Tag: 3BL

What’s the news: After an extensive evaluation process, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) selected T-Mobile as its primary wireless provider. This extends T-Mobile’s collaboration with the VA another nine years.Why it matters: The VA operates the largest integrated healthcare system in the country and provides millions of veterans with access to health care.Who it’s for: Health care providers and support staff across all VA hospitals and the veterans they serve, plus government and business organizations that work with the VA.

BELLEVUE, Wash., April 24, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs selected T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) as its primary wireless provider, recommitting to expanding healthcare for veterans across the country.

As part of the agreement, T-Mobile will deploy an estimated 50,000 wireless lines for VA healthcare professionals — including doctors, nurses, social workers and crisis hotline staff — so they can stay connected to the millions of veterans they serve. The contract also includes T-Mobile 5G Internet (Fixed Wireless Access) for broadband at the VA’s Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), which provide primary and mental health care in rural areas.

As the VA’s primary wireless provider, T-Mobile will be the link between VA healthcare providers and veterans — enabling critical medical support like telehealth visits and remote patient monitoring. Telehealth visits are utilized by one-third of all veterans who rely on the VA for medical care. And connected medical devices, such as remote patient monitors, aid in treating, monitoring, and diagnosing certain conditions.

“T-Mobile is honored to continue our work with the Department of Veterans Affairs, demonstrating our shared commitment to the brave men and women who have served, or are serving, our country,” said Callie Field, President, T-Mobile Business Group. “The world of healthcare, and frankly, 5G, is evolving tremendously in the next decade, so we’re thrilled to be on this journey to innovate alongside the VA.”

T-Mobile has worked with the VA since 2018 to keep millions of veterans connected to health care resources. Looking to the future, T-Mobile and the VA will continue working together to implement emerging technologies, like the custom 5G network T-Mobile deployed for the Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

To learn more about T-Mobile’s commitment to supporting veterans, visit: https://www.t-mobile.com/responsibility/community/military.

Follow T-Mobile’s Official Twitter Newsroom @TMobileNews to stay up to date with the latest company news.

See 5G device, coverage, & access details at T-Mobile.com.

About T-Mobile 
T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com.

LINCOLN, Neb., April 24, 2022 /3BL Media/ – The Arbor Day Foundation rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange today. This is the second consecutive year the Foundation has been invited to open the markets on Wall Street during the week of the Arbor Day national holiday, which falls this year on Friday, April 28.

“Ringing the New York Stock Exchange opening bell is such a fitting way to kick off our weeklong celebration of the Arbor Day national holiday and we were thrilled to be invited here to take part in such an iconic event,” said Katie Loos, President of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We’re grateful so many of the companies publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange have partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to help solve some of the most pressing issues facing people and the planet through trees.”

Loos rang the opening bell on behalf of the Foundation. She was joined on the iconic platform that overlooks the trading floor by several Arbor Day Foundation team members and leaders from the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

The Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest tree planting nonprofit in the world. It has helped to plant and distribute nearly 500 million trees in more than 50 countries since its founding in 1972. Last year, it announced a goal to plant 500 million more trees by the summer of 2027 with a focus in forests and neighborhoods of greatest need.

The Arbor Day Foundation partners with companies of all sizes — from smaller family businesses to Fortune 50 corporations — looking to meet their sustainability goals through the simple, yet effective solution of tree planting and reforestation work.

This week, the Arbor Day Foundation will plant one tree in a forest every time the hashtag #ArborDay is used on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The popular social media campaign runs through the Arbor Day national holiday on Friday, April 28.

To learn more about how to celebrate Arbor Day by saying “yes” to tree planting, visit arborday.org.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s largest membership nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees. With a focus in communities and forests of greatest need, the Foundation — alongside its more than 1 million members, supporters and valued partners — has helped to plant nearly 500 million trees in more than 50 countries. Guided by its mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees, the Arbor Day Foundation is committed to unlocking the power of trees to help solve critical issues facing people and the planet. Learn more about the impact of the Arbor Day Foundation at arborday.org.

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In 2022, Illumina and Minderoo Foundation announced a $40M AUD partnership to leverage the power of genomics to accelerate scientific understanding of marine systems and help marine conservationists make informed decisions. The three-year partnership demonstrates a shared commitment to conserving marine biodiversity and understanding the changing marine ecosystems on which people and national economies depend.

