Egreenews2020withvideo

Green Trends 2020 Edited by Hugo Hernandez Gusther

Whether it’s recycling ​Flint water bottles​ into engine cover insulation or turning ​Mississippi River tires ​into air-deflecting baffles, the organization is working together with its suppliers to advance a more circular economy where materials are kept in use. GM champions matchmaking efforts, such as the ​Materials Marketplace​, where one organization’s trash can be another’s raw material.

Altogether, GM recycles or reuses 2 million metric tons of byproducts a year. If someone were to place that material into the beds of Chevrolet Silverado extended-cab pickup trucks and park them end to end, they would stretch around the world.

GM has generated up to $1 billion from recycling in recent years. The organization reinvests that money into the business, including the development of fuel-efficient vehicles and new technologies shaping the future of personal mobility. Landfill-free facilities result in greater operational efficiency and eliminate waste-hauling fees. Repurposing waste into vehicle components or plant supplies means the organization doesn’t have to buy virgin material.

“We view sustainability as a business approach,” said John Bradburn, GM global manager of Waste Reduction. “We look at ways we can grow and strengthen our business for the long term, and that often means reducing our environmental footprint while maximizing social benefit.”

About a third of GM’s total landfill-free sites are technical centers, warehouses and offices. While in the midst of a major renovation at three Michigan facilities, GM partnered with Herman Miller and Green Standards to repurpose ​surplus office assets​ into $1 million of in-kind donations to about 100 Michigan-based community organizations.

Landfill-free sites added this year are in Asia, Africa, North America and South America: ●

Engine, parts distribution center and stamping operation in Talegaon, India

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Powertrain plant in Romulus, warehouse in Flint, aftersales operation in Madison Heights, storage facility in Grand Blanc, Michigan

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Distribution center in Charlotte, North Carolina

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Parts distribution center and assembly plant in Quito, Ecuador

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Assembly plant in ​Cairo​, Egypt

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Two assembly plants and two distribution centers in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

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GM Canada headquarters in Oshawa, Canada

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Foundry in Toluca, Mexico

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An assembly plant, stamping plant, technical center, engineering facility and support office in São Caetano do Sul, Brazil

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Assembly plant in Bogota, Colombia

With the Toluca, Mexico foundry now on the list — a site that melts and molds metal to make auto components — none of GM’s manufacturing operations in Mexico send waste to landfills. All GM European Opel/Vauxhall manufacturing plants have been landfill-free since 2015.

GM mentors about 25 companies a year, from small businesses to large multinational corporations, on how to manage challenging waste streams. The organization outlines best practices in a ​landfill-free blueprint​.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro TAGS Achieving landfill-free status is a significant accomplishment and companies demonstrating environmental leadership and social responsibility l zero waste to landfill companies l zero landfill definition l landfill free definition l zero waste to landfill definition l zero waste businesses l zero waste to landfill certification l zero waste companies I green building benefits l examples of green buildings l green building pdf l green building design l green building l green building best practices l green building trends

San Francisco becomes The Nation’s Greenest City LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12 /CSRwire - Today’s some of the most sustaintable trends include that Institutional owners of office buildings continued to pursue green building certifications in the 30 largest U.S. markets during 2015. Continuing an upward trend over the past decade, green certifications are now held by 11.8 percent of all surveyed buildings, representing 40.2 percent of all commercial office space. Both figures are slightly above last year’s results, according to the third annual Green Building Adoption Index study by ​CBRE Group, Inc.​ and ​Maastricht University​. “Green” office buildings in the U.S. are defined as those that hold either an EPA ENERGY STAR label, USGBC LEED certification or both. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V29Z4Q_Z0sk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> The third Annual Green Building Adoption Index Shows Percentage of U.S. Office Space “Green” Certified Tops 40%

After placing second on the Green Building Adoption Index the two prior years, the San Francisco market claimed the top spot with 73.7 percent of its space qualified as green certified. Chicago claimed the second spot, narrowly trailing the leader at 72.3 percent and Minneapolis fell from the top into third spot at 60.6 percent. Houston, Atlanta and Los Angeles all also achieved more than 50 percent green certification in their office markets.

“While the rate of growth in ‘green’ buildings has slowed modestly, our latest study underscores that in most major markets, sustainable office space has become the ‘new normal,’” said ​David Pogue​, CBRE’s Global Director of Corporate Responsibility.

The overall results of the study do show that the while the uptake of green building practices in the 30 largest U.S. cities continues to be significant, the rate of adoption is slowing. In 2014 the total sq. ft. of green office space in the top 30 markets was 39.3 percent compared to the latest rate of 40.2 percent.

“This likely reflects the fact that only a certain fraction of the building stock can obtain a green or energy-efficiency certification,” said Dr. Nils Kok, associate professor in Finance and Real Estate, Maastricht University (NL). “Additionally, we believe that some buildings that were previously certified did not renew their certification in 2015. This does not necessarily mean that the energy use of these buildings has changed, but that some owners and managers may choose not to spend the time or expense to reapply for certification every year.”

A new feature of the 2015 study is a geographic mapping platform that highlights the name, location and details of the specific green certification for each building in all 30 markets.

Executed in close collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and CBRE Research, this is the third release of the annual Green Building Adoption Index. Based on a rigorous methodology, the Index shows the growth of ENERGY STAR- and LEED-certified space for the 30 largest U.S. office markets, both in aggregate and in individual markets, over the previous 10 years.

View the study’s findings ​HERE​. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E6l0wLG7c9I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

About CBRE Group, Inc.

CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 organization headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2015 revenue). The organization has more than 70,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate investors and occupiers through more than 400 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro Tags greenest cities in usa l greenest cities in the us 2016 l citlies with most green space l greenest cities in the us 2015 l lushest cities in the us l greenest small towns in america l most sustainable cities in the us l cities with the most trees in the us l lushest places in the us http://www.ecowatch.com/10-greenest-cities-in-america-and-the-worst-1882107516.html

The TAIPEI 101 is now the World’s Greenest Tall Building HONG KONG, Jul. 15 /CSRwire/ - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building rating system developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) that has gained prominence on a global scale.

And now, across Asia some 6,700 projects of varying types, from interior fit outs to neighborhood developments, have been registered to-date. More than 2,100 projects have gone on to be LEED-c​ertified as green buildings. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LfsYwSiIEQc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> CBRE and TAIPEI 101 have created a new era for international green buildings, becoming the highest scoring LEED v4 project in the world to-date, and the first to reach the 90 points threshold.

TAIPEI 101 appointed CBRE’s Sustainability Asia team to act as LEED consultant to guide them through the process of recertifying its existing LEED v2009 Platinum certification in September 2014.

And while green buildings are increasingly common in Asia and around the world, the newer, more stringent v4 version of LEED—that was achieved by TAIPEI 101—has been slow to be adopted by the industry.

“The majority of projects continue to pursue the now familiar LEED v2009 rating system. However, LEED v4 has significantly raised the bar to help the real estate industry move towards the levels of green building performance we need to achieve. TAIPEI 101 management’s keenness to embrace the challenge of this higher standard; to looking at new ways of integrating sustainability into real estate, and the leadership shown by their property management and engineering teams truly sets a new benchmark for the industry,” said Tim Shen, Head of Sustainability, CBRE Asia.

Since the launch of LEED v4 in 2013, 66 buildings around the world have been certified with the system and of those, 24 have used the LEED O+M (operations and maintenance) rating system. In that time in Asia, LEED v4 projects represented around 17% of new registrations.

“We continue to see a strong increase in demand for green building and sustainable real estate practices from institutional investors, and the third-party verified performance that LEED O+M provides helps meet that. TAIPEI 101’s achievement is especially significant given the size and scale of the building, the number of tenants, and the fact that this has taken place in Asia. We believe that this will encourage others to make the leap from LEED v2009 to LEED v4, and marks a turning point in the greening of buildings worldwide. This could have a truly transformative impact on cities,” Mr Shen has added..

“LEED v4 O+M Platinum re certification in the height of our financial performance is solid evidence that excellent management is able to bring landlord and tenant interest in perfect alignment to further the cause of sustainable leadership. It is also the ethically right thing to do to mitigate the impact of built landscape on our global climate,” commented Joseph Chou, Chairman of TAIPEI 101.

CBRE was able to help TAIPEI 101—a supertall building with more than two million sq. ft. gross floor area, 101 floors and 126 different tenants—increase their LEED score from the original 82 points achieved in 2011, with 100% of submitted points being awarded and no points being procured through the purchase of renewable energy offsets, despite the use of the harder system, which was a key requirement set out by the project team initially “TAIPEI 101 now is playing a crucial role in the global green building movement and is a shining example of LEED projects that are consistently raising the bar for our built environment,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, Chief Operating Officer, US Green Building Council and President of Green Business Certification Inc. “Through achieving LEED v4 certification at the Platinum level—the highest green building standard in the word—TAIPEI 101 has demonstrated their commitment to remaining at the forefront of the green building movement and created a space that is better for the environment and healthier to live, work and play in. TAIPEI 101 truly embodies the excellence in

performance that LEED v4 is all about and by re-certifying, TAIPEI 101 has become the best-known LEED v4 Platinum project in the entire world.”

“Through our industry-leading sustainability programs and long-established track record of LEED for Existing Building certification, CBRE has helped clients realize approximately USD 358 million in asset value enhancements,” said Gary Thomas, Global Director of Sustainability, CBRE. “Our detailed knowledge of the system, and particularly our unparalleled experience with LEED recertification, made CBRE a perfect partner for this unique project.“ CBRE’s global Sustainability teams have successfully certified almost 500 buildings with the LEED O+M rating system since 2008. Encompassing more than 143 million sq. ft. of property, CBRE has helped its clients achieve annual savings of 228 million gallons of water and 283,000 Metric Tons of CO2 emissions. .

About the US Green Building Council The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, an international network of local community leaders, the annual ​Greenbuild International Conference & Expo​, the ​Center for Green Schools​ and ​advocacy ​in support of public policy that encourages and

enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit ​usgbc.org​, explore the ​Green Building Information Gateway (GBIG)​ and connect on ​Twitter​, ​Facebook ​and ​LinkedIn​.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro Tags Greenest building on the planet l Green Buildings l Sustainable building l Top Green Buildings l World’s greenest building l Green construction l Eco building l Green construction asia Related sources

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Sustainable Innovation Must Impact and Convert Traditional Industry DUNDEE, Scotland, Jul. 05 /CSRwire/ - ​Thomas Schuler​, President and CEO of ​Solidia Technologies​®, a

cement and concrete technology startup, addressed leading engineers, academics and innovators in cement and concrete at the ​9th Annual International Concrete Conference​. In his talk, entitled “Sustainable

Innovation on the Road to Market: Moving from the Lab to Global Impact for the Cement and Concrete Industries,” Schuler discussed the trials of bringing new technology to an industry that hasn’t changed in nearly 200 years and explained how Solidia’s solution was inspired directly by the industry’s CO2 challenge.

Solidia Technologies CEO Tom Schuler presents roadmap for commercialization of CO₂-reducing and water-saving cement and concrete

“The road to market for innovative technologies is paved with risk and potholed with failure. To succeed, you must fail quickly…and recover," explained Schuler. “The quickest way to introduce change into a market with longstanding traditions is to work especially hard at making it simple. Simple is hard, really hard. Such a change demands a solution that minimizes cost, maximizes impact and adds value.”

Solidia Technologies makes it easy and profitable to use ​CO2​ to create superior and sustainable building materials. Its patented technology starts with a sustainable cement, cures concrete with CO2 instead of water, reduces carbon emissions up to 70 percent, and recycles 60 to 80 percent of the water used in production. Using the same raw materials and existing equipment as traditional concretes, the resulting CO2-cured concrete products are higher performing, cost less to produce, and cure in less than 24 hours, compared to the 28-day curing cycle required for traditional concrete products.

Recounting how the initial technological approach was off-course, Schuler shared how gathering market intelligence is critical for developing a technology that can meet industry where it exists today. "It takes a village to shepherd innovation to market: a cast of players, from start-ups to industry giants, investors to academics, all acting out distinct roles based on their resources, market knowledge, technological prowess, and tolerance for risk. The role of the start-up is to learn and then use that understanding to reduce the industry’s exposure to risk by rapidly managing the innovation process.”

Featuring the theme “Environment, Efficiency and Economic Challenges for Concrete,” this year’s International Concrete Conference addressed the many diverse aspects of concrete technology, including materials, sustainability, techniques, research and development, design, practice and economics. Papers drawn from all over the world brought together many disciplines, reflecting concrete’s importance, versatility and adaptability.

About Solidia Technologies® Solidia Technologies​® is a cement and concrete technology organization that makes it easy and profitable

to use ​CO2​ to create superior and sustainable building materials. Based in Piscataway, N.J. (USA), Solidia’s investors include ​Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers​, ​Bright Capital​, ​BASF​, ​BP​, ​LafargeHolcim​, ​Total Energy Ventures​, ​Bill Joy​ and other private investors. Honors include: 2016 ​Sustainia100​, 2015 NJBiz ​Business of the Year; ​2014 ​Global Cleantech 100​; 2013 ​R&D Top 100​; 2014 ​Best Place to Work in NJ​; 2014 ​CCEMC

Grand Challenge​ First Round finalist; 2013​ Katerva Award​ finalist; and MIT’s ​Climate CoLab​ shortlist. Follow Solidia Technologies at ​www.solidiatech.com​ and on ​LinkedIn​, ​YouTube​ and Twitter: ​@SolidiaCO2​.

About the International Concrete Conference

Now in its ninth year, the ​International Concrete Conference​ gives all who are involved with concrete, be it a provider, user, researcher, designer, contractor or student, an opportunity to learn about the latest materials

developments and understanding, to network and make contacts with experts and practitioners from around the world. Presentations of current trends and developments coupled with critical discussion and debate together with social interactions are the hallmark of the conference.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

CO2-reducing cement and concrete technology for climate change PISCATAWAY, N.J., Jun. 07 /CSRwire/ - ​Solidia Technologies​®, a cement and concrete technology

startup, today announced it was named in the ​Sustainia100​ for its systems that reduce the carbon footprint of cement and concrete up to 70 percent. Solidia was selected to the Sustainia100 from nearly 6,000 nominated companies from 60 countries.

“We are very honored by the acknowledgment of ​Sustainia​ and to join a cohort of 100 disruptive innovators with scalable solutions that can solve challenges and positively impact industry, society and markets," commented ​Thomas Schuler​, President and CEO of Solidia Technologies. "The cement and concrete

industry hasn’t seen significant change in 200 years. Our scalable, easy-to-adopt CO₂-curing system can transform sustainability into a competitive edge across the globe.”

Solidia Technologies makes it easy and profitable to use ​CO2​ to create superior and sustainable building materials. Its patented technology starts with a sustainable cement, cures concrete with CO2 instead of water, reduces carbon emissions up to 70 percent, and recycles 60 to 100 percent of the water used in production. Using the same raw materials and existing equipment as traditional concretes, the resulting CO2-cured concrete products are higher performing, cost less to produce, and cure in less than 24 hours.

Featuring the theme “systemic opportunity,” this year’s Sustainia100, an annual publication that presents the most innovative, available, scalable and sustainable solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, sets out 100 solutions that respond to the interconnected global challenges addressed through the Sustainable Development Goals—from health solutions that tackle climate change, to renewable energy products that alleviate gender inequality.

