Tag: 3BL

In many Indigenous cultures, the number seven symbolizes completeness and unity. To Enbridge and six First Nation and Metis communities in Saskatchewan, it’s now imbued with a new meaning.

That’s because the number is in the name of a new wind energy development announced at a news conference held June 24 at the Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina, the province’s capital city.

The Seven Stars Energy Project is centered in a 200-square-kilometre area of southern Saskatchewan, southeast of the city of Weyburn. It will be designed to produce 200 megawatts (MW) of power.

Enbridge will develop, build and operate the project with the support of Indigenous partners including Cowessess First Nation, George Gordon First Nation, Kahkewistahaw First Nation, Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, Pasqua First Nation, and White Bear First Nations. They have created a new entity, Six Nations Energy Development Limited Partnership (Six Nations), to steward investment in the project.

“This is Enbridge’s first Indigenous partnership focused on wind energy generation and our first Indigenous partnership in Saskatchewan,” says Matthew Akman, Enbridge’s Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy and President of our Power group. “Partnerships of this nature are increasingly important in North America’s energy future and we’re very proud to be one of the seven stars who will be advancing this important renewable project.”

The Indigenous partners will have an opportunity, collectively, to acquire at least 30% equity ownership in the project supported, in part, by a loan guarantee of up to $100 million from the Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment Finance Corporation.

“This is a game-changer for the Indigenous Nations, Métis and First Nations,” said Chief Matthew Peigan of Pasqua First Nation. “This Project will provide a stable source of revenue that will benefit our people for many years to come. We are pleased Enbridge sees that meaningful Indigenous ownership is the way to build energy infrastructure in this country and we look forward to developing this Project together.”

With the announcement made, Enbridge and partners will focus on finalizing commercial agreements and securing the necessary environmental and regulatory approvals to support final investment decisions, anticipated in 2025. The Seven Stars project is targeted to be operational in 2027.

“This is our moment to not only benefit the environment but support the long-term well-being of our communities and advance First Nation and Métis economic reconciliation,” said Brent Digness, Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. “It takes teamwork to complete complex projects like Seven Stars Energy. The MN-S government has taken steps to minimize risk to our citizens and will work with the federal government to secure additional support for our investment.”

PITTSBURGH, July 16, 2024 /3BL/ — Wesco, a leading provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions, is proud to have received a score of 100 on the Disability Equality Index® and to be recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.” Launched in 2015 as a joint initiative of Disability:IN and The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the Disability Equality Index is acknowledged today as the most robust disability inclusion assessment tool in business.

The 2024 Disability Equality Index measured: Culture & Leadership; Enterprise-Wide Access; Employment Practices (Benefits; Recruitment; Employment, Education, Retention & Advancement; Accommodations); Community Engagement; Supplier Diversity; and Responsible Procurement (Non-Weighted).

“On the 10th anniversary of the Disability Equality Index, we’re extremely proud of the 542 national and international companies that are taking a proactive role in leading progress towards disability inclusion, setting a benchmark for others to follow. Their dedication to fostering inclusive workplaces not only attracts top talent but also drives innovation and creates sustainable performance in today’s global market. Together, we are creating a future where everyone can contribute and thrive,” said Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN.

Wesco’s ABLE business resource group serves to promote an inclusive environment for employees with disabilities, whether they are apparent or not, and has played a crucial role in supporting the company’s progress. “We are proud to be recognized as a Disability Equality Index Top Scorer,” said Darryl Castellano, Vice-President, Global Inclusion, Diversity and Engagement at Wesco. “This achievement reflects our progress and commitment to fostering an inclusive culture where every individual is valued and empowered. Through continuous efforts to improve accessibility, leverage comprehensive I&D training and support diverse talent, we strive to create a workplace where everyone can thrive and contribute their unique perspectives. These efforts not only enhance our business operations but also enable us to better serve our global customers, driving innovation and excellence in all that we do.”

To learn more about inclusion and diversity at Wesco visit Wesco.com.

