SOURCE:Bacardi Limited

DESCRIPTION:

Family-owned Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, and Lonely Whale, the award-winning non-profit dedicated to bringing forward courageous ideas that positively impact the health of our ocean, are working together to help rid the environment of single-use plastic. Since June 2018, the two organizations have asked individuals and venues to sign up to ensure #TheFutureDoesntSuck by pledging to eliminate single-use plastic straws. Watch how Bacardi and Lonely Whale are spreading the word across the globe from the US to China, through brand activations, influencer events, social media and more.

In 2016, Bacardi led the drinks industry with the first #NoStraws campaign focusing on eliminating single-use plastic straw from its cocktails. Learn more about Bacardi’s commitment to sustainability through its Good Spirited program and the collaboration with Lonely Whale.

Join the pledge to eliminate single-use plastic straws at www.thefuturedoesntsuck.org

Tweet me:.@bacardilimited and @lonelywhale are making waves with #thefuturedoesntsuck. Join the global movement to eliminate one billion single-use #plastic straws by 2020 http://bit.ly/2rISsGf #bacardi

KEYWORDS: Bacardi, Lonely Whale, #TheFutureDoesntSuck

Agreement will enable Ecolab to offset 100 percent of its electricity demand in North America and achieve a 25 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions

SOURCE:Ecolab

DESCRIPTION:

ST. PAUL, Minn., December 18, 2018 /3BL Media/ – Ecolab Inc., the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources, has signed an agreement to support Clearway Energy Group’s 419-megawatt (MW) wind farm, Mesquite Star, in Fisher County, Texas. Construction of the Mesquite Star wind farm is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2019.

Through a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) – Ecolab’s first – the company will support construction of 100 MW of new renewable electricity capacity within the Mesquite Star wind farm. The renewable electricity generated under Ecolab’s 100 MW VPPA is expected to cover 100 percent of the company’s annual domestic energy use and builds upon the 5 MW of community solar subscriptions in Minnesota that Ecolab signed with Clearway in 2015. 

About Ecolab

A trusted partner at nearly three million customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources. With annual sales of $14 billion and 48,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions, data-driven insights and on-site service to promote safe food, maintain clean environments, optimize water and energy use, and improve operational efficiencies for customers in the food, healthcare, energy, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world. FOr more information, visit www.ecolab.com. 

Follow us on Twitter @ecolab, Facebook at facebook.com/ecolab, LinkedIn at Ecolab or Instagram at Ecolab Inc.  

About Clearway Energy Group

Clearway Energy Group is accelerating the world’s transformation to a clean energy future. Built for 21st century energy markets and focused on providing customers with the power they need and the customer experience they deserve, Clearway was created

and staffed with functions specific to renewable energy generation and distribution. With assets across 28 states, more than 500 employees and the capacity to power about 2.7 million homes, Clearway is bringing reliable and clean power to market from day one.  The Company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA with offices in Carlsbad, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; Houston, TX; and New York City, NY. For more information, visit www.clearwayenergygroup.com. 

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Tweet me:Thanks to a new #windpower deal, we're set to surpass our #climate goal by 150%. By 2020, we're going to cut our #GHG emission by 25%. Read more here: ecolab.com/greenhouse2020

KEYWORDS: NYSE:ECL, Ecolab

SOURCE:America's Charities

DESCRIPTION:

During the holiday season, when most families gather to share festive meals and to exchange gifts, some families face the unthinkable.

Take Harlan for example. Harlan was an active and happy toddler when his world changed forever. At just two-years-old, Harlan was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer for which there was no cure.

With no new treatments in over 20 years, Harlan bravely endured standard therapies – radiation, chemotherapy and brain surgery. Yet even in pain, his infectious giggle and big smile captured the hearts of everyone he met.

Consider Sydney, who was just 5 years old when she was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor – a type of cancer that starts in the kidneys. Sydney immediately started on a grueling treatment process that would span over multiple years. However, she did not let it take away from her happy and positive spirit that touched everyone around her.

While Harlan and Sydney courageously fought cancer for years with their families by their sides every step of the way, both ultimately lost their battles with cancer.

This holiday season you can honor Harlan, Sydney, and other families facing similar situations by donating to CureSearch. A donation to CureSearch provides the necessary funding for research that propels new treatments and cures to the children and families who need them most so we can eliminate the pain of cancer and give hope to families affected by it.

Ways You Can Give Hope This December

(1) Payroll Deduction Giving:

As a donor, you can support CureSearch by donating to them through your employer’s workplace giving program (or by pledging support to CFC#10701 if you're a military or federal employee participating in the Combined Federal Campaign). Payroll deduction pledges made through employer-sponsored charitable giving programs are tax-deductible and represent one of the most cost-effective and near effortless ways you can support CureSearch’s mission. Plus, because you can spread out your donation through deductions from each paycheck, workplace giving makes it easy for you to donate more without breaking the bank. Take the following diagram for example. While a donation as small as $1 per paycheck might not seem like much to you. When you combine your support with thousands of employees across the country who are also passionate about supporting childhood cancer research, it all add up and amounts to a huge difference for CureSearch and the children and families their work benefits.

Click here to learn more about how you can give through workplace giving.

As CureSearch's workplace giving partner, America’s Charities has multiple employee giving technology solutions to fit employers’ varying needs and specializes in helping companies implement campaigns centered on supporting the important work of charities like CureSearch. Click here to request more information and learn how we can help you do this.

