Tag: 3BL

February 26, 2024 /3BL/ – Alli Gold Roberts, senior director, state policy, at Ceres, welcomed the release of the Colorado Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap 2.0. Gov. Jared Polis rolled out the updated plan, which lays out an all-of-government approach to meet the state’s climate goals.  

“Colorado’s updated Pollution Reduction Roadmap capitalizes on the nationwide boom in clean energy investment and will help the state maximize the opportunities of historic federal climate investments. We support the state in continuing to build on this roadmap to deliver on the state’s climate promises with strong, bold policy that curbs emissions across sectors while additional federal and private investments that reduce pollution, lower energy costs, and create jobs,” said Alli Gold Roberts, Senior Director, State Policy, Ceres.

Colorado released its first Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap in January 2021, setting the state on a path to meet its new target to reduce statewide greenhouse gas pollution. Colorado has achieved more than 90% of the action it identified in the report. The updated roadmap lays out a new set of actions the Polis administration will prioritize to improve air quality and reduce climate pollution. The full press release from the Polis administration can be read here. 

To ensure the state stays on track to meets its goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, Ceres will work with investors and companies in its networks and beyond to advocate for state policymakers to advance legislation to:  

Modernize energy permitting and siting to ensure Colorado is able to meet its goal of 100% clean energy by 2040;  Improve the development of the electric distribution grid to meet increasing electricity and interconnection demands; and  Update Colorado’s Clean Energy Plan framework to require electric utilities develop plans that demonstrate how they will supply carbon free electricity by 2040.  

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews. 

Media Contact: Helen Booth-Tobin, booth-tobin@ceres.org, 617-247-0700 ext. 214

WEST CHESTER, Pa., February 26, 2024 /3BL/ – Qurate Retail Group, which includes retail brands QVC®, HSN®, Ballard Designs®, Frontgate®, Garnet Hill®, and Grandin Road®, today announced it has received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. Qurate Retail Group’s top score earned it the designation of being an Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion recipient for 2023-2024.

“At Qurate Retail, we believe in fostering inclusion and respect within our teams and the communities we serve – this award is a testament to our steadfast commitment to workplace equality and a credit to our ongoing corporate responsibility efforts that we are excited to continue making progress against in the coming year,” said Virginia Nguyen, Chief Diversity & Impact Officer, Qurate Retail Group. “We are proud to have earned a top score on the 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index and grateful to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for the vital work they do.”

The HRC Corporate Equality Index rates companies on four central pillars:

Non-discrimination policies across business entities;Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families;Supporting an inclusive culture; and,Corporate social responsibility.

“For well over two decades, businesses have played an important role in furthering LGBTQ+ equality by centering employee needs and voices when it comes to workplace inclusion. While there is much more work to be done, year-over-year growth in CEI participation is evidence of a business community that recognizes the responsibility and value in upholding equity and inclusion,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, Human Rights Campaign Sr Director of Workplace Equality. “The CEI is an ever-evolving tool – a blueprint that companies can use to show up more effectively in supporting their LGBTQ+ employees and their families.”

Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune 500 companies, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.

To view the full report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.

 

About Qurate Retail Group

Qurate Retail GroupSM comprises six leading retail brands – QVC®, HSN®, Ballard Designs®, Frontgate®, Garnet Hill® and Grandin Road® – all dedicated to providing a more human way to shop. Qurate Retail Group is the largest player in video commerce (“vCommerce”), which includes video-driven shopping across linear TV, ecommerce sites, digital streaming and social platforms. The retailer reaches more than 200 million homes worldwide via 15 television channels, which are widely available on cable/satellite TV, free over-the-air TV, and digital livestreaming TV. The retailer also reaches millions of customers via its QVC+ and HSN+ streaming experience, websites, mobile apps, social pages, print catalogs, and in-store destinations. Qurate Retail Group combines shopping and entertainment to curate products, experiences, conversations and communities for millions of highly discerning shoppers. Headquartered in West Chester, Pa., Qurate Retail Group has team members in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Japan, Italy, Poland and China. For more information, visit qurateretailgroup.com or follow Qurate Retail Group on YouTube or LinkedIn. 

Qurate Retail, Inc. (NASDAQ: QRTEA, QRTEB, QRTEP) is a Fortune 500 company that includes the Qurate Retail Group portfolio of brands as well as other minority interests.

Earlier this month GRI was involved in the thought-provoking panel discussion “Thriving in the New ESG Disclosure Landscape,” during GreenBiz’24. The session brought in roughly 180 attendees, which made for a room with tables at capacity and additional attendees standing to hear the conversation. The session was moderated by GRI’s Head of North America, Matthew Rusk, and included two corporates, US Bank and Cisco, and two disclosure service providers, Pulsora and Alliance Advisors.