As part of this broad research and development partnership, Minderoo Foundation installed a NextSeq™ 2000 Sequencing System, one of Illumina’s most advanced high-throughput benchtop DNA sequencers, aboard onboard the research vessel, Pangaea Ocean Explorer.

Surveillance of marine ecosystems using environmental-DNA (eDNA) can increase the resolution and sensitivity with which scientists understand biodiversity and can measure change. A cup of seawater can contain millions of pieces of eDNA and cells, providing a snapshot of the life forms present and, potentially, information on their population size and health. Learn more about the Illumina-Minderoo partnership here.

Originally published in the IBM Newsroom

Today, we are proud to be selected jointly with Stony Brook University by the City of New York to anchor “The New York Climate Exchange”, a world-class climate solutions center on Governors Island in New York City’s harbor.

By bringing together a diverse coalition of partners, The Exchange will be a first-of-its kind international center for developing and deploying dynamic solutions to our global climate crisis. It will also act as a hub for New Yorkers to benefit from the rapidly evolving green economy by:

Developing a 400,000 square feet green-designed laboratorySetting up a Research and Technology AcceleratorPromoting community development and partnerships including 6,000 green job trainees annually, grant opportunities, academic programs, and the establishment of a Citizens’ Advisory Council

This partnership touches three important pillars of IBM’s DNA: our connection to New York and our commitment to sustainability and education. IBM has a longstanding relationship with the city and the state of New York. It is where we produce our mainframe computers that power the global economy, where we host IBM’s first quantum computing plant, and where we recently announced a plan to invest $20 billion to expand the technology ecosystem. IBM also has a long history on sustainability and education including the establishment of our first education department in the state in 1932 and our first environmental policy in 1971.

The Exchange continues this legacy of using technology to turn sustainability ambition into action. Through this initiative, over 5 years, IBM will contribute technology, skills training, and research capabilities needed to help find climate solutions that put justice and equity at the center including:

Innovation: We will engage in research efforts that The Exchange will be driving. IBM Researchers have already contributed to workstreams around programming, and highlighted the work we are doing in geospatial analytics and foundation models for climate.Social impact programs: The IBM Sustainability Accelerator, a pro-bono social impact program that applies IBM technologies to enhance and scale projects focused on populations vulnerable to environmental threats, will be part of the Exchange’s research program.Skills training: We will provide sustainability and technology skills for staff and students through programs such as IBM SkillsBuild.

As our global community continues to respond to climate change this initiative tackles the need for cross-sector collaboration and deep science to support our collective efforts. This is also aligned with IBM’s commitment to provide our technology – including AI and hybrid cloud– to researchers, governments, institutions and other partners, to help rapidly advance climate research and create viable solutions to climate change.

We look forward to partnering with the city of New York and Stony Brook University to build this world-class climate center, ensuring the communities most impacted by climate change are at the heart of its solutions.

Enbridge Board member Gaurdie E. Banister Jr. has been named one of the Top 25 Black Board Members in the U.S. by BoardProspects.com.

In honor of Black History Month, a committee of current public board members, executive recruiters and the BoardProspects team carefully selected a list of Black executives who have helped drive business growth through their board service.

“We’re thrilled Gaurdie is being recognized for his wealth of experience and the positive impact of his service as a Board member,” says Greg Ebel, CEO and President of Enbridge. “It’s been a privilege to work with him, and I look forward to his continued leadership on the Enbridge Board.”

Banister was President and CEO of Aera Energy LLC, an oil and gas exploration and production company jointly owned by Shell Oil Company and ExxonMobil from 2007 to 2015. Prior to that, he held various senior leadership positions at Shell from 1980 to 2007.

Since Banister joined the Board of Directors in November 2021, Enbridge has benefited from his global business and leadership expertise as well as his 40 years of experience within the energy sector.

Volunteers from the Gen™ India office joined Planet Water Foundation to bring clean, safe drinking water to more than 2,250 people in Tamil Nadu. The company annually partners with Planet Water Foundation to help expand access to clean water in rural communities in India, and this year’s project helped the village of Anumandhputheri get the fresh water it needs to fight disease and make long-term improvements to its families’ health and wellness. 

