April, 2024

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Buildings as batteries: How basic demand response could shift 12GW of peak demand, save billions

Renew Economy

New study finds that if one-third of commercial buildings shifted consumption from late afternoon to middle of day it would free peak capacity in the energy market of almost 12GW. The post Buildings as batteries: How basic demand response could shift 12GW of peak demand, save billions appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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The growing movement to take the bull s**t out of organic farming

Corporate Knights

In his mid-20s, Jimmy Videle embarked on a road trip across the southern United States in his 1973 Volkswagen bus. Looking for a place to camp at the southern tip of Texas’s Gulf Coast, he came upon a dirt road lined with concentrated cattle-feeding operations. Thousands of cows were up to their knees and elbows in their own feces, and up the road a slurry of manure and rain was streaming into the Gulf of Mexico.

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Amnesty International: Dow’s failure to offer remedy for Bhopal disaster has created a “sacrifice zone”

Envirotec Magazine

Aerial view of the abandoned industrial gas leakage site at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, in February 2022 (image credit: Paulose NK / Shutterstock.com). The failure of the US-based chemical company Dow to provide remedy to victims of a deadly gas leak from a pesticide plant in India that resulted in the deaths of more than 22,000 people has created a “sacrifice zone” in which 500,000 more continue to suffer, Amnesty International has said in a new report published on 28 March ahead of the 40 th anniv

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Modeling broader effects of wildfires in Siberia

Science Daily / Earth & Environment

As wildfires in Siberia become more common, global climate modeling estimates significant impacts on climate, air quality, health, and economies in East Asia and across the northern hemisphere.

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Manufacturing Sustainability Surge: Your Guide to Data-Driven Energy Optimization & Decarbonization

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.

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KPMG: Majority of U.S. CEOs Expect Significant Returns from Sustainability Investments Within 3-5 Years

ESG Today

The majority of U.S. CEOs expect to see significant returns from their company’s sustainability investments within three to five years, and the corporate leaders continue to rank ESG as their top operational priority, even in the face of inflationary and supply chain challenges and Gen AI-related opportunities, according to a new survey released by professional services firm KPMG US.

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The brilliant case for impact investing in America’s HBCUs

Impact Alpha

Editor’s Note: This article is part of a partnership between ImpactAlpha and Mission Investors Exchange (MIE) to present new ideas and perspectives in. The post The brilliant case for impact investing in America’s HBCUs appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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Cooking the books: The magical math of ‘climate-friendly’ meat

Corporate Knights

A convoy of tractors was making its way to a Dutch government building in February when Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted out his support for farmers revolting against the EU’s regulatory push to drive down climate emissions: “I’m pro-environment, but I support the farmers! Farming has no material effect on climate change.” The online reaction was swift, with stats, charts, links and memes filling replies from all sides.

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From margins to mainstream: Asians and Pacific Islanders in Hollywood

McKinsey Sustainabilty

Asian and Pacific Islander consumers could generate billions of dollars in additional revenue—if the film and television industry can improve the representation and authenticity of API content.

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38 trillion dollars in damages each year: World economy already committed to income reduction of 19 % due to climate change

Science Daily / Earth & Environment

Even if CO2 emissions were to be drastically cut down starting today, the world economy is already committed to an income reduction of 19% until 2050 due to climate change, a new study finds. These damages are six times larger than the mitigation costs needed to limit global warming to two degrees. Based on empirical data from more than 1,600 regions worldwide over the past 40 years, scientists assessed future impacts of changing climatic conditions on economic growth and their persistence.

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U.S. Steel Launches Project to Capture 50,000 Tons of Carbon per Year at Steel Plant

ESG Today

U.S. Steel and carbon capture technology provider CarbonFree announced a new agreement aimed at launching a new project to capture up to 50,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year at U. S. Steel’s integrated steel mill in Gary, Indiana. According to CarbonFree, the project will be the first commercial-scale carbon capture utilization plant at a steel plant in North America.

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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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With ELBOs and EOTs, more business owners are exiting to employee ownership

Impact Alpha

Conversions to worker ownership can be complex for retiring business owners. They may be looking first to keep their enterprise going and second. The post With ELBOs and EOTs, more business owners are exiting to employee ownership appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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Record wind and solar push down prices across grid, except for most coal dependent state

Renew Economy

Record output of renewable energy pushed prices down across the main grid in the first quarter, with the exception of the most coal dependent state grid. The post Record wind and solar push down prices across grid, except for most coal dependent state appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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We need to talk about meat

Corporate Knights

By late February, the Smokehouse Creek wildfire in the Texas Panhandle had become the state’s first ever “gigafire,” a label saved for blazes that tear through more than a million acres. From a region that’s home to more cows than anywhere in the United States, images of cattle running from the “monster” blaze went viral, reminding us, yet again, that bad weather keeps getting worse.

