Month: September 2023

Learn first‐hand how companies are taking positive actions to drive change and overcome today’s biggest sustainability and health challenges.

October 18 – 20, 2023

Copenhagen, Denmark

Register here

Today’s Collective Action, Tomorrow’s Positive Impact

Over the course of two days, delegates will learn first-hand how companies are taking positive actions to drive progress and overcome today’s biggest sustainability and health challenges. Through a series of inspirational keynotes, plenary sessions, expert panels, interactive breakouts and workshops, we will deep dive into the practical ways we can accelerate change and action sustainably. Simply talking about these challenges is no longer enough if we are to protect people and planet, so we must now focus on tangible actions, highlight successes and share learnings.

Why Attend?

The Sustainable Retail Summit will give international experts and influencers the opportunity to meet face-to-face, share best practices and network with colleagues and potential partners. It will offer learnings and new tips and tactics for your business. The conference will be the place for us to share knowledge and real-life success stories, and join stimulating debates on the top, global issues in our industry. – Paul Crewe, Executive Director and Chief Sustainability Officer, Anthesis Group

The Sustainable Retail Summit brings both retailer and manufacturers together to drive future collaboration. The conference stirs up relevant debates and provide key learnings as well as inspiring stories in our industry. – Franz Speer, Corporate Director Industry Affairs | International Sales, Henkel

Since joining DraftKings in 2020, I have been impressed with how the dialogue around Responsible Gaming (RG) has expanded in the entire industry. The collaborative efforts of stakeholders from across the industry is greater than ever, and the focus on education is the nexus of the dialogue. For the month of September, we are joining the American Gaming Association in commemorating 25 years of Responsible Gaming Education Month, and DraftKings will be highlighting the commitments we have made in keeping responsible gaming education at the forefront of the player experience, beginning with employee education.

The most important components of an RG program are education, training, and tools. We want our players, as well as our employees, to be as informed as possible in RG. We utilize a holistic, systems-based approach to RG that requires engagement between a wide array of stakeholders. Our approach is founded in public health frameworks and involves educating and engaging with employees to ensure that all internal stakeholders understand their role as responsible gaming ambassadors.

We provide as many resources and touch points to our organization and employees as possible. We go above and beyond in our RG training, which means that not only do we get in front of all new employees at on-boarding and require mandatory RG training annually, but we also work with our internal stakeholder teams to provide customized training and education throughout the year. One of the major ways that we accomplish that goal is through our robust internal Safer Play Portal, which is designed to enhance the culture of responsible gaming as a core value at DraftKings. This site offers up-to-date responsible gaming resources and training opportunities to all DraftKings employees.

Our Safer Play Portal provides a one-stop-shop on all things RG at DraftKings. Here we provide helpful definitions about RG, interactive quizzes, common “mythconceptions”, highlights of our Safer Play Champion employees who have gone above and beyond in their jobs to support and embrace RG, rapid research reviews, lived experience presentations, access to internal resources and so much more.

Socializing the importance of RG to our employees is imperative. As our program continues to evolve and we learn more about best practices in the RG space, we remain informed by prevailing research, customer and community input, and consultation with our partners at the Harvard Medical School affiliate, Cambridge Health Alliance.

I am also honored to share that for the second year in a row DraftKings has been recognized by the National Council on Problem Gambling with the Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program award for outstanding commitment to social responsibility as it relates to responsible gaming. This achievement is a team effort and underscores our steadfast commitment to continually promoting responsible gaming by educating and training our employees.

September 20, 2023 /3BL/ – Today Bonsucro, the leading global sustainability platform for sugarcane, and Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), that establishes a partnership between the two apex organisations, to share knowledge and create joint initiatives to accelerate sustainability practices in the Indian sugar industry. The MoU represents a milestone for a collaboration to create a sustainable roadmap for the Indian sugar industry.

Right now, the climate crisis is deepening and sustainability challenges require systemic change. India is one of the worlds top sugarcane producers and is a priority country for Bonsucro. The country is acutely feeling the impact of climate change – the World Resources Institute puts India as the 13th most water stressed country in the world. India is also vulnerable to extreme heat waves which can damage crops, reduce yields and therefore income. There are also health risks of heat stress for farmers and cane cutters working in high temperatures.

