Month: March 2023

Cisco’s purpose is to Power an Inclusive Future for All, and this includes ensuring a sustainable and regenerative future for our planet. We’re leveraging our scale and innovation to help ensure that our increasingly digital future is sustainable, fair, and resilient. We are doing this by decarbonizing our operations, supply chain, and products; transitioning to renewable energy; and helping customers and communities reduce their impacts and adapt to a changing world.

Mary de Wysocki, Cisco’s first Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), shares her experience designing for impact, her objectives as she leads Cisco’s sustainability efforts, and how we can work together to create more sustainable and resilient communities.

Before stepping into this role, you led Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), education, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives for Cisco. How did that experience provide a foundation for the work you are focusing on today?

Mary: The learnings I’ve had on a purely social impact side over the last 20 years have allowed me to understand the philosophy of shared value, which was first introduced in 2011. Shared value is how a company can have policies and practices that help to advance the business while also helping individuals and communities where it operates thrive. Think of it like an expanding sphere of influence. Our purpose builds on and deepens this philosophy. When we say we are Powering an Inclusive Future for All, we mean for our business and our communities, our customers, partners, suppliers and other stakeholders. These groups are linked, and we can only achieve an inclusive future for all by all – meaning by working in partnership towards common goals.

There is also the Theory of Change, which is a methodology that explains how taking certain steps can lead to specific changes. Through my prior roles, I’ve seen the difference between theory and what you need to do on the ground to make an impact. For example, after Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. Gulf Coast, Cisco wanted to help the affected communities, and we felt that the communities couldn’t recover if they didn’t have schools up and working. So, I went to New Orleans and Mississippi to develop Cisco’s 21st Century Schools Initiative with local school districts. This experience allowed me to think beyond the initial response and focus long-term: how can we create resilient communities?

As I shift into my CSO role, I am still thinking about designing for impact. When making public goals, such as positively impacting 1 billion people by 2025, we need to do the work to define the outcomes we are looking for and plan in ways that allow us to pivot, make shifts, and changes. It’s important to understand what it takes to design for impact and how to execute that plan to make that impact a reality.

What are your primary objectives as CSO?

Mary: First, being Cisco´s CSO is an honor and privilege. There is a rich history of hundreds of people across the company who have worked passionately in this space. There has always been a sense of community, and I am proud of the network of people who have been setting and achieving goals, carrying the work forward, and making a real impact in this space.

My primary objective as CSO is to steward environmental sustainability initiatives across Cisco. As we think about our strategy, we’re focusing on how we can decarbonize our business and embed circularity. Equally important is looking at how we can enable sustainable growth and innovation. The greatest opportunity is on helping our customers, partners, and other stakeholders decarbonize their business and embed circularity. Cisco’s technology and ecosystem can play a significant role in the twin transition to a digital and low-carbon economy.

We also want to continue enhancing how we report our progress in an authentic and transparent way. As we think about achieving sustainability goals, it often involves a bit of math. How we measure our actions is underpinned by data, which guides our decisions, and it allows us to create more robust conversations with our stakeholders, so they can also make informed decisions around their sustainability commitments. Data helps understand what sustainability strategies work for one community and how we might shift and adapt for another.

Sustainability is integral to Cisco’s purpose to Power an Inclusive Future for All. Can you tell us more about why a sustainable future includes a more inclusive one?

Mary: We can’t have inclusive and resilient communities if we don’t have a healthy planet. As we look at climate change, the communities impacted the most are our most vulnerable. Research shows that people most affected by climate catastrophic events, like hurricanes or droughts, live in poverty. In the Horn of Africa, over 20 million people’s lives and livelihoods are being threatened by drought, and we are working with our nonprofit partner, Mercy Corps, on a climate adaptation and resilience program to support pastoralist farmers in Northeast Kenya, who have been severely impacted by the drought.

When we talk about the twin transition to a digital and low-carbon economy, how do we enable people to participate? As climate changes, people with resources are the ones who can generally better adapt, move to another location or work from anywhere. However, that is only the case for some. Communities at the forefront of the climate crisis lack the resources to adapt to, respond to, and recover from an increasing number of crises, such as extreme weather, food insecurity, and water scarcity, which leads to mass migration and displacement as well as social instability and conflict.

When you think about the impact of climate on those communities, it comes down to resiliency. Communities that can adapt have rigorous infrastructure and the economic capability to withstand it. They have a sense of community and a citizenry that can adapt and be better prepared. There’s an opportunity to empower people to help them build resilient communities that can better withstand the consequences of climate change.

Cisco’s goal to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its value chain (Scopes 1, 2, and 3) by 2040 and near-term targets were approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Can you explain the significance of this?

