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Originally published in American Airlines’ 2023 Sustainability Report

In 2023, American Airlines proudly transported approximately 211 million passengers to more than 350 destinations around the world. On each journey and throughout our operations, we make safety the foundation of everything we do for our customers and team members.

Operating every flight safely and protecting our people is everyone’s responsibility at American, and we aim to foster a culture where all team members feel empowered to make a difference. We encourage every team member to raise safety concerns so that we can take immediate action — up to and including removing an aircraft from service. Our safety reporting programs encourage all team members and contractors to speak up and report safety hazards, concerns and incidents without fear of retaliation. To support our safety efforts, American’s team members participated in more than 510,000 hours of safety training in 2023.

Safety Governance and Management

An uncompromising commitment to safety, security and continuous improvement is a shared responsibility — from our Board of Directors to frontline team members. Our Chief Executive Officer retains ultimate responsibility and authority for safety culture and performance, while the Board’s Safety Committee has formal oversight responsibilities for safety. The Board receives quarterly updates on key safety performance metrics and multiple detailed reviews throughout the year.

As the airline industry is heavily regulated, we interact on a continual basis with numerous regulators both domestically and internationally. Our primary engagements are with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates civil aviation, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which regulates workplace safety and health. The partnerships we have developed with these authorities allow us to collaborate on key safety- and compliance-related matters.

We have continued to reinforce our transparent rapport with our regulators, which promotes the sharing of information that is critical to safety and compliance. We work closely with our FAA Certificate Management Office and openly share the challenges and successes we experience, resulting in better alignment on safety issues.

Our Safety Management System

Our approach to safety is guided by our Safety Management System (SMS), an organization-wide program for identifying and managing risk.1 In 2009, American was the first U.S. airline to implement an SMS. It has since been incorporated into FAA regulations for all carriers.

1 American’s mainline carrier and regional carriers each have their own SMS. The discussion in this report refers specifically to our mainline SMS.

Our SMS emphasizes safety management as a fundamental business process across the enterprise. It involves a full commitment from the most senior leaders through to each frontline team member to integrate safety into how we do our jobs. The SMS promotes a culture in which our team members can identify, report and manage risks. It encourages robust and repeatable processes with local ownership, driven by data to reduce risks and continuously strengthen safety. We collaborate closely with the FAA to maintain operational safety at the highest level possible and actively share best practices with our industry peers, regulators and aerospace manufacturers. The four components of our SMS are noted below.

Our Safety Management System

Safety Policy 
Establishes senior management’s commitment to continually improve safety; defines the methods, processes and organizational structure needed to meet goalsSafety Assurance 
Evaluates the continued effectiveness of implemented risk control strategies; supports the identification of new hazardsSafety Risk Management 
Determines the need for, and adequacy of, new or revised risk controls, based on the assessment of acceptable riskSafety Promotion 
Includes training, communication and other actions to create a positive safety culture within all levels of the workforce

Safety Policy

Our corporate Safety Policy applies to all team members, business partners, contractors and consultants. It sets American’s safety objectives and standards and assigns responsibilities for safety across our organization. The policy also conveys management’s commitment to safety performance and to improving the level of safety through measurable goals and key performance indicators. Based on an International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit, we updated the policy in July 2023 to reflect our longstanding commitment to security as well.

The Safety Policy helps to create a culture that encourages effective management of risk along with continuous improvement. It complies with all applicable regulatory requirements and laws in the countries where we operate and establishes standards for operational behavior. In addition, our Safety Policy is routinely communicated to all team members and regularly reviewed to promote a culture of health and safety excellence.

Our Emergency Response Manual, which establishes effective and efficient response practices for various types of emergencies, including natural disasters, is an integral part of our SMS. The manual serves as the governing document for the American Airlines Corporate Emergency Response Plan, which also supports our regional carriers. It includes guidelines to prepare for and respond to emergencies, responsibilities for team members and protocols for communicating with internal and external stakeholders.

Safety Assurance

The Safety Assurance component of our SMS stipulates how we use data and conduct quality assurance and internal oversight to validate the effectiveness of risk controls and the performance of the SMS. Composed of several individual programs and initiatives, Safety Assurance verifies that risk controls in our operational processes continue to conform to requirements and remain effective in maintaining risks at acceptable levels.

American’s Senior Leadership Team, which is led by our CEO and includes our Chief Operating Officer (COO), receives regular updates on team member safety and risks across our system. Our CEO receives these updates at least quarterly, while our COO is briefed monthly at a minimum. We focus on injury reduction, evaluation of trends and development of safety enhancement programs. We also closely track aircraft ground damage and on-the-job injuries, both as a part of our safety culture and in an effort to continuously improve in these areas.

