Tag: 3BL

“I believe a passion for the problem, curiosity to try new things and a wild imagination are essential for any entrepreneur to have.”

In honour of World Entrepreneurs Day, we caught up with our latest entrepreneurs who took part in our New Founder Programme. We think their wise words are too good not to share and hope they will inspire the future generation of budding entrepreneurs embarking on their journey of innovation and leadership.

In partnership with Hatch Enterprise UK, we believe everyone, and every idea deserves a level playing field. As we are founded on entrepreneurship through our franchisee network, we joined forces with Hatch to empower underrepresented entrepreneurs in the UK – we are proud to have supported nearly 1,000 of them grow their businesses so far. We are passionate about The New Founder Programme as we know the importance of building sustainable enterprises that contribute positively to communities.

Behind every successful business is someone who faced countless obstacles and stayed on track with determination to turn vision into reality and today is all about celebrating them!

Find out more about our New Founder Programme here.

Jennifer Crandall Founder of Safe Food En Route and Land Betterment Board of Director, is the moderator on the panel titled, Female Founders Disrupting CPG on August 29th at 10:00 am at the Rally Conference to be held at the Indiana Convention Center. The panel is expected to be an inspiring discussion featuring extraordinary female founders who are defying the odds in the CPG space. They are on a determined mission to disrupt their respective categories. Discover the latest innovations in retail strategies, wholesale partnerships, and personalized marketing approaches that empower CPG businesses to thrive in the competitive market, while challenging the VC funding gender gap. The speakers are Allison Disney, CEO and Co-Founder of MixMix, Rachel Klein, CEO and Founder of Revival Food Co. and Mara Smith, CEO and Founder of Inspiro Tequila.

About Rally 
Rally, the largest global cross-sector innovation conference, forges and celebrates cross-sector connections between companies, entrepreneurs, investors and universities from across the globe and features a $5M cash IN-Prize pitch competition, 1:1 investor meetups, a demo arena, content sessions and more. This year Rally takes place from August 29th – 31st at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. For more information about the conference please visit the website.

About Safe Food En Route, LLC and Jennifer Crandall 
Safe Food En Route is a Certified Woman’s Business Enterprise focused on evening the playing field in the food industry. Entrepreneurs and family-owned food business can obtain a full suite of regulatory compliance through the Safe Food En Route team of experts with a focus on Quality Assurance, Food Safety, and Supplier Verification. You get the corporate feel with the personal touch of a small business. Please visit www.safefoodenroute.com for more information.

Over the last 25 years, Jennifer has worked with both private and publicly held companies, balancing scientific and regulatory guidance with a clear understanding of operational and manufacturing directives that are crucial to the success of a food business. Jennifer worked in roles including 8 years in dairy and juice manufacturing and 12 years at Kroger Corporate in their Corporate Food Technology and Sourcing departments. She has worked in various roles exposing her from “farm to fork” which helped her understand the many obstacles within the supply chain. In her last 12 years at Kroger, she was the business lead for developing the software solution initially intended to ensure Kroger’s compliance to applicable FSMA regulations.

Jennifer also makes space for bridging education to industry by being a regular guest lecturer and alumni contact for Purdue University Food Science students; and has served on the Curriculum Advisory Committee for Cincinnati State’s recently approved Culinary Arts and Applied Food Science Bachelor of Arts program. Jennifer has a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science from Purdue University and an Associate’s Degree in Agriculture from Vincennes University. Throughout her career, she has achieved many other certifications to compliment her food safety centered career including HACCP, FSVP, PCQI, BRC Internal Auditor, SQF Practitioner, ServSafe and Gluten Free Certification Program (GFCP).

