Month: April 2024

In a move to democratize high-impact renewable energy investments, Ever.green has forged a partnership with Clearway Energy Group to extend the life of a 55 MW wind farm in Big Spring, Texas. In this deal, eight brands, including Atlassian, Arrow Electronics, Autodesk, Brooks Running, Compose[d], Medallia, and Trimble, joined forces to purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from the project through long-term contracts, which will provide critical funding to the project over its extended lifespan.

Cris Eugster, CEO and Co-Founder of Ever.green, said, “Our ability to fractionalize participation opens access to all companies wanting to have impact in the energy transition.”

Ever.green’s high-impact RECs play a critical role in supporting new clean energy projects by bolstering their initial financing prospects and long-term viability; the long-term REC contracts require robust diligence of the project and legal attestation of additionality. Up until now, companies looking to offset their Scope 2 emissions have had only two options: enter into a VPPA or PPA (which requires significant scale, capital, and the willingness to take energy price risk) or buy low-cost unbundled RECs on the spot market (which have negligible impact on the energy transition). 

Through their investments, companies are helping to accelerate the energy transition while advancing their sustainability objectives. Dave Kemp, Director of Corporate Responsibility at Brooks Running, remarks, “Purchasing renewable energy is a critical strategy to achieve our Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.”

The Ocotillo wind farm, which began commercial operations in 2008, underwent a partial repower by Clearway Energy Group, aimed at harnessing the abundant wind resources at the site while optimizing existing infrastructure. This project not only sustains a vital renewable energy source but also delivers environmental and community benefits, including materials and infrastructure reuse, minimal land-use impact, and substantial tax revenues for Howard County. The energy produced by the Ocotillo wind farm is enough to power 19,000 homes each year and will avoid tens of thousands of tCO2 of emissions per year.

Nichole Wiley-Marks, vice president of global real estate and sustainability for Arrow, said, “We’re proud to be a part of this project and invest in clean, renewable energy sources that allow us to meet our climate goals.”

Ever.green’s commitment to driving impactful change extends beyond RECs. In 2023, we partnered with Baker Tilly to launch the first digital marketplace for clean energy tax credits, further empowering corporate buyers to amplify their renewable energy purchasing impact while reducing costs.

This collaboration between Ever.green and Clearway epitomizes the collective effort required to propel the world towards a cleaner, more sustainable future. By harnessing the power of corporate sustainability initiatives, we can create a lasting impact that transcends boundaries.

For more information about Ever.green’s marketplace for high-impact RECs and tax credits, please contact Liz Pearce at liz@ever.green.

Originally published in the Maximus 2023 Sustainability Report

At Maximus, we strive to create an environment that not only values and appreciates each employee but also actively fosters their growth and potential. Our recruitment strategy is sharply focused on attracting top talent with specialized skills that align with and propel our business strategies and mission forward.

Individuals With Disabilities Recruiting and Inclusion Programs

Fostering inclusivity and opportunity 
Our ongoing efforts to integrate individuals with disabilities into our workforce involve close collaboration with vocational rehabilitation and disability organizations. By building strong relationships with community-based groups and participating in local outreach programs, we aim to provide accessible and meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, underscoring our commitment to an inclusive and diverse workplace.

Enhanced disability inclusion training 
In 2022 and 2023, we have broadened our disability inclusion initiatives, particularly focusing on equipping hiring managers with the necessary skills and awareness. This includes specialized training on hiring veterans with disabilities and addressing unconscious bias. Our aim is to create a more inclusive recruitment process that acknowledges and values the diverse abilities of all candidates, especially those belonging to protected classes.

DiverseABILITY at Maximus 

Championing inclusion and empowerment 
Maximus takes pride in the DiverseABILITY Team, a specialized recruitment group dedicated to the sourcing, recruiting, and accommodation of individuals with disabilities, disabled veterans, and veterans. This team exemplifies our unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workforce.

Building strong partnerships for inclusive recruitment 
Our DiverseABILITY Team has established over 5,200 partnerships with community-based organizations and Veteran Service Organizations nationwide. These collaborations are instrumental in empowering counselors to directly channel disability and veteran candidates into our interview pipeline, ensuring a diverse range of talent.

Impactful outreach and engagement 
In FY23, the DiverseABILITY Team’s proactive approach included hosting 85 Open Houses and 154 hiring events. This extensive outreach resulted in the sourcing of 2,375 individuals with disabilities and veteran candidates, significantly enriching our talent pool with diverse perspectives and skills.

