Month: March 2023

The following is an excerpt from the 2022 Cisco Purpose Report, published on December 8, 2022.

The Internet is a critical lifeline to jobs, education, and socialization for many people. Yet today, about half of the world’s population remains unconnected.

Powering an Inclusive Future for All means addressing the barriers that keep people from accessing the Internet, including cost, skills gaps, and lack of networking infrastructure. But access is just the beginning. Once people are connected to the Internet, we want to create an experience that helps meet their needs. We are making improvements across our product portfolio to help ensure more people are not only connected, but also have trust in digital solutions with product features that set them up for success.

Our impact: Unlocking the value of digitization

Since 2015, Cisco has collaborated with government leaders, industry, and academia to support the delivery of national digital agendas through the Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program. Over the last two years the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies; however, it has also highlighted the stark digital divide that exists across society and within different socioeconomic groups. Through CDA, we are supporting countries to embrace digital and deliver connected and inclusive societies. To date, CDA has over 1100 active or completed projects in 44 countries.

For example:

In South Africa, we are expanding Cisco Experience, Design, Go-to-Market, Earn (EDGE) Centers. EDGE Centers function as incubators for business knowledge, speed up entry to market, and ultimately create new jobs for the local economy. They provide small- and medium-sized businesses with state-of-the-art Cisco communication and collaboration technology, as well as training and enablement programs to support the growth of local businesses.Despite strong privacy and cybercrime laws, Italy is one of the world’s top targets of cyber attacks. Cisco established a first-of-its-kind cybersecurity co-innovation center in Milan. The center will promote research and innovation, train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, and create a local innovation ecosystem.In Switzerland, the region of Jura is making e-government services accessible to citizens, particularly those who have never used e-services before or can’t easily access them from home. Cisco has partnered with local leaders to deploy two interactive kiosks in the town of Porrentruy to help ensure all citizens have access to the services they need.Citizens in remote and rural regions in Mexico have limited access to specialist medical consultants. Cisco partnered with Médica Sur, a private healthcare group, to pilot “Doctor in a Box,” a mobile medical kit that can be deployed in isolated parts of the country. By making digital patient services mobile, we have expanded the medical coverage of one of Mexico’s most advanced hospitals.

Inclusion by design in Cisco products

As a collaboration platform, Webex offers multiple ways for people to connect. We continue to invest in and develop more inclusive features for this portfolio of products. For example, Webex Control Hub, which provides real-time analytics for all Webex services, uses a color palette that provides accessibility for colorblind users. High-contrast features in the Webex app and meeting platform make work easier for low-vision users. Real-time closed captioning and translation into over 100 languages during meetings helps those with language or auditory barriers, leading to greater participation and retention, especially when Webex is used for remote learning.

Bringing connectivity to communities

Today, broadband infrastructure has been installed across most of the United States. But even in places where broadband exists, there are regions where large portions of the population experience the digital divide. These “broadband deserts” are home to 82% of the country’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Lack of connectivity has implications for people’s ability to seek education and employment, access healthcare, and connect with others. To address this disparity—and as part of our Social Justice Action 8: Commit to HCBUs, Cisco is installing broadband service on the campus of Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The installation’s location makes for an outsize benefit. Not only is South Carolina one of the states with the highest number of households without broadband access, Claflin is located right next to South Carolina State University, another HBCU. The new equipment will provide connectivity to both universities and will extend nearly two miles into the surrounding community.

Once complete, this pilot may serve as a model for other HBCUs that do not have access to government funding. Cisco is fully funding the Claflin installation, and the Student Freedom Initiative is providing support to extend this work to other colleges and universities. This work is just one aspect of Cisco’s efforts to support HBCUs and the AA/B community as a whole.

Scott McGregor, Lead, Cisco Social Justice Action 8, shared, “Throughout their history, HBCUs have been not only a source of education, but also a pillar of their communities. Providing connectivity is a way that they can continue to play this role.”

