Carbon Cycle 2.0 Distinguished Speaker: Mary Nichols

Rockwell Collins seeking Green Communities grant proposals

From Rockwell Collins:

Rockwell Collins seeking Green Communities grant proposals

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Jan. 12, 2015) –Rockwell Collins is currently seeking proposals for its 2015 Green Communities grant program. Launched 10 years ago, the program helps fund environmental projects in communities where the company operates around the world. Applications will be accepted through Feb. 13, 2015, with grant winners being announced on or around Earth Day, April 22, 2015.

To apply for a grant, a non-profit group must be teamed with a Rockwell Collins employee or retiree, and the projects must improve the environmental condition of a community in which Rockwell Collins operates.

"We're very committed to enhancing the environment of the communities where our employees live and work, and that's why we've invested more than $600,000 since this program started,” said Jenny Becker, community relations manager for Rockwell Collins. "Funded projects have addressed a wide variety of environmental issues in the past, and we know there is still work to be done."

Grant awards will range from $500 to $2,500. Only projects conducted or sponsored by qualified non-profit organizations or public/government entities are eligible. 

A grant review committee will judge project applications based on criteria including:

• Tangible environmental benefits of the project
• Sustainability of the project benefits
• Participation in the project by Rockwell Collins employees and/or retirees
• Completion of the project within the calendar year of the grant award
• Agreement to participate in publicizing the grant and the completed project

To download a copy of the grant guidelines and application, go to:

http://www.rockwellcollins.com/greencommunities.

About Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications. Our expertise in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, simulation and training and information management services is delivered by a global workforce, and a service and support network that crosses more than 150 countries. To find out more, please visit www.rockwellcollins.com.

Decades of Research Show Increased Sustainability for American Agriculture

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Darryl Earnest, AMS Deputy Administrator, Cotton and Tobacco Program, on April 22, 2014 at 1:00 PM

The Pioneers of Progress booklet illustrates how U.S. cotton has increased sustainability over the last 4 decades. The original cover art was inspired by vintage almanacs, acknowledging the heritage of the U.S. cotton industry. Image courtesy Cotton Inc.

U.S. agricultural producers have been engaged in sustainable farming practices for many years as an inherent part of their work.  They need the environment to flourish and thrive in order to continue producing the foods we eat and the materials we use.  Agricultural research and promotion groups, with oversight from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), allow producers and businesses across a commodity industry to pool their expertise and resources in order to help create new markets and invest in research.  The research they conduct helps improve production, discover new uses, and plays an important part in helping their industry identify and adopt sustainable practices.

Cotton: Pioneers of Progress
Cotton Incorporated, a research and marketing company used by the Cotton Board, recently produced a chronicle of its historic and ongoing commitment to sustainability. Called Pioneers of Progress, the booklet illustrates how the cotton industry has used research to identify more sustainable production practices and significant environmental gains over the last forty years.

And that commitment continues. From the module builder and boll weevil eradication program, to chronicling advances made in water, energy and chemical usage, and the creation of the first ever Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of cotton garments, industry decisions and practices continue to be shaped by a desire to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

America’s Egg Farmers: Lifecycle Analysis
Researchers conducted a lifecycle analysis of U.S. egg production from 1960 to 2010 to evaluate environmental performance measures.  The study, funded by the American Egg Board, the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, the United Egg Association-Allied and the Egg Industry Center, looked at the complete lifecycle from crops to hens to the farm gate.

The findings indicate that over time, significant environmental efficiencies have resulted from a wide range of factors, including the reduction of natural resource use, improved hen feed, better disease control and advancements in hen housing systems.

Key results from the study found that compared to 1960:

• The egg production process releases significantly less polluting emissions, including 71 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions.
• Hens now use 32 percent less water per dozen eggs produced.
• Today’s hens use a little over half the amount of feed to produce a dozen eggs.
• At the same time, today’s hens produce 27 percent more eggs per day and are living longer lives.

With the growing U.S. population and egg demand on the rise, egg farmers play an important role in providing an abundant and affordable source of high-quality protein. Efforts to further improve feed efficiency, hen housing facilities and manure management will result in even greater reduction of the industry’s environmental footprint.

