Month: July 2023

Developing a fiber-based packaging portfolio for e-commerce shipping may sound easy—just change from plastic to paper, right? But it’s much more complicated than that.

SEE® (formerly Sealed Air) protective packaging performance has been at the forefront of the industry since we introduced the world to BUBBLE WRAP® brand cushioning more than 50 years ago. At SEE, product protection always comes first, so when we took to creating paper-based packaging solutions for e-commerce, we knew our customers would expect the best.

Curbside Recyclability

Whether it’s paper, plastic, or a combination of the two, SEE takes packaging recyclability claims seriously. Our definition of recyclable means a packaging material or solution must meet all three of the criteria below, before we will label a solution recyclable:

Can be collected at a curbside or drop-off by at least 60% of the populationCan be sorted by the material recovery facility (MRF) to which it is sentCan be recycled into a commercially viable product

As it pertains to our innovation portfolio for paper e-commerce mailers, our solutions have met these criteria, which is why we label them “widely” or “curbside” recyclable. While paper recycling rates remain high around the world, we nonetheless always suggest consumers check and follow local guidelines.

Proven Performance

A critical element of the packaging lifecycle is to ensure the package successfully completes its primary function: product protection. Package or product damage that occurs at any point during transit could result in a return or replacement, at which point all the resources that went into the first product and its transportation are lost, and if replaced, can more than double the sustainability impact of the order.

Adding paper options to our portfolio of e-commerce mailers is a great way to improve our customers’ sustainability profile—but only if the performance of that packaging measures up. That’s why in addition to ensuring our solutions are tested against International Safe Transit Association standards, we also offer packaging design and performance consultations through our network of packaging design application centers.

Another way fiber-based mailers add to sustainability benefits is by reducing the package-to-product ratio when compared to a standard box. Research shows e-commerce consumers want a product to occupy at least 75% of a package. Mailers not only help by rightsizing, they’re also typically smaller and weigh less than corrugated boxes.

Process Automation

Discrete mailers, such as our traditional paper mailers, the return-ready mailer, and the paper bubble mailer are filled, sealed, and labeled manually. But in larger operations, where speed and efficiency are more critical, our AUTOBAG® brand automated bagging and printing systems have helped e-commerce and D2C retailers fulfill high volumes of orders quickly, including custom printing and labeling.

Automated bagging and printing systems were originally designed for rolls of poly film or poly-coated paper to ensure the material ran smoothly through the system. But now—with the driving force to bring sustainability and efficiency together—SEE introduces the new AUTOBAG® brand 850S that runs paper material specifically designed to be flexible and strong, and does not contain nor is coated with PET.

That means for the first time—and only available from SEE—e-commerce and D2C retailers have the opportunity to use 100% circular packaging made with recycled and renewable raw materials, curbside recyclable, and designed for use in an automated bagging, sealing, and printing system.

Responsibly Sourced, Renewable Materials

Use of recycled and renewable raw materials such as the wood fiber in paper, is a critical component of the circular economic model. Renewable resources can be naturally replaced in a finite amount of time on a human scale.

We believe it is critical that in addition to bringing renewable raw materials into the mix, that we support the replacement of trees used for paper production. Fiber source certification such as those we follow from the Sustainable Forestry Initiatives, Forest Stewardship Council, and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification promote sustainable forest management and ensure fiber sources are replenished in a responsible way.

Originally published on SEE’s website.

BELLEVUE, Wash., July 26, 2023 /3BL/ – T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS), the T-Mobile Foundation and Ashoka today announced the 15 finalists of the 2023 Changemaker Challenge, a nationwide contest that offers youth between the ages of 13 and 18 the opportunity to fast track their innovative solutions for creating a more connected, equitable and sustainable future through networking, mentorship and seed money.

Winning ideas from the 2023 Changemaker Challenge, now it its fifth year, came from teams focused on three project categories: Digital Empowerment, Equity in Action and Thriving Planet. Entries addressed important issues ranging from mental health and AI tools that help children with autism to the protection of honeybees and conversion of CO2 into more oxygen for the planet.

Finalists will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to T-Mobile’s headquarters in Bellevue, Wash. in October for an immersive Changemaker Lab, where they will work with mentors from T-Mobile to develop their presentation skills and business acumen and take advantage of networking opportunities. Each team also receives $5,000 in seed money to fund their projects.

