Tag: 3BL

SAIC embraces individual authenticity

LGBTQ+ Pride month is a time for celebration and an opportunity to reflect on the importance of allowing everyone to be their authentic selves. This right is at the core of our SAIC values of integrity, innovation, inclusion, passion and empowerment.

It is exciting to work for a company where everyone works together productively to solve our customers’ most challenging problems regardless of our backgrounds. SAIC fosters an environment recognizing that our differences – whether gender, race, orientation, religion or politics – make us stronger, better and more effective.

Individuals thrive when they have the security of knowing they can be themselves without fear of retribution, channeling the energy they would otherwise expend to conform into productive energy that benefits the individual, customer, coworkers and communities. Being authentic at work contributes to job satisfaction, fosters creativity and innovation, builds trust and credibility, enhances leadership skills and promotes a healthier work-life integration. When employees feel safe to be themselves, they are more likely to bring their best selves to work and make meaningful contributions to our organization.

Now more than ever, society needs to know and see LGBTQ+ people. So much confusion, misunderstanding and intolerance can be overcome by the simple act of knowing someone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. SAIC lives this every day through the support of our LGBTQ+ employees and the communities where we live and work.

SAIC’s Equality Alliance employee resource group (ERG) serves our LGBTQ+ and allied coworkers with resources and engagement opportunities to create greater understanding, educate and raise awareness while also creating opportunities for greater visibility and interaction across the company. In 2023, the Equality Alliance will again sponsor Night OUT tickets to baseball games, participate in community Pride festivals, donate time and resources to LGBTQ-focused community organizations and promote a greater understanding of gay history, challenges and issues through communications and virtual and live events.

“People need to know they are free to be themselves to be the best they can be,” said Jeff Raver, Vice President of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Integration and Equality Alliance Executive Sponsor. “Experiencing the company’s commitment to this culture is empowering.”

Our workforce is passionate and diverse. SAIC’s commitment to ensuring that everyone can work together in an environment that is free from harassment and intolerance is central to our employee-focused culture and helps us to both attract and retain an amazing workforce to deliver outstanding value to all our stakeholders.

As we celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride month, take a moment to appreciate the diversity of the people around you and remember that everyone succeeds when we bring our authentic selves to work. SAIC proudly supports our LGBTQ+ workforce and wishes everyone a Happy Pride.

Are you interested in learning more about working for a company named “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation? Check out our careers page at saic.com/careers.

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In an effort to mitigate hunger and malnutrition in Colombia, Herbalife’s Nutrition for Zero Hunger and the Herbalife Nutrition Foundation (HNF) has united with Fundación Comparte por una Vida Colombia to provide funds for the purchase of MixMe™, a nutritional macronutrient supplement powder, for children in the city of Cúcuta.

This initiative will help 2,000 children in Cúcuta for the next 2 years and will offer training and awareness sessions around the fight against children hunger in the country.

Children’s nutrition is a complex issue in Colombia, due to persisting poverty and poor access to healthy nutrition. According to the latest 2015 National Nutritional Status Survey, 62 out of 100 children aged 6 to 11 months have anemia due to iron deficiency, which is also the case with 25 out of 100 children aged 1 to 4 years old.

“This fact, plus our commitment to nutrition, encouraged us to foster this initiative, consisting of programs and interventions for the continuous improvement of vulnerable people nutrition,” said Andrés Peñuela, Director, Herbalife Colombia.  “It is especially relevant to ensure good nutrition to school-aged children as they can better develop their skills.”

The project seeks to fight against malnutrition arising from lack of vitamins and minerals. DSM MixMeTM product offers broad benefits to supplement children’s nutrition with essential vitamins and minerals for their healthy development.

“The alliance with Herbalife allows us to articulate with key actors for development, strengthening our structure as a civil society organization for the effective fulfillment of the 2023 agenda.”” Lala Lovera, Executive Director, Comparte por una Vida Colombia.

HNF looks forward to supporting the nutrition of hundreds of vulnerable children in Colombia. Learn more about how you can help us provide support to vulnerable children around the world.