(2) Use Your Clout to be a CureSearch Digital Advocate:

Follow CureSearch on social media to spread awareness about their work and to share their patient stories, resources, asks for donations and more.

(3) CureSearch’s Website:

Ready to give hope right this minute? Make your tax-deductible donation through CureSearch’s website now and help fund critical childhood cancer research.

Tweet me:.@AmerCharities: Give Hope to Every Child Fighting Cancer This Holiday Season. Your tax-deductible donation to @CureSearch helps fund critical childhood cancer research for the kids who so urgently need your support! https://impact.ac/2SXCGmt #EmployeeGiving

KEYWORDS: America’s Charities, workplace giving, employee giving, Corporate Social Responsibility, csr, charity vetting, payroll deduction giving, Fundraising, CureSearch for Children's Cancer

The financing will support the redevelopment of a former public school into 50 units of affordable housing for low-income seniors and homeless frail elderly

SOURCE:KeyBank

DESCRIPTION:

CLEVELAND, December 18, 2018 /3BL Media/— KeyBank Community Development Lending & Investment (CDLI) provided a $10.8 million construction loan to support the Jason Gwilt Memorial Senior Apartments, a converted public school in Verona, NY that will make 50 units of affordable seniors housing and a senior center available to the community.

The Jason Gwilt Memorial Senior Apartments will be reserved for senior citizens making up to 50% of the area median income (AMI). Fifteen of the 50 units will be set aside for homeless frail elderly, who will receive services through Governor Cuomo’s Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative funds made available through New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR).

“KeyBank is dedicated to supporting the construction and preservation of safe, decent affordable housing in the communities we serve across the country,” said Rob Likes, national manager of the CDLI team. “The Jason Gwilt Memorial Senior Apartments project offered an opportunity to serve seniors in need, and we were proud to provide the financing to make the redevelopment possible.” 

In addition to KeyBank’s construction loan, HCR provided Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) that will generate more than $10 million in equity for the project, and $5.2 million in low interest long-term mortgages. The City of Oneida Housing Authority provided $430,000 in project funds and the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) provided $50,000 in energy saving equipment.

Joseph Eicheldinger and Gregory Kiger on KeyBank’s CDLI team arranged the financing.

About Key Community Development Lending/Investment

KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) helps fulfill Key’s purpose to help clients and communities thrive by financing projects that stabilize and revitalize communities. Experts in complex tax credit lending and investing, Key is one of a handful of affordable housing lenders in the country with a platform that brings together balance sheet, equity, and permanent loan offerings. For its ability to lend to, invest in, and serve its communities – especially low-to-moderate income communities – KeyBank has earned nine consecutive “Outstanding” ratings on the Community Reinvestment Act exam, from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

About KeyCorp

KeyCorp's roots trace back 190 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $138.8 billion at September 30, 2018. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of over 1,100 branches and more than 1,500 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBank Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

Media Contact 
Laura Mimura
laura.mimura@key.com
216.471.2883

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Tweet me:KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment is proud to finance the redevelopment of a former public school into 50 units of seniors housing for low-income seniors and homeless frail elderly in New York #affordablehousing @Key_B2B http://bit.ly/2SfDQJS

KEYWORDS: keybank, NYSE:KEY, New York, affordable housing, KeyBank Community Development Lending & Investment, KeyBank CDLI, albany, The Jason Gwilt Memorial Senior Apartments project, New York State Energy Research and Development Agency, NYSERDA, Joseph Eicheldinger and Gregory Kiger

by John Howell, Editorial Director & VP of Content, 3BL Media

SOURCE:3BL Forum

DESCRIPTION:

Originally published as The Big Story in the Brands Taking Stands weekly newsletter; click here to sign up.

Since its beginning just over one year ago, I’ve argued in this newsletter that the private sector is the best hope for systemic social change in a time when most other institutions do not seem up to the task. Corporate activism is increasing due to governmental dysfunction and institutional ineptitude and paralysis. Employee activism is on the rise, buoyed by heated rhetoric about social movements and hot-button political issues.

In the brands taking stands department, the bigger picture is being addressed because companies realize that adopting sustainable practices internally only goes so far. Without corresponding changes within the larger society, the effectiveness of many corporate responsibility and sustainability practices is limited. And social restlessness is showing up in the workplace, as a younger workforce insists that companies tackle such issues as racism, gender equity, and LGBTQ rights as “business as usual.”

This is new territory for business, and it’s no wonder that many previously unasked questions arise. Thankfully, thoughtful researchers are hard at work asking the right questions and offering some possible answers.

The basic issues for companies are outlined in a recent blog by Joss Tantram, a founding partner of Terrafiniti, a U.K. sustainability consultancy: “Just what are the expectations, limitations and challenges which companies should consider when undertaking activism?” Tantram proposes “common self-interest” as the best guide in navigating this uncharted territory. He defines nine points of measurement, from focus and brand cohesion to societal capacity. He points complex questions—such as “does the project/activity focus upon a common problem or systems-level challenge that is preventing/slowing the move toward a sustainable, equitable economy?”—to concise, specific targets, such as “creating enabling conditions.”

In conclusion, Tantram comes down in favor of corporate activism: “If we are truly interested in encouraging and supporting companies to play a role in developing a sustainable world, then we should also be interested in those which undertake activism to address or respond to clear social and ecological challenges.”

