more eco-conscious.

Biodiversity loss leads to operational risks like resource scarcity and supply chain disruptions. By investing in conservation, companies can help safeguard their resources — ensuring resilience and future prosperity. Finally, sustainable practices can lead to innovations and new business opportunities, such as developing cleaner technologies.

But to reduce and minimize their impact, businesses must first understand their impact. They should then implement concrete action plans, while measuring and reporting on progress. Our Sustainability Research Institute offers a blueprint for corporate biodiversity action.

In addition, businesses must use their influence to encourage policymakers to create a legal and financial framework that incentivizes biodiversity action. This is already happening in international negotiation arenas such as COP16, as well as the Business for Nature coalition we joined with 180 companies worldwide, calling to reverse nature loss this decade.

At Schneider Electric, we’re proud to play our part, starting with measurement. Our Biodiversity Footprint Assessment revealed that 70% of our impact is linked to greenhouse gas emissions; the second factor is related to land use for woods and metals. We took action by pledging voluntary commitments to preserve and restore biodiversity:

Achieving zero net loss biodiversity in direct operations by 2030Deploying biodiversity conservation and restoration programs at nearly 400 sites by 2025Sourcing 100% deforestation-free wood by 2030Educating all our employees by accelerating our corporate biodiversity training

As part of our Sustainability Impact program, we’re also implementing sustainable solutions and circular practices to optimize the use of resources over their entire lifecycle – relieving the pressure on resources and bringing indirect benefits to biodiversity. We partner with suppliers to eliminate single-use plastics from packaging and use recycled cardboard only, helping them to sharply reduce their CO2 emissions.

When it comes to direct biodiversity action, we engage our employees, alongside NGOs and investment funds, on local initiatives. For example, we ensure that all our sites deploy biodiversity conservation and restoration programs aimed at long-lasting impact — and that sites in water-stressed areas enact water conservation plans. By the end of last year, 66% and 73% of our sites reached these goals respectively.

Ground-level action for nature and people

In collaboration with NGO Very Nile in Egypt, we organize Nile clean-up events that engage our employees and educate them about pollution and its effects on biodiversity. We facilitate the collection and recycling of waste, with the resulting product sold to raise money for the local community. The NGO also guarantees fair wages and social services for the local fishermen and women that collect plastic, creating sustainable livelihoods while helping the planet.

Schneider Electric’s global footprint lets us cater to diverse needs. Our wildlife preservation initiative in East Africa, with Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and Kenya Wildlife Service, protects an endangered species of elephant, as well as their natural environment. Our employees have “adopted” three orphaned baby elephants in Nairobi National Park, with the company covering the costs of meals, medical treatment, and ranger fees to protect from poachers.

We believe firmly in collective engagement, and that biodiversity education should start from an early age. That’s why in India, employees from our Ahmednagar site joined forces with local pupils to build birdhouses and insect hostels, as well as plant over 3,000 saplings on factory premises, at their own homes, and in school areas. Flora like this provides the ecosystem base for birds and other insects, which will increase the fauna population in turn.

Biodiversity is part of Earth’s life support system. Its protection isn’t just an environmental issue, but an economic, social, and ethical imperative. By raising awareness of its importance and addressing the threats of climate change, we can actively shape a more sustainable future. Here, corporations must be on the front line, using their vast resources and footprint to drive substantial change.

Comcast Corporation published its 2024 Green Bond Report, which outlines the full allocation of proceeds from its inaugural green bond issued in February 2023.

$995 million in net proceeds were focused on green buildings, circular economy, clean transportation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy, all in accordance with its Green Financing Framework. These investment categories support environmental efforts as part of Comcast’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2035.

“We’re proud to have offered investors the opportunity to support greener operations at Comcast that ultimately benefit people and the planet.”

Sara Cronenwett

Senior Vice President of Corporate Environmental Sustainability at Comcast

Comcast has reduced its market-based, enterprise-wide Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30% from 2019 to year-end 2023.

