Tag: 3BL

Provides educators and students with one-stop access to lab resources, measurement analysis tools, and industry-relevant learning resourcesEnables educators to deliver meaningful educational experiences across a spectrum of learning modelsEmpowers educators to deliver industry-ready training for the leaders of tomorrow

SANTA ROSA, Calif., April 18, 2023 /3BL Media/ Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) introduces the Keysight Digital Learning Suite, a new unified digital learning platform that provides university engineering educators and students with lab tools, resources, and courseware through a single, secure web interface.

In response to demands for flexible learning options, universities are moving from in-person education to digital and hybrid learning models. Although these new models provide unprecedented flexibility for time and location, there are still challenges for engineering educators. They often find themselves pressured to compete against each other to provide the highest quality education for their universities. Many educators also find themselves trying to balance their own research work against teaching demands that require time spent on curriculum development, administrative activities, and managing engineering resources.

The Keysight Digital Learning Suite addresses these challenges by delivering a unified, web-based digital learning platform that provides secure, one-stop access to university engineering lab resources, measurement data analysis tools, and industry-ready learning resources.

The digital learning platform offers educators the following benefits:

Powerful Engineering Lab Management – The platform streamlines and simplifies lab management allowing educators to focus more time on teaching and collaboration tools to interact with students in real time. The software suite integrates with popular learning management systems (LMS) such as Blackboard, and Canvas.Remote Test Instrument Control and Data Analysis Tools – The software provides direct access to the soft front panel of lab instruments to perform measurements remotely, take screenshots, plot measurement data to XY plot, perform math functions to XY plot, and more. The platform connects and links to instruments in-lab or on a local network.World Class Learning Resources – The platform provides access to premium lab exercises and courseware from Keysight University through a single sign-on from an integrated LMS.

Keysight is at the forefront of providing innovative learning solutions to the education industry that advance teaching with hardware and software tools that transform academic teaching labs. As part of the local and global community, Keysight is committed to STEM education by supporting programs that encourage students from all backgrounds to pursue careers in science and engineering. To date, the company has partnered with more than 30 universities worldwide to provide industry-ready certification with more than a thousand students receiving certification.

Mary Gross, Vice President of Partnerships at Anthology, Inc., said: “We are pleased to have Keysight’s new Digital Learning Suite fully integrated into Anthology´s learning management system, Blackboard Learn. Through this integration with Keysight, engineering students now can have full access to education and lab resources within the LMS so they can graduate with industry-ready skills.”

Tan Boon Juan, Vice President and General Manager of General Electronics Measurement Solutions for Keysight said: “At Keysight, we are dedicated to empowering engineers with the latest knowledge and tools to tackle the constantly evolving technology landscape and drive innovation. Our innovative Digital Learning Suite represents our commitment to providing educators with a comprehensive platform for delivering cutting-edge industry-ready training that prepares future leaders for success in their respective industries.”

Resources

Keysight Digital Learning SuiteKeysight UniversityKeysight Innovation Challenge

About Keysight Technologies

At Keysight (NYSE: KEYS), we inspire and empower innovators to bring world-changing technologies to life. As an S&P 500 company, we’re delivering market-leading design, emulation, and test solutions to help engineers develop and deploy faster, with less risk, throughout the entire product lifecycle. We’re a global innovation partner enabling customers in communications, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, automotive, semiconductor, and general electronics markets to accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Learn more at Keysight Newsroom and www.keysight.com.

From March 23rd to March 29th, a total of 206 Illumina colleagues in Greater China walked to support the recovery of the endangered species, finless porpoise population, and the healthy development of the Yangtze River ecosystem by donating their walking steps.

A total of 8,090.38 kilometers were walked virtually, and over $16,000 was raised to support the project. The charity walk was selected by employees following a survey asking which endangered species they would most like to support.