Prior to receiving the AquaTower, Anumandhputheri did not have a water filtration system anywhere in town, leaving its residents no choice but to drink polluted water that carries waterborne illnesses, particularly during the rainy season. Gen volunteers helped Planet Water Foundation staff construct an AquaTower, a three-phase filtration system that produces 1,000 liters of clean water per hour, at Arignar Anna Municipal School. Together, we also conducted a Hygiene Education Program that will continue to help reduce illness among the village’s children and families. 

The AquaTower doubles as a handwashing station for the school’s 340 elementary and middle school students, which further prevents the spread of disease, and Planet Water’s AquaSan surface disinfection system will help the school sanitize sinks and latrines with chlorinated water to improve the children’s health and hygiene. 

“We are very grateful to Gen for providing a very important gift to our students,” said Radha Krishanan.N, principal of Arignar Anna Municipal School. “The AquaTower will help fulfill our basic need for clean drinking water and reduce the health issues of our children.”

“We enjoyed working with Planet Water Foundation team in assembling the AquaTower to give clean water to the school. We also had fun doing the activities with the energetic students. It was a well-organized event, and we are really grateful to get this opportunity to work at ground level the entire day,” said Diwakar, a Development Manager at Gen.

Watch the video to see what an AquaTower installation looks like and learn more about this project in this blog post.

Whether they’re planted on local streets or in distant rainforests, trees play an essential role in the health and prosperity of our planet and all the living beings who share it. Trees sequester carbon, help address air and water pollution, cool our cities, and provide critical habitat to countless species all over the world. That’s why the Arbor Day Foundation is encouraging people to celebrate trees on National Arbor Day this Friday. The environmental holiday, recognized on April 28, is both a celebration of all a tree can be and a call to action to plant trees where they’re needed most.

Thanks to the Foundation’s #ArborDay campaign, it’s never been easier to do your part.

Throughout the week leading up to National Arbor Day the Arbor Day Foundation, together with its partner Vita Coco, will plant a tree in a U.S. forest of need every time “#ArborDay” is used on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, up to 100,000 in total.

In 2022, #ArborDay became the number one trending hashtag on Twitter, attracting a diverse blend of brands, users and high-profile accounts with millions of followers that helped engage their audiences in the tree planting goal. From environmental leaders like Dr. Jane Goodall to world renowned brands like Google, the #ArborDay campaign generated national buzz. The Foundation’s own social media channels generated over 47,000 engagements and more than 2.2 million impressions alone.

This year, the #ArborDay campaign is expected to make an even bigger impact, by encouraging more people to become stewards of trees…And it all starts with a hashtag. With the help of its members, supporters, partners like Vita Coco, and people like you, the Arbor Day Foundation can continue carrying out its mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.

Commentary from Paddy Balfour for The Straights Times, published on 31.03.23, original source: AI scientists, nurses among 27 occupations that will get bonus points for employment pass approvals, Author: Krist Boo

SINGAPORE, April 24, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Artificial intelligence scientists, nurses, carbon traders and top-tier financial advisers are on a list of 27 occupations that will get bonus points to help them qualify for passes to work in Singapore.

Two new bonus criteria were announced on Friday for fresh employment pass (EP) applicants who will be assessed under a new, points-based framework from Sept 1, 2023.

The two criteria allow applicants who possess skills that are in shortage here, and firms that contribute to Singapore’s strategic economic priorities, to earn bonus points to help secure an EP. This will enable companies to hire the foreign manpower they may need to seize economic opportunities.

To this end, details of the bonus points on offer were fleshed out and a Shortage Occupation List (SOL) published on Friday, to pin down occupations with a shortage of talent in Singapore.

A Strategic Economic Priorities (SEP) bonus will also be offered to firms seen as key contributors to Singapore’s economic ambitions, so that they are not hamstrung by a shortage of talent.

The SOL identified 27 occupations with a dearth of talent. Applicants under this criterion will get bonus points towards their total Complementarity Assessment Framework (Compass) score for EP applications from Sept 1.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), together with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, said the shortlist, which was put together with government agencies, the unions and employers, was based on three considerations.

