Tag: 3BL

Face-to-face learning and investment in education have never been more important. Education is the foundation of a better future, breaking down barriers, fostering equity and lifting the next generation through knowledge and opportunity.

The role technology plays in education cannot be overstated. It helps to offer solutions that create safer, more accessible, and collaborative experiences to empower teachers and inspire students.

BETT, running from 29th – 31st March 2023, is the world’s ‘Leading Education Technology Show’ and acts as a moment to reflect on the critical role technology plays in education. The event will bring together EdTech leaders from across the education landscape, showcasing cutting-edge and impactful products and services to aid educational institutions and initiatives.

As part of our mission to deliver Smarter Technology for All, we’re placing a spotlight on some of the educational initiatives we’re investing in across Europe, Middle East and Africa, to help meet tomorrow’s challenges. It is through these investments that we can both empower and enhance a diverse range of communities, anticipating the needs of students and teachers.

Technology’s lessons for life

The role of technology in education stretches far and wide. One way in which Lenovo has helped further education is through the teaching of tech skills, together with supporting programs and schemes aimed at encouraging the younger generation into the field.

Jane Govindsamy leads Lenovo’s Girl Code initiative, a project based in South Africa designed to train girls in soft skills. The mission of the program is to empower 10 million women and girls with tech skills by 2030, by creating a network of women who are highly skilled in software development and leadership. Through Lenovo’s partnership with Girl Code, 160 individuals have been directly impacted, with Lenovo employees volunteering their time to help.

A similar scheme was implemented in Italy. The Campus 2022 project delivered 42 hours of lessons about emerging technology using Lenovo’s smarter devices to over 2,500 students and 110 teachers across the country.

It is not just upskilling that’s important, as technology can support education more widely. In Hungary, for example, in partnership with WWF Hungary, Lenovo used its Lenovo Mirage VR S3 glasses to show students, using virtual reality, the beauty of Hungary’s forests and water plains. Through this partnership technology was able to highlight the importance of sustainability to the younger generation in an immersive, memorable way.

Investing in esports

The growing interest in esports amongst children is no secret, but leveraging this interest can be instrumental in education.

Esports provides a natural pathway for students interested in the world of technology and STEM disciplines, and can help develop soft skills such as teamwork, strategic planning, effective communication and leadership. Not only this, but esports can also offer a safe space for children who might otherwise feel excluded. When it comes to extracurricular activities, the focus in schools has traditionally been placed on sports on the pitch. Esports, meanwhile, can offer an inclusive and engaging activity for all students.

In the UK, for example, Lenovo partnered with King Edward’s School in Bath to develop a media suite that houses a flourishing esports programme for children across the local community. In Italy, meanwhile, Lenovo partnered with Maker Camp to host Lega Scolastica Esports (LSE), a national gaming championship across the country.

Women in STEM are the future

According to the Ministry of National Education and Youth in France, only four in every 30 female students choose to specialise in Digital and Computer Science.

Lenovo is committed to driving positive change here, supporting organisations such as BECOMTECH in France, a non-profit organisation which offers educational programs for young women in STEM. The partnership has been a pedestal for our mission to spread the benefits of technology, and since its inception, Lenovo has donated consistently to support its work.

Placing tech in the hands of the next generation

In south-east Europe, in the town of Peristeri in Greece, our Greek team acted as tech advisors and counsellors to aid schools in the area in choosing the best technology to enhance pupils’ education. Through implementation of interactive whiteboards, group collaboration platforms, electronic learning materials and tablets, Lenovo was able to play a key role in advancing the way children learn, communicate, and collaborate in the region.

A key pillar in Lenovo’s support for the development of education is through donating technology itself. In Andalusia in southern Spain, Lenovo donated technology to help teachers provide a better education for their pupils. Lenovo partnered with Google to present a competition for all public schools in the region to promote the use of technology and the digital transformation of the classroom. Teachers throughout Andalusia were tasked to present a project that emphasised ways in which technology could be used to improve the education of their students. The winning project won 30 Lenovo Chromebook 500e computers to use in their classrooms. Similarly, in Germany products were donated to Margarete Steiff School, a school for disabled students.