Bonsucro’s footprint in India has been steadily growing over the years, there are now 35 members in the country, nine of which mills certified against the Bonsucro Production Standard. Organisations under Bonsucro membership are predominantly mills and farmers but Bonsucro also has productive relationships with local representatives of brands such as PepsiCo, Bacardi and Unilever. ISMA is the body representing private sugar mills in India, working towards the development and growth of the sugar industry. By collaborating, ISMA and Bonsucro can create a more sustainable sugarcane sector in India.

The Memorandum of Understanding includes knowledge sharing, capacity building, sustainability assessments, policy engagement, and advocacy.

Collective action and knowledge sharing are central to Bonsucro’s role as a platform for change. The MoU includes an agreement to share best practices and research findings in relation to sustainable sugarcane and bioenergy production. This will include Bonsucro’s existing tools as well as producing new resources created for the local context, relating to efficient agricultural practices, water conservation, waste management, and energy optimisation techniques.

To drive sustainability across the sector, access to training and accurate, relevant resources are essential. By collaborating with ISMA, Bonsucro plans to organise joint workshops and seminars to increase the capacity of staff working in sugar mills as well as farmers and broader stakeholders. These initiatives will focus on improving the environmental impact of sugarcane and strengthening the social approaches to sugarcane cultivation and processing as well as bioenergy production.

ISMA and Bonsucro will work together to develop and implement sustainability assessment frameworks for the Indian sugar industry. This will involve conducting regular evaluations to measure the environmental, social, and economic performance of sugar mills, benchmarking against industry standards, and providing recommendations for improvement.

Commenting on MoU, Mr Jhunjhunwala, President of ISMA said, “Today we are starting a partnership for the planet, a partnership for our industry and for the recognition it deserves. Sugar and sustainability go hand in hand, no other crop has more potential to be a force of good for the planet as sugarcane whether it is through bio-power, bio-ethanol or other forms of bioenergy and with this partnership with Bonsucro we hope that these don’t just remain words but also translate into certifiable, verifiable reality so that both the farmer and industry can benefit from their contributions to the planet.”

The MoU was signed at a lunch event in New Delhi on 20 September, attended by ISMA, Bonsucro members, and other stakeholders. This took place ahead of the Sugar and Bioenergy Conference on 21 and 22 September. Bonsucro’s CEO, Danielle Morley, will speak at the event about how sustainable sugarcane can help create a net zero future at the conference.

Speaking about the formalisation of the relationship between Bonsucro and ISMA, Danielle Morley, said, “India is rapidly changing and as the sugarcane sector looks to the future, knowledge-based collaborations like this are essential. By working more closely with ISMA, Bonsucro can support the Indian sugar and bioenergy sector to achieve net zero targets and contribute to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.”

As the company continues its focus on strategic growth and sustainability, Southwire has been awarded the supply of a portion of the underground power cables for Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) by NKT, the project’s turnkey cable supplier and cable system technology owner. CHPE is a transmission project that will deliver 1,250 megawatts of clean, renewable hydropower from the U.S.-Canadian border to Queens, N.Y., enough power for more than one million New York homes.

“As I have said many times – it is a great time to be in our industry and an even better time to be at Southwire. We are honored and excited to enter a partnership with NKT and support one of the largest renewable projects in the nation,” said Rich Stinson, Southwire’s president and CEO. “In addition to the substantial economic benefits CHPE will provide, it is incredibly meaningful to be part of a project that is focused on energy transformation, reducing carbon emissions and accelerating sustainability-related efforts in North America.”

CHPE will deliver clean, renewable hydroelectricity via a 339-mile fully buried High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission system using a combination of submarine and underground cables.

“The Champlain Hudson Power Express is central to the green transition of New York, and we are proud to be the turnkey cable system provider for the project with our market leading HVDC power cable technology. The award to Southwire is an important element for securing sufficient manufacturing capacity for a project of this size and combines our HVDC cable system technology and design with Southwire’s manufacturing expertise. Tight collaboration between the teams enables that decades of development and learnings with the technology can be applied swiftly for the benefit of the project,” says Mika Makela, Managing Director at NKT North America.

As part of the partnership, Southwire will be manufacturing the cables in its Huntersville Plant in North Carolina.

