Month: May 2024

Southwire has joined forces with British climate tech leader Levidian to bring their innovative decarbonization technology to North America for the first time.

The collaboration will see the installation of Levidian’s LOOP technology at Southwire where it will capture carbon from methane to produce a hydrogen-rich blend gas. The teams will also be working on useful applications for the hydrogen and graphene, which can be used as a high-quality additive to increase the performance of materials as wide-ranging as concrete, batteries and plastics.

“This collaboration with Southwire marks an important first step in our expansion into North America and our mission to help decarbonize some of the important sectors on the planet,” said Levidian CEO John Hartley. “By deploying our LOOP technology at Southwire’s facilities, we’re not just reducing carbon emissions. We’re reshaping the landscape of sustainable industrial practices.”

As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of wire and cable, Southwire delivers power to millions of people around the world. This partnership reflects the company’s commitment to innovation and remaining generationally sustainable in the electrical industry.

“This cooperation marks a significant stride towards our sustainability goals as we conduct exploratory work in graphene and hydrogen production and their potential applications,” said Axel Schlumberger, senior vice president of research and development at Southwire.

Levidian has also announced its intention to establish a new base in the US, including a new manufacturing hub for its LOOP devices to serve customers across North America.

For more information on Levidian and its mission to decarbonize the world’s most carbon-intensive industries, visit www.levidian.com.

For more news and information on Southwire and its commitment to sustainability, visit www.southwire.com/newsroom.

With support from Lenovo Foundation, Motorola jointly collaborated with UNESCO to publish a white paper detailing Motorola’s Indigenous Languages Digitization process with the aim to strengthen global focus on digital inclusion.

Published in April 2024, the “Hello Indigenous” white paper has the cooperation of UNESCO through the “Indigenous Languages on Mobile” partnership. It is a milestone for a journey that started in 2019, when Motorola and Lenovo Foundation collaborated to digitize the Kaingang languages from the Southern region of Brazil and Nheengatu from the Amazon. This whitepaper provides technical processes on endangered languages digitization to be shared globally across the industry.

In December 2022, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2022-2032 the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022-2032). The decade was launched with an event in Paris to discuss how to integrate and preserve indigenous languages worldwide and the possibilities of cooperating for a more inclusive future. Sergio Buniac, President of Motorola and Vice President of Lenovo, participated in the event with representatives of the Lenovo Foundation and Motorola’s Globalization Area alongside high-level representatives of UNESCO Member States, indigenous leaders, the United Nations System agencies, national civil society research organizations, and representatives of the public and private sectors.

“We’re aware of our global company’s role and mission to bring more innovative technology to everyone, and Motorola has invested in raising awareness and putting into practice our ongoing commitment to the project to revitalize indigenous languages,” Buniac shared at the UNESCO event in 2022.

The loss of language diversity is an urgent issue. UNESCO estimates that an indigenous language is lost every two weeks, resulting in the disappearance of around 3,000 unique languages by the end of the century. Motorola and Lenovo Foundation began the efforts captured in the white paper to help preserve our human heritage, protect the stories of indigenous cultures and encourage future generations to use their native language in new digital formats so that the language does not disappear. The initiative has been vetted by Lenovo’s Product Diversity Office and has inspired further inclusive language initiatives, like Lenovo’s Aotearoa Bilingual Keyboard in New Zealand, the foundation of a first-ever Nheengatu Academy of Language in Brazil and various interactions with Task Force groups of UNESCO’s International Decade of Indigenous languages to reinforce the importance of technology on endangered Language Revitalization.

Motorola and Lenovo Foundation are committed to inclusion and smarter technology for all and continue to support endangered languages in the interface of its smartphones. In addition to Nheengatu (Amazon region), Kaingang (south/southeast of Brazil), Cherokee (North America), Kuvi, Kangri (India) and Maori (New Zealand), Motorola and Lenovo Foundation are proud to introduce Ladin, an endangered language spoken in Italy, Dolomites region (South of Tyrol) as part of the 90+ languages to use in Motorola smartphones.