Betterment Harvest 
Betterment Harvest, a Land Betterment company, is a sustainable farming company that has upcycled land that has been previously impacted from prior coal mining and industrial activity. We provide the highest quality of agriculture while providing job opportunities to a region that is in need of sustainable employment. Betterment Harvest is a leading controlled environment agriculture (CEA) company with a highly scalable model and the off-take agreements to support its growth plan. Operational footprint spans from Ontario Canada to Perry County Kentucky with over 65 acres of operational CEA. To learn more about Betterment Harvest visit our website – bettermentharvest.com

Land Betterment Corporation 
Land Betterment Corporation, an Indiana Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corporation, is an environmental solutions company focused on fostering a positive impact through upcycling former coal mining and industrial sites to create sustainable community development and job creation. The Company utilizes a complete solution-based lifecycle program to restore and rehabilitate the environment and revitalize communities in need of change and opportunity. Land Betterment accomplishes this by identifying un-reclaimed, run-down and neglected coal mining sites, fixing the environment through reclamation and remediation, and then repurposing the land to support a sustainable business that serves the community. Land Betterment firmly believes that with real solutions it is possible for restoration of impacted areas to live side-by-side long term employment, while building sustainable and safe surroundings for communities and our planet. For more information visit landbetterment.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Company Contacts:

Mark LaVerghetta 
317.537.0492 ext. 0 
Chief Governance Officer, Corporate Finance 
info@landbetterment.com

Stephanie Conzelman 
207.205.0790 
Stakeholder Engagement Director 
info@landbetterment.com

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, or achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Land Betterment Corporation’s control. The words “believes”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “would”, “could”, “continue”, “seeks”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “expects”, “intends”, “estimates”, or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Any forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. The Company cannot assure you that the projected results or events will be achieved.

BOISE, Idaho, August 21, 2023 /3BL/ – Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) today released its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, highlighting the company’s ESG progress and reaffirming its commitments to fight food insecurity in local communities and embed sustainability practices across its operations.

“Our latest report further solidifies our long-standing commitment to support the thousands of communities we serve and the planet we share,” said Vivek Sankaran, CEO of Albertsons Cos. “In 2022, we made meaningful progress against our commitments, further aligning what we do with who we are as a company. We will continue to challenge ourselves to lead positive change as we build upon this momentum to create better lives, vibrant neighborhoods and a healthier planet.”

In April 2022, Albertsons Cos. introduced its Recipe for Change framework, with strategies and goals designed to maximize the company’s positive impact across four pillars: Planet, People, Product and Community. Building on a history of community giving and sustainable operations, Recipe for Change deepens the company’s commitments to reducing carbon emissions, cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce, eliminating food waste going to landfills, reducing unnecessary plastics and packaging and addressing food insecurity.

“The progress we saw in 2022 would not have been possible without the passion and dedication of our associates. Because of them, we made meaningful changes that improve business performance while reducing our emissions, building belonging with our team members, lessening food waste going to landfill and addressing food insecurity,” said Suzanne Long, Chief Sustainability and Transformation Officer at Albertsons Cos. “In the year ahead, we plan to expand our engagement for Recipe for Change, including partnering with our vendors to drive industry change and increasing customer involvement in achieving our goals. By bringing others along on our journey, we can make change a reality.”

Highlights from the 2023 ESG Report for fiscal year 2022 (unless otherwise noted) include:

PLANET –

Climate Action: Albertsons Cos. is committed to letting science and technology lead the way to reduce carbon emissions across its operations and value chain.

Reduced carbon emissions in operations by 21 percent between 2019 and 2022.Completed more than 1,100 energy efficiency projects across its operations in 2022 to reduce energy demand. Projects included installing LED lighting retrofits, doors on refrigerated cases, building management systems and more.Completed more than 85 refrigeration projects across its operations in 2022 to transition stores to lower global warming potential refrigerants.Recycled more than 850 million pounds of cardboard and 27 million pounds of plastic film and bags in 2022.

PEOPLE –

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Albertsons Cos. is committed to cultivating a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive culture that embraces differences and provides equal opportunity for all associates.