Education is the foundation for a better future

As a leader in the technology industry, publicly showing support for the development of education could not be more integral. An agreement between the Ministry of Science and Education of Poland and Lenovo Poland marked a political milestone for the country. In a bid to further the digital transformation of the country’s education system, Lenovo Poland committed to the exchange of knowledge and experience, highlighting how tech is at the heart of the country’s education system.

Across Europe more widely, through a partnership with EuropeanSchoolNet Lenovo provides insights and expertise to forums and workshops run by the network. Covering the whole of Europe and involving over 760 projects, 1,200 events and 1,011 Scientific Ambassadors, the aim of the partnership is to help promote and support European collaboration among STEM stakeholders.

Education is the foundation for a better future, and we will continue our commitment to drive forward educational initiatives such as the ones highlighted in this piece. Technology is a key enabler in delivering modern education to future generations, and Lenovo as an industry leader is here as a true partner to deliver Smarter technology for All.

From our eucalyptus plantation to our Amazon Rainforest conserved area to surrounding ranchlands, Dow has piloted tools to scientifically assess biodiversity in and around our Breu Branco site in Pará , Brazil. These tools are yielding important insights and contributes to help with decision-making across our global sites.

The Issue: A Need for Credible Tools

Increasingly, businesses are paying more attention to biodiversity, and for good reason. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), more than half of the global gross domestic product depends on nature. Yet biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history.

Consequently, businesses are increasingly looking for science-based, quantitative methodologies, tools and metrics to better assess their impacts on biodiversity and understand dependencies on biodiversity in a credible way. While methods for quantifying carbon is widespread and well-established, the equivalent for biodiversity is just beginning to be adopted, due to the complexity of measuring biodiversity.

“Incorporating biodiversity within business decisions is crucial to achieving a sustainable future,” said France Guertin, Dow’s global technical leader for nature-based solutions. “Just as climate change alters habitats and ecosystems, loss of biodiversity contributes to climate change and intensifies its effects.”

Creating a Next-Generation Tool

Dow recently partnered with the EcoMetrix Solutions Group (EMX) and The Nature Conservancy to pilot a new suite of assessment tools designed to provide input to the decision-making process at all stages of a project life cycle, from pre-planning to long-term monitoring.

“The insights from these tools are important,” Guertin noted. “We can use the tools across our sites globally to better characterize the environment condition of a landscape, understand the impact of our choices on biodiversity, and to test different scenarios as we plan for future projects.”

Dow has long been a corporate leader in recognizing the business benefits to valuing nature. Since 2011, we have worked with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to pioneer an approach to valuing the services of nature on our sites around the world. This collaboration led to the launch of our 2025 Sustainability Goal on Valuing Nature in 2015, in which we made the bold commitment to realize more than $1 billion in net present value by 2025 through business-driven projects that enhance nature.

That same year, we also launched the Ecosystem Services Identification & Inventory Tool (ESII) with EMX and TNC to help us understand the benefits that nature provides to Dow and incorporate the business value of nature into decision-making. Over the last couple of years, ESII has undergone a major overhaul to incorporate new functionality for assessing how well a landscape supports biodiversity and carbon sequestration. The new platform, called Ecosystem Intelligence (EI), will soon be launched commercially by EMX (www.ecosystemintelligence.com).

“The EI platform enables users to characterize the features of a landscape and then evaluate how suitable they are for supporting a broad spectrum of species groups, from invertebrates to large mammals, across each of their life-history stage requirements,” said Kenna Halsey, principal of EMX. “The EI platform also captures carbon uptake and storage in vegetation and soil, while simultaneously quantifying water quality, water quantity, air quality, soil health, noise and visual screening, among other benefits.”

Testing in the Field

At our Breu Branco site, a team from Dow and EMX performed a comprehensive and detailed mapping of biodiversity at two eucalyptus plantations and 38,000 hectares of conserved rainforest, in comparison to numerous farmland parcels located nearby.

“Before the project, the ecosystem service benefits associated with Dow’s land management, stewardship in comparison to the conservation areas and surroundings, were unquantified,” Guertin said. “We wanted to determine the value created by Dow’s current and future land management practices, as well as determine how large corporations like Dow can set, and measure, biodiversity targets credibly and efficiently.”

What emerged were tiers of biodiversity performance, with Dow’s eucalyptus plantation performing significantly better than surrounding farmlands and the preserved rainforest displaying highest levels of biodiversity.