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“Food & Nutrition and Health & Wellness come together at the core of our giving priorities for Bayer Fund, and we are proud to have helped to provide nearly 100,000 medically tailored meals – and counting – as part of Food Outreach’s direct impact on people’s lives,” said President of Bayer Fund Al Mitchell.

Food Outreach extends a healing hand to people battling hunger and a cancer diagnosis

When you’re not feeling well, finding the strength to prepare healthy foods can be a challenge. When you’re not feeling well and you don’t have the resources to purchase nutritious food, eating healthy can seem impossible.

“People living in economically distressed circumstances and diagnosed with cancer are most vulnerable in their fight to regain their health, as they generally do not have access to critical nutritional support, putting them at a greater disadvantage than others battling the same illnesses,” says Julie Lock, Executive Director, Food Outreach, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri.

Food Outreach addresses this need by providing nutrition services, free-of-charge, to qualified clients who are battling food insecurity and a cancer diagnosis. It is a mission that aligns perfectly with the priorities of Bayer Fund, notes Al Mitchell, President of Bayer Fund. “Food & Nutrition and Health & Wellness come together at the core of our giving priorities for Bayer Fund, and we are proud to have helped to provide nearly 100,000 medically tailored meals – and counting – as part of Food Outreach’s direct impact on people’s lives.”

Scratch-Prepared Entrees and Sides

A Food Outreach executive chef oversees the creation of the program’s scratch-prepared, medically tailored meals. Once a client is enrolled, they are eligible to receive up to 60 meals per month, or 2 meals per day. Meals include both scratch-prepared entrees and sides, as well as fresh produce and shelf-stable grocery items.

Food Outreach also employs two full-time dietitians to assist with menu creation and to meet with clients to discuss their diet and nutrition needs as it relates to their cancer diagnosis, set goals, and provide counseling and education about available resources.

For clients who are disabled, elderly, too ill to travel, or do not have access to public transportation, Food Outreach has a home delivery program for meals, thanks in part to a Bayer Fund grant which allowed them to purchase a new vehicle for the program. “In 2023, we anticipate serving up to 500 clients per month through home delivery across 150 zip codes,” Julie says.

Bayer Fund donations also enabled the purchase of a walk-in cooler/freezer combo, allowing Food Outreach to increase its storage capacity by 150 percent. “We can now store up to 15,000 scratch-prepared medically tailored meals on site at any time,” Julie says.

Increasing food costs remain one of Food Outreach’s largest obstacles, with costs increasing 42 percent in 2022. Despite this, the organization remains focused on keeping its meal unit costs as low as possible. “Medically tailored meals provided through for-profit retail outlets can cost between $8-$20 per meal. Food Outreach’s medically tailored meals are, at a minimum, 50 percent less expensive than retail.”

Food Outreach purchases 95 percent of its food from grocery distributors rather than depending on in-kind donations of food. “This is important to provide our clients with consistency and ensure the high nutritional quality of our food,” Julie says.

Grants and individual donations allow Food Outreach to continue to provide high quality food at lower costs. Another important contribution is the support from more than 1,200 volunteers annually. “This is the equivalent of 8.5 full-time employees, which dramatically reduces our overhead costs,” Julie says.

If you live in the St. Louis area, Food Outreach warmly invites you to volunteer with them! Please contact alyssa@foodoutreach.org to find the right opportunity. Click here to donate to Food Outreach.

“Small interactions with clients let us know that the work we do makes a difference in their lives,” Julie says. “From hearing that the food we provide feeds clients when they ‘don’t have money to cover groceries – even with a full-time job’ to the ‘services being a blessing’ and encouraging clients to try new foods they otherwise wouldn’t try, we find joy in spending time and building connections with clients.”

View original content here.

