“The most effective way to shape your future is to build it yourself.” — Abraham Lincoln
As the leading authority on advancing health and well-being across buildings, organizations, and communities, IWBI continues to champion its core mission: designing spaces that put people first. As we move into a new year, a range of promising developments and milestones will influence how and where we carry out this mission.

So, what will shape our work in 2026? And how will our global network collaborate in new ways? Here are insights from leaders across our organization:

Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO
“The introduction of One WELL—the next evolution of the WELL Standard—marks a major step forward for our platform, helping accelerate the worldwide adoption of people-centered spaces at scale. This progress relies on the strong, independent guidance of the IWBI Governance Council. Their expertise in design, public health, and business ensures the WELL Standard remains credible, robust, and impactful globally. We deeply appreciate their continued dedication.”

Prateek Khanna, Chief Operating Officer
“In 2026, engaging with WELL and advancing along the certification journey will be more seamless and efficient than ever. As the market shifts from awareness to implementation, we’re investing in enhanced digital tools and stronger internal systems. Our goal is to make the WELL experience intuitive and user-friendly while preserving the rigor and trust that define the world’s premier health standard—across projects of all scales and geographies.”

Ann Marie Aguilar, Senior Vice President, EMEA
“Reaching 105 million square meters of WELL-certified space across EMEA provides a strong foundation for the year ahead. In 2026, we will transition from expanding reach to deepening impact—moving beyond flagship projects to making WELL a standard benchmark for healthy and sustainable design across key markets. We aim to boost adoption in fast-growing and underserved regions, integrate WELL into design workflows, and establish it as a practical framework for ESG, net-zero, and people-first outcomes across diverse developments.”

Dr. Whitney Austin Gray, Senior Vice President, Research
“Our ‘Investing in Health Pays Back’ initiative will continue to reshape how the industry views wellness-focused real estate. By demonstrating tangible financial, social, and personal returns from health-optimized environments, the conversation will shift from whether health investments pay off to how much value they generate. This movement will position buildings as active contributors to longevity and performance, not just physical assets.”

Jason Hartke, Head of Advocacy and Secretariat of the Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air
“This year, the Global Commission on Healthy Indoor Air will undertake a landmark project: developing a Global Framework for Action. This comprehensive roadmap will address market transformation across awareness, innovation, policy, education, standards, and research. It will also serve as a foundation for customized national strategies, translating global alignment into actionable country-level guidance to accelerate progress.”

Kimberly Lewis Inkumsah, Executive Vice President, Equity and Engagement
“As Audre Lorde reminded us, struggles are interconnected because our lives are interconnected. In our field, well-being cannot exist without equity. Communities facing the greatest challenges often hold the most powerful insights for change. This year calls for investing in inclusive design—not as philanthropy, but as a strategic advantage and driver of systemic transformation.”

Jack Noonan, Senior Vice President, Head of Asia Pacific
“We’re seeing a shift in how high-performing buildings are defined. Greater emphasis on health resilience presents a major opportunity for organizations in Asia Pacific to prioritize verified indoor air quality. This focus must go beyond compliance and become a competitive differentiator, much like energy performance did in the past decade. Organizations will increasingly use air quality data, occupant feedback, and health metrics through certifications like WELL to demonstrate measurable commitments to well-being, driving market and regulatory change across the region.”

Karen Quintana, Senior Vice President, Digital Product
“By 2026, organizations will feel empowered to expand health initiatives from pilot projects to portfolio-wide strategies. Advances in AI and data processing are enabling teams to move faster and handle complex datasets. WELL serves as a unifying framework that consolidates insights into a single scorecard, simplifying tracking and performance measurement. Through partnerships with technology and sensor providers, we’re working to integrate WELL seamlessly into everyday operations.”

IWBI Social Sustainability and Sustainable Finance Team
Kelly Worden, Vice President, Social Sustainability
“The real estate sector is undergoing a major transformation in how value is defined and maintained. Capital access increasingly depends on building performance, while tenant expectations directly influence net operating income. Evidence is mounting that social factors—such as tenant satisfaction and community engagement—are as impactful as environmental metrics. This shift calls for integrated sustainability strategies that measure both environmental and social performance with equal rigor.”

Minjia Yang, Vice President and Head of Sustainable Finance
“The fastest progress in sustainability is occurring where regulation and capital meet. As policies and finance frameworks increasingly recognize health, well-being, and social sustainability—often referencing the WELL Standard—market expectations are evolving rapidly. Incorporating WELL and people-centered metrics is strengthening sustainable finance and creating a powerful feedback loop between policy, investment, and real-world practice.”

In conjunction with the release of our 2024 Sustainability Report, “Built to Last,” Crown commemorated World Environment Day (WED) with a company-wide focus on sustainability. WED serves as a powerful global reminder of our shared duty to protect and preserve the environment—not only on one designated day but every single day of the year.

At Crown, sustainability is more than a project—it’s a guiding principle deeply rooted in our corporate culture and embodied in our ambitious Twentyby30 goals. Our dedication to environmental stewardship drives the way we operate, innovate, and collaborate across all levels of our organization.

