Tag: 3BL

Here at DP World, we understand the environmental toll of global trade. Port operations are notoriously carbon-intensive; the transportation sector creates one-third of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, of which shipping accounts for nearly 3%. 

In an era where environmental sustainability is no longer optional but imperative, DP World is investing in decarbonizing its port operations and steer trade towards a more sustainable future.

On April 4, 2024, we unveiled the first charging station for electric trucks at our terminal on the South Dock of the Port of Callao in Peru. This initiative makes Callao the first port terminal in Latin America to feature this type of infrastructure, promoting decarbonization, environmental stewardship, and operational efficiency.

Electrification at the Forefront

Our latest venture in Callao is another step forward in DP World’s efforts to become carbon neutral by 2040 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The station, which is powered by 100% renewable energy, features 10 fast chargers of 200 KW each, and will be used to charge our fleet of 20 electric ITVs (internal transport trucks). This setup not only supports our fleet but also propels the port towards carbon neutrality.

The charging station, equipped with a 2-megawatt substation and dual-vehicle CCS2-type connectors, also incorporates a smart charge management platform that monitors energy consumption and CO2 emissions savings. Supplementing this, 60 KW of rooftop solar power is used to power the station, further reducing our grid energy dependency.

A Sustainable Milestone

The introduction of this electric charging station is projected to reduce DP World’s carbon emissions significantly, preventing the release of 2,145 metric tons of CO2 equivalents annually at the Port of Callao. Given Peru’s standing as 38th globally for air pollution (according to the 2022 World Air Quality Report), this reduction is not just a corporate achievement but a national benefit, highlighting our commitment to enhancing air quality and reducing environmental impacts.

Broadening the Impact

DP World’s commitment extends beyond Callao. In our continuous pursuit of innovation, last year we also integrated 15 new electric cranes into our operations at the port. DP World has also been making other investments in sustainability at the Port of Callao. 

This electrification project is not just about adopting new technologies; it’s about setting a precedent for the maritime and logistics industries worldwide. By pioneering such initiatives, we aim to encourage widespread adoption of clean energy practices, not just in Peru but across the globe.

BEDMINSTER, N.J., April 23, 2024 /3BL/ – In its commitment to supporting the next generation of farmers, APPLEGATE®, the nation’s leading natural and organic meat brand, has announced a new partnership with American Farmland Trust (AFT) in a $50,000 donation to the AFT’s Brighter Future Fund, a program that helps farmers and ranchers nationwide improve their viability, access, transfer, or permanently protect farmland, and adopt regenerative agricultural* practices. Applegate’s donation will fund grants, valued up to $5,000, for livestock farmers or ranchers who are working to who are becoming more resilient and viable.

“Young farmers and ranchers have a vision for a strong, sustainable and competitive food system. But making it a reality is anything but easy,” said Joseph O’Connor, President of Applegate. “American Farmland Trust has a proven track record of advocacy and support to an incredible network of farmers. With our commitment to The Brighter Future Fund, Applegate aims to help new farmers build a more sustainable and secure foothold in the industry that allows them to fulfill their dreams and, in turn, helps us to make good on our mission: Changing The Meat We Eat®.”

The Brighter Future Fund was launched in 2020 to help historically underserved farmers and ranchers build, grow, and sustain their operations despite forces impacting the food and agricultural system, including the COVID-19 pandemic, changing markets, severe weather, and climate change. In past years, BFF grants have helped livestock farmers to access land to expand their farms and ranches, purchase supplies to implement regenerative practices like compost spreaders and no-till drill planters, and improve their profitability with more efficient equipment for harvesting, storing and selling their crops and livestock like greenhouses, hoop houses and cooler vans. Applications for Brighter Future Fund grants open in early July and grantees will be announced in October.

The impacts of Brighter Future Fund grants ripple beyond individual awardees. Grants help drive new solutions for resolving key challenges facing our society, by:

Scaling up the adoption of regenerative practices and increasing the resilience of farms and ranches to climate change;Strengthening local food systems to be more resilient to disruptions caused by global events as well as providing equitable access to healthy food;Creating greater equity in opportunities for historically underserved farmers and ranchers;Ensuring the availability of sufficient clean water and habitat for threatened wildlife;Improving long-term farm viability and community vitality.

