Tag: 3BL

Entergy’s performance report integrates a comprehensive overview of our 2023 achievements, including financial results with economic, environmental, governance, and social performance and impacts. Learn how we power life for all our stakeholders at performancereport.entergy.com.

Future generations depend on us 
Our climate actions are driving our growth story and preparing us to deliver meaningful environmental, social and economic benefits to everyone we serve, now and in the future.

Entergy is continuing to transition our generation fleet in response to a high level of customer demand for low- to zero-carbon power to minimize the impact of a high level of anticipated growth and help customers meet their own decarbonization goals.

Our low emission rate has a ripple effect across the economy as other sectors electrify their energy needs to decarbonize their operations and processes; and as our emission rate continues to decrease, our positive impact on reducing carbon emissions across all sectors will increase. We also are evaluating opportunities to reduce emissions throughout our business in partnership with customers, suppliers, employees and other stakeholders.

Climate strategy 
Entergy is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Our path assumes continued technology advancements and marries Entergy’s climate objectives with those of our customers. In our journey to net-zero, we have several interim goals to measure our progress. In our 2022 Climate Report, we announced a new carbon-free energy capacity goal and broadened the boundary of our emission rate-based interim goal to include purchased power.

Milestones 
Entergy expects to reach these interim goals on our path to net-zero emissions through investments in carbon-free and carbon-managed technologies. See details in the clean energy section and the renewable energy section of this report. The magnitude and timing of customer growth continues to shape our iterative planning process and has the ability to impact progress toward interim goals. Entergy will continue to report on projected milestones as our long-term plan continues to adapt to changing customer demand and market circumstances:

Carbon-free energy capacity of 50% by 2030.Carbon dioxide emission rate reduction of 50% by 2030.

Increasing renewables 
Our plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 could involve as much as 9 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2031.

Read the full report here.

April 25, 2024 /3BL/ – Nature Action 100, the first global investor-led engagement initiative to address nature and biodiversity loss, has revealed a set of benchmark indicators that will be used to assess the nature-related ambition and action of the initiative’s 100 companies.

The Nature Action 100 Company Benchmark – which is based on the initiative’s Investor Expectations of Companies and developed in consultation with investors – is comprised of six indicators covering Ambition, Assessment, Targets, Implementation, Governance, and Engagement. These high-level indicators are underpinned by 17 sub-indicators and 50 metrics. View the full benchmark here.

Nature Action 100 will release the first company assessments based on the benchmark later this year and will conduct them annually thereafter. Companies will be assessed on the quality of their disclosures and actions. The annual assessments are intended to track corporate progress and provide needed insight into the actions of systemically important sectors to reversing nature and biodiversity loss by 2030.

Sonya Likhtman, Associate Director – EOS, EOS, Federated Hermes Limited, said: “The Nature Action 100 Company Benchmark will be an important tool for investors to assess companies’ exposure to material nature-related risks and track progress on their biodiversity strategies. We were pleased to provide input to the benchmark through the consultation process, focusing especially on ensuring that companies address impacts throughout the value chain and effectively engage Indigenous groups.”

The benchmark will be a valuable resource for the more than 200 Nature Action 100 investor participants in their engagements with companies under the initiative. The assessments will also support investors in better understanding the material nature-related financial risks in their individual portfolios and how they can manage these to protect the long-term economic interests of their clients and beneficiaries. Companies can use the assessments to understand their progress against investor expectations on nature.

Adam Kanzer, Head of Stewardship, Americas, BNP Paribas Asset Management, and Co-chair of the Nature Action 100 Steering Group, said: “In 2019, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) put the world on notice that we are in crisis – a man-made mass extinction event threatens to permanently alter life on Earth, with catastrophic consequences for every aspect of our lives, and our economies. Today, Nature Action 100 launches a public benchmark designed to measure corporate progress on the road to reversing nature loss by 2030, aligned with a set of six high-level investor expectations. If we are to protect our companies, portfolios and economies from nature loss, we must focus first and foremost on the drivers of that risk. The orientation of our benchmark is therefore clear and represents a consensus view – impacts to nature must be prioritized.”

The Nature Action 100 Corporate Engagement Working Group, co-led by Ceres and IIGCC, developed the benchmark indicators through comprehensive research, drawing on best practices grounded in the latest science and data. They ensured alignment with nature target-setting and disclosure frameworks, such as the Science Based Targets Network and Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures.

