Tag: 3BL

ATEC, a global leader in IoT-enabled electric stoves, raises US$3.75M Series A for expansion across Asia and Africa.SEEAA is an impact fund dedicated to investing in start-ups that work towards increasing quality of life and boosting economic development in Asia

RUEIL-MALMAISON, France, July 2, 2024 /3BL/ – Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia (SEEAA), an impact fund managed by Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, along with Spark+ Africa Fund closes US$3.75M Series A in ATEC to support global expansion across Asia & African markets of its market-leading IoT electric stoves. Other institutional investors in the round include DRW, Save the Children Global Ventures, Kibo Investments and iDE.

SEEAA is a €21M investment vehicle managed by Schneider Electric to invest in early-stage clean energy ventures in South and Southeast Asia.

Gilles Vermot Desroches, Senior Vice President Corporate Citizenship Schneider Electric and President of SEEAA, stated that, “We are thrilled to support ATEC in their growth, accelerating social impact for rural and low-income households and reducing carbon emissions. We believe that their ability to combine IoT, ensure data accuracy, and utilize carbon finance will be instrumental in democratizing access to clean cooking.”

ATEC’s proprietary stove produces data-verifiable and auditable carbon credits, which resolves the majority of the current over-crediting issues currently holding back the voluntary and compliance cookstove carbon markets.

“ATEC will expand its partnerships with last-mile distributors and carbon buyers across Asia & Africa,” says ATEC Co-Founder & CEO Ben Jeffreys, “with ATEC’s ultimate goal of being the technology that empowers 800 million women across the Global South to not only play an active role in reducing climate change but turn it into an income.”

Since 2019, ATEC has been leading the sector in technology for decarbonizing cooking and was recognised by UC Berkeley as 1 of 5 globally recommended cookstove carbon projects. As carbon markets move further towards compliance and accountability, technology that can provide 100% auditable data to verify their claims will be key to unlocking markets in Africa & Asia.

“Given greater rates of electrification and improving grid/mini-grid reliability in many African countries, electricity is a clean, modern cooking option for a growing number of consumers,” says Spark+ Investment Directors Peter George & Xavier Pierluca, “With the integration of IoT technology, the upfront and ongoing barriers to electric cooking will significantly decline and we are confident ATEC is well-positioned to be one of the leading companies in this emerging space.”

With this Series A, ATEC will also continue its core investment in R&D – in particular the latest developments in IoT & Web3.0 and bringing these benefits to households in the Global South.

Within the next decade, ATEC plans to generate 10 Gigawatt Hours of decarbonized cooking per day in households across the Global South. This will reduce carbon emissions of up to 10 million tons per year – the equivalent of driving 2.4million petrol cars for one year. In addition to the positive climate impact, the removal of smoke from cooking with wood will have significant health outcomes on women and children.

Related resources:

Impact InvestingSchneider Electric Energy Access Asia

About ATEC

ATEC is a global leader in IoT-enabled electric stoves which connects households to global carbon markets. Founded in Cambodia in 2016, ATEC developed the world’s first PAYG-enabled cookstove product in 2018, followed by the first IoT-enabled smart stove in 2020. ATEC currently distributes its products in 10 countries across Asia and Africa, with the goal of bringing the benefits of electric cooking and carbon markets to all women in the Global South. 
www.atecglobal.io

About Schneider Electric 

Schneider’s purpose is to create Impact by empowering all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. At Schneider, we call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be the trusted partner in Sustainability and Efficiency.

We are a global industrial technology leader bringing world-leading expertise in electrification, automation and digitization to smart industries, resilient infrastructure, future-proof data centers, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes. Anchored by our deep domain expertise, we provide integrated end-to-end lifecycle AI enabled Industrial IoT solutions with connected products, automation, software and services, delivering digital twins to enable profitable growth for our customers.

We are a people company with an ecosystem of 150,000 colleagues and more than a million partners operating in over 100 countries to ensure proximity to our customers and stakeholders. We embrace diversity and inclusion in everything we do, guided by our meaningful purpose of a sustainable future for all.

www.se.com

With a longstanding commitment to customer affordability, sustainability and social responsibility, Entergy is leading the industry toward a more sustainable and inclusive future. We know the time to invest in our energy infrastructure is now, and we’re uniquely positioned to ensure equitable access to clean, reliable and affordable energy for everyone.

Not only do we serve communities with some of the highest poverty regions in the country – approximately 25% of Entergy’s 3 million residential customers live at or below the poverty line – but our service area includes assets critical to our national economy and energy independence on a global scale. That’s why we are leading the charge, calling on the entire industry to join us in seizing the generational federal funding opportunities created by legislation such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to invest in not only more resilient energy infrastructure, but also more resilient communities.

Recently, Entergy joined other leaders at the 2024 American Association of Blacks in Energy National Conference to discuss how to move the energy sector forward to a clean and equitable future and share how we have successfully pursued – and are continuing to pursue – generational federal infrastructure funding opportunities to strengthen and modernize our electrical grid while providing vital investments in disadvantaged communities, improve the lives of our customers and power a brighter energy future for all.

Empowering more resilient communities

The clean energy transition presents a momentous opportunity for the energy industry to improve educational, economic and environmental outcomes in our service areas, and Entergy is setting the standard for how utilities can deliver these benefits equitably across our communities by addressing the roots of poverty through all facets of our business.

