Sea Change Radio

Social Accountability International

The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC)

Alexander Zaitchik on Effective Altruism + Longtermism

Anker Research Institute at IDH Living Wage Summit

ICIC and LISC are “Bridging the Capital Access Gap”

<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="' '" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1486cfc2-42fc-4e75-b370-37ed6a7cf4d7" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Sturlaugsons_usbank_11-22-22.jpeg" width="640" height="675" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Matthew and Mandii Sturlaugson at the Shriners Children's Open golf tournament.</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.usbank.com/about-us-bank/company-blog/article-library/making-time-to-givetime-back-to-the-community.html" target="_blank">Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog</a>

When people meet Matthew and Mandii Sturlaugson for the first time, they often tell them they have two jobs: a paying one and a non-paying one.

Their paying jobs at <a href="https://www.usbank.com/about-us-bank.html" target="_blank">U.S. Bank</a> are both pretty intense: Matthew is a vice president and project manager on the Business Banking Segment Strategies &amp; Analytics team, and Mandii is a vice president on the Risk Transformation team.

But their non-paying jobs are no slouch either: both Mandii and Matthew anticipate they will each volunteer more than 1,000 hours this year for Shriners International and Shriners Children’s ™, which is one of the largest pediatric sub-specialty healthcare systems in the world. Shriners Children’s provides care and services regardless of the families’ ability to pay or insurance status. While they can be found volunteering at any and all Shriners events – from fundraising golf tournaments to the East-West Shrine Bowl – a key component of their service is developing and facilitating leadership training for International Shriners members. The coursework they created ranges from how to develop a budget and become more active in the community to examining reputational risks.
<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="' '" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bf295ca5-38ff-4666-8690-55be32cd7c23" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/ShrineBowl_USBank_11-22-22.jpeg" width="640" height="675" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Mandii and Matthew with their kids on the field at the East-West Shrine Bowl.</figcaption></figure>“That’s really where the two things come together with the bank and our philanthropy,” Matthew said. “We’re able to take what we do at the bank as leaders and project managers to influence a training program for Shriners.”

While most people aren’t on track to donate 1,000 hours of volunteer time in a year like the Sturlaugsons, U.S. Bank is encouraging everyone to give some time back on GivingTuesday – which falls on Nov. 29 this year. For the past six years, U.S. Bank has <a href="https://www.usbank.com/about-us-bank/company-blog/article-library/us-bank-partnering-with-volunteermatch-for-givingtuesday.html" target="_blank">partnered with VolunteerMatch</a> on its annual #GiveTimeSweepstakes campaign to inspire the community to share how they are giving back time during the holiday season. Throughout each year, U.S. Bank provides 16 hours of paid time off for employees.

Matthew is a third-generation Shriner, joking that “from my earliest memories I remember men in funny hats running around and having fun.” Starting in 2002, they both served in local leadership roles, including Matthew on the local board of directors in Fargo. After seven years, they turned their attention internationally on membership and leadership development.

Matthew is now serving his third of ten years as a member of the Board of Directors for Shriners International and Shriners Children’s. This summer, he was elected Imperial Second Ceremonial Master, part of the 12-member body that helps govern the nearly 200,000-member Shriners fraternity.
<img alt="Mandii and Matthew at the Shriners Children's Open, alongside several U.S. Bank volunteers from the Las Vegas team." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cd5a3939-8a0f-45c6-a560-96e3693f0d1b" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/LasVegasteam_USBank_11-22-22.jpeg" width="640" class="align-center" height="675" loading="lazy" />Much of their training is delivered in person to hundreds of people at a time, which means 12-hour days and weekends spent volunteering are commonplace for the Sturlaugsons. They typically catch a nighttime flight for their volunteering sessions with laptops in hand, working for the bank early in the morning and volunteering mid-day before returning to their work after. Matthew has been with the bank 26 years, and Mandii for 25 years. The two, in fact, met as colleagues in the mid-1990s at First Bank before it was purchased by U.S. Bank. They’ve since raised three kids.

“We don’t really take family vacations. Instead, we take every opportunity we can to involve our children – if we know we are travelling for a volunteer event, we take them with us,” Mandii said. “We want to make sure we are raising humble hearts, and it’s a gift to us that we can involve them.”

