Month: July 2023

Grants support workforce education and training programs$1.2 million distributed to local organizations for workforce development in last 5 years

CINCINNATI, July 3, 2023 /3BL/ – The Duke Energy Foundation has awarded 11 grants totaling $265,000 to organizations in southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky focused on workforce development and job training programs.

“Funding these workforce initiatives is just one way Duke Energy is helping to build a talent pipeline to power our regional economy for years to come,” said Amy Spiller, president, Duke Energy Ohio and Kentucky. “The organizations receiving these grants support our community with job training, academic support and community services, helping ensure vibrant neighborhoods and local economies.”

This funding is a long-standing investment for the Duke Energy Foundation. In the past five years, the Foundation has awarded 66 grants to support over 45 regional nonprofit organizations to propel their workforce initiatives.

“Gateway Community & Technical College is grateful for Duke Energy’s continued support of the Utility Lineworker Program. The funds will be used to incorporate more hands-on learning experiences so that students will be prepared to join the energy workforce as an apprentice with an understanding of the skills, knowledge, safe work practices, and physical ability required to perform line work. Meeting the needs of the region’s workforce needs is a top priority for Gateway and we’re pleased to partner with Duke Energy on this effort,” said Fernando Figueroa, president, Gateway Community & Technical College.

“Cincinnati Works is grateful for Duke Energy’s Foundation grant to support our Fair Chance Hiring Program. The grant will be used to offer a suite of services to assist returning citizens in finding meaningful employment. In turn, a transformation can take place. Having a job can give an individual the means and the motivation to overcome past adversities, provide for loved ones, and achieve their dreams,” said Tianay Amat, president & CEO, Cincinnati Works.

This year’s grant awardees include:

Kentucky:

Brighton Center $10,000 
 Gateway Community and Technical College $40,000 
 Learning Grove $25,000 
 Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission $15,000

Ohio:

Cincinnati Works Inc. $15,000 
 Easter Seals Redwood, $20,000 
 Freestore Foodbank Inc. $10,000 
 Hamilton County Education Service Center, $20,000 
 Journeys Soaring Impact $5,000 
 Miami University $25,000 
 Per Scholas $10,000 
 University of Cincinnati Foundation $50,000 
 Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio $15,000

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars. More information about the Foundation can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides electric service to 880,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area, and natural gas service to 550,000 customers in a 2,650-square-mile service area, in Ohio and Kentucky.

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.

Contact: Sally Thelen 
Office: 513.287.2432 
24-Hour: 800.559.3853 
Twitter: @DE_SallyT

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Jennifer Crandall Founder of Safe Food En Route and Land Betterment Board of Director, is the presenter of the 3 part webinar series hosted by Perry Johnson Registrars Food Safety, Inc. In this series, Jennifer will discuss why food safety culture matters, a little about World Food Safety Day related to food safety standards, what makes up a food safety culture and 5 ways GFSI helps build a food safety culture. The first part of the series took place on June 14th and Jennifer discussed the ways in which GFSI helps build culture. The full recording can be viewed here. The future webinars in the series are as follows:

Part 2: August 23, 2023 – 10 Ways to Develop Food Safety Culture – REGISTERPart 3: Fall 2023 – How Software Helps Food Safety Culture – COMING THIS FALL

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. Operational footprint spans from Ontario Canada to Perry County Kentucky with over 65 acres of operational CEA. To learn more about Betterment Harvest visit our website – bettermentharvest.com

Land Betterment Corporation 
Land Betterment Corporation, an Indiana Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corp, is an environmental solutions company focused on fostering a positive impact through upcycling former coal mining and industrial 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

SAN FRANCISCO, AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, July 3, 2023 /3BL/ – The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), an impact-driven global convener of around half of the apparel and footwear industry, has today released its 2022 Annual Report, sharing the Coalition’s progress on driving collective action towards a more responsible industry.

Recognizing the urgent and systemic challenges faced by the industry that have become increasingly pressing year after year, the SAC firmly believes in the power of collaboration as the way forward. The organization’s mission is to transform business for exponential impact through harmonized tools, partnerships, and trusted leadership. Reflecting on this, Amina Razvi, Chief Executive Officer at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, said:

“The textile and apparel industry has rightly been facing increasing scrutiny from consumers, stakeholders, and regulators alike when it comes to its impact and progress. Against this backdrop, 2022 provided an opportunity for self-reflection for the SAC. It has ultimately helped us to learn, grow and evolve. We are even more certain that collective action is the only way we are going to transform into an industry that gives more than it takes — to the planet and its people.

We’ve been working and collaborating with our members, industry experts, key stakeholders, and policymakers to help our members reduce their environmental and social impacts. We are taking these learnings into the year ahead to facilitate deeper collaboration and change across our industry.”

Since launching its 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, the SAC has made progress in driving collective action, advancing harmonized tools, and improving transparency; all central to a more responsible industry.

Highlights from the year 2022-23 include:

A growing community

The SAC continues to expand its membership, welcoming 18 organizations representing every part of the industry’s global value chain. In the past two years, the SAC has seen its largest growth in over a decade, with over 280 members from more than 33 countries. Today, more than 21,000 organizations around the world use the Higg Index, making it the most widely adopted suite of tools in the industry for measuring impact.

Driving decarbonization

The SAC launched its Decarbonization Program in December 2022, aimed at supporting and driving the adoption of science-based targets (SBTs) and urgent emissions reduction. Through initiatives like Peer-to-Peer Learning Groups and training, the SAC has been fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and concrete actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As of 2022, 46% of SAC members have set or begun the process of setting SBTs.

Ongoing evolution of tools

The Higg Index continues to play a vital role in measuring and understanding the industry’s impact. In 2022, the SAC made progress in evolving the suite of tools. The development of the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) 4.0 and the major revision of the Higg Brand & Retail Module (BRM) have improved the relevance of the tools in today’s landscape as the industry continues to evolve. The Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) had one of its largest updates to date, with the addition of more than 20 new materials and processes, a new material category for leather alternatives, and more.

An independent third-party expert review of the Higg Index is being carried out to ensure continuous improvement of the suite of tools. The SAC is working with KPMG to coordinate the project, including the recruitment of three panels of independent experts, and is aiming to share findings in the coming months.

Deepened partnerships and collaboration 

In November of 2022, nearly 500 representatives from the industry came together for the SAC Annual Meeting in Singapore. The location was selected to recognize the critical role the APAC region plays in driving and sustaining the industry and to highlight the importance of engaging stakeholders from the global south who must have an active voice in co-creating industry solutions.

Looking ahead

As the SAC reflects on the evolving needs of the industry, it remains committed to driving positive environmental and social change. The organization is currently conducting a review of its strategic plan to expand its focus and drive greater impact.

Dr. Delman Lee, Vice Chair at TAL Apparel, and SAC Board Chair, said: “The SAC’s vision is rooted in the belief that businesses have the power to make a positive change in the world. But this can only be achieved through taking action as a collective and forging deeper partnerships.

“The SAC Annual Meeting in Singapore was a good step in bringing together organizations and voices from across the whole value chain to collaborate and co-create solutions to some of the biggest issues our industry and planet are facing.”

– 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, companies 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, competitors, and relevant stakeholders from across the sector to, on a pre-competitive basis, develop a universal approach to measuring sustainability performance and founded the SAC.