To learn more about the progress we’re making to power a more inclusive future, visit our Cisco ESG Reporting Hub, where you can read our 2022 Cisco Purpose Report.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, March 21, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Solidia Technologies®, a leading provider of decarbonization technologies and sustainable solutions to the construction and building materials industries, is expanding production capacity of its proprietary Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM), a key component used in concrete, at its headquarters in San Antonio, Texas. Solidia’s high-performing, engineered SCM product improves the durability, workability, and overall properties of concrete while mineralizing captured CO₂ to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% to 40%. With significantly more production capacity and proximity to key customers, suppliers, and partners, the expansion continues the company’s move from research and development into commercialization.

Over the past year, the Solidia team has made tremendous strides optimizing the product to achieve the desired attributes, consistent quality, and high performance required for end-use applications. This enables Solidia SCM to be used at much greater cement replacement levels than fly ash and other existing alternatives in most concrete applications. With those improvements, Solidia has invested to increase capacity, with production beginning at the facility in mid-2023.

“Our achievements in R&D have enabled us to invest in expanding annual SCM production capacity to ~1,000 tonnes,” said Pradeep Ghosh, Solidia’s Senior Director of Strategy and Business Development. “This will allow us to supply key stakeholders, like ready-mix suppliers and government entities, with material for testing, trials, and projects.”

The expanded capability is also a first step toward addressing the supply chain challenges ready-mix producers are experiencing with cement and existing SCMs such as fly ash. Fly ash, a byproduct of coal-fired power plants, is the most common SCM, but with coal-fired plants continuing to be retired, concrete producers may face increasing shortages. Most importantly, the expansion helps advance Solidia’s cement and CO2 mineralization technologies that collectively lower concrete’s overall carbon footprint by up to 50%.

“Increased production capacity is a significant milestone for advancing Solidia’s SCM technology and combined with our commercial focus on carbon-mineralizing concrete products represents our strong commitment to reduce the construction industry’s carbon footprint,” said Russell Hill, Ph.D., Solidia’s CEO. “The expansion of our SCM production will allow us to provide a higher-performing, higher-quality, more consistent product to concrete producers and customers.”

For more information, visit www.solidiatech.com.

# # #

About Solidia Technologies® 
Based in San Antonio, Texas (USA), Solidia Technologies® is a leading provider of decarbonization technologies and sustainable solutions to the construction and building materials industries. Investors include Imperative Ventures, Zero Carbon Partners, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Prelude Ventures, PIVA Capital, John Doerr, BP, OGCI Climate Investments, Bill Joy, Kleiner Perkins, BASF Venture Capital, Holcim, Total Carbon Neutrality Ventures, Air Liquide Venture Capital (ALIAD), and other private investors. Recognition includes Fast Company 2021 World Changing Idea; Solar Impulse 1000 Efficient Solution; Global Cleantech 100; Inc.’s Top Start-Up to Watch 2020; Best Place to Work in NJ; BP Advancing Low Carbon accreditation; ERA Grand Challenge finalist; Sustainia 100; NJBiz Business of the Year; and R&D Top 100. Follow Solidia on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

PITTSBURGH, March 21, 2023 /3BL Media/ – PNC Bank and Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced the launch of Women In Motorsports Powered by PNC Bank with Chip Ganassi Racing, a new campaign to drive awareness and support for gender equality and economic inclusion for women in the workforce. The initiative includes a thought leadership video content series showcasing female industry leaders and an internship designed to accelerate career pathways in motorsports for women.

Women In Motorsports brings an additional educational component to PNC’s active sponsorship with CGR, by providing a platform to fuel dialogue about the increasing importance of women as decision makers and influencers with employees, customers and race fans across the country.

“While women continue to make inroads in careers dominated by males, such as motorsports, tech and finance, much work remains in achieving greater access to highly skilled jobs and equal pay,” said Debbie Guild, PNC head of Enterprise Technology and Security. “Cultivating opportunities to build out the next pipeline of female innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders is critical to closing the economic gender gap. We all recognize that a diverse workforce can spark innovation in the workplace and influence economic inclusion for all. This program shines a light on this business imperative.”

Through a unique video series, the Women In Motorsports campaign will highlight women in the CGR organization who have excelled in the field of motorsports. These women include: IMSA engineer Danielle Shepherd, INDYCAR engineer Angela Ashmore and INDYCAR mechanic Anna Chatten.