The Sturlaugsons unexpectedly experienced the Shriners as a patient family in 2018, when their youngest daughter, Gabriella, was diagnosed with scoliosis. She had been an avid competitive gymnast since kindergarten, and the diagnosis forced the heartbreaking decision for her to leave the sport early. She’s receiving treatment at a Shriners Children’s hospital, which has a world-renowned team of pediatric orthopedic providers, to help manage her scoliosis through a series of back braces.

“People often ask us, ‘how can you give so much time to this philanthropy and still be employed?’” Mandii said. “Our response is that we are very proud of our employer for allowing us to be so flexible, and we make sure that our non-paying job never impacts our paying job. The opportunities the bank has provided for us to give back – I don’t think we would’ve ever seen in any other organization.”

Learn more about U.S. Bank <a href="https://www.usbank.com/about-us-bank.html" target="_blank">here</a>

Making Time to #GiveTime Back to the Community

<img alt="Aerial view of a beach with small waves from greenish water" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8de46d38-d333-4b9a-b16b-b2df687f0cc3" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/climategoals_nasdaq_111622.jpeg" width="640" class="align-center" height="753" loading="lazy" /><a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/3-guiding-pillars-for-companies-looking-to-create-an-effective-climate-transition-plan?utm_campaign=CP_ESG_2022_Q4&amp;utm_medium=Advertising&amp;utm_source=3BLMedia" target="_blank">Nasdaq</a>

With continued calls from numerous stakeholders and the evolving regulatory environment, companies have a sizeable opportunity to create and implement effective climate transition plans. From our position at the intersection of markets, technology and finance—and a company navigating our own climate journey—Nasdaq is uniquely placed to play a critical role in facilitating this transition. As climate expectations continue to evolve, we believe it is part of our shared responsibility to provide guidance for companies looking to create and own their climate plan.

Nasdaq, along with a broad range of stakeholders, is helping to provide suggested steps towards climate progress and transparency. At last year’s COP26 climate conference, the <a href="https://netzerocarbon.com/news/largest-uk-firms-to-publish-net-zero-transition-plans-in-2023/" target="_blank">U.K. government released a requirement</a> for all listed companies, asset managers and regulated asset owners to publish climate transition plans by 2030. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.unepfi.org/industries/investment/net-zero-asset-owner-alliance-progress-report-demonstrates-advance-on-decarbonisation-targets/" target="_blank">the U.N.'s Net-zero Asset Owner Alliance</a> membership, a group of institutional investors pledging an active role in the climate transition, has grown to 74 members and totaled $10.6 trillion in assets under management (AUM). But while the adoption of climate transition plans is progressing, creating a verifiable climate plan remains expensive and difficult to measure.

Not all companies are created alike. For example, while both Pepsi Co. (<a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/pep" target="_blank">PEP</a>) and Google (<a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/goog" target="_blank">GOOG</a>) have a carbon footprint, the ways and means by which they measure it are vastly different. Pepsi Co., as a food and beverage manufacturer, may be concerned with its footprint related to the transportation of goods, storage and manufacturing, while Google may be concerned with the footprint of its data centers and facilities, which require large amounts of energy to maintain its services.

These two companies operate in different industries, with different stakeholders and different expectations. When it comes to their climate transition plan, each will have unique needs while balancing different expectations of growth and long-term value creation for investors and other stakeholders.

All these factors need to be considered when thinking of a climate transition plan, making it important for companies to understand what “right” means for them, and consequently articulate the plan to relevant stakeholders. Nasdaq has compiled three foundational pillars to help companies begin their climate journey:

<ul><li>Illuminate Climate Impacts</li>
	<li>Instill Trust with Transparency</li>
	<li>Impact the Transition</li>
</ul>Illuminate Climate Risks

The first step of a company’s climate journey is securing buy-in from the top by <a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/solutions/corporate-esg-solutions/esg-advisory-program" target="_blank">educating the Senior Executive team and the Board</a> on the risks and opportunities of climate change. Then, leadership should implement an assessment of the company’s current operations and a measurement of its carbon footprint.

