Energy & Infrastructure

You’ve heard about ecosystems: the way all living things in a given area interact with each other and their environment. There’s a similar concept in sustainability called “industrial ecology,” which is the notion that industrial processes benefit from mimicking the closed-loop efficiency, or circular economy, of a natural ecosystem

The nation’s largest cities are getting even greener, according to the fifth annual U.S. Green Building Adoption Index by CBRE and Maastricht University. Researchers have found green certified office space across America’s 30 largest metros has reached 41 percent of market totals – the highest in the index’s history.

Quadex LLC, a division of the Vortex Companies recently announced that its GeoKrete® Geopolymer mortar has received Reduced Carbon Footprint Certification by SCS Global Services, an internationally recognized sustainability certification body. GeoKrete was evaluated for its lower overall carbon footprint as it relates to potential greenhouse gas emissions from raw material extraction through manufacturing, use and end-of-life.

Access to modern sources of energy is fundamental to eradicating poverty and spurring economic growth. Energy touches every aspect of a household’s quality of life. Without access to electric lighting, kids huddle around smoky kerosene lamps to study at night—endangering both their health and education. Lack of refrigeration and gas or electric cooking also impacts a family’s health as it hinders food preservation, makes it harder to purify water, and brings more smoky pollutants into the home. And without electricity for charging phones and starting businesses, many people are falling further and further behind both informationally and economically.

Whether beach strolling on the east coast of the United States or along Manila Bay, you can expect to see a sharp contrast between natural beauty and a spectacle of plastic waste. Sullied beaches are just one manifestation of an ecological crisis that continues to expand unabated as the hand-wringing and debate struggles to yield substantive commitments to address the waste challenge. Worldwide, 73 percent of beach litter is plastic, the ubiquitous material that benefits and harms our wellbeing in equal measures.

We recently heard from Mars, Incorporated’s chief procurement and sustainability officer, Barry Parkin, about the company’s plan to tackle its ambitious climate goals in an EDF+Business “Business of Sustainability” podcast. Their Sustainable in a Generation plan details Mars’ commitment to procure 100 percent renewable energy. Mars is plowing full speed ahead toward these goals and recently, Mars Australia signed 20-year power purchase agreements (PPA) to generate the equivalent of 100 percent of Mars’ electricity from renewable energy by 2020.

The window screen is engineered to do more than block out mosquitoes, spiders and pesky flies. It’s a critical part of the ventilation system of a house, particularly in the summer. And when a house – and its windows – are constructed well, those open, protected apertures can often reduce the dependency on high-emissions, expensive air conditioning systems.

Schneider Electric, the global specialist in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, announced it joined the Corporate Renewable Energy Buyers' Principles, an initiative made up of 76 companies seeking to spur progress on renewable energy and achieve their sustainable energy goals.