The development process included extensive consultation with dozens of Nature Action 100 investor participants and experts from organizations and universities around the world, including representatives of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Leslie Cordes, Vice President of programs, Ceres said: “The Nature Action 100 Company Benchmark will be a powerful tool to support investors as they evaluate corporate progress and help them to hold companies accountable for their contributions to nature and biodiversity loss. The benchmark indicators announced today lay out clear high-level expectations for the ambitious actions that investors have called on companies to take to mitigate their nature-related financial risks.”

Stephanie Pfeifer, CEO, IIGCC said: “While climate mitigation has been a major focus of investors’ corporate engagement to date, overall there has been less attention and action on nature and biodiversity despite also posing clear systemic and individual asset level financial risks. The Nature Action 100 Company Benchmark is therefore a major milestone and will be a valuable tool for investors seeking to better understand and manage these risks, as well as the potential opportunities.”

Editor’s Note:

The Nature Action 100 Company Benchmark indicators are available here.

Nature Action 100 is hosting a webinar to provide an overview of the Nature Action 100 Company Benchmark indicators, including how the benchmark complements other reporting frameworks, such as the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures. The webinar takes place at 10 a.m. ET on May 2 and is open to members of the media. Register here.

Media Contacts: 

Bridget Vis, Ceres, vis@ceres.org 
Ross Gillam, IIGCC, rgillam@iigcc.org

About Nature Action 100

Nature Action 100 is a global investor-led engagement initiative that aims to support greater corporate ambition and action on reversing nature and biodiversity loss to mitigate financial risk and to protect the long-term economic interests of investors’ clients and beneficiaries. Investors participating in the initiative engage companies in systemically important sectors to achieve this goal by 2030.

The initiative’s Secretariat and Corporate Engagement Working Group is co-led by Ceres and the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), and the initiative’s Technical Advisory Group is co-led by the Finance for Biodiversity Foundation and Planet Tracker.

For more information on Nature Action 100, visit natureaction100.org.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., April 24, 2024 /3BL/ – The Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) latest “Top 500 Design Firms” Sourcebook again ranks global critical infrastructure solutions provider Black & Veatch among the world’s leaders in power, water and telecommunications as decarbonization, sustainability, resilience and other megatrends propel the company’s growth.

Basing its rankings on the company’s operational revenue, the Top 500 Design Firms Sourcebook lists Black & Veatch’s power business again at No. 3. Black & Veatch remains at No. 8 in water and is tenth in telecommunications.

“With decarbonization, electrification, clean water and cybersecurity among the world-changing megatrends impacting our clients, we’re deeply committed and uniquely positioned to deliver the disruptive innovations that these exciting, evolving times demand,” Black & Veatch’s Chairman and CEO Mario Azar said.

“We’ve been solving the world’s infrastructure challenges for more than a century,” Azar added. “And we’ll continue to leverage that deep, trusted expertise and disruptive technology for our diverse client base, ranging from Fortune 1000 companies to utilities, developers and local, state and national governments.”

In 2023, the company expanded its broad portfolio of services with record numbers of construction hours completed (24.5 million, up nearly 8 million from the previous year), and increased its diverse employee-owners workforce by 17 percent (12,494 as of Jan. 1, 2024, up from 10,691 the previous year) to meet historical levels of project backlog and growth across its global regions.

Black & Veatch continues to drive innovation across critical infrastructure markets, as reflected in these projects announced or having achieved significant milestones in 2023:

Global Hydrogen Council member Black & Veatch is the owner’s engineer for the Intermountain Power Agency’s effort to retire its original coal-fueled facility in Utah and replace it with an 840-megawatt natural gas-fueled combined cycle power plant. The project is among the earliest installations of combustion turbine technology designed to use a high percentage of green hydrogen. Black & Veatch also is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for what will become the world’s biggest industrial green hydrogen production and storage hub, adjacent to the IPA power plant.As a global leader in renewable energy infrastructure, Black & Veatch served a port-marshalling role and developed a unique, customized environment, health and safety (HSE) program for the Vineyard Wind off of Massachusetts’ coast – the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States.Serving in a civil and structural engineering capacity while helping lead the design, Black & Veatch played a critical role in expanding the Johnson County (Kansas) Tomahawk Creek wastewater treatment facility. In November 2023, the $340-million project was named the Midwest’s best in the water and environment category by the Engineering News-Record.In California, the Black & Veatch-designed Orange County Water District Groundwater Replenishment System’s final expansion was dedicated in 2023. The GWRS produces high-quality recycled water used to recharge the Orange County Groundwater Basin, the primary potable water supply for more than 2.5 million people. The project won a Water Environment Federation “project excellence award.”At year-end 2023, Black & Veatch had 3.3 gigawatts DC of solar generation in construction or commissioning, including utility-scale solar projects Crown and Sol in central Texas’ Falls County for BAES Infrastructure, a diversified energy company focusing on energy transition projects.As part of its industry leading position in liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure solutions, Black & Veatch – with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) of South Korea – last year was awarded a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract for the Ksi Lisims LNG nearshore floating production facility in northwest Canada. The project represents the next generation of LNG export design, re-inventing the industry for environmentally sensitive and greenhouse-gas constrained development situations. The project is being developed jointly by Western LNG, the Nisga’a Nation and Rockies LNG.Through the Joint Electric Scaling Initiative (JETSI), Black & Veatch in 2023 announced the design-build completion of high-power chargers in South El Monte, California, for Schneider National Inc., a premier multimodal provider of transportation, intermodal and logistics services with one of country’s largest zero-emission fleets. That site allows up to 32 battery-electric trucks to charge simultaneously and deliver an 80 percent charge within 90 minutes.