Additionally, CGR will facilitate the inaugural Women In Motorsports internship program engaging a select group of female college students in on-site learning and career-development experiences during the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The internship is open to eligible women attending a university, college or other higher education institution in the U.S. and includes a paid stipend and academic credit where applicable. The application portal opens at 9 a.m. ET, March 8, and closes at 5 p.m. ET, March 22. Chip Ganassi Racing will select the cohort and notify participants by April 1, 2022. For more information or to apply, visit wim.chipganassiracing.com.

“Teaming up with PNC to launch Women In Motorsports reflects our commitment to help advance opportunities for women in the sport,” said Chip Ganassi, CGR team owner. “We’re excited to highlight the achievements of our team members and share a behind-the-scenes look at their contributions to this championship organization, which will hopefully help pave the way for female students to develop specialized skills in areas such as racing operations and engineering to information technology and athletic training, to name a few.”

Guild leads a broader corporate effort at PNC to champion equitable opportunities for women in the workplace. She, alongside other PNC and Chip Ganassi Racing representatives, will participate in unique Women In Motorsports-themed initiatives, chiefly in cities hosting the INDYCAR race circuit. These will include special events and other opportunities to engage audiences with the interns, CGR female staff, and CGR driver and six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon.

“We have the capabilities and resources of a big bank, but our Main Street Bank model allows us to be intentional in how we impact the communities where we live and work. We believe that acknowledging, respecting and supporting women’s ambitions, goals and priorities helps drive financial equality. It’s a philosophy that we’ve been focused on for more than 20 years,” said Guild.

PNC’s long-standing support for women and female financial decision-makers is evident across the organization, from a dedicated platform for Women’s Business Development to nearly 4,000 PNC-certified women’s business advocates active in their communities and committed to providing valuable resources for business development. This support is also demonstrated through Women Connect, PNC’s internal employee business resource group with more than 11,000 members; Men As Allies, a program through which male employees support the advancement of their female colleagues; and Women’s Leadership Development, a program to help prepare high-performing female employees for leadership roles.

PNC also recently launched a purpose-driven initiative, Project 257sm: Accelerating Women’s Financial Equality to help close the 257-year economic gender gap identified by the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Gender Gap Report. This focus embodies PNC’s commitment to making a positive difference by leveraging the power of its resources to help all move forward financially. PNC has been a partner of CGR since 2013. The relationship has expanded over time, with PNC becoming the primary sponsor of the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda driven by Dixon, who holds the record for the most wins among active INDYCAR drivers.

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 30 years and is considered one of the most successful and innovative owners in motorsports. Today, his teams include four Honda cars in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, two Cadillac Dpi’s in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and one GMC Hummer EV in Extreme E. Overall, his teams have 21 championships and more than 230 victories, including four wins in the Indianapolis 500, eight Rolex 24 At Daytona victories, and wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art facilities in Indianapolis, where INDYCAR, IMSA and Extreme E teams are located, and a corporate office in Pittsburgh. For more information, visit www.chipganassiracing.com.

PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com. 

CONTACTS: 
PNC 
Maria Pasic 
(312) 342-1565 
maria.pasic@pnc.com 
@MariaPasicPNC

CHIP GANASSI RACING 
Will Erickson 
(612) 990-3452 
werickson@ganassi.com 
@CGRTeams

Originally published on TriplePundit.com

Back in 2011, Facebook set an ambitious target to meet 100 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources. It took 10 years to build the infrastructure and programs, but in 2020, the company now known as Meta crossed the finish line. Meta now has a robust renewable energy portfolio spanning six countries and 20 U.S. states that produces as much energy as the company’s global operations consume.

“Our renewable energy projects are diverse and driven by where we have an operational footprint,” Amanda Yang, Meta’s head of renewable energy for Americas West and the Asia-Pacific, told TriplePundit. “One of our primary values is ensuring that we are adding new renewable capacity in the areas in which we operate. Right now, we are focused on direct operations, where we have a 100 percent renewable energy commitment, but we also have a goal to support the broader value chain.”

