Month: August 2023

Originally published on Built From Scratch

ATLANTA, August 23, 2023 /3BL/ – The Home Depot launched a New Homeowners Hub to equip the next generation of current and future first-time homeowners with valuable resources including DIY guides, product recommendations, design inspiration and more.

According to a new survey conducted by The Home Depot in partnership with Morning Consult, home ownership is one of the most stressful milestones young people face today. Around half of millennials (53%) report worries about purchasing their first home, along with starting a family (57%) and career advancement (52%). Having to do renovations and home improvements is the most significant hesitation about becoming a homeowner, with millennials reporting that home maintenance (74%) and home improvement projects (68%) are the most stressful aspects of homeownership.

“Our research has shown that lack of proper knowledge, tools and time were the top barriers for millennials navigating home improvement projects, which is especially stressful for a generation of current and soon-to-be first-time homeowners,” said Molly Battin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at The Home Depot. “Helping homeowners complete projects is part of our DNA, so it was a natural move to create an online resource designed to empower our customers with everything they need to confidently turn their first house into a home.”

The survey, which sampled recent homeowners or potential homebuyers born between 1981 and 2005, found that young people are willing to take on projects, but they lack the skills and know-how to tackle them:

A New Generation of DIYers: Over 8 in 10 of millennials and GenZers are interested in doing renovation, repair, design and décor projects. Yet only about a quarter of millennials and a third of GenZers would feel “very confident” about taking on a home improvement project.Paint vs. Plumbing: Millennials and GenZers were most comfortable with redecorating (83%/86%), painting (~80%) and routine yard work (81%); while well over half of the respondents were most uncomfortable with electrical work, plumbing, roofing/siding, and window/door projects.The Internet or Mom and Dad? Most young people would turn to YouTube or other online videos (~70%) to learn how to tackle DIY projects versus learning from a parent, family member or friend (61% of GenZers and 54% of millennials would do so). In fact, 90% of millennials and 92% of GenZ respondents said that having access to a centralized resource that provides guidance for first-time homeowners would be helpful to them.

From moving checklists to project guides, and virtual workshops to design inspiration, the online hub brings The Home Depot’s expertise directly to customers. The virtual workshops provide expert, step-by-step guidance on projects like how to paint a room, replace light fixtures, install a faucet, or replace a garbage disposal. In addition, a catalog of workshops teach the fundamentals of caring for different areas of the home from HVAC and plumbing to seasonal maintenance. Homeowners can find both livestream and on-demand options, which they can access any time and at zero cost.

For more information on the New Homeowners Hub, including tool and truck rental programs and home services details, visit www.homedepot.com/newhomeowners.

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Originally published on bloomberg.com

The demand for ESG data is on the rise, according to a new Bloomberg and Adox Research of more than 100 portfolio managers, climate risk executives, and data management executives. The survey reveals firms’ priorities for ESG data spend as well as approaches to ESG data acquisition and management.

Nearly all executives (92%) plan to increase their ESG spending by at least 10%, with 18% planning to increase their spend by 50% or more. The top three areas in which firms are prioritizing this spend are ESG benchmarks and indices (29%), company-reported data (23%), ESG scores (20%), and sustainable debt (19%). When asked which criteria were most important for selecting an ESG data provider, data quality ranked first, followed by breadth of coverage.

The survey highlights a stark contrast among firms in their perception of their ESG capabilities. While most respondents (64%) consider themselves ahead of the competition, nearly 30% acknowledge feeling somewhat or significantly behind. However, respondents are nearly unanimous on one issue: 99% of executives agree their organizations value ESG data, citing its importance to keep pace with their peers (45%), achieve a competitive advantage (44%), and for regulatory compliance (10%).

“Once categorized as an alternative data source, ESG data has quickly become integral to the value financial firms deliver to their clients. Executives are making significant strategic investments in ESG data acquisition and management to differentiate themselves and meet client and regulatory demand,” said Leila Sadiq, Global Head of Enterprise Data Content at Bloomberg. “To help our customers derive meaningful insights from their data faster, we will continue to invest in and deliver high-quality, comprehensive ESG data and analytics that efficiently integrate with existing foundational data giving customers a holistic view of their operations.”

While firms seek to obtain more ESG data, they are also contending with how to best manage it. Over 70% of firms report taking an ad hoc or decentralized approach to acquiring and managing their ESG data. Only about a third of respondents (29%) take a holistic firmwide approach for evaluating, implementing, and rationalizing their ESG data.