About Black & Veatch 
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

Media Contact Information:

JIM SUHR | +1 913-458-6995 P | SuhrJ@BV.com
24-HOUR MEDIA CONTACT | Media@bv.com

In recent years, we have seen overall cropland decrease while forestland has increased. The decrease of cropland is related to urban sprawl, while the increase in forests is likely due to the efforts of U.S. conservation programs and groups working with land managers, including soybean farmers.

Even when farmers are faced with the loss of farmland from urban sprawl, they recognize the value of forest ecosystems. They know that healthy native ecosystems provide critical habitats for biodiversity and enhance resiliency to dynamic changes in the climate.

As stewards of the land, U.S. farmers, working together with non-profit and government agencies, protect our precious forests and natural resources across the U.S. In fact, while the amount of cropland has decreased over the last 50 years, forestland has increased by nearly two million acres.

U.S. Soy farmers play an active role in reducing deforestation by investing in ways to increase crop yields while using less resources. They are committed to meeting the needs of a growing world while protecting our natural resources.

Innovations in Soy Farming Reduce Deforestation

The preservation of farm and forestland for future generations is a priority for U.S. Soy farmers, who continuously explore opportunities to improve their existing land.

Thanks to innovation and climate-smart agriculture, U.S. Soy farmers reduce the impact of farming on their soil as well as surrounding water systems and forest areas.

Growing More with Less

Since 1980, U.S. Soy farmers have made significant operational improvements that allow them to increase yields using less land and resources. In fact, they have increased soy production by 130% using roughly the same amount of land.

Constantly Innovating

In addition to leveraging technological innovations, farmers are also working with scientists to develop new soybean varieties that produce a higher yield, which helps to reduce cropland and protect surrounding forestland.

Preserving Soil Health

To minimize soil erosion, U.S. Soy farmers reduce disturbance as much as possible, only tilling when necessary. Reducing or eliminating tilling also helps preserve the nutrient density of the soil, along with increasing crop diversity and integrating livestock. This has allowed them to improve soil conservation by 34% and reduce soil erosion by 47% per acre.

Protecting Water Resources

U.S. Soy farmers have improved efficiency of water use by 60% over the last 50 years. They use cutting edge technology practices such as GPS to improve fertilizer and pesticide use to reduce the impact on surrounding water systems.

Working Together to Preserve Tomorrow

Sustainable solutions are not one-size-fits-all. For example, environmental-friendly practices that work in the Great Plains may not be an option for a farmer in the Deep South. U.S. Soy farmers must develop solutions unique to their operation and surrounding land. Partnering with government agencies and nonprofits helps farmers develop a sustainability program that is best for their operation.

Government-supported conservation programs shape many farmers’ sustainability goals and plans. Some programs take farmland out of production for use as conservation resources, such as water quality protection, soil conservation and improvement, wildlife habitat expansion and grassland habitat renewal. Approximately 15% of U.S. farmland is currently set aside for conservation, forest development and wildlife habitat.

U.S. Soy works with The Nature Conservancy and a host of others in conservation, food and agriculture to provide farmers with the tools they need to nourish a growing population, while protecting the Earth’s land and waters.

In recent years, we have seen overall cropland decrease while forestland has increased. The decrease of cropland is related to urban sprawl, while the increase in forests is likely due to the efforts of U.S. conservation programs and groups working with land managers, including soybean farmers.