These are a just a couple of examples of how American agriculture is striving to be more sustainable.  For more insight into how research and promotion programs are investing in health of our planet, follow @USDA_AMS on Twitter, where we’re celebrating Earth Day by showcasing projects from across the commodity spectrum.

An infographic detailing how today’s egg production is more efficient than previous decades and leaves a smaller environmental footprint. Click to view a larger version. Image courtesy www.IncredibleEgg.org.

USDA Updates Multi-year Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Dean Johnson, USDA Facilities Energy & Water Program Manager, on December 5, 2013 at 10:00 AM

Many of the USDA programs touch almost every American, every day.  And as concerns grow about climate change, greenhouse gases and depleting natural resources, USDA continues creating opportunities for farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, public land managers and families in rural communities. These opportunities help these stakeholders generate prosperity in innovative, sustainable ways while conserving the Nation’s natural resources and preventing pollution.

USDA is committed to leading by example through fostering a clean energy economy, improving the environment by conducting operations in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner and complying with environmental laws and regulations. To accomplish this, USDA focuses on the future. The Department recognizes the significance of global climate change and utilizes this knowledge to create and maintain conditions under which people and nature can exist in productive harmony.

Building upon past sustainability efforts, USDA released its 2013 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan, which aligns sustainability goals, greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and overarching objectives for sustainability with its Strategic Plan. The Sustainability Plan helps USDA meet the targets the President set for agencies in 2009 for reducing energy use, pollution and waste in agency operations, and saving taxpayer dollars as a result.

Moreover, the Sustainability Plan integrates all statutory and policy requirements into a single implementation framework for advancing sustainability goals together with existing Departmental goals. The Plan makes the best use of existing and available resources. It also includes methods for obtaining data needed to measure progress, evaluate results and improve performance. The Department’s 2013 Plan is an annual update to its first edition, which was developed in June 2010.

Specifically, the Sustainability Plan provides a review of past performance, addresses challenges to achieving sustainability, discusses lessons learned and outlines actions planned beyond 2013.  So far, USDA has accomplished the following:

• Purchased and generated enough green power to meet 7.3 percent of the Department’s 2012 electricity use.

• 17.9 percent reduction in indirect greenhouse gas emissions compared to the 2008 base year.

• 5.5 percent reduction in direct greenhouse gas emissions compared to the 2008 base year.

• 21.3 percent reduction in energy intensity compared to the 2003 base year.

• 11.4 percent of buildings meet the Guiding Principles for Federal High Performance and Sustainable Buildings.

• 836.9 percent increase in alternative fuel consumption (for fleet vehicles) compared to the 2005 base year.

• 75 percent of the applicable (also known as covered) light duty vehicles USDA acquired are alternative fuel type.

• 12.6 percent reduction in potable water use compared to the 2007 base year.

More information about USDA’s 2013 Strategic Sustainability Plan is at http://www.dm.usda.gov/emd/sspp.htm.

Print Green, Save Green

Verizon Press Release:

September 4, 2013 - News Article

Print Green, Save Green

By Leon Akhsanov, Ricoh Global Accounts Relationship Manager - In this guest blog, Leon Akhsanov of Ricoh shares the business benefits of going green. For the past three years, Leon has collaborated with Verizon on the company’s paper and ink cartridge reduction goals. Responsibility

• Share
•  0
•  1
•  0
• Share0
•  0

Clear Goals. Real Metrics. Solid Results. Verizon is committed to using its resources to improve the lives of individuals and the communities it serves. Ricoh is proud to be working alongside Verizon, as a valuable resource in its sustainability initiatives.  In the past three years, we have some sustainability results that we would like to share.

Ricoh and Verizon teamed on a sustainable environmental management program, and focused on two cost-saving and sustainability initiatives:

When it comes to paper consumption, we all must consider the environmental impact. There is also another benefit that comes with paper reduction, and that is the cost savings.

 

Two-sided printing In the past three years of using two-sided printing as a default, Verizon has saved a staggering 92,713,000 sheets of paper -- that is the equivalent of 12,000 trees! For a better visual, think of it this way: 92,713,000 stacked sheets of paper would be 30,904 feet tall, or the combined height of 21 Empire State buildings. Being green saves green.  In the past three years, Verizon has saved $600,000 by leveraging Ricoh’s Smart Print Initiatives. Using Verizon accountability metrics and working closely with IT, we have been tracking the meter reads of the entire copier fleet and break down the metrics by regions, departments and what percentage of their output is duplex-printed. This allows us to track year-over-year and determine whether a department increased or decreased their duplexing, how much money was saved and how much more they could save.

