July, 2021

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Circular economics and the $57B e-waste opportunity

GreenBiz

Circular economics and the $57B e-waste opportunity. Heather Clancy. Mon, 07/12/2021 - 02:00. The plastic waste problem gets plenty of attention, and for good reason: If we continue mismanaging this material as usual, there could be 7.7 gigatons of the stuff cluttering landfills, waterways and oceans, or being incinerated by 2040. Just as stunning: Plastic isn't the fastest growing waste stream the world needs to deal with. .

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Inclusive fintech is the first stop for impact venture capital in Africa

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, July 8 – Small business loans. Digital payments. Free remittances. Venture investors looking for deals in Africa are stocking their pipelines with. The post Inclusive fintech is the first stop for impact venture capital in Africa appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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Bifacial solar panels can increase yields

Renewable Energy World

Most people don’t give the color of their roofs a second thought, but it could be costing their business a lot of money. White or light gray roofs can increase rooftop bifacial PV energy yields by up to 25 percent and increase the return on investment by up to 10 percent, according to new research by Opsun, a bifacial PV racking company. Other companies are improving performance more directly.

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How Artificial Intelligence Can Create Real Value for your Business

Daniel Burrus

Whether we ask Amazon’s Alexa to play our favorite song or shout “Hey, Google” before asking the device a question to help our child with their homework, artificial intelligence (A.I.) has been in the spotlight more frequently in the past few years in consumer applications. In past articles, I have identified the implementation of artificial intelligence (A.I.) as being “helpfully cool”; however, its application in industries of all sorts is exponentially revolutionizing how we both think and wo

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How to Drive Cost Savings, Efficiency Gains, and Sustainability Wins with MES

Speaker: Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions

Is your manufacturing operation reaching its efficiency potential? A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) could be the game-changer, helping you reduce waste, cut costs, and lower your carbon footprint. Join Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions, in this value-packed webinar as he breaks down how MES can drive operational excellence and sustainability.

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Dogs can recognize a bad person and there’s science to prove it.

Good.is: Planet

This article originally appeared on 06.06.19 Dogs can smell fear, but can they sniff out the truth? Your dog might actually be smarter than you're giving it credit for. It turns out, dogs are pretty good at picking up on human behavior. Science says so. A team led by Akiko Takaoka of Kyoto University in Japan conducted a study which found out that dogs actually know if you're to be believed or not.

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Government has failed to tackle fast fashion, despite the problem worsening, says report

Envirotec Magazine

A woman demonstrates against fast fashion (image credit: Stefan Müller (climate stuff) , CC BY 2.0 license ). New research published on 6 July raises the issue that the UK Government has published only 19 policies in five strategies that tackle the issue of fast fashion to date, despite the fast fashion industry being the second largest user and polluter of water globally and one of the largest contributors to modern slavery.

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Impact management gets a boost from the Tipping Point Fund on Impact Investing

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, July 27 – As the market for impact investments grows, “so too must the metrics, tools, and platforms used to measure and disclose. The post Impact management gets a boost from the Tipping Point Fund on Impact Investing appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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New Mexico’s community solar program

Renewable Energy World

Originally published at ILSR.org. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Energy Transition Act ( SB 489 ) in 2019, which introduced the idea of a community solar program, and also mandated that New Mexico move to 50% renewable energy by 2030. However, New Mexico’s community solar program was truly born in 2021, when the Community Solar Act ( SB 84 ) established New Mexico’s official program.

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TED Talk: Women and Girls, You are Part of the Climate Solution

Strategic Sustainability Consulting

Everyone loves a good TED Talk, here’s one of our favorites: Educating and empowering women and girls is one of the most important things we can do to confront carbon pollution and could result in a reduction of 80 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions says Omani scientist, activist, and athlete Rumaithat Al Busaidi in her compelling TED Talk. Most people think of technological or political solutions to climate change but the way our societies are structured, who has power and who does not, can have

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ISTC program yields big savings for Illinois wastewater treatment plants

Environmental News Bits

by Lisa Sheppard, Prairie Research Institute Illinois municipalities hoping to save money on energy costs for wastewater treatment turn to the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) Technical Assistance Program (TAP) for advice. The Wastewater Treatment Plant Energy Assistance Program started in 2018 with funding from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

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The Key to Sustainable Energy Optimization: A Data-Driven Approach for Manufacturing

Speaker: Kevin Kai Wong, President of Emergent Energy Solutions

In today's industrial landscape, the pursuit of sustainable energy optimization and decarbonization has become paramount. ♻️ Manufacturing corporations across the U.S. are facing the urgent need to align with decarbonization goals while enhancing efficiency and productivity. Unfortunately, the lack of comprehensive energy data poses a significant challenge for manufacturing managers striving to meet their targets. 📊 Join us for a practical webinar hosted by Kevin Kai Wong of Emergent Ene