For 25 years, Illumina has been dedicated to innovation and has continued to spearhead the creation of cutting-edge technology. Our groundbreaking technology unlocks the potential of genomics in the study of biodiversity and research on endangered species conservation and ecosystem protection. We are also active in deepening our impact on local communities and driving meaningful change through community investment and employee volunteerism.

Learn more about our sustainability initiatives and how we engage employees.

When people think about climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, food may not be the first thing that comes to mind.

However, what people eat, and how that food is produced, are substantial contributors to climate change.

According to World Resources Institute (WRI), more than one quarter of the world’s GHG emissions come from food production, including how it is grown, processed, transported, distributed, prepared, consumed, and disposed of.

“We estimate that over half of Aramark’s carbon footprint comes from the food being purchased and served throughout our operations,” said Alan Horowitz, Vice President, Sustainability at Aramark. “Cutting carbon emissions is a critical component of Aramark’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) plan, Be Well. Do Well., and a reason we have embarked on several initiatives to be able to hit our environmental targets.”

One of those important initiatives was announced in October 2021 when Aramark became the first food service provider to adopt Coolfood meals, an initiative of WRI that helps companies reduce the climate impact of food and label meals that are better for the environment.

In June 2022, Aramark became the first contract foodservice provider in the U.S. to sign WRI’s Coolfood Pledge, making a commitment to reduce the GHG emissions associated with the food the company serves in the U.S. by 25 percent by 2030.

Healthy, Delicious Climate Action

What are Coolfood meals?

“We are proof that meals can be climate-friendly, healthy, and delicious,” said Edwina Hughes, Head of Coolfood at WRI. “We help organizations like Aramark analyze their recipes to make sure meals fit within certain carbon and health parameters—and then certify those meals may be assigned a Coolfood badge at points of service. Coolfood makes it easy for consumers to find dishes they love and to participate in climate action at the same time.”

Working with Aramark experts, WRI analyzes recipe ingredients to establish a dish’s carbon footprint, including the land used to produce that meal.

Dishes that contain beef, lamb, and dairy generally have a higher carbon footprint than vegetables, legumes, and grains.

However, that doesn’t mean Coolfood meals are strictly vegetarian or vegan.

A recipe might be what Aramark calls, “plant-forward,” in which vegetables, beans, and whole grains are more prominent on a plate while small amounts of meat are used almost as a garnish.

Eating plant-forward can often be better for a person’s health, as well.

To make sure Coolfood meals are nutritionally sound, WRI analyzes a dish’s calories, saturated fat, sugar, sodium, fiber, protein, and fruit/vegetable levels.

Each Coolfood recipe must meet both the established per-meal carbon threshold and the nutritional safeguards.

Coolfood Meals Take Off!

College students in particular are interested in finding ways to reduce their personal carbon footprint.

Starting in spring 2022, Aramark piloted Coolfood meals at 10 U.S.-based universities, making it easier for students on those client campuses to make climate-friendly choices.

During the pilot program, Aramark managers and chefs learned how Coolfood meals work in a real-life environment. Among the findings, the team learned the following:

Awareness of the Coolfood meals badge quadrupled pre-pilot to post-pilot;Two-thirds of consumers said the badge would likely affect their meal choice; andClient requests to participate increased across Aramark lines of business.

One of those pilot accounts was University of Virginia (UVA).

“Coolfood meals fit in really well on campus,” said Caroline Baloga, Aramark Sustainability Manager at UVA. “The University is working toward several sustainability goals, one of which is carbon neutrality. Coolfood meals has helped us realize which items are more climate-friendly—and pass that awareness along to the students.”

“The program was relatively easy to implement, and the students seem to respond well to the menu items,” said David Mason, Aramark Senior Executive Chef at UVA. “We now offer eight Coolfood meals for both lunch and dinner every day at three residential dining halls. A lot of the items are plant-forward so there’s synergy there in terms of student preferences. As long as we are satisfying customers with great items, it all works out.”

Some popular items at UVA include the Chicken Tikka Masala Rice Bowl, Margherita Flatbread, and Greek Vegetable Ciabatta.