“Whether it’s through the design and construction of green buildings that integrate clean technologies and other sustainability features, or circularity projects that extend the life of devices and keep waste out of landfills, these investments will deliver tangible environmental benefits for years to come,” said Sara Cronenwett, Senior Vice President of Corporate Environmental Sustainability at Comcast.

Project highlights included:

Sky Studios Elstree: Completing construction in 2023 as the UK’s newest, state-of-the-art film and TV studio, Sky Studios Elstree was awarded a mark of ‘Outstanding’ by albert in its Studio Sustainability Standard Report 2024. Sky Studios Elstree purchases and matches 100% renewable electricity, approximately 25% of which comes from 2.9 MW of solar capacity across the studio’s rooftops. Other sustainability features include rainwater harvesting, LED lighting, EV charging points and an all-electric operations vehicle fleet.Electric Vehicles: Funds were allocated to clean transportation initiatives, including select electric vans and pickups for Xfinity service technicians, as well as a large fleet of electric and solar-powered golf carts for production and operations crews at the Universal Studios Lot.Circularity by Design: Comcast maintains longstanding refurbishing programs that reduce waste by enabling reuse of certain devices until the end of a product’s life. This includes programs to test, refurbish and repair returned devices. Comcast also has a National Recycling Program, aiming to recycle or divert cable equipment waste from landfills through recovery and redistribution of materials.

To learn more about Comcast’s full green bond allocation, please download its 2024 Green Bond Report. For more information on Comcast’s environmental efforts, visit the Environment page at corporate.comcast.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication includes estimates, projections and statements regarding plans and goals that may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. For more information on these statements, please see https://corporate.comcast.com/impact/environment/forward-looking-statements.

Originally published in International Paper’s 2023 Sustainability Report

International Paper is also championing water conservation through an educational outreach program. We are partnering with local schools in our communities to foster awareness and instill a sense of responsibility towards this precious resource. At the heart of this initiative is our Water is Wonderful curriculum, which we developed to educate 1st through 3rdgrade students on what it means to be a good steward of the water we have.

In engaging lessons, children learn that water is essential to life and makes up more than 2/3 of our planet, though only a small fraction of that water is available for use by the billions of people on Earth. From the scarcity of clean, fresh water to how International Paper uses water in our paper-making process, students learn not only about the vital role water plays in our daily lives but also how International Paper uses water in its processes to make products people depend on every day. The Water is Wonderful program also contributes to our signature cause of education by teaching water conservation in schools and demonstrating how responsible water practices are good for our facilities, our company, our communities and our planet.

Read more

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of the world’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2023 were $18.9 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com/.

About International Paper – EMEA

In Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), International Paper focuses on the production and marketing of fiber-based packaging and specialty pulp, employing approximately 4,400 people. As a leading supplier of high-quality corrugated containers for a multitude of applications, we serve customers throughout the region from our network of two recycled containerboard mills and 23 box plants in France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Specialty pulp is made in Gdansk, Poland. Other products available from International Paper in the region include a variety of Kraft linerboard and other pulp products.

I have been with Quest Diagnostics since 1993, celebrating my 31 years with the company this past July. My entire career has been in Logistics. I began my career as a courier, working for what then was Nichols Institute. For the next several years, we experienced transitions to Corning Clinical Laboratories and ultimately to Quest Diagnostics.

The big change came when Quest Diagnostics bought Smith Kline Beecham Clinical Laboratories. We went from working out of a space about the size of a four-car garage to the much larger lab in Kansas City, MO. This acquisition allowed many opportunities for upward growth. My position changed from courier to stock clerk in their huge warehouse. I quickly moved up to become the Group Lead, working for Ken Johnson. My period of upward mobility with Quest Diagnostics had taken off.

After years of both personal and professional growth, Quest Diagnostics acquired LabOne clinical reference laboratories, which was in Lenexa, KS. The first few years in Lenexa were some of the most challenging and rewarding in my career. I had a great deal of responsibility before, during, and after our entire staff moved there. I became the route administrator for the region, logistics supervisor over Joplin and Springfield, MO, and ultimately transitioned to my current title of Network Planner and Route Optimization Specialist for the Greater Midwest Region.