About Wesco 

Wesco International (NYSE: WCC) builds, connects, powers and protects the world. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wesco is a FORTUNE 500® company with more than $22 billion in annual sales and a leading provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions. Wesco offers a best-in-class product and services portfolio of Electrical and Electronic Solutions, Communications and Security Solutions, and Utility and Broadband Solutions. The Company employs approximately 20,000 people, partners with the industry’s premier suppliers, and serves thousands of customers around the world. With millions of products, end-to-end supply chain services, and leading digital capabilities, Wesco provides innovative solutions to meet customer needs across commercial and industrial businesses, contractors, government agencies, educational institutions, telecommunications providers, and utilities. Wesco operates nearly 800 branches, warehouses and sales offices in more than 50 countries, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and global corporations.

About the Disability Equality Index® 

The Disability Equality Index has become the leading independent, third-party resource for the annual benchmarking of corporate disability inclusion policies and programs, and is now trusted by more than 70% of the United States Fortune 100 and nearly half of the Fortune 500. Such companies must increasingly consider how emerging global reporting directives and stakeholder expectations surrounding social and corporate governance factors impact their operational, cultural, reputational and financial performance.

The Disability Equality Index is an objective, reflective, forward-thinking, and confidential disability rating tool designed to assist business in advancing inclusion practices. It is a comprehensive benchmark that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions across five scored categories: Culture & Leadership, Enterprise-Wide Access, Employment Practices, Community Engagement, and Supplier Diversity. Participating companies receive a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with those scoring 80 or higher earning the distinction of “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” for the benchmark year.

Findings from a two-year Global Disability Equality Index pilot informed the launch of a scored benchmark that opened in 2024 to seven new countries in addition to the United States. These include: Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom. Now in its 10th year, the Disability Equality Index has grown nearly 7x since 2015, expanding from 80 companies in its first year to 542 in 2024. Collectively, the 2024 edition received 753 submissions spanning the eight benchmarked countries.

Media Contact 
Jennifer Sniderman 
Vice President, Corporate Communications 
717.579.6603

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Originally published on GoDaddy Resource Library

On this episode of Outtakes, we chat with Thomas Allison. Prior to joining our Photography team full-time, Thomas worked as a Freelance Photographer shooting local businesses in Austin, Texas. We also go into detail about a cycling trip from Alaska to Argentina that he participated in over the course of 2 years!

Listen to the episode on Spotify here

GoDaddy is contracting with Freelance Photographers across the United States to help us tell the stories of the locally owned businesses whose websites and social media pages we manage. Our national network of photographers includes everyone from seasonal freelancers looking to fill holes in their schedules to photographers who are newer in their careers and looking to bolster their portfolios. We’ve tried to make the photographer experience as seamless as possible by handling all of the communications and scheduling with the customer, as well as providing you with creative style guides and a shot list. No editing is required; we handle all post-production in-house. If you are interested in joining GoDaddy’s photography network, Apply Here!

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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In the skies above us millions of pounds of air freight are on the move today, to near and far destinations. “The global economy relies on air cargo,” notes Nehal Gautam in The STAT Trade Times, but “the relentless growth comes at a steep price.” The convenience of air cargo is most welcomed by shippers and receivers — but for some stakeholders, air cargo is a seen as a major contributor to GHG emissions.

What are the facts? The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that global GHG emissions increased 1.1% in 2023, accounting for 410 million tonnes, with aviation contributing about 2% of the total emissions. And so, as air cargo traffic goes up, with freight moving in both all-cargo and passenger aircraft, so do emissions and the overall environmental burden of the industry increase.

What to do? One step forward is the introduction of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which are biofuels coming from such sources as plant oils and waste materials. Airlines and especially air cargo carriers are introducing these fuels to the mix. This includes Virgin Atlantic, Cargolux, Norwegian Air Shuttle, and Cathay Pacifici. Responding to customer needs, Airbus is introducing new aircraft to the mix with greater fuel efficiency, such as its A350F.

And where air cargo aircraft comes down to Earth is getting attention. Airports are investing in sustainable infrastructure (such as solar power, and “green taxiways” for more efficient movement) and addressing air cargo environmental concerns – as “a wave of innovation is taking flight.”

The STAT Trade Times article, which is one of our Top Stories, is a comprehensive wrap up of the state of the air cargo industry (negatives and positive) and related players (regulators, industry associations, airport managers, aircraft manufacturers, and other stakeholders) involved in “sustainable innovation.”

Our Top Stories also include two reports from McKinsey & Company examining the air cargo industry. In its report “Air freight 2025: Agility, speed, and partnerships,” McKinsey noted the air cargo sector “all too often clings to legacy technologies” and newer entrants can easily disrupt traditional approaches. Example: Amazon, a major innovator in logistics, is now building an air cargo hub in Cincinnati, Ohio, where a 3-million square foot facility will have 100 aircraft parking spaces, with discussions about acquiring many more air freighters.