The session began with the panelist sharing the standards and frameworks currently used by their organizations or clients. A commonality among all participants was the sentiment that reporting voluntarily to globally recognized standards and frameworks was advised to provide credible and comparable disclosures. With both corporates using GRI Standards and SASB, GRI Standards were highlighted as a valuable comprehensive tool for organizations, aiding them to thrive and adapt to upcoming regulations. Additionally, references were made to other reporting standards and frameworks such as TCFD given jurisdictions utilizing it as a basis for formulating disclosure requirements.

Panelists then shared what and who the drivers were for disclosure efforts to date. Investors were the primary driving force historically, but now demands for information from other groups such as business customers, corporate management, and other internal and external stakeholders are arising. Cisco particularly elaborated on the evolution of stakeholder influence, noting a convergence of interests among its stakeholder groups, including investors, employees and customers. This alignment underscores a fundamental shift where sustainability considerations are no longer isolated to a sustainability, CSR or ESG team but rather integrated into the business.

Regulations were also cited as a critical driver of increased disclosure efforts and professionalization. CSRD was acknowledged as one of – and for many – the biggest regulatory concern. Pulsora and Alliance Advisors, shared the surge in client inquiries regarding disclosures to satisfy CSRD requirements, reflecting the growing demand and challenges their clients are facing. There was agreement that disclosures to comply with regulations are not the “end all be all,” with other value able to be extracted from the reporting process. The realization of the business benefits of a well-structured and integrated disclosure process is catalyzing more attention and investment in corporate disclosure efforts. There was consensus that voluntary reporting prepares organizations to thrive in this new paradigm of elevated stakeholder expectation and disclosure mandates. US Bank emphasized the recognition of benefits of disclosure and emphasized the importance of corporates telling their own sustainability story, and its alignments to the business. Alliance Advisors emphasized how companies are working on compliance by leveraging the voluntary standards because there is good alignment with regulation. They reinforced that there is a need to get ahead of mandates and leverage voluntary disclosures to build capacity, expertise and even make errors before mandated compliance.

Collaborative efforts amongst standard setters, frameworks and jurisdictions, such as GRI’s with the IFRS Foundation, EFRAG and TNFD were mentioned as positive happenings to bring consistency to disclosure requests. Considering the evolving regulatory landscape, which includes CSRD, potential SEC climate and human capital disclosure rules, and California legislation, optimism was shared that a global disclosure system could come together with positive collaborations on-going and regulations largely building upon proven concepts from the voluntary space.

The key takeaways of the session for how to thrive in the new disclosure landscape boiled down to the following:

Leverage the opportunity to voluntary disclose to global standards and frameworks that bring value beyond compliance, but also help position you to meet regulations as wellInvolve cross-functional teams to bring diverse disciplines and data owners into the process to ensure an effective embedded disclosure processPrepare to get your disclosure process assurable by using tools and formalizing procedure and controlsIncreased business questionnaires requests evidencing the necessity for a centralized source of truth to fulfill demands effectively.

Click HERE for Spanish Version

More than US $1 million is awarded by the U.S. Department of State to organizations that manage projects benefiting micro, small, and medium-sized (MSMEs) enterprises led by women in Latin America.

February 26, 2024 /3BL/ – Representatives of the U.S. Department of State, the World Environment Center (WEC), and its partners, the Núcleo de Biotecnología de Curauma (NBC) and Baastel, held an award ceremony for the second cohort of the “Empower Innovation Challenge” (EIC). On January 30-31, 2024, in Lima, Peru, eight organizations were selected by an independent jury comprising a multidisciplinary jury of regional experts. The project was open to ten Latin American and Caribbean countries during the last half of 2023. The winning organizations will receive $50,000 in funding to improve their organizational capacities and maximize the impact of the quality and quantity of the services they offer. These organizations will become part of a business conglomerate that promotes competitiveness in Latin America and the Caribbean called “La RED de Innovación e Impacto”.

The Empower Innovation Challenge consists of three online competitions to choose innovative solutions to empower MSMEs led by women and generate more inclusive growth in participating countries. These eight organizations comprise the second cohort of 24 organizations. The winning projects are comprised of civil society organizations, educational institutions, centers focused on small business development, and organizations dedicated to implementing and promoting sustainable solutions, especially pollution prevention.