Based on the success of the pilot, Aramark expanded Coolfood meals to customers in Aramark Healthcare+, Aramark Workplace Experience Group, and Aramark Collegiate Hospitality in January 2023.

As of March 2023, Coolfood meals were available at more than 1,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada, making climate-friendly dining options available and convenient for guests.

“We have been going through the recipes and trying items to figure out what works best in our retail cafe,” said Karina Radziak, Aramark General Manager at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia.

Because Coolfood meals also fit into nutrition parameters, they often meet Aramark’s guidelines for Eat Well healthy menu items.

As part of National Nutrition Month in March, Aramark Healthcare+ dietitians at Einstein Medical Center hosted a sampling table for hospital staff and visitors to demonstrate how meals can be tasty, healthy, and climate-friendly. Customers enjoyed samples of Spicy Chicken and Portobello Pasta and Mango Quinoa Salad.

“The hospital is focused on sustainability overall, and we are also part of the Philadelphia Good Food, Healthy Hospitals initiative,” said Radziak. “Einstein Medical Center is part of a larger health system, so we think Coolfood meals will fit in well here and might get expanded to other hospitals in the future.”

To date, more than 1,500 Aramark recipes have been certified as Coolfood meals, including tasty and popular items such as Pesto Cavatappi and Vegetables, Tofu-Potato Hash, California Taco Salad, Spicy Shrimp and Penne, and Eggplant Meatball Marinara.

“The evidence is clear. Our customers crave more climate-friendly meals—and Coolfood meals are one way we can deliver that,” said Horowitz. “If we make it easier for our chefs and easier for our guests, we can make low carbon meal choices available to everybody at almost all of our accounts.”

Aramark is working to continue to expand the availability of Coolfood meals through additional lines of business and geographies.

The 10-year supply agreement covers the plant in Buñuel, in the autonomous community of Navarra, and will save the paper group 12,870 metric tons of CO2 per year.

PORCAR (LU), Italy, April 17, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Sofidel, one of the world’s leading paper groups for the production of paper for hygienic and domestic use known particularly in Italy and Europe for its Regina brand, has signed a long-term supply agreement in Spain with ACCIONA Energía, one of the main players in Spain for renewable energy.

The agreement, a 10-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), will provide the Buñuel plant in the autonomous community of Navarra with 90 gigawatt hours per year of renewable electricity from ACCIONA Energía’s renewable facilities in Spain. This will save the paper group 12,870 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.

The agreement provides for the supply of electricity with 100% renewable origin accreditation certified by Spain’s National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC), as well as access to ACCIONA Energía’s GREENCHAIN® application, a platform based on blockchain technology that allows the renewable origin of energy to be tracked in real-time. Using this tool, Sofidel will know which ACCIONA Energía production plant and which renewable source supplied each MW to its plant.

“In line with its path toward a low-carbon economy, Sofidel is pursuing a multi-option energy procurement policy, linked to the different legislative, infrastructural and environmental contexts in which it operates” explains Riccardo Balducci, Sofidel Energy & Environment Director. “The signing of the PPA with ACCIONA Energía fits into this pattern and represents a decisive step toward achieving our goals.”

Javier Montes, Commercial Director from ACCIONA Energía, comments: “PPAs represent a valuable ally for companies committed to energy transition and emissions abatement. With this agreement, ACCIONA Energía consolidates its partnership with Sofidel and helps support the Group in achieving its sustainability goals.”

Sofidel’s 2030 CO2 emission reduction targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as consistent with the reductions needed in order to limit global warming to well below 2°C under the Paris Agreement. These objectives include a 40% reduction in Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 CO2 emissions in relation to its suppliers’ pulp production activities;in addition to a further objective of a 24% reduction in Scope 3 CO2 emissions per metric ton of paper.