Mary: The science tells us that to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times requires increased ambition and adoption of robust emissions reduction targets at the pace and scale required by climate science. As we think about the role that Cisco can play in decarbonization, we decided to set a public goal around net zero with near term targets that incorporates a methodology around absolute reductions.

Having external validation from SBTi’s new Net-Zero Standard signals that we are committed to the deep emissions reduction that are needed to reduce global warming. To earn SBTi validation, companies are required to reduce their emissions by at least 90%. This requirement means we can’t rely on carbon offsets for more than 10% of our emissions reduction. This external validation demonstrates that our calculations and approach align with accepted standards and creates transparency and trust among stakeholders.

In 2021, the Cisco Foundation committed $100 million over ten years to fund nonprofit grants and impact investing in climate solutions. Could you share more about this strategy?

Mary: This strategy supports early-stage solutions with the potential to scale and be replicable. It aligns with the long-standing social impact investment strategy that we have leveraged from the Cisco Foundation in disaster response, critical human needs, education, and economic empowerment.

When you think about climate, there is a unique role that Cisco can play. Going back to our net zero goal, we know there’s going to be need for changing practices, such as a shift to regenerative agriculture. We know there will be a need for new innovative decarbonization technologies. Whether it is a nonprofit or an interesting area of impact investing, the Cisco Foundation team has the ability to identify how we can nurture them through the cycle of innovation.

An example from our climate portfolio is Vesta, a hybrid nonprofit/public–benefit enterprise. Their solution is to capture carbon from the atmosphere and support coastal resilience by using the mineral olivine. The carbon-capture properties and safety of olivine have been proven in lab settings. But what happens outside the lab? We are investing in that research and enabling Vesta to test it in real-world circumstances to study its effects on wildlife and ecosystems and to see if it is sequestering carbon at the same pace we saw in the lab. This is an excellent example of designing for impact and how we can foster potentially exciting and effective solutions.

We know we can’t do this alone. How is Cisco helping our customers and the world create a more sustainable future?

Mary: We want to provide solutions that help support sustainability goals.

Our customers want to do more, and our ability to continue driving solutions that can improve energy efficiency can support their scope 1 and 2 GHG reduction goals. Our circular design principles can support customers who want to reduce waste across their value chain. Cisco can play an important part in our customers´ digital transformation. We can help them understand how technology can change how they run their business, whether through hybrid work, creating smart buildings like Cisco’s PENN1, or designing more modular products that are easier to upgrade, repair, and reuse. We can show them how we can use technology to increase impact while reducing their footprint.

A final example I’ll share is our Country Digital Acceleration program, where we collaborate with government leaders to build sustainable, secure, and inclusive communities powered by ethical and innovative technology solutions. For example, in the United Kingdom, we led the E-Flex consortium, an innovation project to prove the potential of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, which can allow unused energy in electric car batteries to be taken back into the electricity grid. If it proves successful at scale, V2G could become a critical part of a lower-carbon future, as well as help energy managers reduce operational costs.

When I think about education, awareness and innovation, it is a journey. Part of the opportunity of being a CSO is being able to harness the inspiration and creativity of our employees, customers, partners and other stakeholders to work towards the climate future we want.

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This month, Land Betterment’s Independent Director, Jennifer Crandall, celebrates the founding of her company, Safe Food En Route, LLC. Jennifer founded Safe Food En Route LLC, a food safety consulting firm that makes reliable corporate level food safety programs accessible to all companies, 5 years ago. The full article can be read here.

Land Betterment could not be more thrilled to have Jennifer on its board. She has twenty-five years of experience in the food safety industry and is a vital member of the team. Jennifer has been particularly valuable in helping Land Betterment to ensure proper corporate governance and technical excellence while staying true to Company’s entrepreneurial roots.  Additionally, Jennifer is an advisor to the Betterment Harvest division. She is a thought leader who is passionate about feeding the world without further impacting the environment.

About Safe Food En Route, LLC and Jennifer Crandall
Safe Food En Route is a Certified Woman’s Business Enterprise focused on evening the playing field in the food industry.  Entrepreneurs and family-owned food business can obtain a full suite of regulatory compliance through the Safe Food En Route team of experts with a focus on Quality Assurance, Food Safety, and Supplier Verification. You get the corporate feel with the personal touch of a small business.  Please visit www.safefoodenroute.com for more information.  

Over the last 25 years, Jennifer has worked with both private and publicly held companies, balancing scientific and regulatory guidance with a clear understanding of operational and manufacturing directives that are crucial to the success of a food business.  Jennifer worked in roles including 8 years in dairy and juice manufacturing and 12 years at Kroger Corporate in their Corporate Food Technology and Sourcing departments. She has worked in various roles exposing her from “farm to fork” which helped her understand the many obstacles within the supply chain. In her last 12 years at Kroger, she was the business lead for developing the software solution initially intended to ensure Kroger’s compliance to applicable FSMA regulations.