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How Movement-Accountable Intermediaries Can Change Philanthropy (Blog)

Stanford Social Innovation

By Sonya Childress , Sahar Driver , Aldita Amaru Gallardo , Jennie Goldfarb , Allistair Mallilin , Lindley Mease , alicia sanchez gill & angela vo Leaders of several intermediary organizations share how they envision their role within—and how they ultimately hope to upend—the philanthropic landscape.

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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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This salt battery harvests osmotic energy where the river meets the sea

Science Daily / Earth & Environment

Estuaries -- where freshwater rivers meet the salty sea -- are great locations for birdwatching and kayaking. In these areas, waters containing different salt concentrations mix and may be sources of sustainable, 'blue' osmotic energy. Researchers report creating a semipermeable membrane that harvests osmotic energy from salt gradients and converts it to electricity.

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EU Adopts Rules Requiring All New Buildings to Be Zero Emissions by 2030

ESG Today

The European Council announced today that it has formally adopted the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), with new rules aimed at reducing energy use and emissions from buildings across the EU, including targets for all new buildings to be zero emissions by 2030, and to phase out the use of fossil fuels in building heating systems by 2040.

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For this Earth Day, the White House delivers a $7 billion message: Solar for All

Impact Alpha

“Cheaper, faster, better” is not just for affluent households or wealthy neighborhoods. Hundreds of millions in annual cost-savings from ever-cheaper solar energy, not. The post For this Earth Day, the White House delivers a $7 billion message: Solar for All appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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Surge in battery storage capacity changing dynamics of the grid

Renew Economy

The rapid growth in big batteries is changing the dynamics of Australia's main grid, and will help usher out fossil fuels. The post Surge in battery storage capacity changing dynamics of the grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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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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AI in African Healthcare: The Good, the Bad and the RECKLESS

James Militzer

Artificial intelligence (AI) has gone mainstream in the past year, with revolutionary tools now available to almost everyone in every industry. The benefits speak for themselves — from improving efficiency and streamlining workflows, to using generative AI and large language models (LLMs) to strengthen industries and provide new impact. In healthcare, the potential for AI is huge.

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Why strategists should embrace imperfection

McKinsey Sustainabilty

In a world of rapid change, looking for certainty can obscure opportunity. Taking smaller yet bold steps provides a more sure-footed path through uncertainty.

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Microplastics make their way from the gut to other organs

Science Daily / Earth & Environment

Researchers have found that microplastics -- are having a significant impact on our digestive pathways, making their way from the gut and into the tissues of the kidney, liver and brain.

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EU Parliament Adopts Environmental, Human Rights Sustainability Due Diligence Law

ESG Today

Lawmakers in the European Parliament voted 374 to 235 to adopt the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), a key piece of legislation setting mandatory obligations for companies to address their negative impacts on human rights and the environment, clearing a major hurdle towards the implementation of the new law, which came into significant doubt when an earlier version failed to gain approval by member states in the EU Council.

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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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Next Billion raises capital to invest in digital infrastructure and services in Latin America, Asia and Africa

Impact Alpha

The investment firm Next Billion Capital Partners funds tech ventures supporting access to basic services in emerging markets. It reached a first close. The post Next Billion raises capital to invest in digital infrastructure and services in Latin America, Asia and Africa appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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Battery storage becomes biggest source of supply in evening peak in one of world’s biggest grids

Renew Economy

Battery storage becomes biggest supplier to California's grid in evening peak for first time. The post Battery storage becomes biggest source of supply in evening peak in one of world’s biggest grids appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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Traveler street dog who was gifted free access to public transport has now been adopted

Good.is: Planet

Boji is a free spirit and a familiar face among travelers. He wanders the city in trains, buses, ferries and trams and doesn't take directions from anyone.

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Consumers rule: Driving healthcare growth with a consumer-led strategy

McKinsey Sustainabilty

Consumers are increasingly discerning about where, how, and from whom they receive healthcare. Healthcare can learn from other industries how to provide an optimal end-to-end consumer experience.

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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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Discovery could end global amphibian pandemic

Science Daily / Earth & Environment

A fungus devastating frogs and toads on nearly every continent may have an Achilles heel. Scientists have discovered a virus that infects the fungus, and that could be engineered to save the amphibians.

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Petrochemicals lobby 'spreading misinformation, false solutions' as plastic treaty talks begin

Eco-Business

Plastics lobbyists are pushing recycling as a remedy to the plastic crisis, which NGOs decry as a "false solution" and demand deep cuts in polymer production to meet climate goals. Some fear that a legally binding treaty is unlikely.

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The Brief: Catalyzing climate resilience for small farmers

Impact Alpha

Greetings Agents of Impact! In today’s Brief: Featured: Adaptation Finance For these tech startups and investors, the next big thing is climate adaptation. The post The Brief: Catalyzing climate resilience for small farmers appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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Coal port puts its hand up to become floating offshore wind hub

Renew Economy

One of the world's biggest coal ports says it has what it takes to become a hub for floating offshore wind, given the right investment – and assuming the technology makes it in Australia. The post Coal port puts its hand up to become floating offshore wind hub appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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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.