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ESA and NASA join forces in a bid to better understand climate change

Envirotec Magazine

To address climate change, decision-makers need accurate information on how our world is changing now, and also what may happen in the future. A sound knowledge of how Earth behaves as one system is the foundation to all of this – and the pieces of this complex puzzle come largely from satellites orbiting our planet. To ensure that data from Earth-observing satellites are used to their best advantage, further science and, ultimately, bring the most benefit to humankind, ESA and NASA have formed

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These entrepreneurs want consumers to reuse wine bottles

GreenBiz

Although the approaches used by Good Goods and Gotham Project are different, both companies play up the importance of digital technology and sturdier glass.

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Long coming but slow to arrive, fusion energy approaches a milestone on path to commercial deployment

Impact Alpha

In an old brick garage on an industrial street in Cambridge. Mass., a team of physicists and engineers are getting ready this month. The post Long coming but slow to arrive, fusion energy approaches a milestone on path to commercial deployment appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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The UK’s ‘Green Jobs Taskforce’ outlines plan to boost Britain’s green economy

Renewable Energy World

Public support for clean energy is growing at a pace of knots and most governments now also view climate change as a non-negotiable priority to tackle. Additionally, the business case for transitioning to a low carbon economy is now better understood and stacks up as a means of future-proofing any country from energy deficits or financial downturns.

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Are Your Impact Comms Resonating With Stakeholders?

Whether your organization is at the start of its sustainability and impact journey or years into it, many brands share a common concern: the uncertainty of whether they are sending stakeholders mixed messages. Creating content that speaks to your audience's “love language” can be a tricky dance. But, worry not! 3BL has put together tips to ensure that your content not only finds its rhythm but also resonates with your target audiences.

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Is the Way of the Future In-Store or Online? Why not both?

Daniel Burrus

Whether we swipe our finger or ask Siri using our voice, smartphones have become a window to the world of information and knowledge sitting in our front pockets and purses. Nearly all of us have access to this miraculous device that allows for constant connection to and communication with the rest of the world, and in the rare case that we are not with these smartphones or other digital devices, we are probably asking the person next to us to use theirs to check something for us.

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Past, present, and future of green product innovation

Environmental News Bits

Khan, S. J., Dhir, A., Parida, V., & Papa, A. (2021). Past, present, and future of green product innovation. Business Strategy and the Environment, 1– 26. [link] (open access) Abstract: Firms are under constant pressure from various governmental and nongovernmental agencies to switch from conventional environmentally polluting products to green product innovations (GPIs).

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Progress made but too many still falling short, says EA on environmental performance of water and sewerage firms

Envirotec Magazine

The EA’s downbeat appraisal made frequent reference to Southern Water’s record-breaking £90 million fine announced in early July, for sewage discharges believed to have caused significant damage to ecosystems along coastlines including that near the mouth of the Solent, pictured (image credit: James Stringer , CC BY-NC 2.0 license). The Environment Agency released its annual report on the environmental performance of England’s nine water and sewerage companies on 13 July.

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Can circular cities boost biodiversity?

GreenBiz

Aside from preserving the last remaining natural places, we need to create new ones — especially in cities.

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Mastering Supply Chain Sustainability: Where Does ESG Fit In?

Speaker: Hortense Grouvel

In this new webinar, you will learn firsthand how to set up a sustainable supply chain program that will help meet increasing ESG requirements stemming from regulators, customers, consumers, and investors alike. Hortense Grouvel, ESG expert at IntegrityNext, and Sean Whelan, Global Senior Manager at Halliburton, will look at how ensuring compliance will also help you increase sustainability performance, resilience, and innovation, allowing you to unlock the full potential of your supply chain op

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Zipline secures $250 million for drone delivery in Africa, Japan and the U.S.

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, July 6 – Zipline launched its drone-delivery service five years ago to improve blood and medical-supply logistics in Rwanda. The California-based company. The post Zipline secures $250 million for drone delivery in Africa, Japan and the U.S. appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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California CCA launches community solar program aimed at energy equity

Renewable Energy World

This week Marin Clean Energy (MCE) a community choice aggregator in California announced the launch of two new programs, Community Solar Connection and Green Access, aimed at energy equity and affordability. MCE will be offering qualifying customers living in a designated disadvantaged community access to 100% renewable energy and a 20% discount on their electricity bills for up to 20 years.

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After his old master wanted him back, the freed slave’s response is a literary masterpiece

Good.is: Planet

This article originally appeared on 11.03.17 In 1825, at the approximate age of 8, Jordan Anderson (sometimes spelled “Jordon") was sold into slavery and would live as a servant of the Anderson family for 39 years. In 1864, the Union Army camped out on the Anderson plantation and he and his wife, Amanda, were liberated. The couple eventually made it safely to Dayton, Ohio, where, in July 1865, Jordan received a letter from his former owner, Colonel P.H.