“The T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge continues to be a launching pad for the next generation of leaders who see real opportunities to change our world for the better by challenging the status quo with smart, innovative solutions to issues affecting our global community,” said Janice V. Kapner, chief communications and corporate responsibility officer at T-Mobile.

This year, one project per category has already been named a category winner and will receive an additional $5,000 in seed funding. Each winner will get the opportunity to pitch their projects to T-Mobile senior leaders at the Lab for the chance to win another $5,000 as the grand prize — for a total of $15,000.

The category winners this year include:

KidsMates (Equity in Action) which supports the wellbeing of children with incarcerated parents by offering them and their caregivers resources and community.Go Green Filter (Thriving Planet) which converts the CO2 emissions from cars into oxygen via a filter containing algae, water, and light.Lemonerdy University (Digital Empowerment), a peer-to-peer education platform that employs youth as instructors in STEM subjects.

Inspired by America’s youth activism, the T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge was created in partnership with the T-Mobile Foundation and Ashoka, an organization with more than 40 years of experience supporting social entrepreneurs and young changemakers as they bring new ideas to systemically address the world’s biggest challenges and build a world where we all realize our power to create change.

“These young people have powerful initiatives for making change in their communities, from new ideas to safeguard biodiversity to shaping more equitable societies, and they truly exemplify what we mean when we talk about changemaking abilities, from empathy and leadership to teamwork,” said Tia Johnston Brown, executive director for Ashoka Youth Years U.S. “This year’s T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge cohort shows how novel ideas to conventional ways of thinking have the potential to unleash big changes in the world.”

2023 T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge Finalists

For more details about each finalist project, check out the 2023 T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge Lookbook.

Equity in Action – Top Category Winner
KidsMates (Boca Raton, FL)
Supports the wellbeing of children with incarcerated parents by offering them and their caregivers resources and community. This is helping create better spaces for bonding between incarcerated parents and their children while raising awareness about this under-discussed issue.

Thriving Planet – Top Category Winner
Go Green Filter (Kennett Square, PA)
An invention that converts the CO2 emissions from cars into oxygen via a filter containing algae, water, and light.

Digital Empowerment – Top Category Winner
Lemonerdy University (Chicago, IL)
A peer-to-peer education platform that employs youth as instructors in STEM subjects.

Additional Finalists

Equity in Action
WeGo! Hawaii (Honolulu, HI)
WeGo! Hawaii helps young women discover and pursue their passions through leadership workshops and spaces for community-building and empowerment.

RestVest (Wilton, CT)
RestVest is a weighted vest that employs deep pressure therapy to calm the nervous system and help the wearer with stress and anxiety, aiding rising populations of youth struggling with mental health conditions.

SIREN (San Jose, CA)
SIREN is a gunshot detector and communicator that’s designed to transmit information about an active shooter situation in real time.

Magical Motors (Phoenix, AZ)
Magical Motors re-engineers rideable toy cars to be hand-controlled for children with developmental disabilities, offering new possibilities for movement and self-expression.

Thriving Planet
Seeds of Hope (Aurora, IL)
Seeds of Hope is building and stocking seed libraries in spaces like schools and libraries, placing the power of re-establishing plant species native to Illinois back in the hands of community members.

Save Our Bees! (Orlando, FL)
Save Our Bees! has invented an organic treatment for small hive beetles, a pest that plagues honeybee hives.

SunShutters (Sugar Land, TX)
SunShutters is a solar-powered car shade system that helps drivers control the interior temperature of their vehicles in a sustainable way.

Refillie (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
Refillie reduces laundry detergent waste by promoting a locally sourced alternative, accessible by a card-activated dispenser in student dorms.

Digital Empowerment
CapyChat (Mercer Island, WA)
CapyChat is an AI-powered communication tool that helps children with autism express themselves.

Space City Tech (Houston, TX)
Space City Tech offers free community science programs to marginalized communities in the Houston area, promoting inclusivity and diversity in STEM.

MyPy Coding (McLean, VA)
MyPy Coding’s team of over 100 tutors offers free, virtual, one-on-one coding lessons to second through eighth graders.

Duckie (Carlsbad, CA)
Duckie will be a Chromebook extension that helps students with ADHD with their time management, productivity, and organization skills.

