January, 2024

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Greening grid muscles out fossil fuels, pushes down power prices

Renew Economy

Record low coal and gas generation pushed wholesale electricity prices lower in the last quarter of 2023, as every region of the country notched up new solar output records. The post Greening grid muscles out fossil fuels, pushes down power prices appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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There’s nothing conservative about turning our backs on nature

Corporate Knights

Corporate Knights reached out to conservatives in Canada , the U.S. and the U.K. who are hoping to steer their parties toward a more sustainable future. We asked all three the same question: what is your prescription for green conservatives? Read our introduction here. In 2006, David Cameron, then leader of the Conservative Opposition, travelled to the Arctic to be photographed “hugging a husky.

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How Wells Fargo is slashing HVAC energy use more than 70% with a simple building retrofit

GreenBiz

Wells Fargo was an early investor in Turntide Technologies, which makes switched reluctance motors that drive down energy consumption for HVAC systems by an average of 64%.

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Delivering Tangible Climate Action Through the Circular Economy

3BL Media

Curbing our global carbon footprint and ensuring sustainability is a cause that resonates deeply with businesses and individuals across the globe. In today’s evolving landscape, where sustainability targets and regulations are becoming more stringent, and a profound shift towards more sustainable practices is taking root, this mission has never been more important.

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Changing the Game with MES: Cut Costs, Drive Efficiency, & Achieve Sustainability Goals!

Speaker: Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions

In an era where efficiency is king, are you leveraging the right tools to transform your manufacturing processes? A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is critical for enhancing operational efficiency, reducing waste, and optimizing energy usage—key factors for improving your bottom line and lowering your carbon footprint. Join Nikhil Joshi, a manufacturing technology expert with 18+ years of hands-on experience, in this new webinar as he uncovers the secrets of MES and how to best utilize thes

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A different high-growth story: The unique challenges of climate tech

McKinsey Sustainabilty

Capital-intensive, sustainable businesses offer growth on a scale achieved by technology juggernauts of recent decades. But they face a different set of challenges. Here’s how they can overcome them.

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Evolution might stop humans from solving climate change

Science Daily / Earth & Environment

Human culture has evolved to allow humans to extract resources and helped us expand to dominate the biosphere. But the same evolutionary processes may counteract efforts to solve new global environmental threats like climate change, according to a new study. Tackling the climate crisis will require worldwide regulatory, technical and economic systems supported by strong global cooperation.

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How Big Oil's spin doctors are influencing influencers

Corporate Knights

In November 1959, some 300 businessmen, scientists and government officials gathered at Columbia University in New York to celebrate the first hundred years of commercial oil exploitation in the United States. The mood was triumphant: fossil fuels were the lifeblood of the world’s largest economy, powering the postwar boom, industrial expansion and the suburban American dream.

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Intel is using hot water to cut natural gas use in its factories

GreenBiz

Industrial heat recovery is an untapped opportunity that could save an estimated $152.5 billion in annual energy costs globally.

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Air pollution and trees study overturns “rough and hairy is good” dictum

Envirotec Magazine

Surrey researcher Yendle Barwise assembling one of the pollution monitors. If you’re trying to take pollution out of the air, choose evergreen trees with smaller leaves. That’s according to a new study from the University of Surrey. Researchers from Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) tested ten trees beside a busy main road.

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Global Economics Intelligence executive summary, December 2023

McKinsey Sustainabilty

2024 looks uncertain: inflation has come down but long-term interest rates remain high; retail sales are relatively stable; manufacturing continues to contract; geopolitical concerns are on the rise.

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

Speaker: Kevin Kai Wong, President of Emergent Energy Solutions

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

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Bottled water can contain hundreds of thousands of previously uncounted tiny plastic bits

Science Daily / Earth & Environment

In recent years, there has been rising concern that tiny particles known as microplastics are showing up basically everywhere on Earth, from polar ice to soil, drinking water and food. Formed when plastics break down into progressively smaller bits, these particles are being consumed by humans and other creatures, with unknown potential health and ecosystem effects.

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Final concrete turbine foundations poured for Australia’s biggest wind farm

Renew Economy

All of the concrete foundations have been poured at the site of the massive MacIntyre wind farm, ready to accommodate 162 wind turbines. The post Final concrete turbine foundations poured for Australia’s biggest wind farm appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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Ralph Nader shares the secrets to success of 'rebel' CEOs

Corporate Knights

Throughout much of his career, Ralph Nader has railed against those in the corporate world responsible for hurting people and the planet. The former Green Party candidate for U.S. president and legendary consumer advocate has spent decades holding various industries to account for malfeasance. But in his latest book, Nader has taken a different tack.

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Why you shouldn't go net zero this year

GreenBiz

Sponsored: You want to move the needle on climate change? Stop trying to achieve net zero.

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Are Your Impact Comms Resonating With Stakeholders?

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

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Increasing number of local authorities require over 10% Biodiversity Net Gain

Envirotec Magazine

In advance of the statutory requirement for biodiversity net gain (BNG) for new developments from January 2024, new research appears to reveal a gradual increase in the number requesting in excess of the 10% biodiversity net gain. Law firm Carter Jonas conducted the research, analysing the emergence of BNG policies and guidance within local planning authorities (LPAs) in a series of research from spring 2022.