A commitment to fight climate change that has enabled Sofidel to once again, in2022, rank in the Leadership band of the Climate Change rating of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP),among the leading independent international organizations measuring environmental performance, and obtained for the second consecutive year the Platinum recognition from EcoVadis for its approach to sustainability confirming its place among the top 1% of companies in its sector worldwide.
 

About The Sofidel Group     
The Sofidel Group, a privately held company owned by the Stefani and Lazzareschi families, is a world leader in the manufacture of paper for hygienic and domestic use. Founded in 1966, the Group has subsidiaries in 12 countries – Italy, Spain, the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Romania, and the USA – with more than 6,400 employees. A member of the UN Global Compact and the international WWF Climate Savers program, the Sofidel Group considers sustainability a strategic imperative and is committed to promoting sustainable development.  For more information, visit www.sofidel.com.         

Media Contact:     
Brianna Fitzpatrick  
Mulberry Marketing Communications  
bfitzpatrick@mulberrymc.com 

The importance of family forest landowners

Forests cover more than 750 million acres in the U.S., about one-third of the country’s landmass. They represent the country’s largest terrestrial carbon sink, continuously taking carbon out of the atmosphere and storing it in trees. Yet forests offer significantly greater potential to mitigate the country’s carbon impacts through carbon-smart forest management.

Enter family forest landowners — the families and individuals who own and manage nearly 40% of America’s forestlands. Forest landowners, whose tracts measure between 30 acres and 2,400 acres, care deeply about the health of their woods, the future of their land and the planet. They want to play an active role in protecting forests, but often struggle to realize the full potential of their land for carbon sequestration.

How the Family Forest Carbon Program can help

The Family Forest Carbon Program, developed by the American Forest Foundation (AFF) and The Nature Conservancy, with financial and technical support from International Paper, enables family forest owners to access climate finance from carbon markets — empowering them to help address climate change while earning income from their land.

In a recent American Forest Foundation blog, the AFF noted that voluntary carbon markets are emerging as one of the primary ways to finance climate action. In a new strategic direction for the Family Forest Carbon Program, the AFF will expand access to this market for family forest owners from all walks of life while producing high quality forest carbon credits.

“The sustainability of forests remains critically important to our business, our communities, and our planet,” said Sophie Beckham, IP’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “Natural climate solutions are key to mitigating climate change. Programs such as this one are essential to advancing robust carbon accounting methodology and identifying incentives to engage family forest landowners.”

Growing the program to help families store more carbon

In 2022, IP’s support enabled the Family Forest Carbon Program to scale up in the Central Appalachian area of the U.S., while also expanding into other forest areas. The program has enrolled an additional 248 landowners representing 36,302 acres, bringing the total enrollment to 313 landowners and 46,088 acres.

Across the life of their contracts, those landowners will sequester and store an additional estimated 987,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide – a number which will be validated and verified by third-parties under the Verified Carbon Standard.

The program has expanded from the Central Appalachians to the Northeast (Vermont, New York and New Hampshire) and the Midwest (Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan), and aims to enroll an additional 95,000 acres in 2023.

The program also is on track to launch activities in the U.S. Southeast this year, with practices related to afforestation of degraded fields and pasturelands, and potentially with practices aimed at the improved management of native pine species.

Learn more about the Family Forest Carbon Program.

About International Paper
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a leading global supplier of renewable fiber-based products. We produce corrugated packaging products that protect and promote goods, and enable worldwide commerce, and pulp for diapers, tissue and other personal care products that promote health and wellness. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 38,000 colleagues globally. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2021 were $19.4 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting InternationalPaper.com.

Many businesses aren’t just talking about carbon credits – they’re investing millions of dollars in them. And with all that money being spent, many are raising questions about the integrity and transparency of the projects that are being funded.

Today, the average price for a carbon credit in Cool Effect’s portfolio of carbon projects is $14.36. Just two short years ago it was $7.60. As prices grow, the market continues to evolve, and other factors continue to emerge, it’s important to understand that the voluntary carbon market is unregulated and, as such, pricing is often confusing.