PARIS, June 13, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The Consumer Goods Forum’s (CGF) Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) is pleased to announce that SIZA, the Sustainability Initiative of South Africa, completed the SSCI Benchmarking process and achieved SSCI Recognition. SIZA’s standard, SIZA Social Standard February 2020 v.6, was successfully benchmarked against the SSCI Benchmarking Requirements for Scopes AI – Manufacturing and Processing and BI – Primary Production Version 1.0. In achieving SSCI Recognition, SIZA demonstrates leadership in the effort to build credibility among sustainability standards worldwide.

SIZA, the Sustainability Initiative of South Africa, is enabling the South African agricultural sector to become a global leader in sustainable farming, ethical trade, and environmental stewardship. The aim is to encourage continuous improvement in practices over time. SIZA aims to have a cost-effective approach for growers by supplying one standard and one audit, no matter which market a producer supplies. SIZA engages directly with stakeholders throughout the value chain to improve supply chain sustainability, ensuring compliance and reducing risks while at the same time offering support and training with regard to best practices and continuous improvement. Verification occurs via third-party audits.

As it ‘verifies the verifiers,’ the SSCI awards an additional, yet essential, layer of trust to sustainability standards that demonstrate alignment with the SSCI Benchmark Criteria and achieve SSCI Recognition. As SSCI-Recognised standards, third-party auditing, monitoring, and certification schemes and programmes signal a strong commitment to raising the bar in their certification processes and driving harmonisation in a diverse field of sustainability standards, while at the same time remain free to innovate their approaches to ensure sustainability a dynamic way. Today’s announcement demonstrates the SIZA Social Standard February 2020 v.6 meets the industry’s expectations and SIZA is now fully recognised by the SSCI.

Didier Bergeret, Director of Sustainability, The Consumer Goods Forum, said, “We congratulate SIZA on completing the SSCI Benchmark process and achieving SSCI Recognition. Not only is SIZA the first scheme to achieve SSCI Recognition under two sectoral scopes, but it is also the first to be recognised in our Primary Production scope. The SSCI is proud to work with this leader in sustainable agriculture and support a more aligned, efficient approach to sustainability certifications in South Africa.”

Retha Louw, CEO, SIZA, said, “SIZA strives to assist South African agricultural growers in achieving effective ethical labour and environmental compliance in their business while minimizing costs related to auditing. By closely aligning with recognised certification bodies and standard holders across the globe, SIZA aims to avoid duplicating market requirements for South African suppliers. The Benchmark with SSCI exemplifies how aligned standards can significantly reduce benchmarking time and cost, enabling the creation of a unified platform that ends up reducing audit fatigue and costs for suppliers. Through this collaborative effort, we can aim to drive ethical labour practices that are relevant on the ground and contribute to meeting the global Sustainable Development Goals.”

— ENDS —

About The Consumer Goods Forum

The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 50 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

About the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative

The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI) builds trust in sustainability standards worldwide by benchmarking third-party auditing and certification programs and recognizing schemes that meet industry expectations. By providing an open-source list of recognized programs, the SSCI delivers clear guidance on which schemes cover key sustainability criteria and apply relevant verification practices. The SSCI improves transparency in the market, facilitates decision-making on schemes at both buyer and supplier level and sets the responsible sourcing expectations for the industry. The Initiative initially focuses on social compliance with the potential to expand the scope to environmental compliance. For more information, visit www.tcgfssci.com.

For further information, please contact:

Didier Bergeret 
Sustainability Director 
The Consumer Goods Forum 
ssci@theconsumergoodsforum.com

Madelaine VanDerHeyden 
Communications Manager 
The Consumer Goods Forum 
m.vanderheyden@theconsumergoodsforum.com

KYOTO, June 13, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Officials from leading businesses, the Japanese government, and the United Nations met in Kyoto for a roundtable discussion to strengthen collaboration and accelerate respect for human rights in Japan’s consumer goods value chains. Taking place during The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF)’s prestigious Global Summit, the roundtable featured fruitful exchanges on how to best implement responsible business practices – particularly human rights due diligence (HRDD) – to enable respect for Workers’ rights in Japan. Following the recent meeting of G7 countries in Hiroshima in which leaders discussed ambitions for creating a more inclusive labour market, the roundtable marks an important step to realise this ambition in the Japanese context.