“The term ‘systemic’ often brings to mind intractable problems, such as systemic poverty or systemic corruption. The global goals give us focus and pace, so we think it’s time to reclaim the word and talk about systemic opportunity, instead. The Sustainia100 shows us that the most compelling and successful solutions tackle multiple challenges, and global goals, in one go,” said Morten Nielsen, Managing Director of Sustainia, which publishes the Sustainia100.

In her foreword to the Sustainia100, Lise Kingo, the Executive Director of United Nations Global Compact, reflects on the pace and direction set by the Sustainable Development Goals: “The Sustainia100 offers us 100 reasons to be hopeful and inspired as we embark on this 15-year journey. The innovative thinking needed to accomplish the SDGs by 2030 already exists today. Now our task is to spread the word about these transformative solutions in order to help them scale and inspire new actors to take part in forging the path to a more sustainable future.”

Now in its fifth year, the Sustainia100 has tracked more than 4,500 solutions to date from all over the world.

This year’s edition features solutions deployed in 188 countries, with more than half from the SME sector.

The innovations are screened and selected by independent sustainability experts from 20 international research organizations, including Yale University, WWF, Acumen, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and Cleantech.

About Solidia Technologies® Based in Piscataway, N.J. (USA), Solidia’s investors include ​Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers​, ​Bright

Capital​, ​BASF​, ​BP​, ​LafargeHolcim​, ​Total Energy Ventures​, ​Bill Joy​ and other private investors. Honors

include: 2015 NJBiz ​Business of the Year ​ 2014 ​Global Cleantech 100​; 2013 ​R&D Top 100​; 2014 ​Best Place to Work in NJ​; 2014 ​CCEMC Grand Challenge​ First Round finalist; 2013​ Katerva Award​ finalist; and MIT’s

Climate CoLab​ shortlist. Follow Solidia Technologies at ​www.solidiatech.com​ and on ​LinkedIn​, ​YouTube​ and Twitter: ​@SolidiaCO2​.

About Sustainia Sustainia helps public and private organizations create a more sustainable tomorrow, building on the solutions available today. As a world leader in navigating the new market opportunities for the Sustainable Development Goals and with a database of more than 4,500 cutting-edge innovations, Sustainia‘s mission is to innovate the business models of the future. Sustainia is supported by strategic partners R20 and UN Global Compact.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro TAGS related to concrete sustainability sustainable concrete definition sustainable concrete materials sustainable concrete pdf Concrete sustainability issues why is concrete not sustainable types of sustainable concrete sustainable concrete mix sustainable concrete alternatives

Greenplay Tops Off the Benedetti Diamond

SAN FRANCISCO, May 23 /CSRwire/ - Greenplay Organics LLC, the manufacturer and distributor of Greenplay® second generation organic infill, comprised of a unique blend of specially sourced coconut fibers and cork, is extremely proud to be part of the revolutionary new synthetic turf playing surface at Benedetti Diamond.

This isn’t just another ballfield, this is the pride of the Division 1 baseball legends of the University of San Francisco dating back to the 1950’s. It was time to finally look toward synthetic turf for consistency of play and ease of maintenance. A leap of faith was taken along with extensive research and the goal of installing the best performing and most grass-like baseball field in the entire USA. This leap of faith was based on extensive research on a national level to determine what would be the absolute best surface for this and proceeding generations of USF Athletics.

The decision was to identify and integrate the most advanced and trusted technologies that would shape the future of the finest athletic turf surfaces. USF Athletics identified the respective industry leaders of each component with the most proven experience and greatest success. AstroTurf Diamond Series 3D turf with grass-like, high micron monofilament fibers combined with durable slit-film fibers was identified as the best possible choice for the grass component. This latest generation of performance turf technology is the ultimate evolution of the very first synthetic turf introduced at Houston’s Astrodome in 1966. Brock International was identified as the leader of shock pad technology with the most comprehensive development and testing to provide the ultimate GMAX, HIC and concussion safety. The Brock PowerBase beneath the turf will provide the field with a firm, consistent surface while also guaranteeing safety and security for the life of the field.

With special attention being paid to the latest discussions about the safety of synthetic infills utilized between the blades of grass, the typical choices of SBR crumb rubber, plastics or sand left too many unanswered questions in regards to safety. As for playability, none came close to the performance required for a true game of baseball. The benchmark was natural grass, so the replacement field surface had to be even better than natural grass. Their attention was then directed to a second generation alternative infill material consisting of a specially sourced blend of coconut fibers and cork to complete the system.

Domenic Carapella, the “father” of organic infill and founder of Greenplay Organics, was brought in to develop a unique organic infill blend for this very special athletic turf system. Not only is Domenic the leading expert on organic infill, the first to introduce and champion organic infill in North America back in 2006, he and his team have persevered in the ten years since by installing many successful turf fields around the country with organic infill. These installations have been met with the highest acclaim by athletes, coaches, parents and officials. The success of these fields have provided the motivation and practical basis for the growing number of referendums around the nation, such as the Montgomery County MD Resolution 18-58 adopted in February of 2015 mandating the use of plant-based organic infills for all future synthetic turf installations.

The result of this team effort is a source of pride for all involved, especially the Athletic department of USF with all of the praise heaped on them from players and coaches. Reviews range from ​“extremely

true ball roll and bounce with no variances throughout the field” to ​“truer than a pristine natural

grass field”. As for safety, ​“foot stability and traction are better than grass…completely predictable” and ​“it’s not hard like dirt, it’s just right”. The inherent organic properties and low abrasiveness of Greenplay® enhance the turf to play and react like the best natural grass fields, which is the

benchmark for which all of the Greenplay® testing and data results meet or exceed. Another most important benefit the players won’t realize until the heat of the summer is that the turf temperature will be on par with natural grass due to the evaporative effect of the organic infill as it releases the cool moisture absorbed from the early morning fog. Domenic states that ​“we have never seen turf

temperatures exceed twenty degrees Fahrenheit above natural grass in any of our installations the last ten years.”

The lower field temperatures in conjunction with the inherent low bulk density of the material will result in prolonged turf fiber life. There are no end of life disposal costs since the material is 100% recyclable and can be utilized on site as a dressing for natural grass or soil. Grooming is typical to the turf manufacturer’s specifications with standard maintenance procedures. Greenplay® is guaranteed to last the life of the field in accordance with the turf manufacturer’s warranty. Greenplay® resists mold, rot and fungus due to naturally occurring tannins.

The USF Benedetti Diamond turf field is truly a benchmark for the next generation of athletes and the word is quickly spreading through the leagues and around the country for all who are thinking about a new turf field.

Greenplay® is currently being specified and installed in the finest turf fields for schools, universities and municipalities.

Greenplay® puts the nature back into turf ​for ultimate performance, safety and environmental responsibility. It is the perfect infill for all sports applications, recreational areas, playgrounds and landscapes.

Please be aware that not all organic infills are the same, Greenplay® stands alone, so be sure to specify correctly.

About Greenplay Organics Greenplay® is a second generation organic, alternative infill that is the result of ten years of experience of working exclusively with organic. No organization in North America has the depth of knowledge or passion for this type of product. Gen 2 Greenplay® is tested against the best and is proven to be the most durable organic infill product available. With quality control as its top mandate, Greenplay Organics specifically sources materials from pesticide free crops and blends by utilizing proprietary natural processing methods. Greenplay® is sold as being non-proprietary in the market and available for all turf specifications. Quality, performance and durability are vertically integrated starting with the control of the raw materials through processing and distribution and backed by a decade of specialized experience.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Mission Waco is recognized for Community greenhouse WACO, TEXAS, Jan. 18 /CSRwire/ - ​Mission Waco​ will soon be known as one of Texas’ sustainability leaders thanks to a new partnership. ​Green Mountain Energy Sun Club​ has selected the Waco-based nonprofit to receive a $234,000 donation to support a unique sustainability project dubbed Urban REAP for “Urban Renewable Energy and Agriculture Project.”

The Sun Club will fund the majority of the project, which will feature an aquaponics greenhouse, solar energy array, rainwater catchment and purification system, plus a commercial composting system and training center for educating school groups. The innovative greenhouse will be built adjacent to Mission Waco’s recently-opened Jubilee Food Market. Mission Waco, the Sun Club and members of the community broke ground on the new site on January 18, 2017.

Project rendering of Mission Waco's Urban REAP community greenhouse, funded by Green Mountain Energy Sun Club.

Mission Waco was founded in 1992 to empower low-income residents by providing support through a variety of assistance programs. The organization seeks to assist the poor through education, training, rehabilitation, housing and more.

“The Green Mountain Energy Sun Club strives to partner with organizations that focus on making a real difference in their community,” said Mark Parsons, president of Green Mountain Energy Sun Club and general manager of Green Mountain Energy organization. “Mission Waco is a force for good in the Waco area, and we’re proud to help support them in becoming more sustainable.”

The Urban REAP project will be constructed next to the new Jubilee Food Market, a nonprofit grocery store that opened November 2016 to provide fresh, healthy food to the local neighborhood. The fruits, vegetables and fish that are raised with the new aquaponics system in the greenhouse will be sold in the food market.

Engineering students in Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science are also getting involved in the project by helping design the solar and rainwater catchment components.

“Mission Waco is so thankful to the Sun Club for donating the funds needed to build our greenhouse and help s implement sustainable solutions,” said Jimmy Dorrell, co-founder and executive director of Mission Waco. “This donation will help us feed the neighborhood and educate the community on sustainability.”

To date, the Sun Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has donated more than $4 million to support over 90 nonprofits across the country through solar and sustainability project donations. To learn more about the Sun Club and how to nominate a worthy nonprofit for a sustainability grant, visit ​www.gmsunclub.com

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro Tags Green Energy l Alternative energy l solar energy l clean energy l solar plant l solar energy l biomass energy l solar grid l solar energy l green house l green school l alternative energy car l smart car l green car l wind energy l wind turbines l

2020 Goals for American Community Investment WASHINGTON, DC, Jan. 18 /CSRwire/ - Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer with nearly 1.5 million associates in the U.S., today will discuss organization plans to create American jobs and invest in local communities across the country. The investments in the coming year will support an estimated 34,000 jobs through continued expansion and improvement in the organization’s store network, as well as e-commerce services, while providing specialty training for more than 225,000 of the organization’s frontline associates. The organization and the Walmart Foundation, in conjunction with The U.S. Conference of Mayors, are also announcing grants through the ​U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund​ to advance sustainability and innovation in textile manufacturing. ​

34,000 jobs, training for over 225,000 associates and grants for innovation in textile manufacturing

"Walmart is investing to better serve customers,” said Dan Bartlett, Walmart executive vice president for corporate affairs. “With a presence in thousands of communities and a vast supplier network, we know we play an important role in supporting and creating American jobs. Our 2017 plans to grow our business – and our support for innovation in the textile industry – will have a meaningful impact across the country.”

Walmart is planning $6.8 billion of capital investments in the U.S. in the coming fiscal year, which includes construction and remodeling of stores, clubs and distribution centers, as well as the expansion of new services such as Online Grocery Pickup. Walmart’s fiscal year begins Feb. 1; the organization’s capital plans were first shared in October. Bartlett will discuss the organization’s investments in job creation and associates -- and announce Innovation Fund grants to support the U.S. textile sector -- at the 85th Winter Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. Details are highlighted below.

American Jobs ● ●

Approximately 10,000 retail jobs created through the opening of 59 new, expanded and relocated Walmart and Sam’s Club facilities as well as e-commerce services.

An estimated 24,000 construction jobs supported through the opening of those facilities, plus the remodeling and improvement of existing U.S. facilities.

Workforce Investment ●

●

By July of this year, Walmart will open 160 new training Academies around the country, bringing the total number of Academies to 200. More than 225,000 associates will receive up to six weeks of specialty training and graduate from the academies in 2017.

The Walmart Academies are a network of facilities where frontline hourly supervisors and assistant store managers receive hands-on training in retail fundamentals, leadership skills and the specifics of how to run individual store departments. The training is designed to help associates be successful in their careers and in meeting the changing needs of customers.

U.S. Manufacturing Jobs The organization’s investment in American jobs includes a 2013 commitment to purchase an additional $250 billion in American-made, grown, assembled and sourced products through 2023, estimated to help create one million jobs.* Under the initiative, Walmart works with thousands of suppliers to help them gain access to the retailer’s shelves in stores and online. In the coming year, the program will continue to provide job-creating opportunities. Examples include: ●

●

California Innovations, producer of the Ozark Trail “super cooler.” The Canadian organization with U.S. operations is moving production of the cooler from China to a factory in Atlanta, Ga., creating 350 jobs.

Edgewell Personal Care, a maker of personal hygiene products, which is bringing production from Canada to Dover, Del., creating 272 jobs.

●

Renfro Corporation, which will create a total of 442 jobs as a result of a deal to produce athletic socks in Fort Payne, Ala.

Textile Industry Innovation This year, the Walmart Foundation will provide $3 million in grants through the ​U.S. Manufacturing

Innovation Fund​ to six leading universities working to advance sustainability and innovations in textile manufacturing, which has proven to be one of the most challenging industries to reshore to the U.S.

Through the U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have funded $10 million in grants since 2014.

The 2017 Innovation Fund grant recipients will be announced as part of Bartlett’s remarks to U.S. mayors: ● ●

● ● ● ●

Washington State University: to establish a sustainable process to recycle cotton waste by fiber regeneration using a wet spinning technique.

North Carolina State University: to create a universal and sustainable commercial textile dyeing method that doesn't use salt or alkali; doesn’t produce effluent; and produces more than 95 percent savings of both energy and water.

Clemson University: for development of sustainable polyester fibers that achieve a high level of water and oil repellency.

Oregon State University: to develop a sustainable, cost-effective dyeing and printing of smart fabrics process.

Texas Tech University: to support research on various aspects of textile manufacturing, dyeing efficiency and specialty finishes.

University of Massachusetts Lowell: to develop magnetic dyeing technology to address the technical and environmental issues of current dyeing techniques.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Social Enterprise Leaders in the rise at Pact Ventures

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 /CSRwire/ - Pact has appointed veteran impact investment fund manager Miguel Granier to lead Pact Ventures, a Pact business unit serving communities across the world through impact investing and social enterprise development.

Granier brings more than 13 years of experience in social enterprise. He joins Pact from Invested Development, a successful impact investing management firm that he founded in Boston in 2009.

“With his experience and impressive accomplishments, Miguel is a proven leader in impact investing and social enterprise,” said Mark Viso, Pact’s president and CEO. “We see these as critical tools to help us achieve our vision of a world where all people own their future. We know Miguel will help us tremendously as we continue to strive to create the most impact possible.”

Pact established Pact Ventures in 2015 as part of a strategic expansion toward innovative funding mechanisms. Pact Ventures builds partnerships with the private sector, including traditional corporations, social enterprises and impact investors, to create both social and financial returns that improve people’s lives around the world.

A leader in the emerging impact investing space, Pact also in 2015 launched a new ​impact investing forum for INGOs, along with Mercy Corps, GOAL, InsideNGO and the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs. The forum helps organizations collaborate and learn from one another.