Cool Effect’s mission is to help individuals and businesses make informed investments about carbon credits and understand where their money is going. The price of a carbon credit can vary from project to project, making it difficult to understand exactly how your money is being used and where your money is going.

When investing in a carbon credit with Cool Effect, your money goes to support a variety of factors, including:

Project operations – The technology and workpower that goes into setting up a project, maintaining it, and monitoring its impact on CO2.Co-benefits – Besides carbon removal, many carbon-reduction projects also actively provide aid and development to local communities.Viability and Reinvestment – Allocating funds to ensure that projects can achieve sustainable growth, not just success in the short term.

Purchasing a carbon credit is like making any other big purchase: it’s important to ask the seller specific questions about where your money is going. Don’t stop with “what is your fee?” and instead specifically ask “how much money is going to the project?” You want to avoid proprietary trading, onward selling and hidden fees. If a seller isn’t committed to full transparency, be very wary before you purchase carbon credits from them.

In 2019, Cool Effect introduced The Seller’s Pledge, a legal commitment to pricing transparency that is made to any buyer of carbon credits from its platform as part of Cool Effect’s Carbon Done Correctly program. Cool Effect holds itself to the highest financial and operational standard—no mysterious costs or hidden charges. Over 90% of every donation goes directly to project partners. The only fee Cool Effect places on any donation is a 9.87% fee which is disclosed to both the buyer and the project developer.

“I often look to the stock market in the 1950s as an analogy for the Voluntary Carbon Market today. We didn’t know at the time who was going to be a blue chip company. We had to do the research, just like Cool Effect does today,” says Richard Lawrence. “Cool Effect is working to identify who is a blue chip and who is not. There’s both a research component to the quality of the credit and transparency in the business practices. I recommend that every buyer ask for legal transparency from the broker on the pricing of each credit they purchase. Ask to disclose the price being paid to the project. Look to eliminate hidden mark ups and proprietary trading. The voluntary carbon market alone won’t tell you how legitimate a project is — but with increased transparency, like you can see with The Seller’s Pledge, comes increased trust from purchasers.”

It is also important to realize that carbon credits are part of a market. Similar to equities in the stock market, the availability and prices of carbon credits change quickly. They are not static items like office supplies which can be purchased in bulk at uniform prices and be precisely budgeted ahead of time.

“Not all carbon credits are created equal and we feel that there’s no better way to ensure Carbon Done Correctly than through an unwavering commitment to transparency,” says Jodi Manning, VP, Director of Marketing & Partnerships for Cool Effect. “We want the buyer to know exactly what will be sent to the project, and we want the developer to know exactly what is being paid and what they will receive. We want every buyer to trust that their donation to these incredible projects is going to make a difference.”

Ultimately, you shouldn’t let the complexities of carbon pricing scare you off from investing in carbon credits. The support of high-quality carbon projects is one of the tools in the toolbox for collectively fighting our warming climate and achieving ambitious climate goals, and transparent mechanisms for carbon finance are already in place. At the end of the day, carbon credits are more than just financial tools. They’re one of the most efficient ways to channel funds into the developing world, and there are countless stories of carbon finance being transformative to a local community.

To learn more about Cool Effect or how to partner with the organization to develop a meaningful sustainability and carbon offset program, please visit cooleffect.org/for-business.

Highlighting its purpose to help clients, colleagues, and communities thrive, KeyCorp has released its 2022 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report. The report includes updates on Key’s sustained progress against each of the company’s ESG priorities: climate stewardship; financial inclusion; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and, data privacy and security.

KeyCorp’s 2022 ESG report can be found here.

“I am proud of the notable progress and advancements we made in support of our ESG priorities in 2022,” said Chris Gorman, KeyCorp’s Chairman and CEO. “Responsible corporate citizenship is foundational to who we are, how we do business, and how we deliver value to all of our stakeholders: our clients, our teammates, our communities, and our shareholders.