Even when farmers are faced with the loss of farmland from urban sprawl, they recognize the value of forest ecosystems. They know that healthy native ecosystems provide critical habitats for biodiversity and enhance resiliency to dynamic changes in the climate.

As stewards of the land, U.S. farmers, working together with non-profit and government agencies, protect our precious forests and natural resources across the U.S. In fact, while the amount of cropland has decreased over the last 50 years, forestland has increased by nearly two million acres.

U.S. Soy farmers play an active role in reducing deforestation by investing in ways to increase crop yields while using less resources. They are committed to meeting the needs of a growing world while protecting our natural resources.

Innovations in Soy Farming Reduce Deforestation

The preservation of farm and forestland for future generations is a priority for U.S. Soy farmers, who continuously explore opportunities to improve their existing land.

Thanks to innovation and climate-smart agriculture, U.S. Soy farmers reduce the impact of farming on their soil as well as surrounding water systems and forest areas.

Growing More with Less

Since 1980, U.S. Soy farmers have made significant operational improvements that allow them to increase yields using less land and resources. In fact, they have increased soy production by 130% using roughly the same amount of land.

Constantly Innovating

In addition to leveraging technological innovations, farmers are also working with scientists to develop new soybean varieties that produce a higher yield, which helps to reduce cropland and protect surrounding forestland.

Preserving Soil Health

To minimize soil erosion, U.S. Soy farmers reduce disturbance as much as possible, only tilling when necessary. Reducing or eliminating tilling also helps preserve the nutrient density of the soil, along with increasing crop diversity and integrating livestock. This has allowed them to improve soil conservation by 34% and reduce soil erosion by 47% per acre.

Protecting Water Resources

U.S. Soy farmers have improved efficiency of water use by 60% over the last 50 years. They use cutting edge technology practices such as GPS to improve fertilizer and pesticide use to reduce the impact on surrounding water systems.

Working Together to Preserve Tomorrow

Sustainable solutions are not one-size-fits-all. For example, environmental-friendly practices that work in the Great Plains may not be an option for a farmer in the Deep South. U.S. Soy farmers must develop solutions unique to their operation and surrounding land. Partnering with government agencies and nonprofits helps farmers develop a sustainability program that is best for their operation.

Government-supported conservation programs shape many farmers’ sustainability goals and plans. Some programs take farmland out of production for use as conservation resources, such as water quality protection, soil conservation and improvement, wildlife habitat expansion and grassland habitat renewal. Approximately 15% of U.S. farmland is currently set aside for conservation, forest development and wildlife habitat.

U.S. Soy works with The Nature Conservancy and a host of others in conservation, food and agriculture to provide farmers with the tools they need to nourish a growing population, while protecting the Earth’s land and waters.

KFC

As the proud owners of one of the most iconic pieces of packaging in the world – our bucket – there’s no question on where we stand in Planet vs Plastics. For Earth Day, we’re sharing 4 ways KFC is showing up for Team Planet.

Recovering and reducing plastic – From exploring plant-based plastics with KFC India and reducing single-use plastic with KFC South Africa, we’re well on our way to reaching our goal for all plastic-based, consumer-facing packaging to be made from recoverable or reusable materials by 2025.

Reducing waste – KFC UK & Ireland are piloting a new front-of-house bin that educates consumers on sorting waste vs. recoverable materials and has increased the average recycling rate from 17% to 30%. We also know we can’t do this work alone, which is why Yum! Brands is a supporting partner of the NextGen Consortium which aims to address single-use foodservice packaging waste by advancing design, commercialization and recovery of packaging alternatives.

Investing in circularity – We’re globally rolling out Green Line Furniture, a new collection of sustainable, highly durable furnishings made from recycled materials that is also modular, which means only the parts that are worn down need to be replaced during renovations vs. discarding the whole thing.

Collaborating to build trust and impact – Throughout the year, KFC leaders, franchisees and suppliers gather to share best practices and break through barriers. We know this type of collaboration helps us turn local solutions into global ones and identify opportunities to drive both efficiency and scale of our packaging portfolio.

KFC

As the proud owners of one of the most iconic pieces of packaging in the world – our bucket – there’s no question on where we stand in Planet vs Plastics. For Earth Day, we’re sharing 4 ways KFC is showing up for Team Planet.

Recovering and reducing plastic – From exploring plant-based plastics with KFC India and reducing single-use plastic with KFC South Africa, we’re well on our way to reaching our goal for all plastic-based, consumer-facing packaging to be made from recoverable or reusable materials by 2025.