Our employees are at the heart of this progress. Around the world, teams have shown remarkable creativity, enthusiasm, and commitment through sustainability-driven initiatives. Their contributions go beyond compliance, showcasing a true investment in a more sustainable future and demonstrating how responsible practices can seamlessly blend into both professional and personal routines.

We are immensely proud of their efforts and would like to highlight a few of the many initiatives that embody our collective dedication to sustainability. These actions not only advance our Twentyby30 objectives but also strengthen a culture of proactive environmental responsibility.

As we continue through the year, Crown remains committed to supporting and expanding these initiatives—working together to create a lasting, positive impact on our planet.
 
Sustainability Highlights Across Crown’s Global Operations
Americas

Schneider Electric, renowned for its leadership in the digital revolution of energy management and automation, has announced the selection of Farrukh Shad as the new Head of Sustainability Business for the Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA) region. Based in Hong Kong, Shad will lead Schneider Electric's sustainability division in one of its key growth areas. With over 25 years of diverse experience, Shad's expertise will play a crucial role in guiding Schneider Electric's efforts to combat climate change and assist large enterprises in the APMEA region in reducing their carbon footprint.
 
Steve Wilhite, Senior Vice President of Sustainability Business at Schneider Electric, expressed his satisfaction with Shad's appointment, highlighting his innovative approach, dedication to sustainability, and proven ability to drive strategic transformations. Wilhite expressed confidence that Shad will elevate the company's sustainability agenda and contribute significantly to its mission of fostering a more sustainable future.
 
During his tenure at Schneider Electric, Shad has led various business transformation projects and advocated for proactive energy management and sustainability practices. In his new role, he will concentrate on guiding Schneider Electric's clients towards active energy management strategies and supporting their endeavors to adopt renewable energy sources and achieve carbon neutrality. Shad aims to leverage technology to amplify the company's sustainability impact.
 
Before joining Schneider Electric, Shad held leadership positions in sales, marketing, and strategy at prominent global corporations such as L'Oreal, British Petroleum, and Philips. Schneider Electric's comprehensive solutions for energy efficiency, automation, and software position it as a frontrunner in the digital transformation of energy management. Shad's appointment underscores the company's unwavering commitment to sustainability and its mission-driven business approach.
 
Click here to know more about Schneider Electric's sustainability initiatives.

Dailycsr.com – 26 October 2015 – Tata Consultancy Services bags “2015 Oracle Excellence Award” under the category of “specialised partner of the year” whereby TCS was in partnership with the “Asia Pacific in telecommunications industry”.
 
The award is synonymous to recognition for the expertise of TSC in the telecommunication industry along with its commitments towards delivering “innovative, specialised solutions and services” which was judges based on the hardware and software of Oracle.
 
The partnership of TCS came up with “innovative solutions to the customers” who owned “hosted business” along with “operations support systems and multi-channel commerce capabilities”. Moreover, the company also invested into upcoming technologies which can help various companies to “capitalize on Internet of Things opportunities”.
 
The “specialized partner of the year” of Oracle Excellence Awards supports any innovative steps taken by the Oracle PartnerNetwork’s members, who using the products of Oracle and its technology build “value for customers” whereby generating “new business potential”.TCS Asia Pacific’s head of “Telecom Practice”, Mr. Sanjay Gupta stated:
“We are proud to be recognised by Oracle for our telecommunications industry excellence in Asia Pacific, as this award reflects on our ongoing collaboration with Oracle to help our customers strengthen their leadership position and achieve growth goals. This achievement is a result of major investments by TCS to expand our Oracle expertise and footprint to deliver solutions that enhance the operations and service capabilities of our customers, leading telecommunications providers across the region."
 
While, the Senior Vice President of “Asia Pacific Alliances and Channels” under Oracle, Casey Poon commented:
“TCS has demonstrated an outstanding level of innovation in delivering proven, Oracle-based solutions that can solve our joint telecommunications customers’ most critical business challenges. We congratulate TCS in achieving the 2015 Oracle Excellence Award for specialised partner of the year – Asia Pacific in telecommunications industry. This achievement is a testament to their dedication to excellence and to providing customers with telecommunications-specific solutions that drive real business value and results.”
 
Moreover, TCS also received the “2015 Oracle Excellence Awards for specialized partner of the year” in finding “engineered systems solution” in Asia-Pacific and North America. In fact, TCS’s efforts were also recognised by “Gartner as a Leader in its Magic Quadrant for Oracle Application Implementation Services” on a global scale. Additionally, it also took the place of “a Leader in its Magic Quadrant for Worldwide Oracle Application Management Service Providers”.
 
TCS and Oracle maintain a “long standing relationship” for the past twenty eight years. At present, TCS is a “Diamond level” member of the OPN and has over “15,000 dedicated Oracle certified specialists”. However, Tata Group informs:
“Award winners were formally recognized at Oracle OpenWorld 2015 (OOW) on October 25 in San Fransicso. TCS is a premier sponsor of OOW 2015 and sponsor of its Appreciation Night on October 28. TCS is the exclusive sponsor of High Technology and Manufacturing Summit @ Oracle Executive Summits and Service at CX Central”.



References:
www.tata.com