While this step is well understood by many companies, Nasdaq estimates that 78% of companies in developed markets have yet to measure their carbon emissions and publicly report those figures.

The lack of public climate emissions data stems from a lack of climate expertise at many companies. Organizations do not know where to start when educating their teams on the technical nature of climate topics, collecting climate data and measuring their carbon footprint.

A credible carbon footprint is essential to any climate journey covering Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions as outlined by the <a href="https://ghgprotocol.org/" target="_blank">Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) protocol</a>, a global standard framework started in 1998. Ability to measure and track that overall footprint and benchmark how it is improving is foundational to developing credibility.

Armed with an understanding of a company’s carbon footprint, companies should then assess the climate risks to which their business is exposed. Due to the increasing frequency and severity of weather events, investors and other stakeholders are asking companies to identify and disclose how those weather events will affect a company’s operations today and into the future.

Furthermore, as the world transitions to a lower-carbon economy, that transition brings both risk and opportunity for companies, such as the evolution of customer buying preferences toward sustainable products, the risk of exposure to litigation and the shifts in supply and demand for certain commodities.

Instill Trust with Transparency

As companies advance on their climate journey, management teams should be transparent with investors and stakeholders about where they are and what they can do to support stakeholder expectations. This usually requires public companies to release verifiable climate data that pertains to their climate transition plan.

In the recent past, these activities have mostly been performed manually by companies themselves, which is time-consuming and prone to error. They can also be costly, with no immediate return on investment. Increasingly, companies are leveraging <a href="https://www.metrio.net/" target="_blank">data management</a> and <a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/solutions/corporate-esg-solutions/nasdaq-onereport-esg-reporting" target="_blank">reporting technology solutions</a> to reduce these risks.

But crafting an effective ESG message that involves a transparent understanding of a company’s climate strategy with opportunities for change is essential to not only keep current investors but attract capital from new ones.

To get started, companies should consider how to:

<ul><li>Meet the demands of stakeholders through disclosure and reporting, aligning with key climate-related guidance frameworks (g., <a href="https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/?utm_medium=gpp&amp;utm_content=pdsrch&amp;utm_source=Adwords_SEM&amp;utm_campaign=MKTG_AMER_TCFD_2022&amp;tactic=654607&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwnbmaBhD-ARIsAGTPcfU8lif43hD-njCcaU15aDypUKme1nCwbKu2_kutQd1mYaaqzq0nUlEaAj5qEALw_wcB" target="_blank">TCFD</a>).</li>
	<li>Access disclosure examples of companies that have come before them from which to learn.</li>
	<li>Stay aware of key climate news amongst their peers and their broader industry.</li>
	<li>Consistently benchmark themselves to understand strengths and opportunities and adapt.</li>
</ul>Alignment and reporting to frameworks does require the right data capture, response and disclosure management capabilities to ensure accuracy and reduce organizational complexity.

Impact the Transition

Once a company takes stock of stakeholder needs and crafts a climate narrative, the next step is to act on that climate narrative with measurable goals and milestones to create a relationship of accountability with investors.

Whatever a company’s goals for climate transition, parameters should be put in place to hold the organization to those goals. The board committee responsible for ESG and climate oversight should ensure top-down compliance with climate transition milestones to meet decarbonization targets. These targets may consist of efficiency improvements such as retrofitting buildings with solar panels, procuring renewable energy to power systems or purchasing carbon offsets <a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/solutions/carbon-removal-marketplace" target="_blank">via a market-based platform</a>. In addition, the committee should maintain consistent stakeholder engagement—including company employees—to communicate successes and listen to evolving expectations.

Climate change is one of the most important challenges facing this generation, and it’s great to see a groundswell of commitment across both public and private sectors. However, companies need to be well equipped with the resources, tools, and guidance to be able to effectively deliver on their climate plans.

Nasdaq is committed to being that partner, understanding that each company has its own set of considerations and is at different steps on their journey towards climate progress. Our goal at Nasdaq is to help our community build resilience, trust and drive impact, through climate data collection, risk identification, navigating disclosures requirements and building competitive differentiation.