What does this new world of corporate activism look like for employees? Jim Starr, president and chief executive officer for America’s Charities, spells out the details in a recent blog for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce:

“There are certainly many levels and degrees to which employers can step up and address employees’ growing demands for companies to take stands on important issues. The good news is many companies are already well-positioned to provide their employees an outlet for their activism in a way that also aligns with the company’s core values.”

Starr describes six CR program elements to engage with and support employee activism. They range from matching employee giving to providing resource groups. Another key is leadership buy-in, without which programs are likely to fail. He cautions that “employee engagement and workplace giving programs must be embedded in a company’s culture, values and actions,” not just bolt-on, feel-good initiatives.

Starr acknowledges that “the rise of employee activism presents new challenges for companies in striking the right balance between engaging their employees in issues that matter to them, staying true to their corporate mission and values, and being a force for social good.” But he concludes that meeting these challenges successfully is integral to the purpose of business today. A company’s value is now being measured in part by its ability to provide a platform for its employees to address the social causes that matter to them, as well as by its profitability.

I think it’s clear that values are now a part of valuation in the new world of business activism.

Be sure to stay informed about the latest in corporate responsibility and corporate activism with the Brands Taking Stands newsletter. And follow us on Twitter @BrandsTkgStands.

Tweet me:New @BrandsTkgStands blog: "It’s clear that values are now a part of valuation in the new world of business activism" http://bit.ly/2ErMt10 via @TriplePundit #BrandsTakingStands #corporateactivism @terrafiniti

KEYWORDS: Brands Taking Stands, john howell, corporate activism, employee activism, triplepundit, Joss Tantram

SOURCE:GreenMoney Journal

DESCRIPTION:

by Vivek Tanneeru, Portfolio Manager, Matthews Asia 

For investors interested in environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies, a regionally diversified approach can help capture global growth. In the coming year, Asia offers a prime opportunity to invest in profitable companies addressing critical ESG challenges through robust and sustainable business models. ESG innovation in Asia is evident across many sectors, including health care and pharmaceuticals, technology, finance and alternative energy. To fully capture the growth and profits of the world’s most innovative ESG companies, it is worth considering Asia. Here, we identify three ESG trends in Asia to watch in 2019.

Trend #1: Environmental Solutions That Generate Clean Air—and Profits

While electric car maker Tesla garners headlines for its stylish design ethos and lengthy waiting lists, Asia has quietly dominated the global battery cell market with its innovative and reliable lithium-ion batteries and other critical components. Global leadership in battery cells belongs almost entirely to companies headquartered in South Korea, Japan and China. Why is this so? Partly it is because Asia has historically dominated manufacturing of consumer electronics that required rechargeable battery technology development and partly because Asia accounts for a significant portion of new electric vehicle sales. China is currently the world’s largest market for electric vehicles, with the U.S. coming in a close second. Of the 2 million electric cars on the road in 2016, 32 percent were driven in China, while 28 percent were driven in the U.S. Japan and France each represent approximately 7 percent of the electric vehicles on the road.

Battery cells are just a small part of the innovative sectors helping to power a cleaner energy future, including solar and wind power, energy efficiency, high-speed trains and factory automation. Solar panels are another area in which Asia in general, and China in particular, is taking a clean-tech industries leadership role. China makes 70 percent of the world’s solar panels and installs more than half of them.

Trend #2: Small Loans—With the Potential for Big Returns

Among critical social issues facing communities in Asia, inclusion is a key focus area. Social progress requires bringing more people into the middle class globally, along with ensuring greater access to health care, more women in the workforce and more opportunities for people to advance through education and training. Moving hundreds of millions of people out of poverty has been the foundation for social advancement. It has also presented a prime opportunity for global investors who wish to support this progress by investing in companies championing inclusion in Asia’s fast-growing economies. As a starting point, living a middle-class life requires becoming part of the “formal” financial system, often by opening a bank account. Millions of people across Asia lack basic banking services. Credit, even in small amounts, can make a huge difference to families living in poverty. Microlenders are leveraging digital platforms to massively scale up lending without the need to build large brick-and-mortar infrastructure.

As Asia looks to add 2 billion more people to its middle class by 2030[3], financial inclusion will be a key enabler for this transformation by creating and supporting livelihoods. Profitable companies servicing this need provide microlending, micropayments and insurance. In 2017, India had 45 million microborrowers, demonstrating the size and scale of this growing marketplace. Most jobs in emerging Asia are found in micro and small enterprises. Access to capital through financing makes a big difference in the ability of these firms to grow and create more jobs. Therefore, micro and small enterprise lending is an underappreciated social opportunity. Bangladesh and Indonesia are fast-growing markets for micro and small enterprise lending.

Find out Trend #3 and watch a new video here - https://greenmoneyjournal.com/three-esg-trends-in-asia-to-watch-in-2019

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Tweet me:Asia 2019: Three ESG Investing Trends to Watch -- http://bit.ly/2A0MMvM || #asia #esg #impinv #china

Contact Info:

Cliff Feigenbaum, founder and managing editor
GreenMoney Journal and GreenMoney.com
+1 (505) 577-1563
cliffgmj@gmail.com

KEYWORDS: Asia, Sustainable, impact, responsible, Investing, Business, environmental protection, pollution, Human, workers, rights, environmental, social, governance, esg, SDGs, health care, Pharmaceuticals, Technology, Finance, alternative energy, Clean Air, electric cars, Tesla, battery cells, clean energy future, China, solar power, wind power, energy efficiency, solar panels, manufacturing, microborrowers, affordable medicine, Emerging Markets, Matthews Asia, Portfolio manager, trends, 2019, GreenMoney Journal

More than 300 AEG employees participated in a company Service Day in conjunction with AEG’s charitable holiday initiative, Season of Giving

SOURCE:AEG

DESCRIPTION:

In celebration of AEG’s Season of Giving, more than 300 AEG employees from Southern California came together to participate in the company’s annual Service Day on Dec. 7 at Magnolia Avenue Elementary Los Angeles.