During the two-hour event hosted by the CGF’s CEO-led Human Rights Coalition (HRC), in collaboration with the CGF Japan Sustainability Local Group (JSLG), leaders shared perspectives from the private and public sectors on how to best collaborate to enable respect for Workers’ rights in the consumer goods industry. Gen Nakatani, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan for international human rights issues, and Tetsuo Nishimoto, Food Manufacturer Affairs Division, New Business and Food Industry Department, Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), spoke to the Japanese government’s approach for encouraging responsible recruitment and employment practices. They referenced the government’s recently published Guidelines on corporate HRDD, which build on the 2019 National Action Plan on Human Rights and support Japan’s ambitions as president of the G7 to ensure just working conditions for all. With these advancements, Japan is poised to become the first country in Asia with a strong framework for HRDD, aligning it with other G7 counterparts.

Tomoya Obokata, the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, then joined the rountable to welcome Japan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen HRDD together with the business community and other stakeholders. As the global trend of voluntary and mandatory HRDD requirements continues – and more people are in cases of forced labour and modern slavery than ever before – he encouraged ongoing collaboration among roundtable participants for the benefit of human rights globally.

The roundtable also provided space for member companies of JSLG to share their experiences implementing HRDD systems in their value chains. Yoshiaki Hiramatsu, ESG Division, Division Head, Fuji Oil Holdings introduced a case study on HRDD implementation while Jonathan Kushner, Chief Communications Officer, VP, McDonald’s Company (Japan), Ltd., shared a case study of McDonald Japan’s efforts to introduce due diligence practices in its supply chain. Yumiko Watanabe, General Manager, Sustainability (Social) Group, Sustainability Development Dept., Ajinomoto, and JSLG Social Sustainability Working Group leader, also explained the work of the group and the efforts to enhance collaboration among businesses and Japanese government.

Christine Montenegro McGrath, SVP and Chief Impact and Sustainability Officer, Mondelēz International, and Salla Ahonen, Vice-President, Sustainability, Neste, also joined the roundtable to share global consumer goods brands’ perspectives on these efforts, providing examples of how HRC members are implementing an aligned HRDD approach in their own operations globally. HRC Co-Chair, Paul Lalli, Global VP, Human Rights, The Coca-Cola Company, also spoke with Nishimoto on how the efforts of both Japanese companies and global brands and retailers can be aligned and accelerated to achieve greatest impact for Workers.

Paul Lalli, Global VP Human Rights, The Coca-Cola Company, and HRC Co-Chair, said, “We are delighted to see the Japanese government’s leadership in driving corporate sustainability across supply chains. Embedding respect for human rights in businesses across the globe is a pressing challenge for all who care about building a better tomorrow. As today’s discussion highlighted, meeting the moment depends on true collaboration of business, government, and civil society to deliver meaningful progress for the world’s most vulnerable stakeholders. The CGF HRC will continue to seek inclusive partnerships and support best practices among consumer goods companies around the world to drive respect for human rights across corporate value chains.”

Yoshiaki Hiramatsu, ESG Division, Division Head, Fuji Oil Holdings, said, “We hope that our case studies will help many companies and government officials to accelerate their efforts to build sustainable food value chains in the future.”

Tomoya Obokata, UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, said, “Protection of Workers’ rights and the implementation of human rights due diligence goes hand-in-hand with business prosperity. As greater collaboration advances between government and businesses in Japan, I look forward to seeing the positive impacts for Workers that will result from their collective efforts.”

– END –

EDITOR’S NOTE: The HRC is a CEO-led Coalition of Action advancing human rights due diligence throughout consumer goods value chains to enable respect for Workers’ rights; with nearly 30 members, the Coalition represents one of the world’s leading initiatives of consumer goods companies ensuring responsible recruitment and employment of Workers globally. In parallel, the JSLG Social Sustainability Working Group consists of 21 Japanese CGF members collaborating on key sustainability issues in the regional market, notably around human rights.

