Author: sHq_LoGiNz

There’s the proverbial knowledge sponge. On the flipside, there’s the dreaded fun sponge.

In this case, off the Texas coast, researchers believe they may be dealing with an environmental game-changer—the invaluable carbon sponge.

In October 2022, work began on a groundbreaking carbon sequestration study on the RGV Reef, a 1,650-acre artificial reef off South Padre Island in the Gulf of Mexico. The project is being managed by the Friends of RGV Reef, a non-profit group that created the reef in 2017, and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) researchers, and funded through a $250,000 Fueling Futures grant from Enbridge.

At the outset, it was hoped that the study could provide a seminal moment in the battle against climate change. And at the project’s midway point, the UTRGV researchers are seeing promising results.

“The early data that we are seeing is delivering some encouraging results. The sponges and soft corals that cover the reef do contain high amounts of carbon,” says Dr. Richard Kline, Ph.D., Professor, School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences at UTRGV, whose team is leading the research.

“We suspected that reefs, man-made or natural, could sequester or capture carbon. Now, initial data shows that the reef’s structure, the bottom or sediment, and the biomass, fish and other marine life in the water column, is indeed capturing or trapping CO2, a known greenhouse gas, in some significant proportions.”

Since its creation, the RGV Reef has already brought back substantial populations of fish and attracted growing numbers of other sea life. The majority of the artificial reef consists of cleansed, intentionally sunken vessels, concrete rail ties, and cinder blocks.

“UTRGV’s research is the most comprehensive study in the world to determine the ability of artificial reefs to capture or trap carbon—and maybe provide a solution in dealing with our real-life climate challenges,” says Gary Glick, President of the Friends of RGV Reef.

“If reefs prove to be a major force or a way to capture carbon, then this research could benefit every country in the world that has a coastline,” he adds. “As human beings, we need to look at all the ways we can reduce emissions and capture greenhouse gases. Reefs may be an important tool in our bigger toolbox that we can use to help us achieve a cleaner and brighter future.”

After refining the data collection process, with supporting lab analysis, the study now enters its final 12-month phase.

“The study is driven by the data we’re collecting. At the end of the study, we will publish our findings for the world to see,” says Dr. Kline. “We’ll be able to know definitively if reefs have the ability to capture carbon in enough concentrations to have a significant impact.”

Whirlpool Corporation announced that it has been named to the 2023 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI) in recognition of the company’s dedication to responsible and ethical business practices. This marks the second consecutive year Whirlpool Corp. has been named to the World Index. The company is also on the North America Index for the 17th year.

“For 112 years we have held ourselves to the highest ethical standards in our business operations, and we are proud of our long history of purposeful innovation, sustainable operations and local community engagement,” said Marc Bitzer, chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation. “Receiving this recognition once again validates the efforts of our thousands of employees and their dedication to our vision of improving life at home.”

For 112 years we have held ourselves to the highest ethical standards in our business operations, and we are proud of our long history of purposeful innovation, sustainable operations and local community engagement,”

Whirlpool Corp. advanced its environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, reaching Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWtL) gold or platinum level at 100% of its large global manufacturing sites in 2022, a goal set in 2012. Zero Waste to Landfill is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to World Class Manufacturing, the foundation for the company’s sustainable manufacturing journey. Whirlpool Corp. continues to invest in plant efficiency and waste reduction by working closely with recycling and sustainability organizations to find new, innovative ways to eliminate waste and contribute to the circular economy.

To further reduce the company’s environmental footprint, Whirlpool Corp. has increased its focus on renewable energy. In 2022, two Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs) were activated, which, when fully operational, are expected to yield renewable energy to cover 100% of electricity consumption by U.S. plants. In addition, four North American manufacturing facilities now feature nine wind turbines that source the equivalent of approximately 2,300 homes’ electricity use for one year. For each wind turbine, one $5,000 megawatt scholarship is given in Whirlpool Corporation’s name for STEM education per year in use.