“We sampled various properties near the site to get a representative understanding of their condition, and many of these rural landscapes had been pretty heavily deforested and degraded,” Halsey said. “The management of the Dow eucalyptus plantations was impressive in terms of the science and level of care that foresters took to protect the soil and encourage biodiversity. Dow’s approach to minimizing soil disturbance, carefully managing crop rotation, and protecting natural corridors throughout the site resulted in quantifiable benefits across a wide array of ecosystem services, including biodiversity, pest regulation, soil health, climate regulation, protection of water quality, etc. We saw significant improvement in all of these measures in comparison to the surrounding landscape.”

Guertin said the pilot project helped confirm that Dow is taking effective measures to conserve biodiversity at the site. In addition, the project also demonstrated how taking measures to preserve biodiversity projects could have socio-economic benefits to the surrounding community, as well as ecological benefits.

Mapping the biodiversity of the rainforest conserved area helped Dow identify plant species of commercial interest to the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries in a responsible and sustainable manner.

“Our mission with EI is to achieve a pervasive positive impact on the landscape,” Halsey said. “We’re grateful for projects like this that consider landscape management from a systems perspective. The original ESII Tool, and now the EI platform, help users make proactive decisions and better understand how the decisions that they’re making today might impact biodiversity in five to 10 ten years from now.”

Originally published on DICK’S Sporting Goods Sideline Report

TOGETHER, WE CHANGE LIVES!

In the latest edition of our quarterly giving series from The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation, we’re highlighting the extraordinary impact our Sports Matter Community Grant Program made in 2022. Our stores, distribution centers and community marketing managers are the backbone of the Grant Program, which helps kids across the country get in and stay in the game.

If you think your favorite athlete has great stats, just check out the numbers below! 

SPORTS MATTER COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM IMPACT IN 2022
*UNAUDITED NUMBERS

FUNDS DISTRIBUTED: $7,944,184GRANTS GIVEN OUT: 1,576KIDS KEPT IN THE GAME: 528,247DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPORTS FUNDED: 40

HELPING KIDS TAKE THE FIELD

The Foundation provided a $1,000,000 Sports Matter grant to Every Kids Sport, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, to help provide income restricted families financial assistance to cover player registration fees for families who qualify. In 2022, we helped 9,017 athletes stay in the game.

MORE THAN $7 MILLION RASIED IN STORES

At select times during the year, athletes can choose to round up in-store purchases at DICK’S and Golf Galaxy. In 2022, our stores collected more than $7.7 million in donations, surpassing our initial $7 million goal!

$1 MILLION GRANT TO FUEL TOMORROW

The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation was selected as one of Gatorade’s national partners to support their Fuel Tomorrow initiative and awarded a $1 million grant! The mission of Fuel Tomorrow is to improve children’s lives and unite communities through the power of sport. The grant supported our Community Grant Program and helped more than 170,000 kids keep playing the games they love.

SPORTS MATTER DAYS

We hosted Sports Matter Days in Atlanta, Chicago and Houston. Children enjoyed sports sampling and healthy meals. They got the chance to meet professional athletes, and each left with a bag full of new equipment to make sure they could continue to play the game they loved. Through Sports Matter Days and project partner Good Sports, over 30,000 youth athletes received 274,189 pieces of new equipment in 2022.

THESE MOMENTS ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SPORTS MATTER FUND. IF YOU’D LIKE TO DONATE, VISIT WWW.SPORTSMATTER.ORG.

How environmentally and socially conscious is your fragrance? 

Working in the purpose recruitment space where I place highly skilled sustainability talent within the cosmetics sector, to drive impact both within the company and on a broader scale, this is not a question to be sniffed at. 

Climate-conscious consumers are leading the way with their wallets, showing support for brands that go above and beyond in implementing sustainability initiatives for a better planet. 

The fragrance industry is, therefore, under intense pressure from savvy consumers and other stakeholders who want a quality scent without compromising on a sustainable positive impact for both the environment and the communities it serves. 

Below I’ve highlighted three key challenges where the industry is receiving scrutiny while spotlighting the companies that are blazing a trail for the production of sustainable products that foster a more resourceful future. 

Nature vs. Nurture 

It wasn’t so long ago that your favourite scent contained musk – considered to be one of the most valuable natural substances in the world – created by extracting natural musk from the glands of the endangered musk deer (now banned in perfumery). 