Given this fragmentation, the most challenging aspects of ESG data management are handling constantly evolving and new ESG data content (55%), managing multiple ESG vendor data feeds (50%), and aligning ESG content to existing entity data (48%). When it comes to technical delivery options for ESG data, cloud is the clear preference for 85% of respondents, followed by Rest API (7%), SFTP/Parquet (6%), and SFTP/Request/Reply (3%).

“As this research confirms, our customers are grappling with the challenge of integrating large volumes of ESG data from multiple sources and the lack of consistency between vendors can lead to data quality issues and operational disruptions,” said Don Huff, Global Head of Client Services and Operations at Bloomberg Data Management Services. “Data License Plus ESG Manager streamlines the acquisition, management, and distribution of data into a customer’s environment of choice, helping them to optimize their data supply chain and outsource vendor change management so they can focus on making efficient ESG investment decisions.”

“While firms are planning for ESG data to become a part of mainstream data and research workflows, they realize that the age of ESG data behaving the same as other financial data sets has not yet arrived. In the meantime, they are prioritizing technical scalability and data transparency to make sure analysts, investors, and regulators have the right tools to select, curate, and enrich existing datasets with key ESG attributes,” said Gert Raeves, Research Director and Founder of Adox Research.

Bloomberg provides investors access to transparent, consistent, and comparable data on over 15,000 companies globally and 474,000 active securities. Bloomberg’s ESG data, research, and analytics span regulatory compliance, carbon emissions, sustainable debt, scores, indices, climate risk, and more. Clients can readily access this data on the Bloomberg Terminal via {ESG <GO>} or across their enterprise via Data License at data.bloomberg.com for use in proprietary or third-party applications. Through Data License Plus ESG Manager, Bloomberg connects customers’ workflows to the full power of Bloomberg’s datasets as well as data from vendor partners, so clients can unlock maximum value with ease. To learn more, please visit our website here.

To view the full results of the survey, please click .

About Bloomberg

Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.

Bloomberg media contact

Jennifer Molgano | jmolgano2@bloomberg.net

In the #HowIGotHere series, you’ll read about the career paths of some of the world-renowned leaders at Yum! Brands. Learn more about FeiFei Hu, Head of Channel Development & Innovation of KFC Global in this installment.

Education

Shanghai High School Shanghai, ChinaHuron High School Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States (2000 – 2004)University of Michigan BS, Industrial & Operations Engineering Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States (2004 – 2008)Harvard Business School MBA Boston, Massachusetts (2011– 2013) United States

If we were to interview your teachers, what would they say about you?

Feifei was caring, creative and always willing to go the extra mile to help others or deliver above expectations.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A scientist. I grew up around math and science because my father was a medical researcher. It was my dream to work in a lab in a white coat and publish articles in world-renowned journals.

WORK

First Job: I scooped ice cream at a local shop in high school. It was a great way for me to practice English and meet people when I first moved to the United States. More importantly, I got to enjoy free ice cream and fresh waffle cones all day long!

McKinsey & Company 2008-2011 – Business Analyst, Chicago, Illinois, United StatesThe Walt Disney Company 2013: Special Projects Lead at Shanghai Disneyland Resort, Shanghai, China | 2013-2014: Leadership Development Rotations at Disney Studios, Burbank, California, United States | 2014-2016: Senior Manager of Digital Products at Disney Studios, Burbank, California, United States | 2016-2018: Director of Business Development at Disney Consumer Products & Interactive Media, Glendale, California, United StatesWarnerMedia 2018-2021: Vice President, Business Development, Burbank, California, United StatesKFC Global 2021-Present: Head of Channel Development & Innovation, Los Angeles, California, United States

What moments, or who, in your life influenced the way you work?

My Dad: While medical research may be tedious and frustrating, with long testing periods and unexpected results, my dad was (and still is at age 68) passionate about this career because advancing healthcare for our society gave meaning and fulfillment to his life. He inspired me to find my own passion and make an impact on the world with my life. He also taught me the value of strong work ethnics, patience, and humility.

Moving to the United States: I had never been to a foreign country until I moved to the U.S. from China, so that journey taught me the importance of diversity and inclusivity. Being dropped into a new environment at the start of 11th grade, with only one year to get up to speed on the language, academics and extracurricular activities to be ready to apply to college was one of the biggest challenges I had encountered. It taught me that nothing is impossible as long as I have the courage to try.