Linguistic diversity is widespread in Europe and includes minority languages in various countries. From Welsh spoken in the United Kingdom to Sami spoken in Scandinavia, there are about 105 autochthonous languages that are spoken across the continent by about 400 linguistic communities (both titular nations and minority groups), reflecting the deep-rooted history of the cultures of Europe.

In Italy there are twelve officially recognized minority languages, some without kinstate such as Friulian, Sardinian and Ladin. Among these three minority languages, Ladin has the least number of speakers. Compared to Friulian and Sardinian, which have over 500,000 and 1 million speakers, respectively, there are approximately 32,500 Ladin speakers. According to the influential study by the European Commission from 1996, if a language has below 300,000 speakers, it is considered at risk of disappearing. Additionally, UNESCO categorizes Ladin as definitely endangered. With this initiative, Lenovo Foundation and Motorola hope to inspire further work on endangered languages digitization.

May 30, 2024 /3BL/ – Wells Fargo is donating $250,000 to support the Severe Weather and Derecho Recovery Fund, which is organized by the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance. The Alliance is a philanthropic partnership established by the Greater Houston Community Foundation and the United Way of Greater Houston to support individuals and families affected by the severe storms, derecho winds, tornados, and flooding events that occurred between April 26 and May 17, 2024.

“Our thoughts remain with the city of Houston and surrounding areas that were severely impacted by the devasting storms over the past month,” said Darlene Goins, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation and head of Philanthropy and Community Impact. “When it comes to supporting our communities, we understand there is greater power in collaboration. That’s why we are proud to work with local nonprofits like the United Way of Greater Houston and the Greater Houston Community Foundation to provide financial support to help aid in recovery efforts during these incredibly difficult times.”

The Severe Weather and Derecho Recovery Fund will serve uninsured and underinsured low-to-moderate income families in the affected counties of Harris, Montgomery, and Waller, focusing on disproportionately impacted zip codes and vulnerable populations.

75% of funds will support recovery through home repair and resource navigation.25% of funds will support immediate relief through emergency flexible financial assistance.

“The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance was created to help those severely impacted begin the process of recovery,” said Stephen Maislin, president and CEO, Greater Houston Community Foundation. “Having the generous support of Wells Fargo is extremely helpful, and we are grateful to them for prioritizing the recovery efforts of the vulnerable populations in our community.”

“To have Wells Fargo’s support of the Severe Weather and Derecho Recovery Fund is powerful,” said Amanda McMillian, president and CEO, United Way of Greater Houston. “In times of disaster, it takes a collaborative and coordinated response from the nonprofit, for-profit, public sector and philanthropic community to ensure our neighbors get the help they need to start the recovery and rebuilding process.”

In addition, Wells Fargo is offering customer accommodations and employee support for those directly impacted by the storm. Wells Fargo customers who wish to support the American Red Cross storm relief efforts may donate through any Wells Fargo ATM in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, and Texas beginning May 24 through June 6. There is no fee for ATM donations, and 100% of contributions will be sent to the American Red Cross.

Supporting customers

Wells Fargo is committed to providing support to customers and clients affected by the recent storm in Houston. Customers who want to discuss their financial needs should call 1-800-219-9739.

For support related to commercial accounts, customers can contact their relationship manager or client service officer directly, or call Global Treasury Management Service at 1-800-AT-WELLS (1-800-289-3557).

Caring for employees

The company’s We Care Fund was established to aid employees during unexpected financial hardship, including natural disasters. Employees who are impacted by the recent storm should contact their manager or Employee Assistance Consulting to be connected to resources, including the We Care application process.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 47 on Fortune’s 2023 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy. News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wellsfargo

*The American Red Cross name, emblem, and copyrighted materials are being used with its permission, which in no way constitutes an endorsement, express or implied, of any product, service, company, opinion, or political position. The American Red Cross logo is a registered trademark owned by The American National Red Cross. For more information about the American Red Cross, please visit redcross.org.