Employees from the company’s Southern California-based offices and divisions, including AEG Presents, STAPLES Center, L.A. LIVE, StubHub Center, Los Angeles Convention Center, LA Kings and LA Galaxy, teamed up with Playworks to create a more engaging, educational and colorful environment for children to learn and thrive, in addition to engaging students through the power of play as they led games and activities during the school’s recess periods.

Beautification projects included painting educational-based school pride, healthy eating and active living murals and gardening projects.

In addition to the efforts of its staff throughout the day, AEG made a $10,000 donation to Magnolia Avenue Elementary School to support their enrichment programs including technology, music and sports teams, and presented a check to the school’s principal, Juan Reyes.

KEYWORDS: AEG, Playworks, service day, Season of Giving, STAPLES Center, L.A. LIVE, LA Kings, LA Galaxy, AEG Presents

SOURCE:Timberland

DESCRIPTION:

For the past five years, Timberland has been a proud sponsor of the University of New Hampshire’s Social Venture Innovation Challenge (SVIC), an innovative competition for students and community members to share sustainable, business-oriented solutions to pressing social and environmental challenges.  Now in its sixth year, the SVIC inspires a large and diverse group of thought leaders to develop innovative, solution-orientated thinking and provides a forum to promote their ideas. As a purpose-led brand, Timberland sponsors the SVIC to support the next generation of responsible businesses being developed right in our own back yard.

The Challenge has proven to be an effective incubator for aspiring community and student social entrepreneurs. Finalists in this year’s Community Track proposed ventures that spanned diverse issues including gender-inclusive clothing, a leadership center to address global challenges, emergency communications, and aquaculture to feed the state’s food insecure. Student Track finalist ideas included a program to address health disparities for the food insecure, a predictor of migrant crises, ways to increase the efficiency of small farms, leaf composting for college campuses, and programs to increase voter participation.

From a field of 95 entries, 16 finalist teams – eight in the student track and eight in the community track – were selected for the Final Round which included summary videos, live presentations, and quick-fire questions from panels of both private- and public-sector judges. Finalists competed for $27,500 in cash to further their idea, plus in-kind prizes worth an additional $22,500.

As a Community Track judge, I had the opportunity to hear these bright social entrepreneurs pitch their ideas, and I was especially delighted to see a group of high school students advance to the final round. They took 3rdplace for their idea/organization called Growing Hope, a 1:1 model that engages local school groups and community members to provide portable milk crate garden boxes to South Sudanese refugees in the Bidi Bidi camp to give refugees access to a sustainable source of protein-rich food.  Their passion for how to drive tangible change for people in need was incredibly energizing and inspiring.  

The 1^stplace winner of the Community Track was an idea called The Hive, developed by two recent graduates of UNH.  The Hive is an independent quick-deploy network that any Wi-Fi enabled device can access, providing users a means to communicate with emergency crews and family in times of natural disaster when conventional communication lines are disrupted. With one prototype already developed and tested, and insights from first responders across the country, the duo is poised to take their winnings from the competition to develop further prototypes and finalize their patent application.  

While the competition is designed to be an “idea-stage” competition, I was excited to see that these winning ideas were already in action with clear plans and ability to scale.  I wish Growing Hope and The Hive the best of luck as they work to make the world better, inspiring others to do the same along the way.  

Check out the UNH website to see more about these great ideas, and the ideas submitted under the Student Track. https://www.unh.edu/social-innovation/svic/2018-finalists

Tweet me:.@Timberland is proud to sponsor UNH’s Social Venture Innovation Challenge to drive grassroots business solutions to pressing social and environmental challenges. http://bit.ly/2LpbLxi

KEYWORDS: Social Venture Innovation Challenge, SVIC, Timberland, NYSE:VFC, grassroots, sustainability

SOURCE:World Environment Center

DESCRIPTION:

December 19, 2018 /3BL Media/ WEC warmly welcomes Lorenzo J. de Rosenzweig Pasquel to the WEC Gold Medal Award’s independent jury. Lorenzo joins a distinguished group of international leaders that select the Gold Medal recipient annually. The WEC Gold Medal Award for International Achievement in Sustainable Development is one of the most prestigious forms of recognition of a global company's ongoing commitment to the practice of sustainable development. Only global manufacturing, processing or service corporations that can document well implemented, outstanding and sustained success are eligible to compete for the award. 

Lorenzo J. de Rosenzweig bring has 35+ years of experience in the environmental and conservation finance field. As President (CEO) of the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature (a $150 million endowment Conservation Trust Fund) for more than 24 years, and Chairman of the Mesoamerican Reef Fund (a $35 million endowment Regional Conservation Trust Fund) for more than 12 years, he has acquired extensive experience in fundraising and execution of capital campaigns, and the operation and funding of biodiversity conservation, environmental research, regional development and capacity building projects. He has also contributed to the design and incorporation of learning and practice networks for the National Environmental Funds of Latin America and the Caribbean (RedLAC) and 5 additional communities of practice in fire management, coral restoration, protected areas and marine conservation.