In a rapidly-changing operating environment, McKinsey’s Ludwig Hausmann, Matthiew Pelissie du Rausas, and Mathieu Weber say air cargo carriers will need great agility, speed, and deeper alliances, to provide better service and higher quality and transparency, as shippers re-design global production networks and such innovations as advanced robotics, drones, and AI influence the industry.

What about better “greening” of air cargo? There’s opportunity there, according to McKinsey’s Elliott Tinnes, Fernando Perez, and Matthew Kandel, exploring the challenges of “Decarbonizing logistics, Charting the path ahead.” Surveying 250 shippers for their views on lower carbon shipping, they found that the majority of companies are now integrating “green shipping” into their logistics programs, with 70% indicating they would pay more for green shipping. The overall demand for green logistics could reach US$350 billion by 2030. More reasons why the air cargo sector needs to innovate to reduce carbon emissions.

The G&A Institute Climate Team has developed tools and systems to help companies with climate related challenges, opportunities and emissions calculations relevant to cargo and logistics. If you’d like more information please contact us. We are closely monitoring the air cargo sector and global logistics trends, and we will continue to share progress (and lack of) through our various communications channels.

This is just the introduction of G&A’s Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue.

CINCINNATI, July 16, 2024 /3BL/ – For the fourth consecutive year, Fifth Third Bank has received a top score of 100 on the Disability Equality Index ®, the leading independent, third-party resource for the annual benchmarking of corporate disability inclusion policies and programs. Fifth Third has also been named among the index’s Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.

“We value our employees with disabilities, and we strive to create an inclusive environment for every employee,” said Senior Vice President and Chief Inclusion Officer Stephanie A. Smith. “We are committed to creating an environment where equal access and an opportunity to thrive is available to all, and we are delighted that these efforts have once again been recognized by Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities.”

Fifth Third’s inclusive employment practices include a robust network of nine Business Resource Groups that empower employees to advance inclusion and belonging efforts and to access development opportunities, support business solutions and get involved in the community as leaders and volunteers.

Fifth Third is also a leading partner of Project SEARCH, a one-year program that helps high school students with disabilities transition into the workforce. Since the program’s inception in 2005, Fifth Third has trained 407 individuals, including 34 current employees, as one of 700 Project SEARCH locations worldwide. Fifth Third was also the first bank to design a checking account for the Achieving a Better Life Experience program, or ABLE. These accounts allow individuals with disabilities to save and invest assets for disability-related expenses.

“Creating a culture of belonging and connection where employees feel cared for and valued is critical to our success and ingrained in our core values,” said Chief Human Resources Officer Nancy Pinckney. “It is important to us that we intentionally create a workplace where each person feels valued, respected, and understood. We encourage our employees to bring their authentic selves and apply their best thinking to their work.”

Now in its 10th year, the Disability Equality Index aims to help businesses make a positive impact on the unemployment and underemployment of people with disabilities. A joint initiative of Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the index is an objective, reflective, forward-thinking, and confidential disability rating tool designed to assist business in advancing inclusion practices. The index measures companies’ inclusion efforts in culture and leadership, enterprise-wide access, employment practices, community engagement, and supplier diversity.

“On the 10th anniversary of the Disability Equality Index, we’re extremely proud of the 542 national and international companies that are taking a proactive role in leading progress towards disability inclusion, setting a benchmark for others to follow. Their dedication to fostering inclusive workplaces not only attracts top talent but also drives innovation and creates sustainable performance in today’s global market. Together, we are creating a future where everyone can contribute and thrive,” said Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN.

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About Fifth Third

Fifth Third is a bank that’s as long on innovation as it is on history. Since 1858, we’ve been helping individuals, families, businesses and communities grow through smart financial services that improve lives. Our list of firsts is extensive, and it’s one that continues to expand as we explore the intersection of tech-driven innovation, dedicated people and focused community impact. Fifth Third is one of the few U.S.-based banks to have been named among Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies® for several years. With a commitment to taking care of our customers, employees, communities and shareholders, our goal is not only to be the nation’s highest performing regional bank, but to be the bank people most value and trust.