About the Human Rights Coalition 
The Human Rights Coalition is the leading collective of consumer goods companies strengthening due diligence throughout their business practices to ensure Workers’ rights are protected, respected, and remedied at every step of the value chain. As a CEO-led initiative hosted by The Consumer Goods Forum, the only organisation to convene manufacturers and retailers globally, the HRC supports companies to effectively address salient human rights impacts, notably around forced labour, in their business practices through aligned, accelerated action driven at the highest levels of leadership. The work of the HRC continues the CGF’s long history of engagement on the issue of forced labour within consumer goods supply chains by building on the CGF’s Social Resolution on Forced Labour, the first of its kind in the industry; its Priority Industry Principles; and ongoing relationships with key stakeholders in the industry. To learn more about the Human Rights Coalition, visit www.tcgfsocial.com.

About The Consumer Goods Forum 
The Consumer Goods Forum (“CGF”) is a global, parity-based industry network that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which comprises more than 55 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information, please visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com

For additional information, please contact:

Didier Bergeret 
Director, Sustainability 
The Consumer Goods Forum 
social@theconsumergoodsforum.com

Noriko Shindo 
Senior Manager, Sustainability 
The Consumer Goods Forum, Japan office

Madelaine VanDerHeyden 
Manager, Communications 
The Consumer Goods Forum 
m.vanderheyden@theconsumergoodsforum.com

Agreement will deliver renewable natural gas to U.S. research and manufacturing sites, starting in Newark, Delaware, and accelerate progress on global emissions reduction targetsNew partnership leverages food and beverage waste from manufacturing and cow manure to power sites, contributing to the circular economy

BOSTON, June 13, 2023 /3BL Media/ – In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, AstraZeneca (AZN) is partnering with Vanguard Renewables to enable the delivery of renewable natural gas (RNG) to all of its sites in the United States by the end of 2026.

From June 2023, AstraZeneca will begin purchasing RNG produced by Vanguard Renewables for its Newark Campus in Delaware, where the Company packages 26 medicines for distribution across the U.S. and makes medicine formulations for global supply. By 2026, this collaboration will enable as much as 650,000 million British thermal units (MMBtu), or 190,500 megawatt hours (MWh), per year of RNG to be used across AstraZeneca’s U.S. sites, equivalent to the energy required to heat more than 17,800 U.S. homes for a year.

Pam Cheng, Executive Vice President of Global Operations & IT and Chief Sustainability Officer at AstraZeneca, said: “We recognize the interconnection between the health of people and the planet, and are committed to driving deep decarbonization across our operations and value chain. Our innovative partnership with Vanguard Renewables in the U.S. is an illustration of how we are collaborating at scale to deliver sustainable science and medicines, as part of the transition to net zero health systems and a circular economy.”

AstraZeneca is taking a science-led, patient-centric approach to deliver improved health outcomes with a lower environmental footprint. As heat and power are critical to the manufacture of medicines, the decarbonization of healthcare requires access to clean sources of heat, such as renewable natural gas. This new partnership with Vanguard Renewables is an important milestone in delivering emissions reductions in line with AstraZeneca’s flagship Ambition Zero Carbon program. The Company is on track to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its global operations (Scope 1 and 2) by 98% by 2026 from a 2015 baseline, and by 2030, AstraZeneca aims to halve its entire value chain footprint on the way to becoming science-based net zero by 2045 at the latest. The use of RNG at AstraZeneca sites in the U.S. will further enable the company’s transition to 100 percent renewable energy for heat and power.

This agreement will utilize Vanguard Renewables Farm Powered® process, allowing Vanguard Renewables to work with dairy farmers and food and beverage manufacturers, retailers, and distributors to produce RNG using farm-based anaerobic digestion (AD) from food and dairy cow manure. Once the RNG is produced and captured through AD, it will be injected into existing natural gas infrastructure for use in AstraZeneca medicines research and manufacturing processes.

Through the partnership with Vanguard Renewables, AstraZeneca will access high quality RNG from three on-farm anaerobic digester facilities across the U.S. for the next 15 years or more.