Safety reporting

The overall goal of team member reporting is to improve safety awareness and identify operational deficiencies by facilitating an open line of communication between team members and management without fear of reprisal. Potential safety concerns and suggestions identified through our many safety reporting programs are critical to early identification and mitigation of hazards. These reports also allow the company to proactively address potential risks and implement corrective actions to resolve safety and security issues.

When team members identify any safety-related concern, they are encouraged to report the issue. Once the concern is received, skilled safety investigators collaborate with operational partners to review the information provided, assess the hazard and develop corrective actions to address the issue. Operational and safety leaders review these reports as part of the broader SMS to determine if there are system-related risks developing. We follow up with the reporter to communicate what we learned and what steps we are taking to prevent similar concerns from arising again. This follow-through and prompt action helps encourage additional reporting, thus creating a robust safety reporting life cycle.

Our most prominent safety reporting initiatives include the following: Aviation Safety Action Programs, Ground Safety Action Programs, Flight Operations Quality Assurance, the International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit, Line Operations Safety Audits and the Learning and Improvement Team.

Safety Action Programs

Everyone at American has a role to play in ensuring that our people, customers and assets remain safe. Through Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAPs), we encourage team members to confidentially report potential hazards and errors without concern of fault or fear of punitive action, thus reinforcing a learning culture and improving our operations along the way.

American was the first airline to create an ASAP, and now such programs are commonplace among airlines worldwide. Currently, we have ASAPs for our Flight, Flight Service, Dispatch, Technical Operations, Central Load Planning and Ground (Fleet Service and Cargo) teams, which we believe gives us significantly greater coverage than the industry average.

In 2023, we recorded 15,374 ASAP reports, a 25% increase over 2022. This increase is a welcome trend, providing evidence that our team members are comfortable raising concerns. This provides us with more opportunities to review and resolve them. In addition, these reports are used to analyze trends and proactively identify potential safety hazards.

Flight Operations Quality Assurance

Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) is a voluntary safety program administered jointly by American and the Allied Pilots Association (APA) that uses routinely recorded flight data to proactively identify and correct deficiencies in flight operations. We routinely monitor all our flights and use algorithms to look for potential safety risks and trends. The results allow us to monitor aircraft systems, performance and operational efficiency and help us to better understand pilot performance in the operating environment.

To enhance FOQA’s effectiveness, American has partnered with Collins Aerospace to retrofit our narrowbody aircraft with a wireless data transfer system that improves the speed with which we can retrieve FOQA data. This initiative helps us increase accuracy in monthly reporting, improve aircraft reliability and prepare for future products and capabilities. At the end of 2023, 81% of our fleet was equipped with this tool, and we expect that American’s entire fleet will be outfitted by the end of 2026.

In 2022, American became the first carrier in the United States to adopt CEFA Aviation Mobile Services, a cloud-based application that allows pilots to recreate their flights on their company tablet. This tool improves on the concept of crew postflight debriefing by providing real-time feedback to our pilots, turning each flight into a learning opportunity and ultimately contributing to the Safety Assurance of our SMS. In March 2024, we expanded the use of this application to make it available to all pilots across our mainline fleet.

International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit

As part of our commitment to transparency and monitoring, we are a registered participant in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program, an internationally recognized evaluation system designed to assess an airline’s operational management and control systems. An IOSA, which takes place every two years, creates a structured methodology with standardized checklists that are comparable on a worldwide basis, enabling and maximizing the joint use of audit reports.

In April 2023, we successfully completed our IOSA in conformance with all standards and recommended practices. IATA modified its audit methodology in 2023 to be risk based. As part of our efforts to be an industry leader, American volunteered to be the first U.S. carrier to participate under this new approach.

Line Operations Safety Audits

Since launching our continuous Line Operations Safety Audits (LOSA) program for pilots in 2017, we have been sending highly trained pilot observers onto the flight deck to better understand work-as-done versus work-as-imagined. Observing our frontline team members in action and gathering safety-related data on environmental conditions, operational complexities and crew performance in real time provides us with valuable insights for enhancing safety and resilience. In 2023, our pilot LOSA observers conducted 568 flight deck observations that resulted in improvements in our flight manuals and training.

American has expanded LOSA to other workgroups as well. Using the continuous Dispatch LOSA launched in late 2021, we were able to conduct 180 observations in 2023. American is also the only U.S. carrier to operate a continuous Cabin LOSA program, which we launched in October 2023. This program is helping us better understand the challenges facing our flight attendants and the measures we can take to keep the cabin safe for everyone. We will continue to evaluate the feasibility of bringing LOSA to other operational groups.