My time with Quest Diagnostics has been quite remarkable. I have met people from all levels of society, traveled places I thought I would never see, made many close friendships, and learned so much about leadership, collaboration, and teamwork. I have enjoyed some of the best years of my life working for Quest Diagnostics. I would not change these past 31 years with the company for anything.

For more than 125 years, Dow has been at the forefront of innovation in materials science, and as the world continues to accelerate toward a more digital, more connected future, we will continue to drive innovation for a sustainable electronics future.

I remember when getting in touch with family and friends in Shanghai required more than just a few taps on a smart phone. Now, staying connected is easier than ever – and our global digital transformation only continues to accelerate. Whether in business or for personal use, consumers demand communication technologies that are faster, sleeker and more reliable.

In my role at Dow, I see first-hand how our customers in the electronics industry are working to enable faster computing, more storage capacity and greater connectivity – all while designing personal devices that are thinner, lighter, foldable and wearable. At the same time, the growth of artificial intelligence, block chain and other cloud services is fueling demand for increased computing power in data centers. This presents a number of challenges for the industry, especially when it comes to producing technology that is more energy efficient and safer for the environment.

At Dow, we are committed to protecting the climate and delivering a more sustainable future through our materials science expertise. That’s why we are working alongside our customers to develop electronics solutions that not only enhance product performance and improve reliability and efficiency, but also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable the use of fewer critical resources.

Minimizing the environmental impact of data centers

The future of digital communications depends on reliable cloud and data centers. And as this industry continues to expand, so does its impact on the environment.

Data centers require a great deal of energy to operate and maintain. In 2022, data centers accounted for 2% of all global electricity usage. The United States is home to a third of the world’s data centers, and those data centers could account for 6% of the nation’s electricity usage by 2026. The push for more data, faster, means more heat – and that means more energy is required for data center cooling.

To help our customers reduce energy usage and improve performance, Dow provides a range of cooling solutions, including:

DOWSIL™ Immersion Cooling Technology, which enables a revolutionary new cooling method through silicones chemistry. This low-carbon solution delivers optimal cooling and thermal management, while reducing costs and saving space.DOWFROST™ LC Heat Transfer Fluid, which enables efficient heat removal in datacom equipment cooling systems.DOWSIL™ Thermal Conductive Material – Thermal Gel, Grease and Gum, a comprehensive portfolio to enhance heat dispassion and device reliability.

For more than 125 years, Dow has been at the forefront of innovation in materials science, and as the world continues to accelerate toward a more digital, more connected future, we will continue to drive innovation for a sustainable electronics future.

Joyce Liu, Global Marketing Director, Dow Consumer Solutions

About the author

Joyce Liu is the Global Marketing Director for Dow’s Consumer Solutions (DCS) business. In this role, she is responsible for leading the global Consumer Solutions marketing team to drive short-term and long-term growth strategy, and collaborate cross-functionally to deliver on business objectives. Joyce joined Dow through the Dow Corning acquisition and has been a part of Team Dow for nearly 15 years, holding a variety of marketing and commercial leadership roles including Marketing Director for Greater China for DCS and Global Director of Marketing Excellence for Dow. Her personal interests are traveling, exploring different cultures and wine tasting.

Meet four Cisco Foundation partners working to support farmers’ transition to regenerative practices to improve resiliency and mitigate the climate crisis.

As the world faces the impacts of climate change, such as soil degradation, biodiversity die-off, and water pollution, regenerative agriculture has emerged as a pathway to restore our relationship with the earth and the food it provides us.

Regenerative agriculture practices like cover cropping, no-till farming, and crop rotation help restore organic matter in soil, increasing its ability to retain water and nutrients. Healthy soil is not only more productive but also resilient to droughts and floods, reducing the risks for farmers and stabilizing crop yields. These practices can also enhance the soil’s ability to sequester carbon, turning farms into carbon sinks rather than sources of emissions. Regenerative agricultural practices not only mitigate the climate crisis in the first place, but can also help improve farmer crop yield, increase income, and provide a buffer to climate shocks.