He is a member of several boards and advisory councils, some include the Conservation Finance Alliance (CFA) Executive Committee, The Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), The Mesoamerican Reef Fund, The Healthy Reefs Initiative, The Fund for Communication and Environmental Education, the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Conservation and Exploration Fund, and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). In the latter, he brings the Latin American perspective to global development issues linked to biodiversity and natural resources.

Lorenzo has a B.S. degree in Biochemistry and Engineering (1976) from the Monterrey Technological Institute (ITESM) and a Master in Science degree in Marine Biology and Seafood Technology (1977) from Oregon State University. Fields of expertise include biology, ichtiology, ornithology, natural sciences, environmental engineering, corporate sustainability reporting, food science and toxicology, as well as leadership and capacity building, financial investment and asset management. He is fluent in English and Spanish, has basic German language skills, is an artist and scientific illustrator and a Certified Nitrox and Recreational Diver.

He has also contributed to more than 30 books and capacity building tools and publications and has participated in 6 technical field guides as wildlife illustrator and photographer.

Tweet me:.@WorldEnvCenter warmly welcomes Lorenzo J. de Rosenzweig Pasquel to the WEC Gold Medal Award’s independent jury. http://bit.ly/2rKQIMI #WECGoldMedal @fondomexicano

KEYWORDS: WECGoldMedal, World Environment Center (WEC), # sustainability

SOURCE:KeyBank

DESCRIPTION:

CLEVELAND, December 19, 2018 /3BL Media/ — KeyBank Community Development Lending & Investment (CDLI) has provided $21.9 million in total financing to Home Leasing, LLC for the historic preservation and creation of affordable housing in the former Holley High School in Holley, NY. KeyBank provided a $9.9 million construction loan, plus $6.8 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity and $5.1 million in Historic Tax Credit (HTC) equity.

Holley Gardens is an adaptive re-use project that will preserve the former Holley High School and transform it into a mixed-use and mixed-income property offering 41 units of housing for low- to moderate-income seniors. There is also 6,080 square feet of planned commercial space leased to the Village of Holley.  The community is located within steps of the local library, restaurants and services. The project breaks ground today in a preservation celebration.

“KeyBank is proud to partner with Home Leasing and Edgemere Development to preserve and transform Holley High School into this mixed-use space,” said Rob Likes, national manager of the CDLI team. “Importantly, the preservation celebration today demonstrates our commitment to making safe and decent affordable housing available in the communities we serve.”

“Our mission at Home Leasing is to improve the lives of residents in the communities in which we work,” said Nelson Leenhouts, Chairman & CEO of Home Leasing. “KeyBank’s partnership, along with broad community support will establish Holley Gardens as a welcoming, thriving senior community in the heart of the Village of Holley.”

Upon completion, there will be a total of 41 multi-family units ranging from studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments targeting seniors at rent levels at or below 30%, 50%, 60% and 80% area median income (AMI) levels. Seven of the units will be available for households where at least one member is a person with a physical disability who will have access to supportive services through the Orleans County Office on Aging.

“KeyBank’s CDLI team is committed to making more affordable housing options available across the country,” said Jaime Tuozzolo, vice president and senior relationship manager on KeyBank’s CDLI team. “The preservation of local space like the former Holley High School is critically important to this effort. The local support for this development was impressive. We are honored to celebrate the commencement of Holley Gardens with our partners today.” 

Tuozzolo worked on the financing with Ryan Olman, vice president and senior relationship manager on KeyBank’s CDLI team.

Additionally, New York State Homes and Community Renewal has provided a $3.1 million Housing Trust Fund loan, a $1 million Community Investment Fund loan and a total of $668,515 in annual tax credits to support the Holley Gardens project. New York State Empire State Development has provided a $1 million RestoreNY grant.

About Home Leasing, LLC

Rochester-based Home Leasing, LLC specializes in the development, construction and management of apartment communities. Founded in 2006 by veteran real estate developer and former co-CEO and co-Chairman of Home Properties Nelson Leenhouts, the company is owned and operated by three generations of the Leenhouts Family. Home Leasing today employs over 120 people who provide support to or are directly involved in the day-to-day operations of affordable, mixed-income and market rate residential communities across New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Home Leasing and Home Leasing Construction became Certified Benefit Corporations (“B Corps”) by the non-profit B Lab in 2017.  B Corps are companies that use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. B Corp. certification is to business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk.

About Key Community Development Lending/Investment

KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) helps fulfill Key’s purpose to help clients and communities thrive by financing projects that stabilize and revitalize communities. Experts in complex tax credit lending and investing, Key is one of a handful of affordable housing lenders in the country with a platform that brings together balance sheet, equity, and permanent loan offerings. For its ability to lend to, invest in, and serve its communities – especially low-to-moderate income communities – KeyBank has earned nine consecutive “Outstanding” ratings on the Community Reinvestment Act exam, from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

About KeyCorp

KeyCorp's roots trace back 190 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $138.8 billion at September 30, 2018. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of over 1,100 branches and more than 1,500 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

Media contact: Laura Mimura, laura.mimura@key.com 216.471.2883

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Tweet me:KeyBank is proud to finance Holley Gardens an adaptive re-use project to preserve former Holley High School & transform into a mixed-use & mixed-income property offering 41 housing units for low-to moderate-income seniors #seniorshousing #affordablehousing http://bit.ly/2LqUVy3