Learning and Improvement Team

We created the Learning and Improvement Team (LIT) in 2022 to collect and analyze data on what makes our pilots successful in their everyday work. The goal of LIT is to identify specific behaviors that go above and beyond standard operating procedures and to share these and other positive observations in recurrent training and newcaptain classes.

While similar in some ways to LOSA, LIT is unique. It is a Safety-II initiative that has emerged across multiple industries and focuses on what goes well and why. Doing so provides a new safety lens through which to view the operation. Combining LIT data with other SMS data provides American with a broader picture of the system, rather than looking solely at unwanted outcomes.

Protecting team members from extreme heat

Several of our hubs, such as Phoenix and Dallas, are in locations where temperatures can exceed 100°F during the summer months. That can put team members working on the ramp or in other roles with prolonged exposure at risk of dehydration or heatstroke. Among our current safeguards, we reinforce the message that team members should notify their manager if they need a break. American also maintains hydration carts that circle the ramp during daylight hours as well as fixed hydration stations to support team members working outside. We operate multiple temporary cool zones as well — consisting of a shaded area and water station — on the ramp when temperatures are high. We also encourage team members to take breaks indoors. Seasonal safety communication initiatives aim to make team members more aware of seasonal risks and provide tips on how they can best protect themselves.

Exploring new technologies to enhance safety

American continues to leverage technology to improve our safety processes. For example, our narrowbody fleet has completed the transition from paper aircraft maintenance logbooks to an Electronic Aircraft Maintenance Log (eAML) system. Among its benefits, eAML allows the Technical Operations team members the ground to use their tablets to access an aircraft’s maintenance log before it even reaches the gate. That helps us get aircraft back into the air as quickly as possible.

American is also exploring the use of computer vision, a field of artificial intelligence, to improve safety and efficiency during gate turn operations. The arrival and departure of every flight is a process that involves the convergence of aircraft, pilots, fleet service team members, aviation maintenance technicians and multiple vendors. Computer vision involves the installation of video cameras at key locations at the gate and jet bridge to capture the movements of everyone involved in deplaning and getting an aircraft ready to take off again. Using machine learning, the system can gather valuable data and insights from the captured footage to improve workflow and develop strategies for preventing injuries. We recently completed a pilot project that focused on four gates at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and the early results have shown promise.

Safety Risk Management

The Safety Risk Management (SRM) element of our SMS provides a decision-making process for identifying hazards and mitigating risk, based on a thorough understanding of our systems and their operating environment. SRM enables us to consider the risks in our operations and reduce them to an acceptable level. We use the SRM process whenever there is a significant change to our operations, such as delivery of a new type of aircraft or the addition of a new airport to our network. We also apply SRM when our Safety Assurance process identifies a new hazard or ineffective control of an existing hazard.

We use several tools to identify hazards and evaluate the need for new or revised risk controls. The process of risk management is the same regardless of the trigger or event, and our SMS looks at multiple factors for risk. While the FAA requirements are geared toward flight safety, our SMS goes further to evaluate a wider range of global risks, including operational disruptions.

Safety Promotion

Safety culture is the foundation of any SMS, with trust at the core. At American, we believe in a Just Culture approach, which encourages each team member to take responsibility and assume accountability for achieving the highest safety standards and results. This approach, which we have championed for more than a decade and which has since become an accepted aviation industry standard, encourages team members to report errors, risky decisions or omissions without fear of punitive actions.

StaySafe and safety engagement

StaySafe is a safety communications campaign implemented across our Airport and Technical Operations teams. It focuses on lessons learned and ways to prevent team member injuries and equipment damage. Bulletins and alerts are available across multiple platforms in order to reach the greatest number of team members affected.

Our safety engagement efforts bring company leadership to the front lines to engage in conversations with team members. Managers can communicate safety expectations, assess risks in the operation and reinforce safe behaviors. Our airport and technical operations teams use a safety engagement application so that any engagements with team members are logged in the system so that we can learn from trends and share best practices.

Recognizing Team Member Contributions to Safety

To showcase the great work our team members do to enhance safety, we launched a Safety Champion program in 2023 that honored 24 individuals. Nominees were selected by other team members based on their efforts to enhance our safety culture, advocate when they have concerns and proactively seek solutions to safety issues. A diverse panel representing workgroups across the company selected the winners, each of whom received a prize equivalent to $1,000 and was recognized at an event with senior leaders. For 2024, up to 40 team members will be selected.

Providing Peer Support for Pilots

Pilots face great responsibilities every time they enter the flight deck, and we continually look for ways to provide them with whatever support they require. Among our longstanding initiatives, Project Wingman offers pilots a safe and confidential place to talk about whatever they may be facing without the pressure to mask or hide sensitive details. American created this program in 2011 through a joint effort with the APA Aeromedical Committee.