We are dedicated to building a more sustainable future by <a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/solutions/corporate-esg-solutions" target="_blank">empowering organizations and the investment community</a> with the solutions they need to achieve transparency, reduce friction and drive impact with each critical decision across their ESG journey.

3 Guiding Pillars for Companies Looking to Create an Effective Climate Transition Plan

<figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="huge group of sands employees" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="172ba27d-2392-4ff5-a774-0f5abc8aaa1f" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/sands-honors-team-member-volunteerism-commitment3.jpg" width="640" height="854" loading="lazy" /><figcaption>Sands sets Team Member volunteerism target of 150,000 hours contributed by 2025.</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.sands.com/news/sands-honors-team-member-volunteerism-commitment/" target="_blank">Las Vegas Sands</a>

Earlier this year, Sands released its <a href="https://www.sands.com/content/uploads/2022/04/LVSC_ESG-Report-2021_spreads.pdf" target="_blank">2021 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report</a>, which detailed plans for its corporate responsibility program for the next five years, including three new ambitions the company aims to achieve by 2025. Under the program’s Communities pillar, Sands aims to contribute 150,000 Team Member volunteer hours as its key focus for accelerating impact in local regions over the next five years.

Team Member volunteerism is a key tenet of Sands’ culture and one of the primary ways the company helps its regions maintain their strength and resiliency and address critical social issues. Sands provides Team Members with opportunities to volunteer at company-coordinated community events, as well leverage their talents and expertise in mentoring and consulting capacities for nonprofit partners. Team Members also are encouraged to participate in community activities and causes they care about to encourage an overall spirit of giving back.

Volunteerism Unites Sands Team Members Around the World

One of the company’s largest volunteer activations is the annual Sands Cares Global Hygiene Kit Build with long-term partner <a href="https://cleantheworld.org/" target="_blank">Clean the World</a>, in which Team Members assemble thousands of kits containing soap, shampoo and toothbrushes to support people around the world who are facing natural disasters or personal hardship. Clean the World aims to lessen the instance of potentially fatal hygiene-related illnesses such as acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal diseases (cholera). In 2021 alone, Sands Team Members created 40,000 hygiene kits for Clean the World.

This year, Sands added another global volunteer activation with the inaugural <a href="https://www.sands.com/news/1st-sands-cares-food-kit-build-provides-hunger-relief/" target="_blank">Sands Cares Food Kit Build</a> as part of the company’s effort to address hunger and food insecurity in its regions. In May, hundreds of Sands Team Members and volunteers in Macao and Singapore joined together to assemble nearly 9,000 kits containing food staples for distribution to people facing hardship, including vulnerable seniors, families and migrant workers.

As part of the Sands Cares Accelerator, the company’s global three-year membership program to provide capacity building for rising nonprofits, Sands is focused on providing skills-based volunteer support through mentoring, consulting and guidance on the projects members are working on developing through the program. Sands Team Members have helped Green Our Planet and Art Outreach Singapore develop facets of new initiatives in a consulting and strategic counselor role and began providing one-on-one mentoring to select staff at member organizations this year.

Sands China Volunteers to Benefit Host Communities

In addition to corporate initiatives, Sands China has long-standing volunteerism efforts that make substantial impact for its host region. In Macao, <a href="https://www.sands.com/news/sands-cares-ambassadors-give-back-to-macao-community-in-2022/" target="_blank">Sands Cares Ambassadors</a> represent the company in an array of volunteer activities throughout the year, many of them benefiting long-term partnerships. For example, Sands China has supported Macau Special Olympics since 2005, with Sands Cares Ambassadors accompanying and hosting athletes and their families at health screenings and other life-enriching events and activities. Other long-time engagements include volunteer initiatives with Caritas Macau and its annual Charity Bazaar and Charity Run and cleaning the homes of elderly residents before Lunar New Year.