Our philanthropic and social responsibility efforts create millions of dollars of economic impact for our service areas each year, but our focus goes beyond just philanthropy, employee volunteerism, and helping our customers access financial assistance – we also provide resources and opportunities to make our communities more resilient by helping to lift families out of poverty through education and career opportunities while ensuring all members of our community have a voice in our energy future.

We are leveraging federal funding opportunities to further invest in a workforce that is prepared to support our region’s growth while also reflecting the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We’re committed to supporting educational outcomes in our communities through mutually beneficial partnerships with high schools, community colleges and universities, and industry trade associations on programs ranging from promoting interest in energy and STEM fields to technical training programs that produce graduates aligned with our future staffing needs.

We also partner with several organizations to provide scholarships for minority students pursuing higher education and vocational training, and we’ve revamped our entire approach to supporting historically Black colleges and universities, contributing more than $3.8 million since 2018 for facility and curriculum improvements, technology, scholarships, internship and mentoring programs and initiatives to support generational wealth building.

As we’re helping to build the energy workforce of the future, we’re also prioritizing the success and development of today’s workforce through a robust workforce development program that engages historically marginalized populations in the energy industry through skills-based training, inclusive recruiting efforts, and employee retention and development programs. And we are upskilling fossil fuel workers to help them move into new clean energy jobs and transition their communities to a new, sustainable economic base with dignity.

We manage a spend portfolio of $5-$7 billion, which we use as yet another tool to foster equitable economic development in our service areas. Our supply chain and procurement program includes an emphasis on working with safe, qualified and competitive diverse and local suppliers that goes beyond transactions to coaching and mentorship to help them build relationships and understand how to capitalize on business opportunities to achieve their goals.

Building more resilient, sustainable infrastructure

While working to strengthen the economic foundations of our service areas, we are also fiercely committed to safeguarding customer affordability without compromising reliability or service. We are making strategic investments to modernize the electrical grid and make it more efficient and better able to withstand severe storms. We are proposing a $15 billion long-term plan to help reduce restoration costs and disruption risks from major storms, which could lower Gulf Coast region risk by 55%. By investing in power grid resilience today, we’re strengthening our energy infrastructure to protect against tomorrow’s stronger storms, reducing the cost of power restoration and minimizing outages.

As we spearhead grid resilience efforts in the industry, we also recognize the importance of ensuring our communities have access to clean, sustainable energy. At Entergy, this includes setting ambitious decarbonization targets, including a pledge to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. We are continuing to transition our generation fleet to low- to zero-carbon power to minimize the impact of the high level of anticipated industrial growth in our region and to help our customers meet their own sustainability goals.

Across all efforts, we are fighting for every dollar of federal and state funding available to allow us to accelerate these projects while keeping the cost to customers as low as possible. At the same time, we’re working closely with local stakeholders as we develop projects and application to ensure our projects’ community benefits plans are truly responsive to their needs. For funding opportunities beyond what we’re eligible for as a utility, we’re also partnering on state and regional projects and providing community organizations like HBCUs with letters of support for their applications and helping them navigate the complicated federal funding process.

The entire energy industry has a role to play in modernizing our energy infrastructure, and we have an obligation to ensure we are driving positive change for not only our industry, but for our communities and the entire nation. Entergy remains committed to powering more than just life — we are powering a brighter future for everyone.

Learn more about Entergy’s progress in our latest performance report.

Originally published on GoDaddy LinkedIn

Welcome to the third quarterly issue of the GoDaddy Venture Forward newsletter! Here we share our latest exclusive data, insights and news about small and microbusinesses.

Venture Forward is a GoDaddy research initiative established in 2018 to quantify the growth and impact of online microbusinesses on their local economies, and to provide a unique view into the attitudes, demographics and needs of these entrepreneurs. GoDaddy defines microbusinesses as small businesses with a unique domain, an active website and most often fewer than 10 employees.

If you haven’t already, subscribe to this newsletter to get updates in your LinkedIn feed each quarter!

Alexandra Rosen 
Global Head, Venture Forward

Updated Microbusiness Data Hub

We refreshed the Venture Forward Microbusiness Data Hub through the first quarter of 2024 across Australia, Canada, U.K. and U.S., including updated microbusiness density data, U.S. Microbusiness Activity Index and global ecommerce trends.

Key U.S. insights include:

Beauty and Health/Medical verticals continue to rank in the top three microbusiness segments for ecommerce, a shift since 2022 in terms of both total dollars in online sales and in the number of merchants in those categories.

Many areas across the U.S. are continuing to witness major growth in new online small and microbusinesses.

For example, Palm Beach, Florida grew its active microbusiness count by 28% in the last year which is far above the 3% average for most urban counties nationwide.Similarly, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma grew at a higher percentage rate (52% in the last year) than Palm Beach, Florida but has lower total density.In Q1 2024, Oklahoma county was at the very top of fastest growing counties in the U.S.Southern and Southeastern states dominated the top five fastest-growing counties in the previous 12 months.

Rural areas in the last year (Q1 2023 through Q1 2024) grew almost 7% in the number of active microbusinesses, while suburban and urban areas grew 4% and 3% respectively.