Project Wingman’s success is predicated on pilots providing support on a volunteer basis to their fellow aviators in the American pilot community. Nearly 50 American pilots currently participate. In addition to bringing a unique understanding of the challenges their colleagues can face in their professional and personal lives, these volunteers undergo specialized, intensive training. As a result, they are wellpositioned to know when to listen and provide encouragement or recommend other resources if a situation warrants greater intervention.

Awareness of and access to Project Wingman are embedded throughout pilots’ journeys at American. We discuss it on their very first day and review its benefits as a part of their annual training.

Identifying New Opportunities to Enhance Corporate Security

As part of American’s comprehensive global security program, we work closely with law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies and embassies to protect our team members and customers from potential security risks when they are traveling with us around the world.

Our security team’s efforts are wide-ranging — aimed at enhancing the travel experience for our customers while maintaining a high level of security across the ecosystem. Below are just a few of their activities from 2023:

Invested significant resources to combat drug smuggling at last-point-of departure stations and strategic hubsDeployed a canine unit to detect narcotics at select hub locationsReceived regulatory approval for our industry’s first multimodal (ground to air) transportation network — from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) — meaning American-ticketed passengers boarding a Landline-operated bus in Atlantic City can be screened by TSA and transported directly to a secure gate inside PHL without the need for rescreeningConducted annual review of security risks

As part of our commitment to continually improve our approach, American’s Corporate Security team has begun to develop a Security Management System. This multiyear effort should lead to a variety of benefits in a rapidly changing geopolitical climate, including helping us identify the unique risks associated with each of the locations where we operate.

Read more

This piece was originally published in FairPlanet. Read the piece in FairPlanet here.

As a young boy, I never dreamed of pursuing a career in medicine. Instead, I imagined a life following in my father’s footsteps as a cattle herder in Mangol Apuk in what is now South Sudan.

Then the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005) turned my dreams upside down and forced my family to flee our home. Separated from my parents and siblings in the chaos, I escaped on my own to Kenya.

My arduous journey around the world and back home started on foot, and the days turned into months in what felt like a never-ending walk. Some days, I would find something to eat; other days, I had nothing at all. But I kept going – because what other choice did I have?

Read more about Action Against Hunger’s work with Dr. Anei Piol Gegdit here: My Refugee Journey: Returning Home Again | FairPlanet

Watch the video about Dr. Anei Piol Gegdit here: My Refugee Journey to Return Home Again – YouTube

About Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 21 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 59 countries, our 8,900 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

A company with a sustainability strategy that lacks a sustainability management system is akin to a rowing boat attempting to travel upriver without a paddle. Without the right data, tools, and a structured approach to environmental, social, and economic decision-making, the company risks being carried downstream.

There are two major drivers behind the need for companies to implement a robust sustainability management system. The first is the need to future proof their business to ensure a resilient value chain and secure a competitive advantage over their peers.

The second is to transition from voluntary to regulatory reporting and comply with the torrent of new regulations. Regulations like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) or standards like IFRS require companies to report on, and respond to, a wide variety of environmental and social sustainability topics. Some sources say there are more than 600 regulations, sustainability reporting standards, and frameworks around the world, with more coming down the pipeline every year.

What Is a Sustainability Management System?

A sustainability management system allows companies to calculate and track metrics and targets and disclose their risk management, strategy, and governance policies. It is also a valuable tool for providing a robust and holistic view for sustainability decision-making. With carbon emissions data a central element to any sustainability strategy, SAP has created a suite of cloud-based solutions to enable companies to both respond to regulation and advance their own ambitions.

SAP’s End-to-End Approach to Carbon Management

So how does SAP provide a sustainability management system to tackle the carbon topic and its drivers end-to-end? We can enable customers to implement five key principles with the help of our modular and integrated family of sustainability software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions.

1. Use a Reliable Foundation and Reuse Your ERP Data

SAP embraces an ERP-centric approach, using integrated sustainability data from cloud ERP business processes supported by AI technology. We can bring together different types of business data and levels of data granularity, as required, to enable the transition from voluntary to regulated carbon management. It is a flexible but robust approach with high data quality and reliability at its core.

2. Get a Complete View for Regulatory Reporting with Reasonable Effort

SAP Sustainability Control Tower can provide an easy-to-use data collection system that helps enable a holistic and complete calculation of the carbon footprint at the corporate level. As of now, customers can also generate an automated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) report based on AI and natively available ESG data.