KeyCorp’s 2022 report details progress on the company’s ESG priorities:

Climate Stewardship: Key is taking action on climate stewardship. This includes deploying $5 billion of new capital in 2022 to support a low carbon economy as well as making measurable progress against company emission reduction and carbon neutral operations pledges.

Financial Inclusion: In 2022, Key invested more than $6 billion to support low- and moderate-income neighbors and neighborhoods through: affordable housing projects; mortgages; small business lending; and, transformational philanthropy.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: KeyCorp made significant progress on its 10-year commitment to increase representation of people of color in senior leadership by 50%, increasing representation by 36% in the first 18 months of this commitment. Key was also recognized as one of the Best of the best for its Supplier Diversity Program and was named to DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity for the 13th time.

Data, Privacy, and Security: Keeping the personal and financial information of clients and teammates protected and secure is one of Key’s highest priorities. In 2022, Key strengthened data safeguards and controls from enhancing fraud detection capabilities to improving customer service in case management and dispute resolution.

“As we move forward, we’ll continue our focus on creating shared value. From investing in communities to reducing our own carbon footprint to deploying a workforce representative of the communities we serve – our business model and strategy lifts neighbors and neighborhoods by providing financial advice, expertise, and capabilities to the clients we serve,” said Eric Fiala, Head Of Corporate Responsibility and Community Relations, KeyCorp.

About KeyBank 

KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $190 billion at December 31, 2022. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com. KeyBank Member FDIC.

LINCOLN, Neb., April 18, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The Arbor Day Foundation is making it easy to say “yes” to Arbor Day this year.

During the week of the Arbor Day national holiday, April 23 to 29, the Arbor Day Foundation will plant one tree for each Instagram, Twitter or Facebook post that uses the hashtag #ArborDay.

Arbor Day Foundation partner Vita Coco will provide funds for up to 100,000 trees, each going in a forest of greatest need located in the United States.

“Every time the hashtag is used, someone is helping activate the power of a tree in forests that need it most. By saying “yes” to Arbor Day, people are also saying “yes” to a healthier planet,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We are grateful to work alongside our partner Vita Coco this Arbor Day and work together to drive positive change in our world’s forests.”

In 2022, #ArborDay was the number one trending hashtag on Twitter and led to 150,000 trees planted. The social media campaign is designed to educate people on the benefits trees can bring to climate, community and biodiversity.

Vita Coco is a global coconut water brand sold in 30 countries. The company is committed to protecting nature and empowering coconut farming communities through its business. Vita Coco recently launched its Seedlings for Sustainability initiative, which has a goal of facilitating the planting and distribution of 10 million seedlings and trees by 2030. The company has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to facilitate the planting of trees in the U.S. to support reforestation efforts.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation,” said John Tran, Social Impact & Sustainability Program Director. “We are honored to be addressing climate education through tangible and actionable ways that protect our natural resources.”

The Arbor Day Foundation has leveraged a global network of partnerships to plant trees in more than 50 countries around the world. In its first 50 years, the organization has planted nearly 500 million trees. Now, the Arbor Day Foundation is hoping to plant another 500 million new trees in forests and neighborhoods of greatest need by June 2027.

Arbor Day is celebrated nationally each year on the last Friday in April, which is April 28 this year. Many states celebrate the holiday at various times throughout the year, depending on seasonal planting periods, too.

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.

About the Vita Coco Company

The Vita Coco Company, Inc. was co-founded in 2004 by Michael Kirban and Ira Liran. Pioneers in the functional beverage category, The Vita Coco Company’s brands include the leading coconut water, Vita Coco; clean energy drink, Runa; sustainable enhanced water, Ever & Ever; and protein-infused water, PWR LIFT. With its ability to harness the power of people and plants, and balance purpose and profit, The Vita Coco Company has created a modern beverage platform built for current and future generations. The Vita Coco Company, Inc. is a B Corp™ and is incorporated as a Public Benefit Corporation.

