Latest news with #DPPA
Arab News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
UN chief warns of ‘painful' reforms, including staff cuts
UNITED NATIONS, United States: United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Monday said reforming the global body will require 'painful' changes, including staff reductions, to improve efficiency and deal with chronic budget constraints exacerbated by Trump administration policies. In March, the secretary-general launched the UN80 initiative to streamline operations. 'Our shared goal has always been to make our organization more efficient, to simplify procedures, eliminate overlaps, and enhance transparency and accountability,' Guterres said Monday during an update to member states. 'The liquidity crisis we now face is not new. But today's financial and political situation adds even greater urgency to our efforts.' He warned 'we know that some of these changes will be painful for our UN family.' The proposed restructuring within the Secretariat includes merging units from the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) with the Department of Peace Operations (DPO). 'I believe we'll be able to eliminate 20 percent of the posts of the two departments,' he said, adding that the level of reduction outlined for DPPA and DPO 'must be seen as a reference for the wider UN80 exercise.' Guterres also raised the possibility of relocating positions from New York and Geneva to less expensive cities. Member states will have to decide on their own changes. The internal workload has also stretched the capacity of the UN system 'beyond reason,' Guterres said. 'It is as if we have allowed the formalism and quantity of reports and meetings to become ends in themselves. The measure of success is not the volume of reports we generate or the number of meetings we convene,' he said. Guterres called on member states to make tough decisions. 'Many of you have agreed that this must be the moment to be bold and ambitious. That is what our Organization needs — and that is what our times demand,' he said. 'Make no mistake — uncomfortable and difficult decisions lie ahead. It may be easier — and even tempting — to ignore them or kick the can down the road. But that road is a dead end.' In a memo seen recently by AFP, an internal working group in charge of the UN80 initiative suggested some major reforms, including merging UN agencies. Guterres did not directly address those changes but indicated that 'clusters' working on similar issues would propose reforms, and potentially some structural changes.
Business Upturn
29-04-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Behind DHgate's U.S. #2 Milestone: SendCloud Powers Email Engagement as Aurora Mobile & EngageLab Drive Ecosystem Growth
SINGAPORE, April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EngageLab's parent company, Aurora Mobile (NASDAQ: JG), is proud to announce its subsidiary, SendCloud, provided seamless customer communication for DHgate during its recent unprecedented user surge in the U.S. market. This surge propelled DHgate to #2 on the U.S. App Store Free iPhone Apps Ranking, surpassing giants like Google and TurboTax, trailing only behind ChatGPT. Founded in 2004, DHgate is a leading Chinese cross-border B2B marketplace connecting global buyers, primarily SMBs and retailers, directly with Chinese manufacturers for small-batch wholesale, making it a crucial platform for global sourcing. DHgate's recent surgery in the U.S. further highlights its core value of effectively connecting Chinese factories and suppliers directly with international consumers. This connection provides global buyers with more convenient access to goods straight from the source. As DHgate experienced this massive influx of users, SendCloud, a professional and trusted expert in email services, played a critical role in maintaining seamless and stable customer communication. Leveraging SendCloud's robust API integration, DHgate successfully managed the increased load, achieving: Maintained over 90% email deliverability , consistently connecting with users worldwide. , consistently connecting with users worldwide. Achieved a 99% inbox placement rate , significantly outperforming industry benchmarks. , significantly outperforming industry benchmarks. Reached a 40% email open rate, boosted by optimized sender certification and domain reputation. These achievements allowed DHgate to effectively nurture its expanding customer relationships, build loyalty, and drive sustainable growth within one of the world's most dynamic markets. EngageLab's Omnichannel Solutions: Driving Global Engagement Building upon the reliable email infrastructure provided by SendCloud, EngageLab further empowers businesses with an advanced customer engagement platform tailored for global e-commerce challenges: Unmatched Deliverability : A 99.97% inbox placement rate through domain warm-up and BIMI certification, ensuring compliance with GDPR and DPPA. : A 99.97% inbox placement rate through domain warm-up and BIMI certification, ensuring compliance with GDPR and DPPA. Personalized Campaigns : Leveraging AI-driven marketing automation, businesses tailor emails to diverse client segments—from small retailers sourcing electronics to wholesalers procuring bulk fashion items. : Leveraging AI-driven marketing automation, businesses tailor emails to diverse client segments—from small retailers sourcing electronics to wholesalers procuring bulk fashion items. Global Infrastructure: With 5 global nodes, EngageLab ensured low-latency communication, which is critical for global