The eight winning organizations are:

ACOMUDT- El Salvador: “Iniciativas productivas de la zona norte”AGEXPORT- Guatemala: “MIPYMEs sostenibles”CAMCHI- Panamá: “Crecimiento Empresarial para Mujeres Emprendedoras”Comunidades de la Tierra- Guatemala: “Fortalecimiento de las cadenas de valor en Guatemala”ECARAI- Honduras: “Cerrando la brecha del mercado justo para la producción sostenible de hortalizas de las mujeres indígenas Lena de Honduras”Libélula para el Cambio Global- Perú: “Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs from the Green and Blue Economies project (OMEEVA)”Rural Commerce- Ecuador: “Innovación y Red Sostenible para Mujeres Rurales”Travolution- Colombia: “Fomento de Mujeres para el Turismo Sostenible”

The organizations have been selected for the innovative solutions they are employing for inclusive economic growth in green and blue economies. Their ideas include sustainable production units and agricultural production, business training and strengthening of MSMEs led or owned by women.

Two of the three Challenges have been held and the third will be underway to welcome the final cohort in 2025. Each winning organization will receive $50,000 in funding which will contribute to the execution of their one-year projects and will strengthen their organizational capacities to maximize their services and impact. In addition, the winners will become new members of the La Red de Innovación e Impacto (La Red), where they will be able to connect with other organizations in the region and share challenges and lessons learned while strengthening their capacities and expanding their networks.

The U.S. Department of State funds this initiative through the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues 2021 Global Equity and Equality Action Fund, implemented by the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Office of Policy Planning and Coordination.

Brief description of the awardees’ projects:

ACOMUDT (EL SALVADOR): The project consists of expanding, strengthening, and marketing of a beekeeping productive initiative to be economically self-sustainable while integrating the gender perspective. The expected results are a better interaction with the environment, the economic improvement of the people involved, and the dissemination and marketing of the products obtained.AGEXPORT (GUATEMALA): The project aims to improve the competitiveness of MSMEs led by women exporters and/or those involved in value chains by adapting the business culture to favor sustainability and social inclusion.CAMCHI (PANAMA): The implementation of this project seeks to promote the growth of productive units under a gap-closing approach, identified from a self-diagnosis, from which the respective business plans are established. A road map will be implemented to achieve the expected results, including training workshops, individual technical assistance, and financial relationship events. The work will focus on the following topics: Administrative Finance, Marketing and Commercialization, Productive Management, Human Capital, and Environmental Sustainability.Comunidades de la Tierra (GUATEMALA): The project aims to strengthen the KIKOTEM artisanal value chain, owned by the certified companies B-Corp Wakami and Cemaco. Through specific administrative, production, and gender training, the project focuses on increasing productivity, promoting market access, and establishing traceability systems aligned with B-Corp principles.ECARAI (HONDURAS) – The project aims to empower MSMEs led by women by implementing cleaner production systems while also improving their quality of life and well-being. As part of the project, women-led MSMEs will raise their profitability, safeguard their health, preserve the environment, and improve the availability of healthy foods in their communities. In addition, it aims to generate market niches and fair financial returns for MSMEs led by women.Libélula para el Cambio Global (PERU)– The goal of the project is twofold. First, the project aims to support 50 MSMEs led by women of green or blue in Peru by strengthening their management and leadership capabilities, gender practices, and preparedness for climate change. Additionally, the project will support them with digital tools that will enable them to expand their businesses successfully and sustainably. Second, the project wants to promote the OMEEVA toolkit – a collection of digital tools for MSEMs- in wider communities through participants and partners.Rural Commerce (ECUADOR): The project aims to support the development of a sustainable ecosystem for rural women engaged in family farming, particularly MSMEs. Through democratic digitization, this project aligns production with market trends and the best climate-smart practices. The expected results are increased resource efficiency, diversified market share, higher incomes, improved food security, and reduced food waste due to limited access.Travolution (COLOMBIA): The project aims to generate a network of women leaders and entrepreneurs in the sustainable tourism sector. The project wants to make optimal use of water and positively impact the territories of seven departments of Colombia, representing ten grassroots organizations that constitute the project’s target audience.

For more information about the initiative visit: https://www.eiclared.org & https://laredinnovacionimpacto.com/.