While synthetic musk can help protect wildlife without compromising on fragrance quality, there is a grey area surrounding its impact on human health due to the chemicals used, and some perfume manufacturers are turning to botanical musks. 

There was plenty of intrigue last year when respected French cosmetics house Guerlain announced the addition of a new organic alcohol made from beetroot in its Aqua Allegoria Nerolia Vetiver fragrance. The gesture, which supports responsible farming, is a firm nod towards the further development of robust sustainability practices within the company. 

Guerlain has in recent years advanced their sustainability intentions with a heavy focus on the preservation of bees. Guerlain has four sustainability pillars to align the production of its fragrances with best practices, including lifecycle traceability and carbon neutrality goals. 

Mass production of perfume, like any product, can result in a waste of resources and be harmful to biodiversity. Guerlain has replanted more than 10,000 orchids in the Tianzi Reserve in Yunnan, China, since 2009, and has also revived vetiver plants, growing in Tamil Nadu, India. The entire plant can be used to avoid waste and yields of the perennial grass that holds aromatic oil in its roots, are now 30-40 per cent higher due to crop rotation. 

However, Frédéric Malle makes bold the statement that it can be more sustainable to respect and protect flora and fauna by using synthetics to make a signature fragrance. Malle’s Synthetic Jungle scent is one of the perfume editor’s greenest perfumes to date and a tribute to the admired and much-loved 1970s perfumes. 

Giving Back to Society 

Former assistant to the designer John Galliano, Timothy Han focuses on protecting nature via his small-batch scent ‘editions’. His fragrances are vegan and crafted using natural, in-season ingredients where possible. In 2010 Han played a major role in assisting the United Nations with a steering group to inspire and motivate the luxury industry to collectively strive to protect natural biodiversity and 13 years later, still devotes time to ensuring his brand is as sustainable as possible. 

The London-based Canadian founder’s minority-owned business, champions diversity and inclusivity. Each fragrance is gender neutral and aims to create positive change. The release of the eau de parfum inspired by Heart of Darkness – a compelling novella by Joseph Conrad about the ivory trade and its effects on the native inhabitants of the Congo – is a deliberate choice to highlight imperialism and racism. For this fragrance, Han has teamed up with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and a portion of the sales for this fragrance will be distributed to grassroot communities and elephant conservation projects in the Congo. 

Sana Jardin is another fragrance brand using its profile and products to create a positive impact on the planet. Founder Amy Christiansen was inspired to evoke social change after watching her grandmother empower women in developing countries, and so launched the Beyond Sustainability™ movement. 

The initiative creates social change through commerce, not charity, and supports female change agents in their community. This is achieved through sustainable practices and fair trade to preserve heritage skills and inspire the next generation of artisans. 

Sana Jardin has worked on its Orange Blossom Project since 2015, supporting the indigenous Amazigh community in Morocco that harvest floral ingredients for the firm’s perfume production. 

Traditionally, the floral harvests only provided short-term employment for the female harvesters, but Sana Jardin collaborated with Nest, which supports artisan communities, and floral ingredient supplier Les Aromes du Maroc to enable the harvesters to upcycle the abundant floral waste. They now create their own line of products for year-round employment with mentors and training support. 

Packaging

The beauty industry creates an estimated 120 billion units of packaging alone each year and fragrance firms can no longer ignore the impacts of wasted material. 

Le Labo hones its packaging efforts as equally as its products (which are natural, vegan and freshly hand-blended to order) to ensure the end product is as sustainable as possible. 

The New York perfume house has innovated to the extent that all packaging, from the bottle to the box, is made from either recycled or recyclable materials. Better still, the bottle is refillable (online refill is currently only available in the US but some lab refills are available in selected labs worldwide), meaning you can use the very last drop and return the bottle to receive 20 per cent off another scent such as THÉ MATCHA. 

Eco-friendly alternatives to traditional fragrance packaging largely relies on refillable options to ensure minimal waste. ByKilian believes its product should be bought only once but then refilled indefinitely to revolutionise the beauty industry and fulfil its founder Kilian Hennessy’s ethos that true luxury should last forever. 

These are just some of the brands I love and stories that inspire me. What other fragrances and designers are inspiring you for the same reasons? 