 

Fifth Third Bank, National Association is a federally chartered institution. Fifth Third Bancorp is the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Deposit and credit products provided by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.

About the Disability Equality Index® 

The Disability Equality Index has become the leading independent, third-party resource for the annual benchmarking of corporate disability inclusion policies and programs, and is now trusted by more than 70% of the United States Fortune 100 and nearly half of the Fortune 500. Such companies must increasingly consider how emerging global reporting directives and stakeholder expectations surrounding social and corporate governance factors impact their operational, cultural, reputational and financial performance.

The Disability Equality Index is an objective, reflective, forward-thinking, and confidential disability rating tool designed to assist business in advancing inclusion practices. It is a comprehensive benchmark that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions across five scored categories: Culture & Leadership, Enterprise-Wide Access, Employment Practices, Community Engagement, and Supplier Diversity. Participating companies receive a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with those scoring 80 or higher earning the distinction of “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” for the benchmark year.

Findings from a two-year Global Disability Equality Index pilot informed the launch of a scored benchmark that opened in 2024 to seven new countries in addition to the United States. These include: Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom. Now in its 10th year, the Disability Equality Index has grown nearly 7x since 2015, expanding from 80 companies in its first year to 542 in 2024. Collectively, the 2024 edition received 753 submissions spanning the eight benchmarked countries.

CONTACT 
Amanda Nageleisen (Media Relations) 
amanda.nageleisen@53.com 
Matt Curoe (Investor Relations) 
matt.curoe@53.com | 513-534-2345

Originally published on HARMAN Newsroom

At HARMAN, our unwavering commitment to quality and delivery ensures we consistently meet the high expectations of our customers, partners, and employees. This dedication has been recognized through numerous awards from our Automotive customers, showcasing our excellence in both quality and delivery. These accolades not only honor our achievements but also inspire us to continually strive for innovation and improvement in everything we do. Let’s take a closer look at the prestigious quality and delivery awards we’ve earned in the last year:

Geely Motors Best Delivery Performance Supplier Award: Out of more than 2,600 suppliers, HARMAN was selected as one of the ten outstanding suppliers of the year by Geely Motors, an achievement earned through the unremitting efforts and outstanding delivery performance of the Lynk & Co 08 vehicle in 2023 by our manufacturing team in Suzhou, China.

Geely Motors Supplier Excellence Award: Selected out of 100 suppliers, leading automotive manufacturer Geely Motors awarded our manufacturing team in Suzhou, China as an “Excellence Supplier” based on the launch and on-time delivery performance of Volvo’s EX30 vehicle.

Geely Quality Excellence Award: Geely Motors also awarded our manufacturing team in Dandong, China its Quality Excellence Award for outstanding zero-kilometer and after-sales quality performance.

GM Infotainment Supplier of the Year: General Motors (GM) recognized HARMAN as a 2023 Supplier of the Year for a third time, thanks to our cross-functional teams. Evaluation criteria included performance, innovation, cultural alignment with GM’s values, and commitment to achieving GM’s ambitious goals.

GM Supplier Quality Excellence Award: GM recently awarded HARMAN with two Supplier Quality Excellence Awards in Suzhou and Queretaro. This award recognizes GM’s top performing supplier manufacturing locations that have met or exceeded stringent quality performance criteria for the 2023 calendar year.

Golden Peacock Business Excellence Award: Our manufacturing team in Pune, India was honored with the Golden Peacock Business Excellence Award, which recognizes the best management practices that drive organizational improvement.

Great Wall Motors Best Partner Award: HARMAN was selected out of more than 1,500 suppliers for Great Wall Motors’ “Best Partner” award based on quality, delivery performance and professional problem-solving capabilities in Suzhou, China.

Harley Davidson Quality Award: Harley Davidson awarded HARMAN with this exclusive recognition for maintaining a flawless quality record throughout 2023 in Queretaro, Mexico.

Kia 5-Star Quality Award: Kia’s 5-Star System quantitatively evaluates suppliers’ level of quality, technology, and delivery level and HARMAN was awarded for outstanding quality in Queretaro, Mexico.

Maruti Suzuki Limited Performance Award: In Pune, India, HARMAN received this honor for the third consecutive year, a tremendous milestone which speaks volumes of our enduring partnership and mutual trust with our customer of more than five years.