“Oftentimes straightforward projects, like expanding or replacing fencing infrastructure, can make a huge difference for farmers or ranchers. Increasing rotational grazing capacity enhances pasture soil health, and ultimately improves the overall viability of a farm or ranch,” said Ashley Brucker, Deputy Director of Agriculture Conservation Innovation at American Farmland Trust. “We’re grateful for partners like Applegate for supporting and believing in the countless farmers and ranchers who do this vital work.”

“As a former farmer who has raised pastured livestock, I know firsthand how beneficial unrestricted grant funds are to a farm business,” said Carolyn Gahn, Applegate’s Senior Director of Mission and Advocacy. “Fencing, watering systems and animal shelters are all costly but necessary requirements to get an operation off the ground and keep it functioning sustainably. A move towards a regenerative future, means making farming a viable business model for family farms and first-generation farmers.”

Additional supporters of the 2024 fund include: Tractor Supply Company Foundation, iHeartMedia, Butcher Box, Giant Foods, and Domino’s Pizza.

Grant applications will be reviewed and awarded in the order the applications are received based on eligibility. To apply, farmers and ranchers should submit a completed electronic Brighter Future Fund Application to AFT.

American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 7.8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families. Learn more at www.farmland.org.

*Regenerative agriculture is a series of continuous improvement principles and practices that prioritize soil health and manages a symbiotic relationship between plants and animals to have a positive impact on the land.

TACOMA, WASHINGTON, April 23, 2024 /3BL/ — Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region has received a grant of $300,000 from KeyBank. The funds will help support clean energy/clean tech career preparation courses to equip young adult job seekers to pursue green economy-related careers in the rapidly growing sector.

As the United States transitions to clean energy and green infrastructure investments, these jobs will increasingly be in demand, offering a path to stable, well-paid employment. To ensure local youth are ready to pursue these exciting careers, Goodwill will prepare, pilot and implement a new “Intro to Industry Occupational Training” for green careers, as an offering at its state-licensed vocational school, based in Tacoma, Washington.

The Clean Energy Career Prep Course will use a hands-on, career-connected learning model that will enable participants to earn a nationally industry-recognized credential, such as the Fundamentals of Energy Certificate, and help connect them with green careers. Goodwill anticipates enrolling intersectional target populations, including BIPOC, veterans, and young people with socio-economic and other barriers that affect their access to opportunities.

“At KeyBank, our mission is to help our communities thrive, and we know that an important building block is ensuring young adults can develop the skills that will lead to successful and fulfilling careers,” says South Puget Sound Market President Brian Marlow. “We are excited about the green sector and are pleased to support Goodwill as it develops a diverse talent pipeline to take advantage of the opportunities available in the vibrant green economy—and ultimately to enhance the sustainability of our communities.”

“Green energy jobs generally pay well and have grown at double-digit rates,” says Lori Forte Harnick, President and CEO of Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region. “We are deeply grateful for this generous grant from KeyBank that will help us equip and empower young adults in our local community to build successful careers that promote a more sustainable future.”

About Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region

At Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region, our vision is that every person has the opportunity to learn, work, and thrive in all aspects of life. To achieve our vision, we are committed to dismantling racism and advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion so we can help people reach their fullest potential through education, job placement, and career pathway services. We do our work with great gratitude for the community donations, purchases, and partnerships that make our mission possible.

Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region is nonprofit social enterprise serving 15 counties in Washington state. Our free education, job training, and career pathway services uplift an average of 4,000 people each year by eliminating barriers to opportunity and helping people to realize their full potential through the power of work. Our 34 thrift retail stores and online thrift operation employ more than 1,100 people in local communities and help fund our mission. For more information, please visit http://www.goodwillwa.org .

About KeyBank

KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $188 billion at December 31, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

The 2024 Environment+Energy Leader Awards has recognized MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, for its innovative efforts to minimize the environmental impact of scientific research and manufacturing. More specifically, the company won Top Project in the Environmental Impact category for initiatives housed under its Greener Products and Solutions (GP&S) program.

MilliporeSigma was also awarded the distinction of “Judges’ Choice,” scoring the highest amongst all other judges’ evaluations in the category. This special recognition was due to several industry-first projects that stood out to judges for their exceptional achievements.

According to the judges, the GP&S program represents “a solid application that effectively demonstrates the positive impact that pharmaceutical industry suppliers can have on reducing plastics, wastes and greenhouse gas emissions.”