business operations. The Future of Cross-Border E-Commerce The increasing global traction of Chinese cross-border e-commerce underscores why seamless, AI-powered customer engagement is critical for success. EngageLab remains steadfast in its commitment to providing businesses the adaptive tools needed to conquer challenges in dynamic international markets. About EngageLab EngageLab is a world-leading AI-powered omnichannel customer engagement solution provider, unites technology and versatility to offer seamless customer interactions across every channel, including Email, AppPush, WebPush, OTP, SMS and WhatsApp Business. It empowers businesses to build lasting relationships and achieve higher conversions and retention. With a strong focus on innovation and performance, EngageLab supports businesses in over 220 countries and regions, delivering more than 1 million messages every second across various channels. For more information about EngageLab and its suite of solutions, visit For Media Inquiries: Contact: [email protected] Website: Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
Associated Press
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Lego says its billion-dollar factory in Vietnam will make toys without pumping out harmful emissions
BINH DUONG, Vietnam (AP) — Lego opened a $1 billion factory in Vietnam on Wednesday that it says will make toys without adding planet-warming gas to the atmosphere by relying entirely on clean energy. The factory in the industrial area of Binh Duong, close to Ho Chi Minh City, is the first in Vietnam that aims to run entirely on clean energy. Lego says it will do that by early 2026. It's the Danish company's sixth worldwide and its second in Asia. It will use high-tech equipment to produce colorful Lego bricks for Southeast Asia's growing markets. 'We just want to make sure that the planet that the children inherit when they grow up needs to be a planet that is still there. That is functional,' Lego CEO Niels Christiansen told The Associated Press. The factory is an important factor in Lego's quest to stop adding greenhouse gases by 2050. It has a shorter-term target of reducing emissions by 37% by 2032. The privately held group makes its bricks out of oil-based plastic and says it has invested more than $1.2 billion in a search for more sustainable alternatives. But those efforts have not always been successful. Fast-industrializing Vietnam also aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, so it needs more of its factories to use clean energy. The country hopes the plant's 12,400 solar panels and energy storage system will help set a precedent for more sustainable manufacturing. Locating the Lego factories in regions they supply has also helped insulate them from the tariffs ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, Christiansen said. 'Right now, I am probably more observant of what does this mean to growth in the world? Do we see consumer sentiment changing in parts of the world or not, and what would that potentially mean?' he said. The blocks are made from differently colored plastic grains that are melted at high temperatures and then fed into metal molds. The highly-automated factory uses robots for making the bricks to a tenth of a hair's width precision and then packaging them. It eventually will employ thousands of mostly skilled workers to operate these machines. Some of them have already begun work after being trained in in Lego's factory in eastern China. Manufacturing makes up a fifth of Vietnam's GDP and consumes half the energy it uses. There are plans to phase out its coal power plants by 2040. The Lego factory, which spans 62 soccer fields, sets the 'blueprint' for making large, power-guzzling factories sustainable while remaining profitable, said Mimi Vu, a founder of the consultancy Raise Partners in Ho Chi Minh City. 'Sometimes it takes a big company, like Lego, to take those risks. To show that we can do it … And we can be profitable,' she said. The factory will benefit from a new 2024 rule known as a direct power purchase agreement or DPPA, which allows big foreign companies to buy clean energy directly from solar and wind power producers and to meet their clean energy requirements. The factory will be linked to an adjacent energy center where electricity can be stored in large batteries. 'So even if the sun is only shining during the day, we store the energy and can use it all over. That will cover by far the majority of the consumption of the factory,' added Christiansen, The remaining 10%-20% of the factory's energy needs will be met through agreements with other clean energy producers. 'Lego and Vietnam, we are having the same aspirations. We both want to be green, to play our part in the climate. And I think this with the solar and battery and DPPA, it is showcasing that it can be done,' Jesper Hassellund Mikkelsen, Senior Vice President Asia Operations at the LEGO Group told The AP. The company will also open a distribution center in Vietnam's southern Dong Nai province to help serve markets in Australia and other Asian countries where it sees an opportunity for growth. The five buildings in the factory meet high energy efficiency standards. Lego also has planted 50,000 trees – twice the number of the trees it cut to clear land for the factory. It's the first Lego factory to replace single-use plastic bags with paper bags for packaging. Lego's founder, Ole Kirk Kristiansen, started the company as a wooden toy maker before patenting the iconic plastic bricks in 1958. It is still is seeking a way to make its plastic bricks more environmentally friendly. Christiansen said Lego bricks last decades and could be reused, though the ultimately ambition is to make them out of more renewable materials. He said that a third of the materials used in Lego bricks made last year were from renewable and recycled sources. But that's more expensive than plastic made out of fossil fuels. 'It's not inexpensive at this point in time, but we believe if we ... lean into that, we help create a supply chain for the type of plastic materials that are not based on fossil fuel,' he said.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lego says factory in Vietnam will make toys without pumping out emissions