Providing support for the elderly and other vulnerable communities is also a focus for Team Member volunteerism at Marina Bay Sands. The resort’s largest volunteer effort comes during the annual <a href="https://www.sands.com/news/sands-for-singapore-charity-festival-2022-raises-s4-million-for-the-local-community/" target="_blank">Sands for Singapore Charity Festival</a>, which utilized 1,100 Team Member volunteers for activities before and during the festival, including painting Transitional Shelter Units for social service agency AWWA, assembling and delivering food kits to The Food Bank Singapore’s beneficiaries, and donating blood to boost Singapore’s low blood bank supply with Singapore Red Cross. In other efforts, Marina Bay Sands Team Members have also donated, packed and distributed food items for the Towards Zero Hunger food-collection drive; participated in Neighbour Cares, a program spearheaded by social service agency Care Corner to help isolated seniors gain access to social services; and supported the community’s National Day celebration by creating greeting cards and recording well-wishes and activity videos to spread cheer to seniors and health care workers in nursing homes and community hospitals.

“The culture of Team Member volunteerism is a hallmark of Sands and our resorts around the world,” said Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs, who spearheads corporate responsibility initiatives at Sands. “Beyond the philanthropic funding we provide through Sands Cares, we know that our people can and want to have a transformative impact in our communities. Accelerating our commitment to Team Member volunteerism through our five-year ambition recognizes the value of their time, expertise and commitment as the place where we can contribute significantly to the strength of our regions.”

To learn more about Sands’ five-year ambitions and volunteer initiatives, read the 2021 ESG Report: <a href="https://www.sands.com/content/uploads/2022/04/LVSC_ESG-Report-2021_spreads.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.sands.com/content/uploads/2022/04/LVSC_ESG-Report-2021_spreads.pdf</a>

Sands Aims to Contribute 150,000 Team Member Volunteerism Hours by 2025

<img alt="Group picture at Ali Forney Event " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5aa4eadd-815f-4f5c-8c14-6c58245cb8af" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/112222_-_MAC_-_Ali_Forney_Event_Photo1.jpeg" width="540" class="align-center" height="1095" loading="lazy" />M·A·C Cosmetics was proud to honor Transgender Day of Remembrance by sponsoring The Ali Forney Center’s inaugural <a href="https://wearefamily.aliforneycenter.org/aboutus" target="_blank">WE ARE FAMILY DANCE-A-THON</a>.

The event, which occurred on Transgender Day of Remembrance itself on Sunday, November 20th, not only honored the lives lost to transphobia, but also was a fundraiser to ensure that homeless LGBTQIA+ youth in the New York City area have access to meals this holiday season. M·A·C Artists and employees attended the high-energy fundraiser, which featured celebrated trans performers including Eva Reign and Junior Mintt.
<img alt="" awidth="540" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="02a27253-74bf-4423-83fa-f67c151bce86" lt="Group of MAC volunteers" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/112222_-_MAC_-_Volunteering_Photo1.png" class="align-center" width="587" height="902" loading="lazy" />M·A·C has supported The Ali Forney Center since 2010 through M·A·C VIVA GLAM, the brand’s philanthropic Lipstick line where 100% of the selling price is donated to organizations supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, women and girls, and those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

The DANCE-A-THON event raised over $530,000 and M·A·C’s sponsorship alone provided 2,000 meals for LGBTQIA+ youth in need!

<a href="https://www.maccosmetics.com/vivaglam" target="_blank">Learn more about M·A·C VIVA GLAM.</a>

MAC Cosmetics Sponsors Ali Forney Center Transgender Day of Remembrance Event

<img alt="&quot;One-third of all food is lost or wasted, generating 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. W're partnering with GFN to change that&quot; with person holding a box of food" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2a7cdefe-d3ea-4647-8785-e0edbe0920b9" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/zerohunger_InternationalPaper_110322.jpeg" width="640" class="align-center" height="717" loading="lazy" />International Paper mobilizies our people, products, and resources to address critical needs where our employees live and work. Red de Alimentos invested food and operational support to three partners in Graneros, Chile--including funding for additional staff, technology, and logistics--with the goal of increasing service delivery through improved efficiencies in donation intake and distribution to community organizations. The food bank distributed 1,500 metric tons of fruit and vegetables to 1,733 community organizations serving 348,674 people, surpassing its agricultural product distribution target by 164%.

