Month: November 2022

Garry Cooper Jr., co-founder and CEO of Rheaply joins Mitch Ratcliffe for this episode of the Earth911 podcast. Mitch is the publisher at Earth911.com and the sustainability leader at Metaforce, a global marketing firm. A veteran tech journalist, Mitch is passionate about helping people understand sustainability and the impact of their buying decisions on the planet.
In this episode, the two discuss Rheaply’s vision of “Circularity for every business.” Much of the waste in our world is the result of overstocking and excess inventory in business and government. As much as $600 billion in surplus goods are lying unused in some of the largest organizations in the world, including universities, hospitals, and industries that span the planet, like construction and heavy manufacturing.

Enel Foundation is proud to announce the newly-released Position Paper on Circular Design Criteria by the Global Alliance for Sustainable Energy, an independent organization open to all stakeholders recognizing the urgency of tackling the climate emergency according to the principles of a just transition and the need to promote and embed sustainability and social responsibility in the renewable energy industry. It comprises a wide range of members (from NGOs to industry leaders, from universities to OEMs) sharing the objective of a better future for all. More information about the Global Alliance is available on its official website.

The Arnott’s Group and CleanPeak Energy, a specialist distributed renewable energy company, have signed an agreement to transition the worldclass Huntingwood manufacturing facility to 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2029.
The project, based in Sydney’s western suburbs, is expected to be one of Australia’s largest integrated behind the meter solar and battery installations.
The 44,000sqm manufacturing facility operates 24-hours, seven days a week, running five different automated manufacturing lines, producing around 53 per cent of The Group’s total biscuit volume. The site employs over 400 people and bakes around 56 million kilograms of biscuits annually, including some of Australia’s favourites like Tim Tam, Shapes and Jatz.

Harvard Business Review published its first issue 100 years ago with a mission to help leaders put the world’s best management thinking into practice. To mark its centennial, they asked eight current and former CEOs from some of the world’s top companies to describe the ideas that have propelled their own careers and organizations. Two themes emerged: first, the need for constant innovation and out-of-the-box thinking as markets become more dynamic; second, the importance of purpose and a vision that encompasses all stakeholders.

The Product Platform Rulebook is an open-access guide, developed by the Construction Innovation Hub and industry leaders, for various stakeholders within the supply chain to develop and deploy Product Platforms. The Rulebook aims to enable and promote the adoption of Product Platform approaches by providing guidance, tools, and a common framework for the industry.  The construction industry needs disruption, which the innovators and early adopters have initiated over the last few decades with the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction. But we now need guidance to build confidence in the approach for the majority to follow.  A Product Platform is often referred to as a ‘Kit of Parts’ which is a group of common and repeatable assets that can be configured and combined with interoperable components to deliver a range of distinct projects.

If tented living sounds like roughing it, think again. Naviva, a new Four Seasons Resort in Punta Mita, Mexico, has redefined the glamping concept, injecting top-of-the-line luxuries into every indoor-outdoor detail. Situated on 48 forested acres, with views of the Pacific Ocean, the 15 biophilic suites defer to the spectacular setting while incorporating upscale amenities like plunge pools and alfresco showers. “All building forms, interior designs, and guest narratives can be tied back to a natural phenomenon found in the surrounding context,” explains Graeme Labe of Luxury Frontiers, a sustainability-focused design studio that specializes in remote hospitality projects.
Read the full article at: www.architecturaldigest.com

In 2020, PwC India joined PwC network firms in a commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. Our net zero commitment is underpinned by a science-based target to reduce our emissions to a 50% absolute reduction of our scope 1 and 2 emissions as well as a 50% absolute reduction in scope 3 business travel greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as compared to our 2019 levels. Our commitment is aligned to a 1.5 degree scenario which is necessary to avert the worst impacts of climate change.
Read the full article at: www.pwc.in

The past two days have been a whirlwind of activity for over 1,000 students, educators and advisers from across the state.  The 2022 United Fall Leadership Conference, themed this year as “Amplify,” convened in Des Moines on Nov. 13-14 to bring together Iowa’s three business career and technical student organizations (CTSO). Held every four years, this conference provided members from Business Professionals of America (BPA), DECA and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) with workshops and panel sessions on leadership, professional skill-building and innovation in business.  CTSOs enhance career and technical education (CTE) programs and provide opportunities for students to apply the skills they have developed in classrooms through conferences, competitions, community services events, worksite visits and other activities. More than just an extracurricular activity, participation in CTSOs help students explore careers paths, develop skills and make connections within their community.

Singapore’s deliberate eco-smart metropolis Tengah goals to make use of synthetic intelligence to help good power administration. Fukuoka, Japan, is drawing on sensor knowledge to construct fashions that may assist monitor water use. San Diego, California, makes use of an app to attach, coordinate, and handle service requests. Vienna, Austria’s WienBot, a chatbot that gives solutions to a variety of person questions, repeatedly learns from its “conversations” to seize the general public’s most frequently-asked questions—of explicit significance throughout the COVID pandemic.  These international examples of how good cities are utilizing expertise are ever-growing. However with all this modern software comes the potential for bottle necks that may decelerate operations, diminish the power to scale options, and impede the event of the good metropolis ecosystem.

Even if your main mission isn’t environmental, the pressure is on all of us to combat the climate crisis. But it can be challenging to create a positive impact on the planet when you’re already stretched to deliver your primary purpose.  In our next WISE Ways to Lead webinar on Tuesday 22 November from 1-2pm, we’ll be joined by Elaine Brown who is driving forward the concept of re-use and repair through her social enterprise, The Edinburgh Remakery.  Elaine’s in-depth knowledge won her the Environmental Champion title in this year’s WISE100, and she will be sharing her tips and ideas for the small (and bigger) things that can help kick-start your business’s environmental journey.  We’ll also hear from Alison Marjoram of P3 Charity, a social enterprise that supports vulnerable people in England.