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What to expect in US healthcare in 2024 and beyond

McKinsey Sustainabilty

A new perspective on how technology, transformation efforts, and other changes have affected payers, health systems, healthcare services and technology, and pharmacy services.

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The Positives and Negatives of Tipping Points  

Chris Hall

A growing body of research warns that the financial sector is underestimating the risks of Earth’s system tipping points – how should it respond? The gap between the science of climate change and the emerging tools aimed at helping the financial sector manage concomitant risks is the subject of intensifying debate. Last July, ‘The Emperor’s New Climate Scenarios – a warning for the financial services’, published by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) in collaboration with the Univ

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Battery storage now dominates system services market for main grid

Renew Economy

Battery storage is now confirmed as the dominant player in the provision of key services to the grid, as batteries and demand management nudge out fossil fuel generators. The post Battery storage now dominates system services market for main grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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Mastering Supply Chain Sustainability: Where Does ESG Fit In?

Speaker: Hortense Grouvel

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

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The pay gap between Canada’s CEOs and workers is widening fast

Corporate Knights

In 1998, the best-paid CEOs earned roughly 104 times what average workers did. In 2009, as the world lurched out of an economic recession, it was 155 times. In 2022, it was pushing 250. That stark comparison is just one way to measure the growing gap between the incomes of corporate leaders and those of the people on whom they depend to generate revenue.

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France will jail corporate directors who fail to adhere to new CSRD requirements

GreenBiz

No get-out-of-jail-free-card will save companies that don't comply with this new French law.

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Trees struggle to 'breathe' as climate warms

Science Daily / Earth & Environment

Trees are struggling to sequester heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) in warmer, drier climates, meaning that they may no longer serve as a solution for offsetting humanity's carbon footprint as the planet continues to warm, according to a new study.

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Travel Disruptors: Capturing B2B growth

McKinsey Sustainabilty

Expedia Group powers many other companies’ travel interfaces and inventories. Ariane Gorin, president of Expedia for Business, outlines the elements of a great corporate partnership.

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What Regulations Will Impact Sustainability Comms in 2024?

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

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Segregation Helped Build Fortunes. What Does Philanthropy Owe Now?

Stanford Social Innovation

By Claire Dunning In early 1926, Cafritz Construction placed an advertisement in The Washington Post celebrating the speed with which their “Life-time Homes” were selling in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, DC. Regular readers of the newspaper were likely already familiar with the development thanks to news articles that praised Morris Cafritz’s “vision and courage” and a constant stream of advertisements bringing his over 3,000 new units to market.

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Tesla big battery replaces Hawaii’s last coal plant

Renew Economy

A 185MW/565MWh Tesla Megapack battery has been brought online in Oahu, effectively replacing Hawaii’s last coal power plant. The post Tesla big battery replaces Hawaii’s last coal plant appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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This scrappy Australian recycling pioneer is the most sustainable corporation of 2024

Corporate Knights

T he scrap metal industry, to upcycle a tread-worn cliché, don’t get no respect. Stephen Mikkelsen, CEO and managing director of Sims Ltd., the 106-year-old Australian recycling giant, points out that in conversations about climate and carbon, topics like renewable-energy investments and offshore wind farms tend to attract the lion’s share of the attention paid to problems and solutions.

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GRI Launches New Biodiversity Reporting Standard

ESG Today

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), one of the leading organizations promoting standardized ESG reporting, announced today the publication today of “GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024,” a major update to its Biodiversity Standard, aimed at enabling companies to publicly disclose on their most significant biodiversity impacts, and how they are managed. The new reporting standard comes as businesses and financial institutions increasingly focus on nature and biodiversity risk, and as global efforts to

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

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

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Conflict in full swing: Forest bats avoid large areas around fast-moving wind turbines

Science Daily / Earth & Environment

Not only do many bats die at wind turbines, the turbines also displace some species from their habitats over large areas. When the turbines are in operation at relatively high wind speeds, the activity of bat species that hunt in structurally dense habitats such as forests drops by almost 80 per cent within a radius of 80 to 450 meters around the turbine.

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Accelerating Europe: Competitiveness for a new era

McKinsey Sustainabilty

Turbulent times have highlighted new fragilities in Europe’s economies. Addressing them could be the catalyst for a new wave of competitiveness and growth.

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How Organizations Build Trust

Stanford Social Innovation

By Kristen Grimm , Claire de Leon , Michael Crawford & Diana Chun Trust for institutions across society is declining. This is not a theory but a fact, affirmed by leading experts like the Edelman Trust Barometer , Gallup , and General Social Survey by NORC at the University of Chicago. This growing trust deficit is a serious problem. It erodes a high-functioning pluralistic democracy , compromises public health, and makes it impossible to solve collective problems like climate change.

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“Irreparable injury:” Courts order dismantling of wind farms in US, France

Renew Economy

Two separate court rulings highlight the importance of wind farm developers securing all necessary approvals, including environmental and social. The post “Irreparable injury:” Courts order dismantling of wind farms in US, France appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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The Silver Lining to Corporate DEI Challenges

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