Shaqeeb has more than five years of experience working with senior-level executives across different industries. He has supported these professionals with the expansion of their teams, allowing them to break into new market segments/geographical locations by placing both mission-critical and growth roles. His passion for sustainability led to his transition to Acre where he works as a Senior Consultant for the consumer goods team, focussing on consumer health, hygiene and cosmetic industries.

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.

In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and as a part of our ongoing perfumer series, we’re spotlighting renowned perfumer Chiaki Nomura. Chiaki created several iconic Bath & Body Works fragrances including Flannel, Spiced Cardamom, Blue Orchard Skies and Sea Salt and Palms. This month we’re offering these fragrances in a special time capsule collection in stores.

Bath & Body Works believes that it’s important to spotlight professionals from historically underrepresented groups in fragrance to raise awareness of their important contributions and stories while signaling what’s possible for the next generation of perfumers.

We’re proud to support the American Chemical Society Scholars Program which awards renewable scholarships to undergraduate students from historically underrepresented groups majoring in chemistry-related disciplines and careers.

In 2023, the Bath & Body Works Foundation is donating $200,000 to support both the ACS Scholars Program and the mission of the ACS Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect. This donation will help open doors for the next generation of leaders in chemistry-related fields, like perfumers, and more.

To learn more about this effort, visit https://www.bbwinc.com/people/community-engagement/foundation.

Originally published on March 28, 2023

WASHINGTON /3BL Media/ – LG Electronics has been named 2023 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year-Sustained Excellence by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy. This prestigious honor recognizes the company’s exemplary commitment to protecting the environment and tackling climate change through leadership in ENERGY STAR certified products and promotions. This is the 10th time since 2012 that LG has been named Partner of the Year.

“LG is 100-percent committed to its partnership with ENERGY STAR and the EPA to inspire change, improve efficiency and help create a clean energy future,” said Thomas Yoon, president and CEO, LG Electronics North America. “Consistent with LG’s global ESG mission of a ‘Better Life for All,’ we are proud to help American consumers make a difference with products that deliver energy savings without sacrificing high performance and outstanding design.”

With LG and ENERGY STAR, American consumers are taking climate action in impactful ways. American consumers purchased an ENERGY STAR certified LG product every six seconds in 2022. Over their product life, these millions of ENERGY STAR certified LG products will mean estimated CO2 reductions of more than 3.7 million tons – equivalent to removing the greenhouse gas emissions of 727,696 cars for an entire year or eliminating the emissions from every home in Washington, D.C. for two years.

The 2023 Partner of the Year award recognizes a number of key LG ENERGY STAR accomplishments last year. Some examples:

LG saw double-digit growth in the number of ENERGY STAR certified models in various categories: audio-video products, displays, laptop computers, refrigerator-freezers, central AC models and room air conditioners.ENERGY STAR certified LG clothes washers and dishwashers purchased by American consumers last year are expected to save more than 35 billion gallons of water over their product life, enough to fill 53,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.The estimated combined environmental impact of ENERGY STAR certified LG air purifiers, dehumidifiers, room air conditioners and mini-split AC systems purchased by Americans in 2022 is equivalent to carbon sequestered by 106,000 acres of U.S. forests.“ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2022” LG refrigerators, washers, dryers, room air conditioners and computer monitors are expected to save more than 482 million pounds of CO2 over the life of these products.

The EPA also recognized LG for its robust participation in various ENERGY STAR campaigns and promotions, helping to educate tens of millions of American consumers about greener living with LG and ENERGY STAR, driving more than 3 billion consumer impressions.

“As we accelerate historic efforts to address climate change, public-private partnerships will be essential to realizing the scale of our ambition,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, who applauded LG and other ENERGY STAR award winners “for working with EPA to deliver a clean energy future that saves American consumers and businesses money and creates jobs.”

Each year, the ENERGY STAR program honors a select group of businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions in the transition to a clean energy economy. ENERGY STAR award winners lead their industries in the production, sale, and adoption of energy-efficient products, homes, buildings, services, and strategies. These efforts are essential to fighting the climate crisis, protecting public health, and creating a clean energy future for everyone.

To learn more about LG’s ENERGY STAR certified products, please visit LG.com.