As part of their 24 year relationship, Whirlpool Corp. supports Habitat for Humanity’s BuildBetter with Whirlpool program, an initiative dedicated to building more than 250 climate-resilient and energy efficient homes across the U.S. To help further reduce utility bills for Build Better with Whirlpool homeowners, the company added high-efficiency dishwashers to the refrigerators and ranges already included in each build. Whirlpool Corp. dishwashers are three to four times more water-efficient than hand washing, saving over 2,500 gallons of water per home per year¹. In addition, Whirlpool Corp. surpassed the $125 million milestone for in-kind donated product to Habitat for Humanity International in 2023. Since 1999, Whirlpool Corp. has donated more than 241,000 major home appliances to nearly 197,000 Habitat households across the U.S.

As a result of these and other ESG initiatives, Whirlpool Corp. has received additional recognition over the past year, including being named one of America’s Most JUST Companies for 2023, one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies for the Thirteenth Consecutive Year in 2023 as well as inclusion on the U.S. News & World Report Best Companies to Work For in 2023.

The DJSI, including the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), were launched in 1999 as the pioneering series of global sustainability benchmarks available in the market. The index family is comprised of global, regional and country benchmarks.

¹Based on favorable water and energy use comparison against KitchenAid Model No. KDTM354ESS, which was compared to manual handwashing among 40 study subjects using conditions and assumptions set forth in Gabriela Y Porras et al 2020 Environ. Res. Commun. 2 021004. Assumes 215 cycles/year.

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M·A·C Cosmetics Germany was proud to sponsor and be the official partner of the 27th annual Operngala in Berlin. Held at the Berlin Opera, the event was a fundraiser for the organization Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung, which has been a longtime M·A·C VIVA GLAM grantee.

At the event, the M·A·C Germany team presented a check for 100,000€ for a new donation to support a project that Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung is leading called Cape Town Hope. This workstream will aim to directly address the HIV/AIDS pandemic by providing access to education, treatment, and ongoing support within the existing provincial and municipal health structures.

M·A·C hosted a group of 12 influencers to attend the event and represent the brand, providing them with a VIP experience with each talent getting styled with a full glam look by M·A·C Artists before the gala. Attendees included @aliciaawa, @baochiinguyen, @jeyisbaee, @oluwatolinobaa, @tschary and more, and generated over 4.5M impressions through the content they shared of the special evening, highlighting M·A·C VIVA GLAM’s support of Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung.

Learn more about M·A·C VIVA GLAM, the brand’s charitable campaign here.

On Oct 4, FedEx and the United Service Organizations (USO) teamed up for the 6th annual holiday packing event. Over 150 FedEx team members spent time kitting thousands of Holiday Care Packs at the FedExForum in Memphis.

Memphis Grizzlies coach, Taylor Jenkins, kicked off the event by rallying the FedEx troops with a quick pep talk and inspiring message to “put a smile in every bag packed” and bring cheer to America’s military service members.

Volunteers filled over 13,300 Holiday Care Packs which included items such as candy, snacks, holiday socks, a deck of playing cards, and more. The packages are expected to be delivered by FedEx to remote locations in the Pacific.

For some volunteers, giving back to service members is personal. During the event, Veterans Brock Carlson and Eddie Johnson explained why participating in volunteer events such as this are important to them.

Brock Carlson, Manager- Talent Acquisition FedEx Logistics

More than 30 years ago, Brock Carlson received his first holiday care package from the USO while serving in the Marine Corps during the Gulf War. Carlson had been overseas for four months and remembers the care package being the first one he received from home since his deployment.

“Receiving a package with items from home, filled with things we couldn’t get, was an incredible reminder that the world back home still existed,” Carlson said. “Knowing that somebody was thinking about me and went through the effort to send it was an amazing feeling.”

“FedEx Cares provides the chance for FedEx team members to give back to their local communities,” he said. “We’re driving forward to give back, and events like this give us the opportunity to deliver excellence to the people we care about in the places where we live.”

Eddie Johnson – Sr. Technical Specialist, FedEx Services

Eddie Johnson, an Air Force Veteran who volunteered at the USO event, felt the event brought him full circle. In the military, Johnson was in hospitality management and helped send out the MREs. Now he’s helping fill holiday care packages, giving him the chance to help those who once helped him.