KEYWORDS: adaptive reuse, supportive services, affordable housing, keybank, community development, Lending and Investmenr, CDLI, Senior Housing

SOURCE:Johnson & Johnson

DESCRIPTION:

Community-based and women-led approaches to preventing HIV 

Click to watch the video on Facebook

Tweet me:Watch the video: community-based and women-led approaches to preventing #HIV http://bit.ly/2PEiiF3 #healthforhumanity @JNJNews

KEYWORDS: Johnson and Johnson, csr, preventing hiv, community

SOURCE:Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

DESCRIPTION:

• HPE Financial Services announced a new Circular Economy Report that provides IT and sustainability organizations with a tool to quantity and share the energy, material, and landfill savings achieved by returning retired or end-of-use assets to HPE, for processing through HPE Technology Renewal Centers
• There is an opportunity and imperative to invest in technology that will allow businesses to operate and thrive in a resource-constrained world and find new ways to manage the explosive demand for data by using far less space, materials, and energy

PALO ALTO, Calif. – December 13, 2018 – Today, HPE Financial Services announced a new Circular Economy Report that provides IT and sustainability organizations with a tool to estimate and share the carbon, energy,  and landfill waste savings achieved by returning retired or end-of-use assets to HPE, for processing through HPE Technology Renewal Centers.

Based on deep material science and product manufacturing information, the Circular Economy Report shows a breakdown by category of the products that were refurbished, remarketed and reintroduced into the economy, as well and those materials that were put back into the economy as recycled materials. The report can be used by organizations when disclosing their indirect (Scope 3) greenhouse gas emissions to investor and customer-driven disclosures such as the CDP. [1]

Additionally, HPE announced it has joined the Ellen McArthur Foundation’s CE 100 group – a pre-competitive innovation program established to enable organizations to develop new opportunities and realize their Circular Economy ambitions faster. It brings together enterprises, governments and cities, academic institutions, emerging innovators and affiliates in a unique multi-stakeholder platform.

“A Circular Economy commitment helps IT meet business and sustainability goals, while reducing the world’s growing e-waste problem”, said Irv Rothman, President and CEO of HPE Financial Services. “Our aspiration is to help customers think about their infrastructure in new ways, build strategies to extend and extract value from what they have, and use retired assets to help fund the transition to new infrastructure.”

As companies leverage the power of connectivity and data to generate business value, they are investing in expanding their IT infrastructure to store and process exponentially more information. There is an opportunity and imperative to invest in technology that will allow businesses to operate and thrive in a resource-constrained world and find new ways to manage the explosive demand for data by using far less space, materials, and energy; this is the Circular Economy.

A Circular Economy reimagines a take-make-dispose system to a circular and regenerative economy. It considers the full product lifecycle: from resource extraction, to product design and use – all the way to end-of-use management to extend product and material life and lower total cost of ownership. From a customer perspective, key drivers for a Circular Economy approach are new sources of business value and infrastructure efficiency. From a sustainability perspective, the need to move to a Circular Economy is driven by a consumption rate that is beyond the earth's ability to replenish.

Applying Circular Economy principles to the IT industry drives a more effective use of products and materials and enables businesses to retire their IT assets in a secure, compliant, and environmentally responsible manner. A recent HPE Financial Services study[2] showed that sustainability is critical, with 79 percent of companies committing to an environmental sustainability strategy, and 69 percent specifically having an IT sustainability strategy in place. In addition, 48 percent of the companies surveyed are highly regulated and must report on environmental impacts.

First-of-its-kind Circular Economy Report Helps IT Measure Sustainability Impact

HPE’s new Circular Economy Report gives customers key information to estimate IT’s contribution to their Sustainability and Environmental Reporting (SER) requirements; it provides an analysis of the re-use to recycling ratio, as well as estimates of savings in energy, materials, greenhouse gas emissions and landfill volume avoided, so customers can track progress toward goals. At the same time, the report shows how through refurbishing and recycling their retired IT products, customers can return value to their business while helping to meet their sustainability goals.

The report is part of the IT Asset Lifecycle Solutions delivered by HPE Financial Services that include:

• Asset Upcycling Services – By providing true market value for resold equipment, Asset Upcycling Services can maximize the value of end-of-use assets, providing money back that customers can reinvest in other innovation projects. Asset Upcycling Services also help protect stored data by providing data overwriting and environmentally responsible removal and recycling.
• Certified Pre-owned Products – Companies can extend the life of legacy systems with tested, certified, used IT equipment, including the entire current HPE portfolio, from 18 months up to 25 years old. These products are available to purchase, lease, or rent.
• Virtual Warehouse Services – Customers can save costs and extend legacy system life by supporting their future needs with their existing assets; they can store, update, or redeploy decommissioned equipment from HPE’s centralized warehousing facilities.
• Datacenter Consolidation Services – By renting HPE’s pre-configured, customized systems, customers can ensure an interruption-free transition during their data center relocation or consolidation.
• Proof of Concept Enablement Services – HPE’s pool of IT technology can be deployed and redeployed to demo a design concept to OEMs and application vendors, or for extended usage in a real business production environment.

HPE’s global expertise and understanding of the requirements and options for safe recycling helps customers do the right thing, while maximizing their IT investments by putting equipment with value back into the world as a working asset for other customers. HPE’s Technology Renewal Centers (TRCs) in Andover, Massachusetts and Erskine, Scotland help extend the life of technology whenever possible, and securely and responsibly recycle materials where appropriate. In 2018, HPE Technology Renewal Centers processed over 4 million units, including HPE and non-HPE equipment. Of that, 89% was refurbished and resold, and the rest was recycled in a secure and environmentally responsible way.