Meta’s portfolio includes more than 9 gigawatts of contracted renewable energy capacity — equivalent to the energy consumption of about 3 million U.S. households — and it’s bringing new renewable projects online as its global operations expand.

Meta’s clean energy projects create positive economic impacts, research shows

When deciding on new renewable projects, Meta takes a number of different factors into account, such as: proximity to the company’s data centers and the potential for positive economic impact in local communities.

“We partnered with an independent research firm in 2021 to evaluate the economic impacts of our renewable energy projects,” Yang explained. “The study focused on 5.5 gigawatts of renewable energy across the U.S. Over 40,000 construction jobs were created as a part of that portfolio and $4.2 billion in GDP. Operations of the new renewable projects create over $150 million in GDP annually.”

On a long-term basis, Meta’s renewable energy projects sustain nearly 1,000 operations jobs in the U.S. annually, the economic impact analysis found.

“Our projects represent billions of dollars in investments, and there is a multiplier effect of benefit to local communities,” Yang continued. “When you have construction workers on site, they need housing and to eat, and that creates real local economic activity.” An estimated 270 on-site jobs are created for every 100 megawatts of renewable energy that Meta contracts, and every on-site job supports an additional 1.6 jobs in the broader community, according to the analysis.

Transparency is key

In order to ensure transparency and accountability, Meta utilizes renewable energy credits, or RECs, to verify its renewable energy creation. Every megawatt-hour of energy created by a Meta project generates a REC, and the RECs certify and authenticate that the electricity generated came from a renewable source. Each REC has its own unique serial number, allowing it to be tracked. Meta retires its RECs at the end of each calendar year, meaning the renewable energy has been used, it cannot be bought or sold, and the company retains ownership of the REC forever.

This type of transparent verification is important. “Every year, we report on our renewable energy use in our annual sustainability report,” said Yang, “and that data goes through a third-party verification process.”

Even before clean energy projects produce their first megawatt of energy, they must go through permitting and due diligence processes. “We have a diligence process for our project partners,” explained Yang. “A big piece of our internal vetting process is ensuring we are selecting project and development partners who are well versed, with appropriate expertise and have done projects in those regions before, and who know how to work with the right external agencies.” Before a renewable energy project can be approved, project developers must demonstrate that the new energy source can integrate seamlessly with the existing local energy grid.

Renewable energy projects power social change

“When evaluating new projects, we think about the economic benefits and how those can positively impact local communities,” Yang said. “A lot of our projects are located in areas below the national poverty line, and the economic impacts are incredibly helpful.”

For example, Meta recently announced a 720-megawatt portfolio with the independent power producer Silicon Ranch, which includes seven new solar projects in Georgia and Tennessee. “Silicon Ranch is focused on sustainable, community-driven development and regenerative agriculture. Our new projects are focused on agricultural areas,” Yang said. “Our partners can continue to use the land for useful agriculture purposes, and some are making pollinator habitats among the solar fields for honey.”

Meta is also focused on helping the labor force transition to clean energy. In 2022, the company partnered with Greenbacker Renewable Energy to bring the 104-megawatt Graphite Solar project to rural Utah. “The renewable energy market is growing, so it provides an opportunity for people to transition to jobs in a new industry,” Yang told us.

Meta also partnered with a developer in Virginia to bring 160 megawatts of solar power to the grid, helping to power its data center in the state, and establish a clean energy scholarship fund. The scholarship seeks to grow the local clean energy workforce by financially assisting graduating seniors from area high schools who have an interest in working in renewable energy in Virginia.

Leading the way for decarbonization

Meta’s renewable energy vision is not yet complete. Although the company accomplished its goal of supporting 100 percent of global operations with renewable energy, “ultimately we are focused on continuing to evolve our approach to how we can help accelerate grid decarbonization,” Yang said. “Where we can, we are partnering with our utilities, developers, and policymakers to make this happen.”

Last year was difficult for the entire renewable energy market, due to supply chain disruptions and inflationary impacts. However, Yang says that Meta is not deterred.

“Overall we want to make sure our efforts in renewable energy can be scaled for other corporate buyers,” she said. “In our view, together we can increase our impact. We want to see the entire industry shift in the direction of decarbonization and maximizing emissions reductions. For example, we recently teamed up with some of our peers to establish an alternative Emissions First accounting system for renewable energy investments.”