Becoming a Parent: Although I always wanted to be a parent, the actual event still threw my world upside down. From my older son being diagnosed with autism to working from home with two preschoolers during the pandemic, parenthood has raised my adaptiveness and resilience to a new level. My husband and I are also hugely thankful for all the help and encouragement we received from our family and community to get through the toughest times. We’ve learned to be more open with our struggles and vulnerabilities, and ask for help when we need it.

Do you believe in work/life balance?

I believe in balance and integration of family, friends, work, hobbies, learning and passions. That has never meant 9-5 or a predetermined split of time. Balance is fluid based on all the roles you are playing and needs at any given time. I do believe that it is critical to be fully present and focused wherever you are at. Time is our most precious commodity, and I value it more today than I did years ago. I make it a point to maximize every moment with my family and friends.

What do people think you do versus what you actually do?

My kids think I’m the keeper of the Colonel’s secret recipe, and my friends think I hang out with bigshots in gaming and entertainment every day, brokering deals over cocktails. In reality, I spend most of my time connecting with internal stakeholders at Yum! and with our franchisees to understand their evolving needs and visions, develop innovation opportunities that align with their agendas and coordinate efforts across markets to maximize impact.

What is the best piece of advice that you’ve been given?

Don’t be in the business of playing it safe. Be in the business of creating possibilities of greatness.

How do you do it?

As the saying goes, you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. I surround myself with great people who I get inspired by and learn from every day, including my family, friends, team and mentors. Once the right environment and momentum are in place, everything else will follow.

Another quality I’m fortunately blessed with is optimism. While every endeavor has its smooth sail days and rocky moments, I like to emphasize the good and feel energized by what I have learned/achieved and the potential to push for more. Life is too short to get weighed down by negative energy.

Originally published on TriplePundit

New Zealand’s government has an ambitious plan for its agricultural sector to be “the world’s most sustainable provider of high-value food and fiber products.” The roadmap for the sector includes targets such as adding $44 billion to food and fiber exports by 2030 while slashing sector emissions by 10 percent.

Looking for a sustainable red meat? Try New Zealand grass-fed beef or lamb.

Raising cattle and other livestock creates greenhouse gas emissions and uses more water than vegetable, grain and legume production. However, cattle and sheep farmers in New Zealand are cutting emissions and growing livestock in areas otherwise unsuitable for vegetable and grain production.

“The way we farm our beef in New Zealand is different from what a lot of the world does,” said Kate Acland, farmer and chair of the farmer-owned industry organization Beef + Lamb New Zealand. “The carbon footprint of New Zealand lamb and beef is among the lowest in the world.”

Acland farms with her husband and three children on a 10,000-acre plot called Mount Somers Station on New Zealand’s southern island. They raise sheep, deer, bees, and both beef and dairy cattle in a temperate climate, between 1,600 and 2,600 feet above sea level.

“Our beef [cattle] run on hills where we can’t grow crops,” Acland said. “They are outside all year round and not under irrigation. Our water use is rain.”

Because New Zealand is an island nation with limited space, farmers are often more focused on creating efficiencies rather than scaling up, and greater farming efficiencies leads to greater sustainability gains.

“Since 1990, we have reduced our carbon footprint by 30 percent, but we are still producing the same kilograms of product,” Acland explained. “We continue to chase and pursue efficiency for the health of our planet and the health of our balance sheet.”

For example, the number of lambs that each ewe gives birth to has been steadily increasing over the last 10 years. When one ewe can give birth to two or more lambs, the lamb production has a smaller carbon footprint. When farmers can finish their grass-fed livestock to heavier weights in a shorter amount of time, the carbon emissions per product also decreases.

Livestock farmers like Acland also leverage practices that help the surrounding ecosystem, such as running animals as a large group in different fields on a rotating basis, known as rotational grazing. More time between grazing allows the grasslands to recover and roots to grow deeper.

When it comes to practices that promote biodiversity, “people do it because it’s the right thing to do,” Acland said. New Zealand’s livestock farming sector has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050, and all major farming sectors in the country have signed an industry-wide pledge to measure, report and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

New Zealand’s approach to wine

Acland spends most of her time as a sheep and cattle farmer, but her background is in wine grapes, and she maintains a vineyard in addition to Mount Somers Station. She grows her wine grapes using regenerative methods such as intercropping, the practice of growing cover crops between rows of cash crops, and composting, using the spent grape skins from the winery to mulch the vines.