“I think it’s the most important thing to do because one of the foundations that the Air Force taught me was integrity and taking care of your fellow soldier” Johnson said. “This is just me playing a part (in the) whole entire ecosystem as far as giving back.”

Over the last 20 years, FedEx and the USO have teamed up to create meaningful and fun-filled volunteer events to help deliver a small slice of home to the troops. This care package kitting event is just one of the many ways FedEx supports service members and their families through the USO.

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

In 2005, Glenn Goodson saw a commercial about boxing and fitness, and that sparked an idea to open his own gym. He soon became the proud owner of a franchise, but the budding Denver entrepreneur had a bigger vision.

With the help of small business specialist Alexis Hiltz, business access advisor Brandon Willis, and Elavon payments solution sales rep Vianey Edwards, Goodson was able to leave his franchise and turn his gym into a beacon of hope for the greater Denver community. Today, A1 Boxing Academy uses fitness, self-defense skills and unity to keep the area’s youth active and out of trouble.

“The U.S. Bank relationship meant a lot to the gym, because it allowed youth to come in that wouldn’t normally be able to afford it,” Goodson said. “The benefits of working with U.S. Bank were their customer service and friendliness, and their ability to accommodate the needs of the gym.”

Watch the video above to learn more about Goodson and his mission to help Denver’s youth, and how the collaboration with U.S. Bank continues to turn his dreams into a reality.

Renewable energy output needs to increase three-fold by 2030 to help prevent global warming exceeding 1.5°C, with governments being urged to step up rapid action.

The United Arab Emirates’ COP28 presidency, along with two renewable energy organisations, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Global Renewables Alliance, have released a joint report which revealed capacity for renewable energy has to “reach more than 11,000 GW” by 2030.

The report has been released ahead of the COP28 climate summit, to be held at the end of November, which strives for global transformative climate action. Countries will unite en masse in the hope of striking a deal on the capacity increase during the climate negotiations, hosted in Dubai.

A total of 20 nations, including China, the United States and India, have agreed to work towards tripling the global renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade.

The 1.5°C target was implemented following the Paris Agreement in 2015 but there are still considerable gaps creating hurdles to overcome to meet the ambitious goal.

Why is the Paris Agreement important?

The agreement was adopted by 196 parties at COP21 in Paris. According to scientists, the planet will exceed the 1.5°C threshold in the coming decade if urgent action isn’t taken to reduce CO2 emissions, threatening people, wildlife and ecosystems with drastic effects from climate change.

The challenge of striking a deal between nearly 200 countries at COP28 will be immense and the report calls for strong regulatory frameworks, financial incentives, more time-focused targets and awareness campaigns, as well as doubling energy efficiency.

“Why is the Paris Agreement hard to achieve? How does COP28 factor into this?”

European nations and climate-vulnerable states have made it clear that it isn’t enough to agree to scale up clean energy if countries are not aligned in turning their backs on the polluting energy responsible for climate change.

They firmly believe a renewable energy deal at the global summit must align with a pledge to phase out CO2-emitting fossil fuels – which has faced resistance from Saudi Arabia, Russia and other fossil fuel-reliant economies.

Wopke Hoekstra, European Union climate policy chief, told Reuters: “You cannot just have the renewables goal and then call the COP a success.”

Paddy Balfour, Executive Director – Acre APAC, said: “Setting an unambiguous climate goal is one thing but ensuring that every country on board is working at their highest level to ensure the target is achieved is another. We are edging closer to the Paris Agreement deadline, time really is running out.

“We need a unanimous decision at COP28 to see climate-vulnerable nations receive the necessary level of financial support and shine the spotlight on both nature and people.

“It is therefore imperative that COP28 leads to less talk and focuses on setting the wheel in motion for more tangible, effective action.”

The UAE’s Sultan al-Jaber will lead the COP28 talks, which has been deemed a controversial decision by some lawmakers and environmentalists in the US and EU, due to his status as head of state oil giant ADNOC, and the UAE’s climate envoy.