3. Go Deep Where It Matters Most

For a deeper perspective that is informed by the corporate overview, customers can use the integration with SAP Sustainability Footprint Management to help enable additional automated and in-depth calculations. Emissions can be tracked at the company, operational, and product level. The ERP-centric approach uses transaction data directly from SAP S/4HANA Cloud to help calculate a consistent carbon footprint at the corporate and product level on one data foundation. AI comes into play when emission factors from standard databases are needed. With the intelligent mapping feature, customers can leverage AI to help automatically provide mapping suggestions. This feature can save significant time by replacing a tedious and manual process while being robust enough to help inform final decision-making.

WITTE Automotive, a customer already using SAP Sustainability Footprint Management as well as SAP Sustainability Data Exchange said:

“By leveraging SAP Sustainability solutions, WITTE AUTOMOTIVE is now able to calculate carbon footprints of the product portfolio in compliance with the Catena-X Rulebook and share it in a standardized way.”

– Michael Tworek, Head of Digital Innovations, WITTE Automotive GmbH.

4. Exchange Actuals with Your Suppliers and Customers

SAP Sustainability Data Exchange helps handle the exchange of relevant data across the supply chain. Customers like WITTE Automotive can therefore request missing data and exchange sustainability data such as the carbon footprint of products with their network. The usage of WBCSD PACT and Catena-X standards in the product can enable consistent and open communication and processing of data.

5. Drive Transformation in Operational Business Processes and Transition to Carbon Accounting in the Financial Sense

The flexibility of SAP Sustainability and the ERP-centric approach means it can meet corporate requirements providing the granularity, accuracy, and auditability needed. Calculated product carbon footprints can be used for financial decision-making thanks to its integration with SAP Green Ledger, which can enable companies to determine carbon emissions versus profitability. All this is done using the same rigorous accounting principles and practices that are used in finance. It can provide a trusted data foundation that can go beyond compliance and help improve business performance management through the integration of trusted carbon data into business processes that matter.

Product carbon footprints can also be integrated into SAP Spend Control Tower, for example. With Scope 3 emissions being the largest proportion of carbon emissions for most businesses, procurement processes become a key lever in decarbonization efforts. The integrated solution can help to analyze and manage the carbon impact of a company’s spend to identify emission hot spots to inform a data-driven Scope 3 decarbonization strategy.

Are You Ready to Adopt a Carbon Management System?

Wherever a company is on their sustainability journey, SAP’s end-to-end carbon management solutions can allow it to go all in on sustainability and build resilient, future-proof operations. This allows them to streamline reporting and meet compliance requirements while benefiting the environment and their bottom line.

SAP Sustainability solutions can do more for you beyond carbon management and ESG-related disclosures. Check out our sustainability page to learn more about the support for operational compliance and material transition.

Gunther Rothermel is chief product officer and co-GM for SAP Sustainability.

September 24, 2024 /3BL/ – Albertsons Companies, Inc. today announced the launch of Bee Lightly, the newest addition to the company’s Own Brands wine portfolio, distinguished by its unique flat bottle design crafted from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This innovative approach to wine packaging marks a first in the U.S. market, underscoring a commitment to recycled packaging solutions without compromising on the quality and flavor of wine that customers expect. With 91-point ratings from The Tasting Panel*, both the 2022 Bee Lightly Chardonnay and the 2023 Bee Lightly Rosé were developed with shoppers in mind, offering acclaimed French wines that are affordable and create a delightful experience with every sip.

“At Albertsons Cos., we are continuously looking for ways to distinguish ourselves within the wine sector and to expand our diverse selection of quality wines for our customers,” said Curtis Mann, Master of Wines at Albertsons Cos. “By launching our new Bee Lightly selection, we are offering shoppers quality, affordable wines from France while also redefining wine packaging standards.”

Bee Lightly is available at select Albertsons Cos. stores including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco and ACME, and for delivery soon through Vine & Cellar in California. The new wines feature carefully selected chardonnay and rosé varietals sourced from the up-and-coming Hérault and Limoux regions.

Bee Lightly Chardonnay: Harvested at night from a collective of vineyards and fermented in thermoregulated tanks to ensure an optimal environment, the chardonnay offers a unique palate with bright and intense aromas of melons and pears, with a hint of fresh butter and subtle honey and oak balance.Bee Lightly Rosé: Capturing the essence of Southern France with its pale salmon color, the rosé presents a perfect pairing for light meals with its compelling flavor profile of fresh red fruit, hibiscus and dried rose petals.

Bringing Bee Lightly wines to Albertsons Cos. stores was a collaborative effort focused on customers. Albertsons Cos.’ Own Brands team, along with Mann, partnered with WX Brands, known for creating wine brands for global retailers, and Packamama, a climate tech packaging company committed to promoting a lower carbon future in the beverage industry, to develop Bee Lightly.