Volvo Cars Quality Best Performance Award: HARMAN was honored with Volvo Cars’ prestigious award for its outstanding support and commitment to delivering exceptional quality and services in Dandong, China.

These accolades reflect our relentless pursuit of excellence, the hard work of our team, and the trust our stakeholders place in us. We proudly highlight these awards and recognitions, which inspire us to aim for even greater achievements. Congratulations to our global HARMAN team for their impressive contributions—we look forward to continuing this journey of excellence together!

The data center sector is witnessing unprecedented growth. Valued at $301.8 billion in 2023, the data center market is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.1% until 2030, reaching a staggering $622.4 billion by then. Additionally, the global colocation market, where companies rent space and resources in data centers, is projected to reach a value of $131.8 billion by 2030, a significant increase from $57.2 billion in 2022. This surge is driven by the rising demand for data processing and storage, leading to the rapid expansion of both existing and new data center providers.

With a multitude of new companies entering the field each year, the landscape is rapidly changing, and the need for standardized safety practices has become increasingly apparent.

Data centers present a diverse array of hazards. From high voltage electrical risks and fall hazards to hazardous materials and heat stress, workers face numerous dangers in both the infrastructure (building shell, power, cooling systems) and data halls (racks housing data equipment).

Further complicating the situation, modern data centers often involve employees from multiple companies working within the same facility. Employees performing operations and maintenance activities may work under the direction of various stakeholders, leading to increased complexity of activities within the data center. Ensuring consistent safety training and protocols across different companies is a significant challenge, compounded by the 24/7 operational demands of these facilities.

Formation of the Data Center Safety Council

Recognizing the urgent need for a standardized safety approach, a group of companies came together in December 2023 to form the Data Center Safety Council, an initiative dedicated to developing and implementing collaborative safety solutions. Composed of both data center operators and cloud technology service providers, the council’s mission is to enhance safety protocols, improve knowledge sharing, and provide robust training resources, ultimately fostering a safer and more efficient industry.

“Our data center engineering teams operate in different facilities all over the world, each with a unique set of processes, requirements and safety considerations. I’m excited for the consistency and efficiency the Data Center Safety Council brings to the industry,” shares Scott Bystrek, Director of Health and Safety at Salesforce, one of the founding members of the Data Center Safety Council. “The expertise, reach, and collaboration of this group are critical in driving the industry to a consistent approach to safety which will enhance our ability to protect our employees and critical infrastructure.”

Read more about “Why” this consortium was formed in this article.

Collective Action that Focuses on Impact

Designed to be an action-oriented group, the members participated in a day-long workshop in December 2023 to identify critical safety gaps that were observed across the data center industry and prioritize actions for greatest impact.

The first initiative focuses on the following identified “Problem”:

Data centers are multi-employer worksites comprised of a workforce made up of people with varying levels of data center health and safety awareness, knowledge, and training.

Currently, there is no standardized process to verify minimum training expectations for employees working in a data center. One founding member and leading global data center operator described a scenario where a technician could visit up to four data center facilities in one day. In one data center facility, the company requires all service providers to demonstrate they have received adequate training (e.g. OSHA 10 certification or equivalent). This first data center company also provides a site-specific safety awareness training prior to permitting the technician on-site. That same technician later visits a second data center company that does not provide, nor require, any safety training for technicians that routinely service their site. The wide range of training requirements with little transparency amongst companies, coupled with a growing industry that includes a steady stream of new data center companies and workplaces, has resulted in a situation that poses a significant risk to data center workers and companies.

These gaps also lead to significant operational inefficiencies because data center tenants must anticipate and prepare their workers for a variety of safety requirements when entering data centers managed by different providers. For example, if a data center worker arrives at a planned time and then finds out that they do not have the specific safety equipment or training required by the provider, they may not be able to enter the facility, leading to rescheduling and frustration for both the tenant and the provider.

Having identified the above “Problem,” the Data Center Safety Council is exploring options to address this gap, including developing a Data Center Worker Health and Safety Awareness Certification that would ensure an industry baseline level of health and safety competency for workers prior to being permitted to work in an operational data center environment. The group is identifying and prioritizing what requirements should be included in this certification, as well as evaluating existing standards and criteria that could be leveraged. Work is expected to be completed later this year and will be shared with data center industry health and safety professionals.

