The Bottom Line: Unitil, Connection, and Stock Market – NH Business Review

Corporate Sustainability and Economic Outlook Report: Q3-Q4 2025

Unitil Corporation’s Commitment to Sustainable Development

Unitil Corporation (NYSE: UTL) has released its 2025 Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility (CSR) Report, detailing progress in initiatives aligned with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report outlines the company’s commitment to transforming its business to meet future energy needs sustainably.

• Environmental Stewardship: The focus on carbon reduction and environmental sustainability directly supports SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
• Infrastructure and Innovation: Initiatives concerning operational safety and reliability are crucial for advancing SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by ensuring a resilient energy grid.
• Decent Work and Economic Growth: The report’s emphasis on human capital management, employee development, and safety contributes to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
• Strong Institutions: By aligning with SASB, American Gas Association, and Edison Electric Institute reporting standards, Unitil demonstrates a commitment to transparent governance and integrity, a key target of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).

Connection’s Q3 2025 Financial Performance and its Relation to Economic Growth

Connection (NASDAQ: CNXN), an IT solutions provider, reported its third-quarter financial results for the period ending September 30, 2025. The company’s activities and performance reflect contributions to key economic SDGs.

1. Financial Summary:
   • Net Sales: Decreased 2.2% year-over-year.
   • Gross Profit: Increased 2.4% to a record $138.6 million.
   • Net Income: Declined 8.6% to $24.7 million.
2. Contribution to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): The company’s strong performance in areas such as data center modernization, digital workplace initiatives, and supply chain innovation directly supports the development of resilient infrastructure and fosters innovation. Growth in software (+11%) and servers/storage (+17%) further highlights this contribution.
3. Support for SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Despite mixed results, the company’s record gross profit and declaration of a quarterly dividend demonstrate economic activity that sustains employment and provides returns to shareholders, contributing to broader economic growth.

Economic Divergence and its Implications for SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

Recent economic analysis indicates a significant divergence in the U.S. economy, posing a challenge to the achievement of key Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to equality and poverty reduction.

• A “K-Shaped” Economy: Economists have identified a widening gap where wealthier households, benefiting from asset appreciation, exhibit strong consumer sentiment, while lower-income households face increasing financial strain. This trend directly undermines the objective of SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
• Threats to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth):
  • Consumer sentiment among the general population has dropped sharply, driven by concerns over economic stability and potential impacts on growth.
  • The economic resilience shown in stock markets masks underlying stress for consumers who do not own equities, indicating that the benefits of growth are not being shared equally.
  • Analysts warn that this economic model is fragile and dependent on sustained high employment. Any emergence of job losses could reverse market gains and disproportionately affect lower-income households, jeopardizing progress on both SDG 1 and SDG 8.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • The article discusses Unitil, an electric and gas utility company, releasing a sustainability report. This directly connects to the energy sector. The report highlights the company’s commitment to “transform our business to meet the ever-changing energy needs of future generations,” which is central to SDG 7.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Unitil’s report mentions “human capital management,” “employee development and safety,” and “operational safety,” which are key components of providing decent work.
   • The economics section discusses concerns about a potential economic slowdown if “job losses emerge,” linking directly to the goal of sustained economic growth and full employment.
3. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • The report on Connection mentions “data center modernization, digital workplace initiatives and supply chain innovation.” These activities are related to building resilient infrastructure and fostering innovation.
4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The economics section explicitly describes a “‘Kshaped’ economy” and a “widening split,” where wealthier households benefit from stock market gains while “lower-income Americans face rising strain.” This is a direct discussion of rising economic inequality within a country.
5. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
   • Unitil’s publication of a “Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility Report” is a core practice of responsible corporate behavior, encouraging sustainable practices and transparency.
6. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The sustainability report’s focus on “carbon reduction and environmental stewardship” directly addresses the need for urgent action to combat climate change, as outlined in SDG 13.
7. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
   • The mention of “governance and integrity” in Unitil’s report relates to the development of effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels, including the corporate sector.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
   • Unitil’s commitment to transforming its business for “future generations” and its focus on “environmental sustainability” implies a shift towards cleaner energy sources, which aligns with this target.
2. Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers.
   • Unitil’s report emphasizes “employee development and safety” and “operational safety,” directly reflecting the goals of this target.
3. Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.
   • Connection’s work on “data center modernization” can be seen as an effort to upgrade technological infrastructure, which is a component of this target.
4. Target 10.1: By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average.
   • The article highlights a failure to meet this target by describing a “Kshaped’ economy” where lower-income groups are experiencing “rising strain” and falling consumer sentiment, while wealthier households see sentiment jump by 11%.
5. Target 12.6: Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.
   • Unitil’s release of its “2025 Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility Report” is a direct implementation of this target. The article notes the report “aligns with SASB reporting standards” and industry-specific metrics, showing a commitment to standardized sustainability reporting.
6. Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
   • While the article discusses corporate strategy, not national policy, Unitil’s focus on “carbon reduction” demonstrates the integration of climate change measures at the corporate level, which is essential for achieving national goals.
7. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
   • The inclusion of “governance and integrity” as a featured topic in Unitil’s CSR report shows a corporate commitment to accountability and transparency, aligning with the principle of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator for Target 12.6: The existence and publication of the “2025 Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility Report” by Unitil is a direct indicator. The article further specifies that the report’s alignment with “SASB reporting standards” and “American Gas Association and Edison Electric Institute reporting templates” serves as a qualitative indicator of the report’s thoroughness and adherence to established sustainability frameworks.
2. Indicators for Target 10.1: The article implies several indicators for measuring inequality:
   • The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index: The article uses this to show a divergence in economic well-being, noting the overall index “slid more than 6%” while Americans with “significant stock holdings reported an 11% jump in sentiment.” This gap is a clear indicator of rising inequality.
   • Stock market performance (S&P 500 and Nasdaq): The article cites the S&P 500 being “up more than 16%” as a measure of wealth generation for stock-owning households, contrasting it with the struggles of lower-income groups.
3. Indicators for SDG 8 and SDG 13: While no specific quantitative data is provided, the article implies that Unitil’s report contains metrics for progress. The mention of “carbon reduction,” “employee safety,” and “operational reliability” suggests that indicators such as greenhouse gas emission levels, workplace incident rates, and service uptime are being tracked and reported by the company.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary

Source: nhbr.com