Toner cartridge recycling Toner cartridge recycling has also made a significant impact for Verizon. As part of this project, Ricoh deploys free shipping containers to mail rooms in 60 Verizon buildings. The mail room employees collect every single toner cartridge that comes into the building. The used cartridges are then placed into a box and shipped free of charge to a third party company where the entire cartridge is recycled. In the past three years Verizon has recycled 17,298 toner cartridges. Each cartridge represents approximately 3.4 pounds of plastic; which means the efforts of Verizon employees have diverted 58,813 pounds of plastic or metal from entering landfills.

From a global perspective, Ricoh has installed "eco billboards" in Times Square in New York, London, and Sydney, which are 100 percent lit with natural energy. Although the eco billboards have only a small direct effect on reducing our environmental impact, we hope that the messages communicated through the billboards will help make more people aware of environmental issues and lead to a greater movement toward the creation of a sustainable society.

Ricoh is pleased to share a common vision with Verizon and to have the opportunity to work alongside this great company to implement new sustainability initiatives throughout its locations. 

This teamwork is a great example of how companies can work together to do their part for the environment and truly make a difference for their customers.

Learn more about Ricoh’s environmental initiatives at http://ricoh-eco.com.

Press release:

Lockheed Martin Leans Forward With Aggressive, New Environmental Sustainability Goals

Company Sets Reductions in Carbon Emissions, Energy Use, Waste and Water by 2020

BETHESDA, Md., September 13, 2012 – Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] today announced it will implement aggressive new global environmental goals to decrease its use of natural resources at all stages of product development and business operations over the next eight years.

By 2020, the company is targeting absolute reductions in carbon emissions by 35 percent, facility energy use by 20 percent, waste to landfills by 35 percent and water use by 10 percent, using third-party verified environmental performance from 2010 as a baseline.  These represent voluntary reductions which go beyond current regulatory requirements. The eight-year horizon aligns with U.S. Executive Order 13514, which requires U.S. federal agencies to achieve similar environmental goals. 

“With our Go Green 2020 goals, we can apply a new focus to the way we develop products, manage suppliers, operate facilities, design office space and other decisions we make throughout the business lifecycle,” said Chris Kubasik, vice chairman, president and chief operating officer. 

In April 2012, the company announced that it had met or exceeded its previous set of environmental goals of reducing carbon emissions, waste-to-landfill and water use by 25 percent since 2007, while revenues rose 12 percent in the same period.   According to publicly available data and the recently released Carbon Disclosure Project 2012 S&P 500 Report, Lockheed Martin is leading major aerospace and defense companies, and many other large industrial manufacturers, in meeting environmental performance targets. 

Several projects of varying scale contribute to the company’s environmental performance improvements, including the largest outdoor solar LED lighting system in the state of Fla. at the Orlando facility; the recently implemented fuel cell power generation system at the Sunnyvale, Calif. site; and using reusable containers for aircraft parts that eliminate wood packaging and streamline the production process in Fort Worth, Texas.

More information about Lockheed Martin’s energy, environment, safety and health performance can be found at: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/csr2011.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation’s net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.

EMC Publishes 2011 Sustainability Report

EMC Press Release

EMC Publishes 2011 Sustainability Report

Offers Insight into 2011 Challenges and Achievements, Foundation for Sustainability Practices in 2012 and Beyond

HOPKINTON, Mass. - July 9, 2012

News Summary:

• EMC Corporation today announced that the company's 2011 Sustainability Report is now available on EMC's website at:
  http://www.emc.com/about/sustainability/sustainability-reports.htm
• The theme of this year's report is "Transformation with Purpose," highlighting EMC's focus on sustaining ecosystems; delivering value for customers, key stakeholders and the world at large through the transformative potential of IT; and strengthening the communities in which EMC operates.
• EMC's Sustainability Report explores the company's strategies, achievements and overall progress with regard to its sustainability priorities, organized in three pillars: Sustaining Ecosystems, Delivering Value, and Strengthening Communities.