For additional information please contact:

Patricia Breuer Moreno, info@wec.org

About La RED de Innovación e Impacto (La RED)

La RED is an initiative that brings together nonprofit and for-profit organizations to support MSMEs in order to promote sustainable economic growth and prosperity in LAC. La RED was born in 2014 through a selection process of organizations that have been accelerating the development of sustainable business and promoting economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of State (DoS) and implemented by WEC and its partners Le Groupe-conseil Baastel ltée (Baastel) and RioSlum Studio until June 2021. As of July 2021, La RED is supported through the leadership of its own member organizations and coordinated by NBC of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso in Chile.

https://www.laredinnovacionimpacto.com

About World Environment Center (WEC)

WEC is an independent, global nonprofit, non-advocacy organization that promotes sustainable development through the business practices and operations of its member companies and in partnership with governments, multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities and other stakeholders. WEC’s mission is to promote business and its social value by advancing solutions to sustainable development related problems.

https://www.wec.org

About Núcleo de Biotecnología de Curauma (NBC)

NBC of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso is an R+D+i Center integrated by academics and professionals of excellence, with more than 10 years of experience in technological development, innovation and technology transfer in the area of science and technology. NBC seeks to make companies more productive, sustainable and competitive, visualizing itself in three years as a reference center to support Small and Mid-size Enterprises (SMEs) so they can increase their competitiveness. NBC develops innovative trends to face new economic, social and environmental challenges so we will live in a more sustainable world tomorrow.

http://nbcpucv.cl

About Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée (Baastel)

Baastel is recognized for its quality services in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Results Based Management (RBM), strategic planning, project and program management, and individual and institutional capacity building in these areas. Baastel’s outstanding reputation in the industry is built on a track record of international and national successes and expertise that is backed by attention to detail, quality, transparency and neutrality.

https://baastel.com

Click HERE for English Version

Más de un millón de dólares están siendo entregados por el Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos entre las organizaciones ganadoras cuyos proyectos son a beneficio de micro, pequeñas y medianas empresas lideradas por mujeres en Latinoamérica.

February 26, 2024 /3BL/ – Representantes del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos a través del World Environment Center (WEC) y sus socios: el Núcleo de Biotecnología de Curauma (NBC) y Baastel, realizaron la premiación de la segunda edición del concurso “Empower Innovation Challenge” (EIC). Los días 30 y 31 de enero de 2024, en Lima, Perú, ocho organizaciones fueron seleccionadas por un jurado independiente compuesto por un jurado multidisciplinario de expertos regionales. El proyecto estuvo abierto a diez países de América Latina y el Caribe durante el último semestre de 2023. Las organizaciones ganadoras recibirán 50.000 dólares de financiación para mejorar sus capacidades productivas e impactar en la calidad y cantidad de servicios que ofrecen y pasarán a formar parte de un conglomerado de negocios que fomenta la competitividad en Latinoamérica denominado: “La RED de Innovación e Impacto” (La RED).

El concurso de Innovación EIC consiste en una serie de tres postulaciones online que permiten elegir soluciones innovadoras para potenciar el desarrollo de MIPYMEs lideradas por mujeres y que generen un crecimiento más inclusivo en cada uno de los países participantes. En este caso las ochos organizaciones ganadores comprenden la segunda cohorte de un total de 24 organizaciones que tiene proyectado beneficiar el Empower Innovation Challenge y surgieron de la sociedad civil, instituciones educativas, centros focalizados en el desarrollo de pequeños negocios, así como de organizaciones dedicadas a implementar y promover la producción más limpia.

Las ocho organizaciones ganadoras de esta edición fueron:

ACOMUDT- El Salvador: “Iniciativas productivas de la zona norte”AGEXPORT- Guatemala: “MIPYMEs sostenibles”CAMCHI- Panamá: “Crecimiento Empresarial para Mujeres Emprendedoras”Comunidades de la Tierra- Guatemala: “Fortalecimiento de las cadenas de valor en Guatemala”ECARAI- Honduras: “Cerrando la brecha del mercado justo para la producción sostenible de hortalizas de las mujeres indígenas Lena de Honduras”Libélula para el Cambio Global- Perú: “Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs from the Green and Blue Economies project (OMEEVA)”Rural Commerce- Ecuador: “Innovación y Red Sostenible para Mujeres Rurales”Travolution- Colombia: “Fomento de Mujeres para el Turismo Sostenible”

Las organizaciones han sido seleccionadas por sus propuestas innovadoras que estarán implementando para el crecimiento económico inclusivo en economías verdes y azules. Sus ideas incluyen unidades productivas sostenibles y producción agrícola, capacitación empresarial y fortalecimiento de micro, pequeñas y medianas empresas (MIPYMEs) dirigidas o propiedad de mujeres.