Reducing waste – KFC UK & Ireland are piloting a new front-of-house bin that educates consumers on sorting waste vs. recoverable materials and has increased the average recycling rate from 17% to 30%. We also know we can’t do this work alone, which is why Yum! Brands is a supporting partner of the NextGen Consortium which aims to address single-use foodservice packaging waste by advancing design, commercialization and recovery of packaging alternatives.

Investing in circularity – We’re globally rolling out Green Line Furniture, a new collection of sustainable, highly durable furnishings made from recycled materials that is also modular, which means only the parts that are worn down need to be replaced during renovations vs. discarding the whole thing.

Collaborating to build trust and impact – Throughout the year, KFC leaders, franchisees and suppliers gather to share best practices and break through barriers. We know this type of collaboration helps us turn local solutions into global ones and identify opportunities to drive both efficiency and scale of our packaging portfolio.

LINCOLN, Neb., April 24, 2024 /3BL/ – ‘The Canopy Report,’ a new consumer report from the Arbor Day Foundation, takes a deep dive into how America sees trees.

The findings examine Americans’ interactions with green space, their perceptions of the health and environmental benefits of trees, and their feelings about climate change.

“In many ways, the Canopy Report is a resounding affirmation of the power of trees and their critical function in our everyday lives,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Americans understand the value trees planted in the right places for the right reasons can have on our own health, the health of our communities, and the role they play as a solution to some of the biggest issues facing the planet today, like climate change.”

The Arbor Day Foundation is the largest membership nonprofit in the world dedicated to planting trees. It helped to plant and distribute around 50 million trees last year alone in communities and forests around the world.

The Canopy Report was developed in collaboration with The Harris Poll, a nationally-recognized consumer research firm. The report’s release comes just days before the Arbor Day national holiday. The tree planter’s holiday is recognized annually on the last Friday in April.

The full report is available at arborday.org/CanopyReport, but some of the noteworthy findings include the following:

People are happier around trees, yet many crave more time and access nature.

The report indicated Americans overwhelmingly understand trees make people healthier. Eighty-eight percent of people regularly engage in activities around trees and green spaces. Those who engage with trees and green spaces on a daily basis are happier and score higher in their mental and physical health scores than those spending time in nature less often, according to the report.

And yet, Americans want more access. Seventy-seven percent of people said they wished their neighborhood had more trees and green spaces while more than half of Americans say they need to drive to their nearest green space.

Many Americans have been personally impacted by climate change and feelings of ‘climate dread’ is prevalent.

According to the results, almost two-thirds of people say they’ve personally felt the effects of climate change and more than half report experiencing feelings of ‘climate dread.’

Most Americans understand the positive impact trees have in addressing climate change.

An overwhelming majority of Americans, according to the Canopy Report, acknowledge that trees can be a solution to some of these problems. The findings reveal that 90% of people understand trees are key to helping address climate change. Additionally, 9 in 10 people agree that “trees are not a nice-to-have, they’re a necessity” as a tool to address climate change. It’s no surprise, then, that Americans say addressing deforestation is one of the most called-upon climate-related challenges Americans can fix if people work together.

For more information about the Arbor Day Foundation, visit arborday.org. The full Canopy Report can be viewed at arborday.org/CanopyReport.

Survey Method:

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Arbor Day Foundation from March 8 to March 14, 2024 among 2,006 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.0 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact jputney@arborday.org.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation is the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. Together with our partners, we have helped plant more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to lead toward a world where trees are used to solve issues critical to survival. Through our members, partners and programs, the Arbor Day Foundation inspires people across the globe to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information is available at arborday.org.

# # #

LINCOLN, Neb., April 24, 2024 /3BL/ – ‘The Canopy Report,’ a new consumer report from the Arbor Day Foundation, takes a deep dive into how America sees trees.

The findings examine Americans’ interactions with green space, their perceptions of the health and environmental benefits of trees, and their feelings about climate change.

“In many ways, the Canopy Report is a resounding affirmation of the power of trees and their critical function in our everyday lives,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Americans understand the value trees planted in the right places for the right reasons can have on our own health, the health of our communities, and the role they play as a solution to some of the biggest issues facing the planet today, like climate change.”

The Arbor Day Foundation is the largest membership nonprofit in the world dedicated to planting trees. It helped to plant and distribute around 50 million trees last year alone in communities and forests around the world.

The Canopy Report was developed in collaboration with The Harris Poll, a nationally-recognized consumer research firm. The report’s release comes just days before the Arbor Day national holiday. The tree planter’s holiday is recognized annually on the last Friday in April.