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a leading global supplier of renewable fiber-based products. We produce corrugated packaging products that protect and promote goods, and enable worldwide commerce, and pulp for diapers, tissue and other personal care products that promote health and wellness. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 38,000 colleagues globally. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2021 were $19.4 billion. See how we’re building a better future for people, the planet, and our company at <a href="http://internationalpaper.com/Vision-2030" target="_blank">internationalpaper.com/Vision-2030</a>.

International Paper Partners With GFN To Reduce Food Waste and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="370" src="https://www.3blmedia.com/embed/video/1082086" width="100%"></iframe></center>

A local food bank representative in Washington estimates they are short as much as 4 million pounds of food right now compared to previous years and need your help. Here’s how T-Mobile is giving back by donating 2 Million Meals* to Feeding America® and helping connect employees and customers to other nonprofits.

The holidays are a time of gratitude and giving, and this year T-Mobile is making sure its customers and employees have every opportunity to get in the spirit. This Giving Season, the Un-carrier is teaming up with <a href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/" target="_blank">Feeding America</a>, the largest nonprofit working with 200 food banks across the country and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs to end hunger in the United States. Due to the pandemic, unemployment and food insecurity soared, leading 53 million people to turn to food banks and community programs last year to help put food on the table at home. That’s why the company has announced it will be donating up to 2 million meals ($200,000 value) to Feeding America through the <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/offers/t-mobile-tuesdays" target="_blank">T-Mobile Tuesdays App</a> on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29

“Record inflation is causing demand to increase and remain high at food banks across the country,” says Lauren Biedron, vice president of Corporate Partnerships at Feeding America. “The Feeding America network is not immune to the impacts of inflation, with aspects of food bank operations including purchasing food, transporting donated food, energy for cold storage, and other costs including wages and even vehicle maintenance seeing increases. The latest Feeding America food bank pulse survey finds that 90% of all responding food banks reported seeing increased or steady demand for services amid record food price increases, with 60% being increased need. Now more than ever, we need the support of partners, like T-Mobile, to make nutritious food accessible to all neighbors in need.”

And the goodness of Giving Season does not end once Giving Tuesday is over! T-Mobile is hosting food drives across the country helping employees give back to their local food banks through mid-December. Plus, the company will donate in a big way gifting a total of $150,000 to food banks in Bellevue, Washington; Overland Park, Kansas; Frisco, Texas; and Reston, Virginia. 

In addition to the food drives, the T-Mobile Foundation will gift all employees seed funding on Giving Tuesday to donate to their nonprofit of choice through the end of the year. Since 2015, T-Mobile has given almost $22 million and volunteered more than 321,000 hours to support over 22,000 nonprofits across the U.S. during Giving Season!

“Food donations are at an all-time low right now and historically dip after the holidays in January and February,” says Ryan Scott, chief development officer for <a href="http://www.foodlifeline.org/" target="_blank">Food Lifeline</a>, a nonprofit in Seattle and a member of the Feeding America network that works to serve the western Washington community and provides nutritious food to 1.37 million people. “We typically have four to five million pounds of food here in the warehouse at this time, but because of the pinch we only have about 1 million pounds. Letting people know they can donate 10 meals to Feeding America on behalf of T-Mobile with a simple tap on the app on Giving Tuesday is so important but introducing them to their local foodbanks so they know they can donate all year long is just as vital.”    

Head to the <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/offers/t-mobile-tuesdays" target="_blank">T-Mobile Tuesday app</a> on Nov. 29, tap donate 10 meals to <a href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/about-us" target="_blank">Feeding America</a> on behalf of T-Mobile, and learn more about how you can support your <a href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank" target="_blank">local food bank</a>. 

*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks.

An Appetite for Awareness: “Food Donations at Local Foodbanks Are at an All Time Low”

<img alt="Solar panels" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d7688082-e3f6-489e-a5f1-92f9c00360aa" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/natgrid_1129_solar.jpeg" width="640" class="align-center" height="593" loading="lazy" />MINNEAPOLIS, November 30, 2022 /CSRwire/ - <a href="https://nationalgridrenewables.com/" target="_blank">National Grid Renewables</a> announced today the start of commercial operation at its Noble Solar and Storage Project (Noble) in Denton County, Texas. Noble is a 275 megawatt (MW) solar and 125 megawatt-hour (MWh) energy storage project located in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market that <a href="https://nationalgridrenewables.com/noble-project-texas/" target="_blank">began construction last year</a>.

