Month: March 2024

Cascale (formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition) collaborated with Fashion Charter Decarbonization Working Group members on the UN Fashion for Climate Report, Guidance for Measuring Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Purchased Goods and Services in the Apparel and Footwear Industry. Prior to this publication, there was no sector-specific guidance on how to calculate carbon emissions in the upstream supply chain, a complicated process that requires blending factory-specific data when available and industry averages elsewhere. This report provides the industry with technical guidance that will enhance the consistency, accuracy, and comparability of carbon emissions calculations. The work reflects Cascale’s organizational focus on collaboration to drive emissions reduction in the apparel and wider consumer goods industry.

Collaborating with the UN Climate Change-convened Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (Fashion Charter) and with members of its Decarbonization Working Group, Cascale led the development of guidance specific to measuring category 1 of Scope 3: Purchased Goods and Services (PG&S), which represents the vast majority of a fashion company’s carbon footprint. To develop the initial report, the organization received input from over a dozen brands, manufacturers, consultancies, and other industry stakeholders. After a draft review, Cascale incorporated feedback into the final report, with support from UNFCCC.

For apparel and footwear brands and retailers, PG&S emissions result from all of the value chain activities that go into making finished products, from raw materials to fabric development to product manufacturing. Given the magnitude of PG&S for brands and retailers, the language in this report is generally tailored for them; however, the guidance can also be used by finished goods manufacturers, textile manufacturers, and other “upstream” companies to measure their PG&S emissions.

Cascale drives impact at scale through three foundational pillars — Combat Climate Change, Decent Work for All, and Nature Positive Future — forming a unified strategy for industry transformation through collective action programs that guide members from action to impact. Cascale’s Decarbonization Program, launched in 2022, is one leading example of these programs in action. It aims for members to achieve a 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. As of 2023, Cascale’s corporate members are required to set science-based targets (SBTs) for reducing GHG emissions by the end of 2023, when the organization launched the Manufacturer Climate Action Program (MCAP), over 50 percent of these members had set or committed to setting SBTs. To learn more about participating in this program, please complete the MCAP Expression of Interest form. To learn more about this report, please contact higgindex@cascale.org.

Manila, The Philippines, March 11 2024 /3BL/ – Black & Veatch, a global leader in critical infrastructure solutions, was selected to join the United States (US) Presidential Trade and Investment Mission (PTIM) to the Philippines on 11-12 March.

The mission is part of President Joe Biden’s commitment to Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to enhance the contributions of US companies to the Southeast Asia nation’s economy, including its connected infrastructure, clean energy transition, critical minerals sector and food security efforts for its people.

The Honorable Gina Raimondo, Secretary of the US Department of Commerce, will lead the delegation.

This is the first trade and investment mission to the Philippines under the Biden administration. The objective of the PTIM is to reinforce the Philippines as a key hub for regional supply chains and high-quality investment.

“Advancing major infrastructure projects and investment opportunities in the Asia Pacific region is a priority. This includes adapting global best practices to support the Philippines’ rising energy needs with low and no-carbon energy sources. Black & Veatch is excited to be a part of this important mission,” said Narsingh Chaudhary, President, Asia Pacific and India, Black & Veatch.

Black & Veatch has worked in the Philippines for over 30 years to deliver power and other infrastructure solutions, including more than 3,000 MW of greenfield power projects to date.

To support the increasing demand for resources in the Philippines and other global projects, Black & Veatch has established an engineering center in Alabang.

Innovative and transformative projects that Black & Veatch is working on in the Philippines include liquefied natural gas (LNG)-to-power and large-scale floating solar. The company is also involved in early-stage discussions about nuclear project development.

Additionally, Black & Veatch subsidiary Diode Ventures is collaborating with local partners to develop data center projects in Tarlac province and New Clark City.

Chaudhary, together with Lee Mather, Vice President and Director, Southeast Asia, Black & Veatch, and other key US business leaders will meet with Government of Philippines officials in Manila to learn more about business development incentives and discuss regulatory reforms. Trade mission delegates will also meet with relevant local firms and business organizations to foster business-to-business trade and investment promotion opportunities.

Contact Black & Veatch for more information.

About Black & Veatch 
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

Media Contact Information:

EMILY CHIA | +65 6335 6623 P | +65 9875 8907 M | Chialp@bv.com

24-HOUR MEDIA EMAIL | Media@bv.com

March 11, 2024 /3BL/ – Ceres commends the U.S. Department of the Treasury for its new effort with state insurance regulators and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to collect crucial climate risk data from homeowners at the zip code level.

“This collaborative effort aims to understand the potential for major disruptions in home insurance coverage due to climate-related financial risk,” said Steven M. Rothstein, managing director, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets. “This is a time when the country, and the insurance industry, is facing historic loss due to extreme weather and natural disasters. We need comparable, consistent national information more than ever before. We applaud this new effort, as there has never been a time when this information about homeowner insurance would be more important and urgent.”

Ceres has consistently advocated for such a data call, as detailed in our recent commentary submission to the Federal Insurance Office.

The U.S. faces $165 billion annually in damages due to extreme weather disasters, which are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity. On average, according to NOAA, a disaster occurs every 18 days, up from one every 4 months 20 years ago.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has agreed to provide the data to the Federal Insurance Office of the Treasury Department by September 2024. 

About Ceres 

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. The Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets is a center of excellence within Ceres that aims to transform the practices and policies that govern capital markets to reduce the worst financial impacts of the climate crisis. It spurs action on climate change as a systemic financial risk—driving the large-scale behavior and systems change needed to achieve a net zero emissions economy through key financial actors including investors, banks, and insurers. The Ceres Accelerator also works with corporate boards of directors on improving governance of climate change and other sustainability issues. For more information, visit ceres.org and ceres.org/accelerator and follow @CeresNews.

Media Contact: Diane May, dmay@ceres.org, 617-247-0700 ext. 220