Download the Data

Spring 2024 US National Survey Results: Microbusiness Owners are Using Generative AI (GenAI) to Level the Playing Field

Venture Forward recently completed its sixth consecutive year of surveying U.S. online microbusiness entrepreneurs and found some key insights:

Microbusiness owners who say GenAI will help their small business be more competitive are more likely to have previously outsourced or hired someone to help with similar tasks (visualized in more detail below).Microbusiness owners whose monthly revenue increased in the last six months are more likely to have used GenAI for their business.The more ambitious the microbusiness owner is, the more likely they are using GenAI. Solo entrepreneurs are the most likely.Microbusiness owners using GenAI are diverse, with nearly 1 in 3 Black and Hispanic business owners using GenAI more for their businesses compared to other demographics.Microbusiness entrepreneurs who tried GenAI are more likely to have used it for their business instead of for fun or personal use, and that holds even stronger with Black (33%) and Hispanic (30%) entrepreneurs.Almost 6 out of 10 Gen Z and millennials have used a GenAI tool for business, but less than half have tried it for personal use.

Read more

Recent Events

Exploring Alternative Funding Models for Small Businesses

Despite record new business formation, which is outpacing population growth by 10% according to GoDaddy Venture Forward, access to capital remains a top challenge for microbusinesses. Capital is key to the growth of ventures and consequentially, the greater economy.

At the 2024 Milken Institute Global Conference, Alexandra Rosen, global head of GoDaddy Venture Forward joined a panel tackling the crucial question: “How can we innovate to establish better funding models, given the essential role small businesses play in job creation and economic growth?”

Key takeaways included:

Flexible cash-flow measures are critical to enabling growth.Supporting small businesses is not just smart and kind, but economically essential.

The panel was moderated by Kristen Fanarakis, associate director of the Small Business Policy and Innovation Initiative at Milken Institute, and also included:

Eric Cromwell, founding member of Cromwell Schmisseur LLC.Lauren Grattan, chief community officer at Mission Driven Finance.Sekou Kaalund, executive vice president and head of Branch and Small Business Banking at U.S. Bank.Chris Pilkerton, chief legal and regulatory strategy officer at Accion Opportunity Fund.

Read more and replay the full panel discussion

Data Forward

Data Forward is a data-driven content series that explores microbusiness trends and insights informed by GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative. Here’s a peek at the latest installment:

Life is Better as an Entrepreneur and Survey Respondents Agree, According to GoDaddy Research

Over half of microbusiness owners from the U.S. and U.K. agree that life is better as an entrepreneur, according to GoDaddy Venture Forward research.

Though both U.S. and U.K. respondents agree that life is better as an entrepreneur, that sentiment differs by location and by age, skewing older and more positive in the U.S., than in the U.K.

One thing U.S. and U.K. microbusiness owners agree on is what aspects of their businesses bring them joy, with the top three including:

Creating their own source of income/supporting family.Connecting to customers.Making an impact in their community

Read more

In the News

How Coastal Towns in Britain Have Become Microbusiness Hotspots

The fresh sea air and occasional sun might be the main attraction of Britain’s coastal towns, but they’ve also become a hotspot for entrepreneurship.

Felixstowe, Bournemouth and Sidmouth are among the fastest growing coastal areas for U.K. microbusinesses, which have fewer than 10 employees.

GoDaddy’s Venture Forward report mapped more than 600,000 businesses across Britain to find each area’s ‘microbusiness density’ against each 100 residents.

Read more in This is Money U.K.

BC is the Heart of Canada’s Thriving Online Business Scene, Report Concludes

British Columbia is home to Canada’s highest concentration of micro-businesses, a recent GoDaddy analysis found, surpassing densities found in Ontario, Quebec, and elsewhere.

Nearly 800,000 online-based microbusinesses were included in the analysis, which was conducted by Venture Forward, an international research initiative that studies the economic impacts of these extra-lean companies, as well as the attitudes of the entrepreneurs behind them.

…B.C. boasts 2.8 online micro-businesses per 100 residents, ahead of Ontario with 2.5 and Alberta with 2.1, according to Venture Forward’s data. Yukon and P.E.I. [Prince Edward Island] round out the top five with roughly 1.6 micro-businesses per 100 residents each.

Read more in techcouver Canada

Canberra Trumps Other Cities to Become Australia’s Online Microbusiness Capital

Canberra is Australia’s online microbusiness capital according to recent data by Venture Forward, with the city beating out some of Australia’s largest cities, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, to nab the top spot.

Australia’s capital city even towered over the figures coming in from the cities of London and Westminster in the U.K.

According to the data, Canberra leads the way when it comes to microbusiness density, with approximately 32 online microbusinesses per 100 residents as of December 2023, rounding up from the 31.9 figure in the report.

Read more in SmartCompany Australia

To learn more about GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative, click here.

CHICAGO, July 1, 2024 /3BL/ – Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) today released its annual Corporate Responsibility Report, highlighting the company’s environmental, social and governance programs and performance in 2023. The report underscores the company’s continued commitment to solving for safer communities, safer schools, safer hospitals, safer businesses – safer everywhere.

“As a company, Motorola Solutions has long been committed to operating responsibly, ” said Greg Brown, chairman and CEO of Motorola Solutions. “From building and connecting leading-edge technologies that help advance safety and security, to eclipsing company volunteerism records, we’re united in our pursuit of making a meaningful difference in the communities where we live and work.”