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ALEXANDRIA Va., April 18, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) today announced the RMI’s Global Responsible Sourcing Due Diligence Standard for Mineral Supply Chains – All Minerals has achieved recognition by the London Metal Exchange (LME). This is the sixth RMI standard to be conditionally approved by the LME and it is an important due diligence tool for battery materials and the green energy transition.

The RMI’s Global Responsible Sourcing Due Diligence Standard for Mineral Supply Chains – All Minerals is a mineral-agnostic standard applicable to single-metal as well as multi-metal facilities producing, sourcing and processing metals worldwide. The standard is grounded in the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas and is designed to verify the responsible sourcing practices of metal processors, integrated processing and mining operations, and independent mining operations as well as upstream traders and exporters.

This marks another milestone in the number of RMI standards that have been conditionally approved by the LME, now six in total, which are listed below. These standards are also available for disclosure on LME’s digital credentials register, LMEpassport.

RMI standards focused on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affect and High-Risk Areas:

RMI All Minerals StandardRMI Tin and Tantalum StandardRMI Cobalt Refiner Supply Chain Due Diligence StandardJoint Due Diligence Standard assessed with the RMAPITA-RMI Tin Assessment Criteria assessed with the RMAP

The RMI continues to work closely with the LME to complete the full approval process of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance-based standards, which are all now conditionally approved in line with LME’s alignment policies and the OECD’s methodology.

RMI standard focused on environmental, social and governance risks:

RMI ESG Standard for Mineral Supply Chains

The RMI Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Standard for Mineral Supply Chains was recognized by the LME as functionally equivalent to ISO 41001 and ISO 45001. This allows auditees to meet LME’s requirements on environmental management and occupational health and safety management through a single audit.

“These recognitions represent a significant benefit for RMI auditees that are listed on the London Metal Exchange, allowing minerals processors to leverage RMI assessments to demonstrate alignment with LME’s responsible sourcing requirements,” said Jennifer Peyser, Executive Director of the Responsible Minerals Initiative. “This maximizes the value of RMI assessments and reduces the risk and burden of audit duplication while advancing companies’ due diligence efforts.”

All RMI standards can be viewed here on the RMI website.

About the Responsible Minerals Initiative 
The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) is an initiative of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA). The RMI is a multi-industry initiative with more than 400 member companies. Its members contribute to the development and international uptake of a range of tools and resources focused on minerals supply chain due diligence, including independent third-party audit programs for smelters, Minerals Reporting Templates, supply chain risk assessment tools, Country of Origin data, and guidance documents on responsible sourcing of all minerals/metals. The RMI runs regular workshops on responsible sourcing issues and contributes to policy development with civil society organizations and governments. For more information, visit ResponsibleMineralsInitiative.org

About the London Metal Exchange

The London Metal Exchange is the world centre for industrial metals trading. Most of the world’s non-ferrous metals business is conducted on the LME totalling $15.2 trillion, 134 million lots and 3.1 billion tonnes in 2022. The metals community uses the LME, an HKEX Group company, as a venue to transfer or take on price risk, as a physical market of last resort and as the provider of transparent global reference prices.

Media Contact:

Jarrett Bens, Senior Director of Communications 
Responsible Business Alliance 
Phone: +1 571.858.5721 
jbens@responsiblebusiness.org

CALGARY, Alberta, April 18, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Benevity Inc., the leading provider of global corporate purpose software, today announced the launch of its new Climate Action Kit in collaboration with Count Us In, a global movement of people and organizations taking steps to address climate change. The Climate Action Kit enables companies to incorporate climate action into their corporate purpose programs by providing engaging ways to get employees involved. The kit includes volunteer opportunities, curated lists of vetted environmental organizations and a library of micro-actions focused on reducing the environmental footprint of a company and its employees.