About LG Electronics USA 

Ten-time ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $68 billion global innovator in technology and manufacturing. In the United States, LG sells a wide range of innovative home appliances, home entertainment products, commercial displays, air conditioning systems, energy solutions and vehicle components. The company’s commitment to environmental sustainability and its “Life’s Good” marketing theme encompass how LG is dedicated to people’s happiness by exceeding expectations today and tomorrow. www.LG.com.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs and achieve more than 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions. More background information about ENERGY STAR’s impacts can be found at www.energystar.gov/impacts.

Media Contact:

LG Electronics USA

John I. Taylor
202 719 3490
john.taylor@lge.com

May 1, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The Ray announced it has been named an Environmental Partner with 1% for the Planet, an international organization that encourages sustainable, environmentally protective action through memberships and everyday choices. Environmental Partners work to advocate, conserve, steward, educate, and activate to create a healthy, vibrant future for our planet and include national and international nonprofits, as well as Georgia-based and community driven organizations. See here for a complete list of Environmental Partners.

1% for the Planet connects its Environmental Partners to 1% for the Planet Members who hold similar values. Member organizations are 1% for the Planet-approved businesses with similar sustainable goals and contribute at least one percent of their annual revenue to causes that protect the environment. International clothing manufacturer Patagonia was one of the founding business Members of the program, with other Members ranging from international cosmetic brands to regional, climate-focused investment banks. Participation in the Environmental Partner network positions The Ray to receive direct financial support from 1% for the Planet Members.

“I am so excited that our team has been asked to join a global community of like minded associates,” said Harriet Langford, founder of The Ray. “This partnership is a fantastic vehicle for The Ray to advance our goal of sustainable transportation.” See here for a complete list of Members.

The mission of The Ray is to reimagine how we connect our communities, our lives and the world in a way that is safer, more responsive to the climate, more regenerative to the environment, and more capable of generating economic opportunity through innovative ideas and technologies that will transform transportation infrastructure. To achieve these goals, The Ray works with more than three dozen public agencies across 27 states to promote, plan, execute and scale net-zero infrastructure projects that will produce safer, cleaner and smarter outcomes in the transportation and energy sectors.

“The Ray is honored to be an Environmental Partner with 1% for the Planet,” said Sarah Grizzle, The Ray’s director of communications. “We look forward to opportunities to collaborate with 1% for the Planet Members and other Environmental Partners on the road to net-zero.”

About 1% for the Planet

1% for the Planet is a global organization that exists to ensure the planet and future generations thrive. They inspire businesses and individuals to support environmental partners through membership and everyday actions. They make environmental giving easy and effective through partnership advising, impact storytelling and third-party certification.

Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, their business members and individual members have given hundreds of millions of dollars to approved environmental partners to date. Today, 1% for the Planet’s global network consists of thousands of businesses, individuals and environmental partners working toward a better future for all. Look for the logo to purchase for the planet, learn more and join at onepercentfortheplanet.org.

About The Ray

The Ray is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity and net-zero highway testbed, located on 18 miles of Interstate 85 between Lagrange, Georgia and the Georgia-Alabama state line. This stretch of interstate is named in memory of Ray C. Anderson (1934-2011), a Georgia native recognized as a leader in green business when he challenged his company, Interface, Inc., to pursue a zero environmental footprint. The Ray Highway testbed is paving the way for a zero carbon, zero waste, zero deaths highway system that will build a safer and more prosperous future for all. Learn more at www.TheRay.org.

MEDIA CONTACT

Sarah Grizzle, Director of Communications, The Ray
310.699.2054 | sgrizzle@theray.org | @therayhighway

By Dana Obrist

As part of our Earth Day celebration, Regions is highlighting ways that our associates, customers and community partners are making life better by helping to protect our environment.

From small fields powering local communities to large-scale acreage lighting up thousands of homes, businesses and communities are investing in a growing sustainable energy source.

Solar farms are cropping up in agricultural communities across the United States. And the future looks bright.

“Renewables have been growing at a double-digit rate for some time now although that growth rate slowed in 2022,” noted Jerry Wells, senior vice president and part of Regions Solar Tax Equity coverage team. “Since our team’s inception, we’ve financed more than 80 projects, creating an investment of $1.8 billion and growing.”

Regions Equipment Finance (REFCO) launched its specialty finance team focused on renewable energy and solar, closing the first project in 2016. Partnering with renewable power experts, this team provides tax equity financing to sponsors and developers of solar.