The 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report can be found here and includes the following highlights:

Investing $858 million in research and development, delivering next-generation technologies and expanding our offerings in high-value areas with our portfolio of intellectual property, which stands at approximately 6,560 granted patents with approximately 775 patents pending.
 Advancing specialized artificial intelligence capabilities that heighten decision-making and help increase the focus, accuracy and speed of emergency response, while working alongside communities, policymakers and public safety organizations to help ensure the responsible use of these technologies.
 Receiving recognition as a top workplace, including being named to Disability Equality Index® Best Places to Work; Fast Company Best Workplaces for Innovators; Forbes World’s Best Employers; Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies; and TIME World’s Best Companies.
 Giving back to communities with employees volunteering nearly 100,000 hours, an increase of 30% from 2022 and a company record, in addition to the majority of the Motorola Solutions Foundation’s $10.3 million in strategic grants directly benefiting underserved and underrepresented communities, as well as first responders, students and teachers.
 Growing a more diverse organization, underscored by our newly launched initiative, GO ALL Inclusive, aimed at celebrating and promoting our inclusive core value.
 Providing economic opportunities to small and minority-owned business suppliers and further expanding our inclusive supply chain by adding more than 700 diverse suppliers and helping to create or maintain 3,500 supplier jobs.
 Implementing enhanced data collection and reporting tools to continuously seek out opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and establishing a “Green Team” to promote volunteerism and education to foster a more sustainable organization.

For more information on corporate responsibility at Motorola Solutions, please visit our website.

About Motorola Solutions

Motorola Solutions is solving for safer. We build and connect technologies to help protect people, property and places. Our solutions enable the collaboration between public safety agencies and enterprises that’s critical for a proactive approach to safety and security. Learn more about how we’re solving for safer communities, safer schools, safer hospitals, safer businesses – safer everywhere – at www.motorolasolutions.com.

Media Contact

Matt Schuler
Send an email
+1 312-909-5234

July 1, 2024 /3BL/ – The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council is pleased to announce that Nic Hunt, Global Head of Sustainability at Nelipak Healthcare Packaging has been appointed to its Executive Committee. The Executive Committee, comprised of members from across the healthcare plastics value chain, serves as the primary decision-making body for HPRC, responsible for approval of new members, annual work plans and budgets as well as setting strategic direction for the future.

At Nelipak, Nic is focused on the rapidly changing purpose of materials in making the world more sustainable and healthier, with a better quality of life. His experience spans plastic, fiber-based, and nonwoven materials in the packaging, conversion, assembly, contract packaging, and composite materials industries.

“As a leader in sustainable healthcare packaging solutions, Nelipak brings critical expertise to our HPRC membership,” says Peylina Chu, Executive Director of HPRC. “I am looking forward to working with Nic more closely on the Executive Committee and leveraging his strategic thinking and European perspective to advance HPRC’s mission of creating a more circular economy for healthcare plastics.”

Established in 2010, HPRC is a member-based technical coalition comprised of material suppliers, convertors, medical device manufacturers, hospitals and recyclers that aims to enable implementation of viable, safe, and cost-effective recycling solutions for plastics products and packaging used in the delivery of healthcare, and to advocate for and help create a more sustainable and circular economy for these materials. HPRC is currently active in North America and Europe.

HPRC is currently engaged in multiple initiatives aimed at enabling the recycling and circularity of healthcare plastics, including research into advanced recycling technologies to recycle mixed-stream healthcare plastics; a study of sorting technologies and potential integration with healthcare plastics waste streams; development of streamlined sustainability procurement criteria for plastic medical packaging and devices; and design of a regional recycling pilot program in the Houston market intended to serve as a blueprint for other regions.

July 1, 2024 /3BL/ – The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council is pleased to announce that Nic Hunt, Global Head of Sustainability at Nelipak Healthcare Packaging has been appointed to its Executive Committee. The Executive Committee, comprised of members from across the healthcare plastics value chain, serves as the primary decision-making body for HPRC, responsible for approval of new members, annual work plans and budgets as well as setting strategic direction for the future.

At Nelipak, Nic is focused on the rapidly changing purpose of materials in making the world more sustainable and healthier, with a better quality of life. His experience spans plastic, fiber-based, and nonwoven materials in the packaging, conversion, assembly, contract packaging, and composite materials industries.

“As a leader in sustainable healthcare packaging solutions, Nelipak brings critical expertise to our HPRC membership,” says Peylina Chu, Executive Director of HPRC. “I am looking forward to working with Nic more closely on the Executive Committee and leveraging his strategic thinking and European perspective to advance HPRC’s mission of creating a more circular economy for healthcare plastics.”

Established in 2010, HPRC is a member-based technical coalition comprised of material suppliers, convertors, medical device manufacturers, hospitals and recyclers that aims to enable implementation of viable, safe, and cost-effective recycling solutions for plastics products and packaging used in the delivery of healthcare, and to advocate for and help create a more sustainable and circular economy for these materials. HPRC is currently active in North America and Europe.

HPRC is currently engaged in multiple initiatives aimed at enabling the recycling and circularity of healthcare plastics, including research into advanced recycling technologies to recycle mixed-stream healthcare plastics; a study of sorting technologies and potential integration with healthcare plastics waste streams; development of streamlined sustainability procurement criteria for plastic medical packaging and devices; and design of a regional recycling pilot program in the Houston market intended to serve as a blueprint for other regions.

