Mike Hower
Managing Director, Sustainability & Social Impact
Deutsche Bank
Mike Hower is tagged in 1051 stories.
Page 42 of 53.
Marketing and Comms /
Coca-Cola Enterprises has partnered with Sainsbury's to launch a new sustainability program that aims to increase the reuse and recycling of plastic bottles during the summer.The beverage company says its Don't Waste. Create campaign is designed to encourage consumers to use their waste packaging at home in a fun and useful way, while also promising to recycle.
- 10 years ago
Growing consumer awareness of the vulnerable state of the global environment and food supply, along with increased education about ecologically sound foods, will lead to a long-term increase in environmentally conscious eating, according to a new report from the Center for Culinary Development (CCD) Innovation and Packaged Facts.
- 10 years ago
An Australian startup called Mineral Carbonation International (MCi) has received funding to establish a carbon dioxide mineral carbonation research pilot plant at the University of Newcastle (UoN) to trial a new technology that transforms captured carbon dioxide emissions into forms of carbonate rock for potential use as building materials in the construction industry.The pilot project follows six years of research and development undertaken by the UoN, GreenMag Group and industry partner Orica Limited, MCi says. This led to the development of a new method for permanently and safely disposing of carbon from the emissions of fossil fuel electricity generators and other industrial processes, which can effectively close the loop on carbon dioxide altogether.
- 10 years ago
Marketing and Comms /
The Tesla Model S has received a five-star safety rating in every subcategory from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), making it part of the one percent of all vehicles tested by the federal government to achieve a perfect score.While NHTSA does not publish a star rating above 5, safety levels better than five stars are captured in the overall Vehicle Safety Score (VSS) provided to manufacturers, where the Model S achieved a new combined record of 5.4 stars.Tesla says the Model S set a new record for the lowest likelihood of injury to occupants. While the Model S is a sedan, it also exceeded the safety score of all SUVs and minivans, which takes into account the probability of injury from front, side, rear and rollover accidents.
- 10 years ago
Products and Design /
Colorado startup Seal Genie has launched a garden hose washer via crowd funding site IndieGoGo that minimizes leakage and could save over 10,000 gallons of water per household each year - enough to fill a standard swimming pool.The Seal Genie hose washer is designed to last for years and never leak, which saves consumers' water, money and energy while reducing pollution through wasted resources. The company says its aspires to become the new world standard for hose washers, which also includes washing machines, RV and marine water hookups and many others that all use the same basic washer size.
- 10 years ago
New Metrics /
UK businesses could secure £100 billion pounds (nearly $156 billion USD) in annual productivity gains generated by innovations designed to address environmental and social challenges, according to a new report by Accenture, Business in the Community and Marks & Spencer.Fortune Favors the Brave argues that companies must go beyond conventional corporate and social responsibility programs and place sustainability at the heart of business strategies and operations to unlock the full commercial potential and sustainability benefits.
- 10 years ago
Marketing and Comms /
Walmart, Gap and several other US retailers met this week in Chicago to implement their independent Bangladesh factory safety plan, which was developed after multiple factory accidents, most notably the Rana Plaza collapse in April that killed more than 1,100 workers and injured hundreds.The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety includes 20 North American apparel companies and retailers, industry associations, and non-governmental organizations, such as Macy’s and Target, as well as new signatories Costco, Intradeco Apparel and Jordache Enterprises. The organization has pledged to have safety standards in place by September 10, and claims to have already dispersed $45 million to hire safety inspection staff in Bangladesh.
- 10 years ago
ICT and Big Data /
U.S. commercial buildings can collectively save up to 28 billion gallons of water annually using a new suite of tools co-developed by AT&T and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the organizations claim.The Building Water Efficiency toolkit is the result of data and lessons from pilot projects that ran across the U.S. during the summer and fall of 2012. The toolkit gives organizations simple, cost-effective resources to build their own water efficiency programs and includes both technical and management tools to design, implement and document water savings. The combination of tools can be used to create the business case for investments in efficient water management.
- 10 years ago
Marketing and Comms /
San Luis Obispo's County Business Improvement District (SLO CBID) has commenced the country's first Stewardship Travel program to promote appreciation for place and culture, adventure, enjoyment and learning, while also providing clear opportunities to participate in regional conservation and preservation.SLO CBID says the project has been five years in development, and provides curious, active, and caring travelers with a well-defined road map for fun and meaningful vacations in 10 destinations along Highway 1 of the Central California Coast including Ragged Point/San Simeon, Cambria, Cayucos, unincorporated Morro Bay, Los Osos/Baywood Park, Avila Beach & Valley, Edna Valley, Arroyo Grande Valley, Oceano and Nipomo.
