August, 2020

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Terreform ONE’s plans to upend cities and suburbs in a post-pandemic world

GreenBiz

Terreform ONE’s plans to upend cities and suburbs in a post-pandemic world. Joel Makower. Mon, 08/10/2020 - 02:11. And now for some serious fun. Last week, I had the opportunity to facilitate an online conversation with Terreform ONE , a Brooklyn, New York-based nonprofit architecture and urban design research group whose humble mission is “to combat the extinction of planetary species through pioneering acts of design.”.

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Turning the small business crisis into an opportunity for equitable employee ownership

Impact Alpha

Small business owners are facing catastrophically bad choices these days, with half predicting they will be forced to close as a result of the COVID-19 economic crisis. Meanwhile, nearly 40 million workers have lost jobs and are struggling to get by, as evidenced by miles long lines at food banks and a brewing eviction crisis. The post Turning the small business crisis into an opportunity for equitable employee ownership appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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IoT project will assess impact of climate change on forests, and inform UK policymaking

Envirotec Magazine

A trial is underway in forests in Surrey and Northumberland to assess the potential for Internet of Things (IoT) technology to monitor tree growth and the impacts of environmental change on the UK’s forests. Vodafone is funding the project, which is being conducted in partnership with Defra and the UK research organisation Forest Research. It will monitor tree growth and the impacts of environmental change on the UK’s forests.

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Failing Is Learning; Fail Fast to Learn Faster

Daniel Burrus

It was Thomas Edison, inventor of the lightbulb and other mainstays of the modern world, who said, “I haven’t failed, I’ve just found ten thousand ways that don’t work.”. This concept is lost on many in the information age, unfortunately. Because of the immediacy with which we receive both positive and negative feedback from our peers now, when we innovate and put something into the world and promptly receive less than desirable results, or it doesn’t work the way we wanted it to, we are more ea

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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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Mitigating The Risks of Neuralink

CleanTechnica

In this article, I'm going to use risk management methods to cover some of the potential risks Neuralink poses to individual safety, freedom, and free societies when misused by bad actors. I'll organize the threat vectors by the type of malicious actors that might benefit from misuse of Neuralink technology, and then propose some possible ways to mitigate these threats.

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Sustainable fleets are at an inflection point

GreenBiz

Sustainable fleets are at an inflection point. Katie Fehrenbacher. Wed, 08/12/2020 - 00:15. Companies and cities are increasingly adopting lower-carbon fleets — including trucks and buses that run off electricity, renewable diesel and renewable natural gas — according to a new report from the research team at Gladstein, Neandross and Associates (GNA). .

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The many faces of energy resilience

GreenBiz

The many faces of energy resilience. Michelle Moore. Mon, 08/17/2020 - 00:30. This series explores how clean energy can deliver on finance and corporate social and governance goals alongside climate and environmental benefits. "Resilience" is a powerful word in 2020. Fires, floods, pestilence, pandemic — I don’t know about you all, but I was raised in a fundamentalist Southern Baptist Church and my Revelations bingo card is just about full.

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The rise (and rise) of sustainability-linked finance

GreenBiz

The rise (and rise) of sustainability-linked finance. Joel Makower. Mon, 08/24/2020 - 02:11. One silver lining of this horrific moment is the rise of loans, bonds and other financial instruments linked to sustainability outcomes. In this sense, "sustainability" is broadly defined to include environmental issues as well as social ones. And, more recently, a new subcategory of, yes, pandemic-related issues.

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2020: Fossil fuels are dead, long live the sun

GreenBiz

2020: Fossil fuels are dead, long live the sun. Hunter Lovins. Thu, 08/13/2020 - 00:15. We’re female entrepreneurs and environmentalists. We’ve spent decades promoting clean energy technologies. In this strangest of all years, as the death toll mounts from a disease caused by human incursions into once intact ecosystems, we’re observing another death — the demise of fossil fuels.

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Journey Foods uses AI to create sustainability recipe for food manufacturers

GreenBiz

Journey Foods uses AI to create sustainability recipe for food manufacturers. Jesse Klein. Thu, 08/20/2020 - 02:00. Riana Lynn’s company, Journey Foods , is dragging the packaged food business into the 21st century. . "Food manufacturing has really only scaled up in the last 60 years," she said. "And that means we’re also working on very antiquated methods." .

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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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New sparks for the electric vehicle industry

GreenBiz

New sparks for the electric vehicle industry. Zoé Bezpalko. Tue, 08/25/2020 - 01:45. Thinking back to the beginning of 2020 can seem like a lifetime ago. Before the pandemic took root on a global level, the transportation industry was already in the midst of a great and exciting transition. The move to electric vehicles (EVs) was intensifying. . Take General Motors, for example.