MilliporeSigma’s GP&S program was recognized for helping its business and customers keep sustainability at the forefront of each stage of the product lifecycle by using SHAPE, an industry-first design for sustainability framework. Additionally, judges were impressed by the company’s offering of 2,504 greener alternative products—a 34% increase from 2022. The company also improved packaging sustainability with 400+ metric tons of annual packaging savings since 2019. Also, its proprietary DOZN™ tool, a quantitative green chemistry evaluator, is used by 2,170+ scientists across 78 countries, helping advance greener thinking.

Additionally, demonstrating a commitment to the next generation, its expanded partnership with Beyond Benign, a green chemistry nonprofit, has inspired 834,000+ students to address sustainability through chemistry.

To learn more about the company’s recognition for its GP&S program, please read the Environment+Energy Leader Awards eBook.

More on the company’s sustainability initiatives can be found by visiting its Sustainability & Social Business Innovation webpage.

GREENFIELD, Ind. April 23, 2024 /3BL/ – Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) today unleashed a multi-faceted educational campaign – declaring today as the first-ever National Parvo Awareness Day, aimed at bringing awareness to this devastating and often-fatal puppy disease. As part of this effort, Elanco is releasing Parvo is Poop – an eye-catching campaign highlighting the way the virus spreads, the symptoms and the breakthrough solution to treat canine parvovirus (parvo).

Parvovirus is estimated to affect more than 330,000 puppies a year.1 As high as 91% will succumb to the disease if left untreated.2 Yet only 44% percent of consumers are aware of the disease and its symptoms.3 

The goal of National Parvo Awareness Day (April 23) and the Parvo is Poop campaign is to shine a public light on parvo with eyebrow-raising creative and activations that puts the conversational topic of dog poop front and center. Parvo, one of the most contagious and deadly viruses for dogs and puppies, is spread mainly through contaminated dog feces. The virus is resistant to heat, cold, humidity and drying. It can sometimes survive in the environment for years and, in some cases, isn’t even removed when poop is scooped.

By sparking much-needed dialogue about parvo, Elanco hopes to encourage the public to be vigilant, especially during parvo season.

Today – April 23 – marks the beginning of the parvo season, when dogs and puppies are most susceptible. Although it strikes throughout the year, late spring and summer are the most common seasons for parvo outbreaks and data shows active web searches around this misunderstood virus significantly spike.

“Parvo is exhausting, devastating and scary – it’s just crappy, in every sense of the word,” says Dr. Jennifer Miller, technical veterinarian, Elanco. “That’s why I’m so proud of the work Elanco is doing to increase education and conversation about the grave consequences of parvo. There are simple steps we can take right now to help save puppies.”

Last year, hope emerged when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded conditional approval to Elanco’s Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody – the first and only targeted treatment for canine parvovirus. In a treatment efficacy study, zero parvo infected dogs died (or succumbed to the infection) when they received the monoclonal antibody as their treatment. Additionally, there’s evidence that the treatment may help shorten the course of the virus, so puppies feel better faster and get home to their families sooner.

As a result, today Elanco also introduces the first-ever online parvo tracking tool empowering pet owners and the veterinary community with game-changing intelligence to further help keep puppies safe. Visitors to ParvoTrack-powered by Elanco can self-report and identify parvo outbreak areas in real time, with a few simple steps. Dog owners and the veterinary community can also sign up at DefeatParvo.com to receive alerts with outbreaks in their area as well.

While vaccination is the cornerstone to disease prevention, here are three additional steps we’ll focus pet owner educational efforts on this parvo season: 

Know the signs and symptoms of parvo and how it spreads. Parvo is easily spread through feces or even on shoes. If your dog is refusing to eat, is vomiting, has diarrhea or lethargy, call your veterinarian and get them checked for parvo. If your dog tests positive for parvo, ask your veterinarian about Elanco’s Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody, the first and only USDA conditionally approved targeted treatment for parvo that helps puppies feel better faster and get home sooner. Check Elanco’s parvo tracking system at DefeatParvo.com and sign up to receive parvo outbreak alerts in your area.

“Raising awareness about parvo and encouraging every veterinarian to keep innovative Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody in their freezer can be transformative in defeating this deadly disease,” said Bobby Modi, Executive Vice President, U.S. Pet Health, Elanco. “It requires us to be innovative and bold. The first-of-its-kind tracking tool is something that we’ve heard loud and clear from the veterinary industry is critical—if we can track and test for parvo, we can treat for and defeat parvo by using Elanco’s innovative Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody. By raising awareness – and a few eyebrows – we can help achieve our goal of saving 1 million puppies from dying from canine parvovirus by 2030.”