For more information about the T-Mobile Changemaker Challenge, visit t-mobile.com/changemaker.

About T-Mobile
T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com.

About T-Mobile Foundation
The T-Mobile Foundation is committed to changing the world for good by uplifting the causes T-Mobile employees care about most, and by providing opportunities for T-Mobile employees to engage in causes that benefit the communities where they live and work. The T-Mobile Foundation, created and funded by T-Mobile US, Inc., is recognized by the IRS as a Section 501(c)(3) private foundation.

About Ashoka
Ashoka is the largest global network of leading social entrepreneurs—individuals with new ideas to systemically address the world’s biggest challenges and the entrepreneurial skill to transform those ideas into national, regional and global social impact. Over 40 years, Ashoka has supported nearly 4,000 social entrepreneurs in more than 90 countries with solutions addressing society’s most pressing issues. Ashoka’s vision is a world in which Everyone is a Changemaker—a society that responds quickly and effectively to challenges, and where each individual has the freedom, confidence and societal support to address any social problem.

Originally published in Paramount’s 2021-2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report

As with other companies that have no significant manufacturing or extracting operations, the vast majority of our emissions are indirect and through our value chain. As a result, this area is a significant focus of our work. Our ESG strategy includes a focus on mitigating environmental and social impacts in our supply chain. We also work proactively toward deepening overall transparency and supplier diversity.

Paramount’s supply chain primarily relies on the people who help create and produce our content, from writers and producers to on-screen talent and an extensive network of production crews. We also engage with specialized technology, materials, and service providers associated with the production and distribution of our films and shows. As our company pivots toward a greater focus on streaming, we are also taking steps to understand the environmental and social impacts of those platforms. The media industry is still working to understand the impact of the downstream digital media value chain, and we are actively keeping up with the methodologies under development. We are working with our technology vendor teams and content delivery network partners to understand the largest impacts associated with streaming and to identify sustainable solutions. This section covers products and services procured for Paramount productions, operations, and facilities. For more information on our approach to managing the impact of our consumer products business, please refer to the following report chapter here.

Mapping Our Supply Chain: Environmental Impacts 

We continually work to better understand the impacts of our supply chain. This includes accurately measuring and reporting Scope 3 emissions across our value chain, which is an important part of our continued work to set an emissions reduction target under the Science Based Targets initiative.

In 2021, we built upon previous work to expand and improve reporting on Scope 3 emissions as it relates to our suppliers. We use the GHG Protocol, the most commonly used GHG calculation framework, to estimate our supply chain emissions using spend. To do so, we use databases that provide emissions factors of the average amount of carbon dioxide per dollar spent for a wide variety of industries and products. While we recognize that the values are ultimately estimated, we are following a standard process for companies in our industry and will continue to improve the accuracy of our GHG inventory over time.

We are currently working to map our Scope 3 impacts – on an aggregated basis, estimated based on expenses – to more granular business units and vendors. Working from this estimate, we then identify suppliers that can provide actual consumption and emissions data, based on spend level and our ability to impact their emissions reductions. In 2021, we increased the number of suppliers providing data, including partners providing office supplies and production shipping and distribution services, so that we could measure emissions from purchased goods and services. We are working to continually engage more vendors each year, while considering at what point vendors are on their sustainability journeys.

As streaming becomes a greater focus of our company, we are attuned to the environmental impacts of this technology. Our streaming platforms include Paramount+, Pluto TV, Showtime OTT, BET+, Noggin, and others.

Although the content we produce does not directly consume electricity, it does so indirectly through the video players and display screens required to view our content. We have reported the emissions to manufacture our home video discs as part of a lifecycle approach to assessing the impacts of our content across certain consumption modes. These emissions are counted as fueland-energy related activities. We also continue to report emissions from the transportation and distribution of Simon & Schuster products and Paramount Pictures theatrical displays.

Sourcing and Procurement 

In 2021, we created a new position for a sustainable sourcing lead to oversee responsible and sustainable procurement for the company. With this dedicated resource, we are working to establish new strategies around sustainable sourcing and procurement, and lead initiatives that support Paramount’s sustainability and ESG commitments with new and existing partners. The sustainable sourcing lead works directly with the Paramount ESG team and Global Sourcing leadership to create company-wide ESG goals and works with Global Sourcing teams to develop supplier strategies and execution plans to ensure achievement of goals.