COP28 runs from Nov 30th – Dec 12th.

About Acre

At Acre, we work with the most aspirational businesses with potential to make real change; from those who are just starting out to those who are well on the journey to crafting a legacy.

Our 18 years’ experience in sustainability recruitment, combined with our extensive global network, enables us to provide talent solutions that are designed to deliver this change.

Through our unique behavioural assessment technology, we understand the types of people, skills and behaviours required to create impact. We can develop these qualities within your existing teams too.

We find talented people and develop their skills to ensure they make a true impact in ambitious, progressive organisations.

Acre. Making companies ready for tomorrow.

Originally published in Dow’s 2022 INtersections Progress Report

At Dow, we are committed to advancing inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E) for all. Our long-term business growth and success is only achievable with a diverse team and an inclusive culture where everyone can grow and thrive. Our ID&E strategy, ALL IN 2025, focuses on leading with inclusion, elevating our focus on diversity and embedding equity into our practices, policies and processes to deliver breakthrough results by 2025.

OUR APPROACH: DOW’S ID&E STRATEGY

How We’re Doing It: Driving Accountability and Alignment Throughout Dow

Top-Down Commitment

Board and Leadership Team OversightChief Inclusion OfficerInclusion Councils: President’s Inclusion Council, Senior Leaders’ Inclusion Council, Joint Inclusion CouncilThe Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) NetworkDow Company Foundation Board

Bottom-Up Alignment and Action

Inclusion metrics included in our Annual Performance Award program for approximately 3,000 people leaders and senior leadersAnnual employee survey includes ID&E questions to track and drive progressVolunteer-based employee resource groups (ERGs)Team Dow engaged and empowered to advance inclusion around the Dow world

2022 Progress 

Best-in-Class ERG Participation 57.3% of employees participate in at least one of our 10 ERGsERGs Driving Engagement ERG participants reported 13% points higher overall satisfaction with Dow than non-ERG participantsImproved Workforce Diversity Representation U.S. ethnic minority representation increased to 27.5% in 2022 from 26.0% in 2021. Global representation of women improved to 29.5% in 2022 from 28.9% in 2021 and global representation of women in leadership increased to 36.3% in 2022 from 35.3% in 2021Increased Certified Diverse Supplier Spend Surpassed $245MM target, achieved ~$275MM spend globally and retained 84% of diverse suppliers

Recognized Externally as a Leader in ID&E 

Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production™ by Great Place to Work® and Fortune • 2022 PEOPLE Companies that Care by Great Place to Work®Top score on Disability Equality Index® and recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” #15 on 2022 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list • Named one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality” by Human Rights Campaign#1 on 2022 DiversityInc Top Companies for Executive Diversity Councils list5-Stars in the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility Corporate Inclusion Index™ for Employment and Governance

Meet Our New Chief Inclusion Officer 

In 2022, Dr. Alveda Williams was promoted as our new chief inclusion officer.

A Ph.D. scientist turned human resources leader, Williams spent the first decade of her career as a researcher and technical leader at Dow. While still working in Research & Development (R&D), Williams created Dow’s BEST (Building Engineering & Science Talent at Dow) Symposium, which introduces under-represented minority Ph.D. talent to careers in industrial research. In 2009, she was named global strategic university leader for Dow’s R&D function. Recognizing her passion for people and talent development, she accepted a role as an associate Human Resources director in 2012.

Williams has previously served as corporate director of Inclusion. In this role, she was responsible for driving and implementing the company’s global inclusion strategy and institutionalizing inclusion into the overall employee experience. This included maximizing employee resource group engagement, diversifying Dow’s supplier network and driving efforts that enable a culture of trust.

Under Williams’ leadership, Dow has moved the needle on key inclusion and diversity performance indicators, ascended to the #15 spot on the 2022 DiversityInc Top 50 list, and been named for the first time to the Great Place to Work® and Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For List.

“We’ve made so much progress, but we still have more work to do. Together, we will continue to build on our accomplishments and accelerate our progress toward a more inclusive, diverse and equitable Dow,” Williams said.

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