The jobs picked are of strategic importance to Singapore’s economic priorities, there is a significant shortage of skilled workers in those roles, and sector agencies – such as the Economic Development Board (EDB) – will work with the industry to transfer those skills through schools and programmes to build up a pipeline of local talent eventually. The list will be reviewed every three years, but can be reviewed annually if needed, in a bid to balance flexibility with certainty for businesses.

The shortlist of jobs covers six industries – agritech, financial services, green economy, healthcare, infocomm technology (IT) and maritime.

Applicants require a minimum of 40 points under six criteria to qualify for an EP under Compass, which will apply from Sept 1, 2024, for renewals. These include applicants’ salary and qualifications, their hiring company’s diversity and local staff ratios, as well as broader national economic objectives met by having the worker here.

Applicants under the SOL will be eligible for 20 bonus points. To retain diversity, this will be halved to 10 if one-third or more of the staff at their hiring firms are of the same nationality as them.

Those who will need to depend on the SOL bonus points to reach the pass mark of 40 will face verification checks on their experience and qualifications.

These candidates will also not be allowed to be redeployed to a different job role without a reassessment of their work passes.

MOM also touched on the SEP criterion, which grants up to 10 points for applicants applying to work in firms earmarked as important economic contributors. To qualify for these bonus points for their EP hires, these firms must show that they are developing the local workforce, and be supported by a sector agency or the National Trades Union Congress.

Such firms must also be in a programme run by EDB, Enterprise Singapore, the Maritime and Port Authority, the Singapore Tourism Board or the Infocomm Media Development Authority. 

These firms will be notified by MOM from late July.

Firms are required to score at least 10 points each on two other criteria – diversity and support for local employment – after three years to keep the bonus.

MOM is encouraging firms to use the Workforce Insights tool on the MyMOM Portal to self-assess and benchmark their performance against industry peers.

Ms Amarjit Kaur, partner at law firm Withers KhattarWong, said the availability and accuracy of data relating to specific industry sectors and the employment landscape will determine the success of the new evaluation framework.

She also pointed to Singapore’s quest for technology talent despite recent layoffs in the sector.

“It is interesting to note that beyond niche IT jobs, more generic occupations such as software, web and app developers form part of the 27 occupations in the SOL.

“This indicates that tech demand is expected to remain high in furtherance of Singapore’s digitalisation drive.”

The shortage of talent is acute in some areas. Mr Paddy Balfour, executive director for Asia at sustainability talent recruiter Acre, said it would take at least five years for Singapore to develop meaningful levels of domestic talent in the carbon trading and programme areas.

“These roles point specifically to Singapore’s development as a carbon trading hub,” he added.

The overall number of EP holders as at 2022 – 187,300 – has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. It stood at 193,700 in 2019.

EP holders, who must make a minimum of $5,000 in monthly salary, are generally higher-qualified foreign talent than S-Pass and work-permit holders.

Mr Richard Bradshaw, managing director for Asia at executive search firm Ethos BeathChapman, said despite the improvements that Compass brings to the application process, recent waves of firms’ cost-cutting and hiring freezes may not help Singapore’s quest for top foreign talent.

“In the broader picture, an overseas candidate considering a move to Singapore will factor in real-life challenges like increasing rental, high living costs, distance from home, macro economy and stabilities,” he added.

With current market uncertainties, he said, “It might still be a slow uptake for existing EP holders who are yet to renew”.

Dr Lei Hsien-Hsien, chief executive of the American Chamber of Commerce Singapore, said there will be roles that are needed as the economy evolves, especially in the digital and green economies.

“An update every three years, or even annually, may not be frequent enough given the fast-changing business environment,” she said, adding that she hopes Singapore continues to exercise flexibility in granting EPs.

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.

Originally published by Ericsson

By Brian Johnson Head of Networks Build and Operate, Central Region Field Teams

As a leader at Ericsson, I know how important authenticity is. I’ve traveled all over the United States to meet with teams, and I constantly challenge people to make authentic connections. The goal in these connections is to break down barriers and change the way we think about our coworkers; to inspire everyone to truly care about each other in meaningful ways. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive; many people had and shared breakthrough moments.

After watching people share their authentic selves at work, I realized that I was not practicing what I preached. I had always been terrified to share that I was gay with anyone at work for fear of what it could do to my career.

I decided to join the Ericsson LGBTQ+ & Allies employee resource group (ERG). The community I found in this group was outstanding; the people were open, kind, and generous and helped me get comfortable with being myself at work.