Launched a company-wide inclusion index, which enables associates to share their individual perspectives and help foster a culture where everyone is treated with courtesy, dignity and respect.Launched the company’s eighth associate resource group, DiverseABILITY, which focuses on providing awareness, celebration and opportunities for people with diverse abilities, their caretakers and allies.Trained over 15,000 leaders through “Leading with Inclusion” workshops, designed to heighten awareness around bias and provide tools to support a more inclusive work environment.

PRODUCT –

Waste Reduction & Circularity: Albertsons Cos. is committed to eliminating food waste going to landfills, reducing the use of plastic and packaging in Own Brands products and accelerating a transition to a more circular economy.

Achieved the goal to provide standardized recycling communications on more than 7,000 Own Brands packaged products through How2Recycle labels and QR codes.Leveraged innovative artificial intelligence technology across nearly all Albertsons Cos. stores to accurately order and produce the correct amount and assortment of products for customers and reduce unsold food.Diverted more than 321 million pounds of food and trimmings from landfills through composting, innovative upcycling solutions and anaerobic digestion, which turns food waste into a rich soil supplement.

COMMUNITY –

Community Stewardship: Albertsons Cos. is committed to fighting food insecurity at a local level, so all neighbors can thrive.

Enabled 254 million meals through store food donations and Albertsons Cos. Foundation’s Nourishing Neighbors program, totaling more than 950 million meals since 2019.Raised more than $40 million through Nourishing Neighbors, enabling 188 million meals in 2022.Improved access to nutritious food by rolling out a new online service for Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) recipients that enables SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) customers to use their benefits when purchasing groceries online.

To read Albertsons Cos.’ 2023 ESG report, visit: albertsonscompanies.com/our-impact/esg-reports-news.

To learn more about the company’s ESG efforts, visit: albertsonscompanies.com/recipeforchange.

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of June 17, 2023, the Company operated 2,272 retail food and drug stores with 1,726 pharmacies, 401 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia with 24 banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lovers Market. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2022, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company contributed more than $200 million in food and financial support, including more than $40 million through our Nourishing Neighbors Program to ensure those living in our communities and those impacted by disasters have enough to eat.

AT&T has joined forces with DSD Renewables for a five-project community solar portfolio in Upstate New York.

The telecommunications firm, one of the largest corporate buyers of renewable energy in the country, will serve as an anchor tenant subscriber, offtaking 15.5 megawatts (MW) of the larger 24.1MW portfolio.

An anchor tenant is any community solar subscriber with a significant annual spend on electricity. Anchor tenants subscribe to community solar farms under contract for the lifetime of that project, which is around 20 years.

The range of investments is expected to generate 17.4 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean energy annually, generating enough energy to power more than 2,000 homes every year and offset the equivalent of 12,331 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Sustainability commitments

AT&T has committed to being carbon neutral across its entire global operations by 2035 and the new agreement paves the way for the firm’s next step into community solar.

The move will support New York’s renewable energy initiatives, reduce energy costs and help provide accessible renewable energy programs to local communities. AT&T’s subscription to these five projects is forecast to offset approximately 61 percent of energy use per year.

AT&T’s community solar advisor NRG assisted in the selection of DSD based on its community solar expertise and advanced project development status. DSD Renewables is backed by world-leading financial partners such as BlackRock Real Assets and aims to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy resources for a more sustainable future. 
Sarah Moon, Senior Director of Community Solar at DSD, said: “These projects offer a socially conscious and innovative way for large corporations like AT&T to reduce their carbon footprint while making a positive impact in the communities where they operate.

“By continuing to support community solar programs, we’re able to help create cost-effective solutions that benefit big corporations and residents alike, providing clean, affordable energy to local communities.”

Shannon Thomas Carroll, AVP of Global Environmental Sustainability at AT&T, said: “We strongly believe that corporations can play a key role in helping power the communities they serve, and this agreement is one way for AT&T to do just that.

“By working together with developers like DSD, we’re able to explore solutions outside of on-site renewables that can help us reduce environmental impacts while also supporting local communities by making solar programs more accessible. It’s a win-win for AT&T and the people we serve.”