COMPTON, Calif., July 1, 2024 /3BL/ – Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ, known as “The Brook (13204 Mona Blvd. Compton CA 90221),” in collaboration with RE-volv and California Interfaith Power & Light (CIPL), celebrated the commissioning of their new 12-kW rooftop solar and upcoming battery storage installation. The church’s move to adopt solar energy aims to alleviate financial strains, build community resilience, and bolster local clean energy projects and advocacy efforts.

The celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a speaking program featuring remarks from the Compton Mayor Emma Sharif, and a resiliency workshop. The Mayor presented two awards, recognizing The Brook and Ms. Linda Cleveland, long time community activist and church secretary, for their environmental leadership and contributions.

“While there is significant clean air and energy progress underway in South Central LA, more work needs to be done to educate community members on its benefits and how solar and other clean energy technologies are accessible to them today,” said Jacquelyn Badejo, Chair of the Climate Emergency Mobilization Commission, City of Los Angeles. “Since The Brook church uniquely serves three neighboring communities, it is the perfect home base to spread awareness, educate, and accelerate local clean energy adoption.”

During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Compton Mayor Emma Sharif stated, “This is a significant moment for our community and for the future of Compton.” Leticia Vasquez Wilson, Central Basin Water Board Director, on behalf of Laura Richardson, Former US Representative and community activist, followed by explaining, “The installation of solar panels at the Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ represents more than just a move towards renewable energy – it represents hope, resilience, and progress for our community.”

With solar energy, the church is set to save $184,033 on electricity costs over the next 20 years, thanks in part to the direct pay, also known as elective pay, provision available through the Inflation Reduction Act. This provision allows tax-exempt organizations to receive 30% or more in cash back on the cost of a solar system. A grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation supported RE-volv bringing their innovative solar finance model to The Brook, allowing them to go solar for zero down and start saving on their energy bills on day one. Additionally, their solar system will allow The Brook to avoid emitting 646,378 lbs of CO2 emissions over the lifetime of the system, equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 350 acres of trees every year.

“The solar installation at the Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ is an excellent example of how the Biden-Harris Administration is helping community-based institutions, especially in communities of color, make clean energy upgrades that reduce costs and lead to quality-of-life improvements. The Elective Pay tool in the Inflation Reduction Act continues to be a game-changer,” said Ronald Newman, Senior Advisor, IRA Implementation, U.S. Department of the Treasury

Andreas Karelas, Executive Director of RE-volv, highlighted, “Recent data suggests that when a nonprofit or house of worship goes solar, you can expect up to 80 residences in the area to follow suit over the next five years.” Karelas expresses gratitude for The Brook’s leadership and their commitment to educating community members about clean energy and community resilience.

The solar and soon-to-be battery storage system yields significant benefits beyond producing clean, affordable power. With support from CIPL, WATTSKANDA consulted the community during the resiliency workshop to customize their emergency services, including air filtration on unhealthy air quality days and air conditioning during heatwaves. The event also provided resources for residents, churches, and nonprofits interested in adopting solar energy, leveraging federal tax credits and funding opportunities through the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Our partnership with The Brook highlights the core mission of CIPL – to help faith communities take bold and just climate action”, said Bekah Estrada, Southern California Director of California Interfaith Power & Light. “The church’s new solar system will lower their carbon emissions and help save money, while building the foundation for a resilience hub in Compton.”

RE-volv, in partnership with Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) and Green the Church, with support from NREL‘s Solar Energy Innovation Network, recently developed an initiative to bring solar to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)-led Houses of Worship. The Brook is the first completed project of the initiative.

“The Wells Fargo Foundation is pleased to see that our support of RE-volv’s work is playing a key role in making this project happen,” said John Moon, senior vice president and sustainability philanthropy lead for Wells Fargo. “Accessing the direct pay provision from the IRA is a game-changer for non-profits and community organizations to be able to access affordable clean energy solutions and support community resiliency.”

______

 

About Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ (The Brook):

The Brook serves as a beacon of clean energy education and resilience, providing critical services during electric grid blackouts, heatwaves, or unhealthy air quality days. (13204 Mona Blvd. Compton CA 90221)

About WATTSKANDA

WATTSKANDA is a nonprofit organization focused on the social and ecological transformation of the people, community and land of Watts and beyond through Water, Air, Transportation, Telecommunications and Sustainability, Konnecting, Agriculture, and Natural resources in a Demonstration of Alliance. The “K” in Konnecting represents the kinetic energy of the community to move any effort forward. The Watts Clean Air and Energy Committee is a program of WATTSKANDA, which will soon launch a “Cooling Center and Oxygen Cafe” model. Your generous donation will make a significant impact, helping us meet our goals and support various projects. Join us in making a difference today! https://wattskanda.org/

About California Interfaith Power & Light (CIPL)

California Interfaith Power & Light inspires and mobilizes individuals and communities of faith and conscience to take bold and just action on climate change. By becoming a CIPL member congregation and signing a congregational covenant, any faith community can join this inter-religious network without paying dues or obligations. Member congregations commit to education about climate change, promoting sustainability, reducing pollution, and advocating for climate justice. CIPL provides resources, connections, and volunteer opportunities to help congregations advance climate justice efforts. For more information on how to support California Interfaith Power & Light, visit their website interfaithpower.org.