Lego has opened a one billion dollar (£782 million) factory in Vietnam that it says will make toys without adding planet-warming gas to the atmosphere by relying entirely on clean energy. The factory in the industrial area of Binh Duong, close to Ho Chi Minh City, is the first in Vietnam that aims to run entirely on clean energy. Lego says it will achieve this aim by early 2026. It is the Danish company's sixth factory worldwide and its second in Asia. The facility will use high-tech equipment to produce colourful Lego bricks for south-east Asia's growing markets. Lego chief executive Niels Christiansen told The Associated Press: 'We just want to make sure that the planet that the children inherit when they grow up needs to be a planet that is still there. That is functional.' The factory is an important factor in Lego's quest to stop adding greenhouse gases by 2050. It has a shorter-term target of reducing emissions by 37% by 2032. The privately held group makes its bricks out of oil-based plastic and says it has invested more than 1.2 billion dollars (£939 million) in a search for more sustainable alternatives. But those efforts have not always been successful. Fast-industrialising Vietnam also aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, so it needs more of its factories to use clean energy. The country hopes the plant's 12,400 solar panels and energy storage system will help set a precedent for more sustainable manufacturing. Locating the Lego factories in regions they supply has also helped insulate them from the tariffs ordered by US President Donald Trump, Mr Christiansen said. He added: 'Right now, I am probably more observant of what does this mean to growth in the world? Do we see consumer sentiment changing in parts of the world or not, and what would that potentially mean?' The blocks are made from differently coloured plastic grains that are melted at high temperatures and then fed into metal moulds. The highly-automated factory uses robots for making the bricks to a tenth of a hair's width precision and then packaging them. It eventually will employ thousands of mostly skilled workers to operate these machines. Some of them have already begun work after being trained in in Lego's factory in eastern China. Manufacturing makes up a fifth of Vietnam's GDP and consumes half the energy it uses. There are plans to phase out its coal power plants by 2040. The Lego factory, which spans 62 football fields, sets the 'blueprint' for making large, power-guzzling factories sustainable while remaining profitable, said Mimi Vu, a founder of the consultancy Raise Partners in Ho Chi Minh City. She said: 'Sometimes it takes a big company, like Lego, to take those risks. To show that we can do it … And we can be profitable.' The factory will benefit from a new 2024 rule known as a direct power purchase agreement or DPPA, which allows big foreign companies to buy clean energy directly from solar and wind power producers and to meet their clean energy requirements. The factory will be linked to an adjacent energy centre where electricity can be stored in large batteries. 'So even if the sun is only shining during the day, we store the energy and can use it all over. That will cover by far the majority of the consumption of the factory,' added Mr Christiansen. The remaining 10%-20% of the factory's energy needs will be met through agreements with other clean energy producers. Jesper Hassellund Mikkelsen, senior vice president of Asia Operations at the Lego Group said: 'Lego and Vietnam, we are having the same aspirations. We both want to be green, to play our part in the climate. 'And I think this with the solar and battery and DPPA, it is showcasing that it can be done.' The company will also open a distribution centre in Vietnam's southern Dong Nai province to help serve markets in Australia and other Asian countries where it sees an opportunity for growth. The five buildings in the factory meet high energy efficiency standards. Lego also has planted 50,000 trees – twice the number of the trees it cut to clear land for the factory. It is the first Lego factory to replace single-use plastic bags with paper bags for packaging. Lego's founder, Ole Kirk Kristiansen, started the company as a wooden toy maker before patenting the iconic plastic bricks in 1958. It is still is seeking a way to make its plastic bricks more environmentally friendly. Mr Christiansen said Lego bricks last decades and could be reused, though the firm's ultimate ambition is to make them out of more renewable materials. He said that a third of the materials used in Lego bricks made last year were from renewable and recycled sources. But that is more expensive than plastic made out of fossil fuels. 'It's not inexpensive at this point in time, but we believe if we … lean into that, we help create a supply chain for the type of plastic materials that are not based on fossil fuel,' he said.