Oliver Haines, Senior Consultant – Renewable Energy & Energy Storage, at Acre USA, said: “Seeing initiatives like this by AT&T and DSD happening is another very clear sign of major organizations seriously buying into decarbonization targets. These projects are a win-win for everybody; major companies get to reduce their carbon footprint, affordable electricity is created through new solar programs, and trust is built between consumers and companies.

“These projects also serve as an education opportunity firsthand, by making them more prevalent in the US and giving the general public a chance to better understand where their energy could come from and the positive environmental impact they bring.

“My expectation is that this trend of commercial solar will continue, as we are seeing a massive incline with not just major retailers but also real estate institutions looking to add clean, on-site energy solutions to their property portfolios.”

The community solar sites are situated in Cortland, East Syracuse, Medina, Utica, and Swan Lake. Four are already under construction and the final project is expected to begin later in the year.

About Acre

At Acre, we work with the most aspirational businesses with potential to make real change; from those who are just starting out to those who are well on the journey to crafting a legacy.

Our 18 years’ experience in sustainability recruitment, combined with our extensive global network, enables us to provide talent solutions that are designed to deliver this change.

Through our unique behavioural assessment technology, we understand the types of people, skills and behaviours required to create impact. We can develop these qualities within your existing teams too.

We find talented people and develop their skills to ensure they make a true impact in ambitious, progressive organisations.

Acre. Making companies ready for tomorrow.

As the National Hurricane Center issued its first ever tropical storm watch for parts of Southern California today, we activated our emergency plan for Hurricane Hilary. The storm is anticipated to reach the California coast early Monday morning bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall and potentially flash flooding. 

T-Mobile’s Network and Emergency Management Teams have significantly fortified our network for the hurricane season and are actively preparing to ensure the resilience of our services in regions expected to be impacted by Hilary.

Our Community Support Team has strategically staged relief assets and supplies in Southern California that include Wi-Fi and charging trailers.

T-Mobile’s Emergency Response Team stands ready to engage with state and local officials, first responders and organizations. Agencies needing communications assistance can reach out to our 24-hour emergency hotline at 888-639-0020 or email at ERTRequests@T-Mobile.com.

See our newsroom for more information on T-Mobile’s 2023 Emergency Response

More Information

As Hurricane Hilary progresses, please follow any orders that may be issued by local authorities to stay safe. Here are a few more things you can do:

Get Ready: Take steps to prepare

Check NOAA’s National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center to get tips and track storms.Make a disaster kit with a list of emergency numbers and waterproof, resealable bags and chargers.Download the Red Cross and FEMA apps, subscribe to local authorities’ text alerts and social networks.Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone.Keep your mobile devices fully charged.

Know What to Do: Be ready for power outages and other interruptions

Set up Wi-Fi Calling. Important: If you call 911 using Wi-Fi Calling, give the operator your address.Keep calls to a minimum and as short as possible or send text messages.Enable your phone’s battery saving mode and dark mode to conserve charge.

Stay Updated: Find T-Mobile’s latest info

Visit My T-Mobile or call 611 from your phone for support and questions.Check the T-Mobile newsroom for the latest information on our emergency response.

Employees from Marathon Petroleum’s St. Paul Park refinery started restoration work on a 175-acre bluffland property near the facility, as part of its longtime partnership with the Friends of the Mississippi River.In 2022, the refinery presented the nonprofit with a grant to restore the property that had been overrun with litter and invasive plant life.Employee volunteers split up into two teams in May to clear the property, which is part of the Mississippi River’s watershed in the Twin Cities region.

Winters can be long in Minnesota, and the last one brought near-record snowfall to the Twin Cities area, officially the third snowiest on record, leading to a snow-covered ground for much of the 2022-2023 season.

When all that snow finally melted, employees from Marathon Petroleum’s refinery in St. Paul Park got to work collecting and hauling away bags and bags worth of litter and debris from an area bluffland near the facility—as part of its longstanding partnership with Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR).