The new Circular Economy Report is available to HPE Lease Return customers and Asset Upcycling Services customers. More information on HPE Financial Services capabilities to advance Circular Economy is available at http://www.hpefs.co/CircularEconomy

About Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is a global technology leader focused on developing intelligent solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze and act upon data seamlessly from edge to cloud. HPE enables customers to accelerate business outcomes by driving new business models, creating new customer and employee experiences, and increasing operational efficiency today and into the future.

[1] Information contained in the Circular Economy Report does not replace the advice of an accountant, lawyer or other advisor, which advice should be sought independently in order to determine how to complete disclosure requirements.

[2] HPE Financial Services Study – Circular Economy and the IT Mindsets, 2018

Tweet me:HPE Financial Services announces capabilities to guide customers toward Circular Economy http://bit.ly/2SOa2Ea @HPE_LivingProg

KEYWORDS: NYSE:HPE, HPE, circular economy

A gift to the Dave Thomas Foundation this holiday season could change a life forever

SOURCE:Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

DESCRIPTION:

Tweet me:This holiday season, consider supporting @DTFA who gives the gift of family year-round http://bit.ly/2PuTRtj #FindingForeverFamilies #Adoption #gratitude

KEYWORDS: Dave Thomas, foster care, adoption, forever family, Wendy’s, National Adoption Month, Instant Family, Mark Wahlberg, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, holiday, gift, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

Shoppers can donate at all Albertsons stores across Idaho.

SOURCE:Albertsons Companies

DESCRIPTION:

Albertsons "Santa Bucks" campaign has made a significant impact on the Treasure Valley yet again.

"We've been running this campaign since Thanksgiving and the campaign is not over yet actually, we're still in need. There's more families out there that are still in need of meals this holiday season,” said Albertsons spokeswoman Kathy Holland. “The campaign runs through Christmas Eve, so while you're out getting your groceries make a donation at the check stand to help provide those families an extra holiday meal."

Continue reading more on KTVB

Learn more about our philanthropic initiatives in our latest annual sustainability update

Tweet me:.@Albertsons donated 2,000 turkeys to @IdahoFoodbank with community generosity #MakeEveryDayABetterDay http://bit.ly/2S1LgAx

KEYWORDS: Albertsons Companies, Idaho Food Bank, NYSE:SWY

SOURCE:Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable

DESCRIPTION:

The Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) highlights their members' beverage industry sustainability insights and ideas in their BIER Member Spotlight series on a monthly basis. These spotlights include their answers to questions about their company's sustainability achievements and strategy, practical insights from BIER, interesting facts, and more.

This month's BIER Member Spotlights focuses on Al Halvorsen, Sr. Director of Environmental Sustainability at PepsiCo and participant in BIER's Benchmarking working group.

Learn more about Al in this BIER Member Spotlight.

About BIER

The Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) is a technical coalition of leading global beverage companies working together to advance environmental sustainability within the beverage sector. BIER aims to affect sector change through work focused on water stewardship, energy efficiency and climate change, beverage container recycling, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystem services. BIER members include: American Beverage Association, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Bacardi, Beam Suntory, Brown-Forman, Carlsberg Group, The Coca-Cola Company, Constellation Brands, Diageo, Heineken, Jackson Family Wines, New Belgium Brewing, MillerCoors, Molson Coors, Pernod Ricard, Ocean Spray Cranberries, and PepsiCo. For more information, visit www.bieroundtable.com.

Tweet me:Read @BIERoundtable’s member spotlight on Al Halvorsen to hear his thoughts on @PepsiCo’s supply chain sustainability achievements, the value of BIER for their business, and more http://bit.ly/AHBIERSpot

KEYWORDS: bier, Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER), member spotlight

SOURCE:Sea Change Radio

DESCRIPTION:

Northern California’s now infamous Camp Fire was not only the largest, longest, and deadliest wildfire in the state’s history, it also produced record amounts of smoke. Schools closed, there was a run on protective masks, and people were fashioning do-it-yourself air purifiers because there were none left in stores. And it looks like we will only see an acceleration of wildfires in the future. This grim forecast has brought a surge in traffic to websites that monitor air quality like AirNow, Weather Underground, and PurpleAir. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with the founder and CEO of PurpleAir, a company that sells laser air quality sensors for home use at a reasonable price, and posts all the results in real-time on its site. We discuss PurpleAir’s business model, its unique brand of crowd-sourcing technology, and examine the ways that it casts the world in a different, and sometimes frightening, light.

Tweet me:This wk's @SeaChangeRadio - PurpleAir Founder Adrian Dybwad talks about his company's laser air quality sensors and real-time mapping: http://www.cchange.net/2018/12/18/purple/

KEYWORDS: PurpleAir, wildfires, Air Quality, sea change radio

SOURCE:Whirlpool Corporation

DESCRIPTION:

Whirlpool Corporation’s 2018 High School Innovation Challenge came to a conclusion on Friday, Dec. 14 when an employee panel awarded the final prizes to four teams of area high schoolers. The challenge began in September with 147 students on 31 teams from five area high schools and was narrowed down to 10 teams in November. Those 10 finalists displayed their innovative creations in a series of Idea Fair booths and alternated presenting them before the panel at the company’s Riverview Campus in Benton Harbor.