Contact Information

Media 
Ty Morrison, 713-838-6799 
Tymika.Morrison@wellsfargo.com

With just one month to go, the July 1st, 2024, deadline for companies operating in California to create and implement a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) is quickly approaching. Senate Bill No. 553 (CA Labor Code § 6401.9) requires every company in the state to establish, implement, and maintain a WVPP by that date.

To learn more about the bill and to download a free WVPP template, check out our original blog on this topic.

What’s important to note is that it’s not enough to simply just have a plan in place. This bill also requires employers to train their employees upon implementation and to provide continued training annually for employees working in the state.

Employers are actively debating the best methodologies to implement these WVPP training obligations. One of the obstacles employers are facing is that SB553 requires that the training allows for employee feedback or the ability to ask questions and get answers.

While ideal scenarios involve in-person sessions with interactive Q&A segments, sessions like this aren’t always practical for companies with numerous locations. So, the question remains, what’s the best way to train employees on WVPP? Below, we discuss some training options to consider and their pros and cons.

In-Person Training: The Ideal Yet Impractical Solution

In-person training sessions are often hailed as the gold standard. They offer direct interaction, allowing employees to ask questions and receive immediate feedback, as the bill requires. This face-to-face communication fosters a clearer understanding and a more engaging learning experience. However, for companies with many employees across multiple locations, in-person sessions quickly become logistically challenging and costly.

Live Webinars and Zoom Calls: A Middle Ground

Many employers are turning to webinars and Zoom calls as a compromise. These platforms enable trainers to deliver the WVPP content live while utilizing chat features to facilitate Q&A sessions. This method retains some level of interactivity and is more scalable than in-person sessions. Nevertheless, managing a high volume of participants can still pose challenges, employees tend to multi-task during calls thus missing critical information, and the quality of engagement may suffer compared to in-person interactions.

The Rise of eLearning: Flexible Yet Disconnected

The benefits of eLearning are significant. It offers flexibility, allowing employees to complete the training at a convenient time, which is particularly advantageous for shift workers or those with busy schedules. eLearning platforms can incorporate adult learning concepts, interactive elements, and assessments to engage learners effectively. However, the requirement for employee feedback remains a sticking point. How can companies ensure meaningful interaction and feedback in a predominantly asynchronous learning environment?

Addressing the eLearning Feedback Challenge

Several strategies are emerging to tackle the feedback requirement in eLearning environments:

Dedicated WVPP Q&A Email Addresses: Some companies are setting up specific email addresses where employees can send their questions and receive timely responses. This ensures feedback and questions are documented and addressed, albeit less immediate than live interactions.Manager-Led Follow-Up Conversations: Another approach involves requiring managers to hold follow-up discussions with their teams after the eLearning modules. This allows employees to ask questions and discuss the training content in a more personalized setting, bridging the gap between asynchronous learning and real-time feedback.WVPP Office Hours and Live Q&A Sessions: Hosting dedicated office hours or live Q&A sessions provides employees with scheduled opportunities to connect with knowledgeable personnel. These sessions can be held periodically, ensuring that employees have regular access to real-time support and feedback.

WVPP Training Key Takeaways

The debate over the best methodology for implementing WVPP training is ongoing. Each approach—whether in-person, live webinars, or eLearning—offers unique advantages and faces distinct challenges. The key lies in finding a balance that meets regulatory requirements while remaining practical and scalable for your organization. By incorporating innovative feedback methods, companies can enhance the effectiveness of their training programs and ensure that employees remain engaged and informed, not only upon WVPP implementation, but also for the years to come.

Do you need help building a WVPP or EHS training program at your organization? Reach out to our team of EHS training experts for help today!