This new line of wines is distinguished by Packamama’s signature flat bottle design, made from recycled PET, a material that is 87% lighter than the material used for traditional glass bottles, and is recyclable. Packamama’s innovative flat packaging design has a smaller environmental footprint compared to conventional wine bottle shapes by reducing transportation related emissions, and the unique flat-pack shape also enhances logistic efficiency, enabling the transportation of nearly twice as many products on a single pallet. Bee Lightly in this Packamama bottle used 44% fewer pallets for shipping compared to standard glass bottles.

“The introduction of Bee Lightly into our Own Brands portfolio marks an innovative partnership and venture into wine packaging, highlighting our dedication to product quality and environmental stewardship,” said Brandon Brown, SVP of Own Brands at Albertsons Cos. “Additionally, we know that consumers today understand and recognize the quality and value that private label products can offer, which is why we’re pleased to unveil Bee Lightly premium wine varietals that deliver on quality and flavor at an affordable price.”

Bee Lightly joins Own Brands’ growing wine portfolio that includes Vinaforé®, O Organics®, Nadia™, Quail Oak® and Creamery wines.

To learn more about Bee Lightly, please click here. See original press release here and read more about Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.

* Using a 100-point scale, a wine rated 90 points or higher by The Tasting Panel is deemed to be outstanding or excellent.

During Junior Achievement’s (JA) National Student Leadership Summit (NSLS), held from June 10-13, NSU University School’s student company, SugarWare, won the 2024 FedEx Global Possibilities Award. The Global Possibilities Award presented by FedEx recognizes Junior Achievement student-run businesses that best exhibit the principles of global connectivity—Driven by Innovation, Connecting to New Markets, Fueling Community Development, and Sustainable and Social Responsibility. SugarWare showcased an exceptional business strategy that fosters employment opportunities while supporting environmental sustainability.

Located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, SugarWare began with a simple yet powerful idea to combat CO2 emissions by harnessing sugarcane. In 2023 alone, the United States produced a staggering 32,828 million net tons of sugar, however, a common practice in harvesting involves burning sugarcane leaves, generating considerable pollution in nearby communities. The team, led by CEO Bari Eisenband, came together with the common goal of creating functional products that are environmentally responsible. SugarWare offers a range of sustainable kitchenware products made from sugarcane plastic including the stylish Sugarcane Bento Box, Sugarcane water bottle, and their signature “Savor and Save Set.”

NSU University School students earned the Global Possibilities Award by how well SugarWare aligned with the award’s criteria. SugarWare’s innovative approach lies in creating sustainable kitchenware from sugarcane plastic. They operate across borders, reaching consumers locally and globally and are committed to reducing carbon emissions. SugarWare fuels community development by creating jobs and economic growth extending beyond making profit, positively impacting people’s lives. Apart from the actual products being environmentally friendly, they use sustainable packaging and carbon-neutral shipping. Since their inception in 2023, SugarWare has already removed 1039.72 kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, educated over 100 children on sustainable practices, and donated $952.18 to Hope Symphony—a non-profit supporting at-risk children living in local Florida communities negatively impacted by sugarcane cultivation practices.

When asked about their NSLS experience, the SugarWare team responded:

“Attending the Junior Achievement Nationals Student Leadership Seminar was an exhilarating experience, especially when we received the FedEx Global Possibilities Award. Winning this prestigious award was a testament to SugarWare’s commitment to sustainability and innovation. Our mission to reduce CO2 emissions aligns perfectly with FedEx’s environmental goals. Utilizing carbon-neutral shipping and repurposed packaging, we are dedicated to making a positive impact on the planet, just as FedEx is committed to a greener future. This recognition inspires us to continue our journey towards a more sustainable world. Thank you, FedEx!

Congratulations to SugarWare and the students from NSU University School for earning the 2024 Global Possibilities Award presented by FedEx in recognition for their commitment to innovation, community impact, and sustainability!

Click here to learn about FedEx Cares, our global community engagement program.

MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, was named the winner of a Gold Stevie® Award in the 21st Annual International Business® Awards. The company was recognized in the Sustainability Initiative of the Year in Canada and the U.S.A. category for its continued commitment to fostering the development of greener products and solutions through a multi-million-dollar, multi-year commitment to green chemistry education nonprofit, Beyond Benign.

MilliporeSigma’s expanded partnership with Beyond Benign, announced in March 2023, helps transform chemistry education to better prepare next-generation scientists with the skills to address sustainability through chemistry.