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Amazon hands Mercedes-Benz its biggest electric vehicle order to date

GreenBiz

Amazon hands Mercedes-Benz its biggest electric vehicle order to date. Katie Fehrenbacher. Fri, 08/28/2020 - 00:00. German auto giant Mercedes-Benz announced its largest order of electric vehicles to date Friday: 1,800 electric delivery vans for retail giant Amazon to use across Europe. The deal shows how companies are increasingly paying attention to ways to decarbonize transportation including buying more zero-emission commercial vehicles.

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There's a big appetite for farm-to-consumer shopping

GreenBiz

There's a big appetite for farm-to-consumer shopping. Jim Giles. Fri, 08/21/2020 - 01:45. Avrom Farm sits in the hills above Green Lake in central Wisconsin. With 5,000 chickens, 200 pigs and six acres of vegetables, it’s a minnow in an industry dominated by an increasingly small number of producers and processors. . In March, a stay-at-home order hit the region.

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How cities can influence the energy system

GreenBiz

How cities can influence the energy system. Heather House. Wed, 08/12/2020 - 00:45. As U.S. cities and counties transition to clean energy for their own operations and communities, many are finding that stakeholders and policies beyond their jurisdictions affect their ability to purchase clean energy. Policy and regulatory decisions made by states, utilities, public utilities commissions and wholesale market governing bodies determine the clean energy procurement options available to cities and

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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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Ulta Beauty is bringing refillable containers back to the cosmetics industry

GreenBiz

Ulta Beauty is bringing refillable containers back to the cosmetics industry. Jesse Klein. Tue, 08/18/2020 - 02:00. The beauty industry has a plastic waste problem. And it knows it. A quick Google search brings up articles from Allure , National Geographic , Forbes , Teen Vogue and 31,800,000 other results about the issue. . It seems those concerns finally have reached a critical mass, inspiring a sustainability makeover at three of the biggest beauty brands in the business — Sephora, Natura & C

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Carbon marketplace hawks credits in businesses that store CO2 with their products

GreenBiz

Carbon marketplace hawks credits in businesses that store CO2 with their products. Gloria Oladipo. Mon, 08/31/2020 - 05:00. As corporate interest in carbon removal options grows, Puro.earth , a startup from Finland, is offering a twist on carbon marketplaces. Instead of selling and trading credits related to nature-based solutions, its exchange features industrial businesses that store carbon dioxide in products such as biochar, timber construction and other building materials.

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Renewable Natural Gas: Today’s Carbon-Negative Fuel

GreenBiz

Renewable Natural Gas: Today’s Carbon-Negative Fuel. Renewable natural gas sits at the intersection of two critical challenges: addressing increased emissions from organic waste and laying the foundation for zero carbon transportation across all sectors.? By turning waste into fuel, renewable natural gas delivers negative-carbon fuel to fleets today with a production process where resources are continuously used and reused – fueling a sustainable, circular economy.

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The perfect pair? Custom-fit jeans startup challenges fast fashion mindset

GreenBiz

The perfect pair? Custom-fit jeans startup challenges fast fashion mindset. Lauren Phipps. Mon, 08/03/2020 - 02:12. Canceled orders, excess stock, disrupted supply chains: The pandemic has laid bare some fundamental challenges with the way our clothes are designed, ordered, manufactured and sold — or landfilled, incinerated or sold on secondary markets.

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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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Planting tiny urban forests can boost biodiversity and fight climate change

GreenBiz

Planting tiny urban forests can boost biodiversity and fight climate change. Alex Thornton. Fri, 08/07/2020 - 00:30. How much space do you think you need to grow a forest? If your answer is bigger than a couple of tennis courts, think again. Miniature forests are springing up on patches of land in urban areas around the world, often planted by local community groups using a method inspired by Japanese temples.

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Creative financing to unlock COVID aid in Alabama

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, August 17 – The financial strains the COVID pandemic has caused in many cities and states can be seen in sharp relief in Alabama’s Black Belt, a swath of 18 counties originally named for the area’s once-rich soil. Even accessing federal relief funding is a challenge in the Black Belt which contains some of. The post Creative financing to unlock COVID aid in Alabama appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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How investors can blend finance for CDFIs to advance economic and racial justice

Impact Alpha

Community development finance institutions have long been “first responders” to small businesses in historically underinvested communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has in stark terms revealed the degree to which those same communities are subject to the impacts of systemic racism and an economy built on poor-quality jobs. This moment in time requires each of us—community lenders, The post How investors can blend finance for CDFIs to advance economic and racial justice appeared first on ImpactAlpha

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More than two dozen funds investing in tropical forests and communities

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, Aug. 12 – More than two-dozen investment funds are making investments in tropical forests and communities. The funds have at least $2.6 billion in capital to invest in firms and projects generating revenue from tropical forestry and agriculture products and benefiting smallholder farmers and forest-dependent communities. “Combating deforestation, incentivizing conservation, and improving livelihoods requires.