“CHPE is one of the most high-profile renewable energy projects the electrical industry has seen in the last decade and is expected to be a model for future renewable underground HVDC projects. We are thrilled that NKT has awarded Southwire the contract for the production of a significant part of the underground HVDC cables associated with this exciting endeavor,” said Norman Adkins, Southwire’s chief operating officer. “The strategic investment into our Huntersville, North Carolina facility – where these products will be manufactured – was executed with this and similar projects in mind, and we look forward to supporting NKT and our customers in the North American market today and in the years to come.”

For more information about Southwire’s ongoing commitment to its customers and sustainability, visit the company’s Newsroom online at www.southwire.com/newsroom. 

By Candace Higginbotham | August 31, 2023

During National Black Business Month, Regions Bank is highlighting Black entrepreneurs and organizations like the National Urban League, who are helping small-business owners build long-term success.

Small Business Matters.

That was the theme at the entrepreneur summit at the National Urban League Annual Conference. And Regions, which has a rich history with the organization, played a significant role at the Houston gathering in highlighting a shared priority: supporting and advancing Black-owned businesses.

“Small and minority-owned businesses are important drivers for our local economies – in small towns, rural communities and large metropolitan areas,” according to Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs at Regions Bank.

“At Regions, we understand how critical it is for these businesses to flourish, and teams across the bank work to serve, support and provide resources to ensure their success and continue to create more inclusive economic development in our communities.”

Abrahams was on hand for the National Urban League conference, along with Latrisha Jemison, Regional Community Development Manager and other members of Community Affairs. They were joined by a team of Regions bankers who participated in a panel discussion at the Small Business Matters Entrepreneurship Summit.

“The National Urban League Conference is one of our most important events of the year,” Jemison said. “And being able to engage with Black business owners and entrepreneurs and provide advice and guidance to them was a great opportunity for us.”

Small and minority-owned businesses are important drivers for our local economies – in small towns, rural communities and large metropolitan areas

Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs at Regions Bank

Supporting and Elevating Businesses

The discussion was led by Chad Cargile, Commercial Banking leader at Regions, and focused on a very timely topic: rising interest rates and the special challenges experienced by small business owners.

“Our Regions Bank team is incredibly proud to welcome the National Urban League Annual Conference to Houston,” Cargile said as he opened the discussion.

“Regions is committed to supporting and elevating small businesses, particularly in under-resourced communities, to help advance their growth. We know that every entrepreneur’s journey is different, meaning every small-business owner has different needs.”

Cargile then introduced the panel, which included Carl Brown, Regions branch manager; Shawntay Johnson, Regions Commercial Banking relationship manager; Eric Goodie, senior vice president of the Houston Area Urban League; and Phillip Yates, co-founder of Diversity Fund Houston and founder of EQUILIBERTY, INC.

The group talked about the challenges small businesses are facing with rising interest rates – from each of their unique vantage points. They provided tips, tools and resources – and also discussed how an unpredictable rate environment can actually introduce opportunities.

Regions bankers Brown and Johnson spoke about the importance of relationships and how critical it is to have ongoing dialog during challenging economic times.

“Transparency and trust are key,” Johnson told the audience. “Make sure your banker is aware of your goals, your other banking relationships and any other information that can assist when you’re working together to identify solutions.”

The team received positive feedback about the session, and the Regions bankers were available after the discussion to spend extra time with audience members for additional one-on-one advice about their small-business needs.

In addition to the Small Business Matters Entrepreneurship Summit, Regions associates were also involved in the NUL conference’s Community Day event and other programs.

“The National Urban League has been advocating for economic justice for African Americans for more than 100 years,” Jemison said. “I’m pleased that we can work together toward common goals – such as providing support for Black-owned businesses. And I look forward to continuing this relationship for many years to come.”

This short video, which highlights some examples of Regions’ support of Black-owned business, was shown at the National Urban League Conference.

Last week, colleagues from Otis’ Women in Technology ERG teamed up with Girls for Technology, Inc. in Hartford, CT for the Building Dreams: Girls Mastering Elevator Engineering event. The Otis team shared information about how elevators work and insights into technological marvels that shape our world through these hands-on activities, revealing the fascinating secrets behind elevator design and operations.

Thank you to all the Otis volunteers who are helping to inspire girls to become the next generation of engineers! Click here to learn more about how Otis is working to encourage early #STEM learning through volunteerism as we work towards 500,000 volunteer hours by 2030.