“With the start of operation at our Noble project, National Grid Renewables brings online our first utility-scale energy storage project, as well as our largest solar energy project to-date,” stated Blake Nixon, President, National Grid Renewables. “Clean energy projects like Noble are tangible examples of how National Grid Renewables’ commitment to doing the right thing benefits local and global communities both economically and environmentally.”

Noble is projected to avoid 450,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually during operation and is estimated to produce $26 million in new tax revenue throughout the first 20 years of operation. During peak construction, Noble utilized 600 construction workers and now employs the equivalent of 6 full-time operations and maintenance workers. A community event celebrating the <a href="https://nationalgridrenewables.com/noble-2021-celebration/" target="_blank">project’s estimated economic and environmental impacts</a> was hosted last year with project customers and partners.

The Home Depot and NRG Energy, Inc. have each executed individual 100 MW solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), and The Hershey Company has contracted for a 50 MW solar PPA for Noble.

“The Home Depot is proud of our efforts to reduce our carbon emissions,” said Ron Jarvis, Chief Sustainability Officer for The Home Depot. “This partnership will further our renewable energy capacity, as we work towards our pledge of producing or procuring 100 percent renewable electricity equivalent to the electricity needs for all Home Depot facilities by 2030.”

“Power plays a significant role in decarbonizing our economy, and we are proud to stand together with other corporate leaders as we bring new renewable developments online,” said Robert Gaudette, Executive Vice President of NRG Business. “We look forward to bringing more energy solutions to our customers and our communities as we all embark down a more sustainable and resilient path.”

“Noble and similar solar projects make a meaningful impact toward achieving our ambitious science-based targets,” said Leigh Horner, Vice President of Global Sustainability and Corporate Communications at The Hershey Company. “Through continued investment in solar energy and other initiatives, we’re on track to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by more than 50 percent and Scope 3 by 25 percent by 2030.”

Noble utilizes next-generation Series 6 thin film solar modules developed and produced by First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR). Recently, First Solar and National Grid Renewables announced a <a href="https://investor.firstsolar.com/news/press-release-details/2022/National-Grid-Renewables-Orders-2-GW-of-Responsibly-Produced-First-Solar-Modules/default.aspx" target="_blank">2 gigawatt (GW) supply of solar modules scheduled for delivery 2024-2025</a>.

Adam Smith, First Solar’s vice president of Global Business Development, said, “As America’s solar company, we’re proud that our technology will power this project, which, in turn, will power businesses and communities in Texas. This is yet another milestone in our journey with National Grid Renewables, and we thank them for their continued trust in our technology.”

Noble also utilizes Fluence Energy’s (Nasdaq: FLNC) sixth-generation Gridstack™ product for energy storage and was constructed by Signal Energy.

“We are honored to be a part of National Grid Renewables’ first utility-scale solar plus energy storage project to help deliver clean and reliable energy in the ERCOT market,” said John Zahurancik, SVP &amp; President of Americas at Fluence. “This project is a great example of how solar plus storage deployments deliver impactful environmental benefits and reliable energy. We are proud to stand alongside leaders like National Grid Renewables, working shoulder to shoulder with energy users and suppliers to support the clean energy transition.”

“The Noble project is a great example of what can be accomplished with the right partners that share the same vision,” stated Ryan Johnson, President of Signal Energy. “Signal is truly humbled to be a part of this monumental project that helps create a sustainable energy future.”

About National Grid Renewables 
National Grid Renewables owns and operates large-scale renewable energy assets across the United States, including solar, wind, and energy storage. As a farmer-friendly and community-focused business, National Grid Renewables repowers America’s electricity grid by reigniting local economies and reinvesting in a sustainable, clean energy future. National Grid Renewables supports National Grid’s vision of being at the heart of a clean, fair, and affordable energy future for all. To learn more about National Grid Renewables, visit <a href="https://www.nationalgridus.com/News/2022/11/Commercial-Operation-Commences-at-National-Grid-Renewables-8217-Noble-Solar-Storage-Project-/www.nationalgridrenewables.com" target="_blank">www.nationalgridrenewables.com</a> or follow the company on <a href="https://twitter.com/ngrenewables/" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/ngrenewables/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>.