However, the transition to regenerative agriculture is not without challenges. The shift often comes with financial and administrative burdens, especially for smallholder farmers who are pioneering these new practices. Farmers may need to invest in new machinery, seeds for cover crops, and time to learn new techniques as well as provide evidence of their climate impact — all of which come with financial inputs. Applying for grants, loans, or subsidies to support the transition can also be time-consuming and complex, placing an additional burden on farmers already juggling the day-to-day demands of running their farms. These challenges pose barriers to widespread adoption.

In 2021, the Cisco Foundation committed US$100 million over 10 years to fund nonprofit grants and impact investing in climate solutions. Across the Foundation, we apply a multi-sector approach across all our sector areas to create a world of equitable, resilient, and empowered communities contributing to a regenerative climate future. Meet four Cisco Foundation partners that are paving the way for regenerative agricultural practices to happen more efficiently, equitably, and at greater scale.

One Acre Fund: Climate resilience for Sub-Saharan African farmers

The majority of people living in poverty around the globe are smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, who are increasingly caught between two of this century’s defining challenges: extreme poverty and climate change. In Africa, these challenges are mutually reinforcing — farmers in poverty, lacking other income avenues, often resort to deforestation, land conversion, nutrient mining, and other unsustainable practices to survive. Over time, these actions degrade the environment, worsen climate change, lead to yield declines and higher risk to frequent shocks like floods and droughts. This cycle can devastate harvests, leaving smallholders without enough food for their families.

One Acre Fund (1AF) provides farmers with financing, training, and supplies to transform their harvests through a climate strategy focused on adaptation (building resilience to climate shocks) and mitigation (sustainably increasing yields and protecting resources). The strategy is based on four pillars: maximizing plant health; building soil fertility; crop and income diversity; and providing safety nets. The Cisco Foundation has supported 1AF to pioneer a new, tech-enabled approach to the data collection needed to drive this work forward at scale: remote sensing (RS).

RS technology is poised to significantly improve 1AF’s ability to efficiently access and leverage robust and accurate data, enabling deepened climate resilience and impact for Africa’s smallholder farmers. For example, RS data can increase the accuracy of insurance products, ensuring that farmers’ investments are protected when their crops are lost to climate shocks. 1AF is using this technology to offer farmers precise field-level guidance on seed type, planting times, soil maintenance, and more, generating better results than current district-level guidance.

Mad Agriculture: Supporting Regenerative farmers in the United States

Founded in 2018, Mad Agriculture takes a holistic approach to helping farmers in the United States thrive in regenerative organic agriculture. The organization’s mission is to create a regenerative revolution in agriculture, envisioning a world where land, sea, and people flourish together. Mad Agriculture offers a suite of services that help farmers and ranchers overcome technical, financial, and market barriers, and lifting their stories of success and challenge into wider society to spark cultural change.

To succeed, farming and ranching must be done in harmony with nature and the greater ecosystem. This can both reduce conventional farming’s negative impact on the land and enhance the farm ecosystem, while ensuring the people involved are thriving. This agricultural revolution takes time and must be lasting, requiring more capital to address inequitable wealth distribution. Mad Agriculture engages with essential questions: What does the land need? How can agroecosystems be designed to honor people and place? And how can those caring for the land be ensured access to the resources they need?

With these questions in mind, the Cisco Foundation has funded Mad Agriculture’s work with farmers across the U.S., beginning the focus predominately in the Intermountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and Southeast. Through the Regenerative Catalyst Fund, Mad Agriculture helps farmers move from planning to action, offering small grants, 0% loans, cost-sharing opportunities, and other innovative financing models. In 2024, $500,000 was provided to over 30 farmers for regenerative practices such as prairie strips, perennial plantings (including trees, hedgerows, pollinator habitats, and silvopasture), and fencing for holistic grazing. In addition to ecological expertise, Mad Agriculture brings business acumen to support farmers in their full complexity, including enabling irrigation systems, agrotourism, and winning larger grants.

myAgro — Designing mobile tools that connect farmers in West Africa with climate-smart solutions

myAgro is a nonprofit social enterprise that helps smallholder farmers in West Africa move out of poverty. With myAgro’s mobile layaway platform, farmers make small payments towards climate-smart packages of seeds, fertilizer, and regenerative agriculture training that increase soil health, yields, and income — boosting climate resilience. In 2023, myAgro reported their farmers grew 179% more food and earned US$164 more than control farmers.

