Month: March 2023

According to recent research conducted by 3BL Media and TriplePundit in partnership with Glow, interest in sustainability and social impact issues is on the rise in the United States. The survey, which polled 3,648 U.S. adults from December 13-15, 2022, found that 67% of respondents regularly read news about sustainability, the environment, or social well-being.

The survey revealed that this interest is not limited to specific demographics. Respondents from all generations, genders, geographies, and income levels expressed a desire to learn more about sustainability and social impact. Despite inflation and recession concerns, climate change was ranked among the most pressing issues facing society today, with respondents across all age groups, income brackets, and geographic regions agreeing.

However, the research found that consumers are not satisfied with the level of commitment from businesses when it comes to tackling environmental and social challenges, saying companies should be doing more.

But they aren’t solely pointing the finger at business, as the data shows that consumers are willing to make changes in their own lives to reduce their impact on the planet, such as shopping secondhand, using reusable or refillable products, and buying less overall.

The results of the survey present a unique opportunity for businesses. Consumers are ready for change and eager to learn about new ideas and innovations that can make a measurable difference. Companies that step up and demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and social impact issues can earn consumers’ trust, build brand reputation and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Download the key findings for insights on how to advance your ESG programs and communicate with customers here.

This blog is part of our People Behind Purpose at Cisco series that focuses on employees driving Cisco’s purpose to Power an Inclusive Future for All. Each blog highlights a different Cisco employee whose work positively impacts people, communities, or the planet. The series was formerly known as people behind Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Cisco.

Cisco’s Global Energy Management and Sustainability (GEMS) team is responsible for energy and sustainability initiatives across our global real estate portfolio with objectives to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Read more about our sustainability efforts in our real estate operations on Cisco’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) Reporting Hub.

Ned Bagno is on the GEMS team and manages the EnergyOps program, which focuses on identifying and implementing energy efficiency and onsite solar projects across our buildings worldwide. He shares more about his background and experience, and what he looks forward to in the future.

Can you tell me a bit about your path to working at Cisco?

Ned: Following my electronics teacher’s advice in high school, I joined the US Navy because he told me they had an excellent electronics program. Working on shipboard electrical, electronic, and security systems prepared me for my future in the job market, where I specialized in building process control systems, mainly for manufacturing facilities. That evolved into specializing in troubleshooting and designing large corporate physical security systems.

Later, I joined Cisco as a contractor in corporate security, and, after a short time, I became a full-time employee. I worked on high-visibility projects, like our Bangalore, India, campus security, earthquake early warning systems in San Jose, California, and the corporate security command center in one of our San Jose campus buildings, to name a few.

I joined Cisco’s GEMS team ten years ago. At the time, we were setting our previous Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions reduction goals. Over the next five years, I managed two tracks of our EnergyOps program, and, in 2017, I began managing the entire program.

Can you explain what the EnergyOps program does?

Ned: EnergyOps is our program to reduce the environmental impact of our facilities. Our approach to reducing GHG emissions associated with our real estate is to increase the energy efficiency of our buildings, while investing in renewable energy. This combined approach has allowed us to avoid increases in overall building energy consumption, despite increases in lab loads and equipment energy consumption, while reducing carbon emissions associated with our real estate.

Through the EnergyOps program and our investments in renewable energy, we were able to achieve (one year early) our previous goal to reduce Cisco’s total Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions worldwide by 60% absolute by fiscal year (FY) 2022 (compared to a FY 2007 base year). These successes also provided a foundation on which to set our current broader net-zero goal and near-term targets. [1]

What kind of projects do you do?

We’ve completed hundreds of projects, from simple retrofits to extensive equipment replacements. We typically purchase or lease existing buildings rather than build new ones, so, there are often energy efficiency opportunities in our building portfolio. We also advise our broader real estate team on energy-efficient options when we update our buildings or when equipment is replaced.

We begin the project development process by performing detailed analyses to understand how the building system is operating, and to identify opportunities to improve efficiency. Through our analyses, we find areas where we can make changes, such as adjusting building setpoints for optimal efficiency, or adding variable frequency drives that adjust to the current equipment load and consume less energy. Other types of projects we pursue are energy-efficient upgrades to lighting systems and large mechanical equipment, such as chillers and boilers. We’ve installed economizers that use outside air to help cool our buildings when outdoor temperatures permit. Additionally, we have installed cold/hot air containment systems that help manage heat and reduce hot spots in our energy-intensive labs and data centers.

Our projects also help us pursue green building certifications at our sites, such as U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the WELL Building Standard.

Favorite projects you worked on over the last year?

I’m working on an Artificial Intelligence (AI) project at our Allen, Texas, data center. The objective of the project is to use AI to better understand how the existing building automation system operates and to optimize its sequence of operations. This project is estimated to reduce energy consumption in the chiller plant by more than 30%. There’s definitely a learning curve for the humans using the AI as well!

