Employee Engagement and Sustainability Thrive at Intel; 2012 Corporate Responsibility Report Released
Intel Corp. released its 2012 Corporate Responsibility Report, highlighting the company's performance in areas including employee engagement, environmental sustainability, supply chain systems and education. The report also showcases the Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel’s progress toward its 2020 environmental goals that aim to drive continuous improvement in the company's manufacturing operations and the energy efficiency of its products.As of April 2013, Intel has achieved LEED certification for 29 new and existing buildings, with a total of more than 7.5 million sq. ft. of floor space. For the past five years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized Intel as the largest voluntary purchaser of green power in the nation. In 2013, Intel will increase its green power purchases to nearly 3.1 billion kWh, equivalent to 100 percent of the company’s projected U.S. electricity use for the year and equal to the annual electricity use of more than 320,000 U.S. homes. Since 2009, Intel has partnered with third parties to complete 18 solar installations on nine Intel campuses in the United States, Israel and Vietnam, generating more than 10 million kWh of energy per year.
Building on its nearly 20 years of reporting, Intel is continuing to promote transparency in its performance and actions. Highlights from the 2012 report include:
- Since 2008, Intel has linked a portion of every employee’s compensation to environmental goals, focusing on carbon emission reductions in 2012 and solid waste recycling in 2013.
- Through Intel Involved, employees in 2012 donated 1.2 million hours of service to more than 5,400 schools and nonprofit organizations in 42 countries, bringing the total donated hours to more than 5 million over the past 5 years.
- Twelve employee teams received Intel Environmental Excellence Awards for sustainability projects, generating more than $40 million in estimated savings in 2012 and totaling more than $200 million in savings over the past 3 years.
- Through Intel’s Sustainability in Action grant program, nine teams of employees received grants in 2012 for environmental projects ranging from planting a vegetable garden at a children’s home in Singapore to developing a water purification system in rural India.
Key Bronx Crossroads on the Road to Revitalization
The new $41 million Triangle Plaza mixed-use transit-oriented development in the South Bronx, expected to be completed by early 2014, will serve as a catalyst for a revitalization of a major intersection that was once a bustling urban center. The 25,000-sq.-ft. class-A office building will be certified LEED Silver and will include 90 parking spots.
Currently, the building site at the intersection of 149th Street and Third Avenue, Melrose and Willis Avenues draws 200,000 people passing through because, laced with subway and bus lines, the area also serves as a transit center.
In place of two weed-strewn parking lots, Triangle Plaza’s new buildings totaling 187,000 sq. ft. will house restaurants, a FRESH grocery store, nonprofit offices for Legal Services of NY, a charter school, a community health clinic and a publicly accessible plaza. The project is expected to create 300 new jobs.
The project will be consistent with the economic development goals of city planners. Nearby developments will include Via Verde, a residential building and the Shops at Northrose. The area is close to Yankee Stadium, the Grand Concourse, Lincoln Hospital and Hostos Community College.
“The South Bronx is on the upswing and this new project proves it,” said Kathy Zamechansky, President of KZA Realty Group, the project’s broker. “A gleaming new building is just what this area needs to add life and vitality to a neighborhood that once served as a major shopping destination.”
BASF Joins Habitat for Humanity in N ew Jersey
BASF employee volunteers have joined Morris Habitat for Humanity to build homes for three families in Madison, N.J. More than 30 BASF employees worked on various aspects of construction, installing roofs, exterior walls and exterior frames for the homes.
Morris Habitat for Humanity helps reduce the community’s carbon footprint by incorporating sustainable building practices during construction. All three homes will be Energy Star certified for energy efficiency. New homeowners will contribute 300 hours of labor and learn the importance of sustainability at mandatory homeownership classes. The three new Habit for Humanity units will be developed in partnership with Morris Habitat for Humanity and the Madison Affordable Housing Corporation. The homes will be sold in accordance with New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing rules and regulations.
BASF’s commitment to sustainable construction is also demonstrated by the LEED double Platinum certification of its new North American headquarters, which features a variety of BASF-enabled construction solutions.
Nissan and CarCharging to Expand Electric Vehicle Quick Charger Network
Nissan and Car Charging Group Inc. announced a joint initiative to make EV charging more readily available and to expand consumer awareness of the electric car market. CarCharging and Nissan will work together to determine the placement of the chargers, which is expected to be in key markets throughout the United States by the end of 2013.
Nissan's quick charger stations drastically reduce charging times, charging a fully-depleted Nissan LEAF to 80 percent capacity in approximately 30 minutes. The initial goal for the initiative is to deploy the 48 Nissan-branded quick chargers primarily in California and on the East Coast.
As a part of the initiative, CarCharging will continue to educate consumers about how the EV charging infrastructure enhances the adoption and use of electric cars. This campaign will include tools to communicate the charging opportunities for drivers without private garages, such as residents of apartment and condo communities; the ease and benefits of public EV charging; and charging subscription offerings.
CarCharging is also developing a mobile application to provide real-time charging station location information with turn-by-turn directions and access capability for all CarCharging EV charging stations, including ChargePoint and Nissan's quick chargers. CarCharging will also offer its proprietary evCharge card at no cost to all LEAF drivers at participating Nissan dealerships. The evCharge card allows drivers to initiate use and payment at all public charging stations on the ChargePoint Network, the largest national online network connecting EV drivers to EV charging stations.
Eleven Entities in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska to Receive More Than $4.5 M from EPA to Assess, Clean up and Revitalize Brownfield Properties
Nine cities and two state agencies in Region 7 have been selected to receive more than $4.5 million from the EPA’s Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup (ARC) Grants program. These funds will provide key support toward the assessment, cleanup and revitalization of brownfields properties in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska communities.
The 11 recipients in EPA Region 7 are among 240 in 45 states to receive ARC grants for 2013.
They include Coralville, Iowa, $382,000 for assessment; Council Bluffs, Iowa, $200,000 for assessment; Dubuque, Iowa, $400,000 for assessment; Fort Dodge, Iowa, $400,000 for assessment; Ottumwa, Iowa, $400,000 for assessment; Howardville, Mo., $200,000 for cleanup; Kansas City, Mo., $600,000 for cleanup; Springfield, Mo., $400,000 for assessment; Lincoln, Neb., $400,000 for cleanup; Kansas Department of Health and Environment, $600,000 for assessment; and Missouri Department of Natural Resources, $600,000 for assessment.
EPA’s Brownfields ARC Grants target under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed. Region 7 communities will use these funds to conduct environmental assessments, cleanup planning, cleanups and conduct community outreach. Coalition partnerships allow recipients to reach more neighborhoods that might not otherwise have access to resources to address blight.
Brownfields are defined as those properties whose expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Brownfields sites include all "real property," including residential, commercial and industrial properties. It is estimated that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties increases local tax bases, facilitates job growth, utilizes existing infrastructure, takes development pressures off of undeveloped, open land, and both improves and protects the environment.