During this time, I ran a monthly newsletter that was shared throughout the region. In May 2018, I decided to come out in a celebration of the upcoming Pride month. I wrote my story in the newsletter, including the ups and downs of sharing my authentic self at work and the community I’d found within the ERG; I even went so far as to include a picture of my husband and me (seen above).

When it came time to hit send, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. All the old fears about my career and my personal life resurfaced in a very real and terrifying way. I sat at my desk for several minutes just staring at the send button and overthinking everything that could happen from this. I realized I was in the middle of a panic attack. I left my desk and went on a walk. Fresh air, movement, and a mental break was exactly what I needed. When I returned to my desk, I took a deep breath and hit send.

It was terrifying to see that newsletter leave my inbox. In that moment, there was no turning back; everyone at work would know I was gay.

A few days later, I joined a panel for National Coming Out Day in the auditorium at the Plano, Texas campus. My husband came and sat in the audience. I was so anxious on stage, I don’t really remember what I said when I answered questions, but I’ll never forget when I pointed at my husband and my voice cracked in fear, everyone in the room stood and applauded in support. I was absolutely blown away. This journey has been terrifying, but the payoff has been immense. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders and people are coming to me for things I never imagined.

One of the unintended side effects of putting yourself on a public stage is how people come to you for advice or consult afterward. I’ve travelled across North America and met with people who want to know how to support loved ones who identify as LGBTQ+, transgender people who want advice on how to communicate with their boss and teammates and parents who ask how to support their non-binary children. In each case, with permission, I have found someone with more knowledge than me to offer support and resources; most of the time, it’s people within the LGBTQ+ & Allies ERG. It’s okay to not know everything about being LGBTQ+ because we are all so diverse. What’s important is that we treat everybody around us with respect and professionalism and we persevere in our curiosity to learn more and be better. Ericsson has fostered such an amazing community full of allies and helpful resources.

With all that great support and change I want to make sure you know the other side of that, at least for me, at Ericsson and in life in general. Some people are going to say that you should keep that to yourself, that it has no place at work and then give you a cold shoulder. And some people still think of a LGBTQ+ members as stereotypes and think that now that you have come out you should be comfortable to “act gayer”. In some people’s minds that means I should become flamboyant and start loving musicals and shopping, even though I cherish people who do love those things, that’s not who I am. I love community service, I love dogs, I love the outdoors, I really love working on my house and yard; in other words, I am humbly a unique gay man – we are not all the same. There is diversity in our diverse groups!

If you’re thinking about coming out at Ericsson, know that you are represented. It’s difficult to be vulnerable at work when you’re fighting centuries of prejudice and stereotypes, but rest assured you will have an abundance of support in our ERG and our ever-growing group of allies. For me, it lifted a giant burden from my heart, partly because “being found out” was no longer a worry, but also because it feels so good being able to not pretend that I have a wife or girlfriend to be accepted.

I love my company so much for embracing the LGBTQ+ community for all of who we are. I feel comfortable talking with my team and peers about my husband in casual conversations. My leadership team truly embraces both the LGBTQ+ community and me as an individual.

I don’t think I would have ever come out if it weren’t for what Niklas Heuveldop, our President of North America, did to allow us to start ERGs. I also owe a great deal to Kevin Zvokel, Head of Networks in North America, for what he has done putting his name, face, and reputation on the line to be our Executive Sponsor, using pronouns and a pride ring around his photo, and attending our Dallas pride parade with his wife. That meant a lot to so many.

My challenge to every leader reading is this: be a leader that has open conversations about diversity. When you ask your people, you will hear different and very important things about that person’s life experiences with diversity, some will be good, and some will be devasting. Knowing those things helps you support your people in a completely different way. Embrace your employees’ diversity journey and the daily battles that they have fought and still fight to overcome. Their stories are important!

Building a strong company culture of inclusion, acceptance and diversity starts with leadership; it’s crucial that every employee feels safe and valued regardless of who they are. Therefore, its best to open the conversation with a note of assurance that they are in a safe place to express curiosity and vulnerability.

The truth has set me free. For those of you who are thinking of coming out as LGBTQ+, here is my advice:

Don’t go into it expecting people to understand exactly who you are or what your experiences are. They may, they may not.Don’t rush it. Only you will know when the time is right. The most important thing is that you work at a place where you can be you and you can have those conversations. Ericsson is that place for me and for so many others.