Dos de las tres postulaciones online del EIC fueron celebradas y el tercero entrará en marcha para seleccionar la cohorte final en el 2025. Cada una de las organizaciones ganadoras va a recibir un máximo de $50,000 en financiamiento y se integrarán como miembro de La RED de Innovación e Impacto aportando a su sostenibilidad. Los concursos EIC se vienen realizando desde el año desde 2023, aspirando generar un impacto en los sistemas productivos y la forma de hacer negocios en Latinoamérica bajo un enfoque más inclusivo y novedoso.

Los recursos para poner en marcha este proyecto provienen de uno de los fondos del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos denominado el Fondo GEEA (Acción Global para la Igualdad y Equidad de Género), e implementado por la Oficina de Asuntos del Hemisferio Occidental, Oficina de Planificación y Coordinación de Políticas (Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Office of Policy Planning and Coordination, WHA, por sus siglas en inglés).

Breve descripción de los proyectos ganadores:

ACOMUDT (EL SALVADOR): Su propuesta consiste en ampliar, fortalecer y comercializar tres iniciativas productivas amigables con el medio ambiente y con enfoque de género. Uno de los objetivos es ampliar la producción. Capacitar a las beneficiarias en el adecuado manejo de sus actividades productivas del sector apícola. Los resultados esperados son una mejor interacción con el medio ambiente, la mejora económica de las personas involucradas y la difusión y comercialización de los productos obtenidos.AGEXPORT (GUATEMALA): A través de su proyecto se proponen mejorar la competitividad de las micro, pequeñas y medianas empresas lideradas por mujeres exportadoras o que participan en las cadenas de valor, a través de la adaptación de la cultura empresarial a favor de la sostenibilidad y la inclusión.CAMCHI (PANAMÁ): La implementación de este proyecto busca promover el crecimiento de las unidades productivas bajo un enfoque de cierre de brechas, identificadas a partir de un autodiagnóstico, a partir del cual se establecen los respectivos planes de acción o planes de negocios individuales. Estas acciones de mejora son el resultado de la consulta de expertos temáticos y empresarios. Para lograr lo anterior, se implementará una hoja de ruta que incluirá talleres de capacitación, asistencia técnica individual y eventos de relación financiera. El trabajo estará enfocado en los siguientes temas: Administrativo Financiero, Marketing y comercialización, Gestión productiva, Capital humano y Sostenibilidad ambiental.Comunidades de la Tierra (GUATEMALA): El proyecto tiene como objetivo fortalecer la cadena de valor artesanal de KIKOTEM, propiedad de las empresas certificadas B-Corp Wakami y Cemaco. A través de capacitación administrativa y productiva específica, el proyecto se enfoca en elevar la productividad, fomentar el acceso al mercado y establecer sistemas de trazabilidad alineados con los principios de B-Corp.ECARAI (HONDURAS): Esta iniciativa tiene como objetivo empoderar a las mujeres y contribuir a mejorar su calidad de vida, a través de sistemas de producción más limpios que les permitan cuidar el medio ambiente y su salud, mejorar la disponibilidad de alimentos saludables. Asímismo, generar rentabilidad a través del acceso a nichos de mercado justo que valoren su esfuerzo; en una relación comercial ganar-ganar, a través de acuerdos entre las iniciativas privadas del Mercado Local (Restaurantes, Hoteles, supermercados).Libélula para el Cambio Global (PERÚ): El objetivo del proyecto ‘Oportunidades para Mujeres Emprendedoras de las Economías Verdes y Azules (OMEEVA)’ es doble: ayudar a 50 mujeres líderes de MIPYMEs verdes o azules del Perú a adquirir capacidades de gestión y liderazgo, prácticas de género y preparación para el cambio climático, además de respaldar las herramientas digitales necesarias para ayudarles a hacer crecer su negocio de manera exitosa y sostenible. En segundo lugar, es promover el uso de las herramientas de diagnóstico digital para el avance de las MIPYMES consolidadas por el proyecto apoyando a los participantes y socios de OMEEVA para promoverlo en comunidades más amplias.Rural Commerce (ECUADOR): El proyecto tiene como objetivo establecer un ecosistema de apoyo para las mujeres rurales dedicadas a la agricultura familiar, en particular las micro, pequeñas y medianas empresas (MIPYMES). Este proyecto se centra en alinear la producción con las tendencias del mercado y las prácticas climáticamente inteligentes a través de la digitalización democrática. Una red sólida maximiza la eficiencia de las herramientas y apoya a las mujeres emprendedoras rurales. Las tecnologías rentables de América Latina impulsan mejoras comerciales. Los resultados incluyen una mayor eficiencia de los recursos, una participación diversificada en el mercado, mayores ingresos, una mayor seguridad alimentaria y una reducción del desperdicio de alimentos debido al acceso limitado. Acceder a industrias comunitarias implica seguir la guía del proyecto.Travolution (COLOMBIA): El proyecto tiene como objetivo crear, fortalecer y consolidar una red de mujeres líderes y emprendedoras en el área de turismo comunitario, cuidadoras del agua, de los mantos acuíferos y de sus territorios, en 7 departamentos de Colombia representando a 10 organizaciones de base social que constituyen el público meta del proyecto.

