Page 14 – Sustainability Academy

If anyone seems to understand a bit more clearly the truths behind climate change that would be the younger generations globally. With protests taking place almost every week, it is high time education focuses on the emergent significance of the climate change issues.

Twelve and counting are the states that have decided to put climate change in the heart of their science programs. However, in Florida, despite the numerous nature strikes it has experienced, such basic conversations are bypassed.

“Identify, analyze, and relate the internal and external conditions that contribute to global climate change.” That is what several education experts as well as teachers have agreed to when asked about Florida’s strongest climate change principals.

Though it starts to raise the subject of climate change, along with greenhouse gases and fossil fuels, even Florida’s strongest climate standard is insufficient of pointing out the human involvement in the cause of climate change. While other states bring at the front the human activity, Florida is noticed to put the matter on the side according to Rebecca Anderson, a leader with the Alliance for Climate Education.

Changing the science guidelines would not be easy. State law would have to change, teachers would need time for training and Florida’s assessments would need an update. “Climate change is now apparent and happening in real time, and they are learning how to connect the dots whether its extreme weather events, such as wildfires or flooding or hurricanes” Anderson adds.

Several climate scientists agree that climate change is driven by humans, nonetheless when it comes to Florida and education, there is a limit in terms of standards while trainers have to make any political and social noise out of the teaching classes.

Resources and local support is the key to a robust education on climate change, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Leaders are calling for this increase, but the teachers are in this kind of a sticky spot where they don’t have the training, even if they agree it’s important”.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2020, takes over Florida January 16-17, 2020 to help sustainability professionals rise to any occasion. This challenging two-day training offered by Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) aims to provide to sustainability professionals all the latest tools and resources required to implement or upscale existing sustainability initiatives.

Participants at the Certified Sustainability Practitioner Program in Toronto welcomed Anna Zubets Anderson, Vice President – Senior Analyst at Moody’s Investors Service in New York.

As this program focuses on key challenges that professionals have to face in the field of Sustainability, Supply Chain, Corporate Responsibility, Sustainable Development and Circular Economy, Anna presented Moody’s views and strategy on sustainability on the last day of the program, Friday, November 1, 2019.

Anna started her presentation by discussing market interest around ESG and UN SDGs alignment increasing globally. “There is a growing focus on SDGs but there is a gap as we are not investing enough money towards SDGs,” she said. Indeed, achieving the SDGs will require between $3 trillion and $5 trillion in investment per annum in developing countries alone, according to the UN Commission on Trade and Development. Current annual investment in achieving the SDGs sits at $1.4 trillion.

Anna followed her presentation with Moody’s vision to establish ESG assessment standards to meet analytical needs of the credit analysis teams and broader market.

Moody’s objective is to improve transparency using the four ESG analytical tools:

– ESG taxonomy: What is ESG?

– Heat maps: Is ESG material to credit quality?

– Assessments: How is a specific issuer exposed to ESG risks?

– Credit opinions: How has ESG affected an issuer’s credit rating?

Trainees’ reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Those attending CSE’s two-day certification program were excited to hear Anna also discuss how the labelled bond market is growing and diversifying as she presented figures regarding the increase in green bonds compared to the emergence and increase in social and sustainability bonds.

Moody’s is a sponsor to CSEs Leading global Certified Sustainability Program. More specifically, this program aims to equip business executives with updated knowledge and practical tools necessary to develop a sustainability vision and strategy, improve branding and ESG ratings, reduce stakeholder-related risks and lead sustainable companies to deliver economic returns.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Leadership Edition 2020, will take place in New York City on June 11, 2020 and its goal is to help sustainability and other ESG professionals rise to any occasion and implement or upscale existing sustainability initiatives taking place in their organization.

As mentioned in a previous blog article, North Bay Village, like many other areas across Florida, is beginning to notice the effects of rising sea levels. Top environmental issues in Miami are not new problems and have been raised for decades.

For example, one problem is Florida allowing development on its beaches and the sea level rise, as a result of climate change, is not stopping developers of Florida’s coast.

In 2016, South Florida was home to 6 million people and projected to grow by 3 million over the next three decades. Yet, by 2050, an estimated $15 billion to $36 billion of Florida’s coastal property will be threatened by sea-level rise, according to a report in 2015 from the Risky Business Project, a Bloomberg Philanthropies effort that quantifies economic risks from climate change.