Raising the Bar for Safety

In the fast-evolving data center industry, prioritizing safety is essential. The rapid growth and unique hazards inherent in data center operations necessitate a collaborative approach to standardize best practices and protect workers across multi-employer sites.

By proactively addressing health and safety concerns, the industry can better manage operational complexities and ensure the well-being of its workforce. The establishment of minimum baseline expectations for health and safety competency will prioritize worker safety and facilitate more efficient data center operations. Through the Data Center Safety Council, the industry is taking a collective step towards standardizing safety expectations, improving the work environment for data center professionals, and encouraging a robust culture of safety.

The commitment to collaboration and proactive safety measures through worker certifications will not only safeguard workers but also contribute to the sustained success and growth of the data center industry.

About the Data Center Safety Council

Established by founding members Edgecore, Salesforce, STACK Infrastructure, Vantage, and Yondr, the Data Center Safety Council was created to establish a unified approach towards ensuring safety and wellbeing of personnel in data center operations. The vision is to create a forum where health and safety professionals work collaboratively as an industry group to improve data center worker safety wholistically. Together, member companies will address common issues and seek long-term solutions with vendors and suppliers for the benefit and safety of data center workers. For more information, please contact Kate Asleson at kate.asleson@anteagroup.us

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va., July 16, 2024 /3BL/ – Georgia-Pacific’s Big Island containerboard facility in Virginia earned its first EPA ENERGY STAR® Certification for energy efficiency this year. The facility joins two other Georgia-Pacific facilities – Brewton containerboard in Brewton, Alabama, and Leaf River Cellulose in New Augusta, Mississippi in earning this prestigious recognition for environmental stewardship.

Select manufacturing plants located in the U.S. and its territories and Canada can earn ENERGY STAR® certification by achieving an ENERGY STAR® score of 75 or higher using an industry-specific ENERGY STAR® Energy Performance Indicator (EPI) benchmarking tool. The EPIs measure a plant’s energy performance and compare it to that of similar plants nationwide, generating an ENERGY STAR® score on an EPA scale of 1 to 100. The program, launched in 1992, encourages organizations to improve energy efficiency, which not only helps the bottom line, but also the environment.

The Big Island mill scored higher than 80 on the EPA scale, placing itself in the top percentile. The team at the facility have instituted a disciplined approach to energy management. This approach includes continuous monitoring of the operation to evaluate energy efficiency, reducing its energy use by 10% over five years, and eliminating waste.

“We’re very proud of the team in earning the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® certification,” said Eldon Brammer, vice president and general manager at the Big Island mill. “We recognize the importance of starting with renewable materials, utilizing recycled materials, minimizing waste in our operations, and improving our efficiency and environmental performance. We’re glad to see the EPA recognize these efforts.”

Georgia-Pacific’s Environmental Stewardship framework focuses on improving efficiencies, eliminating waste, and driving conservation activities that leave more resources available to satisfy other needs in society. The Big Island team used this framework in establishing its environmental stewardship initiatives, and relied on its employees, who used their comparative advantage to create and maintain disciplined processes at the facility.

In 2023, the Big Island facility also earned its Wildlife Habitat Conservation Certification® from The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) for two additional years. Certified by WHC since 2011, the facility has facilitated research efforts on the American chestnut tree and maintained pollinator gardens and a food plot for white tailed deer. Its conservation efforts have increased growth in the number of white tailed deer, bear, wild turkey, and bobcats because of the plentiful nutrients available.

Learn more about Georgia-Pacific’s approach to environmental stewardship. Visit energystar.gov to learn more about energy efficiency and ENERGY STAR®.

View original content here.

Countries around the world are anticipating the start of the Paris Olympics, a celebration of the unifying power of sports.

For many, an introduction to sports begins at a young age. From participating in a sport to watching games with family, sports plays a pivotal role in shaping youth, teaching invaluable life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and resilience and encouraging healthy lifestyles through active play. But unfortunately, children are dropping out of sports at alarming rates. Not only does this impact their lifelong health, but it influences whether children will grow up to become sports fans.

We invited Kevin Martinez, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship at ESPN, to highlight programs central to ESPN’s mission to serve sport fans anytime, anywhere. Kevin discusses several of ESPN’s programs, including Don’t Retire, Kid; Foundation V; and ESPN’s partnership with Special Olympics, and highlights ESPN’s aim to support and nurture both athletes and fans, reinforcing the idea that sports are for everyone.