From my perspective, if we can open up a little more with each other and share our stories, our real stories, that’s what breaks down real barriers. But to do that you have to believe your story has value. For a long time, I didn’t believe my story had value, especially at work. Today I hope my story has value for you. I don’t consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I’ve benefited from the sacrifice of others, so I am putting myself “out” there for the next generation.

Here’s to your authentic journey at Ericsson. Go be your amazing self!

Read more

Explore our commitment to diversity and inclusion

Read the blog post: Why we need to make the metaverse and Web3 more inclusive – a conversation with Giselle Mota

Read the blog post: GenNext Kista: The stories of tech talent

April 24, 2023 /3BL Media/ – To observe World Earth Day on April 22, 2023, Mercedes-Benz Arena Shanghai partnered with AETHER, a Shanghai local handpan group, to launch a special social music project that celebrates the planet. To kick off the project, on April 22 at 6pm, the entire arena illuminated in a vibrant shade of blue as a call to action for everyone to protect the Blue Planet by adopting environmentally friendly behavior.

As part of the initiative, Mercedes-Benz Arena and AETHER also released a theme song for Earth Day titled ‘Earth Flow’. AETHER’s founder and professional handpan performer, Huang Liyang, drew inspiration for the melody from the Mercedes-Benz Arena, which as one of the top ten new landmark buildings in Shanghai stands as an environmental artwork in the city, presenting both a fashionable and futuristic architectural style along the Huangpu River.

“The handpan is a medium that helps us connect with nature,” said Huang Liyang. “The unique futuristic architecture of Mercedes-Benz Arena gives me new inspiration. We hope to draw everyone’s attention to the natural environment and awaken a sense of responsibility and mission towards environmental protection through this specially created song.”

The lyrics of ‘Earth Flow’ come from an Indian ballad Ani Couni Chaoaui, which is an Indian blessing that calls everyone to love and protect the earth together. In the arrangement section, the original African instrument Asalato and other natural sounds are added, calling on everyone to face and change the current situation of the earth with uplifting and inspiring emotions. A related music video was also filmed at Mercedes-Benz Arena, bringing the pure and ethereal handpan sounds together with the arena, where a healing journey from the universe begins.

Additionally, AETHER hosted a natural healing performance at Mercedes-Benz Arena with the live house at The Mixing Room on April 23. During the performance, senior musicians from AETHER invited the audience to embark on a journey and experience the natural music of soul healing. AETHER musicians also performed the Earth Day theme song ‘Earth Flow’ for the first time live and shared the story and environmental philosophy behind the song.

“We hope to raise awareness of sustainable development through the power of music through this special Earth Day project,” said Craig Grossarth, the General Manager of Mercedes-Benz Arena. “Mercedes- Benz Arena has always been committed to promoting the development of sustainability, such as advocating ‘Meatless Monday’ among employees, and actively participating in the Earth Hour initiative. At the same time, we incorporate various environmental measures into our daily operations and always encourage our employees and arena guests to be mindful of the environment in their daily lives”.

 

About Mercedes-Benz Arena Sustainability Initiatives 

Mercedes-Benz Arena has been committed to building a green arena and has implemented a series of sustainable solutions throughout the building, including the full use of biodegradable and environmentally friendly tableware, the use of energy-saving LED lighting systems and the installation air dryers in restrooms to reduce paper waste. At the same time, it has also introduced high-efficiency equipment, and upgraded outdated facilities to reduce energy consumption in the venue. Mercedes-Benz Arena has also taken a series of water-saving measures over the years. For example, the rainwater reuse system uses a water-saving system, appliances and equipment optimized for the utilization of rainwater, washing the road and irrigating the green belt with the collected and treated roof rainwater. Due to the proximity to the Huangpu River, the cooling system inside the arena recycles the river water cooling unit, replacing the natural water-cooling method and effectively eliminating the waste of water source. As a part of corporate social responsibility, Mercedes-Benz Arena will adhere to the concept of sustainability through more interactive projects based on environment. Meanwhile, employees and arena guests will always be encouraged to respect the principle of sustainability and raise the awareness of environmental protection.