UPDATE: Corporations Are Tackling the Risks Associated with Climate Change

Corporations Are Tackling the Risks Associated with Climate Change: "Ceres began its life 20 years ago in the wake of the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill. Since then, Ceres has become the sponsor of the Global Reporting Initiative, an international standard for sustainability reporting used by more than 1,100 companies. The organization claims to be the originator of the concept of climate risk. Ceres’ report, The 21st Century Corporation: The Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability, outlines 20 key expectations that today’s investors have of companies they invest in, expectations in the areas of governance, stakeholder engagement, disclosure and performance.

According to Mindy S. Lubber, president of Ceres, a crucial climate-change-related performance expectation for the roadmap is “a 50 percent improvement in energy efficiency and a 25 percent lower carbon footprint by 2020.” Companies that meet these kinds of expectations “will be best positioned to thrive in the coming low-carbon, resource-constrained global economy of the 21st century,” she stresses."

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America: More Than 130 Leading Organizations Pledge Support for June's Fourth Annual National Employee Wellness Month

More Than 130 Leading Organizations Pledge Support for June's Fourth Annual National Employee Wellness Month - MarketWatch: "Virgin HealthMiles, the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease and WorldatWork announced more than 130 US organizations have pledged their support for June's National Employee Wellness Month. Now in its fourth year, National Employee Wellness Month showcases how prevention, coupled with supportive social communities like the workplace, helps to improve employee health and productivity, lower healthcare costs and create a workplace culture of health. This annual initiative helps employers learn from best practices of how companies are developing successful strategies around prevention and good health."

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South Africa: Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) Reaches Moms and Babies in 22 Countries with Critical Health Information via Mobile Phone

Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) Reaches Moms and Babies in 22 Countries with Critical Health Information: "Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) is working with local organizations to send timely and culturally sensitive health and wellness information to new and expectant mothers in 22 countries from Afghanistan to Zambia, via mobile phones. MAMA, a $10 million, three year partnership to address the 360,000 maternal deaths and 3.1 million newborn deaths that occur each year, is also due to launch nationally in Bangladesh this July, after successful use of mobile messaging in four regions. South Africa will preview its services this month at the GSMA-mHealth Alliance Mobile Health Summit in Cape Town, South Africa. MAMA is a partnership between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Johnson & Johnson, the United Nations Foundation, and BabyCenter and operates through a secretariat hosted by the mHealth Alliance."

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Asia: Health and Wellness, top concerns of Filipinos, next to work-life balance and job security

 "A number of studies show that health and wellness is among the top concerns of Filipinos, next to work-life balance and job security. After all, being physically fit means being able to spend more quality time with the family as well as enjoy activities with friends and colleagues. However, it is a sad reality that for most Filipinos, health management is steeply priced. This inaccessibility to basic health products leads many to rampant self-medication, non-compliance to treatment, and medical consultation only when symptoms of ailments are past treatment. Today, generic medicine that are priced cheaper than leading brands have been presented as a solution to this concern. However, people are not comfortable switching to generic drugs easily due to bad feedback in the past, related to questionable efficacy and poor quality of certain formulations. To overcome these challenges, Watsons exerted utmost effort to look for the right pharmaceutical partners and bring together quality generic medicine to the market."

'via Blog this' Quality health care for everyone - The Philippine Star » Business Features » Science and Technology:

AUSTRALIA: Community engagement delivers winter health program for older people

"“Winter can be a challenging time for older people, and often they feel a little isolated because they don’t want to leave the house in the cold and wet weather in fear of falling ill. The program is a holistic approach to managing health in winter, including advice on how to best treat the flu or a cold, how to avoid trips and falls on wet surfaces, and information on balanced nutrition and exercise to support the immune system,” said Prof Kralik. “A free flu shot is also included at the session, making it easier for attendees to receive their annual vaccine. RDNS is committed to the health and wellbeing of the community and is always to looking for new ways to provide access to the range of services we provide.” “Community CPS has been a supporter of RDNS for many years, and we’re thrilled to work with them again on this very worthwhile project,” said Mr Parsons

The Winter Wellness Program is the first to be implemented as a direct result of the Community Advisory Board sessions and Community CPS has provided the funds to bring the program to life."

'via Blog this'Press Release: Community engagement delivers winter health program:

UPDATE: U.S. Renewable Energy Company Targets Fall 2012 to Begin Turning Brazilian Trash into Fuel

U.S. Renewable Energy Company Targets Fall 2012 to Begin Turning Brazilian Trash into Fuel: "Once the plant is in full operation, the Gás Verde project in Brazil will use the FirmGreen technology to clean 12,000 scfm (standard cubic feet per minute) of landfill gas into usable, pipeline gas. The EPA estimates that such emission reductions are equal to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from removing 278,400 passenger vehicles from the road and/or reducing the CO₂ emissions from 159.6 million gallons of gasoline consumed.
In addition to its environmental benefits, Wilburn noted that export of FirmGreen’s green technology has created hundreds of skilled U.S. jobs and helps improve the nation’s trade balance at a time when the American economy has been challenged. Manufacturing operations in seven different states contracted with FirmGreen on this project, each contributing a significant role in the fabrication of FirmGreen’s biogas purification equipment. The undertaking has also created hundreds of jobs in Brazil. “This is what truly makes this project a win-win,“ explained Sergio Stacchini, President of Gás Verde."

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UPDATE: Mining Industry Investment in Renewable Energy Will Reach Almost $20 Billion by 2020, Forecasts Pike Research | SYS-CON MEDIA

Mining Industry Investment in Renewable Energy Will Reach Almost $20 Billion by 2020, Forecasts Pike Research | SYS-CON MEDIA: "The Asia Pacific region, which has seen its market share of the worldwide mining sector increase to 44% in the last decade, will see the greatest investment in renewable energy in the mining industry through 2020, at $9.4 billion. In the United States, the market will reach $4.6 billion in the same year. In general, Pike Research anticipates that investments in, and purchases of, renewable energy technologies from the mining industry will range from 10% to 20% of total energy expenditures during the forecast period. Pike Research’s report, “Renewable Energy in the Mining Industry”, provides a detailed examination of energy consumption dynamics in the global mining industry, along with an analysis of the market opportunity for greater utilization of renewable energy. The study assesses the market drivers and policy issues that are influencing mining companies’ increasing interest in renewable energy, along with a review of the technology issues associated with each option."

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