- 10 years ago
Waste Not /
Chicago land-based vertical farm FarmedHere, has launched a program to convert all of its organic waste into compost used to feed other urban farms across Chicago.Through a unique soil-free process that utilizes vertical farming technology, FarmedHere grows USDA certified organic greens that the company says are healthier, tastier, and fresher than traditionally farmed produce. Stacked grow beds – up to six high – are used to create vertical growing space. Instead of soil, water from tanks of hormone-free tilapia delivers nutrients to the plants through either an aquaponic or aeroponic system. These systems are combined with controlled water pressure, humidity and atmospheric pressure to create optimal growing conditions.
- 10 years ago
New Metrics /
Our economy assigns values to just about everything except for the things that matter most. As far as the current economy is concerned, a tree holds value only if it is cut down, an animal only if it is slaughtered and a person only if they contribute to the GDP. When we are given the price of an item, many values and certain costs are often excluded, which results in the destruction of natural resources, decline in human health and an economy that is less productive than it could be.
- 10 years ago
Behavior Change /
AT&T has partnered with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to encourage AT&T customers to skip the bag when purchasing items from its retail stores in Oregon by donating 10 cents to the Nature Conservancy for each check out bag its customers choose to forego.AT&T says its “Skip the Bag” campaign, which runs from now through January 31, 2014, is part of an effort to empower customers with sustainable choices, increase efficiency and minimize impact on the environment. The program is designed to support The Nature Conservancy's efforts to protect and restore the lands and waters on which all life depends.
- 10 years ago
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released new pesticide labels that forbid the use of some neonicotinoid pesticide products where bees are present.The EPA says the new labels will have a bee advisory box and icon with information on routes of exposure and spray drift precautions. The new policy affects products containing the neonicotinoids imidacloprid, dinotefuran, clothianidin and thiamethoxam. The agency will work with pesticide manufacturers to change labels so that they will meet the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) safety standard.
- 10 years ago
JTC Corporation (JTC) recently opened Clean Tech One, a six-story, 400,000 square foot business park, laboratory and office space that gathers different companies and institutions engaged in green research and development under a single roof across CleanTech Park.Cleantech Park is located next to the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), which will promote the cross-fertilization of knowledge and ideas between academia and industry. The co-location of businesses, practitioners and academia seeks to catalyze innovation in cleantech research through the formation of strategic alliances within the CleanTech Park community, JTC says.
- 10 years ago
Marketing and Comms /
Swiss investment group RobecoSAM has ranked Sweden the most sustainable country in the world in its recent ranking of 59 countries, which gauges a wide range of environmental and social governance issues like carbon emissions, social cohesion and civil liberties.RobecoSAM says it designed the report to offer investors a deeper insight of issues that may affect a country's credit rating but are not typically considered by traditional sovereign ratings, like climate change.
- 10 years ago
Products and Design /
CH2M Hill, a global consulting, design, construction and operations firm, was ranked the No. 1 U.S. environmental firm by the Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms list.URS and Veolia Environment North America retained their 2012 spots after being ranked the No. 2 and No. 3 companies, respectively. The remaining top 10 included Tetra Tech, Bechtel, Energy Solutions, AECOM Technology, MWH Global, Golder Associates and Clean Harbors.
- 10 years ago
Marketing and Comms /
Google has announced it emitted 1.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2012, a 9 percent decrease from the year before, according to the company’s latest carbon footprint data.The search giant says it used new reporting guidance from the Carbon Disclosure Project to buy carbon offsets to reduce its 2012 footprint to zero. Google also claims it has been carbon neutral for six years running.
- 10 years ago
IBM recently announced that it has developed an advanced power and weather modeling technology that will help utilities increase the reliability of renewable energy resources.The solution combines weather prediction and analytics to accurately forecast the availability of wind power and solar energy, which will enable utilities to integrate more renewable energy into the power grid and help to reduce carbon emissions. The company says it also will significantly improve clean energy output for consumers and businesses.
- 10 years ago
Products and Design /
Unilever has announced that it will harness the potential of ‘crowdsourcing’ to develop the world’s first sustainable shower.The company is asking creative individuals all over the world to submit at eYeka.com their ideas and solutions for an environmentally-friendly shower. The winner will receive a cash prize and a trip to London to develop the idea, Unilever says.Believe it or not, in-home use is responsible for a significant proportion of the carbon footprint of shower products. With water becoming increasingly scarce, there is an urgent need to develop a commercially viable sustainable shower.
- 10 years ago
Behavior Change /
The Foundation for Enterprise Development (FED) has published a paper that explores the roots of representative structures and argues that a democratic approach to business governance is crucial to long term innovation.Sustained Innovation through Shared Capitalism and Democratic Governance evaluates the role of research, innovation, organizational structures and associated issues in addressing the long-term focus required for development—both material and human.
- 10 years ago