In South Florida, sea-level rise and climate change are already having an effect on available drinking water as the rise of the ocean is bringing salt water into the water system.

It is undeniable the beautiful Florida beaches are attractive to tourists. On May 1, 2019, the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) announced a record-breaking 16.5 million overnight visitors in 2018, up +3.5% compared to 2017, along with 6.8 million Day Trippers for a total visitor number of 23.3 million. The record-breaking visitor volume led to an economic impact of nearly $18 billion, fueled mostly by international visitors who contributed an estimated +54% of the total economic impact. Greater Miami and the Beaches broke another record by selling a record 15.6 million hotel room nights in 2018, representing an increase of +1.5% compared to 2017. This speaks to the strong demand for the destination. But tourists bring their own challenges – often in the form of motor boats and fishing rods, contributing further to the sustainability issues.

If you represent or are directly or indirectly linked to these industries affected by these environmental challenges in Florida, what solutions do you adopt and what actions to do implement to ensure the sustainability of your organization? Join us in Miami in early 2020 for sustainability discussions regarding the Sunshine State.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2020, takes over Florida January 16-17, 2020 to help sustainability professionals rise to any occasion. This challenging two-day training offered by Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) aims to give you all the latest tools and resources required to implement or upscale existing sustainability initiatives taking place in your organization.

For example, one problem is Florida allowing development on its beaches and the sea level rise, as a result of climate change, is not stopping developers of Florida’s coast.

In South Florida, sea-level rise and climate change are already having an effect on available drinking water as the rise of the ocean is bringing salt water into the water system.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2020, takes over Florida January 16-17, 2020 to help sustainability professionals rise to any occasion. This challenging two-day training offered by Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) aims to give you all the latest tools and resources required to implement or upscale existing sustainability initiatives taking place in your organization.

For the 6th consecutive year, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) are organizing Green Week, an overarching umbrella for key environmental activities and events in the region. Green Week features programs and initiatives to raise awareness about the environment and sustainability and the need to follow a sustainable lifestyle. It also informs younger generations about the importance of rationalization of electricity and water and the conservation of natural resources; motivating them to innovate new solutions that support the transformation towards a green economy.

Under its umbrella, the 6th Green Week will host the 21st Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition. The Green Week also features the 4th Dubai Solar Show, the region’s largest solar power technology event; the 6th World Green Economy Summit; the International Desalination Association World Congress, the premier global event on desalination and advanced water treatment solutions; and the Gas and Oil Technology Showcase and Conference 2019.

The Green Week is based on a vision to promote a culture of sustainability in society, while also instilling a culture of creativity and innovation among the younger generations, who are considered by the UAE’s wise leadership as vital for anticipating and shaping the future. Green Week also focuses on developing young talents that will help shape a sustainable future for the energy sector, thereby supporting the national efforts to establish Dubai’s and the UAE’s leadership in the field of sustainable development.

The event will launch a ‘Centre of Excellence,’ which will target universities, students and the academia, welcoming more than 150 students.

Sustainability practitioners bring strong skills and out-of-the-box way of thinking to deal with the challenges ahead. After its sold out events in NYC, Houston, San Francisco, Seattle and Toronto CSE is holding its next Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program in Dubai, November 17-18, 2019.

This ambitious project aims to slash carbon emissions by 3,243 metric tons. Dubai International Airport made a smart and eco-friendly move with the installation of 15,000 solar panels on its premises that will reduce its carbon emissions and save millions annually in electric bills.

Dubai Airports, the operator of the world’s busiest international airport, and Etihad Energy Services Company, a leading energy service company announced the completion of its project to install photovoltaic panels at Terminal 2 – the largest at any airport in the region.

The solar project has a capacity of 5 megawatts that will generate 7,483,500 kWh energy annually for Dubai Airports. The project will reduce existing Terminal 2 load by approximately 29%. It will also slash annual carbon dioxide emissions.

The project is part of Dubai’s smart initiative that aims to promote the use of clean renewable energy sources by installing solar panels on usable rooftops in Dubai. It aims for individual villa and building owners to generate electricity from solar power.

Energy Services Company will provide maintenance services for Dubai Airports for a period of seven years from completion. These include the use of energy efficient fittings, the optimization of cooling systems, the installation of energy efficient LED bulbs and many others.