Full Story:

EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) today announced that the availability of the company's 2011 Sustainability Report. The theme of this year's report is "Transformation with Purpose," exploring EMC's strategies, achievements and overall progress with regard to its sustainability priorities that include:

• Sustaining Ecosystems: How EMC is optimizing operations, engaging with suppliers, and leveraging the transformative power of the company's employees and technology to address the impacts of our business and value chain on both the environment and people.
• Delivering Value: How EMC is delivering value for our customers, employees and investors in all aspects of the business, and how the company is innovating to meet customer needs, cultivating a collaborative and inclusive workplace, and building open and honest relationships with all of its stakeholders.
• Strengthening Communities: How EMC is playing an important role in strengthening and transforming communities around the world through education partnerships, community involvement, the EMC Academic Alliance and Information Heritage programs, and support for non-profit organizations.

EMC's 2011 Sustainability Report Highlights

Using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 framework, the report highlights EMC's continued commitment to sustainability and to communicating the company's progress in a number of ways, including:

• Engaging directly with external stakeholders to assess the sustainability issues with the greatest potential for EMC to have an impact
• Incorporating visual dashboards to depict year-over-year performance
• Providing an expanded analysis of EMC's Scope 3 GHG emissions and GHG goal-setting process
• Sharing results from product lifecycle environmental assessments
• Reporting EMC's priorities for public policy engagement

EMC Executive Quotes

Joe Tucci, EMC Chairman and CEO

"EMC customers want smarter ways to manage their data securely while reducing energy consumption and packaging materials sent to landfills. EMC's 2011 Sustainability Report outlines how we are working with suppliers and customers to improve the sustainability and energy efficiency of our operations, products and packaging, and how the analysis of Big Data holds the potential to improve human health and quality of life around the world. The gains we've achieved in these arenas give our business the momentum we need to become even more sustainable in the years ahead."

Kathrin Winkler, EMC Chief Sustainability Officer

"Throughout this report, we share our sustainability objectives and our successes, but also many of the challenges we're facing. I'm especially proud of the extent to which this report tells the stories of employees throughout the company who are assessing, managing and incorporating environmental and social impacts into the decisions they make every day."

For a copy of EMC’s Sustainability Report, please visit:

http://www.emc.com/2011sustainabilityreport

Additional Resources:

• EMC Chief Sustainability Officer Kathrin Winkler's blog
• Learn more about EMC's sustainability programs and initiatives
• Connect with EMC via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn

About EMC

EMC Corporation is a global leader in enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver IT as a service. Fundamental to this transformation is cloud computing. Through innovative products and services, EMC accelerates the journey to cloud computing, helping IT departments to store, manage, protect and analyze their most valuable asset — information — in a more agile, trusted and cost-efficient way. Additional information about EMC can be found at www.EMC.com.

PUB Singapore Upgrades Changi Water Reclamation Plant with GE Advanced Technology

Press release:

03 July 2012

PUB Singapore Upgrades Changi Water Reclamation Plant with GE Advanced Technology

 

• GE to Supply EPC UES Holdings Pte Ltd with ZeeWeed* Advanced Membrane Bioreactor Technology
• Part of Singapore’s Master Plan for Water Sustainability over the next 100 Years, the Changi Facility is at the Heart of Singapore’s Deep Tunnel Sewerage System
• ZeeWeed is an Advanced Filtration Technology that Separates Particles, Bacteria and Viruses from Water and Wastewater

Singapore International Water WeekBooth #PO2
SINGAPORE—July 3, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE) today announced at Singapore International Water Week 2012 that it will supply PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, with its advanced membrane bioreactor (MBR) wastewater-treatment technology for an expansion of PUB’s Changi Water Reclamation Plant. GE will supply its ZeeWeed* technology to engineering, procurement and construction company UES Holdings Pte Ltd (UESH) for the Changi upgrade.