Educating and raising awareness 
The DiverseABILITY Team has conducted extensive disability and veteran awareness training for over 500 stakeholders and hiring managers, especially in our largest citizen engagement centers in the U.S. This initiative reflects our dedication to creating an informed and sensitive work environment that appreciates and supports diversity.

Values and workplace culture
The DiverseABILITY Team operates with a foundation of integrity, respect, honesty, and diversity. Adhering to the highest standards of transparency and fairness in interactions, the team fosters a collaborative and inclusive work environment. We believe in freely sharing knowledge and promoting an atmosphere where every employee feels valued and empowered to contribute to our clients’ and customers’ success.

Learn more about Maximus’ dedication to excellence and diversity in the 2023 Sustainability Report.

Originally published on GoDaddy Resource Library

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your current role.

Hello! I’m Aleksandar Stančov and I am a Software Development Engineer I (SDE), here at GoDaddy. My journey began with a passion for problem-solving through math competitions during my elementary school years. This love for tackling challenges seamlessly transitioned into programming, becoming my natural next step. I’m currently enrolled in a Master’s Programme at University of Belgrade, School of Electrical Engineering. Contrary to what one might think, it’s my skills honed at GoDaddy that are proving invaluable in my academic pursuits, rather than the other way around.

What was your favourite part of your GoDaddy internship?

My favourite parts about the internship were the team atmosphere and the amazing mentorship I received. Learning about good coding practices and software fundamentals was incredibly valuable. Additionally, I enjoyed taking part in a team-wide Security initiative for remediating malware. Thanks to the internship, I gained the knowledge and confidence needed to transition into a full-time role.

What were you most excited for, about starting full-time here?

I was particularly excited to have the opportunity to continue learning from more experienced colleagues and to begin contributing to products used by a substantial number of users.

What’s the most challenging yet rewarding thing that you’ve worked on at GoDaddy?

That would be the work that I started doing during my internship and continued to do after stepping into an SDE role – malware remediation. It was challenging due to the fact that there were very interesting and different kinds of malware on customer sites. It was rewarding because it pushed me to be more creative in my approach. I take great pride in knowing that I’ve played a role in helping our customers achieve their goals more seamlessly.

What advice would you give to an individual who is interested in a career in Software Development Engineering?

I would advise them to experiment with various fields of work within Software Development Engineering. This approach is the quickest way of discovering what you truly enjoy, ultimately enabling you to make the most significant impact.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

After work and university duties, there isn’t much time left for myself. However, I enjoy travelling with the little time I do have. Last year, I went to Rome and Nice, and this year, I took a trip to Porto! It’s a beautiful city in Portugal and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Are you enjoying this series and want to know more about life at GoDaddy? Check out our GoDaddy Life social pages! Follow us to meet our team, learn more about our culture (Teams, ERGs, Locations), careers, and so much more. You’re more than just your day job, so come propel your career with us.

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by Elan Emanuel, WaterEquity (which emerged out of Water.org and was cofounded by actor Matt Damon and Gary White)

Access to safe water and sanitation is a fundamental human right under binding international law. Yet today, a global water crisis still persists. 2.2 billion people—or 1 in 4—still lack access to safe water and 3.5 billion people—or 2 in 5—lack access to safely managed sanitation. While gains have been made over several decades, the effects of climate change have become a large and looming factor, halting progress made. Though the role of the public sector remains paramount in addressing the crisis, private impact investment has recently also emerged as a powerful tool.

Investing in Household Water and Sanitation Solutions

Impact investing focuses on generating positive social and environmental impact while seeking financial returns. In the realm of water and sanitation, investment plays a pivotal role in supporting innovative solutions, especially at the household level. Among low-income consumers, at least 600 million people could access water and sanitation products, services, and upgrades if financing was available, equating to what WaterEquity estimates as $35 billion of market demand over the next decade.

WaterEquity has approached this market opportunity through an investment strategy focused on providing debt capital to financial institutions in emerging markets to expand water and sanitation lending. These financial institutions use this capital to grow their water and sanitation microloan portfolios, as well as to on-lend to local enterprises delivering water and sanitation innovations, products, and services. Since our start in 2016, WaterEquity has deployed more than $360 million in capital to this strategy across four private investment funds, reaching more than 5 million people with increased access to safe water and sanitation.

Read the full article about WaterEquity here, which emerged out of Water.org and was cofounded by actor Matt Damon and Gary White – https://greenmoney.com/investing-in-the-future-of-water-and-sanitation/