Energy Services Company aims to retrofit 30,000 buildings by 2030. It is currently preparing to implement a number of projects, expanding beyond building retrofits to include industrial retrofits and solar projects.

Sustainability practitioners bring strong and creative thinking to achieve goals and deal with the challenges and new projects that come ahead. CSE is holding its next Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program in Dubai, November 17-18, 2019.

UAE Maritime Week has reached its fifth edition of success for the maritime sector, not only in the UAE but throughout the region and the world. Over the past four editions, the UAE has further strengthened its position in the global maritime sector as an important player in bringing together leading maritime experts, transport and shipping.

Among the key issues are the changing trends and the continuous engagement of all stakeholders to enhance the sector towards a more sustainable future. This year, the initiatives by some of the world’s best-in-class infrastructure and logistics facilities, highly innovative services and pioneering developments in marine arbitration.

At the same time, UAE Maritime Week has remained to become an important and open venue for debate and constructive dialogue on many local, regional and international issues. This has proved highly beneficial for all stakeholders in plotting the path of the future of the maritime industry following the unprecedented global and environmental changes around us. There is conscious effort within the sector to explore research and development, as well as innovation and technology to find sustainable solutions to today’s challenges.

Dubai’s achievements in the trade and maritime field have been phenomenal and it continues to lead the region in shaping the trends when it comes to developing a world-class maritime capital. There is a determined commitment to make the emirate the best sustainable maritime center in the world.

The upcoming maritime event is a reflection of Dubai’s continued prominence as a preferred global destination for leading maritime events that has significantly contributed and sustained the local, regional and international interest on maritime issues and trends, as well as opened many opportunities and addressed challenges. This latest edition aims to bring out even stronger commitments from maritime industry leaders to strengthen linkages and partnerships that will continue to advance the maritime industry towards a path of steady growth and sustainability.

Sustainability practitioners bring strong skills and creative thinking to achieve goals and deal with the challenges ahead. CSE is holding its next Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program in Dubai, November 17-18, 2019.

What happens when you bring together students, young people, activists, and allies rallying to prevent climate change? Throughout Canada and the US, young people, their parents, employers, colleges and universities are holding strikes to illuminate the looming climate crisis.

Through Climate Strike Canada and Climate Strike sponsored by 350.org in the US, participants are united to empower, train, and equip participants to create climate justice in their communities. The effort is non-partisan and inclusive. Its most recognizable actions are school strikes. Other climate actions include lawsuits, education and wellness discussions, and calling for the declaration of climate emergencies in towns and cities.

For example, San Francisco’s Climate Strike community is confronting the crisis by representing youth throughout the region. Climate justice is about more than greenhouse gas emissions. It addresses the same considerations found under the Sustainability umbrella: workers’ rights and economic justice, the rights of Indigenous peoples and migrants, anti-racism and social justice. Sustainability practitioners must understand how to address each issue in a unified manner.

Employees at multinational corporations are as involved as their daughters and sons. For the first time in Amazon’s 25-year history, workers at Amazon headquarters plan to strike. Over 900 Amazon employees signed an internal petition pledging to walk out over their employer’s lack of action on climate change. The move will highlight the United Nations Climate Action Summit on September 23. Demands range from ending donations to politicians who deny Anthropocene climate change to achieving zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Tech workers have walked out to protest specific issues such as Google employees on sexual harassment issues and Wayfair staff on immigration. Can Amazon employees get the company to stop using fossil fuels entirely? Transportation logistics aside, Amazon is known for being ambitious and can certainly address climate change in a meaningful way.

With a company as large as Amazon, even a fraction of the workforce on strike can drive Amazon to greater efforts. The key is leadership from a trusted brand. Fortunately, the very effort of a sustainability strategy affects customers, peers, supply chain and the next generation. Google and Apple claim to power their operations with 100 percent clean energy, and Facebook has set the same goal.

The technology world is one of many sectors with an important role to play, whether San Francisco’s Silicon Valley, Microsoft up the coast in Redmond, Washington, companies with a large presence in Canada (Shopify, SAP, Telus) and Canada’s own Silicon Valley in the Ketchener-Waterloo, Ontario area.