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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.

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One Acre Fund secures $20 million to catalyze institutional capital for African farmers

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, Aug. 20 – Conventional investors see uncompensated risk. Investors of ‘catalytic capital’ see an opportunity for outsized impact. One Acre Fund has spent the last decade and a half demonstrating that small African farmers are not only lendable but, with additional support, are safe bets to reduce hunger and grow family incomes. In the. The post One Acre Fund secures $20 million to catalyze institutional capital for African farmers appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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S2G Ventures closes $100 million for sustainable oceans fund

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, August 13 – Venture capital firm S2G Ventures invests in sustainable agrifood technology. It’s now expanding into ocean health and sustainable seafood. Oceans provide a critical food source for billions of people and are crucial link in tackling climate change. S2G’s Oceans and Seafood fund will back early- and growth-stage startups developing science and.

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Agent of Impact: Maurice Jones, Local Initiatives Support Corp.

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, Aug. 14 – It’s been a busy summer for Maurice Jones. If community development financial institutions are an overnight sensation decades in the making, Jones and his Local Initiatives Support Corp., or LISC, are the belle of the ball. In June and July alone, LISC landed a $60 million inclusive economic development partnership with. The post Agent of Impact: Maurice Jones, Local Initiatives Support Corp. appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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Getting into the weeds of African agriculture investing

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, August 19 – Globally, agrifood tech ventures raised $21.6 billion sector last year. Yet in an entire decade, 242 known agriculture-related deals in Africa raised only $616 million, according to “Mapping Agriculture Investing in Africa” from Village Capital. Agriculture accounts for 40% of Africa’s GDP and employs 70% of its workforce.

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Supercharge Your ESG Content This Libra Season

Throughout Climate Week, a feeling of urgency on tackling the climate crisis was palpable. Yet, questions continue to linger about corporate progress. Are we truly moving the needle or are we stuck in a cycle of empty statements and a flood of reports and guidelines? In the latest edition of Navigating ESG Comms Through the Cosmos - Libra Edition , we use Climate Week outcomes to explore how brands can communicate progress credibly.

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80% of oil workers considering career impacts of climate change

Envirotec Magazine

New study shows half in oil and gas have considered new role in renewable energy industry – or are already diversifying into it. Eight in ten Scots oil workers have considered that their careers could be impacted by actions being taken to tackle climate change, new research suggests. The equivalent of 90% of Scotland’s electricity demand is now met from renewables like wind and solar power.

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Can real estate financing + small-business lending = equitable community growth?

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, Aug. 19, 2020 –– Arlington, Va.-based Capital Impact Partners, a community-development real estate lender, and CDC Small Business Finance in San Diego are teaming up to boost community financing in Los Angeles, Detroit, and the Washington, D.C. area. The three-city pilot is backed by $6 million in grants from JPMorgan Chase and the Heron.

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Fig Tech clinches $23 million to expand nonprofits’ lending capacity

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, August 18 – Fintech startup Fig launched in 2015 to help nonprofit organizations combat predatory payday loans for low-income Americans, and has scaled its impact by helping nonprofits expand their own financial services. A $23 million round of debt and equity funding, led by alternative credit provider Upper90, positions the B Corp. and community.

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How Women Invest closes first $5 million for new gender lens fund

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, Aug. 13 – How Women Invest, a San Rafael, Calif.-based venture capital firm, is aiming to raise $10 million for its first fund from up to 249 accredited investors. The mission, fund cofounder Erika Cramer told ImpactAlpha, is to bring more diverse women into the venture capital world and, in turn, fund more diverse. The post How Women Invest closes first $5 million for new gender lens fund appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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How Will Virgo Season Impact Your ESG Communication?

3BL’s in-house experts merge the celestial wisdom of astrology with current environmental, social, governance (ESG) communication trends to offer a unique perspective and practical advice on sharing your company’s commitments effectively. 3BL’s new “Navigating ESG Comms through the Cosmos” series begins with Virgo season! In this edition, we delve into: How businesses have responded to environmental disasters over the past few months and why you can expect a continued focus on the climate crisis