The campaign is just the latest effort of Elanco’s multi-year Defend Puppies. Defeat Parvo. bold mission to save 1 million puppies by 2030. Elanco also established the Parvo Defenders Task Force earlier this year with the likes of animal health leaders, such as MARS Veterinary Health, IDEXX, Nextdoor, PAWS Chicago, Austin Pets Alive, Fear Free and others, to champion acts that undercut parvo and curb this endemic. 

Learn more about Elanco’s educational Parvo is Poop campaign and National Parvo Awareness Day efforts, the first-ever parvo tracking tool, the Defend Puppies. Defeat Parvo. mission to save 1 million puppies – or learn where Elanco’s Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody is available by visiting www.DefeatParvo.com.

ABOUT ELANCO 
Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders, and society as a whole. With nearly 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to helping our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our Elanco Healthy Purpose™ Sustainability Initiatives –all to advance the health of animals, people, and the planet.

©2024 Elanco or its affiliates. Elanco and the diagonal bar logo are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates. 

PM-US-24-0151 

References 
1 Elanco Animal Health. Data on File. 
2 Venn, E.C. et al. Evaluation of an outpatient protocol in the treatment of canine parvoviral enteritis. Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. 27(1) 2017, 52-65. doi: 10.1111/vec.12561. 
3 Elanco Animal Health. Market Data on File.

MAYS LANDING, N.J., April 23, 2024 /3BL/ – Atlantic City Electric’s efforts to reinforce the local energy grid, add new technology and smart devices and target projects to increase resiliency against more frequent and impactful weather events, resulted in customers experiencing the lowest frequency of electric outages in 2023. The frequency of outages improved from the previous record performance, set just last year, by 5 percent. When outages did occur, crews averaged a safe restoration of service within 57 minutes systemwide.

“Providing reliable energy service is an integral part of our commitment to offer world-class experience to our customers,” said Tamla Olivier, chief operating officer of Pepco Holdings, which includes Atlantic City Electric. “This accomplishment is the result of our ongoing investment in local energy infrastructure and reflects the dedication of every Atlantic City Electric employee to supporting our customers.”

Atlantic City Electric’s proactive investment strengthens the grid against increasingly frequent and impactful weather events as the result of climate change and supports efforts to enable clean energy resources like solar and electric vehicles. In 2023, key projects to further reliability and resiliency include:

Beach Haven Battery Storage Project – Installed a battery storage system at an existing substation on Second Street in Beach Haven to improve the quality of energy service for thousands of customers and seasonal visitors in Beach Haven and Long Beach Island during times when customer demand for energy is highest.Cape May Substation Reliability Project – Modernizing and upgraded an existing substation that serves more than 7,100 customers and is critical to customer reliability in Cape May, West Cape May and Cape May Point.Greater Gloucester and Camden Counties Reliability Project – Upgrading 10 miles of transmission line between Monroe Township and Pine Hill to improve reliability for 13,600 customers in Gloucester and Camden counties.Salem County Reliability Project – Upgrading approximately 3.5 miles of critical transmission line, that primarily runs along Route 130 between Penns Grove and Pennsville, to enhance the quality of energy service for thousands of local customers.

These projects are bolstered by ongoing reliability efforts across South Jersey, and the installation of innovative technologies to improve system reliability, such as specialized equipment, like smart switches and reclosers to automatically detect issues and restore service faster by automatically isolating damage. These technologies have been a major driver in the continued reduction in outages for customers.

The company’s Smart Energy Network project includes the installation of more than 565,000 smart meters and associated equipment to support the continued effort to bring customers a world-class experience. Continued infrastructure investments will help support strong reliability for customers and help meet the growing energy demands of communities across South Jersey.

For more information on additional reliability enhancement projects, visit atlanticcityelectric.com/Reliability.

To learn more about Atlantic City Electric, visit The Source, Atlantic City Electric’s online newsroom. Find additional information by visiting atlanticcityelectric.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/AtlanticCityElectric, and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at twitter.com/AcEleCconnect. Atlantic City Electric’s mobile app is available at atlanticcityelectric.com/MobileApp.

Atlantic City Electric is a unit of Exelon (Nasdaq: EXC), a Fortune 250 company and the nation’s largest utility company, serving more than 10 million customers. Atlantic City Electric provides safe and reliable energy service to approximately 572,000 customers in southern New Jersey.