Neil H. Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Vanguard Renewables stated: “Vanguard Renewables is excited to be partnering with AstraZeneca on this transformative business-to-business clean energy solution. AstraZeneca has set a very ambitious and challenging net zero target, which is a benchmark for their sector and other global corporations. We strongly believe this partnership will provide a path for other like-minded companies to join us on the journey towards global decarbonization.”

This collaboration will utilize food and beverage waste from the manufacturing sector and cow manure from local and family-owned farms, supporting rural communities across the U.S. By capturing methane from dairy operations that would have otherwise ended up in the atmosphere, this partnership also reduces pollution from the farming sector. 

John Hanselman, Chief Strategy Officer at Vanguard Renewables shared: “We have been working with multi-generational farms and food and beverage manufacturers since 2014 to provide sustainable solutions to greenhouse gas emissions challenges by diverting food waste from landfills and sequestering on-farm emissions. Vanguard’s Farm Powered process provides farmers across the U.S. with additional revenue streams, supports regenerative agriculture practices, and helps to ensure that these farms will be operating for years to come – thanks in part to change-making partnerships like this with AstraZeneca.”  

Notes: 

Anaerobic Digestion

Inedible or unsaleable food and beverage waste from the manufacturing and retail sectors is collected, sorted, depackaged on-site, and combined with dairy farm manure in a sealed biodigester tank. Once combined in the biodigester, microorganisms that naturally occur in manure digest the waste, converting sugars, fats, and other compounds into biogas. Harnessing the waste’s energy captures as much as 95 percent of the potential greenhouse gas emissions that would result if food and beverage waste was sent to a landfill or if the farm manure was field applied. The process produces biogas that is upgraded to pipeline-quality renewable natural gas (RNG) that is injected into the existing pipeline infrastructure on-site displacing traditional fossil fuels. The RNG is then used for heating and cooling or can be used to make compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles. The by-products of the anaerobic digestion process include a low-carbon and nutrient dense fertilizer (digestate) that reduces the farm’s dependency on chemical fertilizers and a dry by-product that is used for animal bedding. When food and beverage manufacturers send their organic waste to a Farm Powered site and purchase the RNG created by their waste to power their plants, they are creating a closed-loop solution that helps to address Scope 1 and 3 emissions in their business practices.

About Vanguard Renewables

Vanguard Renewables, based in Massachusetts, is a national leader in developing food and dairy waste-to-renewable energy projects. The Company owns and operates on-farm anaerobic digester facilities in the northeast and currently operates manure-only digesters in the south and west for Dominion Energy. Vanguard Renewables plans to expand nationwide to more than 120+ anaerobic digestion facilities by 2026. Vanguard Renewables is committed to advancing decarbonization by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farms and food waste, generating renewable energy, and supporting regenerative agriculture on partner farms via Farm Powered® anaerobic digestion. The Company is a member of The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas. Vanguard Renewables is a portfolio company of BlackRock Real Assets. To learn more visit www.vanguardrenewables.com.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries, and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information, please visit www.astrazeneca-us.com and follow us on Twitter @AstraZenecaUS.

Scientists, doctors, and policymakers all agree that cleaner air means better outcomes for people and the planet. But is it possible to reduce air pollution without compromising energy efficiency?

In this episode of Healthy Spaces, host Dominique Silva speaks to three clean air innovators who are out to prove just that.

“There’s a tendency within every industry to focus on your specific area, and that can often lead to an inability to see the bigger picture,” says Sara Karerat, Managing Director for the Center for Active Design. But by considering energy efficiency and indoor air quality goals together, she argues, “we can move the needle forward in more effective ways.” And she’s not the only one.

Listen to the full episode to learn how Pierre Dornier and the Chercheurs d’Air (“Air Seekers”) are using citizen science and data collection to impact city planning and improve air quality in Brussels, Belgium; how Sara Karerat and the Center for Active Design are advocating for the intersection of public health, equity, and climate change; and how filtration, ventilation, and smart technologies can make our buildings more efficient and the air we breathe, cleaner – inside and out.