CBS News
09-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Lego opens $1 billion plant in Vietnam it says will be all green
Lego opened a $1 billion factory in Vietnam on Wednesday it says will make toys without adding planet-warming gas to the atmosphere by relying entirely on clean energy. The factory in the industrial area of Binh Duong, close to Ho Chi Minh City, is the first in Vietnam that aims to run entirely on clean energy. Lego says it will do that by early 2026. It's the Danish company's sixth worldwide and its second in Asia. It will use high-tech equipment to produce colorful Lego bricks for Southeast Asia's growing markets. "We just want to make sure that the planet that the children inherit when they grow up needs to be a planet that is still there. That is functional," Lego CEO Niels Christiansen told The Associated Press. The factory is an important factor in Lego's quest to stop adding greenhouse gases by 2050. It has a shorter-term target of reducing emissions by 37% by 2032. The privately held group makes its bricks out of oil-based plastic and says it has invested more than $1.2 billion in a search for more sustainable alternatives. But those efforts have not always been successful. Fast-industrializing Vietnam also aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, so it needs more of its factories to use clean energy. The country hopes the plant's 12,400 solar panels and energy storage system will help set a precedent for more sustainable manufacturing. The blocks are made from differently colored plastic grains that are melted at high temperatures and then fed into metal molds. The highly-automated factory uses robots for making the bricks to a tenth of a hair's width precision and then packaging them. It eventually will employ thousands of mostly skilled workers to operate the machines. Some have already begun work after being trained in in Lego's factory in eastern China. Manufacturing makes up a fifth of Vietnam's GDP and consumes half the energy it uses. There are plans to phase out its coal power plants by 2040. The Lego factory, which spans 62 soccer fields, sets the "blueprint" for making large, power-guzzling factories sustainable while remaining profitable, said Mimi Vu, a founder of the consultancy Raise Partners in Ho Chi Minh City. "Sometimes it takes a big company, like Lego, to take those risks. To show that we can do it ... and we can be profitable," she said. The factory will benefit from a new 2024 rule known as a direct power purchase agreement, or DPPA, that allows big foreign companies to buy clean energy directly from solar and wind power producers to help meet their clean energy requirements. The factory will be linked to an adjacent energy center where electricity can be stored in large batteries. "So even if the sun is only shining during the day, we store the energy and can use it all over. That will cover by far the majority of the consumption of the factory," added Christiansen, The remaining 10%-20% of the factory's energy needs will be met through agreements with other clean energy producers. "Lego and Vietnam, we are having the same aspirations. We both want to be green, to play our part in the climate. And I think this, with the solar and battery and DPPA, it is showcasing that it can be done," Jesper Hassellund Mikkelsen, Senior Vice President Asia Operations at the LEGO Group told The AP. The company will also open a distribution center in Vietnam's southern Dong Nai province to help serve markets in Australia and other Asian countries where it sees an opportunity for growth. Locating the Lego factories in regions they supply helps to insulate them from the tariffs ordered by President Trump , Christiansen said. "Right now, I am probably more observant of what does this mean to growth in the world? Do we see consumer sentiment changing in parts of the world or not, and what would that potentially mean?" he said. The five buildings in the factory meet high energy efficiency standards. Lego also has planted 50,000 trees - twice the number of the trees it cut to clear land for the factory. It's the first Lego factory to replace single-use plastic bags with paper bags for packaging. Lego's founder, Ole Kirk Kristiansen, started the company as a wooden toy maker before patenting the iconic plastic bricks in 1958. It is still is seeking a way to make its plastic bricks more environmentally friendly. Christiansen said Lego bricks last decades and could be reused, though the ultimate ambition is to make them out of more renewable materials. He said a third of the materials used in Lego bricks made last year were from renewable and recycled sources. But that's more expensive than plastic made out of fossil fuels. "It's not inexpensive at this point in time, but we believe if we ... lean into that, we help create a supply chain for the type of plastic materials that are not based on fossil fuel," he said.