“Pact has built global scale by focusing on local solutions to local problems, and that is exactly what impact investing needs,” Granier said. “I’m excited to join a team with a proven ability to build sustainable solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”

Prior to Invested Development, Granier was the founding investment manager for First Light Ventures and founder of MCAP Consulting. He began his career in social enterprise as a loan officer for Accion New York in 2003. His earlier positions include time at Fidelity National Financial.

Granier began in his new role at Pact on Jan. 9. He can be reached at ​mgranier@pactworld.org​.

Learn more about Pact Ventures ​here​.

Go ​here​ to read ​Amplify Impact Investing: The INGO Value Proposition for Impact Investing, an in-depth study of the current impact investing landscape in the international development sector.

About Pact – ​Pact, an international nongovernmental organization, is the promise of a better tomorrow for all those who are poor and marginalized. Working in partnership to develop local solutions that enable

people to own their own future, Pact helps people and communities build their capacity to generate income, improve access to quality health services, and gain lasting benefit from the sustainable use of the natural resources around them. At work in more than 30 countries, Pact is building local promise with an integrated, adaptive approach that is shaping the future of international development.

Eco Business Sources

For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

2020 STEM-TV programs for young audiences

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 17 /CSRwire/ - ​Xploration Station​, a weekend morning block of live-action,

educational and informational TV shows primarily airing on FOX TV stations around the country, has been extended by the Fox Station Group through 2020. The announcement was made today by Steve Rotfeld, president of Steve Rotfeld Productions (SRP), who produces and distributes Xploration Station.

Aimed towards kids 13-16, the entire block focuses on the ​“STEM fields” (Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics). T ​ he critically acclaimed block has received five Emmy nominations, and is seen in 95% of U.S. homes, plus HULU, Amazon Prime, Yahoo View, and Roku. The six current series are: ●

Xploration Awesome Planet – Hosted by Emmy nominated ​Philippe Cousteau, Jr.​,

grandson of the legendary Jacques Cousteau, this riveting earth science series explores the most spectacular places on the earth, inside the earth and above the earth. ●

Xploration Earth 2050 – This series, which has earned three Daytime Emmy Award nominations over the past two years, features emerging technologies and predicts what the world will be like in 2050. It is hosted by inventor/artist/ futurist ​Charles “Chuck” Pell.

●

Xploration Outer Space – Hosted by MIT graduate, ​Emily Calandrelli​, this series focuses on various aspects of space exploration, such as life beyond earth, the prospects of a

manned mission to Mars and the emerging space tourism industry. In 2016, it won the Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best STEM series. ●

Weird But True – Hosted by siblings and science lovers Charlie and Kirby Engelman, ​Weird But True​ is an extension of Nat Geo Kids’ “Weird But True” franchise.

●

Xploration DIY Sci – This interactive, do-it-yourself, pop-science series follows television personality, author, science teacher and show host ​Steve Spangler​ as he uses everyday items to turn the world into a fun and unexpected laboratory.

●

Xploration Nature Knows Best – Hosted by multi-talented marine biologist ​Danni

Washington​, Nature Knows Best chronicles how experts are drawing inspiration from both plants and animals to create incredible advancements - from airplanes to eco-friendly buildings to robots.

ABOUT STEVE ROTFELD PRODUCTIONS Steve Rotfeld Productions (SRP) is an Emmy Award winning television production and broadcast syndication organization. Since its inception in 1985, its programs have appeared in national broadcast syndication, on TLC, ESPN, ESPN Classic, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, History Channel, FOX and other outlets around the world. Steve Rotfeld formed SRP after six years of working for his father’s TV production organization, Greatest Sports Legends, Inc., where he won a National Sports Emmy Award for Writing on the series’ Jackie Robinson 740 Haverford Road, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 Phone: 610-520-0671 Fax: 610-520-0681 www.rotfeldproductions.com documentary. In 2014, SRP launched Xploration Station, an innovative new take on E/I programming. Xploration Station is the first and only broadcast destination dedicated exclusively to STEM-based programming for tweens, teens and their families

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro TAGS TV for young audience l STEEM on TV l steem programs

Business and Gender Equality Awards 2017

TORONTO, Jan. 17 /CSRwire/ - ​The Gender Equality Awards 2017​, hosted by the Global Compact

Network Canada (​GCNC​), will recognize the efforts of businesses who are helping to advance Sustainable Development Goal #5 (gender equality).

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sjeYKBu1ZCc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> The GCNC, the Canadian Network of the UN Global Compact (​UNGC​), has been active in promoting the 7

globally recognized Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (​SDGs​).

To further spearhead action, the GCNC is now launching the first ever Gender Equality Awards to create awareness and award businesses who are committed to helping and achieving gender equality.

By participating in The Gender Equality Awards 2017, businesses will receive the opportunity to showcase commitment and leadership, and accelerate action. The Gender Equality Awards 2017 also aims to use received submissions as case studies to help inspire other businesses in Canada and beyond.

To enter, businesses can ​submit​ their existing gender equality initiatives and efforts to 7 different categories

based on the 7 Women Empowerment Principles. The winner of each category will be determined through a public voting process. The deadline to submit entries into the Awards is February 8, 2017 and public voting opens on February 10, 2017. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/46jj7CK9zEQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> The Awards will also provide the GCNC with the opportunity to identify barriers and challenges to achieving gender equality within the private sector. This is crucial in the organization’s efforts to solidifying a clear strategy and action plan that will be announced during ​The Gender Equality Forum 2017​.

Winners will be announced and awarded at ​The Gender Equality Forum 2017​ in Toronto, on April 3rd and 4th.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VTPC4cd7kqk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> This high-level forum will bring together leaders from businesses, civil society, government and the UN to scale up efforts to advance gender equality. The forum will also provide attendees with the opportunity to

witness a historical moment where an “Action Agenda” will be set to help achieve SDG #5 Gender Equality.

Registration for the forum is now open.

About the Global Compact Network Canada The ​Global Compact Network Canada​ (GCNC) is the Canadian Network of the United Nations Global

Compact - the world's largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative. The GCNC supports Canadian businesses in the implementation of the ​10 Principles of the UNGC​ and the ​17 Sustainable Development Goals​ (SDGs). The GCNC unifies and builds the capacity of the Canadian private sector to embrace sustainable business practices by convening and accelerating opportunities for multistakeholder collaboration.​Eco

Business Sources

For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Cost Saving Sustainable Solution for Schools SYOSSET, N.Y., Jan. 17 /CSRwire/ - Emerald Brand and the Princeton Day School are proud to announce their sustainability partnership in providing and utilizing a complete sustainable solution throughout their campus. Princeton Day School successfully launched this environmental initiative through Emerald Brand directly following the winter break, now providing Tree-Free bathroom tissue, recycled garbage liners, green-seal certified chemicals and soap, as well as environmentally friendly hand towels campus wide.

Princeton Day School is a private, co-educational day school located in Princeton, New Jersey, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The highly-rated school is a member of the “Green Schools Alliance”, an international non-profit organization that advances student success and saves schools’ resources by fostering whole school sustainability.

Princeton Day School is emerging as a leader for the Green Schools Alliance as well as the GSA Purchasing Solution, the rapidly growing tool to save schools money, improve their access to quality products, and simplify their purchasing. The GSA Purchasing Solution matched Princeton Day School to Emerald Brand’s sustainable disposable solutions to take further strides towards health, wellness, and sustainability in the educational system.

“These are really functional products - some are even better than what we used before. We aren’t sacrificing quality because they’re green and sustainable. I haven’t heard a complaint from any of my staff - I’d hear if there was a problem” states Gene Hartway, Custodial Foreman of Princeton Day School.

Hartway also appreciated that the Green Schools Alliance staff identified products and queued up the school’s ordering list to get exactly what the staff and students need. ​“The Alliance is very helpful in

pointing me in the right direction and suggesting products that have a similar, if not better, cleaning capability.”

In addition to providing the New Jersey school with a cost saving sustainable solution, Emerald Brand consolidated Princeton Day School’s SKU count on all of their cleaning chemicals by a third, and is providing an easy to use Green Seal certified cleaning dilution system and environmentally friendly cleaners. Through their partnership, Emerald Brand and PDS will track and measure their environmental savings while creating an educational foundation to strengthen awareness and education surrounding sustainability for their student and faculty community.

“Our partnership with Princeton Day School is an example of two institutions with very similar missions and mindsets; to educate and to communicate the importance of sustainability in the every-day life of our stakeholders by ‘walking the walk.’ We are very proud to work with such a well-renowned and forward thinking institution and look forward to educating the talented student body and faculty that makes Princeton Day School a leader in the education field,” states Ralph Bianculli Jr., Managing Director of Emerald Brand.

Princeton Day School is anticipating to save approximately 38 trees, 4,426 pounds of virgin fiber, 12,209 gallons of water, and 4,428 pounds of plastic material within the first year of converting to Emerald’s sustainable program.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro TAGS Green schools l green energy at schools l green energy at campus l alternative energy for class

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Greenplay® Organics Partners with Target Technologies

White House specifies Greenplay Organic Infill

WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 17 /CSRwire/ - Domenic Carapella, President and Founder of Greenplay Organics, LLC was the first person to introduce plant-based organic infill for synthetic turf into North America in 2006. Based on a strong belief that “​natural always makes things better” he set on a mission to make

organic infill the best possible alternative option for synthetic turf. Working exclusively with organic turf infill for over a decade now, his depth of knowledge and practical experience with organics remains unparalleled in the turf industry. Through his steadfast determination and dedication to quality and service, organic infill is finally a popular option and widely accepted for use in sports fields, recreational and landscape turf applications. Universities, high schools, private schools, playgrounds, luxury resorts and even The White House have upgraded their synthetic turf with Greenplay® organic infill (Domenic is pictured on the South Lawn).

Through experience and constant development, the original blend of coconut fibers and cork has been improved into the new second generation Greenplay® ​Corkonut that is proven superior. Greenplay Organics now also offers a pure, highly durable and resilient granular cork option called ProFormance Cork, or PFC, for environments that have little or no access to moisture, but still require a performance based and environmentally harmonious natural infill.

With the increased demand for organic infill options, Greenplay Organics, LLC was ready for the right distribution partner to take the business to the next level. The mandate from the beginning was to be able to provide non-proprietary alternative organic infills to all of the turf manufacturers and the public in general.

Domenic believes that a customer should not be forced to buy a specific brand of turf just to enjoy the benefits of a better infill. ​“The infill must be available to everyone, especially when concerns for health and

safety are factored into the decision of installing turf.”

For these reasons Domenic partnered with like-minded industry dynamo John B. Giraud and his awesome team at Target Technologies International, INC. (TTII). TTII, owned by QUIKRETE, based in Atlanta, is widely recognized as the industry leader for synthetic turf infill through steadfast integrity and by providing world class logistical services. John alone has over 44 years of expertise in the supply of silica sands for synthetic turf and has since firmly established Target Technologies as the premium supplier of sand for the turf industry, expertly serving contractors and manufacturers for decades. As a true steward of nature, John has received government recognition for his work in protecting the environment and supplying environmentally conscience products. Providing organic Greenplay® products through the powerhouse that is TTII provides the opportunity to finally achieving the ultimate goal of offering the best possible infill choices to anyone who wants it….anytime…anywhere. Believing now more than ever that “​natural always makes

things better”, it was natural for Greenplay Organics to partner with Target Technologies!

John B. Giraud states; “​TTII’s business model is only to offer the very best products with respect to the

environment and safety of the player of all ages and Greenplay Organics LLC meets and exceeds TTII criteria for a reliable infill for every application for synthetic turf.”

This combined team remains poised to provide the absolute best industry liaison with architects, designers, consultants, turf manufacturers, contractors and the public with constantly updated safety, environmental and performance testing on all products offered to assist with design and specifications. ​Eco

Business

Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Unifying Strategy to Address Post-Harvest Loss in Africa PYXERA Global Convenes 22 Local and International Stakeholders in the Nigerian Tomato Value Chain

WASHINGTON D.C., Jan. 16 /CSRwire/ - Major stakeholders in the Nigerian tomato value chain came together from across the globe for the first-ever ​YieldWise​ Partner Planning Session last month. YieldWise, a $130 million dollar initiative launched in 2016 by ​The Rockefeller Foundation​, seeks to demonstrate how the world can halve food loss by 2030, one of the UN’s Global Goals.

The 22 partners in attendance included international and Nigerian non-government organizations, government representatives from Kano and neighboring states, input providers, agro-technology manufacturers, domestic processors and other large-scale tomato buyers. ​PYXERA Global​, implementing

partner of the $6 million dollar YieldWise initiative in Kano, Nigeria facilitated this convening so that all of the

major players in the tomato value chain could discuss and align individual program and business plans to develop a single overarching strategy to address post-harvest loss in northern Nigeria.

“Collectively, these organizations are investing millions of dollars each year in the tomato value chain in Nigeria, and this session provided a platform for them to align those resources to maximize impact,” said Maggie DeLorme, Senior Program Manager at PYXERA Global who led the session. “This is the first time all of these stakeholders have been around the same table at the same time. The fact that 22 different organizations and companies from across sectors attended this session is a testament to how serious of an issue post-harvest loss for tomatoes is in this region, and to the tangibility of the solutions at-hand.”

There are three YieldWise post-harvest loss pilots in Sub-Saharan Africa, and PYXERA Global implements the initiative in Nigeria focusing specifically on loss along the tomato value chain. The initiative targets major contributors to loss in the areas of farmer aggregation and training, market linkages, access to finance, access to post-harvest loss mitigating technologies, and the enabling environment.

“We also encouraged attendees to put aside competitive differences and aim for collaboration and sustained conversation in order to continue to get the most impact from collective efforts,” said Adam Suleiman, Project Director for PYXERA Global in Kano. “The session focused on ensuring efforts were not being duplicated or undermined by organizations working within the tomato value chain, while supporting the achievement of individual organizational targets and objectives.”

The session enabled attendees to share work plans, specific activity targets and approaches, and discuss opportunities and challenges associated with implementation in an open and collaborative way. While not all attendees are direct partners of the YieldWise initiative, they are all engaged in activities aimed at reducing post-harvest loss in the region and with the goal of strengthening and diversifying the tomato value chain.

Following this first session, attendees will be participating in quarterly working group meetings to continue the spirit of collaboration and collective impact.

PYXERA Global is continuing the post-harvest loss discussion at its ​Global Engagement Forum: Live​ on April 4 and 5 in Washington, D.C. This interactive forum will bring together leaders, innovators, and

resources to collaborate on three solvable problems: post-harvest loss, preventable diseases, and youth employability.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

TAGS Green schools l green energy at schools l green energy at campus l alternative energy for class

Building Deforestation-Free Supply Chains

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 16 /CSRwire/ - In a report issued today, Cargill presented progress on its efforts to meet its commitment to eliminate deforestation from its supply chains. The first ​Cargill Report on Forests covers on-the-ground actions within six priority supply chains and global collaborations to advance

sustainable agriculture. Cargill worked with numerous global partners to engage more than 148,000 farmers and established a baseline for measuring tree cover loss by mapping the sourcing areas of nearly 2,000 locations across 14 countries.

In the lead up to the 2017 World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Cargill’s inaugural report is intended to spark broader discussion of the issues driving deforestation and the policies and practices that can prevent it.

“Ending deforestation is critical to curb climate change,” said Cargill CEO and Chairman David MacLennan.

“Today, we are at an important crossroads as we work to nourish the world and protect the planet.