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Happy 50th birthday to Chez Panisse, the Berkeley restaurant that launched farm-to-fork eating

Environmental News Bits

by Paul Freedman (Yale University) When a small restaurant called Chez Panisse opened its doors 50 years ago in Berkeley, California, it wasn’t obvious that it would change how Americans thought about eating. The first menu on Aug.

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What Regulations Will Impact Sustainability Comms in 2024?

Navigating the waters of sustainability reporting disclosures and regulations can be intimidating, to say the least. With various measures set in motion in 2023 to keep companies accountable, there is a lot in store for brands’ impact communication in the upcoming year. 3BL is kicking off this January with our Navigating ESG Comms Through the Cosmos - Capricorn Edition by highlighting the impact of: The U.S Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Climate disclosure rules The European Commission

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Water industry “shifting to outcome-based strategy”

Envirotec Magazine

Hornsey water treatment works, operated by Thames Water (image credit: diamond geezer , CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license ). The water sector is moving towards an outcome-focused approach to the way it plans and invests in environmental solutions, in the view of Phil Higgins, Jacobs head of water, UK & Ireland, who took part in the latest “Talking on Water” thought-leadership conversation with British Water chief executive Lila Thompson.

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Meet one vertical farm venture helping the industry grow past greens

GreenBiz

Meet one vertical farm venture helping the industry grow past greens. Jesse Klein. Tue, 07/20/2021 - 00:35. Vertical farming needs to get beyond the leafy green business — the ability to grow crops such as kale, microgreens and lettuce in urban or indoor settings won't transform the entire agriculture system. The industry needs to cultivate a much wider array of produce to mark more than a niche impact.

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Investing in marginalized communities to drive the COVID recovery

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, July 14 – The two-track recovery threatens to leave distressed communities even further behind. Consider Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood: “A community that was. The post Investing in marginalized communities to drive the COVID recovery appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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Renewables became second-most prevalent U.S. electricity source in 2020, per EIA

Renewable Energy World

In 2020, renewables generated a record 834 billion kWh of electricity, or about 21% of all the electricity generated in the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration , coming in second to natural gas at 1,617 billion kWh. Renewable energy sources include wind, hydroelectric, solar, biomass and geothermal energy. Only natural gas produced more electricity than renewables in the U.S. in 2020.

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What Questions Are Brands Asking About Their ESG Initiatives Ahead of 2024?

Temperatures are rising (and not just metaphorically) as key stakeholders anxiously anticipate the outcomes of COP28. While companies reconsider their 2024 environmental sustainability strategies, there is another aspect of ESG that deserves exploring, the social sector. In the latest edition of "Navigating ESG Comms Through the Cosmos - Sagittarius Edition", 3BL hones in on this sign’s bold quality of asking questions others are burning to know the answers to.

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Gay teacher fabulously shuts down homophobic mom who pulled her kids from his class.

Good.is: Planet

A drama teacher had the most polite "screw you" response to the mom who stopped her kids from taking classes with him upon discovering that he was gay. Michael Neri is a drama teacher from Kidderminster, England. He runs Talking Props Theatre School , a performing arts school for children ages 8 to 13. A mother signed her kids up to take theater classes at Talking Props, but upon discovering that Neri was gay, texted him to let her know that she was withdrawing them, citing her "Christian" belie

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Don’t hike so close to me: How the presence of humans can disturb wildlife up to half a mile away

Environmental News Bits

by Jeremy Dertien (Clemson University); Courtney Larson (University of Wyoming); and Sarah Reed, (Colorado State University) Millions of Americans are traveling this summer as pandemic restrictions wind down. Rental bookings and crowds in national parks show that many people are headed for the great outdoors.

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Public debate on water pollution “oversimplified”, believes expert panel

Envirotec Magazine

The rise of citizen science is placing increasing pressure on water companies to improve their environmental performance and protect river and bathing water quality. The water sector must get better at communicating the challenges of tackling pollution and why there is an urgent need for better collaboration between utilities, government bodies, regulators and customers.

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These 550 Kenyan women are saving a forest

GreenBiz

Only a few years ago, Samburu women in northern Kenya were cutting down firewood in Kirisia forest and burning it to make charcoal.

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The Silver Lining to Corporate DEI Challenges

In our latest edition of Navigating ESG Comms Through the Cosmos - Scorpio Edition, 3BL embraces the perspective of one of the zodiac's most misunderstood signs: Scorpio. While this sign often has a darker view of the world, they do not shy away from shining a light on controversial topics. This month we take a deep dive into corporate pullback of DEI and how companies can utilize astrological advice to reinvent its social impact communication.