As Meta continues to aggressively grow its renewable energy portfolio, it is paving the way for other businesses to expand their decarbonization efforts, too.

This article series is sponsored by Meta and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team.

Image credits: Pedro Henrique Santos/Unsplash

As published in Qualcomm’s 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report

Growing a global company on a planet with finite resources demands fresh thinking. We’re working to be a positive and creative force in protecting the environment by continually looking for ways to conserve water, minimize energy consumption, lower emissions and reduce waste.

We conduct our operations and activities in a manner designed to provide and maintain safe, healthful and productive working conditions, protect the environment and the communities in which we work and conserve natural resources.

We work together to fulfill relevant and applicable legal and other requirements and strive to continually improve our resilience and environmental, health and safety performance.

We believe that environmental sustainability is extremely important, with significant social and economic benefits that require collective action and leadership from our Company and other corporate citizens.

The Governance Committee of our Company’s Board of Directors provides oversight on corporate responsibility matters, including sustainability and climate-related issues. The Company’s ESG Leadership Committee is composed of executives and senior management from across the Company, including HR, Legal, Government Affairs, Supply Chain, Risk and Compliance, Investor Relations, Operations and Finance. Our ESG Leadership Committee provides guidance on global corporate responsibility issues that are most important to our Company and our key stakeholders so that corporate responsibility remains a central and visible component of our business strategy. This Committee reports at least annually on our corporate responsibility policies, programs and performance, including climate change and water-related issues, to the Governance Committee of our Board of Directors.

Learn more in Qualcomm’s 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report

March 21, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Planet Water Foundation is responding to the recent United Nations (U.N.) call for an urgent response to accelerate clean water access to all by deploying a combination of 22 clean drinking water systems, sanitization systems, and water-health education programs across six countries during its World Water Day programming spanning March 15 to March 22.

According to recent United Nations (U.N.) data, the world is seriously off track on achieving the 2030 U.N. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6) of achieving water and sanitation for all. The data shows that governments must work, on average, four times faster to meet the goal on time.[1] To meet this goal, the U.N. recently announced its Water Action Agenda 2023, intended to accelerate current global projects and rapidly deploy new solutions.[2] In response to this global declaration for immediate action, Planet Water Foundation, through its World Water Day 2023 commitment partners, are providing 22 multi-solution deployments across Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Philippines and Vietnam.

Planet Water’s 2023 World Water Day deployments are turnkey community-based solutions that improve outcomes for young children around safe drinking water, hygiene intervention and sanitization. Safe drinking water and hand-washing access are delivered through Planet Water’s AquaTower, water-health and hygiene behaviors are introduced and reinforced through its education programs, and each school receives an AquaSan, Planet Water’s surface disinfection system that meets World Health Organization standards.

“Global organizations with a commitment to social responsibility programs (CSR) are awakening to the need for clean drinking water access and partnering with Planet Water Foundation at a record pace because our solutions are single-day community engagements paired with long-term visibility into their success,” said Mark Steele, CEO and Founder of Planet Water Foundation. “We thank our returning World Water Day program partners and welcome our newest partners that are expanding our capabilities and reach in 2023.”

Planet Water Foundation’s 2023 World Water Partners include: Airnov Healthcare, BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), Capital One Philippines, Cole Haan, Electrolux, Kimberly-Clark de México, Gen, Ludacka Wealth Partners, MetLife Foundation, Spiro, The Starbucks Foundation, Valmont Industries, Inc., Watts Water Technologies, and Xylem.

ABOUT PLANET WATER FOUNDATION

Planet Water Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on bringing clean water to the world’s most impoverished communities through the installation of community-based water filtration systems and the deployment of hygiene education programs. Planet Water Foundation projects are focused on children, schools, and rural/peri-urban communities across Asia and Latin America. Since 2009, Planet Water has deployed more than 1,700 projects that provide clean water access to more than three million people across 26 countries. For more information, visit www.planet-water.org

For further information, please contact: 
John Deotrakul – john@planet-water.org 
 

[1]  https://www.unwater.org/news/world-water-day-2023

[2]  https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2023/action-agenda

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

The four young women on the Computer Glitz team wowed U.S. Bank leaders in 2018 when they presented their idea of a mobile app that taught people how to buy and sell stocks.