Together, MilliporeSigma and Beyond Benign provide expanded access to resources and support needed to apply greener practices in higher education curricula. To date, the expanded partnership has engaged over 4,800 faculty members and reached more than 1,200,000 students globally. Key achievements include:

Removing barriers that keep green chemistry out of classrooms: Launched in October 2023, with additional support from the American Chemical Society, the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community (GCTLC) online platform connects chemistry educators, students and industry stakeholders worldwide in a shared virtual space, enhancing access to green chemistry resources at no cost to them. The expanded partnership has made over 200 open-access curriculum units, lessons and educational resources in green chemistry available.Uniting the global green chemistry higher education community around a shared commitment: Through the global expansion of Beyond Benign’s long-standing Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC), MilliporeSigma and Beyond Benign are further bolstering unity in the green chemistry higher education community around a shared commitment to implementing green chemistry education and practice within existing curriculum and programs. With 186 GCC signers globally to date, the partnership has outpaced its goals for 2024 already and continues to increase steadily.Fostering green chemistry innovation: Up to $5,000 in grants have been awarded to 10 GCC signing institutions for one-year projects that advance green chemistry education.

Judges commended MilliporeSigma for its robust contributions to empowering future scientists with the resources and knowledge to advance green chemistry effectively, noting that the company sets a “high standard for the industry.” They further highlighted how MilliporeSigma, through its expanded partnership with Beyond Benign, “exemplifies leadership in promoting green chemistry education globally, addressing critical gaps in curriculum and resources,” and “drives meaningful change within the industry.”

For more information on how MilliporeSigma is accelerating sustainable change across its entire value chain worldwide, please visit its Sustainability and Social Business Innovation webpage.

View the complete list of 2024 Stevie® winners on the International Business Awards’® website.

Points of Light just released their latest business resources with a new comprehensive guide designed to help companies enhance employee engagement in volunteer activities. The learning brief, “Volunteer Time Off: Implementing and Optimizing Workplace Programs and Policies,” is available for free download at https://www.pointsoflight.org/volunteer-time-off-vto/.

Volunteer Time Off (VTO) programs, also known as Paid Volunteer Time, provide benefits for companies, employees and communities, including improved employee morale, greater talent attraction and retention, and crucial support for nonprofits.  

“VTO is one of the most desired philanthropic offerings a company can provide to its employees,” said Lacey Gaitan, senior vice president of corporate programs at Points of Light. “We believe this guide will inspire more companies and employees to engage in community service.” 

According to Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose® (CECP), only 65 percent of companies currently offer VTO opportunities to domestic employees. This is notable given that 95 percent of respondents in Deloitte’s 2024 Workplace Volunteer Survey indicated that making a positive community impact is important to them.  

The guide provides corporate leaders with insights on creating successful VTO programs, including strategic planning, program development, implementation, and feedback gathering. For additional insights, view the recap of Points of Light’s webinar, “Policies That Enable Employee-Powered Change.” 

“A VTO policy showcases a company’s commitment to social impact while benefiting both the business and its employees,” Gaitan added. 

ABOUT POINTS OF LIGHT 

Points of Light is a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips, and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world through volunteering and civic engagement. Through work with nonprofits, companies and social impact leaders, the organization galvanizes volunteers to meet critical needs for healthier and more equitable communities. As the world’s largest organization dedicated to increasing volunteer service, Points of Light engages more than 4 million volunteers across 38 countries. For more information, visit www.pointsoflight.org.  

Originally published on GoDaddy Resource Library

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career at GoDaddy.

Hi – my name is Jacob Rodriguez and I am originally from Phoenix, Arizona. My dad and grandparents are from Tamaulipas, Mexico. While I have never visited, seeing the motherland is on my bucket list!

Outside of my typical work day, I like to keep things simple. I love spending time with my wife. We’ve been married for almost four years now! We have three cats who are essentially are children, and they act like it.

I started working at GoDaddy in April of 2021 within the Website Design Services team. From there, I was fortunate to move into my current role as a Training Facilitator in February of 2022. I primarily work with new hires in both classroom and on-job-training settings. When I am not in class, I am either doing Guide workshops for continued education, or professional development to continue to grow my own skills.

I am a member of our Employee Resource Group, GoDaddy LatinX (GDLIT), where I am slowly getting out of my comfort zone to be a more active member. I am a huge proponent in learning from others – something I do constantly in my role. I believe that learning from those around you is the fastest path to growth; and I feel fortunate to have a space to connect with other employees who have similar cultural backgrounds.

How do you feel that GoDaddy supports you to do things that are important to you?

I have great work-life balance here at GoDaddy. I believe that if I were anywhere else but GoDaddy, I wouldn’t have that flexibility to dedicate quality time to my family and for myself. A big part of what’s important to me outside of work is my own health and personal care. Without the time off and flexibility I have here at GoDaddy, life outside would be a lot more stressful and chaotic than it already is!

How do you embrace change or innovation in your work?