Para mayor información acerca de la iniciativa visite: https://www.eiclared.org/ y https://laredinnovacionimpacto.com/

Consultas adicionales contactar: Patricia Breuer Moreno, info@wec.org

Acerca de La Red de Innovación e Impacto (La Red)

La Red es una iniciativa que reúne a organizaciones, sin fines de lucro y con fines de lucro, para apoyar a MIPYMES con el fin de promover el crecimiento económico sostenible y la prosperidad en Latinoamérica y el Caribe (ALC). La Red nació en 2014 a través de un proceso de selección de organizaciones que han venido acelerando el desarrollo de negocios sostenibles y promoviendo el crecimiento económico en Latinoamérica y el Caribe. El proyecto fue financiado por el Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos y ejecutado por el Centro Mundial del Medio Ambiente (WEC) y sus socios Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée (Baastel) y RioSlum Studio hasta junio de 2021. A partir de julio 2021, La Red se sustenta a través del liderazgo de sus propias organizaciones miembros y coordinada por el Núcleo de Biotecnología de Curauma (NBC) de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso en Chile.

https://www.laredinnovacionimpacto.com

Acerca del World Environment Center (WEC)

WEC es una organización sin fines de lucro neutral, independiente, global, que fomenta el desarrollo sostenible a través de las operaciones de sus empresas miembros y en alianza con gobiernos, organizaciones multilaterales, organizaciones no gubernamentales, universidades y otras partes interesadas. La misión de WEC es promover los negocios y su valor social fomentando soluciones a problemas relacionados con el desarrollo sostenible.

https://www.wec.org

Acerca de Núcleo de Biotecnología de Curauma (NBC)

NBC de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, es un Centro de I+D+i integrado por académicos y profesionales de excelencia, con más de 10 años de experiencia en desarrollo tecnológico, innovación y transferencia tecnológica en el área de ciencia y tecnología. El NBC busca hacer que las empresas sean más productivas, sostenibles y competitivas, visualizándose en tres años como un centro de referencia para apoyar a las pymes para que puedan aumentar su competitividad. NBCWe desarrolla tendencias innovadoras para afrontar los nuevos retos económicos, sociales y medioambientales para que mañana vivamos en un mundo más sostenible.

http://nbcpucv.cl

Acerca de Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée (Baastel)

Baastel está reconocido por sus servicios de calidad en Monitoreo y Evaluación (M&E), Gestión Basada en Resultados (GBR), planificación estratégica, gestión de proyectos y programas y construcción de capacidad individual e institucional en estas áreas. La reputación sobresaliente de Baastel en la industria se ha estado construyendo sobre un historial de éxitos nacionales e internacionales y experiencia respaldada por la atención al detalle, calidad, transparencia y neutralidad.

https://baastel.com

Orbis is focused on saving the sight of children worldwide – and we are providing an opportunity for people around the world to send a letter of support to a child awaiting surgery.

If you would like to join us in helping children worldwide SEE LOVE click here to send a message now.

For more than 40 years FedEx has been helping Orbis deliver sight-saving care to communities around the world. Their pilots volunteer to fly the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital on our ophthalmic training projects, and FedEx employees even donated the MD-10 aircraft itself. The company also donates valuable shipping services to get much needed medical equipment and supplies to sight-saving programs around the world.

Thanks to the support of caring people and caring companies, we can deliver vision care to young people across the globe. When treating children, our teams and partners go the extra mile to show kids the love they need when receiving critical eye care. Caring people like Captain Gary Dyson, seen in the photo above playing his guitar to children awaiting surgery on a Flying Eye Hospital project in Mongolia in 2019.

By restoring the vision of children, we can help them SEE LOVE … in the faces of their family and friends, and the caring providers working to save their sight!

Click here to send a message of support to a child this holiday season, to help them SEE LOVE.