The Singapore-based Changi Water Reclamation Plant was first constructed in 2007 to initially treat 800 MLD or 800,000 m³/d. Once operational, the expanded plant will be able to handle a maximum wastewater flow of about 860 MLD or 860,000 m³/d.
Under the contract with UESH, GE will supply the Changi Water Reclamation Plant with MBR technology and equipment featuring ZeeWeed 500reinforced, hollow-fiber membranes, which have more than two decades of wastewater treatment and water reuse experience. GE also will provide cassettes, engineering design and commissioning support.

“Using GE’s advanced ZeeWeed MBR technology, the expanded Changi Water Reclamation Plant will provide superior effluent quality for both direct discharge to the environment or as feed water to Singapore’s NEWater program,” Johnson Tang, managing director, UESH.

As part of Singapore’s master plan for water sustainability over the next 100 years, the Changi Water Reclamation Plant is at the heart of Singapore’s Deep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS), a superhighway for collecting used water. The conceptual plan for the DTSS consists of two large deep tunnels that span the island conveying wastewater to two centralized wastewater treatment facilities. Phase 1 of the DTSS system was completed in 2008 and conveys wastewater from North and East Singapore to the Changi Water Reclamation Plant. It comprises a 48 km long deep tunnel sewer running from Kranji to Changi, a centralized water reclamation plant at Changi, two 5 km long deep sea outfall pipes and 60 km of link sewer.

The treated used water from the Changi Water Reclamation Plant will then be discharged into the sea through deep sea outfall pipes or channeled to the Changi NEWater factory on the rooftop of the reclamation plant where it is further purified through advanced membrane technologies into NEWater, Singapore’s own brand of reclaimed water.

ZeeWeed 500 technology is an advanced filtration technology that separates particles, bacteria and viruses from water or wastewater. Nearly 1,000 plants worldwide use this technology to produce superior quality drinking water and to meet or exceed stringent wastewater treatment and water reuse standards.

Combined with the Ulu Pandan Water Reclamation Plant, the expanded Changi Water Reclamation Plant will be GE’s second MBR plant for Singapore’s PUB. Counting drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment, the Changi Water Reclamation Plant expansion will be GE’s fifth ultrafiltration/microfiltration membrane project with Singapore’s PUB. GE will ship the equipment to Singapore in the second and third quarter of 2013, and the expanded Changi Water Reclamation Plant is expected to be operational during the third or fourth quarter of 2013.

“PUB is one of the most influential public water agencies in the world and is known as an innovator that stays on the cutting edge of technology. With today’s announcement, GE’s ZeeWeed technology will be in two of Singapore’s water reclamation plants,” said Jeff Connelly, vice president, engineered systems—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water. “MBR systems are considered the best available technology for virtually all wastewater treatment applications and GE’s ZeeWeed MBR systems are the most widely used, reinforced, hollow-fiber ultrafiltration technologies available today.”

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE Energy on Twitter @GE_Energy.

* Trademark of the General Electric Company, may be registered in one or more countries.

Release Date: Apr 24, 2012Contact: 888-249-NEWS

---

U.S. Chamber and Green Plus™ Launch Environmental Help Desk for Small Businesses and Local Chambers

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) and the Institute for Sustainable Development’s Green Plus™ program yesterday announced the creation of an online help desk to assist U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises with environmental business issues.  The Environmental Help Desk for Business, launched to coincide with Earth Day 2012, will provide clear, accessible advice on green supply chain requirements, green business certifications, and environmental innovations that can reduce both cost and environmental impact.

“Entrepreneurs, business development experts, and small business owners are becoming more and more engaged in “green” business opportunities, processes, tools and techniques,” said Stephen Jordan, founder and executive director of BCLC.  “This is why BCLC is proud to team up with the Institute for Sustainable Development to create the BCLC Environmental Help Desk to research and answer these questions.”

The Institute for Sustainable Development’s Green Plus™ staff will manage the Environmental Help Desk for Business, with support from business, environmental, and policy graduate students from Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and other universities in the Green Plus™ network.  Additionally, a variety of experts will offer insights about cutting-edge innovations and green supply chain trends.

“The Environmental Help Desk partnership with BCLC is a great way to extend our mission of making sustainable business best practices available to America’s small business community,” said Chris Carmody, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and the Green Plus™ program.  “Being green and sustainable is no longer only a cost-reduction tactic for small business – it’s also the price of admission to competing for business from the world’s largest companies.”