Listen for insights on:

The business and community value of investing in sportsBusiness areas that corporate citizenship professionals need to be aware of to expand their impact and make the business case for social impactMaintaining connections and communication with other corporate citizenship professionals to drive greater overall impact

Listen to this and other episodes of Purpose 360 Podcast here.

Purpose 360 Podcast is a masterclass in unlocking the potential of purpose to ignite business and social impact. Hosted by Carol Cone, CEO of Carol Cone ON PURPOSE, Purpose 360 illuminates the impact of purpose, from engaging employees and fostering deeper consumer loyalty to inspiring product innovation and increasing market share.

Carol Cone ON PURPOSE (CCOP) is a pioneering social impact consultancy helping companies, brands, and nonprofits harness the power of purpose to advance their business and societal impact. CCOP’s proven approach, developed over decades and hundreds of purpose assignments, meets clients at any point on their purpose journey to unlock opportunities to build reputation, inspire and engage employees, ignite organizational culture for innovation and growth, while supporting the greater good.

Written by Elliott Levine

Envisioning the future of education, and the art of learning overall, is nothing new. Over 120 years ago, French artist Jean-Marc Côté suggested how learning may look in the year 2000. While many looked at his image and chuckled — the idea that books may be somehow processed and electronically uploaded directly to the minds of young people — the concept would be re-introduced in the 1999 science fiction movie “The Matrix.”

But can life imitate art? Will artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (XR) converge in the coming years to reflect the learning environments depicted by Côté and “The Matrix”?

In the United Sates of America, K-12 education represents a $100+ billion dollar industry,1 of which only about 4% is currently invested in education technology.2 Despite this, many educators turn to technology to unlock students’ potential. But even then, technology is usually used to supplement passive teaching methods (e.g., teaching from flat interactive panels, digital textbooks, online videos and testing), resulting in little to no improvement of academic outcomes due to lack of engagement. Instead, students might be better served with active teaching methods offered through AI and XR learning experiences.

Extended reality (XR) also known as spatial computing, is the spectrum of immersive experiences that blend the physical and virtual space and are accessible through a head-worn device such as glasses or headset.

Today, most educational XR experiences focus on games, virtual tours, and immersive and experiential experiences that enable real-world applications of theory learning in the classroom. But with the convergence of AI capabilities, we are on the verge of a true transformational opportunity to live up to the promise of real “personalized” learning in ways that can deliver measurable academic results. The coming years will allow us to see these various generative AI applications in use today, automating them to deliver real-time learning experiences.

What is possible with generative AI in classrooms today?

Teachers can leverage generative AI to create highly customized lessons. In a series of manual steps, educators can quickly create dynamic videos to serve as instructional tools with little-to-no technical skills. Let’s outline one such path in which such content can be created:

Write base script: Ask Bard or ChatGPT to write you a short three- to five-minute video script about the instructional topic or challenge you wish to address. Adjust any content to address measurable learning goals.Transform to conversational script: Paste the initial text into a tool like Quillbot to paraphrase the content created initially by AI so it comes across as more genuine and conversational in tone.Create your audio narration: Paste the new conversational text into a tool such as Speechify. With their premium subscription, you’ll have a host of voices including Snoop Dogg and Gwenyth Paltrow to choose from.Create your video: Use Movio or Invideo to turn an audio script into a video. You can pick the genre and delivery format.

Using this method and many other avenues like it, educators are empowered to take their custom lessons a step further with personalization. For example, generative AI can create lesson plans that amplify a student’s strengths, while also addressing areas that need improvement. Large language models can be trained to have conversations with students for specific, on-demand support, which in turn can free up time for teachers.

But while modern technology has certainly brought education into the present day, we mostly see this in the form of tablet and computer screens. While current 2D technology takes on a form that is familiar with students today, they still end up looking at screens instead of interacting with their instructors and fellow classmates. This is where XR comes into play and seeks to address this disconnect. Another possibility with generative AI in education is combining it with the power of spatial computing to create an immersive learning environment that engages learners with interactive and collaborative lessons.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a term that encompasses a variety of technologies that give the ability to computer programs to execute tasks that are commonly associated with human intelligence.