An important CSE strategy is to meet corporations where they are. CSE has developed meaningful relationships with both SMEs and large international corporations. We’ve provided education on Sustainability to leading companies throughout North America.

We have added San Francisco, October 15, 2019, and Seattle to our rotation of trainings. Others include Houston, New York, Atlanta and Toronto. Senior managers and VPs from more than 90% of the FORTUNE 500 have attended our programs. They join over 1500 Certified Sustainability Practitioners from over 50 countries all over the world.

The UAE imports 80 per cent of its food, which is a major challenge for the country’s food security.

Vertical farming, a practice of growing local fruits and vegetables with minimal resources, is currently making waves helping the country build a sustainable future. To address the situation, steps are being taken to restructure the food supply chain.

“Vertical farming is the future of sustainable agriculture in the UAE. We import a huge amount of goods, and need to find ways of being not only more sustainable but more self-sustaining as well, meeting local demand through local production,” said Mustafa Moiz, managing director of Uns Farms.

Agrotech Company VeggiTech, on the other hand, focuses on addressing the key challenges of traditional farming – soil, temperature and water – through its design of “protected hydroponics” and “grow-light-assisted hydroponics”.

Radical measures like harvesting water with alternative energy sources have also yielded positive results. Circular agriculture is a new priority in The Netherlands which is willing to assist the UAE in implementing this concept.

Aside from promoting sustainability, the UAE’s food security strategy also aims to ensure access to safe and nutritious food. This is why organic farming – a method that doesn’t rely on synthetic fertilizers – has also been gaining traction.

The availability of local crops has also encouraged more residents to adopt healthier lifestyles. It may be surprising to hear, but one crop that is showing a lot of promise in the UAE is quinoa, according to scientists. The number of farmers cultivating quinoa in the UAE has been steadily increasing since 2016.

Different organizations based in the UAE, are supporting the great initiative for the sustainable food production in the region with innovative technologies like growing crops that need less water or can thrive with the brackish water or producing nutritious food (like quinoa and millet) from marginal lands with poor quality water.

The UAE has appointed a Minister of State for Food Security to strategically address food security and nutrition challenges. The country ranks fourth in food affordability, but 50th in availability; hence a large amount of the food security is based on the import of food products.

Sustainability practitioners bring strong skills and out-of-the-box way of thinking to deal with the challenges ahead. CSE is holding its next Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program in Dubai, November 17-18, 2019.

Many start-ups and companies focused on sustainability call San Francisco home. Now the rest have to catch up! For new sustainability practitioners, this is good news. There are ground floor opportunities. For established practitioners – also good news. Leadership, management and executive roles are expanding.

Trainings

CSE offers advanced certified education on Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, Sustainable Development and Circular Economy for professionals. Trainings maximize a company’s impact and help professionals become qualified in the field. They provide the latest practical tools and resources to implement or upscale corporate sustainability and ESG ratings to drive initiatives, generate value and create effective strategies.

We have added San Francisco, October 15, 2019, to our rotation of trainings. Senior managers and VPs from more than 90% of the FORTUNE 500 have attended our programs. They join over 1500 Certified Sustainability Practitioners from over 50 countries all over the world.

Research

CSE has completed its second exploration of sustainability strategies and reporting in Silicon Valley (report forthcoming in September). CSE’s 2016 report uncovered the disturbing news that Silicon Valley companies lag other sectors in sustainability practices. The 2019 research indicates significant improvements. Still, there is plenty of room to raise standards and increase ESG Ratings relied upon by investors. The same year Google won the Silicon Valley Community Foundation award for its corporate social responsibility (CSR), CSE president Nikos Avlonas received their CSR Practitioner of the Year award.

West Coast issues include Climate Change and sea-level rise, water resources, city growth and management and applying ESG (environment, social, governance) principles to the region. An important CSE strategy is to meet corporations where they are. From construction to Silicon Valley (Workday, Netgear), CSE has developed meaningful relationships with both SMEs and large international corporations. We’ve provided education on Sustainability to leading companies such as Google, T-Mobile, Sandia National Laboratories and other companies based in California and Washington.

Because of its leadership in sustainability, San Francisco is an ideal location for our Certified CSR-P Training, Oct. 15-16, 2019. Other upcoming trainings include Toronto, Oct. 31-Nov.1, 2019 and Miami, Jan. 16-17, 2020.

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