Sustainable agriculture must be a part of the solution.”

The report highlights Cargill’s progress on: ●

Creating and enacting action plans to protect forests in priority supply chains: palm oil globally, soy in Brazil and Paraguay, cocoa globally, cotton and maize in Zambia, and

fiber-based packaging. In support of these action plans, Cargill issued a new ​Policy on Sustainable Fiber-based Packaging​. ●

Developing and implementing programs and trainings for more than 148,000 farmers and suppliers to promote sustainable land use, including 15,000 small- and large-scale soy farmers in Brazil, 21,000 palm oil smallholder farmers in Indonesia, 1,000 soy farmers in Paraguay and 90,000 cocoa farmers and cooperatives in West Africa.

●

Completing an analysis, in partnership with World Resources Institute and Global Forest Watch, of nearly 2,000 sourcing locations, both Cargill-owned and third-party operated, across its global footprint. The analysis served to establish a preliminary baseline, which is necessary for measuring progress toward no-deforestation targets. The project spanned a sourcing area encompassing 166 million hectares, including 119 million hectares of tree cover. The analysis found approximately 1.7 million hectares, or 1.4 percent, of tree cover loss in 2014 in these areas. This assessment illustrates the landscape context of land use change in the vicinity of Cargill’s sourcing areas, but these forest impacts cannot be interpreted as directly related to Cargill’s sourcing itself. The next step will be to identify how Cargill’s operations relate to the sources contributing to tree cover loss and develop solutions to protect those forest areas.

●

Extending the Brazilian Soy Moratorium in the Amazon and the implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code and the Rural Environmental Registry, or CAR, through supplier training and education, and partnerships with cross-sector and multi-sector organizations.

Cargill soy contracts in Brazil now require farms to comply with the Brazilian Forest Code and CAR.

Cargill also outlined clear challenges and new approaches necessary to drive continued progress, including: ●

Building consensus around definitions and standards of measurement to effectively monitor progress.

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Encouraging engagement with local and national governments to advance more effective institutional frameworks and jurisdictional approaches.

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Managing redundancy in initiatives to drive scalable solutions by coordinating at sectoral and landscape levels.

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Engaging suppliers to implement changes from the point of origin.

“We realize the private sector can lead in making agriculture and supply chains more sustainable,” said Cargill global leader of business operations and supply chain Ruth Kimmelshue. “But we can’t do it alone.

We want to work with customers, governments, NGOs and others to apply scalable approaches and deploy technology and practices that will give farmers the tools they need to create a more food-secure world.”

In support of its purpose to be the leader in nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way, Cargill has led and supported a number of sustainability initiatives over the last decade to put its voice and influence behind public-private efforts aimed at mitigating key drivers of deforestation and climate change.

Among these efforts are the Brazilian Soy Moratorium, the Sustainable Palm Oil Manifesto, the New York Declaration on Forests, the United Nations’ Scaling Up Nutrition Movement and the Sustainable Development Goals, and the American Business Act on Climate Pledge.

Cargill is advancing sustainability across four focus areas: land use, including forests; water resources; climate change; and farmer livelihoods. Learn more at ​cargill.com/forests​.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro TAGS Brazilian Soy Moratorium I the Sustainable Palm Oil Manifesto L the New York Declaration on Forests l the United Nations’ Scaling Up Nutrition Movement and the Sustainable Development Goals l and the American Business Act on Climate Pledge.

MilliporeSigma Kicks Off Year-Long ‘Curiosity Cube™’ Tour Mobile Science Education Lab will reach 350,000 students across America

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 13 /CSRwire/ - Recognizing that tomorrow’s discoveries depend on the next generation of scientists—and that breakthroughs begin with curiosity—MilliporeSigma has kicked off a year-long “Curiosity Cube™” tour.

The tour builds on MilliporeSigma’s successful ​Curiosity Labs​™ program, in which MilliporeSigma

employees volunteer their time to deliver hands-on, interactive science lessons to inspire students to explore a career in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The Curiosity Cube™—a 22x10-foot, retrofitted shipping container that has been transformed into a mobile science lab—will visit more than two dozen stops across the United States in 2017, aiming to reach 350,000 students.

“Through our Curiosity Labs™ program, we have brought leading edge science technology and experiments to tens of thousands of students around the globe—inspiring them to seek a career in science and pave a road to a future filled with innovative breakthroughs,” said Udit Batra, Member of the Executive Board, ​Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany​ and CEO, MilliporeSigma. “We are excited to bring similar experiences to even more curious minds, of all ages, through the Curiosity Cube™ tour.”

Equipped with the latest technology, the Curiosity Cube™ provides a learning environment that allows visitors of all ages to become immersed in specific science topics—from learning about how DNA works to building their own, custom microbe using a 3D printer.

All Curiosity Cube™ experiments will be staffed by MilliporeSigma employees—allowing visitors to ask questions and discuss the possibilities of a future career in STEM. Cities on the Curiosity Cube’s™ tour across the United States include Boston, Austin, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Washington, DC. To follow the Curiosity Cube™ tour and other efforts of MilliporeSigma, follow the #SPARKCuriosity hashtag on Twitter and Facebook.

All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany news releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the EMD Group website. In case you are a resident of the U.S. or Canada please go to www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register again for your online subscription of this service as our newly introduced geo-targeting requires new links in the email. You may later change your selection or discontinue this service.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

PRESS RELEASES ENDS HERE PLEASE DO NOT PUBLISH THIS TEXT ON RED COLOR 51 Public Schools Named State Winners in $2 Million* Samsung STEAM Learning Contest Samsung Awards State Winners with $25,000* in Technology to Compete in Next Phase of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., Jan. 13 /CSRwire/ - Samsung Electronics America (SEA) announced the 51 state winners of the 7th annual ​Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest​ – a nationwide competition that challenges students to use STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) skills to affect real-world change.

Teachers from schools across the country submitted lesson plans detailing how their students will use STEAM skills to solve a problem in their local community – from building a solar farm to reduce coal energy dependence, to developing an app to prevent children from being left behind in hot cars, and designing a sensory-stimulating outdoor playground for fellow students with Autism.

Selected from a pool of thousands of schools who entered, only 51 were named state winners – representing every state and the District of Columbia. State winners were chosen based on the creativity of their overall concept and plan for execution, in addition to effectively piquing student interest in STEAM subjects. As state winners, each of the schools will receive $25,000* in technology to compete in the next phase of the contest.

Furthermore, to ensure students and teachers have the necessary materials to bring their projects to life, Samsung is collaborating with Indiegogo to help schools raise funds online. To kick off the crowdfunding campaigns, Samsung will provide a seed donation of $250 toward each school project, and match up to an

additional $250. In addition, students will be able to effect even greater change in their local communities by selecting and advocating for a local charity of choice, inspired by their project’s purpose, in an effort to win a donation on its behalf.

“Each Solve for Tomorrow state winner school has presented a challenge unique to their hometowns, but most of those challenges have implications across the globe.” said Ann Woo, director of corporate citizenship, Samsung Electronics America. “While others might see the threats posed to environmental conservation, health and wellness, and sustainable living as insurmountable problems, these students and teachers see an opportunity for change. We’re delighted to support each school as they take these complex challenges head-on with STEAM learning.”

In the next phase of the contest, using their Samsung ATIV Book 9 Pro, state winners will submit a three-minute video that demonstrates their project– from planning to execution – to affect tangible change and solve a local community issue using STEAM. Teachers at each school will have until mid-February to submit their video for review by a panel of judges, and for the opportunity to proceed in the following phases of the contest: ●

Next, from the pool of 51 state finalists, 10 schools will be selected as national finalists to present their projects live to a panel of judges in New York City in early 2017.

●

And finally, three national grand prize winners and one community choice winner will be selected in the spring of 2017.

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest was created in 2010 to encourage innovation while addressing the technology gap in classrooms across the country. Each year, the competition inspires more active, hands-on teaching and learning among schools nationwide. Since 2004, Samsung has provided more than $19 million in technology to more than 1,000 public schools in the United States.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

TAGS Green schools l green energy at schools l green energy at campus l alternative energy for class

FCA US Dealers to Brighten the Night for Customers

-Lighting upgrade to brighten dealership showrooms, service bays and lots -Initiative expected to slash dealer energy and maintenance costs

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 09 /CSRwire/ - FCA US LLC dealerships are brightening the night for their customers who shop for new cars and trucks after sundown.

FCA US has launched its “FCA Bright Initiative” that will not only provide customers and dealership employees with a brighter and safer environment at night, but also slash a dealership’s total electricity costs by up to 50 percent through the installation of new Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting.

This program supports the organization’s sustainability approach, by working with business partners to develop responsible and sustainable development practices.

FCA US has already tested the new LED lighting at a California Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram Truck and FIAT dealership and is rolling out the initiative to its entire network of 2,600 dealerships in the U.S.

“This new wave of lighting is a win for both the dealership and its customers,” said ​Al Gardner​, Head of

Network Development, FCA – North America. “Converting traditional lighting systems to eco-friendly LED lighting enhances the customer experience in the showroom, service and parts departments and on dealership lots, while the dealership immediately begins to save on lighting costs.”

FCA US has partnered with Revolux LED Solutions and GE Lighting to plan and install the new lights and fixtures.

The Houston-based Revolux already has completed more than 375 lighting upgrade projects, including 40 FCA US dealerships nationwide. In addition to saving on energy costs, Revolux notes that with LED lighting,

dealerships can reduce their fixture count by up to 25 percent, maximize light distribution, reduce placement costs, showcase inventory in true colors, and improve productivity in service and parts departments.

FCA US and Revolux introduced the initiative in a pilot at San Leandro Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, in San Leandro, California.

“When we considered the Revolux upgrade to LED, I was skeptical at first,” said Carlos Hidalgo, dealer principal at the San Leandro dealership. “But when customers come up and ask, ‘Wow, what have you done to the facility?’, then you know you’ve done something right.”

The LED lighting design creates a more inviting shopping experience at night, Hidalgo said. “We literally shine all over the boulevard.”

While savings will vary by dealership, the pilot installation saved the San Leandro dealership more than 50 percent in total electricity costs since installing the LED lights in August.

​Eco

Business Sources

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​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Consumers Energy to Finish Installing Upgraded Meters in 2017

Homes, Businesses Can Participate in New Programs, Services

JACKSON, Mich., Jan. 03 /CSRwire/ - From Mackinaw City to Monroe, Consumers Energy will have installed 1.8 million new meters across Michigan by the end of 2017. The completion of the five-year statewide project will allow electric customers to track their energy usage more closely online and identify ways to save energy and money.

“We’ve already installed more than 1.3 million electric meters and 350,000 gas communication modules, allowing our customers to use new programs and services,” said Garrick Rochow, Consumers Energy’s senior vice president of distribution and customer operations. “These upgraded meters provide a clear customer benefit, giving homes and businesses a powerful tool to better manage their energy usage.”

The new meters offer customers the ability to choose their billing date, sign up and receive automated alerts when their energy use is trending higher than usual, and review their energy use by hour, day or month to identify ways to save energy and money on their energy bill. More benefits of the upgraded meters can be found at ​www.ConsumersEnergy.com/smartenergy​.

“By the end of the year, these customers will be able to access their energy use information and sign up to take advantage of money-saving programs,” Rochow said.

Consumers Energy began installing electric meters in 2012 in the Grand Rapids area. In 2015, the energy provider started adding communication modules on natural gas meters of customers who also receive electric service. Those combination customers are able to access both their hourly energy use and their daily natural gas use via the Smart Energy web portal.

Midland, Bay, Ingham and Eaton counties will begin receiving upgrades in the spring. Clinton, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella and Shiawassee counties are scheduled for summer.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web â&#x20AC;&#x2039;www.superindustrialonline.com

â&#x20AC;&#x2039;Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Shining a Light on Off-Grid Communities Little Sun joins the Business Call to Action with a pledge to bring solar light to remote areas off the electricity grid

BERLIN, Dec. 16 /CSRwire/ - Germany-based solar energy provider Little Sun has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA) by committing to provide clean and affordable solar lighting to 5 million people in Africa

while bringing livelihood opportunities and training to at least 4,000 local micro-entrepreneur distributors until 2020.

Launched in 2008, the Business Call to Action (BCtA) aims to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by challenging companies to develop inclusive business models that engage people with less than US$8 per day in purchasing power as consumers, producers, suppliers and distributors. It is supported by several international organizations and hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Today there are 1.1 billion people worldwide without access to electricity. These ‘off-grid’ communities are not able to light their homes, charge mobile phones or access other basic services. Education levels in these areas remain low since children cannot study after sunset. Working hours are limited to the daytime, which decreases incomes. Providing medical care – and delivering babies – becomes much more risky at night.

Founded in 2012, Little Sun’s mission is to bring affordable solar light to the over 1 billion people worldwide living without electricity. The organization seeks to strengthen communities from the inside by creating local income opportunities through a distribution network comprised of local entrepreneurs. Its products’ price point is affordable for consumers while still allowing for profits to be made by these local distributors.

Little Sun is a social business operating with a unique global model, providing affordable energy access units in off-grid areas as well as selling lamps and solar powered phone chargers in the global north to fund the project, to share a strong symbol of renewable energy, and to create a more interconnected world.

“In remote areas without access to the electricity grid, lack of lighting is a major barrier to economic and social development, further marginalizing already struggling families,” said Paula Peleaz, BCtA Programme Manager. “Little Sun is not only providing these communities with a source of light. It is enhancing their livelihoods, furthering their education and improving their health – all with simple and affordable solar-powered lanterns”.

The organization’s inclusive business strategy focuses on developing its local distributors’ businesses through training and support with marketing and sales. Little Sun is also tackling the challenge of limited logistics and retail opportunities in remote areas through strategic partnerships with local businesses, NGOs and community-based organizations.

In addition to producing solar lights, Little Sun creates targeted training materials to guide its partners in addressing customers’ needs and evolving their business strategies. Its Berlin-based team gets involved at the local level by delivering workshops on solar technology, sales and distribution planning, financing, accounting and recruitment.

While funding is a major challenge for scaling up solar solutions in rural areas, Little Sun is developing innovative flexible-payment and credit models, and forging strategic partnerships with village savings and loan associations. And since the organization is able to achieve greater margins in higher-income areas, it can offer realistic payment terms, deferred financing and subsidies in lower-income communities.

Amid growing awareness of the risks of kerosene and the financial benefits of sustainable lighting, the organization’s management expects demand for its solar products to expand significantly. Already active in over ten sub-Saharan African countries, Little Sun is planning to expand its operations in these countries before moving to other regions in order to ensure a strong distribution network.

“In producing and distributing our solar products, we are keeping an eye towards the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Felix Hallwachs, Little Sun’s CEO. “This requires fostering local small business opportunities and building a scalable delivery system – as well as building global awareness of the importance of clean, renewable energy.”

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

PRESS RELEASES ENDS HERE PLEASE DO NOT PUBLISH THIS TEXT ON RED COLOR 3Degrees Joins RECS International Deepening our commitment to European renewable energy markets.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 15 /CSRwire/ - 3Degrees is pleased to announce that we have joined ​RECS

International​, an organization committed to building global renewable energy markets that are standardized, transparent and most importantly, consumer-driven.