“We maintain diverse grasses underneath the vineyard, such as rye grass, clover and chicory,” Acland said. “We have about 16 different species that are under the vineyards. We let them go to flower. When we mow, we mow with a side throw so it goes underneath the vines and adds to organic matter. Our soil is sandy, and our soil [organic matter] is depleted. We are trying to build it up.”

Wine grapes are New Zealand’s largest horticultural crop by area. And almost all wine in New Zealand comes from farms that participate in Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, an industry-wide certification program that has been in place since 1995, Acland said. The program covers all aspects of sustainability, from climate to chemical use to labor rights for workers.

“There is a strong consumer demand for sustainably certified wines,” said Edwin Massey, general manager sustainability for New Zealand Winegrowers, the national organization for the country’s grape and wine sector. “This demand is growing through demographic change: Younger people are drinking less alcohol overall, but when they choose to drink, they are more often choosing premium products that connect with their ethics and values. Having a robust sustainability certification process helps assure these consumers that New Zealand wine is the right choice for them.”

The New Zealand wine sector has set sustainability goals that are critical to the future success of the industry. New Zealand wine is differentiated by the country’s cool climate and water supply, meaning that working to mitigate climate change is in the best interest of vintners and other industry stakeholders. Research is currently underway to identify vines resilient to disease and pest pressure and that are more drought tolerant, Massey said.

Meanwhile, consumer demand for New Zealand wine is strong. “Demand for New Zealand wine continues to outstrip supply and is the key reason why New Zealand proudly occupies some of the highest price points in any market we export to,” said Charlotte Read, general manager of marketing for New Zealand Winegrowers. “New Zealand wine exports have surged to new record levels with their largest ever one-year growth, lifting 25 percent in value to NZD$2.4 billion [about US$1.5 billion].”

Although New Zealand produces less than 2 percent of global supply, the country is now the sixth largest exporter of wine by value, Read said.

Kiwifruit is king

While wine grapes are New Zealand’s biggest horticultural crop by area, kiwifruit are its biggest horticultural crop by economic value. Kiwifruit is a $2.6 billion sector in New Zealand, with most of the farms found in the Bay of Plenty. Zespri is the marketer for the country’s kiwifruit industry and handles exportation, marketing, and distribution of New Zealand kiwis to over 50 countries worldwide, including the U.S.

New Zealand kiwifruit production increased by close to 70 percent between 2010 and 2019, and at the same time, the industry improved efficiencies on-farm and in packing and shipping that accounted for a 24 percent drop in greenhouse gas emissions.

“We’re starting from a strong base in terms of already treading fairly lightly on the land, but as an industry, we’re making steady progress on improving environmental practices both on-orchard and throughout the supply chain,” said Rachel Depree, executive officer for sustainability at Zespri.

On orchard, Zespri has developed research and development partnerships to better grow and promote regenerative and sustainable farming practices in the kiwifruit and apple sectors. “Over the next five years, we’re looking to test the regenerative concept in three kiwifruit and three apple orchards, using a specific combination of soil, water and biodiversity management practices, comprehensive monitoring of critical ecosystem services, and undertaking an economic analysis of the results,” Depree explained.

Zespri is also working in partnership with key leaders in New Zealand’s primary sectors to prepare for the impacts of climate change and manage biodiversity risks. It also set long-term sustainability goals that account for the priorities of customers, growers and other stakeholders, in packaging, water, climate change, health and wellbeing and community investment.

Telling the New Zealand story to the world

While sustainability claims can help a farmer market their products, Acland emphasized that New Zealand farmers also implement more regenerative practices as a labor of love. “I don’t know a single farmer who is driven solely by money,” she said. “We do it because we love the lifestyle, and we love everything about it.”

For example, the country’s largest red meat producer encourages its farmer-suppliers to keep swaths of their land wild in order to promote carbon sequestration — allowing them to formulaically offset the emissions from the beef they produce through this practice.

“It’s a cool story. It’s not purchased carbon credits, but it’s happening within each individual farming system.” Acland said. “Because New Zealand is so good, especially in the greenhouse gas space, the challenge for our export businesses is to go to the world and try to claim a premium and sell their story.”