In Paramount’s automated Request for Proposals (eRFPs) process, conducted by our Global Sourcing team, all participating bidders are requested to respond to ESGspecific questions as part of the bid response. In 2021, of the 68 eRFPs conducted and 273 participating bidders, 45% of bidders responded that they have an Environmental Policy, and 39% indicated they have a Sustainability Program.

In May of 2022, we added Sustainable Sourcing language to our updated Global Sourcing and Procurement Policy, covering the Sourcing and Procurement of Production and Non-Production goods and services.

We manage our procurement across six regions – North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, South America, Asia, and the Middle East and Africa. The bulk of our spending is in the U.S., where we produce most of our content and have our largest corporate office facilities.

Learn more in Paramount’s 2021-2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report

As a global tech leader with more than 83,000 employees across 95 countries, it is critical for Cisco to operate in a way that protects human rights; facilitates diversity, inclusion, and equitable opportunity; empowers vulnerable communities; and protects the planet.

Our holistic approach to environmental sustainability includes how we operate our business, how we engage with suppliers, and how we help customers and communities reduce their environmental impacts and adapt to a changing world.

Today, the world is more connected than ever before, but we’re suffering from new forms of disconnection: from each other, from our health, and from the health of the planet.

As a company, we’re committed to leveraging our unique strengths to power an inclusive future for all. But we can’t have any kind of future if we don’t have a healthy planet. That’s why we’re focusing on not just a sustainable future, but a regenerative one. Regeneration means moving beyond a “doing no harm” mindset to one in which we build the capacity of our social and environmental systems to heal and thrive.

Earth just had its hottest June on record. If we don’t limit global temperature rise to less than 1.5° Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, we will face dramatic consequences, as natural disasters such as floods, more severe and frequent weather events, longer and more severe droughts, and food shortages can be exacerbated by a changing climate.

How do we limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C? In short, the world must reach zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. If that sounds hard, it’s because it will be. But the science says we can get there if we act now and act with urgency.

We must build a sustainable future: one in which we can phase out our reliance on fossil fuels, address a century’s worth of pollution, provide economic opportunity to communities around the world, and align our activities with the physical boundaries of our Earth.

We believe that future is possible, and Cisco can help get us there. We have a plan:

It is possible to power the world with affordable clean energy, so we are helping to digitize smart grids and smart buildings.It is possible to design out waste, so we are re-building products from used ones.It is possible to strengthen nature with technology, so we are using the Internet of Things (IoT) to protect the world’s biodiversity.

This is The Plan for Possible, Cisco’s next generation environmental sustainability strategy.

The progress we make in this decade will be critical for future generations. We’re aligning our environmental strategy to rise to this challenge.

Priority 1: Transition to clean energy

To power the world with renewables, the grid requires updated digital infrastructure to connect diverse, decentralized sources of clean energy. But even as the world electrifies, we must simultaneously reduce the amount of energy used by a connected economy. As a part of this priority, we’ve also set a goal to reach Net Zero across our value chain by 2040, which includes both our supplier and our customer use of energy.

How we’ll do it:

Lead in energy efficiency innovationConnect clean energy and digitize the gridCollaborate with our customers, partners, and suppliers to accelerate the energy transition

Examples of where we’ve already made an impact:

Developing the Silicon One chip to reduce energy consumption while increasing bandwidthPioneering Universal Power Over Ethernet (PoE) to optimize energy use for smart buildingsHelping our supply chain set GHG reduction targets*Partnering to digitize Enel Group’s grid through smarter networks

Priority 2: Evolve the business to circular

Now is the time to transition from an economy that extracts resources and eventually wastes them, to a circular one which finds new uses for products and their inputs. We aim to transform our business to extend the useful life of our products and provide ongoing services.

How we’ll do it:

Adopt and scale business models to extend the value of our products and reduce environmental impactsInvest in technology incubation to be at pace with environmental scienceChampion a digital, nature-positive value chain leveraging our role as one of the largest telecom device companies in the world

Examples of where we’ve already made an impact:

Incorporating circular design principles into 100 percent of new products and packaging by 2025Offering the Cisco Takeback and Reuse Program, which lets customers return hardware that has reached end-of-use, at no cost.Creating the Green Pay circular IT payment solution, increasing value for our customers and our resale businessRemanufacturing devices through Cisco Refresh to give them a new life for our business and planet

Priority 3: Invest in resilient ecosystems

Thriving economies depend on stable environments and inclusive societies. Our value chains benefit from resilient ecosystems, both financial and ecological. It is in our shared interest to help humans and nature navigate a changing climate by investing in regenerative technologies, workforces, and nature itself.