“It can seem daunting to care for natural spaces when you have things like trash and invasive species, but a step like this, getting 30 Marathon employees out to clean up and beautify their space, really shows their commitment to the community,” said Alex Roth, Conservation Director at FMR.

With guidance from FMR, Marathon Petroleum’s volunteers covered the entire grounds in two shifts, collecting all kinds of trash from common litter to a kiddie pool. They were also tasked with removing invasive plant life that was harming the bluffland’s native vegetation.

“Just the level of participation was incredible. The positive energy, it just speaks, not only of the team that we have, but to the community in which we operate,” said Holly Jackson, General Manager at the St. Paul Park refinery. “Seeing this many people participate, working hand-in-hand for something like this, is definitely uplifting.”

In 2022, the St. Paul Park refinery presented the nonprofit organization with a $23,000 grant to help restore the 175-acre property that sits just east of Marathon Petroleum’s facility and is home to more than 300 migratory bird species.

“We hope this property will eventually serve as a community space and where local schools can bring their students to learn about the importance of preserving and protecting natural areas,” said Calvin Johnson, Environmental Supervisor at Marathon Petroleum. “Additionally, for us as Marathon employees, it makes you proud to work for a company that’s willing to invest in the community.”

“Seeing this many people participate, working hand-in-hand for something like this, is definitely uplifting.”

In addition to the larger bluffland property, the St. Paul Park refinery has supported FMR in the restoration of a two-acre prairie park that is owned by Marathon Petroleum and has been a certified wildlife habitat since 1998.

For three decades, FMR has worked to conserve the Mississippi River’s watershed in the Twin Cities region.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., August 21, 2023 /3BL/ – As catastrophic rain and storm damage affect the Southwestern United States, Truist Foundation today announced it will donate $50,000 to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to support relief and recovery efforts for communities impacted by Tropical Storm Hilary. 

“When disasters strike, Truist Foundation is committed to delivering localized care for teammates, clients and communities in affected areas,” said Lynette Bell, president of Truist Foundation. “Truist Foundation’s ongoing partnerships with Center for Disaster Philanthropy and the American Red Cross help ensure those impacted by significant weather events like Tropical Storm Hilary are well supported – from proactive preparation to immediate relief to long-term recovery efforts.”

A portion of the donation will be focused on medium- and long-term community recovery and address needs such as rebuilding public infrastructure, homes and livelihoods; offering mental health services; and supporting other challenges identified as recovery efforts progress. 

Earlier this year, Truist Foundation donated $1 million to the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, designed to deploy assistance quickly to communities impacted by events such as Tropical Storm Hilary. Those funds will help provide food, shelter, comfort kits and other immediate relief supplies to thousands of families and individuals impacted by the storm. 

“Truist’s purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities, and there’s no time more critical to support the communities where many of our teammates and clients live than in the wake of a historic disaster such as Tropical Storm Hilary,” said Jeremy McCaslin, west regional president of McGriff, a subsidiary of Truist Insurance Holdings. “While the full extent of the damage remains to be seen, we know the road to recovery will be long for many families and communities throughout Southern California and surrounding areas. Our hope is that this donation allows our West Coast neighbors to feel Truist’s support.”

About Truist Foundation

Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. Truist Foundation’s grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses. Learn more at Truist.com/Foundation. 

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Originally published by Ericsson

What makes a network the best? Have you got the answer? Register for the Imagine Live Business Lounge series and get ahead!

As communication services providers focus on securing network energy performance and achieving sustainability goals, the best network no longer means fast and reliable. It’s time to redefine the ‘best network’ as high-performing, energy-efficient, and sustainable.

Step into the world of Imagine Live Business Lounge, a unique and immersive webinar series by Ericsson. Breaking free from traditional webinar conventions, Imagine Live Business Lounge offers a refreshing and dynamic experience where business insights meet the comfort of a virtual lounge!

Webinar 1: The Recipe for Successfully Accelerating 5G in a sustainable way
Date: August 29th, 2023, Tuesday at 10:00 EDT 
Duration: 1 hour

Mark your calendars and get ready to elevate your understanding of 5G acceleration and network performance optimization! The webinars will provide you with valuable insights, practical tips, and a glimpse into the future direction of connectivity.