“3Degrees – through its work with Green-e and WRI - has a proven commitment to building high-integrity renewable energy markets,” says Jared Braslawsky, Secretary General of RECS International. “We are proud to have them join RECS International and support our mission of creating reliable attribute tracking markets in Europe and around the world.”

Since its founding, 3Degrees has helped customers with needs for international renewable energy certificate (REC) and carbon offset products. Today, we offer comprehensive international offerings including GOs, I-RECS, TIGRs, carbon offset products, as well as PPAs, VPPAs and consulting services. We have done business in over 40 countries and are proud to be a ​CDP Global Renewable Energy Partner​.

“More and more of our customers are looking to us to help them address their global needs around renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions,” according to Steve McDougal, CEO of 3Degrees.

“Joining RECS International allows us to stay plugged into the nuances of the European renewable energy markets and better serve our customers.”

3Degrees will be speaking at the upcoming RECS International conference in March of 2017, providing a perspective on the US RECs market.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

PRESS RELEASES ENDS HERE PLEASE DO NOT PUBLISH THIS TEXT ON RED COLOR

An Historic Achievement – National Grid Customers Are the First in the U.S. to Receive Offshore Wind Power PROVIDENCE, R.I., Dec. 12 /CSRwire/ - After just 11 months of construction on its “sea2shore: The Renewable Link” project, National Grid today announced that it is now officially delivering electricity generated by the offshore Block Island Wind Farm to the electricity grid in Rhode Island and to customers – a first-in-the-nation milestone. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cF-f-cxGxVg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Beginning in January 2016, National Grid oversaw construction of the majority of the infrastructure needed to connect the wind farm to the electric system on mainland Rhode Island. The organization will continue to own and maintain the infrastructure, which includes approximately 20 miles of submarine cable, five miles of underground cable, and two new substations (one on Block Island and one in Narragansett). <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ja0GM4TdK7w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

“We’re really a leader in renewables and National Grid has been a great partner for us at every step of the way,” said R.I. Governor Gina Raimondo. “We’re moving ourselves to a more resilient, sustainable, cleaner, more affordable energy source, and that’s a win for everybody.”

“National Grid has significant experience with submarine cable projects and has completed several others in the past, but connecting to the country’s first offshore wind farm has made it a unique experience for everyone involved,” said Timothy F. Horan, president and COO of National Grid in Rhode Island. “We are incredibly grateful to the project team, the state of Rhode Island, and all of our partners who helped make this possible, and to the residents, business owners, and community leaders of Block Island, Narragansett and South Kingstown who showed great patience and collaboration as we worked to make this historic effort a reality.”

“This is an historic achievement for our country, our customers and our organization,” said Rudy Wynter, president and COO of National Grid’s FERC-Regulated Businesses. “We know that transmission is the key to unlocking and delivering the large amounts of renewable power our region needs to meet its clean energy goals, and we look forward to other developing projects that will support that endeavor.”

The Block Island Wind Farm is expected to supply approximately 30 megawatts of electricity, more than enough to meet Block Island’s entire current demand of 3 to 4 MW. The excess will be re-directed to mainland Rhode Island via the submarine cable running between Block Island and the town of Narragansett.

National Grid is a world leader in the installation of submarine cables and transmission interconnectors that deliver large amounts of renewable energy to densely populated areas. Its two cables that serve the island of Nantucket enabled that community to virtually eliminate reliance on dirty, unreliable diesel generators for power. National Grid also built, operates and jointly owns an interconnector that delivers up to 2,000 MW of Canadian hydropower to New England. National Grid’s UK business jointly developed, owns and operates interconnectors to France and the Netherlands and is developing proposals for additional projects that would interconnect with other European countries.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

WHAT INDUSTRY AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS ARE SAYING ABOUT sea2shore: American Wind Energy Association “The importance of seeing the Block Island Wind Farm come online to produce power cannot be overstated for the residents of Rhode Island or the nation. This is more than a ribbon cutting; it is the dawn of an entirely new source of homegrown U.S. energy. Paired with transmission infrastructure, American offshore wind can deliver vast amounts of clean energy directly to the nation’s largest population centers. In doing so, we can create jobs for generations, bring opportunities for American workers that are currently only available overseas, rehabilitate aging port and highway infrastructure, and help make America energy independent” Nancy Sopko, Manager, Advocacy and Federal Legislative Affairs, AWEA CERES "We commend National Grid for recognizing the critical role that offshore wind can play in tackling the climate challenge and investing capital in the new infrastructure needed to make the clean energy economy a reality” - Dan Bakal, CERES Director of Electric Power

New England Clean Energy Council "NECEC applauds National Grid for its contribution to delivering the clean energy generated by the nation’s first offshore wind project – the Block Island Wind Farm – to customers,” "Offshore wind will play a critical role in advancing the clean energy economy of the Northeast, and National Grid is providing the connection vital to that advancement” - NECEC President Peter Rothstein WIRES “The hallmark of the modern electric system is deployment of diverse sources of electricity and advanced technology. The age of offshore wind is just starting. A more robust and integrated transmission network will enable clean wind power from projects like Sea2Shore to be provided more reliably and cost effectively to consumers” - Jim Hoecker, former Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Counsel to WIRES, an international business group that promotes energy infrastructure investment

Birmingham Mayor William A. Bell (right) and Jason Bingham (left), vice president for energy services and controls at Trane, signed a commitment to sustainability and an energy-efficient environment, launching energy saving upgrades to 125 buildings that

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Oct. 14 /CSRwire/ - In partnership with Trane, the city of Birmingham, Alabama, formalized its commitment to sustainability and launched energy saving upgrades to 125 city buildings at an Oct. 5 event at Titusville Public Library. Trane is a leading global provider of indoor comfort solutions and services and a brand of Ingersoll Rand.

Slated for completion in 2018, the $61.3 million project is expected to cut annual energy and operational costs by more than 30 percent, saving more than $100 million over the next two decades.

“The energy upgrades these 125 city buildings will undergo are truly needed by the community,” said Birmingham Mayor William A. Bell. “We are pleased that we will fund the improvements using future energy and operational savings at no additional cost to taxpayers.” The improvements are funded with a performance contract, which is a project delivery method that provides measurable business results to support strategic business objectives.

During the event, Mayor Bell and Jason Bingham, vice president of energy services and controls at Trane, signed a pledge formalizing the city’s commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency and officially launching the upgrade project.

“The City of Birmingham provides a real-life example of how governments can partner to deliver best-in-class operations and dramatic energy cost reductions,” said Bingham.

At the project outset, before identifying energy conservation measures, city leaders directed completion of an energy audit of all city owned and occupied buildings, which identified opportunities to increase energy efficiency and cut utility costs across 125 buildings.

The selected facility improvements are designed to assist city facilities teams with managing and operating efficient and sustainable buildings that help the city better serve the community. The updated buildings will provide a more comfortable environment for visitors and other occupants and a more productive and healthy working environment.

Energy conservation measures will include: ●

Water upgrades in 119 buildings

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Lighting upgrades in 117 buildings

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Energy and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) controls for 108 buildings

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Building envelope improvements in 59 buildings

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HVAC/mechanical upgrades in 45 buildings

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Roof replacements in 31 buildings

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Transformer upgrades for 12 buildings

The updated city, police departments, fire departments, museums, libraries, parks and recreation centers and buildings will provide more comfortable environments for visitors and other occupants to deliver more productive and healthy working environments.

The City of Birmingham project partnership includes a workforce development program in which Trane will work with Lawson State Community College and the Birmingham Construction Industry Authority on a professional development job-training program for Minority Business Enterprise contracting partners. The program focuses on expanding participants’ skills and expertise to help achieve the energy savings for this and future projects.

The partnership also will provide Birmingham city schools’ students with science, technology, engineering and mathematics educational opportunities to prepare for future “green” careers.

CBRE Study Finds San Francisco The Nation’s Greenest City Third Annual Green Building Adoption Index Shows Percentage of U.S. Office Space “Green” Certified Tops 40%

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12 /CSRwire/ - Institutional owners of office buildings continued to pursue green building certifications in the 30 largest U.S. markets during 2015. Continuing an upward trend over the past decade, green certifications are now held by 11.8 percent of all surveyed buildings, representing 40.2 percent of all office space. Both figures are slightly above last year’s results, according to the third annual Green Building Adoption Index study by ​CBRE Group, Inc.​ and ​Maastricht University​. “Green” office

buildings in the U.S. are defined as those that hold either an EPA ENERGY STAR label, USGBC LEED certification or both. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sfLWvts4Ja0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> After placing second on the Green Building Adoption Index the two prior years, the San Francisco market claimed the top spot with 73.7 percent of its space qualified as green certified. Chicago claimed the second spot, narrowly trailing the leader at 72.3 percent and Minneapolis fell from the top into third spot at 60.6 percent. Houston, Atlanta and Los Angeles all also achieved more than 50 percent green certification in their office markets.

“While the rate of growth in ‘green’ buildings has slowed modestly, our latest study underscores that in most major markets, sustainable office space has become the ‘new normal,’” said ​David Pogue​, CBRE’s Global Director of Corporate Responsibility.

The overall results of the study do show that the while the uptake of green building practices in the 30 largest U.S. cities continues to be significant, the rate of adoption is slowing. In 2014 the total sq. ft. of green office space in the top 30 markets was 39.3 percent compared to the latest rate of 40.2 percent.

“This likely reflects the fact that only a certain fraction of the building stock can obtain a green or energy-efficiency certification,” said Dr. Nils Kok, associate professor in Finance and Real Estate, Maastricht University (NL). “Additionally, we believe that some buildings that were previously certified did not renew their certification in 2015. This does not necessarily mean that the energy use of these buildings has changed, but that some owners and managers may choose not to spend the time or expense to reapply for certification every year.”

A new feature of the 2015 study is a geographic mapping platform that highlights the name, location and details of the specific green certification for each building in all 30 markets.

Executed in close collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and CBRE Research, this is the third release of the annual Green Building Adoption Index. Based on a rigorous methodology, the Index shows the growth of ENERGY STAR- and LEED-certified space for the 30 largest U.S. office markets, both in aggregate and in individual markets, over the previous 10 years. ​View the study’s findings ​HERE​.

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Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Science Barge Gets Power Boost From Green Mountain Energy Sun Club

The Science Barge in Yonkers, NY has received a power boost from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club with new solar panels and an updated battery bank to power the sustainable urban farm.

YONKERS, N.Y. , Oct. 06 /CSRwire/ - On Thursday, October 6, at 4 p.m., Mayor Mike Spano will flip the switch on a new, more efficient energy system for the Science Barge, located on Yonkers’ waterfront. The system, donated by Green Mountain Energy Sun Club at a value of $50,000, will modernize the off-grid solar electric system aboard the Science Barge.

“This donation from the ​Sun Club® propels the Barge into the next era, totally updating the energy system

that powers our hydroponic farm. We will now have double the solar power and double the energy reserves,” said Bob Walters, director of the Science Barge, a program of Groundwork Hudson Valley. The grant includes 12 new LG solar panels that produce a total of 3,420 watts and an Iron Edison 48 volt battery bank that is significantly more efficient than the outdated system it is replacing. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U7GehhvumIA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> “The ​Sun Club loves working with unique nonprofits, and the Science Barge is an excellent demonstration of renewable energy and environmental education,” said Mark Parsons, president of Green Mountain Energy Sun Club and general manager of Green Mountain Energy organization. “We’re proud to support the Science Barge by helping the sustainable urban farm operate completely off the grid.”

Thanks to an anonymous donor, the Science Barge was recently purchased by Groundwork, freeing the organization from a long-time lease obligation. “Now, with the new energy system, the Barge is positioned to demonstrate and teach sustainable farming for the future, with zero carbon emissions, zero pesticides, and zero runoff,” notes Walters.

Acorganizationing Mayor Spano at the press event will be representatives from the ​Sun Club and Green

Mountain Energy organization, Science Barge staff and volunteers, local elected officials, and members of Groundwork Hudson Valley’s youth Green Team. There will be refreshments and giveaways for attendees.

The Science Barge educators are also rolling out new climate change curricula this fall, thanks to a grant from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association (NOAA). Groundwork was one of only six

organizations in the country to receive this grant to provide cutting-edge education in climate change and resiliency to Yonkers school students. New signs and exhibits will be installed on the Barge, spreading awareness about climate change among thousands of visitors each year.

Since its founding in 2002, the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club has donated more than $4 million to nonprofits focusing on renewable energy, energy efficiency and resource conservation in numerous communities in Texas and in the Northeast. To learn more about the ​Sun Club, visit ​www.gmsunclub.com​.

Besides Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, the Science Barge is funded by grants from the City of Yonkers, ConEdison, Domino Sugar, NOAA, the EPA, and the Hudson River Foundation. The Barge is located at 99 Dock Street, Yonkers, NY 10701.

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​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Green Mountain Energy Sun Club Donates $300,000 to SEARCH Homeless Services SEARCH becomes a model and teacher of environmental best practices

The Green Mountain Energy Sun Club donated $300,000 to SEARCH Homeless Services in Houston, Texas. As part of the donation, SEARCH's House of Tiny Treasures received a 1,000 gallon rainwater cistern.

HOUSTON, Sep. 22 /CSRwire/ - ​Texas sunshine and rain are now helping SEARCH Homeless

Services power their facilities and conserve water thanks to a $300,000 donation from Green Mountain Energy ​Sun Club. SEARCH is a Houston-based nonprofit dedicated to

providing hope, creating opportunity and transforming the lives of homeless men, women and children. The ​Sun Club® donation equipped the nonprofit with solar panels, a rainwater cistern and other sustainable energy solutions. As a result of SEARCH’s “Of Course We Can”

capital campaign, the nonprofit opened the doors on two new buildings this summer, both of which have been outfitted with sustainable energy solutions. At SEARCH’s new headquarters, the ​Sun Club’s donation is helping slash the building’s annual energy costs by 50 percent.

“Green Mountain Energy ​Sun Club is proud to support SEARCH Homeless Services and partner with an organization that has such a consistently profound impact in our

community,” said Mark Parsons, president of the Green Mountain Energy S ​ un Club and vice president and general manager of Green Mountain Energy organization. “The S ​ un Club

donation to SEARCH will free up funds used to power the facilities, allowing the nonprofit to transform and re-build more lives.”

At the new SEARCH Employment Services and Care Hub, which serves as the nonprofit’s headquarters, the ​Sun Club donated a 65-kilowatt rooftop solar array, LED lights and

insulation. The sustainable additions are expected to save the nonprofit more than $342,000 over the 25-year life of the solar array.

SEARCH also opened a second House of Tiny Treasures, its early childhood education program. The new school features a 1,000 gallon rainwater harvesting system that will serve as irrigation for the landscape and lawn. The cistern will also be incorporated into the education curriculum so the children can learn about the importance of sustainability from a young age.

“SEARCH is so thankful for the support and investment from the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club,” said Thao Costis, president and CEO of SEARCH Homeless Services. “We are proud of our commitment to sustainability and hope to inspire other nonprofits to look for ways they can do more to be better stewards of our environment.”

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​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

National Grid Pursues Smart Energy Solutions Extension Worcester, Mass. program key to organization’s grid modernization learnings

WORCESTER, Mass., Sep. 06 /CSRwire/ - Encouraged by customer satisfaction, positive results, and the opportunity to learn more about how smart grid investments may improve electric service and reliability across the Commonwealth, National Grid is seeking to extend the Smart Energy Solutions (SES) pilot program in Worcester for an additional two years.