Since 2007, the U.S. Chamber BCLC has managed the Office Depot Foundation-sponsored National Disaster Help Desk for Business.  This service has fielded more than 18,000 inquiries from across the nation and has directly served nearly 8,000 small businesses and chambers of commerce by connecting callers with simple and fast information.  The success of this original help desk paved the way for the Environmental Help Desk for Business.

The Environmental Help Desk can be reached by phone: (919) 886-4228, on Twitter, and through Facebook.  Visit the Help Desk online for more information.

The Institute for Sustainable Development / Green Plus™ is a 501(c)3 non-profit partnership of business and universities in North Carolina’s Research Triangle. The Institute is dedicated to democratizing sustainability, helping small businesses and their communities understand and use best practices in business and environmental management, as well as excellent employee and community engagement. Through its Green Plus program, the Institute provides open source sustainability expertise throughout the U.S., and serves business in the Green Plus™ Certification program in fifteen states. For more information on the Institute, please see www.gogreenplus.org.

BCLC is the U.S. Chamber’s resource and voice for businesses’ social and philanthropic interests.  Its mission is to advance the positive role of business in society. Visit http://bclc.uschamber.com.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

DuPont Leader Discusses Sustainability During Globe 2012

DuPont News, March 16, 2012

DuPont Leader Discusses Sustainability During Globe 2012: “Building a Sustainable Economy for the 21st Century”

DuPont Vice President of Safety, Health & Environment and Chief Sustainability Officer Linda Fisher recently was featured on the Globe 2012 website and in the Vancouver Sun (online news source for Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) about her take on sustainability and how she looks to motivate fellow DuPont employees.

Here are her own words about what makes sustainability relevant for DuPont, our customers and our way of life.

Q. What does 'sustainability' mean for your company?

A. While reducing our own footprint is important, striving to provide more sustainable solutions is the most important contribution that DuPont can make - using our science and innovation to understand the needs, working collaboratively with others, and developing solutions that meet the economic, social and environmental expectations of our customers and society overall.

Q. What motivates you personally to embrace sustainability?

A. Twelve years of work in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as regulator gave me a great sense of the value and the limitations of regulatory frameworks. Regulations are great for preventing pollution but can't operate at the international level and don't drive the innovations needed to create more sustainable solutions for the world's major challenges. The private sector is critical for delivering the innovations that can provide solutions that meet societal needs in completely different ways. While I am proud to work for a company that has been proactive in voluntarily reducing its footprint, what I am really motivated by are the opportunities I see as DuPont focuses on delivering more new products and services that can help society take a step change in solving global challenges.

Q. How do you motivate your colleagues and staff to be engaged in your corporate sustainability initiatives? 

A. The exciting aspect of focusing our sustainability work on creating new solutions versus just reducing our footprint is our employees are truly excited about being part of a company that is helping to solve the world's biggest challenges. I am continually energized by the new ideas and energy that people have to overcome barriers and find new solutions.

A recent example of this is a new product that we partnered on.  Verlasso™ is a brand and trademark of AquaChile, which formed a collaboration with DuPont that will join the collective innovation and aquaculture expertise of the companies to identify how to raise fish sustainably to provide nutritious protein for a growing population.

The new harmonious approach to salmon farming by Verlasso™ brings one of the healthiest and most delicious choices to the marketplace, providing a high-quality and sustainable salmon that balances the needs for nutrition and the needs of the environment. Verlasso™ salmon is low in fat and high in protein and Omega-3s. The most significant innovation for Verlasso™ is its use of 75% fewer feeder fish to produce healthy salmon rich in Omega-3s. In traditional salmon farms, salmon get their Omega-3s from fish oils provided by wild-caught feeder fish, which puts a significant strain on our oceans. Typically, it takes four or more pounds of feeder fish to raise one pound of salmon---what's known as the "fish in, fish out" ratio. Verlasso™ drops the "fish in" number from four down to one.

So bottom line, we have a healthier product that significantly reduces the impact of aquaculture on global fisheries, and we have employees who are excited to be part of this work and now are looking for new ways to use our science to deliver solutions that make a difference.

View the complete article.