Originally published by Schneider Electric

Rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paris and Schneider Electric sign a sponsorship agreementThis includes in-kind donations and skills transfer of state-of-the-art energy management solutionsRepresenting Schneider Electric’s ability to rally in support of this centuries-old historical monument

Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, and the public institution in charge of Rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paris have signed a sponsorship agreement in which Schneider is committed to contributing to the restoration of the cathedral through in-kind donations and the transfer of skills.

The fire that severely damaged the cathedral on April 15, 2019, triggered an extraordinary wave of solidarity that Schneider Electric wanted to be part of. “It is a matter of course for Schneider Electric to take part in this type of action for emblematic and prestigious sites, as we have done in the past for the Comédie Française or the Antarctic station,” emphasized Gilles Vermot-Desroches, Director of Citizenship and Institutional Affairs at Schneider Electric.

Advanced solutions…

For Notre-Dame de Paris, as for previous projects, Schneider’s commitment is to provide its expertise, equipment and state-of-the-art solutions. Schneider Electric will supply all the equipment needed to power the site: the transformer station, all the downstream electrical cabinets and breaker panels, and their components.

The agreement also includes a Building Management System (BMS), i.e., all the tools for energy management and power consumption control. Sensors, controllers, PLCs, communication buses and associated software will enable the Cathedral’s operators to fine-tune the site’s energy use and consumption. Schneider is also supplying an inverter, a distribution board and emergency lighting.

In addition to the equipment, Schneider Electric is responsible for maintaining the site’s electrical distribution systems, as well as the design, engineering, commissioning, and programming of the installed systems and training future users.

… for a site like no other

Cédric Larcher, Senior Project Manager at Schneider Electric France, is responsible for the implementation and follow-up of the project. Accustomed to tailor-made projects in special environments, he and his team are delighted to be working on this project, which, in addition to its prestigious nature, is anything but ordinary. The reasons for this include the cathedral’s historical monument status, which brings its own specific requirements, but also its scale, the logistics, space and access constraints (staircases, basements, vaults, etc.), and the resulting complexity of the work.

“For Schneider Electric, participating in the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral is not only a technical partnership, but also a human one,” said Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO of Schneider Electric. “It gives us the opportunity to deploy our most innovative and secure energy management solutions at the service of an emblematic site dear to the citizens of France and the world. And this project is also a human adventure for the employees who will participate on the site.”

“We thank Schneider Electric for its support in the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris. Powering this monument is a major challenge for the work that will allow the cathedral to reopen in 2024. We are delighted to benefit from Schneider’s innovative energy management solutions, which will enable future operators to optimize their energy consumption. We are committed to integrating these concerns into the restoration of the Cathedral and we are pleased to count these technical advances among the French know-how at the service of our heritage,” said Philippe Jost, Deputy General Director of the Public Institution for the Restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris.

Work onsite will begin in a few months and will secure the power supply to the site. The BMS will make it possible to control and optimize the monument’s energy consumption, bringing 21st-century innovations to this cathedral, a world heritage site and a masterpiece of medieval art.

Continuing its commitment to access and education for minority business owners, The Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship will hold its inaugural HUxPNC Black Commerce Conference: The Future of Entrepreneurship June 14-16, 2023, at the Renaissance Downtown Hotel in Washington, DC (999 9th Street Northwest Washington, DC 20001).

The event will feature celebrity entrepreneurs Lamman Rucker (Green Leaf, Queen Sugar), Kim Roxie (Lamix Beauty) and Camille McDonald (America’s Next Top Model/Signature Walk Marketing), in addition to business leader Richard Bynum (EVP and chief corporate responsibility officer, PNC) and a number of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) presidents and venture capital lenders.

The goal is to create an innovative experience designed for Black entrepreneurs and their supporters, and to empower the current and next generation of business owners with resources, information, tools, skills and opportunities to launch and scale their operations locally, nationally and worldwide.