READ MORE

Tweet me:Whirlpool Corporation’s 2018 High School Innovation Challenge came to a conclusion on Friday, Dec. 14 when an employee panel awarded the final prizes to four teams of area high schoolers. http://bit.ly/2rLHyzp

KEYWORDS: whirlpool corporation, NYSE:WHR, High School Innovation Challenge, Riverview Campus

SOURCE:P&G

DESCRIPTION:

Procter & Gamble Co. has landed among the top 10 on two national lists.

The Cincinnati-based consumer goods maker (NYSE: PG) is No. 8 on Forbes’ list of “Companies Doing Right by America” and No. 9 on the Drucker Institute’s effectively managed companies ranking.

The Forbes ranking is created in partnership with JUST Capital and ranks the largest publicly traded U.S. corporations on the issues Americans care about most based on surveys about pubic attitudes and corporate behavior. Several of the companies that beat P&G in the ranking are in the tech field, including Microsoft, Intel, Alphabet, Texas Instruments and IBM, but it made a big jump from No. 15 on the list last year.

Click here to continue reading

Tweet me:P&G gets national accolades for corporate citizenry, management http://bit.ly/2LsoPSM @ProcterGamble #JUST100

KEYWORDS: P&G, NYSE:PG

SOURCE:Booz Allen Hamilton

DESCRIPTION:

As organizations migrate more and more sensitive data to the cloud and work in general becomes increasingly tech-focused, the cybersecurity field has developed a talent supply problem. According to the 2017 Global Information Security Workforce Study, “We are on pace to reach a cybersecurity workforce gap of 1.8 million by 2022, a 20 percent increase over the forecast made in the 2015.” 

Meeting current demand and hiring goals is easier said than done, however, especially for civil government and Department of Defense positions that require security clearances. Should these organizations “up-clear” their existing workforce—a time-consuming process—or “up-skill” cleared professionals, like servicemembers transitioning to the civilian workforce?

Panelists discussed these challenges, and the potential solution of cyber-trained veterans, at a November 15 event at Washington’s National Press Club featuring Booz Allen, LinkedIn, Microsoft, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes initiative.

Bridging the “clearance gap”

Laura Schmiegel, military program lead with Booz Allen, joined Microsoft VP of Military Affairs Chris Cortez, LinkedIn Head of North America Policy Nicole Isaac, and Colonel (Ret.) H. Charles Hodges Jr., senior director with Hiring Our Heroes explored the need for cleared talent, particularly in the cybersecurity and AI/machine learning fields, and ways to put veterans in these positions as soon as possible.

“The hiring situation is a challenge,” said Schmiegel. “It can take well over a year for cyber professionals to get a security clearance. Meanwhile, veterans have clearances but often not the requisite certifications. Programs like those by Microsoft and Booz Allen can help them skill up and become more job ready.”

Booz Allen trains veterans and other employees through its Cyber University. This includes a flexible cyber certification program offering in-person, virtual instructor led, and self-paced options that has a 90 percent success rate—which is above the industry average. The firm also partners with nonprofit organizations like FourBlock and Operation Code, and sponsors the cyber track of Project Next S.T.E.P., a program created by the USO of Metropolitan Washington.

Connecting veterans to cyber careers

In addition to providing transitioning veterans with free training for Cisco, PMP, and other certifications that don’t require a college degree, Project Next S.T.E.P. hosts quarterly dinners for program participants to further introduce them to the field. As a public service, Booz Allen sends experts from its own cyber team. “They share interview tips, a day in the life, things you should know so veterans can find the right fit and ease the transition,” Schmiegel said.

In addition to building relevant skills, veterans also need access to the cyber career opportunities they’re training for. Panelists discussed the barriers presented by job descriptions and contracts that require certain tech certifications or a college degree.

These barriers can be significant. According to Schmiegel said, more than half of cybersecurity job postings in the Washington, D.C., area ask for a CISSP certification, which requires at least four years of experience.

“Many servicemembers have been doing the exact same job in the military without a specific certification or bachelor’s degree,” said Schmiegel. “These requirements can block a qualified veteran.”

 “Often the best indicator of an excellent candidate is experiential learning,” said Booz Allen Senior Vice President Andrea Inserra. “Veterans have the practical experience we’re looking for.”

Learn more about how Booz Allen is training the next generation of cyber elites and supporting veterans, spouses, and the military community.

Tweet me:Learn how @BoozAllen, @Microsoft are helping veterans bridge the “clearance gap” http://bit.ly/2A7m70h

KEYWORDS: Booz Allen Hamilton, NYSE: BAH, workforce, Innovation, Microsoft, linkedin, Hire Our Heroes

SOURCE:Mohawk Industries

DESCRIPTION:

George Bandy Jr., vice president of sustainability, Mohawk Group, and winner of the U.S. Green Building Council 2018 Leadership Award, from Greenbuild, discusses the show and its turnout as well as the maturing and transition of sustainability.

Click here to watch the interview.

Tweet me:WATCH: @MohawkGroup's George Bandy Jr. discusses commercial and residential #sustainableflooring @Greenbuild and the maturing and transition of #sustainability http://bit.ly/2SXRqlj (via Talk Floor / @FloorTrendsMag) #Greenbuild18 #handprintsoverfootprints

KEYWORDS: NYSE:MHK, mohawk group, George Bandy Jr., Greenbuild