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DAVIDSON, N.C., April 23, 2024 /3BL/ – Trane® – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator – has received the Top Project of the Year Award for Energy Innovation in the 2024 Environment + Energy Leader (E+E Leader) Award program for its decarbonization-focused program with the State of New Mexico.

Trane played a crucial role in helping the State of New Mexico achieve their emissions reduction and resiliency goals through a comprehensive program supporting the modernization of state-owned buildings and implementing renewable infrastructure. Using its expertise in both facilities and energy, Trane implemented innovative solutions to help enhance comfort, reduce energy consumption and support the state’s climate action plans.

The program involved upgrading HVAC systems to ultra-efficient models and implementing smart building controls. Additionally, Trane incorporated renewable distributed energy resources– including rooftop solar installations — to generate clean, renewable energy. These measures not only improved the comfort of staff and visitors but also contributed to the state’s economic and environmental goals.

Trane has enjoyed a 30+-year collaboration with the state, making them a natural and trusted choice for this project. Utilizing Trane’s services, the state was able to address deferred maintenance costs, reduce emissions and create more sustainable and resilient building infrastructure.

“When the project was announced May of 2022, it was New Mexico’s largest renewable energy project at the time,” said Andy Merrill, vice president, Energy Services at Trane Technologies. “We are proud to have played an important part in helping the State reach its 2050 net-zero carbon emissions goal. We are equally delighted that our innovative collaboration has earned a place on the E+E Leader list.”

Get more details about the winning project on trane.com: The State of New Mexico’s “State Buildings Green Energy Project”

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About Trane 
Trane – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator – creates comfortable, energy efficient indoor environments for commercial and residential applications. For more information, please visit www.trane.com or www.tranetechnologies.com.

About Trane Technologies 
Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane® and Thermo King®, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation. Visit tranetechnologies.com.

About the Environment + Energy Leader Awards 
For well over a decade now, the Environment + Energy Leader Awards program has celebrated the exceptional advancements made in the realms of environmental, sustainability, and energy management. The awards recognize those who contribute and set new standards in the industry, setting a high standard for others to follow. Winners of the awards are seen as Leaders in environmental initiatives and energy management, with their achievements serving as benchmarks for excellence across the globe.

On Earth Day and every day, we work to practice environmental stewardship around the globe. At a company level, we integrate environmental considerations into our decision-making process. At an individual level, our Sustainability Network empowers our employees to go into their communities to clean up, recycle, reuse and actively build a greener future.

About Northern Trust
Northern Trust Corporation (Nasdaq: NTRS) is a leading provider of wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking to corporations, institutions, affluent families and individuals. Founded in Chicago in 1889, Northern Trust has offices in the United States in 19 states and Washington, D.C., and 20 international locations in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. As of September 30, 2015, Northern Trust had assets under custody of US$6 trillion, and assets under management of US$887 billion. For more than 125 years, Northern Trust has earned distinction as an industry leader for exceptional service, financial expertise, integrity and innovation. 

Earth Day was founded in the United States on April 22, 1970, to mark the emergence of the modern environmental movement, and it inspired more than 20 million Americans to take action. By 2020, Earth Day had grown to become an international movement, with more than 1 billion worldwide participating in Earth Day actions.

More than fifty years later, the world is more connected than ever before, but we’re suffering from new forms of disconnection: from each other, from our health, and from the health of the planet.

As the Executive Director of the Cisco Foundation, I’m proud to lead a team that is focused on enabling our social and environmental systems to thrive. We partner with organizations to create and scale innovative digital solutions that promote a healthy planet and advance the well-being and self-reliance of underserved communities globally.

This social investment strategy is closely aligned with Cisco’s corporate environmental sustainability strategy, the “Plan for Possible,” which includes three main strategic priorities: clean energy transitions, circular transformation, and investing in resilient ecosystems. Cisco and the Cisco Foundation take a holistic approach to addressing environmental and social issues because these issues are closely intertwined. Communities that can adapt to a changing climate have the right skills, infrastructure and economic foundation to build resilient communities that can better withstand the consequences of climate change.

Please continue to read to learn more about these connections and how we’re investing in technology today to make a healthier tomorrow for our people, communities, and the planet.

Clean energy transitions

Clean energy transitions means accelerating clean and renewable energy adoption and global net zero ambitions.

Jaza Energy is revolutionizing clean energy access in Tanzania and Nigeria with its solar hubs. By leveraging digital tools and advanced batteries, Jaza addresses the energy deficit impacting 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, where annual fossil fuel expenditure reaches $27 billion.

