Environment

HanesBrands (NYSE: HBI) a leading marketer of everyday basic innerwear and activewear apparel under world-class brands in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific, has earned its eighth consecutive U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Partner of the Year award for sustained excellence in energy conservation, carbon emissions reduction and environmental sustainability.

Today, Whole Kids Foundation announced 529 new school garden grant recipients and 93 extended learning garden grant recipients. The recipients cover 50 U.S. states, nine Canadian provinces and the U.S. Virgin Islands, providing educational opportunities around agriculture, ecology, nutrition and business for 437,850 students.

Last year’s 7th Annual Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Awards showcased the crème de la crème of companies across the world who are setting the bar for sustainability.

Some readers of this blog may remember how in Pee Wee Herman’s Playhouse, there was always a secret word. When someone said this word, everyone jumped up and down, screamed, and ran around. The same sort of thing sometimes happens in sustainability metrics. Words such as “stranded assets” and “integrated reporting” take on extra weight and meaning that can be surprising to those of us who track the field.

We continually monitor the environmental effects of our business, not only by creating many new and innovative products that consume less water and energy, but also by improving our manufacturing processes. Our expanded use of clean, renewable wind energy in Ohio is one example of how we work to minimize our impact on the planet.

Having pioneered the development of server virtualization, VMware has significantly increased the operational efficiency of IT resources. Server virtualization is a key element of cloud computing. It allows for elasticity through rapid provisioning and de-provisioning of services. By reducing the number of servers needed, and increasing the utilization rates of servers deployed, virtualization software also decreases, often dramatically, the total energy required to support a given service. Lower power consumption associated with server virtualization reduces the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) like carbon dioxide (CO2).

With help from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, the World Wildlife Fund is building advanced technology to catch criminals taking more than third of the world’s fish harvest illegally. Detect IT: Fish is the WWF’s winning entry to the HPE Living Progress Challenge to create a more sustainable future.

Xploration Station and its partners in this year’s contest are looking to award America’s most passionate aerospace student with the trip of a lifetime. The winner will be heading to Hawaii to embark on a three-pronged mission that will help them train like an astronaut bound for the red planet. Xploration Station is a three-hour block of STEM programming for teens and their families, airing weekend mornings on Fox TV Stations in more than 100 million homes nationwide.

The effort to save North America’s imperiled bats has received a boost. Duke Energy Foundation announced today it is awarding $50,000 to support efforts by Bat Conservation International (BCI) to help with the recovery of the continent’s threatened and endangered bat species. The grant will supply critical funding to address major threats to bats including the deadly fungal disease, White-nose Syndrome.