Eager to build upon the program’s successes and help the state evaluate the benefits of grid modernization, the organization filed a request yesterday with the Department of Public Utilities to continue the most comprehensive smart grid pilot in the Northeast. The program’s 15,000 customers have access to pricing plans designed to help them save on their monthly electric bills and prepare for days when energy usage is highest. Additionally, infrastructure investments including advanced communications and automation enhancements have enabled faster outage identification and faster system restoration, while also being able to test integration of renewable resources and electric vehicle charging stations in the city. Several monitors

are installed at solar and wind distributed generation locations within the SES program area to help the organization study the impact of distributed generation on the electric system.

“We are excited about the opportunity for program participants to continue benefiting from new pricing plans and in-home technologies that let them take control of their energy use and costs,” said Carlos Nouel, vice president of New Energy Solutions at National Grid. “Our investments in smart grid infrastructure, and what we’re learning from this program, will ultimately help us improve service for all of our customers as we strive to offer them a 21st century experience.”

Launched in January 2015 with the DPU’s approval as a two-year pilot under the 2008 Green Communities Act, SES has sustained a high retention and satisfaction rate, and resulted in peak and average load reduction and measurable customer bill savings. Findings from a mid-program evaluation revealed that in 2015 the SES program achieved a 98 percent retention rate, a 72 percent customer satisfaction rate and total customer savings of $1.25 million on their electric bills. Additionally, the average customer reduced their usage by nearly 4 percent during peak periods of electricity demand.

Now in its second year, the pilot has helped inform the organization’s grid modernization filing in Massachusetts. National Grid submitted a plan last summer in response to the DPU’s request for proposals to modernize the grid and enhance customers’ utility experiences. That proposal is pending review by the DPU. The organization’s filing requests permission to continue Smart Energy Solutions as it exists today, with features including advanced metering infrastructure, time varying rates, Conservation Days, Peak Event hours, customer in-home technology, and continued community access to the Sustainability Hub at 912 Main St., which opened to the public in the fall of 2013.

“Not only does SES help us with ways to better serve our customers through technology, tools and enhanced infrastructure, it has given us an opportunity to innovate and work directly with the Worcester community,” said Nouel. “We are looking forward to continuing to grow our relationship with the city, the schools and universities, and the greater community as we work to engage our customers. This is not just National Grid’s program; it is the community’s.” <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d8aGUQGU7lQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Operated with full-time support from Clark University and WPI students, the Sustainability Hub has served as a place for residents to learn about participation in SES and energy efficiency programs, join together for community gatherings, charge their electric vehicles, attend educational programs, and more.

If approved, Smart Energy Solutions will be extended from its current end date of Dec. 31, 2016 to the end of 2018.

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Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Renewable Choice Energy a​ t premier industry event

BOULDER, Aug. 23 /CSRwire/ - Renewable Choice Energy announced today that it has joined leading event producer Infocast as a Platinum Sponsor for the upcoming Corporate Renewables 2016 conference. Billed as an event “by corporates, for corporates,” the conference will be held September 26-28 in Washington, D.C. Renewable Choice was invited to join the Infocast event team to share its expertise on renewable energy procurement among corporate & industrial (C&I) buyers. To date, the firm has supported its clients in signing over a gigawatt of new wind and solar via power purchase agreement (PPA).

Renewable Choice will co-host the pre-conference workshop with law firm K&L Gates and will speak on several panels throughout the event. Renewable Choice has also been involved in helping to shape the broader event’s agenda and is a member of the conference’s advisory board.

“We are delighted to include Renewable Choice among our collaborators for Corporate Renewables 2016. Their team’s expertise in the corporate renewables space has been invaluable,” said Ron Henderson, Event Designer at Infocast. “Renewable Cvhoice has played a key role in helping us shape this conference to be the premier industry event of its kind. It’s not to be missed.”

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/025Y6OWIsHY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Since 2001, Renewable Choice has been a pioneer in the commercial renewable energy marketplace. In 2006, the organization assisted Whole Foods Market in brokering what was, at that time, the largest purchase of renewable energy by a corporation to date. Since that landmark deal, Renewable Choice has partnered with thousands of C&I buyers and transacted on millions of kilowatt hours of renewable energy across more than 30 countries. The organization has been recognized repeatedly for its leadership by the Environmental Protection Agency and is a certified B Corporation.

“Our partnership with Infocast on Corporate Renewables 2016 has been positive,” said Amy Haddon, VP of Communications & Engagement for Renewable Choice and a featured speaker at the Infocast event. “It has allowed us to showcase our leadership in a new venue, and we’re excited about the final result. The conference promises to be the best-in-class event of 2016 on C&I renewable purchasing.”

To learn more about Corporate Renewables 2016, or to register, visit: http://infocastinc.com/event/corporate-renewables Related videos <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hBXgdh7aDgo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Massachusetts Energy changes Utilities landscape

WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 12 /CSRwire/ - Massachusetts utilities and energy efficiency service providers[1] have filed their 2013-2015 Term Reports with the Department of Public Utilities, showing unprecedented energy savings and dollar benefits statewide over the three-year period.

For each of the three years, Massachusetts was also ranked number one on the American Council for An Energy Efficient Economy’s State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.

Through the nation-leading Mass Save programs, Massachusetts customers saved 3,924,746 annual megawatt-hours of electricity from electric programs and 78,733,649 annual therms of natural gas from gas programs. The results confirm the commonwealth’s energy efficiency programs deliver innovative, cost‑effective programs, resulting in combined economic benefits of more than $9.3 billion to Massachusetts customers during the term, or $4.69 in benefits for every program dollar spent.

“We applaud our customers for embracing these opportunities to improve their energy productivity and make their homes and businesses more affordable and comfortable,” said Terry Sobolewski, Chief Customer Officer at National Grid. “We’re thankful to these customers for helping make Massachusetts the most energy-efficient state in the nation. We look forward to continued advancements in energy efficiency, both for our customers and the environment, as we continue to strive toward providing a modern, 21st century experience to our customers.”

The results of the reports also show that during the same three-year period, the energy efficiency programs contributed to cleaner air and significant job growth. Based on the energy savings between 2013 and 2015, the resulting reductions in greenhouse gas emissions include a reduction of 2,221,558 Short Tons of CO2, or the equivalent of taking 423,961 cars off the road - helping the commonwealth’s efforts to meet the environmental goals set forth in the Clean Energy and Climate Plan. Additionally, a report issued by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Council found that the energy efficiency programs have helped spur significant job growth and identified more than 7,000 companies participating in the Massachusetts energy efficiency industry today.

“It’s extremely gratifying to see that programs developed through the successful collaboration of program administrators and state officials are helping our customers and our environment in such a significant way,” said Penni Conner, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer at Eversource. “As the top-ranked state in the country, Massachusetts continues to set a very high bar with its statewide energy efficiency efforts.”

During the 2013-2015 timeframe, the program included striking success in programs directed at lower‑income customers, helping Massachusetts’ most vulnerable residents lower their energy costs. The low-income program delivery goals were met or exceeded, thanks to the innovative and collaborative partnership between the Mass Save Program Administrators and the Massachusetts Low-Income Service Provider Network, better known as LEAN. “This represents permanent cuts in low-income utility bills,” said LEAN Chairman Elliott Jacobson. “These savings make it possible

for families to feed their children adequately and keep them warm, and for seniors to stay in their homes.”

The Mass Save Program Administrators work cooperatively and collaboratively with the Department of Energy Resources, the Massachusetts Attorney General, and the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council, and appreciate their efforts in advancing energy efficiency in the commonwealth.

Building on thirty years of success, the Mass Save programs continued to deliver on increasingly challenging savings goals. For the 2013-2015 term, the Program Administrators developed nation-leading programs that included the incorporation of state-of-the-art new technologies and measures to achieve deeper savings; addressed barriers to participation; and utilized sophisticated data analysis and research techniques including third-party evaluations and the development of a comprehensive, statewide database for energy efficiency data (​www.MassSaveData.com​).

Working together, the Program Administrators look forward to continuing to achieve nation-leading energy savings goals during the ongoing implementation of the third three-year plan following the passage of the Green Communities Act in 2008. In the 2016-2018 plan, the Program Administrators have committed to the nation’s most aggressive savings goals to further the commonwealth’s energy objectives.

For more information about the Mass Save energy efficiency programs, visit w ​ ww.masssave.com/

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Technology Brings Reward to Electric Industry Annual Strategic Directions Report reflects on a decade of transformation, and what’s next

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Aug. 10 /CSRwire/ - Distributed generation, the low price of natural gas and modern customer information systems (CIS) represent growth opportunities for the electric industry even as security concerns are on the rise and legacy power generation sources cede their prominence to new technology. Those are the top findings in Black & Veatch’s 2 ​ 016 Strategic Directions: Electric Industry Report, the organization’s annual review of the issues affecting the industry.

A decade ago, security ranked 10th on the industry’s top 10 issues list, while renewable energy was viewed as unlikely to have a material impact on the future plans for the industry. Since that initial ​Strategic Directions report, microgrids, electric vehicles and energy storage technologies have become strategic imperatives for utility leaders who see distributed energy resources and renewables as potential sources of revenue. According to the report, reliability remains a perennial concern with respondents ranking it as their number one issue for the past five years.

“Utility leaders around the world recognize that solar energy, wind power, microgrids and distributed generation are prominent in the new discussion around resource efficiency, and customers are compelling their infrastructure providers toward sustainability,” said Ed Walsh, President of Black & Veatch’s power business. “But some providers are expressing uncertainty about whether they can meet the expectations of an always-on, always-connected society that demands 100 percent up-time.”

The report examines how distributed generation, better informed customers and advanced technologies are ushering a new era of opportunity and uncertainty for the electric industry. The

analysis also considers the impact of natural gas, the U.S. Clean Power Plan and the effects of coal retirements on balanced power generation portfolios.

Additionally, the analysis draws an important comparison between the state of today’s electric utilities and the sweeping change that recast the telecommunications landscape with the advent of customer demand for mobile technology. Engaging electric utility customers through new services, such as community solar or on-bill financing of distributed energy resources systems and maintenance, enables providers to evolve and meet customer demand by using existing infrastructure to expand beyond conventional core services.

“Today, you see (mobile carrier) retail stores under each brand selling the very equipment that has made their traditional model obsolete,” John Chevrette, President of Black & Veatch Management Consulting, writes in the report’s closing commentary. “They evolved to offer new services, such as broadband to the home and cellular services, among others, by leveraging their existing infrastructure and shared networks. These same opportunities exist for the power industry.”

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Renewable Choice Energy gains global presence Expands International Portfolio of Products & Services BOULDER, Colo., Jul. 28 /CSRwire/ - Renewable Choice Energy announced today that it has expanded its global portfolio of clean energy products and services to include international onsite and offsite power purchase agreements (PPAs). The organization already supplies global energy attribute certificates (EACs) and carbon offsets (emissions reductions) to its commercial, industrial, and institutional (C&I) customers. The firm has also partnered with green building projects in more than 30 different countries to help them earn their LEED® certification.

Renewable Choice began its rise as a leading green power supplier in 2006, when it helped Whole Foods Market become 100% wind powered. The deal was the largest corporate purchase of renewable energy to date. Since that time, hundreds of multinational corporations have followed suit. In 2015, corporate purchasers were responsible for purchasing more than 3,000 megawatts of new wind and solar capacity, many with Renewable Choice’s help.

The organization began advising clients on long-term renewable energy contracting via PPA in 2011. The PPA mechanism allows organizational buyers to participate more directly in the renewable energy market, while locking in stable prices to hedge against market volatility. The organization’s expanded international division will support C&I buyers looking to purchase PPAs in countries such as Mexico, India, and the Netherlands where such deals have favorable terms and economics.

“What we’ve seen over the past year is an explosion of C&I interest in PPAs, both domestic and abroad,” said James Lewis, Renewable Choice’s Sr. Director of Strategic Renewables for International Markets. “Favorable conditions—including the deregulation of the Mexican energy market and the aggressive renewable energy target set by India’s Modi government—means that it’s more feasible than ever for multinational corporations and their suppliers to execute onsite or offsite wind and solar PPAs in a number of global markets.”

In addition to international PPAs, the organization will continue to provide customized EAC and carbon offset procurement options to C&I buyers. Renewable Choice’s deep experience in transacting internationally has helped it build relationships with reputable, credible projects in more than 30 countries—with more being added all the time as renewable energy trading schemes advance in developing markets. International EACs, in particular, are of high value to C&I buyers who may report to CDP. Under the new Scope 2 guidance, published in 2015 by WRI, entities must match the region of their EACs to the region of their operational electricity load.

“EACs are the worldwide standard for tracking and trading renewable energy—even PPAs rely on EACs for their clean generation attributes,” said Amy Haddon, VP of Communications & Engagement for Renewable Choice. “However, it can be difficult to obtain credible EACs. For C&I buyers with operations in developing markets like Singapore, Brazil, and China, a procurement partner like Renewable Choice is invaluable.”

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Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Princeton Day School finds Sustainable Solution

SYOSSET, N.Y., Jan. 17 /CSRwire/ - Emerald Brand and the Princeton Day School are proud to announce their sustainability partnership in providing and utilizing a complete sustainable solution throughout their campus. Princeton Day School successfully launched this environmental initiative through Emerald Brand directly following the winter break, now providing Tree-Free bathroom tissue, recycled garbage liners, green-seal certified chemicals and soap, as well as environmentally friendly hand towels campus wide.

Princeton Day School is a private, co-educational day school located in Princeton, New Jersey, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The highly-rated school is a member of the “Green Schools Alliance”, an international non-profit organization that advances student success and saves schools’ resources by fostering whole school sustainability.

Princeton Day School is emerging as a leader for the Green Schools Alliance as well as the GSA Purchasing Solution, the rapidly growing tool to save schools money, improve their access to quality products, and simplify their purchasing. The GSA Purchasing Solution matched Princeton Day School to Emerald Brand’s sustainable disposable solutions to take further strides towards health, wellness, and sustainability in the educational system.

“These are really functional products - some are even better than what we used before. We aren’t sacrificing quality because they’re green and sustainable. I haven’t heard a complaint from any of my staff - I’d hear if there was a problem” states Gene Hartway, Custodial Foreman of Princeton Day School.

Hartway also appreciated that the Green Schools Alliance staff identified products and queued up the school’s ordering list to get exactly what the staff and students need. ​“The Alliance is very helpful in

pointing me in the right direction and suggesting products that have a similar, if not better, cleaning capability.”

In addition to providing the New Jersey school with a cost saving sustainable solution, Emerald Brand consolidated Princeton Day School’s SKU count on all of their cleaning chemicals by a third, and is providing an easy to use Green Seal certified cleaning dilution system and environmentally friendly cleaners. Through their partnership, Emerald Brand and PDS will track and measure their environmental savings while creating an educational foundation to strengthen awareness and education surrounding sustainability for their student and faculty community.

“Our partnership with Princeton Day School is an example of two institutions with very similar missions and mindsets; to educate and to communicate the importance of sustainability in the every-day life of our stakeholders by ‘walking the walk.’ We are very proud to work with such a well-renowned and forward thinking institution and look forward to educating the talented student body and faculty that makes Princeton Day School a leader in the education field,” states Ralph Bianculli Jr., Managing Director of Emerald Brand.