We encourage you to register early to secure your spot. We look forward to your active participation in these insightful sessions!

The chemicals industry is a $4 trillion business employing upwards of 20 million people. While a consumer of high volumes of energy and resources, it is also at the forefront of developing energy efficiencies, low carbon and renewable raw materials and fuels, chemical energy storage, and materials from CO2 capture. It is also uniquely positioned to pioneer and promote circular economy models by innovating for the easier reuse and recycling of materials.

It is simultaneously the third highest contributor to carbon emissions in the industrial sector and the best placed industry to decarbonize products across a multitude of industries.

As a result of its position high upstream in the supply chain, the chemicals industry can often seem invisible. Its products sit in the value chain of key industries including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods, making up a significant proportion of their Scope 3 emissions. But change is coming that will make companies more accountable for these previously hidden emissions. New legislation such as the European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will reveal the carbon footprint of the chemicals industry as companies with more than 250 employees will be required to report their GHG emissions, including those that lie in Scope 3.

A Vision for the Chemicals Industry

In order to meet new legal requirements and identify opportunities for emissions reduction, the chemicals industry needs to look beyond its current tools and collaborations to upgrade the quality of data — based on primary information rather than averages and estimates — and share access to it. Aligning data structures and using the same semantics will encourage competition among suppliers, galvanizing them to manufacture chemical products with ever lower carbon footprints, benefiting all downstream customers as well as the climate. To realize this vision, the solution will receive actual data from suppliers upstream, using a standardized methodology, allowing companies to calculate their own product carbon footprint so it can then be shared with downstream customers. For broad adoption, this carbon data exchange tool needs to be relatively simple while allowing for secure data exchange.

The automotive industry already has a blueprint that the chemicals industry can adopt. It tracks material flows digitally throughout the entire supply chain. Catena-X allows companies to share standardized emissions data from their supply chain with confidence based on technology that provides an auditable chain of custody. This offers car manufacturers the information they need to make strategic decisions to reduce the carbon footprint of their products, embrace circularity, and increase the adoption of circular business models such as battery recycling. Some of the chemical companies that supply the automotive industry are already involved, such as BASF.

“As an energy-intensive industry at the beginning of nearly all value chains, the chemical sector plays a key role in reducing global carbon footprint in manufacturing and beyond. Carbon footprint transparency at product level is a fundamental step to achieve this,” said Alessandro Pistillo, director of Digital Strategic Projects at BASF. “BASF is a founding member and very active contributor in global initiatives focused on Scope 3 transparency and product carbon footprint standardization such as Together for Sustainability in the chemical sector, as well as Catena-X and the Global Battery Alliance in the automotive and battery value chain respectively. At the same time, BASF is also a leading member of WBCSD-PACT, whose framework is geared toward ensuring cross-sectoral interoperability.”

Improved Accuracy

Historically, industry averages and secondary data have been used to estimate carbon footprints. The cornerstone of the vision for the chemicals industry involves a significant improvement in GHG emissions data, a step that will provide much greater emissions transparency for the industry itself and for its customers. SAP has been working with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) since 2021 as an innovation partner and has been involved in the Partnership for Carbon Transparency (PACT) initiative, helping to develop the global standards, methodology, and technological infrastructure needed for product-level emission accounting and exchange.

Collaborative Data Exchange

The desire and the frameworks for the chemicals industry to collaborate already exist. They date back to 1985, with the establishment of the Responsible Care program and the 2011 formation of industry body Together for Sustainability, a worldwide initiative to raise sustainability standards in the chemicals industry’s supply chain. Its members include some of the world’s largest chemical groups, represented by their chief procurement officers. Despite the industry’s ability and willingness to cooperate, and its current pilot IT system for sharing upstream product carbon footprint information, it is still on the cusp of data exchange.