*Guest post from Caitlin Golub, Associate Director, Corporate Partnerships, Orbis International

MIDLAND, Mich., February 26, 2024 /3BL/ – Dow (NYSE: DOW) has won six BIG Innovation Awards from the Business Intelligence Group™ in 2024, the most BIG awards Dow has ever received in a single year. This accomplishment also marks the eighth successive year that Dow has received recognition at the BIG Innovation Awards.

This annual business awards program recognizes organizations, products, and people that are bringing new ideas to life in innovative ways. Nominations are judged by a select group of business leaders and executives who volunteer their time and expertise to score submissions.

“Team Dow’s deep rigor in engineering and science consistently deliver creative solutions to global challenges that simultaneously deliver better product performance and sustainability,” said A.N. Sreeram, chief technology officer and senior vice president, research & development, for Dow. “We are extremely proud to achieve this recognition for the eighth consecutive year and secure the highest number of accolades in a single BIG Innovation Awards program.”

Organizations from across the globe submit their recent innovations for consideration in the BIG Innovation Awards. Dow products were recognized in the chemical and manufacturing sub-categories.

Learn more about Dow’s 2024 award winning products:

EcoSense™ 2470 Surfactant:
EcoSense™ 2470 Surfactant offers detergent manufacturers the opportunity to be part of tomorrow’s sustainability ecosystem. Recycled carbon materials combine high performance with cutting edge climate tech to deliver quality and environmental benefits today to multiple home care products such as laundry detergents and hard surface cleaners. Adopters will benefit from a drop-in solution that doesn’t compromise on the performance of traditional fossil-based surfactants, enabling a new circular carbon economy. Home Care products can now leverage a novel carbon capture-based approach for surfactant production.

SYL-OFF™ 7920NF Emulsion Coating:
SYL-OFF™ 7920NF Emulsion Coating is an advanced solution for superior release against pressure-sensitive adhesives. With water-repellency, toughness, and durability, this coating offers non-migratory, non-blocking features and excellent shear stability. Users can experience unmatched low foaming potential and an extended bath life in product applications with SYL-OFF™ 7920NF Emulsion Coating.

ELECPURE™ Electronic Grade Solvents:
In the realm of electronic device manufacturing, ultrapure chemicals like ELECPURE™ Electronic Grade Solvents play a pivotal role in ensuring the cleanliness and efficiency of electronic materials. Developed with an innovative and energy-efficient purification process, ELECPURE™ Electronic Grade Solvents remove >30 metal ion types to parts per trillion levels. Dow’s purification process consumes 90% less energy than the conventional way, reducing carbon footprint1. The impact is evident: enhanced manufacturing efficiency, increased device lifespan, and overall superior performance. This proven breakthrough is reshaping the landscape of electronics. Dow’s innovative ELECPURE™ Electronic Grade Solvents can be used in photoresists, color resists, thinners and photoresist removers for semiconductor, display panel and various other challenging applications across the industry’s manufacturing processes. ELECPURE™ Electronic Grade Solvents improve yields, device performance and enable next gen devices. These materials align with Dow’s sustainability goals and have garnered recognition for their excellence.

(1 Internal carbon footprint calculation based on ISO 14067.)

DOWSIL™ 2080 Resin:
DOWSIL™ 2080 Resin is a solventless liquid silicone resin that chemically reacts with organic resins to create silicone-organic copolymers. Its unique structure and low self-condensation tendency make it suitable for solventless processes, resulting in solid silicone-organic copolymers. These copolymers serve as high-quality binders for heat-resistant powder coatings, offering improved appearance. Unlike traditional coatings, which blend flake silicone resin and solid organic resin, DOWSIL™ 2080 Resin overcomes incompatibility issues. When used as a binder, it produces a high-quality coating with excellent leveling, gloss, and maintains heat-resistant performance.

RHOBARR™ 135 Barrier Coating:
RHOBARR™ 135 Barrier Coating is a waterborne latex designed for paper and paperboard coatings in food packaging applications. This versatile emulsion is compatible with existing aqueous coating or printing methods and suitable for use in high-temperature applications such as ovens and microwaves. RHOBARR™ 135 provides excellent barriers to hot oil, grease, and fatty acids, block resistance, and film flexibility to maintain performance after folding. RHOBARR™ 135 is produced without intentional addition of fluorocarbons and provides users with a certified repulpable and recyclable solution to address market needs for safer and more sustainable oil and grease resistant food packaging.

DOWSIL™ TC-6032 Thermally Conductive Encapsulant:
DOWSIL™ TC-6032 Thermally Conductive Encapsulant, a two-part product with a 1 to 1 ratio, stands out as a versatile and flowable solution designed for efficient heat dissipation in electronic and electric components. Its flowable nature allows it to effortlessly fill and self-level after dispensing. Composed of a thermally conductive filler and polydimethylsiloxane, this heat-curable encapsulant is ideal for various applications, including on-board chargers, inverters, converters, transformers, and other sensitive components requiring effective thermal management.