How we’ll do it:

Enable communities to adapt to climate realitiesCultivate skills and talent for the regenerative economyDeploy Cisco technology to protect and restore ecosystems and biodiversityHarness artificial intelligence (AI), IoT, and blockchain to advance regenerative models, powered by energy-efficient infrastructure

Examples of where we’ve already made an impact:

Powering Vibrant Planet’s Data Commons platform to better manage local land use and plan for risks like wildfires**Enhancing London’s Canary Wharf with a connected landscape to optimize the space for engaging with natureProviding analysis capabilities for Vesta to optimize placement of its low-energy carbon sequestration**Supporting Kara Solar in training Indigenous peoples in the Amazon to build and operate solar-powered boats**

Powering possible with enhanced governance

We are embedding sustainability into the way we operate. We intend to stay aligned with the pace of science while ensuring support from the entire organization. The holistic pursuit of equity and sustainability is the only path forward that allows us to maintain the public’s trust in our values.

By pursuing what’s possible, we can accelerate the transition into the digital age while maintaining the health of the planet — and a climate future we all need and desire for future generations to come.

Visit our ESG Reporting Hub for more details on our environmental initiatives.

* We have a goal that 80% of Cisco component, manufacturing, and logistics suppliers by spend have a public, absolute GHG emissions reduction target by FY25. We are at 78% as of FY22.

**Cisco Foundation initiative

View original content here.

Originally published on Black & Veatch Insights

The impacts of climate change are being felt across the globe, especially in coastal areas. According to a physical climate risk study by XDI Cross Dependency Initiative, 40 of the top 50 most at-risk states and provinces will be in China, the United States or India by 2050, with half of all U.S. states in the top 5 percent of those most at risk in the world. With around 70 percent of the world’s coastlines currently experiencing erosion, and sea levels continuing to rise, the loss of land and property — as well as damage to infrastructure such as roads, water systems, buildings and bridges — are of increasing concern.

Coastal erosion is being driven by a combination of natural processes such as waves, tides and storms, and human activities such as coastal development and climate change-induced sea level rise. According to the US Fourth National Climate Assessment,sea level rise rates along the Mid-Atlantic Coast were three to four times higher than the global average rate.

Rising sea levels and changing weather patterns are causing saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources such as aquifers and rivers, which can lead to water shortages and deterioration of drinking water quality, resulting in potentially serious health impacts on coastal communities. As sea levels rise, storm surges also are becoming more frequent and severe, leading to increased flooding and damage to coastal communities, particularly during extreme weather events.

To ensure the safety and well-being of residents and businesses, city governments and municipalities along coastlines must assess their risks and take proactive measures to achieve coastal resilience.

Step 1: Assess Climate Vulnerability

The first step to building coastal resilience is to assess the risks the community is facing. This includes identifying areas most vulnerable to flooding and other hazards, as well as understanding the potential impacts on and cross dependency of critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and power and water supply systems.

Climate analytics and other tools can provide valuable insights that enable coastal communities to understand and respond effectively to the challenges posed by climate change.

Risk assessment and planning: Climate analytics can assess the vulnerability of coastal communities to various climate change impacts such as sea level rise, coastal erosion and storm surges. By analyzing historical data and using climate models, analytics can provide valuable insights into future risks. This information helps communities to develop effective adaptation and resilience strategies, such as building coastal defenses, implementing land-use planning or relocating infrastructure and settlements.Policy development and decision-making: Climate analytics can support evidence-based policy development and decision-making processes. By analyzing climate data, economic indicators and socio-economic factors, costs and benefits of different adaptation and mitigation strategies can be assessed. This information helps policymakers prioritize interventions, allocate resources and develop long-term plans for coastal communities.Community and social resiliency: Tools such as the Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities, developed by the University of South Carolina, can be used to assess community resilience and identify areas where additional support may be needed. In addition, data on social vulnerability, such as EJScreen developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, can be used to identify populations that may be particularly at risk from climate change impacts.