At the same time, Acland acknowledges that as consumers move increasingly toward eating local, selling the world agricultural products from New Zealand could seem counterintuitive. However, she noted that transport plays a small role in the overall emissions from New Zealand agricultural sectors like beef and lamb. “People are wanting to eat local, but 90 to 95 percent of emissions are made on farms, so that’s where the gains can be made,” she said.

New Zealand’s sustainability commitments also provided the basis for a robust free trade agreement with the European Union that aims to improve the sustainability of both New Zealand and EU food systems.

The deal was signed on July 9 of this year and includes standards for climate impact, labor and gender equity, as well as subsidy provisions for sustainable fisheries. Trade between the EU and New Zealand is projected to grow by 30 percent as a result of the agreement, according to the European Commission.

For her part, Acland is confident in the future of regenerative agriculture across New Zealand farms. “We are regenerative by the very nature of how we farm: grass fed and pasture raised,” she said. “We have huge pride in what we do and our environmental stewardship.”

This article series is sponsored by Beef + Lamb New Zealand and produced by the TriplePundit editorial team.

Image courtesy of Beef + Lamb New Zealand

Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) has announced plans to collaborate with Fork Farms, a Green Bay-based agriculture technology startup company, to build a highly automated, indoor 7,300-square-foot hydroponic vertical farm within Rockwell’s Milwaukee headquarters by summer of 2024.

Hydroponic farming is a technique used to grow plants without soil. Instead of planting crops in the ground, hydroponic farmers use containers filled with nutrient-rich water without the need for large plots of land.

Once fully operational, Clock Tower Farms, named in recognition of the iconic Allen-Bradley four-sided clock atop the company’s headquarters, will be capable of producing 540,000 plants and as much as 149,000 pounds of food annually—the equivalent of more than 3 acres of conventional farmland. The first-of-its-kind facility will be housed on the 4th floor of Rockwell’s headquarters located at 1201 S. 2nd Street in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point Neighborhood.

“We’re partnering across our industry and within communities to create sustainable impact and change,” said Rockwell Chairman and CEO Blake Moret. “Clock Tower Farms will engage employees and the community while serving as a showcase for manufacturers spanning diverse industries who want to see sustainable solutions in action. We look forward to sharing more details next summer upon the project’s completion.”

New technology developed by Fork Farms will provide highly-localized HVAC, power, dehumidification, and water handling, which enables crops with varying environmental needs to grow properly in the same growing area at the same time. Fork Farms will use Rockwell technologies to monitor and automatically adjust nutrient, pH, and water levels based on the crops being grown.

More than 70 Fork Farms “Flex Acres” will be installed in the facility. The Flex Acre is a hydroponic system that utilizes nutrient-infused, recirculated water to nourish plant roots and optimize growth. Each Flex Acre is a 9-feet high by 9-feet long by 3-feet wide growing system capable of producing 100+ pounds of leafy greens and other vegetables every month.

Click here to watch our Water is Wonderful curriculum in action

Water is essential. Two-thirds of our planet is covered with water, yet only a small percentage is usable, so we must act to protect this valuable resource. At International Paper, water is a critical part of our manufacturing process, and so we have an opportunity to play a key role in conserving and protecting our local water resources.

Did you know 88% of water used in our mill manufacturing process in 2022 was treated and returned to the environment? We’ve made great strides in water conservation, but we still have work to do in order to meet our Vision 2030 goal to reduce water usage by 25% across our mill system.

We must pass this care of water on to the next generation. IP is partnering with local schools and other organizations in our communities to educate elementary school students on what it means to be a good steward of the water we have through IP’s Water is Wonderful curriculum. From the scarcity of clean, fresh water, to how IP uses water in our paper making process, students will learn about the role we all play in water stewardship.

By taking actionable steps, we are confident that we can achieve our water stewardship goals and contribute to a more sustainable future. Click here to access International Paper’s 2022 Sustainability Report and learn more about the company’s water target and initiatives.

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of planet-friendly packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of North America’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2022 were $21.2 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting InternationalPaper.com.

About International Paper – EMEA

In Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), International Paper focuses on the production and marketing of fiber-based packaging and pulp, employing approximately 4,200 people. As a leading supplier of high-quality corrugated containers for a multitude of applications, we serve customers throughout the region from our network of two recycled containerboard mills and 23 box plants in France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Pulp production is centered in Gdansk, Poland. Other products available from International Paper in the region include Kraft linerboard and recycled containerboard, as well as pulp.