Central to myAgro’s model are Village Entrepreneurs (VEs) — local sales ambassadors (primarily women) who help farmers enroll for packages and make payments. Initially VEs used paper ledgers to manage sales, but they eventually needed digital tools to serve a growing number of farmers in their communities. With support from the Cisco Foundation, myAgro developed the Connect mobile app, enabling VEs to manage sales, enroll farmers, and collect payments digitally. Since then, myAgro has upgraded the app with support from Cisco to generate customer target lists, facilitate mobile money payments, and make year-round package sales among other key features.

Ultimately, Connect has enabled VEs to link exponentially more farmers with the tools they need to increase their income through regenerative agriculture. In 2024, myAgro is on track to serve more than 280,000 farmers in Mali, Senegal, and Cóte d’Ivoire.

“I was drawn to myAgro’s holistic approach towards farming, which emphasized the importance of sustainable techniques and access to quality inputs. Through myAgro’s training programs, I gained valuable insights into soil management, seed selection, and crop rotation, which have been instrumental in optimizing my farm’s productivity.” – Mercedes Coly, myAgro Farmer in Senegal

Miraterra: A completely new way to look at soil

Miraterra is transforming measurement in the food system starting with soil. With 95% of food grown in soil, improving soil health and halting degradation is crucial for our food system. Regenerative agriculture practices build healthier, more resilient soil, yielding nutrient-rich plants and food. However, a comprehensive measurement system has been lacking. Miraterra, supported in part by a direct investment from the Cisco Foundation impact investing portfolio, is filling this gap by developing technology that analyzes unprocessed soil, providing accurate, affordable, and repeatable soil measurement not achieved by conventional methods, enhancing confidence and integrity at scale.

Their technology quantifies the benefits of practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, and residue detection at the end of the harvest season. These methods improve soil health, increase farm profitability and carbon sequestration, while reducing environmental impact.

Collaborating with agricultural testing laboratories across North America, Miraterra helps growers and agronomists quantify and support healthy land practices. They are also developing AI-powered tools to correlate land practices with food nutrition and enable growers to interact with a living record of their land. By providing accurate, affordable, and rapid soil analysis, Miraterra empowers farmers to make informed decisions about soil management, ultimately contributing to improved soil health and increased carbon sequestration.

Cisco and the Cisco Foundation take a holistic approach to addressing environmental and social issues. Communities that can adapt to a changing climate have the right skills, infrastructure and economic foundation to build resilient communities that can better withstand the consequences of climate change.

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THE WOODLANDS, Texas, October 23, 2024 /3BL/ – Entergy Texas has been awarded nearly $54 million in federal funding to improve power grid resilience in Port Arthur’s Pear Ridge, Kolbs, and Lakeview neighborhoods. This funding will go toward a resiliency project aimed to help lessen the impact of future extreme weather events in this coastal community. Once completed, the project is designed to reduce outage durations, restoration costs, damage to utility infrastructure, and accelerate recovery after major storms.

The funding comes from the Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The GRIP program supports projects that make the power grid more flexible and resilient against climate change and the growing threats of extreme weather. This award will match Entergy Texas’ investment on the project with $53.75 million dollars in federal funding.

“By securing this federal funding, we’re helping to keep bills affordable for our customers and building a stronger grid that they can count on,” said Entergy Texas President and CEO Eliecer Viamontes. “Despite not being selected for this award last year, we listened to the feedback, improved our approach, and tried again—because that’s what our customers deserve. This project will benefit not just Port Arthur but the entire Southeast Texas community, reinforcing the Gulf Coast as a key economic hub and improving service for thousands of homes and businesses.”