Another interesting installation was a chiller and ice storage project we completed at our campus in Ottawa, Canada. During the project, we replaced the entire cooling plant and added numerous ice-storage tanks. The system makes ice at night when energy is both lower cost and less carbon intensive. During the day, we use the ice, instead of the chillers, to cool the building and our data center for 6+ hours a day. This project helps us save money, reduces our carbon footprint and reduces strain on the local electric grid. We’re now looking at replicating this innovative project and design at a few of our other locations.

What’s next for the GEMS team and the EnergyOps program?

We’re very focused on making progress towards our FY 2025 Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions reduction goal. We plan to invest approximately US$39 million from FY 2023 to FY 2025 in three areas: energy efficiency, renewable energy, and electrification. Over the next few years, we hope to convert many of our natural gas heating systems to electric and install new onsite solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at several campuses. We also plan to expand our investment in offsite renewable energy by executing over 500 megawatts (MW) of new, long-term renewable energy contracts by the end of FY 2025.

We’re excited to continue our work, knowing that our efforts contribute towards Cisco’s purpose to Power an Inclusive Future for All.

[1] Cisco has set a goal to reach net zero across its value chain (Scopes 1, 2, and 3) by 2040. Our net-zero goal includes two near-term targets:

To reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions 90% and neutralizing any remaining emissions by removing an equal amount from the atmosphere by FY 2025 compared to our 2019 FY;To reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services, upstream transportation and distribution, and use of sold products 30% by FY 2030 compared to our 2019 FY.

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Gildan is pleased to share that the Company recently hosted a free, three-day ophthalmological event in the Guerra municipality of the Dominican Republic, providing free preventative eye care checkups for over 200 people from the Guerra community. The event was organized in partnership with Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) and the Dominico-Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CANCHAM-RD), with additional support from Gildan volunteers who dedicated more than 100 hours of community volunteering. This was Gildan’s fourth rendition of the event.

Held in Gildan’s textile facility in San Antonio de Guerra, the event brought together optometry experts, professors, and interns from the New England College of optometry in Boston, who provided consultations to members of the community of all ages. Additionally, they hosted educational talks about health care and nutrition, empowering people to take their health into their own hands.

“This is yet another initiative that creates meaningful advancements in the communities where we operate by promoting healthy living, as part of our Next Generation ESG strategy,” said Victor Almonte, Manager of Communications and CSR in the Dominican Republic. “It gave the Guerra community access to optical healthcare, which is known to be expensive and difficult to access in this region. Most importantly, it allowed community members to learn about best eye care practices, improving their wellbeing and helping them lead healthier lives,” he continued.

Providing free vision checkups is just one of the ways in which Gildan cares for its communities and continues on its journey of Making Apparel Better®. Find out more about some of Gildan’s community investment efforts, here.

State-of-the-art technology to improve energy efficiency by up to 20 percentCompany makes €50 Mio investment to upgrade plantAnother step towards a sustainable local circular economy

PERRYSBURG, Ohio, March 30, 2023 /3BL Media/ – O-I Glass, Inc. (“O-I Glass” or “O-I”) completed a €50 million investment to advance the sustainability of its plant in Vayres, France by installing the latest gas-oxygen combustion technology and heat recovery systems. These investments in the sustainable performance of the plant are set to reduce energy consumption and lower CO2 emissions by up to 20 percent. In addition to the decarbonizing impacts, these new technologies also reduce NOX emission by up to 60 percent. When combined with the plant’s high usage of recycled glass, the positive impact on greenhouse gas reduction and energy use is bringing to life O-I’s vision to be the most innovative and sustainable glass packaging provider.

With more than 400 million bottles produced each year, the Vayres plant is a key site dedicated to modern high-tech glassmaking. It is the only glass factory in the Gironde, located in the immediate vicinity of the famous Bordeaux and Cognac vineyards.

“The Vayres investment is emblematic of O-I’s holistic approach to address sustainability by increasing energy efficiency, upgrading furnaces, creating more resilient supply chains, and forging strategic partnerships,” said Randy Burns, Chief Sustainability Officer for O-I. “Our sustainable commitment will help move us toward a truly circular economy for packaging that leverages the infinite recyclability of glass.”

For Thibaut Guichard, Vayres plant manager, “this is a strategic project that has been successfully completed. It is a strong expression of O-I’s determination to advance our sustainability roadmap, and it has received the support of the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME). The Vayres plant brings together modern real-life technology, know-how, and capabilities. 80% of our customers are located within a 100 kilometer radius and our plant supports the local economy, local wine producers and a local recycling system – a perfect example towards building a sustainable local circular economy.”

About O-I Glass

At O-I Glass, Inc. (NYSE: OI), we love glass and we’re proud to be one of the leading producers of glass bottles and jars around the globe. Glass is not only beautiful, it’s also pure and completely recyclable, making it the most sustainable rigid packaging material. Headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio (USA), O-I is the preferred partner for many of the world’s leading food and beverage brands. We innovate in line with customers’ needs to create iconic packaging that builds brands around the world. Led by our diverse team of more than 24,000 people across 69 plants in 19 countries, O-I achieved net sales of $6.9 billion in 2022. Learn more about us: o-i.com / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn

CONTACT: 

JIM WOODS 
Public Relations Lead
James.Woods@o-i.com
724.732.5748