Princeton Day School is anticipating to save approximately 38 trees, 4,426 pounds of virgin fiber, 12,209 gallons of water, and 4,428 pounds of plastic material within the first year of converting to Emerald’s sustainable program.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Global Sustain Annual Integrated Report 2015

ATHENS, Greece, Jan. 10 /CSRwire/ - Global Sustain proudly presents​ ​its first ​Global Sustain Annual

Integrated Report 2015​, in line with the organization's vision and commitment to growth, sustainability and transparency. This integrated report is the next step in Global Sustain journey towards reporting its corporate performance with special reference to its social and environmental performance, in line with global developments and stakeholders' expectations.

This year’s Report is in English and designed by Global Sustain member Sympraxis Team. It was prepared considering the International Integrated Reporting Council standard, the GRI-G4 guidelines (In accordance “Core”), the principles of the United Nations Global Compact and the AA1000 AccountAbility Principles Standard 2008. For the first time, there is a special reference to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are linked to the GRI indicators.

Global Sustain Annual Integrated Report 2015

The content of the Report relevant to sustainability has been assured by the organization TÜV Austria Hellas, while the financial figures of this report have been assured by RSM Greece S.A.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

US EPA Includes SCS Global Services' Standards to Federal Purchasers Calif., Jan. 06 /CSRwire/ - ​SCS Global Services​ is pleased to announce that its suite of indoor air quality certification standards for the built environment are now recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in its Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels to federal purchasers.

SCS has provided leadership in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing, and standards development for more than thirty years.

SCS ​Indoor Advantage and Indoor Advantage Gold​ were included among the standards recommended for federal purchasing for a wide range of low-emitting furniture and building materials, such as adhesives,

carpet, acoustical ceiling tile, fiberboard, gypsum panels, wallboard, flooring products, insulation, and interior latex paint. In addition, the ​FloorScore®​ standard, developed by SCS for the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, was among the standards recommended for federal purchasing for low-emitting flooring and carpet.

“The EPA has undertaken a herculean task in evaluating the tremendous variety of ecolabels, standards, and specifications available in the marketplace today,” said Linda Brown, SCS Senior Vice President. Ms. Brown participated on the Governance Committee during the EPA’s pilot project to develop ​Guidelines for

Environmental Performance Standards and Ecolabels​, which ran from March 2015 through December 2016.

“The pilot project and resultant findings represents a great start to this effort.”

During the pilot phase, which focused on three categories – paints and coatings, furniture, and flooring – product-focused stakeholder panels and the Governance Committee grappled with a wide range of issues related to environmental standards setting processes, effectiveness of standards in protecting human and environmental health, conformity assessment approaches, and ecolabel program management. In addition to earning the recommendation for its indoor air quality standards, SCS was found to meet the EPA’s guidelines for Conformity Assessment Bodies for services provided in connection with the following standards: ● ●

level®​, ANSI/BIFMA e3 – 2014, Certification for Sustainable Furniture

Green Squared​®, ANSI A138.1 – 2011 v2, Certification for Sustainable Ceramic Tiles, Glass Tiles and Tile Installation Materials

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facts®, NSF/ANSI 336 – 2011, Certification for Sustainable Commercial Furnishings Fabric

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NSF/ANSI 140 – 2015 Sustainability Assessment for Carpet

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NSF/ANSI 332 – 2015 Sustainability Assessment for Resilient Floor Coverings.

With expertise spanning a wide-range of industries, SCS is one of the few certification bodies with the ability to assess companies, domestic and international, for a number of multi-attribute and indoor air quality standards recommended so far by the EPA. “We are pleased to have been included among EPA’s initial round of recommended standards, and to have been able to demonstrate our competence as a third-party certifier,” said Steve Kooy, SCS’ Director of Sales and Marketing. “We look forward to helping our customers meet federal procurement mandates, and where applicable, achieve multiple certifications simultaneously.”

The pilot project was an outgrowth of U.S. Presidential Executive Order 13963, ​Planning for Federal

Sustainability in the Next Decade, which directed the EPA to provide federal purchasers with

recommendations of specifications, standards, and ecolabels to use in identifying and procuring environmentally preferable products and services. The EPA’s goal was to develop a transparent, fair and consistent approach to using private sector standards and conformity assessment programs to support sustainable acquisition within the federal government, resulting in greater marketplace clarity overall.

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Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Bloomberg Named Outstanding Corporate Leader of 2016

(Left to right) Jim Boyle – CEO & Chairman, Sustainability Roundtable Inc, Jason Shulman – Sustainability Manager- Reporting & Analysis, Bloomberg, Paul Hawken – Author & Executive Director, Project Drawdown at the Summit for Sustainable Operations

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 05 /CSRwire/ - ​Sustainability Roundtable, Inc​. ("SR Inc"), the leader in Sustainability Program support services, recognized Bloomberg as the ​Sustainable Business &

Enterprise Roundtable's ​(SBER) Outstanding Corporate Leader for 2016. SR Inc recognized Bloomberg at the ​Summit for Sustainable Operations V​ in DC December 8th because of its industry leading best

practices in driving greater sustainability throughout Bloomberg’s global real estate and operations portfolio.

SR Inc has been recognizing Outstanding Corporate Leaders of the Year since 2010 and Bloomberg, first recognized in 2014, is the first organization to be recognized a second time.

Year over year, SR Inc confidentially scores and assists dozens of world-leading companies in developing and managing strategies to move their operations to greater sustainability. Bloomberg warranted the Outstanding Corporate Leader Award for a second time because of its leading success in driving continuous innovation and optimization throughout its operations to advance the organization’s long-term business success in a world of rising resource constraints. Bloomberg continues to achieve leadership scores on SR

Inc’s annual assessment, which evaluates the strength of a organization’s sustainability strategy for real estate and operations, even as the diagnostic survey it is based on raises the bar to stay aligned with current industry leading best practices.

The comprehensive, aggressive, and effective nature of Bloomberg's sustainability efforts support the award, including: ●

Explicit and visible commitment driven from Chairman's office

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Integration of sustainability information sharing into the organization's core business products, helping advance more sustainable industry practices

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Transparency and depth of sustainability reporting beyond SR Inc scoring

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Breadth and depth of employee engagement in virtually all aspects of corporate sustainability

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Leadership commitment sufficient to positively influence renewable energy and quality REC markets

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Robust participation across leadership development and engagement programs, with 80+% of employees engaging with at least 1 of Bloomberg’s social impact groups

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Continued investments to bring Sustainable Finance into Bloomberg products and services, media outlets and industry vertical groups (e.g. Portfolio Carbon Footprint Tool, Water Risk Valuation Tool)

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Continued level of financial investment in sustainability projects, funded by calculated avoided cost savings per FTE of sustainability initiatives over time (a featured Member-Client best practice), resulting in $23.8M in net savings between 2007 and 2015 for facilities-related initiatives that reduce CO2e emissions at offices, data centers and warehouses

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A commitment to reduce emissions 20% while achieving 20% IRR, by 2020 – proving that a focus on reducing environmental impact is good business.

“I’m pleased to, for the first time, recognize a repeat SBER Outstanding Corporate Leader of the Year in Bloomberg,” noted SR Inc CEO & Chairman Jim Boyle. “Bloomberg has earned it – they have continued to perform at the highest level in driving an exceptional worldwide sustainability program throughout all of their operations. Their approach to scoring and accounting for the full benefit of sustainable operations is a breakthrough best practice that every corporation interested in sustainability should examine.”

“Sustainability is a core component of Bloomberg’s culture. Through our environmental strategy we scrutinize every aspect of our business and operations with the aspiration of creating a fully sustainable Bloomberg. Since 2007, the organization has achieved cost savings of $83M, increased operating efficiencies by 35%, and is on target to achieve 35% direct renewable energy by 2020. “ – Michael Barry, Head of Sustainable Business Operations Related videos

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Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Sodexo Challenges Students Nationwide to Reduce Food Waste to Landfills with Spark 101 STEM Skills Video

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Jan. 04 /CSRwire/ - With the support of ​Sodexo​, world leader in Quality of Life services, teachers nationwide now have a new resource specifically designed to help students explore applications of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in real-world food waste and environmental sustainability challenges. Teachers are invited to use a new ​Spark 101​ STEM Skills Video to engage students in an example of authentic problem-solving based on actual challenges faced by

employers. In ​Sodexo’s Spark 101 challenge​, students are asked to apply their environmental science and analytical skills to help Sodexo’s client reduce food waste typically sent to the landfill.

In 2015, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated that while nearly 60,000 job openings become available in the U.S. annually, only 35,000 qualified graduates are projected to fill them.

Of those openings: ●

50% will be in management and business

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27% will be in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields

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12% will be in education, communication, and governmental services

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15% of the jobs will be in food and biomaterials production

Students who are passionate about global sustainability may be unaware of both the relevant career paths and the relationship between food waste and food service. With an eye toward increasing that awareness, Sodexo turned to Spark 101 to engage diverse students in STEM coursework and strengthen pathways to potential careers in these fields.

“Spark 101 STEM skills videos use a format proven to be effective in schools. An independent evaluation found that they increase STEM career awareness and skills, with significant positive effects on STEM engagement among students,” said Sodexo’s CEO for Schools in North America, Stephen Dunmore.

“Surveys also showed that 80 percent of students want teachers to integrate case study challenges into classwork and want employers to provide more case studies.”

In 2016, Sodexo awarded the nonprofit a grant to increase STEM engagement for 20,000 students through Spark 101’s free, short, career-based case study videos connecting high school coursework to STEM careers, specifically those in food service and sustainability.

“Each year four million students graduate high school without having had an opportunity to tackle a real-world problem. And employers need options other than internships to introduce students to viable careers and critical skills,” said Jane Kubasik, founder and president of the 114th Partnership. “We are very excited to add Sodexo’s real workplace challenges to our library to help more learners connect passions to facilities management and food service career pathways while cultivating the necessary STEM skills to drive future innovation.”

Spark 101 STEM skills videos, presented by employers like Sodexo, use an online interactive video format to let students work on real challenges faced by professionals in business, government, nonprofit, and academic institutions. The 10-minute classroom videos—co-developed by educators, employers, and Spark 101 design experts—engage students in authentic STEM problem solving, aligned to curriculum and educational standards for easy classroom integration. Secondary teachers can access more than 50 free Spark 101 STEM skills videos and curriculum-aligned teaching materials online at ​www.spark101.org​.

Spark 101 is a program of the 114th Partnership, a national nonprofit that helps students navigate education and career pathways. By connecting classwork to professional pathways, the organization will equip one million students with the knowledge they need to connect their personal passions to high opportunity careers.

Sodexo delivers more than 100 services across North America that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life. The Fortune Global 500 organization is a leader in delivering sustainable, integrated facilities management and foodservice operations.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

The Wendy’s organization Celebrates the New Year by Reporting on Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Progress organization updates on key initiatives and announces brand purpose: To Create Joy and Opportunity through Food, Family and Community

DUBLIN, OHIO, Jan. 03 /CSRwire/ - Today, The Wendy’s® organization released a 2016 annual update on significant Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and announced plans for continued progress in 2017.

Since 1969, Wendy’s has worked to be a best-in-class organization that is socially responsible, transparent, and committed to sustainable business practices. In 2016, the organization continued this journey, reaffirming past commitments, creating new goals in the areas of environmental and social responsibility, and embracing a brand purpose for all Wendy’s restaurants and teams around the world.

“Forty-seven years after Dave Thomas founded Wendy’s, we remain passionately committed to his ideals and values,” said President & CEO Todd Penegor, who assumed the organization’s top leadership position in 2016. “We came together strongly with our employees and franchisees in 2016 to bring Dave’s vision to life: to serve food we are proud of, provide thousands of people with employment opportunities, and raise funds and awareness to help the 130,000 children waiting in foster care find their forever families through adoption.

“We embrace our role as a responsible corporate citizen and believe that the purpose of Wendy’s is, ‘To Create Joy and Opportunity through Food, Family and Community.’ And it is through this lens that we will continue to communicate regularly and transparently to our customers about the topics that matter to all of us.”

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

King Khalid Responsible Competitiveness Award Gala Held in Riyadh

Responsible Competitiveness Award

NEW YORK and LONDON, Jan. 02 /CSRwire/ - AccountAbility is proud to partner with the King Khalid Foundation for the King Khalid Award on Responsible Competitiveness (RC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The King Khalid Foundation aims to be a leader in philanthropic and development work by providing innovative solutions to critical socio-economic challenges in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The annual RC Awards Gala was recently held on December 13th, 2016, in Riyadh. Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the annual Gala event honored companies that demonstrated excellence in sustainability performance.

The Winners of the 2016 RC Award were:

Overall Winners 1.

2.

3.

The Saudi Investment Bank Saudi Iron and Steel organization (HADEED) and Cisco Saudi Arabia Support Limited ​*tied for the second place Special Direction

Core Area Winners ●

Workforce:​ Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical organization (Yanpet)

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Innovation for Development:​ Tamer Group and Saudi Arabian Mining Group (Ma’aden) ​*tied for the second place

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Local Suppliers:​ Middle East Paper organization (MEPCO)

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Governance:​ Saudi International Petrochemical organization (SIPCHEM)

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Environmental Management:​ Saudi European Petrochemical organization (IBN ZAHR)

Since its inception in 2008, the annual RC Award has been an important driver of improving the social, economic, and environmental performance of companies in the KSA. AccountAbility’s partnership in the RC Award, now in its 8th consecutive year, focuses on assessing the sustainability performance of organizations and empowering firms to integrate and embed social and environmental issues into their core management decisions and operations.

The King Khalid Awards are the most prestigious awards focused on socially responsible and sustainable practices in Saudi Arabia. They are effective tools for social change and are designed to recognize, encourage and support exceptional achievements by companies, NPOs, and Saudi citizens.

About The King Khalid Foundation King Khalid Foundation aims to be the leader and role model in the philanthropic and development work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to positively impact peoples' lives by providing innovative solutions to critical socio-economic challenges in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. KKF has a legacy of managing high impact programs in the Kingdom, in partnership with business and government.

Examples of these programs include: No More Abuse, a public awareness campaign in partnership with Memac Ogilvy, after which the “Women and Child Abuse Prevention Law” was adopted; Our Youth Our Future, a large-scale youth training and employment program in partnership with HRDF aimed at providing training and employment for over 3,500 youths; The King Khalid Awards, annual awards for Non-Profit Excellence, Development Partners, and Responsible Competitiveness.

About AccountAbility AccountAbility is a leading global “not-for-profit” organization focused on research, standards, and consulting, providing innovative solutions to the most critical challenges in sustainability and CSR. Since 1995, we have been helping corporations, nonprofits and governments embed ethical, environmental, social and governance accountability into their organizational DNA.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Leaders in Agricultural Innovation in the rise at SCS Global Services EMERYVILLE, Calif., Dec. 28 /CSRwire/ - ​SCS Global Services​ is pleased to announce that Jim Knutzon has joined its corporate management team as the new Vice President for Special Projects. Mr. Knutzon brings decades of agricultural experience to the position, including pioneering work in sustainable and organic production, product development, food safety, and standards development. He will play a pivotal role in the continued expansion of SCS’s certification, auditing, and testing services.