The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission to recognize true talent and superior performance in the business world. The organization’s proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.

“Humanity relies on innovation to improve our lives and the planet,” said Maria Jimenez, chief nominations officer, Business Intelligence Group. “We are so proud to reward the products, people and companies helping to improve the lives of so many people.”

Visit Dow’s website for additional information and to explore the Company’s 2022 Intersections Progress Report.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth; asset integration and scale; focused innovation and materials science expertise; leading business positions; and environmental, social and governance leadership to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. The Company’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world. Dow’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated, science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Dow operates manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 37,800 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $57 billion in 2022. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.

For further information, please contact:

Mary Fournier
+1.989.636.7475
mkfournier@dow.com

Omar Khan
Onkhan@dow.com

Walgreens Boots Alliance remains committed and focused to the ambitious but very necessary targets set in the areas of carbon emissions reduction, plastic reduction and food waste reduction. Details on our progress against our emissions reduction goals can be found in our 2023 Environmental, Social & Governance Report.

At WBA, we believe there is an inextricable link between the health of our planet and the health of our communities, whether impacted by extreme temperatures, natural disasters, airborne diseases or poor air quality. We also believe climate change is caused by human activities and requires swift action by corporations to do our part in reducing our footprint. 

WBA has continued to execute against our global emissions reduction targets, which include an ambition to reduce our total emissions by 30 percent by the end of fiscal 2030. At the end of fiscal 2023, WBA was able to reduce our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 25 percent compared to the 2019 baseline.

To position WBA to meet our reduction targets, we continually seek opportunities to advance energy efficiency in our largest business, Walgreens. With more than 8,700 stores and clinics in the U.S., implementing new strategies that reduce the energy consumption involved in maintenance, sourcing and other energy intensive activities is crucial to ensure we meet our 2030 goals.

In fiscal 2023, Walgreens initiated a trial bulk fuel program in two California distribution centers that replaced traditional diesel with renewable diesel. This has the potential to decrease transportation emissions in these locations by 75 percent. Given the positive impact of this program, WBA intends to roll it out to other locations across the U.S. as additional supply becomes available.

In the UK, Boots has continued to limit the reliance on natural gas in its stores. Our position is to not use gas in new stores, and we have active gas to electric programs to support the transition away from gas. As part of that program, Boots was able to remove natural gas from seven stores via HVAC projects and significantly limited the reliance on gas in one additional store.

In fiscal 2021, Boots UK collaborated with other UK retailers on a roadmap for the industry to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, including net zero Scope 2 emissions by 2030, Scope 1 by 2035 and Scope 3 by 2040. Boots Ireland signed up to the Business in the Community Ireland Low Carbon Pledge to set science-based carbon emissions reduction targets by 2024.

This year, Boots and the No7 Beauty Company established a network of Net Zero Leads across the business who are using baseline footprint data for Scopes 1, 2 and 3, gathered in fiscal 2022, to develop an emissions reduction plan. The Leads will meet monthly and are tasked with identifying opportunities to reduce emissions in their business area, gathering data to support annual footprinting and engaging and inspiring their teams to reduce emissions.

For more information on WBA’s energy and emissions initiatives please see the latest ESG Report.

Originally published by Forbes

The adoption of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and other such regulations entail major changes that are causing much uncertainty. Regulations are continuously evolving, and while still in its infancy, the environmental, social and governance (ESG) regulatory landscape is already mired in complexity.

“The tools in SAP’s sustainability portfolio can help companies treat reporting as an exercise in business discovery instead of a regulatory disclosure chore,” said Mendelsohn.

The SAP Sustainability Control Tower is a software-as-a-service solution that helps businesses oversee their sustainability performance. Equipped with pre-established content aligned to sustainability standards such as GRI, WEF, TCFD, CSRD, and the EU Taxonomy, it helps companies establish a sturdy, auditable ESG framework using data from SAP and non-SAP systems.

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Tune in to the latest episode of the ‘DE&I in Energy Podcast’ featuring our Chief Culture & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Officer, Nicole M. Durham to hear her share her journey, successes, and challenges in creating an inclusive culture in the energy sector. She dives into her mission of fostering a workplace environment that prioritizes respect, belonging, high performance, and innovation and our team’s proactive approach to staying ahead of the curve.

Listen on Spotify.