Media Contacts <a href="mailto:Molly.Gilson@nationalgrid.com" target="_blank">Molly Gilson NGV</a> 
National Grid Ventures 
(781) 907-3980

National Grid Renewables announced today the start of commercial operation at its Noble Solar and Storage Project (Noble) in Denton County, Texas.

Commercial Operation Commences at National Grid Renewables' Noble Solar & Storage Project

For the past six years, U.S. Bank has partnered with VolunteerMatch on its annual #GiveTimeSweepstakes campaign to inspire the community to share how they are giving back time during the holiday season.

<img alt="people standing around display check" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a59366e8-1ada-48a4-8f97-aab4f9e21d9f" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/KeyBank_and_Family_Promise_Photo11.18.22A.jpeg" width="640" class="align-center" height="600" loading="lazy" />November 30, 2022 /CSRwire/  <a href="https://www.familypromisegr.org/" target="_blank">Family Promise of Grand Rapids</a> was awarded a $15,000 grant from the <a href="https://www.key.com/about/corporate-responsibility/keybank-foundation.html" target="_blank">KeyBank Foundation </a>to fill the gaps in the community’s emergency response for families that need shelter now. Grant funds will serve to support prevention, stabilization, and emergency shelter programming and build out additional program space to adequately support our staff and serve families in need.

For the past 25 years the nonprofit, an affiliate of the national organization, has been able to empower parents with hope, encouragement and the connections they need to create a better future for their kids, all while ending the cycle of homelessness. Knowing not every family can be placed in a home immediately, Family Promise also provides emergency shelter/basic needs, preventions services and stabilization services

“On behalf of everyone at <a href="http://key.com" target="_blank">KeyBank</a>, I am thrilled to support Family Promise and the transformative work they’re doing in the Grand Rapids area to change the lives of families,” said Michael Sytsma, KeyBank West Michigan Market President. “Ending homelessness is achievable when we work together - giving families the resources they need to thrive. KeyBank is proud of the work Family Promise has accomplished in the last 25 years, and we look forward to what’s in store for the next 25 years.”

These funds come alongside years of KeyBank support for families experiencing homelessness through volunteer participation and basic needs donation as a part of company-wide strategic efforts to support the community around them.

Every week, almost 150 Family Promise volunteers work with local families experiencing homelessness. This community driven model is what makes Family Promise so successful as over 85% of families the nonprofit has served have made their way home.

“Since starting work with Family Promise in 2009, I have seen the significant impact for families through the work we do,” said Cheryl Schuch, CEO for Family Promise of Grand Rapids. “We are proud of the innovative solutions we have implemented over the past 25 years but knowing that there is an ever-evolving need for housing and shelter here in Grand Rapids, we are laser focused on meeting the critical need we see each day.”

Family Promise is thrilled to do more good by partnering with KeyBank and has grown because of the explosive need to help families experiencing homelessness within our community, as housing becomes more of a scarcity - a need that can only be met with the commensurate support of community partners, groups, and individuals.

About Family Promise of Grand Rapids

Family Promise partners with families who are currently homeless or are at risk of experiencing homelessness by helping them create a stable lifestyle for their children. Family Promise has helped over 6,000 children and 4,000 families build a strong foundation for their family’s future by providing emergency services, housing and homeownership opportunities, and stabilization services to families with kids experiencing homelessness. With the help of their Foundation program, Interfaith Hospitality Network, Family Promise of Grand Rapids families have found futures full of hope and possibility. For additional information visit, https://www.familypromisegr.org/

About KeyCorp.

KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 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 $190.1 billion at September 30, 2022. 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 approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 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.

Family Promise of Grand Rapids was awarded a $15,000 grant from the KeyBank Foundation to fill the gaps in the community’s emergency response for families that need shelter now. Grant funds will serve to support prevention, stabilization, and emergency shelter programming and build out additional program space to adequately support our staff and serve families in need.

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