Five years later, we caught up with some of the former Eagan, Minnesota, team members to see what they’re up to — and how being involved in Technovation, a high school program that taught them how to use technology to solve problems, shaped their plans for the future.

Spoiler alert: They’re pursuing careers in STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and math.

Since their time in the mobile app competition, the girls have gone on to major in areas of medicine, computer science and cybersecurity in college.

“Technovation is the reason I wanted to pursue computer science in the first place,” said alum Ashley Chen.

Technovation is a tech education nonprofit that encourages middle- and high-school girls to explore STEM careers. For six years in a row, teams fill the U.S. Bank boardroom each spring to pitch executives their ideas, ranging from water preservation to suicide prevention and cultural literacy. The partnership with Technovation is one of several at U.S. Bank to increase the representation of women in tech; the bank is also a longtime sponsor of Girls Who Code, Girls Inc. and Girls with Impact.

During their time in Technovation, Chen, Clare Dixon and Prapthi Jayesh Sirrkay worked on a number of projects, including:

An app that teaches people to buy and sell stocks through game playA college application app specifically for technical and community collegesA donation app that would help nonprofit organizations pick up donations from donors at a scheduled time and locationA mentorship app that connects experts with girls interested in STEMAn artificial intelligence hand detection software that could improve communication for hard-of-hearing individuals in commercial settings

Prapthi Jayesh Sirrkay 

Prapthi Jayesh Sirrkay is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, majoring in genetics, cell biology and development on the pre-med track. She is currently involved in cardiovascular research and plans to become a physician.

Jayesh Sirrkay’s passion for the STEM field was inspired by her time in Technovation. “Technovation was a great experience because it inspired me to pursue my goals despite the significant disparity between men and women in the medical field,” she said.

Ashley Chen

Today, Ashley Chen is finishing up her sophomore year as a computer science major at the University of Minnesota and eventually plans to get a PhD in computer science. At school, she is a part of Code the Gap, a student organization dedicated to teaching underrepresented minorities in middle school and high school how to code.

Technovation has had a big impact on where Chen is today.

“Before Technovation, I had zero interest in coding,” she said. “I thought it was hard and boring. However, Technovation allowed me to get first-hand experience with coding and helped me discover I really liked it.”

She stays connected with Technovation by volunteering for some of its coding events as a mentor.

Clare Dixon

Clare Dixon is currently a senior at Eagan High School and is attending UW-Platteville in the fall of 2023 to pursue a bachelors degree in cybersecurity.

“Technovation brought out my ideation skills on how to solve problems and identify solutions that have already been created to see if there is a gap in the market,” she said.

Dixon credits her Technovation experience with helping her learn how to work in a fast-paced team environment.

To learn more about Technovation, go to technovationmn.org

 

Energized by Edison

When Paul Chhay puts on his hard hat each day, he is reminded of the lineman who took the time to introduce him to a long, rewarding career. Chhay had been a meter reader at Southern California Edison for six months when he became intrigued about how linemen help keep the lights on.

Lineman Craig Blair took Chhay to SCE’s pole yard behind the Westminster Service Center and showed him how to climb poles. That’s when Chhay knew he had found his calling. “Craig took the time to show me the ropes. I didn’t have a hard hat, so he let me use his,” Chhay said. “After two weeks of training, he told me to keep the hard hat. That’s the one I still wear to this day.”

Chhay says he has encountered few Asian Pacific Islanders in this line of work. “It’s a trade that wasn’t really shown to us growing up in our culture. It’s usually passed on by relatives, like a father, grandfather or uncle,” said Chhay, who is Cambodian American. He hopes that through Edison International’s Lineworker Scholarship, more diverse candidates will pursue a career at SCE.

“If you like to work in the elements, work outdoors and feel a sense of pride in your work, I highly recommend giving it a shot,” he said.