In Tanzania, 66% of households still use kerosene for energy needs. Jaza hubs offer a sustainable alternative to those reliant on kerosene and generators, illuminating over 11,500 homes and benefiting 90,000 people.

Jaza’s model provides opportunities to build livelihoods as well. They employ over 250 local women as “Jaza Stars,” employees responsible for sales and community development – further amplifying their impact. One Jaza Star said, “After working with Jaza, I participate in decision-making in my family,” highlighting the economic empowerment brought by these roles.

Jaza Energy exemplifies our dedication to innovative, sustainable solutions, aligning with the Cisco Foundation’s vision of sustainable community development and Cisco’s goal to accelerate clean energy adoption.

Circular transformation

Circular transformation means designing waste out of our business, and transitioning from an economy that extracts resources and eventually wastes them, to a circular one which finds new uses for products and their materials.

Green Wolf Costa Rica (GWCR) evolved from a movement of young environmentalists and technology professionals to support the social challenges that impacted the local community due to environmental actions from surrounding and developed cities. Since 2019, GWCR has removed over 70 tons of beach waste and planted hundreds of trees in collaboration with community and corporate volunteers.

GWCR offers climate education and activation efforts involving a technical approach to address the socio-economic inequality that puts the underserved community of Gaucalillo at greater risk to environmental dangers and social challenges. Gaucalillo is a coastal community located in one of the poorest areas of the country. Its geographical location, close to the mouth of the Rio Grande de Tarcoles, brings with it a significant problem of solid waste arriving on its shores.

In 2023 alone, Green Wolf mobilized over 20,000 volunteer hours across all of their projects, including 120 hours from Cisco Meraki volunteers in Guacalillo. With grant support and matching gift donations from Cisco and the Cisco Foundation, GWCR 1) develops sustainable souvenirs from wood and plastics recovered from the coastline, 2) explores solutions for plastic reuse, such as using it for filling in items such as hacky sacks, 3) collaborates with academics, skilled professionals, and local organizations to educate and raise awareness of waste impact among visitors and volunteers and 4) creates economic opportunities for residents of the community.

Investing in resilient ecosystems

Investing in resilient ecosystems means helping humans and nature navigate a changing climate. Our value chains benefit from resilient ecosystems, both financial and ecological.

Human-I-T is at the forefront of creating resilient ecosystems by bridging the digital divide and combating e-waste. Through innovative solutions and a dedication to digital equity, Human-I-T has made significant strides in connecting students and their households with the technology they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

In recent years, Human-I-T has achieved remarkable growth in its mission to provide equitable access to opportunity for communities on the wrong side of the digital divide – all while supporting a circular economy model. By refurbishing and redistributing tens of thousands of electronic devices, including laptops and computers for students, Human-I-T has empowered young learners with the tools they need to succeed academically and unlock their full potential.

Human-I-T’s commitment to educational digital equity extends beyond device distribution. By providing students and their families with access to internet connectivity, digital skills training, and technical support, Human-I-T ensures that recipients are equipped not just with devices but with the knowledge and resources to navigate the digital world effectively.

In 2023 alone, Human-I-T distributed 60,000 devices to communities across the United States, trained 5,000 people with digital literacy skills, and diverted 3.4 million pounds of e-waste from landfills.

As Human-I-T continues to collaborate with businesses, organizations, and government entities to divert technology from landfills and deliver comprehensive digital inclusion programs, it exemplifies the power of investing in regenerative solutions and technologies to create a more sustainable and equitable future, ensuring that students have the tools they need to thrive in and out of the classroom.

Learn how Cisco and the Cisco Foundation support social and environmental impact:

Cisco ESG Reporting Hub

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LINCOLN, Neb., April 22, 2024 /3BL/ – Addressing climate change is about more than solely carbon removal, according to a new article published by U.S. News & World Report authored by Arbor Day Foundation chief executive Dan Lambe.

In the U.S. News & World Report piece, Lambe discussed how trees and forests serve to capture carbon, while also restoring ecosystems, preserving biodiversity and fostering human well-being. While technological climate solutions like direct air capture are beneficial and important, Lambe said they are narrow in focus. In the article, he detailed how and why trees and forests are a more versatile and cost-effective way of addressing climate change.

The full article can be viewed here.

Follow Dan Lambe on Twitter and LinkedIn, or reach out to dlambe@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.

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