The full report is available at arborday.org/CanopyReport, but some of the noteworthy findings include the following:

People are happier around trees, yet many crave more time and access nature.

The report indicated Americans overwhelmingly understand trees make people healthier. Eighty-eight percent of people regularly engage in activities around trees and green spaces. Those who engage with trees and green spaces on a daily basis are happier and score higher in their mental and physical health scores than those spending time in nature less often, according to the report.

And yet, Americans want more access. Seventy-seven percent of people said they wished their neighborhood had more trees and green spaces while more than half of Americans say they need to drive to their nearest green space.

Many Americans have been personally impacted by climate change and feelings of ‘climate dread’ is prevalent.

According to the results, almost two-thirds of people say they’ve personally felt the effects of climate change and more than half report experiencing feelings of ‘climate dread.’

Most Americans understand the positive impact trees have in addressing climate change.

An overwhelming majority of Americans, according to the Canopy Report, acknowledge that trees can be a solution to some of these problems. The findings reveal that 90% of people understand trees are key to helping address climate change. Additionally, 9 in 10 people agree that “trees are not a nice-to-have, they’re a necessity” as a tool to address climate change. It’s no surprise, then, that Americans say addressing deforestation is one of the most called-upon climate-related challenges Americans can fix if people work together.

For more information about the Arbor Day Foundation, visit arborday.org. The full Canopy Report can be viewed at arborday.org/CanopyReport.

Survey Method:

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Arbor Day Foundation from March 8 to March 14, 2024 among 2,006 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.0 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact jputney@arborday.org.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation is the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. Together with our partners, we have helped plant more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to lead toward a world where trees are used to solve issues critical to survival. Through our members, partners and programs, the Arbor Day Foundation inspires people across the globe to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information is available at arborday.org.

# # #

CENTENNIAL, Colo., April 24, 2024 /3BL/ – More than 1,200 student inventors showcased their creativity and engineering skills in the First® Robotics Colorado Regional Competition, sponsored by Arrow Electronics. Held at the University of Denver, the competition drew 49 high school teams from as far away as Alaska and Mexico.

This marks Arrow’s 12th year sponsoring the FIRST® Colorado competition that exposes students to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning by challenging them to build, design and program industrial-size robots. Competitors then test how well their designs perform in a timed battle against other teams.

This year’s musical-themed competition, dubbed Crescendo, was focused on exploring the role that STEM plays in the arts. The goal was to score points by having robots collect and deposit plastic rings (called “notes”) into large containers modeled after amplifiers and speakers.

“Arrow recognizes how critical STEM programs, such as FIRST Robotics, are to the future of our business and our world,” said Kim Brown Wilmsen, senior vice president and chief information officer. “We are committed to extending the benefit of technology to as many people as possible around the world and are proud to invest in FIRST programs across the globe.”

Organizers of the Colorado Regional Competition handed out more than two dozen awards, including an Autonomous Award that recognized a team from Fort Collins, Colo., who demonstrated high-performance, autonomous robot operation and a Regional Engineering Inspiration Award that honored competitors from Wyoming’s Jackson Hole High School who advanced respect and appreciation for engineering through their design and performance.

Ivey Bostrom, Arrow’s corporate marketing partnerships and programs manager, won the Colorado FIRST® Volunteer of the Year Award for her advocacy for the organization’s mission and overall support. A Colorado FIRST® Advisory Board Member, Bostrom also served as a judge for this year’s competition.

Six teams advanced to the FIRST® Robotics Championship in Houston, April 17-20, 2024, based on points scored in the competition and judged awards.

About Arrow Electronics 
Arrow Electronics guides innovation forward for thousands of leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2023 sales of $33 billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that help improve business and daily life. Learn more at arrow.com.

About ColoradoFIRST

ColoradoFIRST (www.coloradofirst.org) is a Colorado 501(c)(3) founded in 2001 to represent and achieve the mission of FIRST (www.firstinspires.org). FIRST is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school or in structured afterschool programs. Boosted by a global support system of volunteers, educators, and sponsors that include over 200 of the FORTUNE 500 companies, teams operate under a signature set of FIRST Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements during annual challenges. An international not-for-profit organization founded by accomplished inventor Dean Kamen in 1989, FIRST has a proven impact on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Alumni of FIRST programs gain access to exclusive scholarships, internships, and other opportunities that create connections and open pathways to a wide variety of careers.