Renewables received a boost with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last year. Projects can be eligible for more in tax credits – historically, 30 percent, now up to 50 percent if the equipment is sourced domestically and in an energy community.

Jerry Wells, senior vice president and part of Regions Solar Tax Equity coverage team

“Renewables received a boost with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last year,” said Wells. “Projects can be eligible for more in tax credits – historically, 30 percent, now up to 50 percent if the equipment is sourced domestically and in an energy community.”

Wells noted that costs of building a solar farm have come down significantly, albeit inflation drove an increase in costs last year, while equipment efficiency has improved. States have been active in setting renewable portfolio standards with 10 states requiring 100 percent of power delivered required to come from renewable resources between 2030 and 2050.

“Public policy has driven the employment of renewable assets,” said Wells. “In addition to being better for the environment, it is now cost competitive with other sources of energy.”

Wells and the Solar Tax Equity coverage team partnered with Regions’ Energy and Natural Resources Group when the latter financed a construction loan to build a solar farm in 2018 with the tax equity team providing the permanent take-out financing. With a national mandate, Regions has a concentration of solar projects in the Southeastern United States but has projects on the West Coast and in the Northeast outside the company’s traditional footprint.

The solar development process takes several years from inception to installation.

“Our clients will work through their preliminary development phase over a 2–3-year period, which includes purchasing the land, project design, securing proper permitting and entitlements,” said Lee Hanna, vice president, Regions Energy and Natural Resources. “Once the preliminary development phase is complete, they will begin construction and installation. That process typically takes between six months and a year.”

A renewable source of power, solar energy plays a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while improving air quality and reducing water use from energy production. These projects are part of a larger strategy in ESG working towards making life better in our local communities and throughout the country. This includes clients such as Silicon Ranch, a full-service solar and carbon solutions company with more than 160 projects across 15 states.

“Silicon Ranch is proud of the role we play in the energy transition, and what makes our work so rewarding is our ability to leverage that role as a driver of economic opportunity, providing significant investments in communities across the country, including Clay County and Early County, Georgia,” said Reagan Farr, Co-founder and CEO of Silicon Ranch. “This would not be possible without our neighbors welcoming us into their communities or without financial institutions including Regions Bank supporting our investments in the communities we serve and where we locate.”

Energized by Edison 
by David Song, ENERGIZED by Edison Writer

B-Roll: Wildfire Mitigation Program Interview Package 
B-Roll: Wildfire Mitigation Program Footage 

At about noon on Aug. 26, 1996, the Marple Fire started between Interstate 5 and Castaic Lake in northwestern Los Angeles County. By midnight, it had spread to 10,000 acres, and by the time it was contained, nearly 20,000 acres had burned 

Almost exactly 26 years later, the Route Fire started in the same area but with a far different outcome: burning just 5,000 acres. 

While the improvement can be attributed partly to the evolution of wildland firefighting and technological advances made by federal, state and regional fire agencies, the deployment of the Quick Reaction Force fire suppression helitanker fleet was a significant factor.

“The Route Fire could have turned out a lot differently,” said Colin Morgan, who flew that night as lead pilot for one of the helitankers. “The day crews had made really good progress by sunset but having the ability to support the ground crews through the night made a real difference.” 

During peak wildfire season, the “QRF package” will feature three Boeing CH-47 Chinook helitankers that can each drop 3,000-gallon payloads of water or fire retardant. They can operate day or night and can fill their tanks with a retractable snorkel while hovering, allowing for a faster return to the fire line. 

“When most of the fire people left that first day of the Route Fire, they probably thought, ‘tomorrow is going be a big day,’” said Scott Jones, a 32-year retired veteran of the Los Angeles County Fire Department who is now the QRF program lead coordinator. “They had a lot of resources ordered for the following day, but the QRF came in there and knocked down the flaming front with fire retardant on the first night.” 

The fleet also includes an S-76 intelligence and reconnaissance helicopter, which does not drop payload but is equally important. Crew members wear night vision goggles and operate as the quarterbacks of the QRF team. 

“If you listen to the S-76 crew organize aircraft, talk to the ground, the multitasking and the abilities that they have, it’s mind-blowing,” said Ryan O’Herron, another CH-47 lead pilot. “Their sense of calm in a high-intensity environment like the Route Fire. With dozens of other agency aircraft, maintaining effective communication is quite a task that requires a special personality.”