“Jim is one of the most energetic people I know, with a deep curiosity, a lifelong passion for problem-solving, and the ingenuity to translate insights into action,” said Dr. Stanley Rhodes, SCS President. “Our clients and staff alike will benefit greatly from his expertise.”

Mr. Knutzon recently retired as the first President and CEO of Farm Fresh Direct, LLC, where he has been working since 2000. Under his leadership, Farm Fresh Direct, a coalition of family farms, has grown to become one of the most respected potato providers in the U.S. Potatoes are grown in seven states, and shipped across the country and to Mexico to major retailers and foodservice distributors. During his tenure at Farm Fresh, Knutzon spearheaded many “firsts”, including development of the ready-to-eat baked potato, identification of the most antioxidant-rich purple potatoes, and much more.

Mr. Knutzon started his career in the agricultural chemical business, then transitioned into vegetable farming. In 1979, he co-founded Valley Fresh Distributing, the first major organic vegetable grower/shipper in the United States. In 1988, his organic carrots caught the attention of SCS and Raley’s Supermarket in California, when they were tested and shown to contain exceptional levels of beta-carotene. Mr. Knutzon later joined SCS, and served as Chief Operating Officer for a decade, managing programs in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and life cycle assessment before leaving to take the reins at Farm Fresh Direct. Since that

time, he has kept close tabs on the working of SCS’s international certification business, serving as Chairman of the SCS Board of Directors. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jYT_fl_9l9Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> “SCS has been at the forefront of the sustainability certification business for over three decades, with services now spanning industry sectors ranging from forestry, mining, and fishing to agricultural production, manufactured goods, and the built environment,” said Mr. Knutzon. “I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves to support the innovative companies and organizations at the heart of these efforts.”

About SCS Global Services SCS Global Services has provided global leadership in third-party safety and sustainability certification, auditing, testing, and standards development for three decades. Our programs span a wide range of industries, recognizing achievements in food and agriculture, green building, product manufacturing, forestry, climate, and more. We are accredited under a wide range of nationally and internationally recognized certification standards. Consistent with our mission, we are a California Benefit Corporation, reflecting our commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.

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Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

New Website for ​the sustainability and CR community NEW YORK, and LONDON, Dec. 26 /CSRwire/ - AccountAbility is pleased to announce the launch of its newly redesigned website – www.accountability.org. The website is positioned to be a leading source for cutting-edge insights, solutions, and interactive features for the sustainability and CR community.

The new site has been optimized to ensure visitors are provided a "user-friendly" experience across all digital devices, including desktop and mobile. In addition to highlighting the firm’s extensive geographical reach and the AA1000 Standards, the site showcases the firm’s Advisory Services offerings. “In the past year, AccountAbility has placed an emphasis on developing and deploying digital products and solutions for our clients. We wanted to ensure that the firm’s renowned capabilities in the digital arena were accurately reflected via an enhanced online presence,” said Navi Brar, who leads the Middle East Practice for AccountAbility.

The website has a specific section devoted to the AA1000 Series of Standards. Visitors can download the suite of standards at no-charge and an extensive publication repository is also embedded into the website for the benefit of the sustainability community at-large. “AccountAbility is currently revising and improving the AA1000 Series of Standards to reflect the evolving sustainability landscape, highlight the core AA Guiding Principles, and ensure the Standards are practical, useful and implementable for organizations wishing to apply them and embed them within their management and reporting practices”, commented David Pritchett, the Global Head of Research at AccountAbility.

The website was developed with social capabilities at the forefront, offering users a 1-click ability to share News & Insights across their social networks.

About AccountAbility AccountAbility is a global consulting and standards firm that works with business, governments and multi-lateral organizations to advance responsible businesses practices and improve long term performance.

Since 1995, we have been helping corporations, non-profits and governments embed ethical, environmental, social and governance accountability into their organizational DNA. Related videos <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1ZxyKuTLQHI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

New Handbook about Smart Urbanization in Finance for City Leaders CHICAGO, Dec. 20 /CSRwire/ - As urbanization and “smart cities” become increasingly important topics for both public and private sector attention, global real estate services organization JLL continues to showcase its leadership on the topic.

Most recently, JLL Vice President Doug Carr, an expert in the Public Institutions advisory practice, coauthored one of the chapters of the UN-Habitat's just published handbook titled: Finance for City Leaders.

The handbook presents an up-to-date, comprehensive, and in-depth analysis of the challenges posed by rapid urbanization and the various financing tools municipalities have at their disposal.

Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director, UN-Habitat, describes the handbook as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;landmark publication that draws on the combined expertise of over 30 contributing authors from more than 15 public, private, and multi-lateral institutions all working toward equipping cities with tools they need to build and sustain urban prosperity.â&#x20AC;?

Carr, along with Gregg Clark, Chair of JLL Cities Research Center, and Tim Moonen, Director of Intelligence at The Business of Cities, wrote Chapter 10 of the handbook, entitled “The Role of Real Estate Development in Urbanizing Cities.” In this chapter, Carr, Clark, and Moonen explain that cities today do not have the luxury of choosing whether they will grow, but rather how they will grow. A proactive approach to planning and development management strategies are key factors in ensuring growth can be managed effectively to minimize stresses to existing infrastructure and natural environments.

“By 2050, close to 70 percent of the world’s population is projected to live in cities. Not surprisingly, that poses quite a challenge with spiralling demand for space juxtaposed against a limited supply. As we point out in our chapter, employing a coordinated and disciplined approach to urban planning offers a number of important benefits and advantages with respect to sustainable urban development. Specifically, collaboration across public and private sectors is critical in tackling the challenges posed by rapid urbanization and maximizing development opportunities,” said Carr.

Carr points out that property and infrastructure development cuts across many government and private sector entities, and often these entities do not share aligned goals. This misalignment can lead to an ad-hoc approach to real estate development with a short-term vision, making it difficult to incorporate long-term sustainability and planning objectives. Unplanned and unmanaged urbanization can have serious consequences. For example, according to the UN-Habitat World Cities Report 2016, it can lead to increased inequality, the growth of slums, and disastrous impacts on climate change and the environment.

Managing and planning for growth is a central theme in Chapter 10 of the handbook. The publication offers concrete guidance for city leaders on how to use a master planning process to achieve cost effective and sustainable development and how to utilize innovative tools and financing methods to fund this growth. For example, one such tool discussed is Value Capture Financing (VCF), also known as Land Value Capture, is an instrumental tool for spurring sustainable urban development. VCF allows the private and public sectors to share in the risk and rewards of urban projects— increasingly via Public-Private Partnerships—by identifying ways to create, capture and leverage increases in land and property values.

Although the handbook is geared toward city leaders, planners, and policymakers, the approach and guidance found in Chapter 10 along with the entire handbook is applicable to other organizations who are

responsible for and committed to supporting sustainable urban developments, such as non-profit organizations, economic development authorities, universities and business innovation incubators. In fact, the issue of creating liveable environments that enable inclusive economic activity and foster environmentally sustainable urban development touches us all. The UN estimates that approximately $3 trillion to $4 trillion annually is needed to achieve the various Sustainable Development Goals related to sustainable cities and communities. Making the most of these investments requires thoughtful preparation, strategic planning and development frameworks, as well as experienced oversight.

JLL’s authorship of Chapter 10 in the UN-Habitat’s Finance for City Leaders Handbook represents another milestone in JLL’s collaboration with the UN, which began in 2009 when JLL became a signatory of the United Nationals Global Compact (UNGC), an initiative aimed at supporting responsible business activities by helping businesses align with the ten principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.

JLL has also become a signatory to the UNGC’s Women Empowerment Principles, a set of principles for business offering guidance on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace, and community.

Related videos <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uI7XmmmhNQI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

$8 Billion Gained from Sustainability Efforts

GLOUCESTER, Mass., Dec. 19 /CSRwire/ - Over $8 billion was earned in 2015 from sustainability efforts by respondents in the latest ​Pure Strategies survey​ of how leading companies are integrating sustainability into

their businesses. In addition, the survey found that top-performing companies are generating twice as much value from their sustainability efforts as their peers, indicating that sustainability is re-defining the source of business value.

“Our research demonstrates that sustainability brings strong dividends of brand enhancement, increased sales, motivated employees and reduced risks and costs,” says Tim Greiner, Pure Strategies Managing Director. “We also found that leading companies that are earning more, plan to further invest in their sustainability programs, signaling a strong business case for sustainability.”

While 43% reported at least $1 million in increased sales from sustainability efforts, a larger portion of the sample, 45%, reported manufacturing cost savings, typically through resource efficiency and productivity projects. The Clorox organization found that cost savings from sustainability improvements delivered an average of $15 million annually since 2008.

Respondents​ identified product innovation, design, and development, activating a sustainability purpose in the business, and sustainable sourcing as the most valuable program approaches. ​Unilever ​reported 30% faster growth for its brands with a sustainability purpose, compared to the rest of its business, with these more sustainable products contributing nearly half of the firm’s total growth in 2015. Three of the top five brands driving this value are engaged in sustainable agriculture, including Knorr, Lipton, and Hellman’s.

Jonathan Atwood, VP, Sustainable Business, notes “The strong performance of our brands shows that there doesn’t need to be a trade-off between sustainability and profitable growth.”

Pure Strategies’ market research ​included telephone interviews with 153 sustainability leads in global companies with revenue of at least $250 million in these industries: food and beverage, apparel and

footwear, life sciences and medical products, electronics and appliances, home care and cleaning, personal care and cosmetics, and general merchandise. Pure Strategies conducted similar studies in ​2015​ and ​2013

that also informed the report. Additional details on the 2016 research can be found in this pureInsight ​report and this ​article​.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com

For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

Young People Vs. Corruption .

NEW YORK, Dec. 09 /CSRwire/ - Marking ​United Nations International Anti-Corruption Day​ (December 9),

Business In Society​ today posted its new video, “Fighting Global Corruption – the Multi-Trillion-Dollar Global Mission” featuring young people around the world taking up that mission.

The program centers on Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent estimate that corruption costs the global economy trillions of dollars annually. “Imagine” he has written, “the difference that would make to all those kids … yearning for jobs and opportunity, for electricity, for education.”

The program also presents the ​International Youth Network Against Corruption​, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya and ​Professor Carolyn Predmore, Director of Global Business Studies at Manhattan College​,

Riverdale New York. Professor Predmore describes how she has emphasized the significance of corruption – and what can be done about it – to her students.

This IYNAC call to action concludes the program: “Youth should be involved individually and actively in the fight against corruption, pledging not to engage in corruption and ensuring they participate in championing for a corrupt-free world and speaking against corruption.”

Business In Society ​@Biz_in_Society​ executive producer John Paluszek: “Even as we recognize the diligent anti-corruption work being done by business, civil society, academic and government leaders we hope to

generate a spark among college students and other young people on this global- society scourge. After all, they will inherit the earth.”

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Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web â&#x20AC;&#x2039;www.superindustrialonline.com

â&#x20AC;&#x2039;Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro

New 2020 Environmental Targets for Top Hotel professionals

BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 09 /CSRwire/ - Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: HST) announced yesterday new 2020 greenhouse gas emissions, energy, water and waste targets after meeting its 2017 goals ahead of schedule. Based on the success of its programs to date, the organization elected to increase and expand its efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of its portfolio.

The organization is one of the first Fortune 500 companies and the first hospitality organization to have their emissions target approved by the ​Science Based Targets ​initiative, which aims to have companies commit to bolder emissions targets in line with science to keep global warming below the 2 degree threshold.

2020 Environmental Targets: ●

Reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions per square foot by 28%*

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Reduce energy consumption per square foot by 15%*

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Reduce water consumption per occupied room by 25%*

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Divert waste from at least 50% of major renovation projects (new metric)

*All metrics are based on improvements from the organization’s baseline of 2008. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BAkB41Ygecs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> “We are delighted that our strategic decision to invest in fiscally responsible sustainability projects resulted in exceeding all of our goals two years ahead of schedule,” said Rick Werber, Senior Vice President, Engineering and Sustainability. “The organization is committed to researching and executing on sustainable systems and technologies that will help us reduce the environmental impact on our communities.”

Environmental Performance at a glance: Greenhouse Gas Emissions ●

Reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 24.0% per square foot from 2008-2015

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Avoided an estimated 35,000 metric tons of emissions compared to 2014, which is equivalent to taking over 7,000 cars off the road or providing electricity for over 5,000 homes for one year according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Energy Efficiency ●

Reduced energy use per square foot by 12.8% from 2008-2015

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Avoided an estimated 86,000 megawatt hours of energy compared to 2014 through energy efficiency improvements

Water Efficiency ●

Reduced water consumption per occupied room by 22.2% from 2008-2015

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Avoided an estimated 72.8M gallons of water compared to 2014 despite increased occupancy through water efficiency upgrade initiatives.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eoyQy8BCcrU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

For additional information on Host’s Corporate Responsibility Program, visit ​www.hosthotels.com

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro TAGS related to 2020 Environmental Targets l environmental goals examples l personal environmental goals l sustainability l ​ ​ENVIRONMENTAL​ SUSTAINABILITY

Businesses Leaders Must Lead Fight In Battle Against Climate Change

TD Bank serves as founding sponsor for first corporate sustainability event to convene industry leaders since the U.S. Presidential Election

T

Fort Lauderdale, FL , Dec. 07 /CSRwire/ - The Inaugural Companies Vs. Climate Change Conference closed Friday December 2nd Fort Lauderdale, FL with a decisive call to action that businesses must lead the charge to tackle climate change, as the U.S. move towards the presidential transition.

The consensus of conference attendees was clear. The time is now for business to lead the charge --- bring all stakeholders to the table, while engaging with government, to effectively amplify their work and commitments. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5sqRWHzA0JU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Sponsors included: founding sponsor - TD Bank; premier sponsors – Ingersoll Rand and Enernoc; gold sponsors – Sealed Air, Green Trees, GZA and The Spinnaker Group and networking reception sponsor – Renewable Choice Energy. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0k2-SzlDGko" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> This first-ever conference brought together 200 U.S. and international business leaders to discuss climate change and how they can work together to address it. The event included heads of sustainability for leading global companies as well as other senior corporate leaders. Companies represented included JM Family Associates, Hertz, Office Depot, SAP, Avery Dennison, Subway, Amtrak, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Walgreens and Citi.

The conference hashtag, ​@cvcc17​ was trending on Twitter throughout the week and the conference received important press attention from ​The Guardian​, ​The Sun Sentinel​, ​Triple Pundit​ and ​The Street​.

“We are proud to have convened this first corporate conversation since the election to discuss innovative solutions to tackle the climate crisis,” said Jason Youner, CEO, Companies Vs. Climate Change. “This inaugural event kicks off a series of annual conferences where we will convene leaders to find business-driven solutions to tackle climate change.”

For more information on the conference, please visit: ​www.solveclimatechange.com​.

Eco Business Sources For more information about Green projects and enviromentals news you can visit www.egreenews.com For a full list of reliable Green vendors in North America on the web ​www.superindustrialonline.com

​Report by Hugo Hernandez Gusther, Eco preneur and founder of Edanaro Tags Searches related to solve climate change l how to solve climate change problem climate change solutions 2017 l climate change solutions articles l climate change solutions essay l how to control climate change l climate change solutions 2016 l solutions to climate change conference l climate change solutions wikipedia