Step 2: Develop Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies

Once the risks have been identified, cities and municipalities can develop strategies to adapt to climate change impacts. This may involve an array of adaptation and mitigation tactics for both natural and built environments.

Land Use Planning – Proper land use planning assesses potential development and aims to reduce vulnerability and protect environmental systems. Strategies may include:Setback zones that restrict development activities near shorelinesSustainable land use planning practices to help minimize development in vulnerable areas, preserving natural habitats and maintaining open spaceBuilt Environment – Ensuring assets can withstand harm from potential hazards and threats may include measures such as:Elevation of buildings, roads and infrastructureGreen infrastructure elements, such as bioswales, rain gardens and green roofsImplementation of energy-efficient measures in buildingsSustainable transportation optionsFlood-proofing measures, such as installing flood barriers, waterproofing buildings, and elevating critical equipmentConstruction of coastal erosion control structures, such as seawalls, breakwaters, and groins, to help protect vulnerable areas from erosionEcosystem Preservation & Restoration – Strategies to support biodiversity through protection of the natural environment, that include:Conservation and restoration of coastal vegetation, including salt marshes, seagrass beds and mangrovesManagement and preservation of coastal habitats and protected areas to help maintain biodiversity

Forward-looking planning and management of potential hazards related to climate change is necessary to achieve coastal resilience efforts. Mitigation plans, such as the 25-year framework of flood-mitigating strategies Black & Veatch developed for the city of Charleston, South Carolina, provide a blueprint for how other coastal communities can advance their own resilience strategies.

Step 3: Engage Stakeholders

Building coastal resilience requires the participation and engagement of a wide range of stakeholders, including residents, businesses, community organizations and government agencies. By engaging with stakeholders, cities and municipalities can build support for a range of resilience efforts and ensure that adaptation strategies are well-tailored to local needs.

When engaging stakeholders, consider the following:

Economic impact: Coastal resilience projects can have positive economic impacts on local communities. Stakeholders should be engaged in discussions about the potential job creation, economic growth and business opportunities associated with implementing these projects. Highlighting the economic benefits can garner support and encourage stakeholder involvement.Environmental justice and equity: Coastal resilience efforts should consider potential economic disparities and equity concerns among different stakeholders. It is important to discuss how the initiatives can address and mitigate disproportionate impacts on disadvantaged communities. Engaging stakeholders in conversations about ensuring equitable access to the benefits of resilience projects can help foster inclusivity and address socioeconomic disparities.Funding and finance options: Stakeholders need to understand the available funding and financing options for coastal resilience projects. This includes discussing potential sources of funding, such as grants, loans, public-private partnerships and cost-sharing arrangements. There are several funding avenues available when it comes to implementing coastal resilience projects. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) — also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — and the more recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provide historic funding for resiliency projects aimed at coastal protection against extreme weather events and climate change. In June 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a significant $2.6 billion framework through the IRA that would support additional investment in coastal climate resilience. Planning authorities such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Office for Coastal Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are responsible for administering portions of these funds and are valuable resources for coastal resilience projects seeking funding. In addition to federal grants and incentive programs, many states have their own grant programs specifically aimed at coastal resilience and restoration. These programs may be managed by state agencies responsible for coastal management, natural resources, or environmental protection. Exploring different financing mechanisms and discussing their implications with stakeholders can help identify the most suitable and feasible financial strategies.

Step 4: Implement Resilience Measures

In order to build coastal resilience, cities and municipalities must implement resilience and hardening measures, including:

Infrastructure upgrades: Raising the elevation of buildings, roads and infrastructure above anticipated flood levels, implementing flood-proofing measures (efforts such as installing flood barriers, waterproofing buildings and elevating critical equipment), and implementing resilient design and construction standards can ensure that new developments and infrastructure projects are built to withstand coastal hazards.Early warning systems: Adopting early warning systems for extreme weather events using real-time weather and oceanographic data can provide timely alerts and forecasts, allowing coastal communities to take preventive measures, evacuate residents or initiate emergency response plans.Natural- and Nature-based features: Nature-based solutions leverage natural processes and ecosystems — dunes, mangroves, salt marshes, coastal vegetation and natural infrastructure elements — to provide multiple benefits for coastal areas, including:Coastal protectionErosion controlStormwater managementCarbon sequestrationHabitat preservation and biodiversityCommunity well-being and recreation