Applying the AI approach to XR learning

Today, most XR learning experiences exist as simulations (i.e., the reproduction of an environment, scene or exercise in a three dimensional and virtual environment, or walk-throughs, an elevation of typical videos and manipulatives used in labs and classrooms). They are mostly individual experiences with a clear beginning and completion. And even with XR learning as it exists today, a PwC report found that learners mastered content four times faster than traditional classroom learning, and users were nearly three times more confident to apply the skills learned from their XR training.3

What if we applied the best of generative AI into a real-time platform? The result, I believe, is a transformational tool that allows every learner to achieve their greatest potential. Let’s look at just some of the ways this concept of (Ai)daptive XR (pronounced Ay-daptive) can deliver meaningful results:

Introduces learning where the student is currently at: (Ai)daptive XR works with the reality of that student’s ability. If they are more comfortable learning in an alternate language, then content is immediately delivered in that language (overcoming a typical obstacle for English Second Language learners today).Personalization: While today’s efforts at personalization are often no more than differentiated learning, (Ai)daptive XR can deliver true personalization. In a matter of moments, from typically the first few challenges in a immersive experience, the tool can recognize strengths and weaknesses, as well as adjust the learning objectives. For example, if the simulation’s goal is to measure volume of spaces, yet the learner struggles with complex multiplication, the learner would typically fail the simulation with little progress. (Ai)daptive XR can quickly assess the root cause of the gap — and alter the learning objectives to help the child meet the necessary prerequisites to accomplishing the original learning goal. A new XR experience is created based on the learning challenges identified. Subsequently, the learner can then be better prepared to successfully complete the objectives, rather than allow these deficiencies to gain momentum and cause the child to fail academically later.Making learning relevant: A reason most classroom topics fail to “engage” students is that they fail to see the relevance of the subject matter. However, by understanding the personal passion of a student, (Ai)daptive XR content can be quickly adjusted to present the subject matter in a theme that is both relevant and effective to the student. For example, a simulation measuring area of farmland could quickly be updated in real-time to measuring area of fabric for a young person who daydreams of being a fashion designer. That quick change can have significant changes to the outcome of that simulation.Responsive to User: Rather than merely assessing performance by where one “clicks” with a hand controller, (Ai)daptive XR can respond to vocal feedback from the user(s) in their native language. Whereas today’s XR experiences have limited ability to collect user feedback, accepting conversational speech from the user will allow for more natural interaction and help the system appropriately address questions or concerns.Real-Time Feedback: Not only do virtual and augmented reality experiences enable the learner to see the actual implications for their choices, but it provides an opportunity to reinforce mastery of earlier topics. In traditional classroom settings, teachers often lack ample time to conduct assessments for their students. But with XR, real-time natural assessments can be conducted multiple times daily in a stress-free environment.Collaboration: Few XR learning experiences allow for multiple students to work together on a challenge, as it is easier to create individual-based content. (Ai)daptive XR can assess challenges and new scenarios introduced by the collaborative group of students, changing the content delivered in response to their collective actions in the simulation.

The possibilities are endless for (Ai)daptive XR

The evolution of instructional XR with AI will be a wonderful and welcome addition to EdTech in the coming decade. It represents an opportunity to deliver true personalized instruction for every child in every community. Such changes will require thoughtful discussions across many areas including governance, privacy, connectivity and equity.

As we continue to see examples of generative AI make its way into mainstream adoption over this next decade, the infusion of AI into our daily lives will become commonplace. Qualcomm Technologies stands at the crossroads of this sector, given its leadership in both AI and XR processing. It is my dream to see this evolve from concept to reality during my lifetime.

Editor’s Note: This blog was edited for clarity on May 20, 2024.
 

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References:

1: Allied Market Research. (Nov 10, 2023). K12 Education Market to Reach $525.7 Billion by 2031, Growing at 17.7% CAGR: states Allied Market Research. Retrieved on May 20, 2024 from: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/11/10/2778034/0/en/K12-Education-Market-to-Reach-525-7-Billion-by-2031-Growing-at-17-7-CAGR-states-Allied-Market-Research.html.

2: HolonIQ. (January 2021). Education Technology in 10 Charts. Retrieved on May 20, 2024 from: https://www.holoniq.com/edtech-in-10-charts#:~:text=5.,term%20in%20new%20digital%20models

3: PwC. (Sep 15, 2022). What does virtual reality and the metaverse mean for training? Retrieved on May 9, 2024 from: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/tech-effect/emerging-tech/virtual-reality-study.html.