About RE-volv

RE-volv is a climate justice nonprofit that helps nonprofits in historically excluded communities across the country go solar, while raising awareness about equitable climate solutions and training the next generation of clean energy leaders. To date, RE-volv has developed and financed solar projects for over 70 nonprofits in 18 states, collectively saving them $20+ million on their electricity bills, allowing them to better serve their 50,000 beneficiaries. The 4MW+ of solar RE-volv installed to date will avoid 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the life of the systems. RE-volv is an inaugural member of the White House National Community Solar Partnership and is a member of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Innovation Network. Learn more at re-volv.org.

####

COMPTON, Calif., July 1, 2024 /3BL/ – Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ, known as “The Brook (13204 Mona Blvd. Compton CA 90221),” in collaboration with RE-volv and California Interfaith Power & Light (CIPL), celebrated the commissioning of their new 12-kW rooftop solar and upcoming battery storage installation. The church’s move to adopt solar energy aims to alleviate financial strains, build community resilience, and bolster local clean energy projects and advocacy efforts.

The celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a speaking program featuring remarks from the Compton Mayor Emma Sharif, and a resiliency workshop. The Mayor presented two awards, recognizing The Brook and Ms. Linda Cleveland, long time community activist and church secretary, for their environmental leadership and contributions.

“While there is significant clean air and energy progress underway in South Central LA, more work needs to be done to educate community members on its benefits and how solar and other clean energy technologies are accessible to them today,” said Jacquelyn Badejo, Chair of the Climate Emergency Mobilization Commission, City of Los Angeles. “Since The Brook church uniquely serves three neighboring communities, it is the perfect home base to spread awareness, educate, and accelerate local clean energy adoption.”

During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Compton Mayor Emma Sharif stated, “This is a significant moment for our community and for the future of Compton.” Leticia Vasquez Wilson, Central Basin Water Board Director, on behalf of Laura Richardson, Former US Representative and community activist, followed by explaining, “The installation of solar panels at the Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ represents more than just a move towards renewable energy – it represents hope, resilience, and progress for our community.”

With solar energy, the church is set to save $184,033 on electricity costs over the next 20 years, thanks in part to the direct pay, also known as elective pay, provision available through the Inflation Reduction Act. This provision allows tax-exempt organizations to receive 30% or more in cash back on the cost of a solar system. A grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation supported RE-volv bringing their innovative solar finance model to The Brook, allowing them to go solar for zero down and start saving on their energy bills on day one. Additionally, their solar system will allow The Brook to avoid emitting 646,378 lbs of CO2 emissions over the lifetime of the system, equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 350 acres of trees every year.

“The solar installation at the Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ is an excellent example of how the Biden-Harris Administration is helping community-based institutions, especially in communities of color, make clean energy upgrades that reduce costs and lead to quality-of-life improvements. The Elective Pay tool in the Inflation Reduction Act continues to be a game-changer,” said Ronald Newman, Senior Advisor, IRA Implementation, U.S. Department of the Treasury

Andreas Karelas, Executive Director of RE-volv, highlighted, “Recent data suggests that when a nonprofit or house of worship goes solar, you can expect up to 80 residences in the area to follow suit over the next five years.” Karelas expresses gratitude for The Brook’s leadership and their commitment to educating community members about clean energy and community resilience.

The solar and soon-to-be battery storage system yields significant benefits beyond producing clean, affordable power. With support from CIPL, WATTSKANDA consulted the community during the resiliency workshop to customize their emergency services, including air filtration on unhealthy air quality days and air conditioning during heatwaves. The event also provided resources for residents, churches, and nonprofits interested in adopting solar energy, leveraging federal tax credits and funding opportunities through the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Our partnership with The Brook highlights the core mission of CIPL – to help faith communities take bold and just climate action”, said Bekah Estrada, Southern California Director of California Interfaith Power & Light. “The church’s new solar system will lower their carbon emissions and help save money, while building the foundation for a resilience hub in Compton.”

RE-volv, in partnership with Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) and Green the Church, with support from NREL‘s Solar Energy Innovation Network, recently developed an initiative to bring solar to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)-led Houses of Worship. The Brook is the first completed project of the initiative.

“The Wells Fargo Foundation is pleased to see that our support of RE-volv’s work is playing a key role in making this project happen,” said John Moon, senior vice president and sustainability philanthropy lead for Wells Fargo. “Accessing the direct pay provision from the IRA is a game-changer for non-profits and community organizations to be able to access affordable clean energy solutions and support community resiliency.”