“As our nation prepares to celebrate Juneteenth, it’s important to also recognize the work still to be done. Bringing Black entrepreneurs together, in the spirit of supporting and advancing Black business, is a natural connection,” said Erin Horne McKinney, national executive director for the Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship. “Our program is commitment in action and seeks to serve as a leader in addressing the systemic barriers that hinder underrepresented communities.”

Registration is still open and includes three days of fireside chats and panel discussions, as well as a fashion show, vendor marketplace and awards gala, all dedicated to scaling, growing and elevating Black entrepreneurship.

Highlights include: 

“The Game Night: HBCU Edition” welcome reception (7 to 10 p.m., June 14)“Reshaping Black Futures” fireside chat w/ Lamman Rucker and Richard Bynum (8 to 9:30 a.m., June 15)

Conference agenda:

“The Moment and The Movement: Forming a Black Business Support Collective in Minnesota in the Wake of George Floyd” fireside chat (1:30 to 2:30 p.m., June 15)“Mecca Mainstreet” vendor marketplace (noon to 6 p.m., June 15 and 16)“Fashion Forward: Styling the Future of Culture” panel discussion w/ Camille McDonald (2:40 to 3:40 p.m., June 15)“Fashion Forever: An Immersive AfroFuturism Showcase” (7 to 10 p.m., June 15)”Digital Distortion: Transforming the Face of Beauty” panel discussion w/ Kim Roxie Lamik (3:20 to 4:20 p.m., June 16)

The Black Commerce gala and awards (7 to 11 p.m., June 16)

*All times are Eastern Standard

The Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship was established in 2021 through a five-year, $16.8 million grant from the PNC Foundation, as part of PNC’s $88 billion Community Benefits Plan focused on bolstering economic opportunity for low- and moderate-income (LMI) individuals, communities and people of color. The mission of the center is to support expanded opportunities for Black entrepreneurship with educational, leadership and capacity building resources and programs nationwide, sharing resources through four regional hub schools and their network of more than 100 HBCUs nationwide.

“The conference is an opportunity to help Black entrepreneurs shape their futures with education and resources that will help them grow and scale their enterprises,” said Bynum. “Black-owned businesses are critical to thriving communities, and strategic efforts like these are critical steps in breaking down the obstacles they face so that they can fairly compete, succeed and build generational wealth.”

Media Contacts: 
Brittany Bailer; brittany.bailer@howard.edu 
Angie Carducci; media.relations@pnc.com

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About PNC Foundation 
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great®, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. For more information, visit http://www.pncgrowupgreat.com.

About Howard University 
Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 14 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

Tinisha Roberts, Senior Manager for Corporate Staff Groups, Performance & Analysis, is one of our many IP team members who we owe thanks for their military service. Tinisha has worked for more than two decades with IP, and served for 12 years, ending her service as Staff Sergeant (E-6).

Tinisha says: “My military experience armed me with many skills related to managing people, dealing with conflict and managerial courage…I encourage veterans starting with IP to continue to tap into their military learnings and bring them forward where they are applicable. The leadership and training they bring to any job will help them support their team in reaching goals with structure and a ‘can do’ attitude.”

Stephanie Tindall, HR Business Partner for NAC, is one of our many IP team members who we owe thanks for their military service. Stephanie served four years in the Army in Air Defence Intelligence / S3 Operations Management Deployment Readiness. Stephanie says: “My military experience helped me learn humility in leadership, agility to make decisions and a team winning mindset,” said Stephanie. “And for those currently transitioning to civilian life, remember to be patient with yourself. Comradery is hard to find outside of your brothers and sisters in arms but those at IP will be your new family to build and grow with.”

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of planet-friendly packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of North America’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2022 were $21.2 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting InternationalPaper.com.

About International Paper – EMEA

In Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), International Paper focuses on the production and marketing of fiber-based packaging and pulp, employing approximately 4,200 people. As a leading supplier of high-quality corrugated containers for a multitude of applications, we serve customers throughout the region from our network of two recycled containerboard mills and 23 box plants in France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Pulp production is centered in Gdansk, Poland. Other products available from International Paper in the region include Kraft linerboard and recycled containerboard, as well as pulp.