Every Thursday, California resident Richard Redmond takes a gallon-sized container of food scraps to the farmers market in the city of South Pasadena where it is collected and composted for use in gardens – an effort to reduce the amount of household waste he sends to landfill.  “It’s just stunning,” said the web designer who is in his 60s. “You can see how separating it just reduces the amount of garbage you are putting out.”  Redmond’s experience is a tiny window into a huge global problem, and not enough people are with him.  Every year, the world throws away around 931 million tons of food, most of it ending up in landfills, where it decomposes to produce around a tenth of the world’s climate-warming gases, according to the UN.

Cal Poly Humboldt has strong commitments to the environment in its campus policies, programs, and practices, according to The Princeton Review.  The education services company features Humboldt in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2023 Edition. Released on October 25, 2022, and accessible for free at princetonreview.com/green-guide, the guide profiles 455 colleges.  The Princeton Review chose the schools for the guide based on data from the company’s surveys of administrators at 713 colleges during the 2021–22 academic year and surveys of students attending the colleges. More than 25 data points were analyzed in the selection of schools for the guide and ranking list.  
Read the full article at: now.humboldt.edu

Over half (53%) of workplace and facilities management professionals have a good or excellent understanding of the circular economy framework concept, while only 13% report little or no understanding, findings from the second phase of the IWFM Sustainability Survey 2022 reveal.  However, almost a third (30%) of FMs have little or no understanding of the circular office and how circular economy principles relate to workplace management, presenting an opportunity for the profession to potentially make further cuts to embodied carbon in workplaces by enhancing their knowledge on the subject.

Radisson Hotel Group is one of the top 1000 companies with published approved science-based targets and has taken significant steps to define a clear path to becoming Net Zero by 2050, aligned with the landmark 2015 Paris Accord.Tourism & Travel as a sector represented 1/10 jobs and over 10% of global GDP in 2019.  On the path to recovery to pre-pandemic business levels, it is important to operate the industry with a wholistic focus on sustainability, accelerated decarbonization and inclusion to ensure a thriving growth in balance with planetary resources.
Read the full article at: www.journaldespalaces.com

Checkoff dollars support initiatives globally that boost demand and use of U.S. soy for humans and livestock. Tori Sorensen, a member of the U.S. Soybean Export Council’s (USSEC) board of directors and chairwoman for the Soy Excellence Center, shares how USSEC works on behalf of soybean farmers in global markets.  How are you connected to the soybean industry?  I’m the marketing director for Insta-Pro International, based in Grimes. We manufacture chemical-free processing equipment, such as extruders and oil presses, to make food and feed ingredients like full-fat soy, soybean meal and soy oil.  Growing up on a multi-generational farm in southeast Iowa, I am proud to represent my family and farmers across America through my work with USSEC.

Take on Tomorrow, the podcast from our management publication strategy+business, brings you Episode 8: “What’s the future of worker empowerment?”  The message coming from employees around the world is that they don’t want to be taken for granted. They’re finding new confidence in the shifting world of work. They’re calling on employers to listen, learn, and engage. So, how can businesses and employees find fresh opportunities in this era of new expectations? In this episode, hosts Ayesha and Lizzie hear from Tanuj Kapilashrami, group head of human resources at Standard Chartered, and Pete Brown, joint global leader for PwC’s people and organization practice, to discuss how employers and employees can thrive together.

Sustainability is one of the most important issues facing businesses and consumers in the 21st century. The global population is growing, which means there is an increasing demand for resources — many of which are being depleted at an alarming rate.  It’s clear that we need to find a way to sustain our growth while preserving our environment. Fortunately, many businesses have already begun implementing sustainable practices, which can help reduce waste while strengthening their brand reputation.  Some common corporate sustainability goals include reducing emissions, eliminating single-use plastics and improving energy efficiency. However, achieving these goals can be difficult, especially when you consider the size and complexity of most organizations. That’s why technology has been so instrumental in helping businesses improve their sustainability record.

Speaking at Facilities Show in May, co-located with IFSEC International, Ozge Celik Russell, Senior Analyst, Omdia, presented on how the smart building market is moving forwards since a pause in investment in the pandemic, adding that security will play a significant part in its evolution. Julian Hall reports.  For clarity, Ozge opened up the presentation by defining the term ‘smart buildings’ – being those that deliver building services through control systems that manage building operations, known as Building Management Systems (BMS).  A BMS is a single, centralised or distributed platform that acts as the building’s artificial intelligence. These systems aggregate data from equipment and sensors across many building domains and identify trends in building use and operations, acting upon the data through programmed sequential algorithms in order to reduce energy consumption, provide security and improve occupant comfort.

Rethinking collaboration across supply chains to produce food regeneratively.  African farmers, businesses, and food entrepreneurs are at the forefront of food production and the backbone of many African economies. As the many case studies included in this article show, some are already reaping the benefits of a shift to a circular economy for food. However, in many parts of the continent, agriculture fails to provide either sufficient nutrition to its citizens or a decent livelihood to its farmers.  African cities represent one of the fastest-changing demographics in the world.  Africa’s urban population is set to double in the next 30 years, at the same time the affluence of African citizens is also increasing. As a result, each year African cities require a greater overall volume of food and will in turn produce more organic waste.