Fred Burris, an air tactical supervisor, is one of those special personalities. He has been flying the S-76 helicopter since 2009.& 

“We make sure the airspace is organized in what we call the fire traffic area,” Burris said. “We organize that to ensure the aircraft are oriented to one another, to their drop and the target area, and then simultaneously or in sequence, we’re talking to the ground incident commander.” 

His years of experience in the S-76 combined with 40 years fighting fires — much of it as a wildland firefighter — are instrumental for the nocturnal orchestration of air drops. 

“We’re looking down at the ground and seeing a hand crew, and I see what they’re trying to do, even in the absence of a lot of direction,” Burris said. “It’s an attribute we bring as the aerial supervision for the QRF.” 

This experience provides the helitanker pilots with confidence in the firefighting airspace. 

“Fred and his team provide the pilots with the comfort and security that they know where they’re going and that someone is looking out for them,” Jones said. “The S-76 team warns the pilots of a multitude of hazards, so it’s an important aspect of the teamwork.”

The four aircraft, with Burris’ team in the lead, will patrol the Southern California skies again this year. 

Southern California Edison’s 2023 Wildfire Mitigation Plan calls for the continued support and expansion of regional fire agencies. This year, SCE is nearly doubling its contribution and will provide almost $35 million to its local fire agency partners to fund the standby costs for the QRF program. In previous years, the partnership with the Orange County Fire Authority, Los Angeles County Fire Department and Ventura County Fire Department was active for only the second half of the calendar year during peak fire season. 

While the threat of wildfires in Southern California may have eased temporarily because of an unusually wet winter, there’s little doubt the threat will return as the weather warms. 

“I have worked across the country and overseas for many years, and one thing I’ve noticed about Southern California is the sheer volume of land adjacent to millions of people,” said O’Herron. “You don’t see this to the same degree in Santiago, Chile, or Sydney, Australia. At the end of the day, the QRF is not just trying to put out fires; we are trying to protect people.” 
For more information about SCE’s wildfire mitigation efforts, visit edison.com/wildfire-safety.

Originally published on GoDaddy Life

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career at GoDaddy.

I’m Teddy Nixon and I am an Arizona native and environmentalist. I’ve been with GoDaddy as part of the Front of Site Marketing Operations team for almost seven years. As part of that organization, there’s always something to learn, which keeps my days interesting. I’ve grown so much in my time here, and continue to gain skills and knowledge that are invaluable. I think many of my colleagues would agree that the absolute best part of working at GoDaddy is the people and friends we make along the way.

GD Green was the ERG I was most excited to join. I have always been interested in environmentalism and sustainability, and am excited that there’s a group of like-minded people here at GoDaddy who I get to share with and learn from. The GD Green events are interesting and enlightening, and the conversations in Slack are engaging and educational.

What is most meaningful about Earth Day to you?

Every day is Earth Day in my world, but the designated holiday is meaningful to me for a few reasons. First, I love that it is a day when more people are focused on the Earth and taking care of it. It’s a day of action for many, and I love to see people out in my community gardening, picking up trash, and educating others on sustainability initiatives. This year, I helped prep the community garden in my neighborhood for the summer growing season. I was able to meet people in my community and get my hands in some dirt. It was a great way to celebrate the Earth!

What are ways you try to play a role in how we prioritize the health of the planet?

Prioritizing the health of the planet is vital for me, and for everyone who lives here. Sometimes, talking about the state of the planet is all doom and gloom, and people feel stuck in how to actually make a difference. Sure, none of us can save the planet alone, but every one of us can do small things, which added up, make significant progress. I have a local compost service that comes to my place every week to pick up that week’s compost because I don’t yet have a yard or garden. I take advantage of the community garden around the corner so I have a way to grow some of my own food. I plant pollinator-friendly flowers and rescue drowning bees out of my community pool. I participate in my city’s recycling program, and collect and drop off other items that can’t be recycled, traditionally, such as styrofoam and batteries, to specialty locations. I always take a bag to collect trash when I take my dog for her morning walk. On a larger scale, I research sustainability efforts in my larger community and world. When I’m able to, I donate to, and volunteer with organizations that help causes I’m passionate about — such as water conservation, soil health, solar power initiatives, and alternative energy projects.

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