______

 

About Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ (The Brook):

The Brook serves as a beacon of clean energy education and resilience, providing critical services during electric grid blackouts, heatwaves, or unhealthy air quality days. (13204 Mona Blvd. Compton CA 90221)

About WATTSKANDA

WATTSKANDA is a nonprofit organization focused on the social and ecological transformation of the people, community and land of Watts and beyond through Water, Air, Transportation, Telecommunications and Sustainability, Konnecting, Agriculture, and Natural resources in a Demonstration of Alliance. The “K” in Konnecting represents the kinetic energy of the community to move any effort forward. The Watts Clean Air and Energy Committee is a program of WATTSKANDA, which will soon launch a “Cooling Center and Oxygen Cafe” model. Your generous donation will make a significant impact, helping us meet our goals and support various projects. Join us in making a difference today! https://wattskanda.org/

About California Interfaith Power & Light (CIPL)

California Interfaith Power & Light inspires and mobilizes individuals and communities of faith and conscience to take bold and just action on climate change. By becoming a CIPL member congregation and signing a congregational covenant, any faith community can join this inter-religious network without paying dues or obligations. Member congregations commit to education about climate change, promoting sustainability, reducing pollution, and advocating for climate justice. CIPL provides resources, connections, and volunteer opportunities to help congregations advance climate justice efforts. For more information on how to support California Interfaith Power & Light, visit their website interfaithpower.org.

About RE-volv

RE-volv is a climate justice nonprofit that helps nonprofits in historically excluded communities across the country go solar, while raising awareness about equitable climate solutions and training the next generation of clean energy leaders. To date, RE-volv has developed and financed solar projects for over 70 nonprofits in 18 states, collectively saving them $20+ million on their electricity bills, allowing them to better serve their 50,000 beneficiaries. The 4MW+ of solar RE-volv installed to date will avoid 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the life of the systems. RE-volv is an inaugural member of the White House National Community Solar Partnership and is a member of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Innovation Network. Learn more at re-volv.org.

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Eastman

Already a leader in building a circular economy, Eastman took another step forward when it announced a second molecular recycling facility will be built in Longview, Texas. The project will now put Eastman out in front in the search for alternative, clean energy sources.

Powered by the selection to negotiate an award of up to $375 million from a U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED)* program targeting climate change, Eastman will use a relatively new energy technology — thermal batteries — on a scale never seen before. Eastman’s choice of thermal battery technology for zero-carbon process heat, combined with efficient and high-yield molecular recycling technology, will address two global challenges at once.

“This can be a game changer for addressing both the plastic waste crisis and the climate crisis at the same time,” said Sandeep Bangaru, vice president of Eastman’s circular platform. “We’re taking a leadership role in building the largest thermal battery project to date in our industry.”

Longview facility key to sustainability goals

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act as part of the Industrial Demonstrations Program. The Longview project is part of Eastman’s commitment to invest more than $2 billion in molecular recycling facilities that process hard-to-recycle plastics. Eastman began operating the world’s largest material-to-material molecular recycling facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, earlier this year.

The Longview facility will have the capacity to process approximately 110,000 metric tons of hard-to-recycle plastic waste, and both the Kingsport and Longview plants will put Eastman on the path to achieving ambitious goals of recycling 250 million pounds of plastic annually by 2025 and double that volume by 2030.

The company also targets being carbon neutral by 2050. Eastman’s climate strategy includes increasing renewable energy and adopting alternative technologies, which will be front and center at the Longview molecular recycling facility.

Leadership on climate

In addition to familiar forms of renewables, including on-site solar, Eastman will deploy a recent innovation that produces zero-carbon heat: thermal batteries. This technology could be a breakthrough for powering industry with cleaner energy.

Eastman has been collaborating with Rondo Energy to deploy thermal batteries for the project. Rondo Heat Batteries (RHBs) are essentially modular units containing thousands of tons of brick and coils of metal, much like those in the toaster on your kitchen counter. RHBs transform intermittent renewable power — in Eastman’s case, much of it from new, on-site solar — into heat in excess of 1,000°C. The brick batteries can store massive amounts of heat for up to 24 hours with very little loss.

By incorporating thermal batteries fed by renewable energy, Eastman will be able to recycle hard-to-recycle polyester waste and produce new, recycled materials with up to 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than materials produced with fossil feedstocks. PepsiCo has already signed a contract to use Eastman Renew materials from the Longview facility to create more sustainable packaging with a much lower carbon footprint.

John O’Donnell, CEO of Rondo, said the project demonstrates how collaboration can deliver a multiplier effect with cutting-edge technologies.

“Our work with Eastman illustrates how innovation and collaboration are essential to address great world challenges,” O’Donnell said. “Years of innovation and development by Eastman in molecular recycling combined with Rondo’s expertise in thermal batteries have delivered a moment where these technologies can be deployed together at large scale.“

Thermal batteries could be a ‘game changer’

Neil Brown, an Eastman engineer who is a leader in assessing renewable energy, said thermal batteries could be a critical innovation for decarbonizing industry.

“This can be a true game changer for providing low- or zero-carbon power for industrial processes,” Brown said. “Anywhere there are great needs for process heat — and Eastman uses a lot of heat to power our processes — thermal batteries can be a solution because you’re able to store heat for so long with so little loss. Another plus of building this new facility at an existing site is that if we run into challenges as we’re integrating the new thermal technology, we have backup steam and power systems in place to allow continued operations.”

In addition to the clean energy and circular economy advantages, there will be tangible benefits for the community. Eastman has committed a $20 million investment for a comprehensive community benefit plan that is part of the DOE award. The overall Longview project will create 1,000 temporary construction and trade jobs and 200 full-time jobs when construction is complete in the 2027 time frame.

*The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) was established to accelerate clean energy technologies and fill a critical innovation gap on the path to achieving our nation’s climate goals of net zero emissions by 2050. OCED’s mission is to deliver clean energy demonstration projects at scale in partnership with the private sector to accelerate deployment, market adoption, and the equitable transition to a decarbonized energy system. Visit energy.gov/oced to learn more.