News Release from EPA - Help for Water & Wastewater

FOR IMMEDIATE RELASEMarch 2, 2012 

EPA Provides $15 Million to Help Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems Across the Country

Funding will help small systems better serve local communities

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it will provide up to $15 million in funding for training and technical assistance to small drinking and wastewater systems, defined as systems that serve fewer than 10,000 people, and private well owners. The funding will help provide water system staff with training and tools to enhance system operations and management practices, and supports EPA’s continuing efforts to protect public health, restore watersheds and promote sustainability in small communities.

Most of the funding, up to $14.5 million, will provide training and technical assistance to small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and to small publicly-owned wastewater systems, communities served by on-site systems, and private well owners to improve water quality.

More than 97 percent of the nation’s 157,000 public water systems serve fewer than 10,000 people, and more than 80 percent of these systems serve fewer than 500 people. Many small systems face unique challenges in providing reliable drinking water and wastewater services that meet federal and state regulations. These challenges can include a lack of financial resources, aging infrastructure, management limitations and high staff turnover.

EPA expects to make available up to $500,000 to provide training and technical assistance to tribally-owned and operated public water systems.

Applications must be received by EPA by April 9, 2012. EPA expects to award these cooperative agreements by Summer 2012. For more information about these competitive announcements, visit:

http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/sdwa/smallsystemsrfa.cfm 

For more information on EPA’s programs and tools to help small water systems, visit:

http://water.epa.gov/type/drink/pws/smallsystems/index.cfm

News Release from AT&T

New AT&T Eco-Rating System to Help Consumers Learn About Environmental Features of Mobile Devices

Wireless Shoppers Soon to Have Information on Device Materials, Energy Efficiency and Other Sustainability Attributes

Dallas, Texas, February 23, 2012

People eager to check out the newest, fastest and coolest mobile handset devices will soon be able to learn about its environmental features too.

That’s because a new eco-rating system is slated for launch later this year by AT&T*, which developed the system in collaboration with BSR, a global business network and consultancy focused on sustainability. Consumers will find AT&T eco-ratings on simple, easy-to-read-and-understand labels appearing on AT&T-branded mobile devices, once they are implemented in a few months.

The new system, which sets an example for industry-wide sustainability efforts, is a direct response to customer wants and needs. According to a Deloitte study* on consumer trends in the purchase of sustainable products, 54 percent of surveyed shoppers consider sustainability to be one of their decision making factors.

AT&T’s eco-rating system will cover attributes such as: environmentally preferable materials, energy efficiency, responsible end-of-life treatment and environmentally-responsible manufacturing. In assigning ratings, device manufacturers will submit an assessment of each device to determine how many of 15 key criteria are met. These criteria cover everything from the percentage of recycled metals used in the device, to restriction of compounds such as lead, cadmium, mercury, nickel and antimony trioxide/antimony compounds. The overall rating represents the composite score of these environmental attributes.

AT&T will add the ratings icon to in-store collateral later this year. Consumers will also be able to visit a website to obtain detailed information about how AT&T and BSR devised the ratings, learn more about what makes up the overall sustainability scale for mobile devices and see available products.

AT&T plans to evolve the rating system as technological innovations, industry norms and sustainability needs change.

“Increasingly, consumers are mindful of a product’s impact on the environment. We are excited to work with leading third-party organizations like BSR and our suppliers to help make it easier for our customers to learn about the environmental impact of products they plan to purchase,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility. “Our new eco-rating system will make it easier for our customers to make more informed purchasing decisions.” 

“At BSR, we work hand in hand with companies looking to develop innovative business strategies to help create a more just and sustainable world,” said Vijay Kanal, BSR’s Director, Information and Communications Technology Practice. “This eco-rating system, which we worked with AT&T to develop, should not only have broad consumer impact, it should help accelerate the integration of sustainable business practices across the entire mobile device industry.” 

AT&T is committed to integrating sustainable business practices across its business and was recently added to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 12^th Annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List. AT&T was also included in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI). Visit www.att.com/csrto learn more about sustainability at AT&T. Also visit www.att.com/csr to download the 2010 AT&T Sustainability Report. To watch a video about the rating system, please click here.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

**2009 Deloitte study, “Finding the green in today’s shoppers: Sustainability trends and new shopper insights”