Naturally, I am not afraid of change. I have never been one who likes a certain consistency, especially if it involves repetitive actions. Knowing and seeing the positive changes that are made on my team helps to not only have less fear, but to happily welcome the changes, and look to see how we can elevate our work.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you, and why do you think it’s important to recognize it?

I think it’s important for everyone to just stop and take a moment to re-center – get back to their roots and reflect on where they came from and where they’re going. Without this reflection, we lose sight of who we are as people and forget to remember the why; the motivation behind why we’re doing what we’re doing. To many people, myself included, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time of reflection.

What does LatinX In Technology look like in 10 years?

I see growth; and not just in members! I see more Latinos and Latinas working for organizations such as GoDaddy because the opportunities have not only been presented, but more individuals are open to taking advantage of them. As technology evolves and becomes accessible to individuals, I can see more opportunities presented to those who do not have them present state.

Are you enjoying this series and want to know more about life at GoDaddy? Check out our GoDaddy Life social pages! Follow us to meet our team, learn more about our culture (Teams, ERGs, Locations), careers, and so much more. You’re more than just your day job, so come propel your career with us.

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STAMFORD, Conn., September 24, 2024 /3BL/ – Henkel has been named a 2024 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winner through their all® free clear and all® sensitive fresh liquid laundry detergent products. Products with the Safer Choice label help consumers find products that work well and are certified by the Safer Choice program to contain safer ingredients for families and the environment.

The Safer Choice Partner of the Year Awards recognize the contributions of Safer Choice partners and stakeholders who have shown outstanding achievement in the design, manufacture, selection and use of innovative products with safer ingredients.

The all® free clear range of laundry detergent products are the #1 doctor recommended laundry brand for sensitive skin*, and this Safer Choice recognition helps further strengthen the confidence of the medical community to recommend it to their patients. Instead of just removing dyes and perfumes, all® free clear brand’s formula is built from the ground up, ensuring that every ingredient is chosen both for effectiveness and gentleness on skin.

“We’re proud to be recognized as an EPA 2024 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winner,” said Martina Spinatsch, Senior Vice President, Research & Development, Henkel Consumer Brands, North America. “This award reflects our commitment to develop products that are safer for people and the planet. We believe that this is where our all® free clear purpose comes together with Safer Choice. It all starts with choosing safer ingredients.”

To qualify for the Safer Choice label, a product must meet EPA’s Safer Choice Standard, which includes stringent human and environmental health criteria. The Safer Choice program currently partners with about 350 formulator-manufacturer partners who make nearly 2,000 Safer Choice certified products for both consumers and commercial buyers.

*Recommended by dermatologists, allergists and pediatricians for sensitive skin

About Henkel in North America

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

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

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

Aflac is proving that a well-crafted philanthropic initiative can thrive by continuously adapting to the evolving needs of those it serves. Launched in 2018 as part of Aflac’s Childhood Cancer Campaign, My Special Aflac Duck® is a soft and cuddly companion that was designed to support children undergoing cancer treatment by helping them prepare for medical procedures, express their emotions, and engage in distraction therapy. Created with input from child life specialists and psychologists, My Special Aflac Duck® offers a range of interactive features—from medical play accessories to calming Soundscapes—all aimed at making a child’s journey through treatment more manageable.

Aflac’s commitment to My Special Aflac Duck® has not waned since the initiative’s launch. Instead, Aflac has continued to distribute the medical companion to pediatric cancer patients (at no cost to them) and has evolved it to support children with sickle cell disease, another population facing long, difficult treatments.

We invited two Aflac executives who worked on the duck’s development to speak to the program’s success and evolution: Jon Sullivan, Director of Corporate Communications, and Buffy Swinehart, Senior Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility. They share insights on how companies can sustain and grow their social impact efforts and remain true to their mission while making a real difference.

Listen for insights on:

How to pitch philanthropic opportunities to a CEODeveloping a public and philanthropic initiative that can stand up to scrutiny in public relationsThe importance of grounding philanthropic initiatives in data and research

Listen to this and other episodes of Purpose 360 Podcast here.

Purpose 360 Podcast is a masterclass in unlocking the potential of purpose to ignite business and social impact. Hosted by Carol Cone, CEO of Carol Cone ON PURPOSE, Purpose 360 illuminates the impact of purpose, from engaging employees and fostering deeper consumer loyalty to inspiring product innovation and increasing market share.

Carol Cone ON PURPOSE (CCOP) is a pioneering social impact consultancy helping companies, brands, and nonprofits harness the power of purpose to advance their business and societal impact. CCOP’s proven approach, developed over decades and hundreds of purpose assignments, meets clients at any point on their purpose journey to unlock opportunities to build reputation, inspire and engage employees, ignite organizational culture for innovation and growth, while supporting the greater good.