On the 5th to the 6th of June, over 250 delegates gathered at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh, Scotland to discuss water stewardship at the 2024 Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Forum.

Among the attendees were 17 members of the Inogen Alliance Water Working Group, who gathered to discuss the pressing issue of water stewardship under the theme “Convergence.” Inogen Alliance currently hosts a over 30 AWS Accredited consultants, from a total of 16 countries and speaking more than 10 languages. For the second year, Inogen Alliance was an official sponsor of the event with Associates Anew Global Consulting, Antea Group USA, Antea Brasil, Baden Consulting, Chola Risk MS, HPC Envirotec France, HPC Italy, Peter J. Ramsay & Associates and Tonkin + Taylor.

Below are some of their key takeaways from this year’s forum.

Version 3.0 of AWS Standard

The forum kicked off with the announcement that version 3.0 of the AWS Standard is slated for release later this year. This new version aims to streamline and simplify the standard. One of the key points frequently discussed was the urgent need for the AWS Standard to interconnect or overlap with other disclosure frameworks, both voluntary (CDP, TNFD) and mandatory (CSRD), or risk being overlooked by businesses.

CSRD was a particularly hot topic, given that it introduced mandatory water disclosure through the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) as of January 1st, 2024. This development makes it increasingly difficult for businesses to ignore water security issues. Since businesses must disclose through CSRD, aligning the AWS Standard with it is crucial. Without such alignment, companies might bypass the AWS Standard to meet CSRD requirements.

Alignment with voluntary disclosure frameworks is equally important for fostering better water stewardship. For instance, CDP drives water action across supply chains, promotes stewardship at the source, and encourages collective action between suppliers and buyers. This creates opportunities for businesses to proactively address water risk problems. A 2021 CDP report highlighted that “the cost of water risks to business could be over five times greater than the cost of taking action now to address those risks,” underscoring the economic benefits of proactive water stewardship.

In summary, if the AWS Standard doesn’t offer alignment, many businesses may prefer using required disclosure frameworks or voluntary ones that offer long-term cost savings and risk mitigation. This makes the integration of the AWS Standard with these frameworks essential for its widespread adoption and effectiveness in promoting global water stewardship.

Connecting with Wider Communities

As mentioned, the central theme of the forum was convergence, with a strong emphasis on bringing more sectors outside of traditional water stewardship into the conversation. Engaging local policymakers, communities, and other authorities can significantly raise the visibility of water issues and climate change. Often, governments are absent from these discussions, but their involvement can enhance the visibility and impact of the water stewardship community. Additionally, promoting collective action and fostering more water stewardship champions is crucial to expanding the community’s reach.

The goal is clear: responsible water stewardship must become a non-negotiable norm, as it is fundamentally linked to climate resilience. The water stewardship community must embrace the complexity of climate change and use it to understand interconnected challenges. Water can be both a solution and a medium for resilience. Technology, partnerships, and the convergence of diverse stakeholders are key to navigating this complexity and fostering resilience through innovative stewardship methods. By embracing these strategies, the water stewardship community can drive meaningful change and build a sustainable future

Collective Action and Community Convergence

The concept of collective action was also a recurring theme, stressing the importance of coordinated efforts in the same locations at the same time. By collecting and sharing data from these efforts, companies can direct their actions to complement and reinforce each other, thereby maximizing impact.

One example case of collective action discussed was the Charco Bendito project in Mexico. This is a highly water-stressed area that saw a successful reforestation program. This program successfully brought together diverse stakeholders from corporations and the local community. By working together, reforestation was possible, although their next goal is to scale up. The ambition for phase two is to develop a flexible model for nature-based solutions, engage policy makers, global corporations, and local communities to reforest even more extensively with proper financial planning in place.

Beatrice Bizzaro, Water Working Group Lead of Inogen Alliance, facilitated a session dedicated to learnings and best practices from AWS Standard implementing Sites.

“This was a very special session as Sites were able to share their hands-on experiences from water stewardship implementation journeys. Deploying a corporate commitment and making it become a local reality through specific actionable and tangible objectives is no easy task: you must set the context, prepare the minds, and make people understand that what they are doing really is in light of a more sustainable and secure future. However, the role of collective action and community convergence is fundamental for scaling up not only actions, but also best practices to create even greater success stories within a watershed context,” Beatrice Bizzaro.

The Impact Accelerator

The AWS Impact Accelerator was highlighted as the simplest way to scale the AWS standard. This initiative accelerates impact through a collective, place-based approach, involving companies in scoping locations, securing buy-in, and developing budgets. The ambition is to establish annually repeating impact accelerators in the same locations, fostering long-term water stewardship commitments. Check out more on this initiative in our on-demand webinar here.

Future Directions

In summary, the Forum was a convergence of ideas, strategies, and commitments to advance water stewardship globally. The path forward involves more alignment with existing reporting methods, collaboration with local policy makers and communities, and connecting the water stewardship community to broader audiences. With the upcoming release of AWS Standard 3.0 and a reinforced focus on collective action, the water stewardship community looks to continue tackling water-related challenges and promoting sustainable water management practices worldwide.

Interested in learning more about Water Stewardship services? Check out more here!

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