“Footprint data is there,” said Michael Sambeth, global enterprise architect at SAP. “It can be calculated using out-of-the-box solutions from SAP; now it needs to flow across the supply chain.”

Catena-X led to the launch of the SAP Sustainability Data Exchange application, which was designed specifically with security in mind, to exchange standardized carbon footprint data along the value chain. SAP Sustainability Data Exchange uses the carbon data standards established by WBCSD PACT. With a high proportion of Together for Sustainability members already using SAP ERP systems, they are well placed to be able to leverage SAP Sustainability Data Exchange to exchange this data with their suppliers and customers while adhering to global standards.

Moving to a Green Ledger Approach

The chemicals industry is a product of its established supply chains, high-volume activities, cost efficiencies, and scalability. It is highly organized and well versed in creating and following methodologies, but it needs to see the value in primary standardized data — and data sharing — for decarbonization.

A green ledger approach will allow businesses to treat their emissions in the same way as their financials. Carbon accounting makes emission “bookings” part of every business transaction in the same way as financial information. This means that a level of detail and confidence is achieved, allowing companies to look at emissions from any angle — by product, organization, profit center, site, factory, equipment, etc. This granularity is the foundation for planning and steering, which cannot be done using averages or highly aggregated figures.

The decarbonization of a multitude of industries hinges on the ability of the chemicals industry to successfully standardize and exchange carbon footprint data. Only those chemical companies with sustainability at the core of their strategy and the right tools for high-quality emissions accounting will be able to future-proof their business to remain competitive in the face of the ever-evolving legislative changes created to combat the effects of global warming.

For more information on how SAP helps companies record, report, and act on their sustainability goals, visit www.sap.com/sustainability.

Energized by Edison

The Rosemead Library has a long history of community involvement dating to 1916 when Ford’s Model T ruled the roads. It has grown into a gathering place for the neighborhood; in addition to its library collection, it hosts a teen and children’s area, public computers, a lounge area and The Asian Pacific Resource Center.

Now, the library is helping the community embrace a clean energy future with 26 newly installed charging ports for electric vehicles.

“With the projected increase in the number of electric cars to be purchased over the next several years, the public will find that the EV chargers in the library’s parking lot are in a very convenient location while visiting the Rosemead Library, City Hall, the Rosemead Community Center and nearby restaurants and stores,” said Sue Yamamoto, Rosemead Library manager.

The L.A. County Library, County of Los Angeles Internal Services Department (ISD), city of Rosemead and Southern California Edison recently celebrated the EV charger installations with a ribbon-cutting event, where community members gathered to explore EVs, speak to EV drivers, practice using the new charging stations and learn about available EV incentives and environmental programs.

“This project readies the city and the county for the future,” said Katie Sloan, SCE’s vice president of Customer Programs and Services. “It’s not just about those residents using EVs today — it’s about all those who will rely on them soon. We are excited to help bring public charging to the Rosemead Library through our Charge Ready program.”

SCE’s Charge Ready program helps businesses and property owners set up EV charging stations at their locations. The program provides financial incentives, infrastructure and technical support to make it easier and more affordable for commercial, multi-family and public sector customers like the Rosemead Library to meet the growing demand for charging options. This benefits the local communities where publicly available EV chargers are installed and the businesses that install the chargers, their employees and patrons.

Electrifying transportation represents the largest near-term opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and drive down pollution that impacts public health. It also reduces smog-forming pollutants and improves air quality. L.A. County ISD is planning more than 500 EV chargers to be installed throughout L.A. County through SCE’s Charge Ready program in the next few years.

“Adding publicly accessible charging stations to places like county libraries gives residents a chance to charge while enjoying community services,” said Minh Le, general manager of ISD Energy and Environmental Services. “Specifically, adding 26 charging stations at this location will create another site where residents with EVs can charge. This can also encourage those in the market to purchase their next car to consider an EV.”

The Rosemead Library charging stations will remain open and available for the community even outside of business hours.

For more information about SCE’s clean energy initiatives, visit edison.com/clean-energy.