Jennifer also makes space for bridging education to industry by being a regular guest lecturer and alumni contact for Purdue University Food Science students; and has served on the Curriculum Advisory Committee for Cincinnati State’s recently approved Culinary Arts and Applied Food Science Bachelor of Arts program. Jennifer has a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science from Purdue University and an Associate’s Degree in Agriculture from Vincennes University. Throughout her career, she has achieved many other certifications to compliment her food safety centered career including HACCP, FSVP, PCQI, BRC Internal Auditor, SQF Practitioner, ServSafe and Gluten Free Certification Program (GFCP).

Betterment Harvest
Betterment Harvest, a Land Betterment company, is a sustainable farming company that has upcycled land that has been previously impacted from prior coal mining and industrial activity. We provide the highest quality of agriculture while providing job opportunities to a region that is in need of sustainable employment. Betterment Harvest is a leading controlled environment agriculture (CEA) company with a highly scalable model and the off-take agreements to support its growth plan.  To learn more about Betterment Harvest visit our website – bettermentharvest.com

About Land Betterment Corporation
Land Betterment Corporation, an Indiana Benefit Corporation and Pending B-Corp, is an environmental solutions company focused on fostering a positive impact through upcycling former coal mining sites to create sustainable community development and job creation.  The Company utilizes a complete solution-based lifecycle program to restore and rehabilitate the environment and revitalize communities in need of change and opportunity. Land Betterment accomplishes this by identifying un-reclaimed, run-down and neglected coal mining sites, fixing the environment through reclamation and remediation, and then repurposing the land to support a sustainable business that serves the community.  Land Betterment firmly believes that with real solutions it is possible for restoration of impacted areas to live side-by-side long term employment, while building sustainable and safe surroundings for communities and our planet.  For more information visit landbetterment.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, or achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.  These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Land Betterment Corporation’s control.  The words “believes”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “would”, “could”, “continue”, “seeks”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “expects”, “intends”, “estimates”, or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words.  Any forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this release.  The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.  The Company cannot assure you that the projected results or events will be achieved.

Company Contacts:
Mark LaVerghetta
317.537.0492 ext. 0
Chief Governance Officer, Corporate Finance
info@landbetterment.com

Stephanie Conzelman
207.205.0790
Stakeholder Engagement Director
info@landbetterment.com

Solar projects in Bay and Madison counties add to the company’s growing renewable generation portfolioAt peak output, each site will generate enough carbon-free electricity to power nearly 23,000 homes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 16, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Duke Energy Florida announced two new solar projects will begin construction later this month in Bay and Madison counties.

The new projects are part of the company’s community solar program, Clean Energy Connection, and advance the company’s commitment to cleaner energy solutions to benefit Florida customers.

Construction on the following sites will begin in March and will take approximately nine to 12 months to complete, creating approximately 200 to 300 temporary jobs during that time.

Mule Creek Renewable Energy Center will be built on approximately 700 acres that includes thoughtful site buffers for the community in Bay County, Fla. Once operational, the 74.9-megawatt (MW) facility will consist of approximately 175,000 solar panels. 
 After a successful community open house, Winquepin Renewable Energy Center will be built on approximately 530 acres in Madison County, Fla. Once operational, the 74.9-MW facility will consist of approximately 220,000 solar panels.

At peak output, each site will generate enough carbon-free electricity to power what would be equivalent to around 23,000 homes.

“These new renewable energy projects not only help strengthen the energy diversity in the state and advance our clean energy goals, but they also bring additional economic benefits to the communities we serve,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president.

Based on Duke Energy Florida’s current fuel mix, each 74.9-MW solar facility displaces about 1.2 million cubic feet of natural gas, 15,000 barrels of fuel oil and 12,000 tons of coal each year.

In 2022, because of high fuel prices and the benefits from initial tax credits due to a new federal law, the Inflation Reduction Act, Duke Energy Florida’s solar power plants will save customers more than $30 million.

Clean Energy Connection program

Through the Clean Energy Connection program, Duke Energy Florida customers can subscribe to solar power and earn credits toward their electricity bills without having to install or maintain their own equipment.

Customers subscribe to a portion of solar energy from the company’s Clean Energy Connection solar portfolio. The monthly subscription fee will help pay for the cost of construction and operation of the renewable energy centers and is conveniently added to a customer’s regular electric bill. Customers also receive a corresponding subscription credit that represents their share of the energy produced by the solar centers in a given month, multiplied by the subscription credit rate, which escalates over the life of the subscription.

