PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
While the LEED rating system has faced criticism for its narrow scope, hefty price tag and preference for context-ignorant cleantech, a new resilient construction standard developed by global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will in collaboration with Deloitte Consulting and Eaton Corporation could prove to be a critical tool in helping city planners, architects, developers, governments and businesses design buildings, neighborhoods and buildings better equipped
PRESS RELEASE -
Deliveries by electric bicycle and on foot replace two delivery vehicles per day, reduce traffic congestion, and improve air qualityDeployment of hybrid low-emission vehicles capable of wider delivery radius around Frankfurt
PRESS RELEASE -
Innovative ‘depot-to-door’ system reduces traffic congestion and carbon emissions
PRESS RELEASE -
Everyone needs to do their part to conserve water. But what if entire communities could work together to eliminate the unnecessary waste of this valuable resource?
That’s the idea behind Green Plant Framework/Aquifer Systems, founded by Joshua Parde. The system allows users to compare the total volume of water delivered from a municipal source to the amount actually used in a home or other building. With this data, homeowners and property managers can identify water leaks and make critical repairs.
CLEANTECH -
While discussion around the future of urban mobility largely focuses on electric vehicles and public transportation, buzz is growing around the role of bikes in driving down emissions in cities.
Congested city streets pose considerable challenges for delivery trucks, a problem that French startup FlexiModal endeavors to solve with its BicyLift bicycle trailer. The emissions-free logistics solution allows the operator to move Euro pallets (120 x 80 cm) by bicycle and by hand in areas where circulation of traditional delivery vehicles is limited. The trailer weighs 55 lbs. and has a carrying capacity of around 400 lbs.
PRESS RELEASE -
Taking place directly after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday encourages small acts of kindness once the frenzy of post-Thanksgiving shopping sales is over. Since its inaugural year in 2012, Giving Tuesday has brought people together to celebrate and support philanthropy.
Over the past year, HEINEKEN USA has worked with a range of partners to make cities greener, promote better decision-making, and foster more inclusive communities.
WASTE NOT -
While a recent report from waste management firm Suez has expressed concern about the potential “disastrous” consequences of Brexit on the UK’s already taxed waste infrastructure system, Scotland is forging ahead with its plans to create a Zero Waste future. Late last week, MSP Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, announced the cities chosen for phase two of Zero Waste Scotland’s Zero Waste Towns project.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Just weeks after 12 C40 mayors signed the C40 Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets Declaration in an effort to curb air pollution and improve the quality of life for urban dwellers while tackling climate change, the mayors of 25 pioneering cities have pledged to develop and begin implementing more ambitious climate action plans by 2020 to deliver emissions-neutral and climate-resilient cities by 2050.
CLEANTECH -
Corresponding with the launch of its updated Global States and Regions Annual Disclosure report in partnership with CDP and the 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23), The Climate Group has announced new members and progress for its electric vehicles (EV100), energy productivity (EP100) and renewable electricity (
CLEANTECH -
The popularity of electric vehicles is on the rise, but infrastructure constraints have largely kept a widespread EV boom from becoming reality — until now.
COLLABORATION -
It may seem odd to hear about thousands of brook, brown and rainbow trout living in a paper mill, but it is certainly no fish tale in the traditional sense.
Located near Pennsylvania’s Allegheny forest on the headwaters of the scenic Clarion River, Domtar’s Johnsonburg mill boasts a long and rich history of papermaking — and more recently — of raising fish to help support local rivers.
PRESS RELEASE -
NestléWaters announced today that it would strengthen its collaboration with the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) to certify 20 factories by 2020. The company has already certified four NestléWaters bottling facilities: one in Sheikhupura, Pakistan, and three in California (Ontario, Sacramento and Livermore). It plans to certify additional sites in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and the United States as part of its 2020 objective.
The announcement represents an important step towards NestléWaters’ commitment to continuous improvement in their water stewardship practices, helping to address shared water challenges and ensuring the sustainability of water resources.
PRESS RELEASE -
Outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland today announces the completion of its second annual urban greening commitment to create and restore outdoor spaces in the U.S. with a transformative community service event in Philadelphia last week. In partnership with the Center City District and the Center City District Foundation, Timberland and its partners helped restore a portion of abandoned tracks from the Reading Railroad, which will ultimately become a new public green space for the city known as the Rail Park.
CLEANTECH -
Nearly three weeks after Puerto Rico was pummeled by Hurricane Maria, the island is still feeling the storm’s disastrous effects. The destruction of transmission lines across the island has left much of Puerto Rico’s population in darkness and without access to information technologies. The problem is critical, but Elon Musk believes Tesla technology may hold the key to rebuilding the US territory’s antiquated grid.
PRESS RELEASE -
DETROIT — Brittany Agee is well on her way toward achieving her dream of becoming a social worker. This summer, the former GM Student Corps high school intern — who’s now a junior at Alabama State University — is returning as a college intern and mentor to help other students see their potential.
COLLABORATION -
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires extensive cooperation with a long-term vision, which is why AkzoNobel has brought together more than 150 stakeholders and 20 partners, including Arcadis, Philips, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Slumdwellers International to launch the
PRESS RELEASE -
Ten companies and organizations, two partnerships, and three individuals today will receive 2017 Climate Leadership Awards for their accomplishments in reducing greenhouses gas emissions and addressing climate change.
The awards, now in their sixth year, are a partnership program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, and The Climate Registry. The awards are being presented this evening at the 2017 Climate Leadership Conference in Chicago.
This year’s awardees represent a wide array of industries including finance, consumer products, retail, aviation, and technology, plus federal and local government.
PRESS RELEASE -
In a joint effort to improve the quality of life in urban areas, IoT and Smart City platform provider Fybr has teamed with IBM’s Watson Internet of Things group. This new partnership will bring sensor data from Fybr’s Smart City Platform to IBM’s Bluemix Cloud to take advantage of Watson’s advanced analytics capabilities to add continuous learning and contextual data to Fybr’s sensor data.
LEADERSHIP -
Just one month from the inauguration of Donald Trump and the appointment of his cabinet of climate deniers, an international coalition of human rights and environmental groups is appealing to President Obama to take one final action to advance justice and action on climate change in spite of Trump.