The notable impact of nature-based solutions is evident in the Florida community of Babcock Ranch. When Hurricane Ian (a Category 4 storm) slammed into the Sunshine State in September 2022, 2.6 million community members lost their electricity. However, shops, offices, grocery stores, restaurants and homes in Babcock Ranch experienced no power or internet loss despite being about 20 miles from the storm’s landfall. Previously drained cattle ranchland was allowed to revert to natural wetlands that function like retention ponds to uptake excess rain and floodwater. Native plants comprise 75 percent of the community’s landscaping, which withstand high winds and soggy conditions to lessen storm impacts. Nature-based systems like these work across geography and ecology to emphasize an area’s natural resilience features and work in sync with Mother Nature.

Additionally, measuring the effectiveness of implemented measures is key. For example, data on sea level rise and storm surge can be used to assess the effectiveness of infrastructure upgrades in reducing flood risk, and predictive models can be used to anticipate future impacts of climate change, which can inform ongoing efforts to build coastal resilience.

Ensuring the safety and well-being of coastal communities in the face of climate change begins with physical climate risk assessment. By identifying and assessing risks, developing adaptation strategies, engaging stakeholders and implementing resilience measures, cities and municipalities can build the resilience needed to weather the impacts of climate change.

Each year, thousands of KeyBank teammates come together on “Neighbors Make the Difference Day.” This day of volunteering and engagement with non-profit organizations across KeyBank’s footprint is the hallmark of Key’s commitment to its communities and a leading corporate volunteerism effort in America.

For the past several years, Tamica Lewis, a Vendor Contact Center Manager at KeyBank, has organized “Neighbors Make the Difference Day” efforts at the YMCA William-Emslie branch in Buffalo, New York.

Watch Tamica explain what “Neighbors Make the Difference Day” means to her in the video player above or here: https://youtu.be/b_lwgwtIsBw

Learn more about KeyBank’s 2023 Neighbors Make the Difference DayLearn more about KeyBank’s commitment to helping clients and communities thrive

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., July 26, 2023 /3BL/ – Entergy Arkansas is launching “Kids to College,” a my529 child savings account program to help families plan and save for their children’s higher education, with a pledge to match up to $100,000 for qualified customers.

Research shows that opening a college savings account statistically improves college-going rates for students, regardless of the contribution amount and the level of household income. Even with savings of less than $500, a child is 25% more likely to enroll in college and 64% more likely to graduate than a child with no savings, according to a study from the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL).

“Kids to College is an investment in the future of our young people and the future of Arkansas,” said Laura Landreaux, Entergy Arkansas president and CEO. “We’ve been a leader in helping advance education and workforce development in the state for decades and are excited to be extending that legacy by launching this program for all of Entergy here in Arkansas. It will help ensure our children have an equal chance at achieving their dreams.”

Powered by Entergy and in partnership with the Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association, the company will help up to 2,000 low- and moderate-income Arkansas families establish a child savings account and will provide $50 towards the account.

“ACAAA has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Entergy Arkansas,” said Tomekia Moore, interim executive director for the Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association. “We are thrilled to partner with them for the Kids to College Program. We look forward to promoting youth financial literacy and education as a result of this most recent endeavor.”

A college savings account is designed specifically for postsecondary education costs, including tuition but also for books, computer technology, room and board, and other related fees. These accounts allow families – parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and more – to put money away to start saving for their children to attend a two- or four-year college, trade school or technical school.

Families can enroll each child under 16 in the household in a Kids to College my529 account. Kids to College match participants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Family is an Entergy customer.Family has an annual income at or below $60,000 for single-earner households and $80,000 for dual-earner households.

Entergy is powering Kids to College by dedicating matching funds for 8,000 child savings accounts across their four-state service area. The program is made possible thanks to an endowment fund created in honor of Entergy’s late Chairman and CEO J. Wayne Leonard.

More information is available at www.entergy.com/csr/kids and at each of the community action agencies, which can be found online at www.ACAAA.org or by emailing ARKids2College@acaaa.org. Eligible individuals can also sign up for an account through the Kids to College portal here.

About Entergy Arkansas

Entergy Arkansas, LLC provides electricity to approximately 730,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy, visit the Newsroom.