Duke Energy Florida customers who are interested in the program can learn more through the Clean Energy Connection website.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2022 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “World’s Best Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Audrey Stasko 
Media line: 800.559.3853 
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS

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Paramount Pictures Green Team is a 30-member coalition; representing every major division within the company, working towards a three-pronged strategy: employee education and engagement, studio facility enhancements and sustainable production. The Green Team, in partnership with Paramount Studios’ Environmental Health, Safety and Security Team, hosted an E-waste drive in January. The studio has worked with Homeboy Industries for several years to help collect and responsibly dispose of e-waste. These drives are historically hosted at the top of each year to divert e-waste from landfills and promote upcycling after busy holiday shopping with a fall collection added due to popular demand. Together, the Green Team collected more than 2,300 pounds of electronic waste for proper disposal, repair for reuse or recycling for January’s E-waste drive!

SAN FRANCISCO, AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, March 16, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), has launched a new membership model for companies with a revenue of over $100 million to encourage more in the industry to work towards including sustainability as part of their business.

The new Candidate membership model will offer businesses insight into what it means to be a full SAC member, and provide clarity on the expectations of members to help them better determine if their company’s sustainability goals align with those of the SAC and its global membership. It will create greater opportunities for companies to engage with the SAC and gain support on their sustainability journeys.

As a Candidate member, businesses will have access to the SAC membership community, the Higg Platform and all five Higg Index tools that together assess the social and environmental performance of the value chain and the environmental impacts of products, including the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM), Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (FSLM), Higg Brand & Retail Module (BRM), Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI), and Higg Product Module (PM).

All companies who express interest to become a Candidate member will be evaluated by the SAC on certain criteria including suitability, commitment, goals, and abilities. The new Candidate membership will allow companies access for up to two years, following which they will be required to transition into full membership at the SAC.

Andrew Martin, Executive Vice President at the SAC said: “We are delighted to introduce the Candidate membership model and for the opportunity to engage with more companies. We believe it presents a great opportunity to further expand the SAC’s reach within the apparel and footwear industry while also creating opportunities to expand our reach into adjacent sectors within the consumer goods industry to drive further progress and deliver greater impact. As a global convener of almost half the apparel and footwear industry, we believe the reach and diversity of our members is our most powerful lever for collective action and providing greater inclusivity for all sizes of businesses is critical if we are to move the industry forward.”

Erlinda Lee, Senior Manager, Global Membership Development at the SAC said: “We are excited to launch the Candidate membership model that offers a pathway to SAC membership for medium to large companies committed to positively impacting people and the planet. We recognize that not all businesses are at the same stage of the journey, and hope that through this membership model, more companies can better understand how they can introduce and implement initiatives to accelerate their sustainability journey.”

Indira Chauhan, Senior Ethical Manager at George@Asda said: “George at Asda is excited to join the SAC under their new Candidate model membership. This will give us a great opportunity to collaborate with other members and with the help of SAC’s Higg Index tools, it will enable us to further strengthen and drive sustainability improvements throughout our supply chain too.”

Michelle Herfeldt, Sustainability Manager, Tchibo said: “Tchibo is excited to join the SAC as the first Candidate member. In the journey towards net-zero we are at a time where the industry needs to increase efforts to bring down GHG emissions to reach the 1,5 °C target. The collection of primary and standardized data is essential to increase our efforts towards environmental challenges in our supply chains. Solutions need to be tailor-made and adapted to the specific and individual needs of our partners.

Knowing the majority of our suppliers are already using the SAC tools, we can seize the opportunity to connect with them and jointly implement measures that help build a sustainable, safer and environmentally-friendly production. The Candidate membership gives us the chance to be part of the community while at the same time have the flexibility to evaluate the tools’ applicability for our business before adapting them at full scale.”

To inquire about SAC membership, contact the SAC’s Membership Development team. For more information on the new Candidate membership and other membership types, please download our Membership Brochure.

– ENDS –

About the Sustainable Apparel Coalition:

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is an independent and impact-creating organization that aims to lead the industry toward a shared vision of sustainability based upon a joint approach for measuring, evaluating, and improving performance.

As a non-profit organization, it has members from across the apparel, footwear and textile sector, but exists independently outside any one company so that it can drive progress. The SAC’s collective action efforts bring more than 280 global brands, retailers, manufacturers, NGOs, academics and industry associations together. They represent about half of the apparel and footwear industry along the whole supply chain – from sustainability pioneers to organizations just getting started.

Before the SAC existed, organizations worked in a siloed way, using their own programs and measurements that lacked standardization and an ability to drive collective action. In 2009, Walmart and Patagonia identified this as a serious problem. Joining forces, they brought together peers and competitors from across the sector, to develop a universal approach to measuring sustainability performance and founded the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.

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