With 65% of leaders feeling pressure from their employees to act on climate change issues, companies have been focused on net zero and carbon emission reduction as part of their environmental, social and governance (ESG) or sustainability efforts. Now, organizations are also recognizing the need to meet the demand and passions of their employees to take action directly on these issues. Benevity’s Climate Action Kit enables companies to educate employees on how to adopt environmentally sustainable behaviors and make informed decisions to reduce their environmental impact with the support of their employers.

In 2022, only 3.2% of donations on the Benevity platform went to environmental causes, despite the acceleration of the climate crisis to a climate emergency. Benevity’s Climate Action Kit helps employees and companies amplify advocacy, conservation and carbon reduction efforts led by trusted nonprofits around the world.

“As an organization that encourages people to take bold steps to fight the climate crisis, Count Us In recognizes that motivating businesses and individuals to get more involved and invest in helping the planet is crucial,” said Ipsita Bhatia, Director of Business Engagement, Count Us In. “It’s estimated that up to 30% of the global emission reductions needed to avoid the worst of climate change can come from individual and household actions, and this can influence solutions at scale. We can all make a huge difference by taking action in our lives, and our partnership with Benevity will make it easier than ever before for companies and their employees to contribute.”

The Climate Action Kit includes:

More than 150 sustainability micro-actions with actionable steps and activities employees can take to combat climate change, with a focus on impact, influence and involvement, such as going plastic-free for a day, donating used clothing, conducting a home energy audit or reducing water usage at home.A volunteering opportunity to join the Great Global Cleanup and participate in the world’s largest coordinated volunteer event on Earth Day and beyond.Lists of vetted environmental and sustainability causes working to move the needle on climate change created in partnership with some of the world’s most influential climate champions including Mark Ruffalo, Christiana Figueres, Adam McKay and Zamzam Ibrahim.Reporting for corporate sustainability leaders, including key metrics that highlight which actions drive the most impact and which activities generate the highest engagement among employees. 
 

“We know that climate change has escalated beyond just an environmental crisis. It is also a crisis of inequity, disproportionately affecting marginalized people all around the world,” said Sona Khosla, Benevity’s Chief Impact Officer. “We are thrilled to team up with Count Us In, a global leader in sustainability, to enable our clients, who have a massive opportunity with their reach, to mobilize employees all around the world to take daily actions that can make a material difference to the future of our planet. This will not only enhance corporate sustainability efforts, but will let employees know their employers support their values when it comes to climate action.”

To learn more about how Benevity empowers companies and their people to take action on social and environmental issues, visit benevity.com.

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About Benevity 
Benevity, a certified B Corporation, is the leader in global corporate purpose software, providing the only integrated suite of community investment and employee, customer and nonprofit engagement solutions. Recognized as one of Fortune’s Impact 20, Benevity offers cloud solutions that power purpose for many iconic brands in ways that better attract, retain and engage today’s diverse workforce, embed social action into their customer experiences and positively impact their communities. With software that is available in 22 languages, Benevity has processed more than $12 billion in donations and 56 million hours of volunteering time to support 418,000 nonprofits worldwide. The company’s solutions have also facilitated 900,000 micro-actions and awarded 1.2 million grants worth $18 billion. For more information, visit benevity.com.

About Count Us In 
Count Us In is building the world’s largest and most ambitious community of people and organizations taking action to protect what they love from climate change. Through its 16 science-backed high-impact steps, individuals can significantly reduce their emissions and, at the same time, influence leaders to deliver bold at-scale solutions to mitigate the climate crisis. Every step taken with Count Us In and partner climate action platforms is reflected in the Count Us In Global Aggregator, showcasing the power of individual action taken collectively. A radical collaboration, Count Us In has a growing network of 100+ partners – including the EU, WWF, IKEA, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Netflix titles and Extreme E – reaching people through sport, culture & entertainment, and the brands they work for and consume. Learn more at count-us-in.com

Media Contact 
Maggie Crouch│Walker Sands, for Benevity│benevity-pr@walkersands.com