Edison International is now accepting applications for the 2023 Lineworker Scholarship Program, in partnership with IBEW Local 47, to provide opportunities for people from underrepresented communities. The program launched in 2021, focusing on attracting Black participants for the first two years. So far, five scholarship recipients have been hired by SCE as groundmen. This year, the focus has been expanded to attract Asian Pacific Islander, Native American or female candidates.

“We are inspired by what our scholars have accomplished and proud that some of them have already been hired at Southern California Edison,” said Heather Rivard, SCE’s senior vice president of Transmission & Distribution. “Expanding the eligibility criteria will continue to increase representation in the lineworker skilled trade and build a workforce that reflects the communities and companies we serve.”

Nicole Taylor was working in a chiropractor’s office in El Segundo while participating in an apprenticeship readiness program, which is how she learned about the Edison scholarship. Today, Taylor is a lineworker scholarship recipient attending the Powerline Mechanic Training course at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College.

“There are mental barriers you have to go through during training. The encouragement and camaraderie through group climbing sessions or a simple group text has been helpful,” she said.

The scholarship program is funded by Edison International shareholders and IBEW Local 47, awarding up to $25,000 per recipient. The scholarship program provides tuition, tools and support services needed to complete required training at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. Program graduates will be eligible to qualify for a job at SCE as a groundman.

“My advice to women considering applying is to ensure your body strength is on point. Get in shape, both mentally and physically,” said Taylor. “At the end of the day, when I take off my pole climbing gaffs, I think it is getting easier every time. There is fear, yet it can be conquered.”

To apply and obtain additional eligibility information, visit edison.com/lineworkerscholarship. The deadline to apply is May 5.

March 21, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The latest report from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which lays out the current and growing impacts of the global climate crisis, is “devastating and harrowing—and yet it holds out hope,” said Ceres CEO and President Mindy Lubber.

“The sobering takeaway of the report is that we are headed to exceed 1.5 degrees of global warming within the next decade. However, the world’s leading scientists also tell us in the same report that we have the power to avert more catastrophic damage,” added Lubber. “Taking bold action right now could result in transformational change essential for a more stable climate and water-secure future. The next few years will determine if we can achieve this future and every major investor, company, and policymaker has a profound role to play.”

The report dramatically underscores the negative effect the climate crisis continues to have on our economic and national security, and the clear urgency for financial, technological and governmental coordination to spur meaningful change. It points out that embracing deep, rapid, and sustained transformative action to reduce emissions can help pave the way for a clean future. A record number of institutional investors and corporations have already been expanding and deepening their climate commitments in the past few years. However, they are moving too slowly to show how they are going to achieve these commitments. Key to demonstrating progress and improving transparency and accountability are Investor Climate Action Plans (ICAPs) and Climate Transition Action Plans (CTAPs).

“Every investor should have an ambitious action plan in place by the end of the year, and every company should be implementing their transition plans by early 2024,” Lubber added. “Policymakers should build upon the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, the largest federal investment in climate action, to make further progress towards cutting emissions in half by 2030. Private sector action plans coupled with historic investments and incentives are essential to building a stronger, more resilient economy as quickly and as equitably as possible.”

“The transition is already reducing shareholder exposure to billions of dollars’ worth of climate risk, unlocking the potential for trillions of dollars of investment in clean energy, creating good paying jobs and building sustainable infrastructure including the construction of offshore wind farms, installing solar panels, manufacturing electric vehicles, and creating net zero buildings,” Lubber added. “Moving forward, we need to provide opportunities for everyone, especially populations which have too often been left behind. And we have seen that vulnerable communities, including low-income and communities of color, are the ones most adversely affected by climate pollution.”

The IPCC report joins the steady drum beat of reminders over the fast past few years that our window of opportunity to prevent further damage is closing fast. By working together, the world can ensure future reports highlight historic emission reductions and transformative progress. Ceres will continue to engage investors to raise their ambition and support investment aligned with a zero emissions economy through the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative and the Paris Aligned Investment Initiative. Ambition 2030 builds on this global effort as it works to decarbonize the full value and supply chains of six of the heaviest-emitting sectors—banking, electric power, food and agriculture, oil and gas, steel, and transportation.

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies, and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.

Media Contact: Reginald Zimmerman