Benefits of Entergy Texas’ Port Arthur resilience project include:

Increased resilience: Improving service resilience for approximately 7,000 homes and businesses by:Upgrading or burying 950 distribution structures;Reinforcing 57 transmission structures;Installing 14 devices to allow faster response to power outages; andAdding a self-healing microgrid with a large battery to manage short-term outages.Faster recovery: Reducing the time customers are without power after storms by approximately 257 million minutes over the next 50 years.Cost savings: Lowering storm recovery costs, saving an estimated $74 million over the next 50 years.Community support: Creating job and training opportunities for residents of disadvantaged Census areas.

“As extreme weather events continue to stress electric systems across the country, the Biden-Harris Administration is using every tool in the toolbox to make sure America’s power grid can provide reliable, affordable power,” said Maria Robinson, Director of DOE’s Grid Deployment Office. “By fortifying critical infrastructure in both distribution and transmission systems to withstand extreme weather events, Entergy Texas will advance a critical step in maintaining reliable power in Port Arthur, a community that has endured some of the country’s most historic weather events.”

Texas and the Gulf Coast have faced several powerful storms this year alone, including Hurricanes Beryl, Francine, Helene, and Milton. These storms and other extreme weather events in recent years highlight the urgent need to strengthen our power systems.

Entergy Texas’ Port Arthur resilience project also addresses the critical need to improve infrastructure in areas hit hardest by both extreme weather and social and economic challenges. More than 94% of Port Arthur residents live in federally recognized disadvantaged areas. This project will help ensure that improvements to the grid are fairly distributed, giving these communities fair access to more reliable and affordable energy.

“As a city that has faced the repeated devastation of extreme weather, this project comes at a crucial time for Port Arthur,” said Port Arthur Mayor Thurman Bartie. “This funding will provide a critical boost to our infrastructure, ensuring that our residents and businesses are better protected before, during, and after extreme weather events. We’re grateful to Entergy Texas and the Department of Energy for their continued support in making Port Arthur a stronger, more resilient place to live and work.”

As part of this project, Entergy Texas has also developed a multi-phased community benefits plan, which includes the creation of a Community Benefits Working Group made up of community partners. The working group will build on the company’s existing programs and relationships to deliver additional benefits to the Port Arthur community, such as labor engagement, education and job training programs, and financial services to low-income families through partnerships with social services organizations.

“Our goal is to improve lives and uplift the communities we serve,” said Viamontes.

Learn more about Entergy Texas’ continued commitment to building a brighter future for Southeast Texas.

About Entergy Texas

Entergy Texas, Inc. provides electricity to approximately 512,000 customers in 27 counties. Entergy Texas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through its operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy Texas, visit the Newsroom and connect with @EntergyTX on social media.

FARMINGTON, Conn., October 23, 2024 /3BL/ – Otis strives to be a world-class employer where colleagues work together to create new ideas and opportunities to best serve customers and passengers. In its annual survey of workers across industries and around the world, Forbes Magazine again has ranked Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS) as one of the World’s Best Employers.

The prestigious list is based on the opinions of colleagues around the world who provided feedback. Companies named to the list are those that respondents said prioritize well-being, promote inclusivity, offer growth opportunities, and ensure a healthy work-life balance.

“At Otis, we take great pride in supporting our colleagues to build what’s next – in their careers and in our industry. It’s an honor to be recognized by Forbes, and placement on this list for consecutive years validates our strategy and programming in support of our 71,000 colleagues around the globe,” said Otis Chief People Officer Abbe Luersman.

More than 300,000 professionals across 50 countries and territories working for multinational companies were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their employers to friends and family. They were also asked to think about other employers in their industries that stand out because of something positive or negative. Each survey was anonymous.

Otis is one of 850 companies that scored the highest on the survey and are featured on the worldwide list this year.

About Otis

Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, we move 2.3 billion people a day and maintain approximately 2.3 million customer units worldwide – the industry’s largest Service portfolio. You’ll find us in the world’s most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 71,000 people strong, including 42,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook @OtisElevatorCo.

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